1879 Ontario general election

← 1875

June 5, 1879

1883 →

88 seats in the 4th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
45 seats were needed for a majority

	First party	Second party

Leader	Oliver Mowat	William Ralph Meredith
Party	Liberal	Conservative
Leader since	1872	1879
Leader's seat	Oxford North	London
Last election	50	34
Seats won	57	29
Seat change	7	5

Premier before election

Oliver Mowat
Liberal

Premier after election

Oliver Mowat
Liberal

The 1879 Ontario general election was the fourth general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 5, 1879, to elect the 88 members of the 4th Legislative Assembly ("MLAs").^[1]

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Oliver Mowat, won a third term in government with a larger majority in the legislature.

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by William Ralph Meredith, continued to lose seats.

Results

Elections to the 4th Parliament of Ontario (1879)^[1]
Political party		Party leader	MLAs				Votes
Political party		Party leader	Candidates	1875	1879	±	#	±	%	± (pp)
	Liberal	Oliver Mowat	81	50	57	7	119,148	28,339	48.07%	0.52
	Conservative	William Ralph Meredith	87	34	29	5	118,513	31,693	47.82%	2.35
	Liberal–Conservative	William Ralph Meredith	–	1	–	1	–	1,553	–	0.81
	Independent Conservative		2	2	2		2,111	18	0.85%	0.26
	Independent Liberal		–	1	–	1	–	1,125	–	0.59
	Independent		19	–	–	–	8,085	1,328	3.26%	0.28
Total			189	88	88		247,857		100.00%
Voter turnout							247,857	56,891	67.95	4.06
Registered electors							392,085	108,229
Acclamations			█ Liberal		1
Acclamations			█ Conservative		1

Seats and popular vote by party
Party	Seats	Votes	Change (pp)
█ Liberal	57 / 88	48.07%	0.52	0.52
█ Conservative	29 / 88	47.82%	2.35	2.35
█ Other	2 / 88	4.11%	-2.87

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1879 Ontario general election^[1]
Riding	Winning party								Turnout	Votes
Name^{[a 1]}	1875		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %		Lib	Con	I-Con	Ind	Total
Name^{[a 1]}	1875		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %						Total

Addington		Lib		Lib	1,531	50.75%	45	1.49%	66.76%	1,531	1,486	–	–	3,017
Algoma		Lib		Lib	1,081	53.86%	155	7.72%	96.58%	1,081	926	–	–	2,007
Brant North		Lib		Lib	990	60.37%	340	20.73%	66.80%	990	650	–	–	1,640
Brant South		Lib		Lib	1,622	56.87%	392	13.74%	60.93%	1,622	1,230	–	–	2,852
Brockville		Lib		Lib	1,379	52.14%	113	4.27%	60.33%	1,379	1,266	–	–	2,645
Bruce North		Lib		Lib	1,686	56.77%	402	13.54%	63.41%	1,686	1,284	–	–	2,970
Bruce South		Lib		Lib	2,866	50.62%	70	1.24%	72.67%	2,866	2,796	–	–	5,662
Cardwell		Con		Lib	1,261	50.60%	30	1.20%	70.94%	1,261	1,231	–	–	2,492
Carleton		Con		Con	2,074	79.74%	1,547	59.48%	55.47%	527	2,074	–	–	2,601
Cornwall		Con		Lib	acclaimed
Dufferin		Con		Con	1,357	55.32%	261	10.64%	58.18%	–	1,357	–	1,096	2,453
Dundas		Con		Con	1,674	51.24%	81	2.48%	77.29%	1,593	1,674	–	–	3,267
Durham East		Con		Con	1,292	52.33%	200	8.10%	55.58%	–	1,292	–	1,177	2,469
Durham West		Lib		Lib	1,467	52.66%	148	5.31%	72.89%	1,467	1,319	–	–	2,786
Elgin East		Lib		Lib	2,275	51.49%	132	2.99%	66.71%	2,275	2,143	–	–	4,418
Elgin West		Con		Lib	1,257	50.22%	11	0.44%	70.27%	1,257	1,246	–	–	2,503
Essex North		Con		Con	1,062	56.04%	229	12.08%	42.68%	833	1,062	–	–	1,895
Essex South		Con		Con	1,418	52.93%	157	5.86%	74.29%	1,261	1,418	–	–	2,679
Frontenac		Con		Con	710	45.57%	204	13.09%	55.86%	506	710	–	342	1,558
Glengarry		I-Lib		Con	1,331	50.78%	41	1.56%	74.31%	1,290	1,331	–	–	2,621
Grenville South		Lib		Con	1,205	53.01%	137	6.03%	70.20%	1,068	1,205	–	–	2,273
Grey East		Con		Con	1,294	55.70%	566	24.37%	49.64%	–	1,595^{[a 2]}	–	728	2,323
Grey North		Con		Con	1,660	50.27%	18	0.55%	60.98%	1,642	1,660	–	–	3,302
Grey South		Lib		Lib	1,694	61.49%	633	22.98%	73.72%	1,694	1,061	–	–	2,755
Haldimand		Lib		Lib	1,612	51.01%	64	2.03%	76.44%	1,612	1,548	–	–	3,160
Halton		Lib		Lib	1,765	50.46%	32	0.91%	66.63%	1,765	1,733	–	–	3,498
Hamilton		Lib		Lib	2,240	50.70%	62	1.40%	59.07%	2,240	2,178	–	–	4,418
Hastings East		I-Con		I-Con	1,204	51.52%	71	3.04%	67.82%	–	1,133	1,204	–	2,337
Hastings North		Con		Con	1,081	51.35%	57	2.71%	63.27%	–	1,081	–	1,024	2,105
Hastings West		Con		Con	1,402	56.60%	327	13.20%	68.92%	1,075	1,402	–	–	2,477
Huron East		Lib		Lib	1,924	50.74%	56	1.48%	68.76%	1,924	1,868	–	–	3,792
Huron South		Lib		Lib	1,893	52.21%	160	4.41%	70.75%	1,893	1,733	–	–	3,626
Huron West		Lib		Lib	2,064	55.57%	414	11.15%	62.70%	2,064	1,650	–	–	3,714
Kent East		Lib		Lib	1,774	54.91%	317	9.81%	58.60%	1,774	1,457	–	–	3,231
Kent West		Con		Lib	1,343	52.69%	137	5.37%	46.87%	1,343	1,206	–	–	2,549
Kingston		Con		Con	955	55.82%	199	11.63%	59.53%	756	955	–	–	1,711
Lambton East		Lib		Lib	1,840	50.88%	64	1.77%	73.23%	1,840	1,776	–	–	3,616
Lambton West		Lib		Lib	1,759	53.47%	228	6.93%	63.24%	1,759	1,531	–	–	3,290
Lanark North		Con		Lib	1,309	56.04%	282	12.07%	73.44%	1,309	1,027	–	–	2,336
Lanark South		Con		I-Con	907	49.64%	53	2.90%	56.60%	–	854	907	66	1,827
Leeds North and Grenville North		Con		Con	1,084	59.53%	347	19.06%	64.90%	737	1,084	–	–	1,821
Leeds South		Con		Con	1,362	56.92%	331	13.83%	57.41%	–	1,362	–	1,031	2,393
Lennox		I-Con		Lib	1,231	50.20%	10	0.41%	62.71%	1,231	1,221	–	–	2,452
Lincoln		Lib		Lib	2,222	50.79%	69	1.58%	68.25%	2,222	2,153	–	–	4,375
London		Con		Con	1,578	58.25%	447	16.50%	55.24%	1,131	1,578	–	–	2,709
Middlesex East		Con		Con	2,546	51.86%	183	3.73%	66.82%	2,363	2,546	–	–	4,909
Middlesex North		Con		Lib	1,917	53.22%	232	6.44%	72.87%	1,917	1,685	–	–	3,602
Middlesex West		Lib		Lib	1,575	50.82%	51	1.65%	69.80%	1,575	1,524	–	–	3,099
Monck		Lib		Lib	1,486	52.64%	149	5.28%	81.42%	1,486	1,337	–	–	2,823
Muskoka and Parry Sound		Lib		Lib	1,704	57.98%	469	15.96%	74.90%	1,704	1,235	–	–	2,939
Norfolk North		Lib		Lib	1,490	52.12%	121	4.23%	71.55%	1,490	1,369	–	–	2,859
Norfolk South		Con		Con	1,386	50.36%	20	0.73%	76.23%	1,366	1,386	–	–	2,752
Northumberland East		Lib		Lib	1,887	50.64%	48	1.29%	71.32%	1,887	1,839	–	–	3,726
Northumberland West		Lib		Lib	1,333	50.40%	21	0.79%	65.54%	1,333	1,312	–	–	2,645
Ontario North		Lib		Lib	2,244	52.21%	190	4.42%	63.85%	2,244	2,054	–	–	4,298
Ontario South		Con		Lib	1,721	56.24%	382	12.48%	60.59%	1,721	1,339	–	–	3,060
Ottawa		Lib		Con	1,064	39.72%	64	2.39%	47.99%	606	1,064	–	1,009	2,679
Oxford North		Lib		Lib	1,731	75.10%	1,157	50.20%	41.71%	1,731	574	–	–	2,305
Oxford South		Lib		Lib	1,775	66.73%	940	35.34%	48.33%	1,775	–	–	885	2,660
Peel		Lib		Lib	1,519	52.69%	155	5.38%	76.09%	1,519	1,364	–	–	2,883
Perth North		Lib		Lib	2,396	50.18%	17	0.36%	67.44%	2,396	2,379	–	–	4,775
Perth South		Lib		Lib	1,759	55.00%	320	10.01%	65.67%	1,759	1,439	–	–	3,198
Peterborough East		Con		Lib	1,078	53.21%	130	6.42%	65.38%	1,078	948	–	–	2,026
Peterborough West		Lib		Con	1,130	52.68%	252	11.75%	55.99%	878	1,130	–	137	2,145
Prescott		Con		Con	900	47.62%	278	14.71%	58.77%	622	900	–	368	1,890
Prince Edward		Lib		Lib	1,894	50.47%	35	0.93%	73.78%	1,894	1,859	–	–	3,753
Renfrew North		Con		Lib	1,066	52.56%	104	5.13%	72.07%	1,066	962	–	–	2,028
Renfrew South		Lib		Lib	837	54.28%	132	8.56%	67.72%	837	705	–	–	1,542
Russell		Con		Lib	696	37.30%	27	1.45%	38.86%	975	669	–	222	1,866
Simcoe East		Con		Lib	1,324	56.82%	318	13.65%	61.72%	1,324	1,006	–	–	2,330
Simcoe South		Con		Con	acclaimed
Simcoe West		Con		Con	1,483	51.10%	64	2.21%	55.06%	1,419	1,483	–	–	2,902
Stormont		Lib		Con	950	50.29%	11	0.58%	71.47%	939	950	–	–	1,889
Toronto East		Con		Con	2,132	50.68%	57	1.35%	51.12%	2,075	2,132	–	–	4,207
Toronto West		Con		Con	2,324	50.74%	68	1.48%	45.24%	2,256	2,324	–	–	4,580
Victoria North		Lib		Lib	1,217	56.34%	274	12.69%	65.04%	1,217	943	–	–	2,160
Victoria South		Lib		Lib	1,644	51.81%	115	3.62%	68.27%	1,644	1,529	–	–	3,173
Waterloo North		Lib		Lib	1,351	53.29%	167	6.59%	71.37%	1,351	1,184	–	–	2,535
Waterloo South		Lib		Lib	1,699	57.38%	437	14.76%	72.06%	1,699	1,262	–	–	2,961
Welland		Lib		Con	1,966	50.97%	75	1.94%	66.49%	1,891	1,966	–	–	3,857
Wellington Centre		Lib		Lib	1,405	65.35%	660	30.70%	50.05%	1,405	745	–	–	2,150
Wellington South		Lib		Lib	1,430	52.15%	118	4.30%	65.83%	1,430	1,312	–	–	2,742
Wellington West		L-Con		Lib	2,026	56.00%	434	12.00%	64.61%	2,026	1,592	–	–	3,618
Wentworth North		Con		Lib	1,223	85.41%	1,014	70.81%	38.23%	1,223	209	–	–	1,432
Wentworth South		Lib		Con	1,231	50.02%	1	0.04%	66.19%	1,230	1,231	–	–	2,461
York East		Lib		Lib	1,825	53.58%	244	7.16%	58.93%	1,825	1,581	–	–	3,406
York North		Lib		Lib	2,200	56.54%	509	13.08%	68.77%	2,200	1,691	–	–	3,891
York West		Lib		Lib	1,268	51.21%	60	2.42%	63.16%	1,268	1,208	–	–	2,476

^ order is as given in EO reports
^ the incumbent Abram William Lauder was reelected

= open seat

= turnout is above provincial average

= winning candidate was in previous Legislature

= incumbent had switched allegiance

= previously incumbent in another riding

= not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature

= incumbency arose from byelection gain

= other incumbents renominated

= previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada

= multiple candidates

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place^[1]
Party in 1st place		Party in 2nd place				Total
Party in 1st place		Accl	Lib	Con	Ind	Total
	Liberal	1		55	1	57
	Conservative	1	22		6	29
	Independent Conservative					2
Total			22	57	7	88

Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party^[1]
Parties	Accl	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
█ Liberal	1	56	22	2
█ Conservative	1	28	57	1
█ Independent Conservative		2
█ Independent			7	6	5	1

Resulting composition of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario^[1]
Source		Party
Source		Lib	Con	I-Con	Total
Seats retained	Incumbents returned	30	17	1	48
	Returned by acclamation		1		1
	Open seats held	13	3		16
	Ouster of incumbent changing allegiance		1		1
Seats changing hands	Incumbents defeated	8	3		11
	Open seats gained	4	3	1	8
	Byelection gains held	2	1		3
Total		57	29	2	88

MLAs elected by region and riding

Party designations are as follows:

Liberal

Conservative

Independent Conservative

Northern Ontario

Algoma: Robert Adam Lyon

Ottawa Valley

Carleton: George William Monk
Lanark North: William Clyde Caldwell
Lanark South: William Lees (I-Con)
Ottawa: Patrick Baskerville
Prescott: William Harkin
Renfrew North: Thomas Deacon
Renfrew South: Thomas Murray
Russell: Ira Morgan^[a]

Saint Lawrence Valley

Brockville: Christopher Finlay Fraser
Cornwall: William Mack
Dundas: Andrew Broder
Glengarry: Donald Macmaster
Grenville South: Frederick John French
Kingston: James Henry Metcalfe
Leeds North and Grenville North: Henry Merrick
Leeds South: William Richardson
Stormont: Joseph Kerr^[b]

Central Ontario

Addington: Hammel Madden Deroche
Durham East: John Rosevear
Durham West: James Wellington McLaughlin
Frontenac: Delino Dexter Calvin
Hastings East: Nathaniel Stephen Appleby (I-Con)
Hastings North: George Henry Boulter
Hastings West: Alexander Robertson^[c]
Lennox: George Douglas Hawley
Northumberland East: James Marshall Ferris
Northumberland West: John Collard Field
Peterborough East: Thomas Blezard
Peterborough West: William Hepburn Scott
Prince Edward: Gideon Striker
Victoria North: Samuel Stanley Peck
Victoria South: Samuel Casey Wood

Georgian Bay

Bruce North: Donald Sinclair
Grey North: David Creighton
Muskoka and Parry Sound: John Classon Miller
Simcoe East: Herman Henry Cook
Simcoe South: William James Parkhill
Simcoe West: Thomas Long

Wentworth/Halton/Niagara

Halton: David Robertson
Hamilton: John Morison Gibson
Lincoln: Sylvester Neelon
Monck: Richard Harcourt
Welland: Daniel Near
Wentworth North: James McMahon
Wentworth South: Franklin Carpenter^[d]

Midwestern Ontario

Brant North: James Young
Brant South: Arthur Sturgis Hardy
Bruce South: Rupert Mearse Wells
Dufferin: John Barr^[e]
Grey East: Abram William Lauder
Grey South: James Hill Hunter
Haldimand: Jacob Baxter
Huron East: Thomas Gibson
Huron South: Archibald Bishop
Huron West: Alexander McLagan Ross
Norfolk North: John Bailey Freeman
Norfolk South: William Morgan
Oxford North: Oliver Mowat
Oxford South: Adam Crooks
Perth North: David Davidson Hay
Perth South: Thomas Ballantyne
Waterloo North: Moses Springer
Waterloo South: James Livingston
Wellington Centre: Charles Clarke
Wellington South: James Laidlaw
Wellington West: Robert McKim

Southwestern Ontario

Elgin East: Thomas McIntyre Nairn
Elgin West: John Cascaden
Essex North: Solomon White
Essex South: Lewis Wigle
Kent East: Daniel McCraney
Kent West: Edward Robinson
Lambton East: Peter Graham
Lambton West: Timothy Blair Pardee
London: William Ralph Meredith
Middlesex East: Richard Tooley
Middlesex North: John Waters
Middlesex West: John Watterworth

Peel/York/Ontario

Cardwell: Charles Robinson
Ontario North: Thomas Paxton
Ontario South: John Dryden
Peel: Kenneth Chisholm
Toronto East: Alexander Morris
Toronto West: Robert Bell
York East: George Badgerow
York North: Joseph Henry Widdifield
York West: Peter Patterson

Notes and references

Notes

^ Overturned on petition to the court, because of ballot papers improperly rejected.^[2] Adam Jacob Baker (Conservative) was declared elected.^[3]
^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued.^[3] Kerr was returned in the subsequent byelection.
^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued.^[3] Robertson was returned in the subsequent byelection.
^ Overturned on petition to the court. Nicholas Awrey (Liberal) was declared elected.^[3]
^ Election declared void because of corrupt practices. Writ for new election issued,^[3] but Barr would decline to stand for reelection. William Jelly would succeed in the ensuing race.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "1879 general election results". Elections Ontario. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
^ "Sessional Paper No. 19". List of Sessional Papers (Vol. XII Part III). Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1880. pp. 53–54.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1880. pp. 7–10.