John Fletcher Mitchell (October 12, 1862 – October 6, 1943)
was a politician in
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, Canada. He served in the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...
from 1908 to 1910, as a member of the
Conservative Party.
Biography
Mitchell was born in
Cramahe,
Canada West
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...
(now
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
), to Esther L. Sweet and Samuel Mitchell; he was educated at public school and a commercial college. He moved to Manitoba in 1881, and became president of the Manitoba Printing and Engraving Corporation. He was also an
alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
for four years, and during part of 1900, acting mayor.
He was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the
1907 provincial election, winning a fairly easily victory over his
Liberal opponent in
Winnipeg North
Winnipeg North () is a federal electoral district in Canada that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1917. It covers the northern portion of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Geography
The riding includes the neighbourhoods of Jeff ...
. The Conservative Party won this election under the leadership of
Rodmond Roblin, and Mitchell served as a government
backbench
In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of t ...
er for the next three years. He lost to Liberal candidate
Solomon Hart Green by 620 votes in the
1910 election. He served as Quartermaster of the 10th Battalion during World War I, and was later Honorary Colonel of the regiment. He died in Winnipeg and is buried in the St. James Anglican Cemetery there.
References
Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, 1911. C. W. Parker, editor. Canadian Press Association, Vancouver
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, John Fletcher
1862 births
1943 deaths
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs
20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba