John Alexander Chesley (1837 – December 28, 1922) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

politician. Born in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, the son of William A. Chesley and Mary Ann Algee, Chesley received his education at the schools of St. John and at the Albert County Grammar School. He then worked on a farm for a time, after which he learned the engineering and machinist business. He subsequently engaged in business for himself and was the proprietor of an extensive foundry. In 1881, he was appointed census commissioner for the

Saint John County Saint John County (2021 population: 76,558) is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The city of Saint John dominates the county. Elsewhere in the county, tourism is focused around the Bay of Fundy. Census subdivisions Communities Th ...

and was also one of the Dominion Liquor License Commissioners. He was first elected to the Council Board of the city of Portland in 1876, remaining until 1885. During that time, he was elected to the Council of the Municipality of the City and County of St. John. He was mayor of Portland in 1885 and 1886, and elected by acclamation, to the same office, in 1888. During that time, an act was passed by the

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick () is the deliberative assembly of the New Brunswick Legislature, in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. The assembly's seat is located in Fredericton. It was established in Saint John ''de jure'' ...

for the purpose of appointing three commissioners to prepare a scheme to unite Portland with the city of St. John. Chesley was appointed to represent the city of Portland on this commission. A vote was taken in the Spring of 1889, and the scheme of union, submitted to the people, was carried by a large majority, Portland and St. John becoming one corporation. Chesley again became alderman, and continued so until 1894, when he retired. He was warden of the County in 1891 and 1892, and at the by-election of 1892 for the riding of

City and County of St. John City and County of St. John was a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1917. History Originally, Saint John had a special setup fo ...

, on the retirement of the current MP

Charles Nelson Skinner Charles Nelson Skinner (March 12, 1833 – September 22, 1910) was a Canadians, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, the son of Samuel and Phoebe S. (Golding) Skinner, Skinner was educated at the public ...

, who was appointed to the office of Judge of Probate, he was acclaimed to the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

. A

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

, he was defeated in the 1896 election. Chesley was married twice: first, in December 1860, to Mary F. Small; and again, in 1872, to Annie May. He had eight children. He was an

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

. He died in Montreal on December 28, 1922.

Electoral record

References

External links

* ''This article incorporates text from
The Canadian album: men of Canada, Vol. 4
', a publication now in the public domain.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Chesley, John 1837 births 1922 deaths Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Mayors of Saint John, New Brunswick Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick Colony of New Brunswick people 19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 19th-century mayors of places in New Brunswick