The 1st Newfoundland general election came after many years of agitation against the British Parliament. Newfoundland was the last British colony in North America to gain representative government.

Results by party

	Leader	Seats won	Conservative Conservative parties in Newfoundland (pre-Confederation) For the modern Conservative Party see Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and LabradorThe Conservative Party of Newfoundland was a political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland prior to confederation with Canada in 1949....	10	Liberal Liberal parties in Newfoundland (pre-Confederation) For the modern Liberal Party see Liberal Party of Newfoundland and LabradorSeveral earlier groupings functioned in the Dominion of Newfoundland under the name Liberal Party of Newfoundland from the granting of responsible government to the island in the 1850s until its suspension in 1934 when the...	5
Total		15

Member distribution

The first general election for Newfoundland was held in November, 1832. The island was divided into nine electoral districts:

• Conception Bay (4 members)
• St. John's (3 members)
• Placentia and St. Mary's (2 members)
• Bonavista Bay (1 member)
• Burin (1 member)
• Ferryland (1 member)
• Fogo (1 member)
• Fortune Bay (1 member)
• Trinity Bay (1 member)

None of the west coast of Newfoundland was represented during the 1832 general election because it fell within the jurisdiction of the French

French Shore

The French Treaty Shore resulted from the 1713 ratification of the Treaty of Utrecht. The provisions of the treaty allowed the French to fish in season along the north coast of Newfoundland between Cape Bonavista and Point Riche. This area had been frequented by fishermen from Brittany since the...

 and American

American Treaty Shore

The American Treaty Shore also known as the Anglo-American Convention of 1818 is an identification of the fishing area frequented by American fishing vessels around the coast of Newfoundland.-External links:*...

 treaty shores. 15 seats in total, were up for election and representation to govern the affairs of the island.

Districts

The districts were determined by settlements and landmarks along the coast, with no consideration given to areas inland. It was determined that all residents lived on or near the coast.

• The district of St. John's covered areas from Petty Harbour to Topsail. This area also took in Bell Island
  Bell Island
  Bell Island is a Canadian island located off Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay.Measuring 9 km in length and 3 km in width, Bell Island has an area of 34 km²...
  
  .
• The district of Conception Bay extended from Topsail to Bay de Verde
  Bay de Verde, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Bay de Verde is an incorporated town in Conception Bay on the northern tip of the Bay de Verde Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The first recorded inhabitants at Bay de Verde arrived in 1662. Bay de Verde became an incorporated town in 1950.-Geography:Bay de Verde is the northern...
  
   Head.
• The district of Trinity was from Bay de Verde Head to Cape Bonavista
  Cape Bonavista
  Cape Bonavista is a headland located on the east coast of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.It is located at the northeastern tip of the Bonavista Peninsula, which separates Trinity Bay to the south from Bonavista Bay to the north.The nearby town of...
  
  . This area also included Random Island
  Random Island
  Random Island is located off Canada's Atlantic coast. Part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, it is located on the east coast of Newfoundland and semi-surrounded by the Bonavista Peninsula on the north and within the confines of Trinity Bay...
  
  .
• The district of Bonavista Bay extended from Cape Bonavista to Cape Freels
  Cape Freels
  Cape Freels is a headland on the island of Newfoundland and the location of a community of the same name.The cape was named Ilha de Freyluis as early as 1506. The Portuguese translation is a derivation of the island of Brother Lewis. The area around the cape is the location of a Beothuk camping site...
  
  .
• The district of Fogo included the islands of Twillingate
  Twillingate
  Twillingate is a town of 2,448 people located on the Twillingate Islands in Notre Dame Bay. It is located off the northeastern shore of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was incorporated on September 30, 1965. The town is about north of Lewisporte and...
  
   and Fogo
  Fogo, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Fogo is an outport town on Fogo Island, Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:The largest community on the island, the town may also be the location of the island's first permanent settlement, which took place in the early 18th century, though it is unknown...
  
   and extended from Fogo Island to Cape St. John
  Cape St. John
  Cape St. John is a headland located on the east coast of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Cape St. John forms the northeastern point of the Baie Verte Peninsula and has a high prominent peak with steep cliffs rising to an elevation of 74m that are...
  
  .
• The district of Ferryland extended from Petty Harbour to Cape Race
  Cape Race
  Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", or "bare"...
  
  .
• The district of Placentia and St. Mary's was from Cape Race to Rushoon
  Rushoon, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Rushoon is a town located north east of Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador on the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. The post office was established there in 1955 and the first postmaster was Ambrose Joseph Miller. It became a Local Government Community on January 18, 1966. It had a...
  
  .
• The district of Burin was from Rushoon
  Rushoon, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Rushoon is a town located north east of Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador on the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. The post office was established there in 1955 and the first postmaster was Ambrose Joseph Miller. It became a Local Government Community on January 18, 1966. It had a...
  
   to Garnish
  Garnish, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Garnish, a town located on the west coast of the Burin Peninsula, is known for its lumbering and lobstering operations. It is 19 miles north west of Grand Banks. The Way Office was established in 1852 and the first Waymaster was Henry Campe. In 2006 the town had a population of 578.-External links:**...
  
  .
• The district of Fortune Bay was from Garnish
  Garnish, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Garnish, a town located on the west coast of the Burin Peninsula, is known for its lumbering and lobstering operations. It is 19 miles north west of Grand Banks. The Way Office was established in 1852 and the first Waymaster was Henry Campe. In 2006 the town had a population of 578.-External links:**...
  
   to McCallum
  McCallum
  McCallum is a British television series that was produced by STV Productions .Dr Iain McCallum was the original lead character, played by John Hannah. McCallum was a forensic pathologist who traveled by Triumph Motorcycle, and solved murders...
  
   (formerly known as Bonne Bay).

Candidate requirements

Each candidate had to be male, twenty-one years or older, of sound understanding, either natural-born to the island or a lawfully naturalized

Naturalization

Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....

 British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 citizen, and a resident of two years standing who had occupied a dwelling as either tenant or owner. Also, no candidate could have a criminal record for any infamous or heinous crime. Voters were held to much the same restrictions as candidates except the residency requirement was reduced from two years to one.

Election

The election was conducted over a period of two months from the day of proclamation to the last polling date of December 8, 1832. There were forty-seven polling booths located at strategic locations and not all communities had one. Except for the districts of St. John's, Conception Bay, and Bonavista, the candidates were elected by acclamation.

District of Conception Bay

The nomination for Conception Bay was held on October 31, 1832, with the following candidates nominated for the four available seats:

• Charles Cozens
  Charles Cozens
  Charles Cozens , politician, magistrate, was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832....
  
   of Brigus
  Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage....
  
  , nominated by William Innott and John McCarthy
• Peter Brown
  Peter Brown (Newfoundland politician)
  Peter Brown was a merchant, politician and justice of the peace was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.Brown, born in Ireland immigrated to Newfoundland where he was a dealer and shopkeeper in the...
  
   of Harbour Grace, nominated by John C. Nutall and William Molloy
• Robert Pack
  Robert Pack (politician)
  Robert Pack was a merchant, politician and justice of the peace was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.-External links:*...
  
   of Carbonear
  Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Carbonear is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2006, there are 4,723 people living in Carbonear, down from 4,759 in 2001.-History:...
  
  , nominated by William Dalton and William Talbot
• James Power
  James Power (politician)
  James Power was a merchant, politician, justice of the peace and magistrate was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.-References:...
  
   of Carbonear, nominated by Thomas Chancey and William Bennett
• Robert J. Pinsent
  Robert John Pinsent
  Robert John Pinsent magistrate and politician ran in the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832 to represent the district of Conception Bay...
  
   of Port de Grave
  Port de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador
  Port de Grave is a peninsula on Conception Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Port de Grave peninsula contains the communities of Bareneed, Black Duck Pond, Otterbury, Ship Cove, Blow Me Down, Hibb's Cove, Pick Eyes, and Hussey's Cove with a population of approximately 975 . This...
  
  , nominated by Robert Prowse and John Stark

  Candidates	October 31	November 1	November 2	November 3	Total
  Robert Pack Robert Pack (politician) Robert Pack was a merchant, politician and justice of the peace was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.-External links:*...	380	197	228	131	936
  Charles Cozens Charles Cozens Charles Cozens , politician, magistrate, was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832....	376	195	223	129	923
  Peter Brown Peter Brown (Newfoundland politician) Peter Brown was a merchant, politician and justice of the peace was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.Brown, born in Ireland immigrated to Newfoundland where he was a dealer and shopkeeper in the...	364	202	224	133	923
  James Power James Power (politician) James Power was a merchant, politician, justice of the peace and magistrate was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.-References:...	371	198	209	126	904
  Robert J. Pinsent Robert John Pinsent Robert John Pinsent magistrate and politician ran in the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832 to represent the district of Conception Bay...	31	56	36	20	143

After the election results of November 3, 1832, Robert Pinsent withdrew and the remaining four were declared representatives for the district.

District of St. John's

Seven candidates offered themselves for election after the reading of the Proclamation and the Writ. Two more offered after the first polling day, which was met with some skepticism. Nominated were:

• Dr. William Carson
  William Carson
  Sir William Carson , often called "The Great Reformer", was an important doctor and businessman in Newfoundland. Carson's primary contribution to Newfoundland was the application of modern agricultural principles....
  
  , nominated by Newman W. Hoyles and Dr. Shea
• John Kent, nominated by Patrick Doyle and T. Beck
• William Thomas, nominated by Mr. Jennings and R. Brine
• William B. Row
  William Bickford Row
  William Bickford Row was an English-born Newfoundland merchant, lawyer and politician.He was born in Torquay, Devon, the son of John Row...
  
  , nominated by Thomas Bennett and Mr. McBride
• Patrick Kough
  Patrick Kough
  Patrick Kough was an Irish-born builder, architect and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented St. John's in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1832 to 1836....
  
  , nominated by Mr. Barron and Mr. Hogan
• Patrick Mullowney, nominated by R. Howley and M. O'Brien
• Patrick Power, nominated by Mr. Linehan and T. Flannery

Candidates	November 5	November 6	November 7	November 8	November 9	November 10	November 12(a)	Total
John Kent	19	129	137	152	197	190	69	893
William Thomas	17	64	115	141	158	194	73	762
Patrick Kough	4	88	122	124	130	123	56	647
William Carson William Carson Sir William Carson , often called "The Great Reformer", was an important doctor and businessman in Newfoundland. Carson's primary contribution to Newfoundland was the application of modern agricultural principles....	15	63	115	119	137	142	41	632
William Row(b)	5	34	nob(c)	nob	nob	nob	nob	39
Patrick Power(b)	0	28	nob	nob	nob	nob	nob	28
Patrick Mullowney(b)	0	27	nob	nob	nob	nob	nob	27
Walsh(b)(d)	nob	18	nob	nob	nob	nob	nob	18
Ryan(b)(d)	nob	12	nob	nob	nob	nob	nob	12

^(a) No voting took place on Sunday, November 11.

^(b) dropped out of the race after results of November 6.

^(c) nob - not on ballot.

^(d) not one of the original nominees.

After the results of voting on November 12, 1832, Dr. William Carson withdrew and the remaining three were declared as representatives of the District of St. John's.

At the opening of the House of Assembly on January 2, 1833, Dr. Carson petitioned the House for Patrick Kough's removal, claiming he was a government employee and ineligible. The petition was denied.

District of Bonavista

There were two candidates for the district of Bonavista, Hugh Alexander Emerson and William Brown. After three polling stations had voted, William Brown withdrew. The returning officer, Peter LeMessurier, refused to recognize his withdrawal from the race and continued to the next polling station at Greenspond, a Brown stronghold. After those results, William Brown was declared the winner, and no voting took place at the remaining polling station at Cape Freels.

At the opening of the House of Assembly on January 2, 1833, Hugh Alexander Emerson petitioned the House for William Brown's removal due to Peter LeMessurier's actions. The petition was denied.

Results by riding

|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|1. Bonavista Bay
||
|William Brown
|
|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|2. Burin
||
|William Hooper

William Hooper (Newfoundland politician)

William Hooper was an English-born merchant and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Burin the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1832 to 1836....

|
|
|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|3. Conception Bay
||
|Charles Cozens

Charles Cozens

Charles Cozens , politician, magistrate, was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832....

||
|Peter Brown

Peter Brown (Newfoundland politician)

Peter Brown was a merchant, politician and justice of the peace was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.Brown, born in Ireland immigrated to Newfoundland where he was a dealer and shopkeeper in the...

 
James Power

James Power (politician)

James Power was a merchant, politician, justice of the peace and magistrate was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.-References:...

 
Robert Pack

Robert Pack (politician)

Robert Pack was a merchant, politician and justice of the peace was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of Conception Bay on the first general election held in Newfoundland in 1832.-External links:*...

|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|4. Ferryland
||
|Robert Carter

Robert Carter (magistrate)

Robert Carter was a Newfoundland naval officer and political figure.He was born in Ferryland, the son of judge William Carter, and joined the Royal Navy as a young man, retiring as a lieutenant in 1815. Later that year, he was named surrogate magistrate after the death of his brother William,...

|
|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|5. Fortune Bay
||
|Newman Hoyles

Newman Hoyles

Newman Wright Hoyles was an English businessman and politician.Hoyles was born in Dartmouth, England, and he became involved in the Newfoundland fish trade after being a fishing captain for many years...

|
|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|6. Placentia and St. Mary's
||
|John Martin

John Wills Martin

John Wills Martin was an English-born merchant and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Placentia and St. Mary's in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1832 to 1836....

||
|Roger Sweetman

Roger Sweetman (Newfoundland politician)

Roger Forstall Sweetman was a merchant and political figure in Colony of Newfoundland. He represented Placentia and St. Mary's in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1832 to 1836....

|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|7. St. John's
||
|Patrick Kough

Patrick Kough

Patrick Kough was an Irish-born builder, architect and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented St. John's in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1832 to 1836....

 
William Thomas

William Thomas (politician)

William Thomas was a merchant and politician. Thomas was elected to the House of Assembly representing the district of St...

 

||
|John Kent
|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|8. Trinity Bay
||
|John Bingley Garland

John Bingley Garland

John Bingley Garland , merchant, politician, became the first Speaker of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland in 1833....

|
|
|
|-
|bgcolor=whitesmoke|9. Twillingate and Fogo
||
|Thomas Bennett

Thomas Bennett (Newfoundland politician)

Thomas Bennett was a magistrate and political figure in Newfoundland.Born in Shaftesbury, Dorsetshire, England, Bennett first worked for the British government in the Commissariat Department and moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, in the early 1820s to work in his brother Charles' mercantile business...

|
|
|
|-

Governance

John Bingley Garland

John Bingley Garland

John Bingley Garland , merchant, politician, became the first Speaker of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland in 1833....

 was appointed the first Speaker of the House

Speaker of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador

The Speaker of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador is the presiding officer of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly.The current Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is Ross Wiseman, who was uncontested for the role following the 2011 General...

. Both John Bingley Garland and William Thomas were appointed to the Executive Council

Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)

An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...

 and resigned their seats in the House of Assembly. William Row

William Bickford Row

William Bickford Row was an English-born Newfoundland merchant, lawyer and politician.He was born in Torquay, Devon, the son of John Row...

, who ran for a seat in St. John’s, was given the seat for Trinity Bay and Dr. William Carson was given a seat for the District of St. John's.