Thomas Boniface Molloy (November 28, 1878 – June 20, 1948) 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 1914 to 1915, as a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

Early life

Molloy was born in Shelley, Manitoba. His father, John Molloy, was a Dominion land surveyor, and was involved in early construction of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

. The elder Molloy sought election 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 ...

in the 1879 federal election, but lost to

Joseph Royal Joseph Royal (7 May 1837 – 23 August 1902) was a Canadian journalist, lawyer, politician, businessman, and Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories. Early life and career Royal studied at St. Mary's Jesuit college in Montreal. ...

of the Conservative Party in the riding of

Provencher Provencher is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1871. It is a largely rural constituency in the province's southeast corner. Its largest community is the city of ...

. Thomas Molloy was educated at public school in Emerson, and at normal school 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 ...

. He worked as a contractor. He was reeve of the

Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne Ste. Anne () is a List of rural municipalities in Manitoba, rural municipality (RM) in the Eastman Region of Manitoba, Canada, lying southeast of Winnipeg. The separately-administered town of Ste. Anne lies within the geographic borders of the ...

from 1919 to 1921.

Political career

Thomas Molloy was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1914 provincial election, 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

Albert Prefontaine Albert Préfontaine (October 11, 1861 – February 21, 1935) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as leader of the Manitoba Conservatives in the late 1910s, and was subsequently a member of the United Farmers of Manitoba. Born in U ...

by seven votes in the

Carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a musical keyboard, keyboard and consists of at least 23 bells. The bells are Bellfounding, cast in Bell metal, bronze, hung in fixed suspension, and Musical tuning, tu ...

constituency. The Conservatives won the election, and Molloy sat with his party in opposition. In 1915, the Conservative government of

Rodmond Roblin Sir Rodmond Palen Roblin (February 15, 1853 – February 16, 1937) was a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. Early life and career Roblin was born in Sophiasburgh, in Prince Edward County, Canada West (later Ontario). The Robl ...

was forced to resign from office amid a corruption scandal. A new election was called, in which the Liberals won a landslide majority. Molloy, however, lost his seat to Prefontaine by twenty-four votes. His defeat was primarily due to the Liberal Party's unpopularity among some francophone voters, who opposed the party's plans to end funding for denominational education. Molloy ran for the Canadian House of Commons in the federal election of 1921 as a candidate of the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...

, and lost to Progressive candidate Robert Alexander Hoey by 1,397 votes in the riding of Springfield. He also attempted to return to the provincial legislature in

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

, but lost to Prefontaine by 1,146 votes. Prefontaine was by this time a member of the

Progressive Party 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 ...

. Molloy made a further bid for elected office in the 1935 federal election, running as a candidate of

Henry Herbert Stevens Henry Herbert Stevens, (8 December 1878 – 14 June 1973) was a Canadian politician and businessman. A member of R. B. Bennett's cabinet, he split with the Conservative Prime Minister to found the Reconstruction Party of Canada. Early l ...

's Reconstruction Party in the riding of

St. Boniface Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of the church i ...

. He finished last in a field of five candidates with only 438 votes.

Personal life and death

In 1911, Molloy married Marie, the daughter of

Joseph Dubuc Sir Joseph Dubuc (26 December 1840 – 7 January 1914), was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and judge who was born in Lower Canada and became an important political figure from Manitoba. Early life Dubuc was from a large family and was irreg ...

. His brothers John Patrick and

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

also served in the Manitoba assembly. He died at home in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

at the age of 69.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molloy, Thomas 1878 births Manitoba Liberal Party MLAs Candidates in the 1921 Canadian federal election Candidates in the 1935 Canadian federal election 1948 deaths Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Manitoba candidates for Member of Parliament 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba