William Linton Parrish (August 6, 1860 – February 20, 1949) 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 Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. 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 1920 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 ...

Biography

Parrish was born in

Vroomanton Vroomanton, Ontario is a ghost town located just north-west of Sunderland, Ontario in Brock Township, Ontario. The farming town was founded by Colonel James Vrooman, who was granted free land here in 1820 for his heroic service in the War of ...

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 ...

), the son of Samuel Parrish and Jane Cash, and was educated at

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...

. He began work in the

grain trade The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other food grains. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other agri ...

with his father and then, in 1879, moved to

Huntsville Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...

where he operated a grist and flour mill. In 1881, Parrish moved to Manitoba and operated as a grain dealer in Brandon and then, later, 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 ...

. In 1885, he married Annie Ellen Card. He was a member of Brandon town council for two years. Parrish also served as president of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange. In 1909, he co-founded the Parrish & Heimbecker grain company. He was also the director of Fidelity Trust Co., Equitable Trust Co., Capital Loan Co. and Inland Mortgage Co. Parrish was an honorary captain and paymaster with the 90th

Rifles, and was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

in religion. He was first 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 ...

Harry W. Whitlaw by 910 votes in the constituency of Winnipeg South "B". The Conservatives won this election, and Parrish sat with his party in opposition. In 1915, the Conservative administration 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, which the Liberals won in a landslide. Parrish was easily re-elected in his constituency, defeating Conservative

Lendrum McMeans Lendrum McMeans (July 30, 1859 – September 13, 1941) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1910 to 1914, and was later appointed to the Senate of Canada. McMeans was a member of the ...

by 3,332 votes. He served as a backbench supporter of

Tobias Norris Tobias Crawford Norris (September 5, 1861 – October 29, 1936) was a Canadian politician who served as the tenth premier of Manitoba from 1915 to 1922. Norris was a member of the Liberal Party.J. M. Bumsted"Tobias Crawford Norris" ''The Ca ...

's administration for the next five years. Winnipeg's electoral boundaries were dramatically changed before the 1920 provincial election. The city became a single ten-member constituency, with members elected by a

single transferable ballot The single transferable vote (STV) or proportional-ranked choice voting (P-RCV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which each voter casts a single vote in the form of a ranked ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vo ...

. Parrish finished 17th on the first count with 945 votes, and was eliminated on the 28th count. William Parrish died in Winnipeg on February 20, 1949.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parrish, William 1860 births 1949 deaths Manitoba Liberal Party MLAs People from Brock, Ontario 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba