Bytown municipal election, 1847

Bytown municipal election, 1847
September 11, 1847

 
Nominee John Scott John Bower Lewis
Party Reform Tory
Popular vote 4 3
Map of Bytown's Wards, used from 1847 to 1849[1]
Mayor before election

None

 Elected Mayor

John Scott

The newly incorporated Town of Bytown, Canada West (now Ottawa) held a municipal election on September 11, 1847 to elect members of the very first Bytown Town Council. Franchise was granted to men, over the age of 21 who were freeholders with a land value of at least 30 pounds, tenants with an annual rent of at least 10 pounds and leaseholders who have built a house with an annual rent of at least 10 pounds.[2]

Town Council

At the time, Bytown was divided into three wards, West, North and South. West Ward, consisting of the Upper Town portion of the town (now Downtown Ottawa) returned three councillors, while the North and South wards located in Lower Town returned two councillors each. While Lower Town had a majority of councillors on council, a gerrymander diminished their influence compared to its share of the population of householders. West Ward had 3 councillors for 234 householders, while the Lower Town wards had 4 councillors for 645 householders. This gerrymander was said to support the Tories living in Upper Town at the expense of the Reformers in Lower Town. Additionally, the division of Lower Town into two wards was seen as an attempt to divide the Francophone and Irish communities and commercial interests.[3]


North Ward (2 to be elected)
Candidate Votes %
Henry J. Friel13138.19
John Bedard10931.78
Charles* Sparrow10330.03
South Ward (2 to be elected)
Candidate Votes %
Thomas Corcoran9242.40
John Scott9242.40
Andrew* Main3315.21
West Ward (3 to be elected)
Candidate Votes %
John Bower Lewis8928.53
Nicholas Sparks7825.00
Nathaniel Sherrald Blasdell6320.19
W. N.* Burrows4213.46
Robert* Stanley288.97
James* Kennedy92.88
Lyman* Perkins30.96

* Candidates first names assumed based on 1851 Bytown Canada Directory[4]

Mayor

Following the election of the town's council, the members voted for a mayor from among their ranks. On September 18, the council voted on the election of mayor, with the Tory councillors from Upper Town supporting John Bower Lewis, and the Reform councillors from Lower Town supporting John Scott. As Lower Town had four members to Upper Town's three, Scott was elected mayor.

References

  1. ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=IOhaBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=Charles+Sparrow+bytown+1847&source=bl&ots=tMrpoqBJBA&sig=OksV_R7ZomAFdv4S4id_1tAH1hw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdmLLxw6rWAhXq1IMKHbkkCq0Q6AEIZTAO#v=onepage&q=1847&f=false
  2. ↑ https://bnald.lib.unb.ca/sites/default/files/UnC_1847_cap%2043_edited.pdf
  3. ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=IOhaBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=Bytown%27s+first+municipal+election+in+1847+was+unpredicitably+quiet+and&source=bl&ots=tMrpoqCNFw&sig=ssIfnQjmfgl_Pk9rnST8ncH8k2c&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi74p6eyarWAhWIyoMKHcBYDWwQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=Bytown%27s%20first%20municipal%20election%20in%201847%20was%20unpredicitably%20quiet%20and&f=false
  4. ↑ https://www.accessgenealogy.com/canada/1851-bytown-canada-directory.htm
  • Bytown Council Minutes 1847-1948, Edwin Welch
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