Joseph Kerr (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Kerr was an Ontario
merchant and political figure. He represented Stormont
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a Conservative
member from 1879 to 1885.
He was born in County Fermanagh
, Ireland
, the son of William Kerr, and came to Canada, where he worked as a conductor on the Grand Trunk Railway
. He later settled at Farran's Point
in Osnabruck Township, where he established the firm of Kerr Bros. with his three brothers. The firm owned several stores, sawmill
s, a gristmill
and several farms. His election in 1879 was appealed but Kerr won the by-election which followed. With Darby Bergin
, he helped establish the Ontario Pacific Railway.
His younger brother George Kerr later represented Stormont in the provincial assembly.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
merchant and political figure. He represented Stormont
Stormont (electoral district)
Stormont was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1882, 1904 to 1917, and 1925 to 1968. It was located in the eastern part of the province of Ontario....
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as a Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
member from 1879 to 1885.
He was born in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the son of William Kerr, and came to Canada, where he worked as a conductor on the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
. He later settled at Farran's Point
Farran's Point, Ontario
Farran's Point is an underwater ghost town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of Ontario's Lost Villages, which were permanently flooded by the creation of the St...
in Osnabruck Township, where he established the firm of Kerr Bros. with his three brothers. The firm owned several stores, sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s, a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and several farms. His election in 1879 was appealed but Kerr won the by-election which followed. With Darby Bergin
Darby Bergin
Darby Bergin was an Ontario physician and political figure. He represented Cornwall from 1872 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1882 and then Cornwall and Stormont from 1882 to 1896 in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative member.He was born in York , Upper Canada in 1826, the son of...
, he helped establish the Ontario Pacific Railway.
His younger brother George Kerr later represented Stormont in the provincial assembly.