1874 Newfoundland general election

1874 Newfoundland general election

←  1873 November 7, 1874 1878  →
←  outgoing members members  →
31 seats of the Newfoundland House of Assembly 17 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Frederick Carter Charles Fox Bennett Party Conservative Anti-Confederation Leader since 1865 1869 Leader's seat Twillingate and Fogo Placentia and St. Mary's Last election 14 [a] 17 Seats won 18 13 Seat change 4 4 Popular vote 10,284 8,260 Percentage 55.14% 44.28% Swing 15.64% [b] 16.22% [b]
Premier before election Frederick Carter Conservative Premier after election Frederick Carter Conservative

The 1874 Newfoundland general election was held on November 7, 1874 to elect members of the 12th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Colony of Newfoundland. The Conservative Party led by Frederick Carter formed the government. The Anti-Confederate government of Charles Fox Bennett had collapsed amidst a bribery scandal.

Results

	Party	Leader	1873	Candidates	Seats won	Seat change	% of seats (% change)	Popular vote	% of vote (% change)
	Conservative	Frederick Carter	14 [a]	19	18	4	58.06% (12.90%)	10,284	55.14% (15.64%)
	Anti-Confederation	Charles Fox Bennett	17	24	13	4	41.94% (12.90%)	8,260	44.28% (16.22%)
	Other		0	1	0		0.00% ()	108	0.57% (0.57%)
Totals			31	44	31		100%	18,652	100%

Results by district

• Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
• † indicates that the incumbent did not run again.
• ‡ indicates that the incumbent ran in a different district.

St. John's

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Conservative (historical)		Anti-Confederation
St. John's East [1]		James Wheeler [2] 519 14.79%		Robert Kent 1,006 28.66%		John Dearin
				Robert Parsons 1,000 28.49%		Robert Parsons
				John Dearin 985 28.06%		Robert Kent
St. John's West				Lewis Tessier Won by acclamation		Lewis Tessier
				Patrick Scott Won by acclamation		Patrick Scott
				Maurice Fenelon Won by acclamation		Maurice Fenelon

Conception Bay

Electoral district	Candidates						Incumbent
	Conservative (historical)		Anti-Confederation		Independent
Bay de Verde		James Rogerson Won by acclamation						James Rogerson
Carbonear [1]		John Rorke 348 79.63%		Francis Taylor 89 20.37%				John Rorke
Harbour Grace [1]		Ambrose Shea 1,008 47.91%				William Wood (Independent) [1] 108 5.13%		Ambrose Shea
		Joseph Godden 988 46.96%						William Wood
Harbour Main				Joseph Little Won by acclamation				Joseph Little
				Patrick Nowlan Won by acclamation				Patrick Nowlan
Port de Grave		Nathaniel Rabbitts 448 57.00%		John Bartlett 338 43.00%				John Bartlett

Avalon Peninsula

Electoral district	Candidates		Incumbent
	Anti-Confederation
Ferryland		Richard Raftus Won by acclamation		Thomas Glen†
		James Conroy Won by acclamation		Richard Raftus
Placentia and St. Mary's		Charles Fox Bennett Won by acclamation		Charles Fox Bennett
		James Collins Won by acclamation		James Collins
		Michael Dwyer Won by acclamation		Vacant [c]

Eastern and Central Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Conservative (historical)		Anti-Confederation
Bonavista Bay [1]		John Warren 852 20.76%		Francis Winton [3] 539 13.13%		Charles Bowring
		Charles Bowring 843 20.54%		? Knowling 524 12.76%		A. J. W. McNeilly
		A. J. W. McNeilly 833 20.29%		William Barnes [3] 514 12.52%		John Burton†
Trinity Bay		William Whiteway Won by acclamation				John Steer
		John Steer Won by acclamation				John Warren‡ (ran in Bonavista Bay)
		James Watson Won by acclamation				William Whiteway
Twillingate and Fogo [1]		Frederick Carter 1,008 19.09%		Smith McKay 795 15.06%		Frederick Carter
		Charles Duder 997 18.89%		? Rolls 780 14.78%		Charles Duder
		William Kelligrew 961 18.20%		? Lemessurier 738 13.98%		Smith McKay

Southern Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Conservative (historical)		Anti-Confederation
Burgeo and LaPoile		Prescott Emerson Won by acclamation				Prescott Emerson
Burin [1]		Charles Ayre 552 31.47%		? Bennett 328 18.70%		James Winter
		James Winter 550 31.36%		? Scott 324 18.47%		Charles Ayre
Fortune Bay		Robert Alexander 377 55.69%		Robert Pinsent [4] 300 44.31%		Vacant [d]

Notes

1. This figure includes Carter's double election in the districts of Harbour Grace and Twillingate and Fogo.
2. Based on incomplete figures from the previous election
3. Henry Renouf had been elected in 1873, but his office was vacated when Premier Bennett appointed him as a district court judge.
4. Thomas Bennett had been elected in 1873, but his office was vacated when Premier Charles Fox Bennett appointed him as a district court judge in Harbour Grace.

References

1. "Election Returns". Telegraph. December 9, 1874. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
2. "Nomination Day". Telegraph. November 4, 1874. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
3. "To the People of Bonavista Bay". Telegraph. October 21, 1874. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
4. "Reply of the Honorable R. J. Pinsent". Telegraph. September 16, 1874. Retrieved June 6, 2025.

Further reading

• Morgan, Henry J (1876). The Canadian parliamentary companion for 1876. pp. 649–50. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
• Riggs, Bert (1981). "General Election #12: November 7, 1874". Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1. St. John's: Harry Cuff Publications Ltd. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
• Rochfort, John A (1877). Business and general directory of Newfoundland, 1877 : containing classified lists of the business men of St. John's and the leading towns and districts of the colony. pp. 35–36. Retrieved October 27, 2009.