Fawcett Gowler Taylor, (April 29, 1878 – January 1, 1940,, ) was a

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

politician, and was the leader of that province's

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

from 1922 to 1933. Taylor was born in

Meadow Lea Meadow Lea is one of Australia's leading brands of polyunsaturated margarine spreads, founded in Sydney in 1932 and owned since 1986 by the Australasian food company Goodman Fielder. In 1995 it had a 25% share of margarine sales, and was the top- ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

, the son of William Taylor and Marietta Jane Plummer, and was educated in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

. He was called to the Manitoba bar in 1900 and worked as a barrister. He served as mayor of

Portage la Prairie Portage la Prairie () is a small city in the Central Plains Region of Manitoba, Canada. As of 2016, the population was 13,304 and the land area of the city was . Portage la Prairie is approximately west of Winnipeg, along the Trans-Canada Hi ...

from 1912 to 1915. Taylor married Mabel Agnes Dykeman in 1901. He was named King's Counsel in 1913. In the provincial election of 1915, he ran as a Conservative candidate in the Portage la Prairie constituency and was defeated. Taylor resigned as mayor later in 1915 to enlist for service in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Already a captain in the 99th Manitoba Rangers, he was quickly promoted to Major and served in France with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles from 1916 to 1918. On returning, he became President of the Army and Navy Veterans in Canada (Dominion Association). Taylor sought the leadership of provincial Conservatives in 1919, but was defeated by Richard G. Willis. He was elected for Portage la Prairie in the provincial election of 1920, and was chosen as party leader in a second attempt on April 5, 1922, defeating

John Thomas Haig John Thomas Haig, (December 15, 1877 – October 23, 1962) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as parliamentary leader of the Manitoba Conservative Party in 1921–22. Born in Colborne, Ontario, Haig received his BA from t ...

. The Manitoba Conservatives had governed the province from 1900 to 1915, but were in a weak position when Taylor became the party's leader. The scandals of the Roblin government had led to a catastrophic defeat in 1915, with the Conservatives winning only won five of 47 seats. They increased their total to seven in 1920, but were in danger of becoming marginalized by the rise of the

United Farmers of Manitoba The Progressive Party of Manitoba, Canada, was a political party that developed from the United Farmers of Manitoba (UFM), an agrarian movement that became politically active following World War I. See also * List of political parties in Canada ...

and

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

. Taylor's first campaign as party leader was not particularly successful. The UFM swept the countryside in the 1922 campaign, with

and the Liberals dominating

. Taylor faced a strong challenge from Liberal cabinet minister

Charles Duncan McPherson Col. Charles Duncan McPherson (April 11, 1877 —1970) was a soldier, journalist and politician from Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1910 to 1914, and again from 1915 to 1922. He was a Liberal, and served ...

in Portage la Prairie, winning by only 131 votes out of 2743 cast. Subsequently, Taylor brought the party back to a more viable position. By now a lieutenant colonel, Taylor brought the Conservatives back to 15 seats and official opposition status in the election of 1927. Leading up to the 1932 election, his party was regarded as having a real chance to form government. This did not occur, however. The federal Liberals were concerned about a Conservative victory in the province, and convinced their provincial affiliate to form an alliance with the governing

Progressives Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techno ...

(as the UFM government had renamed itself). The combined resources of these parties weakened the Conservative position. Taylor was also damaged by the unpopularity of

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Richard Bennett. Taylor's own plan to redistribute land to the poor was criticized by many as ineffective. The Conservatives won only 10 seats in the 1932 election. Taylor resigned the party leadership in April 1933, after being appointed a judge in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench. He was succeeded in the Portage la Prairie riding by

Toby Sexsmith William Raymond "Toby" Sexsmith (August 23, 1885August 23, 1943) was a Canadian politician and ice hockey administrator. He was elected three times as a Progressive Conservative Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba representin ...

. He died at home in Winnipeg and was buried in Portage la Prairie.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Fawcett 1878 births 1940 deaths Canadian Expeditionary Force officers Leaders of the Manitoba Conservative Party Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs Mayors of places in Manitoba Canadian King's Counsel