Donald Macmaster

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Sir Donald Macmaster, 1st Baronet, KC (3 September 1846 – 3 March 1922) was a Canadian lawyer and a politician in both Canada and the United Kingdom.

Sir Donald Macmaster
Donald Macmaster, photographed by Elliott & Fry between 1895 and 1903
Member of the United Kingdom Parliament
for Chertsey
In office
1910–1922
Preceded byFrancis Marnham
Succeeded byPhilip Richardson
Member of Parliament
for Glengarry
In office
1883–1887
Preceded byJohn McLennan
Succeeded byPatrick Purcell
Ontario MPP
In office
1879–1882
Preceded byAlexander James Grant
Succeeded byJames Rayside
ConstituencyGlengarry
Personal details
Born(1846-09-03)3 September 1846
Williamstown, Glengarry County, Canada West
Died3 March 1922(1922-03-03) (aged 75)
London, England
Political partyConservative
Spouses
Janet Macdonald
(m. 1880)
Ella Virginia DeFord
(m. 1890)
Children1
OccupationLawyer
Military service
AllegianceCanadian Militia
Branch/serviceWilliamstown Volunteer Infantry
RankLieutenant
Battles/warsFenian Raids (1866)

Macmaster was born into a family of Scottish descent in Williamstown, Glengarry County, Canada West (now in eastern Ontario). During the Fenian Raids in 1866 he served as a lieutenant in the Williamstown Volunteer Infantry. He studied law at McGill University, was called to the Quebec bar in 1871, and set up practice in Montreal. Macmaster served as Crown Prosecutor for many cases. He was called to the Ontario bar and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1882.

He represented Glengarry in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1879 to 1882 and in the House of Commons of Canada as a Conservative member from 1883 to 1887, when he lost his seat.

In 1905, Macmaster emigrated to the United Kingdom and settled in London, intending to practise in Privy Council cases, in which he already had considerable experience. Having been defeated at Leigh in 1906, in 1910 he was elected to the House of Commons as Conservative member for the Chertsey division of Surrey, holding the seat until his death. He was created a baronet in the 1921 New Year Honours.[1]

In 1880, he married Janet Macdonald, who died less than three years later. In 1890 he married the American Ella Virginia DeFord. Their only son, Donald, was killed in action at the Battle of Loos while commanding a company of the Cameron Highlanders on 25 September 1915.

Electoral history

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1879 Ontario general election: Glengarry
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Donald Macmaster 1,331 50.78  
Liberal James Rayside 1,290 49.22 +0.28
Total valid votes 2,621 74.31 +0.24
Eligible voters 3,527
Conservative gain from Independent Liberal Swing −0.14
Source: Elections Ontario[2]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ "No. 32178". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1920. p. 2.
  2. ^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1879. Retrieved 19 April 2024.

References

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Chertsey
19101922
Succeeded by
Preceded by Oldest Member of Parliament
(not Father of the House)

January–June 1921
Succeeded by
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baronet
(of Glengarry)
1921–1922
Extinct