Edward Gawler Prior

Edward Gawler Prior, PC ( born May 21, 1853 in Dallowgill in Ripon, England; † December 12, 1920 in Victoria ) was a Canadian politician and mining engineer. November 21, 1902 to June 1, 1903, he was Prime Minister of the Province of British Columbia, 18 December 1919 until his death Lieutenant Governor.

Biography

Prior to 1873 worked as an engineer in British mines, then emigrated to British Columbia and settled in Nanaimo. There he worked as Deputy Manager of the Vancouver Coal Mining & Land Company. In 1878 he was mine inspector in the service of the provincial government. In 1880 he founded with Alfred Fellows a trading company for machinery and tools, from 1883 he was the sole owner.

Prior was elected in July 1886 as an independent candidate in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (then existed in the province of no political parties ). In January 1888, the election was followed in the Canadian House of Commons. 1891 occurred prior the Masons. He was from December 1895 to July 1896 the cabinets of Prime Minister Mackenzie Bowell conservative and Charles Tupper, and was auditor of the national tax authority.

Due to disregard of the Election Code 1900 Prior lost his House seat. He returned to the province of politics, in 1901 at a by-election re-elected to the Legislative Assembly and nominated by James Dunsmuir mining minister. On November 21, 1902 Henri- Gustave him lieutenant governor Joly de Lotbinière appointed Prime Minister of the province. This last -partisan provincial government only lasted half a year. Joly she sat down again on June 1, 1903, as Prior was under suspicion of having to award works contracts of the government in his own company.

In the elections of October 1903 Prior lost his seat in the same year also failed in his attempt to be re- elected to the Canadian House of Commons. He went back to his company and was also president of the Chamber of Commerce of Victoria. As of December 18, 1919, he was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, but died less than a year later in office.