George Riley (April 2, 1843 – January 19, 1916) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

merchant and

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician. Born in St. Catharines,

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...

, the son of P. Riley, he was educated there and in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

. In 1885, Riley moved to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, becoming a merchant in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. He married Mary N. Balfour in 1908. He was chosen in a 1902 by-election to represent

in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

, after the election of

Edward Gawler Prior Edward Gawler Prior, (21 May 1853 – 12 December 1920) was a mining engineer and politician in British Columbia. Early life Prior was born in Dallowgill, Yorkshire, England, and worked as a mining engineer in England until 1873. He then m ...

was voided. He was re-elected once, serving as an MP for Victoria City until 1906, when he resigned to allow William Templeman, a minister in

Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, ( ; ; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minis ...

's government, to take his seat. Shortly thereafter, Riley was appointed to the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. Riley died in Victoria on January 19, 1916, and was buried in Ross Bay Cemetery.Find A Grave Memorial# 121313061
George Riley
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References

1843 births 1916 deaths Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia Politicians from St. Catharines Liberal Party of Canada senators Canadian senators from British Columbia {{BritishColumbia-politician-stub