Thomas O'Reilly (ca. 1839 – February 21, 1897) was a trader 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 Placentia and St. Mary's in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1865 to 1869 as a Conservative. He was born in Placentia, and later attended

St. Bonaventure's College St. Bonaventure's College (commonly called St. Bon's) is an independent kindergarten to grade 12 Catholic School in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, adjacent to the Roman Cat ...

in St. John's, originally returning to Placentia after graduation to work as a teacher. O'Reilly was defeated when he ran for reelection as a representative in 1869. He served as a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

from 1877 until his death in Placentia in 1897. He founded the local Star of the Sea Society in 1876 and was its president until his death. A

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

exists in the Freshwater Parish Records for a Thomas of John Reily and Hana Bonia in 1837. This is thought to be his baptism. He was a member of the prominent O'Reilly family of Placentia and the uncle of Archbishop Edward Patrick Roche of St. John's, Newfoundland. He had nine children, his son William O'Reilly was also a magistrate from 1897 to 1923, and constructed the O'Reilly House museum in which he lived in during his tenure. The museum is a top tourist destination in the Placentia area for anyone looking for history about the area.

References

* Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 1897 deaths Year of birth uncertain Newfoundland Colony judges {{Newfoundland-politician-stub