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Donald Farquharson (politician)

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Donald Farquharson
8th Premier of Prince Edward Island
In office
August 1, 1898 – December 29, 1901
MonarchsVictoria
Edward VII
Lieutenant GovernorGeorge William Howlan
Peter Adolphus McIntyre
Preceded byAlexander B. Warburton
Succeeded byArthur Peters
Leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party
In office
August 1, 1898 – December 29, 1901
Preceded byAlexander B. Warburton
Succeeded byArthur Peters
Member of the General Assembly of Prince Edward Island for 2nd Queens
In office
August 10, 1876 – December 13, 1893
Preceded byAugustus Holland
Succeeded bydistrict abolished
MLA (Councillor) for 2nd Queens
In office
December 13, 1893 – January 15, 1902
Preceded byhimself
Succeeded bySamuel E. Reid
Member of Parliament
for West Queen's
In office
January 15, 1902 – June 26, 1903
Preceded byLouis Henry Davies
Succeeded byHorace Haszard
Personal details
Born(1834-07-27)July 27, 1834
Mermaid, Prince Edward Island
DiedJune 26, 1903(1903-06-26) (aged 68)
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
NationalityCanadian
Political partyLiberal
Spouses
Dopsin May Edwards Smith
(m. 1860)
Sarah Moore
(m. 1870)
Children7
ResidenceCharlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Alma materUniversity of Prince Edward Island
Occupationteacher, merchant, and newspaper director
ProfessionPolitician
CabinetMinister without Portfolio (1878–1879) (1891–1898)

Donald Farquharson (July 27, 1834 – June 26, 1903) was a Canadian politician who served as the eighth premier of Prince Edward Island.

A native of Mermaid, Farquharson had been a teacher and then a businessman involved in wholesale and shipping. He was elected to the legislature as a Liberal in 1876 and joined the government of Louis Henry Davies in 1878 until the Davies administration fell the next year. Farquharson sat in opposition until the Liberals won the 1891 election. He became Premier in August 1898 but, in 1901, he was persuaded to run in a by-election to the federal House of Commons since PEI Liberals hoped that as a former Premier, he would be elevated to the Canadian cabinet guaranteeing the island's representation in government. Farquharson won the by-election but Sir Wilfrid Laurier appointed a westerner to cabinet instead leaving Farquharson on the backbenches until his death in 1903.

During Farquharson's premiership the provincial legislature passed the Prohibition Act (or Scott Act) which implemented a complete ban on alcohol sales and production in the province starting in 1901. It would not be repealed until 1948.

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