1909 Newfoundland general election

1909 Newfoundland general election

←  1908 May 8, 1909 1913  →
←  Outgoing members Elected members  →
36 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 19 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Edward Morris Robert Bond Party People's Liberal Leader since 1908 1897 Leader's seat St. John's West Twillingate Last election 18 18 Seats won 26 10 Seat change 8 8 Popular vote 54,111 48,200 Percentage 52.89% 47.11% Swing 3.55% 3.11%
Prime Minister before election Edward Morris People's Prime Minister after election Edward Morris People's

The 1909 Newfoundland general election was held on 8 May 1909 to elect members of the 22nd General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The Newfoundland People's Party led by Edward P. Morris, having secured a majority, formed the government.

Results

	Party	Leader	1908	Candidates	Seats won	Seat change	% of seats (% change)	Popular vote	% of vote (% change)
	People's	Edward Morris	18	36	26	8	72.22% (22.22%)	54,111	52.89% (3.55%)
	Liberal	Robert Bond	18	36	10	8	27.78% (22.22%)	48,200	47.11% (3.11%)
Totals			36	72	36		100%	102,311	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
	Liberal (historical)		People's
St. John's East		James Kent 2,595 20.05%		Michael Gibbs 1,979 15.29%		James Kent
		George Shea 2,471 19.09%		Frank McNamara [1] 1,741 13.45%		George Shea
		John Dwyer 2,457 18.98%		Maurice Devine 1,702 13.15%		John Dwyer
St. John's West		William Ellis 1,858 16.05%		Edward Morris 2,205 19.05%		Edward Morris
		Henry Cowan 1,762 15.22%		John R. Bennett 2,094 18.09%		John R. Bennett
		John Scott 1,663 14.36%		Michael Kennedy 1,995 17.23%		Michael Kennedy

Conception Bay

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Liberal (historical)		People's
Bay de Verde		Robert Duff 1,044 24.00%		John Crosbie 1,145 26.32%		John Crosbie
		Charles Steer 1,035 23.79%		Jesse Whiteway 1,126 25.89%		Jesse Whiteway
Carbonear		Joseph Maddock 559 48.11%		John Goodison 603 51.89%		Joseph Maddock
Harbour Grace		John Parsons [2] 1,223 15.52%		Archibald Piccott 1,444 18.33%		Archibald Piccott
		Arthur Barnes 1,210 15.36%		Alfred Seymour 1,404 17.82%		Edward Parsons
		Eli Dawe 1,195 15.17%		Edward Parsons 1,403 17.81%		Eli Dawe
Harbour Main		John Lewis 949 23.49%		William Woodford 1,118 27.67%		William Woodford
		John J. St. John 908 22.48%		John J. Murphy 1,065 26.36%		John J. Murphy
Port de Grave		Samuel Bartlett 765 49.48%		William Warren 781 50.52%		William Warren

Avalon Peninsula

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Liberal (historical)		People's
Ferryland		George Power [3] 617 21.75%		Michael Cashin 881 31.05%		Michael Cashin
		Michael Condon 537 18.93%		Philip Moore 802 28.27%		William Ellis‡ (ran in St. John's West)
Placentia and St. Mary's		Edward Jackman 1,593 16.12%		Richard Devereaux 1,791 18.12%		Edward Jackman
		Michael Sullivan 1,528 15.46%		William Howley 1,767 17.88%		Michael Sullivan
		James Davis 1,461 14.78%		Frank Morris 1,743 17.64%		James Davis

Eastern Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Liberal (historical)		People's
Bonavista Bay		John Giles [4] 652 5.79%		Sydney Blandford 3,158 28.02%		Sydney Blandford
		Ambrose Janes [4] 636 5.64%		William C. Winsor 3,133 27.80%		William C. Winsor
		Arthur Herder [4] 615 5.46%		Donald Morison 3,076 27.29%		Donald Morison
Trinity Bay		George Gushue 2,082 16.71%		Richard Squires 2,182 17.51%		George Gushue
		Arthur Miller 2,014 16.16%		Robert Watson 2,176 17.46%		Arthur Miller
		George Ayre 1,905 15.29%		Edwin Grant 2,104 16.88%		Robert Watson

Central Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Liberal (historical)		People's
Fogo		Henry Earle 861 50.45%		Henry Fitzgerald 845 49.53%		Henry Earle
Twillingate		Robert Bond 2,621 23.19%		Alan Goodridge 1,297 11.48%		Robert Bond
		James A. Clift 2,592 22.93%		Jordan Milley 1,204 10.65%		James Clift
		George Roberts 2,498 22.10%		Sydney Woods [5] 1,090 9.64%		George Roberts

Southern and Western Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates				Incumbent
	Liberal (historical)		People's
Burgeo and LaPoile		A. J. W. McNeilly 467 36.26%		Robert Moulton 821 63.74%		Robert Moulton
Burin		Henry Gear 795 25.38%		John A. Robinson 781 24.94%		Edward Davey
		Edward Davey 782 24.97%		Thomas LeFeuvre 774 24.71%		Henry Gear
Fortune Bay		William Lloyd 608 45.41%		Charles Emerson 731 54.59%		Charles Emerson
St. Barbe		William Clapp 911 53.56%		Henry Mott 790 46.44%		William Clapp
St. George's		George Carty 731 38.66%		Joseph Downey 1,160 61.34%		Joseph Downey

References

1. "Representative of the People's Party". Evening Chronicle. October 7, 1908. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
2. "The Liberal Tidal Wave: Greatest Political Meeting Ever Held at Harbor Grace Last Night". Evening Telegram. April 22, 1909. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
3. "To Our Country". Harbour Grace Standard. April 30, 1909. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
4. "Ha! Ha!! Ha!!!". Daily News. April 22, 1909. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
5. "Woods for Twillingate". Daily News. September 25, 1908. Retrieved May 17, 2025.

Further reading

• Riggs, Bert (1981). "General Election #22: May 8, 1909". Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1. St. John's: Harry Cuff Publications Ltd. Retrieved May 17, 2025.