Joseph Read (October 31, 1849 – April 6, 1919) was a Canadian merchant, ship owner and political figure on

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

. He represented 4th Prince in the

Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island (french: Assemblée législative de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard) is the sole chamber of the General Assembly of Prince Edward Island. The Legislative Assembly meets at Province House, which is locate ...

from 1900 to 1909 and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

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 ...

from 1917 to 1919 as a

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 ...

. He was born in

Summerside, Prince Edward Island Summerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the primary service centre for the western part of the island. History Summerside was officially incorporated as a town on ...

, the son of Ephraim Read and Rosara Chappell, and was educated there. After high school, he attended Ion's Nautical School in

Liverpool, England Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

. He later became a master mariner, commanding a number of large ships owned by

John Lefurgey John Lefurgey (March 17, 1825 – May 5, 1891) was a merchant, ship builder and political figure in Prince Edward Island. He represented 5th Prince in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1870 to 1890 as a Conservative member ...

. In 1877, he married Sarah Carruthers. Read later served as shipping master and port warden at Summerside. Read served in the province's Executive Council from 1904 to 1905. His election in 1908 was disputed due to questions about the eligibility of some votes. Depending on the source quoted, in 1909, either his election was overturned or he resigned to allow a by-election. Read was defeated by three votes in the by-election held later that year. In the House of Commons, Read spoke against the decrease in the number of federal seats allocated to Prince Edward Island from six at the time that it joined Canada to four when Read was elected to the House. He died in office in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

at the age of 69.

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...

, chosen as Liberal party leader but without a seat, was elected to the House of Commons in the 1919 by-election held for the Prince seat following Read's death.

References

Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Prince Edward Island Liberal Party of Canada MPs Politicians from Summerside, Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Liberal Party MLAs 1849 births 1919 deaths {{PrinceEdwardIsland-politician-stub