James William Richards
Encyclopedia
James William Richards was a merchant, ship owner and political figure in Prince Edward Island
. He represented 2nd Prince
in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
from 1873 to 1908 as a Conservative
and then Liberal
member and Prince County
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1908 to 1915 as a Liberal
member.
He was born in Swansea
, Wales
, the son of William Richards
, and educated at Prince of Wales College
and St. Dunstan's College
in Charlottetown
. Richards was first elected to the provincial assembly in an 1873 by-election after James Yeo
resigned his seat. He served as a member of the provincial Executive Council from 1891 to 1904. Richards was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the House of Commons in 1904 but then was elected in 1908 and reelected in 1911. He died in office in 1915.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. He represented 2nd Prince
2nd Prince
2nd Prince was an electoral district in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, which elected two members to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1873 to 1993....
in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....
from 1873 to 1908 as a Conservative
Prince Edward Island Progressive Conservative Party
The Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island is one of two major political parties on Prince Edward Island. It and its rival, the Liberals have alternated in power since responsible government was granted in 1851 and are the only two parties represented in the PEI Legislative...
and then Liberal
Prince Edward Island Liberal Party
The Prince Edward Island Liberal Party is a major political party in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. The PEI Liberals are aligned with the federal Liberal Party of Canada. The party is led by Robert Ghiz, a former member of the staff of the Prime Minister's Office under Prime Minister...
member and Prince County
Prince County (electoral district)
Prince County was a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1873 to 1896.This riding was created in 1873 when Prince Edward island joined the Canadian Confederation....
in 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...
from 1908 to 1915 as a 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...
member.
He was born in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the son of William Richards
William Richards (politician)
William Richards was a political figure in Prince Edward Island. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1870 to 1872....
, and educated at Prince of Wales College
Prince of Wales College
Prince of Wales College is a former university college, which was located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. PWC merged with St. Dunstan's University in 1969 to form the University of Prince Edward Island....
and St. Dunstan's College
Saint Dunstan's University
St. Dunstan's University is a former university which was located on the northern outskirts of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. SDU merged with Prince of Wales College in 1969 to form the University of Prince Edward Island.St...
in Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
. Richards was first elected to the provincial assembly in an 1873 by-election after James Yeo
James Yeo (politician)
James Yeo was a merchant, ship builder, ship owner, and Canadian Member of Parliament for Prince Edward Island, representing Prince County beginning in 1873 when Prince Edward Island joined Canadian Confederation and serving until 1891.Yeo was born in Port Hill, Prince Edward Island, the son of...
resigned his seat. He served as a member of the provincial Executive Council from 1891 to 1904. Richards was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the House of Commons in 1904 but then was elected in 1908 and reelected in 1911. He died in office in 1915.