John Alexander Mathieson | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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John Alexander Mathieson

John Alexander Mathieson, lawyer, politician, judge, premier of PEI 1911-17 (b at Harrington, PEI 19 May 1863; d at Charlottetown 7 Jan 1947).

Mathieson, John Alexander

John Alexander Mathieson, lawyer, politician, judge, premier of PEI 1911-17 (b at Harrington, PEI 19 May 1863; d at Charlottetown 7 Jan 1947). Educated at Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown, he was a schoolmaster and lawyer before his election to Prince Edward Island's Assembly as a Conservative in 1900. He became premier in December 1911 after the resignation of the Liberal government. Within a month he led his party to a landslide election victory. As premier he obtained a constitutional guarantee that PEI would have at least 4 federal MPs. In 1917 he resigned to become chief justice of the provincial Supreme Court. He retired in 1943 because of infirmity.