James Luke Prendergast (April 7, 1800 – May 7, 1895) was a merchant and political figure in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. He represented

Conception Bay Conception Bay (CB) is a bay on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The population (in 2011) of people living in municipalities (or unincorporated census subdivisions) located along the coast of Conception Bay was 90,490 making it on ...

from 1842 to 1852 and Harbour Grace from 1855 to 1859 and from 1860 to 1861 in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly as a Liberal. He was born in Harbour Grace, the son of James Prendergast, and established himself in business there. Prendergast married Margaret Bransfield in 1825. In an 1840 by-election, he ran for a seat in the Newfoundland assembly as an independent Liberal against

Edmund Hanrahan Edmund Hanrahan (1802 – February 1875) was a political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Conception Bay from 1842 to 1854 and Carbonear from 1855 to 1862 in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly as a Liberal. Hanrahan was b ...

. Following widespread violence during the campaign, the governor

Henry Prescott Admiral Sir Henry Prescott (4 May 1783 – 18 November 1874) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and was later the Governor of the Newfoundland Colony. Biography Family ba ...

set aside the results of the election. Prendergast was first elected when he ran as a Liberal in 1842. He was defeated when he ran again as an independent Liberal in 1852. He served as acting superintendent of fisheries after he was elected again in 1855 as a Liberal. His election in 1859 was overturned but Prendergast was elected in the 1860 by-election that followed. The polls were not opened in Harbour Grace for the general election in 1861 because of the threat of violence and Prendergast was defeated in the by-election held later that year. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the assembly in 1869 as an anti-Confederate. Prendergast later served as sheriff of Harbour Grace and as a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

. He died in Harbour Grace at the age of 95.

References

* Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 1800 births 1895 deaths Newfoundland Colony people {{Newfoundland-politician-stub