John Muirhead (July 11, 1877 – 1954) was a

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

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 1922 to 1936. Muirhead was born in

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has also been used as a given nam ...

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 ...

and was educated at

public schools Public school may refer to: *Public school (government-funded), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging private schools in England and Wales *Great Public Schools, ...

. He worked as a farmer, and served as a school trustee and municipal assessor. In 1906, Muirhead married Lucy E. Dunfield. He was first elected to the

legislature in the 1922 provincial election as a candidate of the

United Farmers of Manitoba The Progressive Party of Manitoba, Canada, was a political party in Manitoba between 1920 and 1932, which was the year of its dissolution. It developed from the United Farmers of Manitoba (UFM), an agrarian movement that became politically activ ...

(UFM), defeating

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 ...

incumbent Reuben Waugh by 137 votes in the

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

constituency. The UFM unexpectedly won a majority of seats in this election, and formed government as the Progressive Party. Muirhead served as a backbench supporter of

John Bracken John Bracken (22 June 1883 – 18 March 1969) was a Canadian agronomist and politician who was the 11th and longest-serving premier of Manitoba (1922–1943) and later the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–194 ...

's government throughout his time in the legislature. He was returned in the 1927 election, defeating Waugh by thirty-four votes in a rematch from the 1922 contest. He defeated Waugh a third time in the 1932 election, by 236 votes. He was defeated in the

1936 election The following elections occurred in the year 1936. Africa * 1936 Egyptian parliamentary election Asia * 1936 Ceylonese State Council election Europe * 1936 Belgian general election * 1936 Bielsko municipal election * 1936 Danish Landsting elec ...

, losing to Conservative John Lawrie by eighty-two votes. He sought a return to the legislature in the 1941 election, but lost to Lawrie by forty-four votes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muirhead, John 1877 births 1954 deaths Progressive Party of Manitoba MLAs 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba