Josiah Johnston Preston (June 7, 1855 – July 10, 1937) was an

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

merchant and political figure. He represented

Durham East Durham East was a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It was created by the Briti ...

in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

from 1902 to 1919 as a

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 i ...

member. He was born in

Manvers Township The Township of Manvers (area ) was a municipality in the former Victoria County, now the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the Canadian province of Ontario. History From 1792 to 1974 Manvers Township was located in Durham County, which was united wit ...

, Durham County,

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 James Preston. Preston was a grain dealer. He served as reeve for Manvers and was also warden for the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham in 1897. He became clerk for the township in 1898. He was defeated in the 1919 election. Preston was a member of the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...

and a

freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

References

* ''Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1901'', AJ Magurn

External links

Member's parliamentary history for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

1855 births 1937 deaths Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs {{ProgressiveConservative-Ontario-MPP-stub