Charles Jonas Thornton
Encyclopedia
Charles Jonas Thornton was a political figure in Durham, Ontario
.
He was born in Clarke Township, Ontario and was a farmer. He was elected to the township council
and served on the body for seven years. He also served on Durham West
county council
for five years.
Thornton first ran for the Canadian House of Commons
as a Patrons of Industry
candidate in Durham West
during the 1896 federal election
but fared poorly comining in third place with less than 500 votes.
He was elected as the Conservative MP for Durham West in the 1900 federal election
. His election was declared void in October 1901 and his seat declared vacant. A by-election
was held in January 1902 in which his Liberal
opponent defeated Thornton by 28 votes.
He returned to the House of Commons in the 1908 federal election
, this time representing Durham
, and was re-elected in the 1911 federal election
. Thornton remained in parliament until the 1917 federal election
in which he stepped aside so that the wartime Union Government
which Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
had formed could run Liberal-Unionist
Newton Wesley Rowell as a pro-Government candidate.
Thornton was a member of the Orange Order. He died in Orono, Ontario
in 1932.
Durham, Ontario
Durham is a community in the municipality of West Grey, Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Durham is located near the base of the Bruce Peninsula.-Location:...
.
He was born in Clarke Township, Ontario and was a farmer. He was elected to the township council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
and served on the body for seven years. He also served on Durham West
Durham West
Durham West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the province of Ontario...
county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
for five years.
Thornton first ran for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a Patrons of Industry
Patrons of Industry
The Grand Association of the Patrons of Industry in Ontario was a Canadian farmers' organization formed in 1890 that cooperated with the urban labour movement to address the political frustrations of both groups with big business....
candidate in Durham West
Durham West
Durham West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the province of Ontario...
during the 1896 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1896
The Canadian federal election of 1896 was held on June 23, 1896 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the...
but fared poorly comining in third place with less than 500 votes.
He was elected as the Conservative MP for Durham West in the 1900 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1900
The Canadian federal election of 1900 was held on November 7 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Canada. As a result of the election, the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, was re-elected to a second majority government, defeating the...
. His election was declared void in October 1901 and his seat declared vacant. A by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held in January 1902 in which his Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
opponent defeated Thornton by 28 votes.
He returned to the House of Commons in the 1908 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1908
The Canadian federal election of 1908 was held on October 26 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Liberal Party of Canada was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in government with a majority government...
, this time representing Durham
Durham (electoral district)
Durham is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968, and since 1988....
, and was re-elected in the 1911 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1911
The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada.-Summary:...
. Thornton remained in parliament until the 1917 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
in which he stepped aside so that the wartime Union Government
Unionist Party (Canada)
The Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by Members of Parliament in Canada who supported the "Union government" formed by Sir Robert Borden during the First World War....
which Conservative Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
had formed could run Liberal-Unionist
Liberal-Unionist
For the British party see Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal-Unionists were supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada who, as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917 rejected Sir Wilfrid Laurier's leadership and supported the coalition Unionist government of Sir Robert Borden.Much of the Ontario...
Newton Wesley Rowell as a pro-Government candidate.
Thornton was a member of the Orange Order. He died in Orono, Ontario
Orono, Ontario
Orono is a community in the Municipality of Clarington, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Highway 35/115, approximately a 45 minute drive east of Toronto.-History:...
in 1932.