Joseph Rorke (April 26, 1832 – April 11, 1907) was an

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 ...

businessman and political figure. He represented Grey Centre in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

as 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 ...

member from 1886 to 1894. He was born in Tecumseh Township,

Simcoe County Simcoe County is a county and census division located in the central region of Ontario, Canada. The county is located north of the Greater Toronto Area, and forms the north western edge of the Golden Horseshoe. The county seat is located in Mi ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

in 1832, the son of Richard Rorke, an immigrant from

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. He moved with his family to Collingwood Township in 1848. Rorke worked on his father's farm and taught school. In 1859, he was appointed a justice of the peace. From 1860 to 1864, he worked as an accountant for merchants in Clarksburg. Rorke married Susan Donaldson in 1867 and was named a notary public that same year. He served in the local militia, first as captain and then lieutenant. Rorke was reeve for Collingwood Township from 1873 to 1878 and served as warden for

Grey County Grey County is a county in the province of Ontario. The county is located in the Southwestern Ontario region, and is a part of the Georgian Triangle. At the time of the 2021 Canadian census the population of the county was 100,905. Owen Sound is ...

in 1876. He was a member of the board of directors for the North Grey and Northern Extension Railways. He was a district and county master for the

Orange Lodge The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Scotland, Wales and th ...

and a member of the

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

s. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the provincial legislature in 1879. In 1888, he married Jennie Morton after the death of his first wife. He died at

Collingwood, Ontario Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay. Collingwood is well known as a tourist destination, for its skiing in the winter, and limestone caves along the Nia ...

in 1907.

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* * * 1832 births 1907 deaths Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs People from Collingwood, Ontario 19th-century mayors of places in Ontario 19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario {{Ontario-MPP-stub