James Thomas Milton Anderson

James Anderson was born on July 23, 1878 at Fairbank, Ontario. He was educated at the University of Manitoba where he received his LL.B. in 1913 and M.A. in 1914. He taught school at Richard’s Landing, Ontario from 1897 - 1903 and for the next four years he taught at schools in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He was Inspector of schools for the Province of Saskatchewan from 1911 to 1918.

In 1918 he was appointed as the Director of Education among new Canadians in Saskatchewan and that same year saw him publish a book, "The Education of the New Canadian". In 1924 he was elected as the leader of the Saskatchewan Conservative Party and the next year he was elected to the Legislature. His party was victorious in the provincial election of 1929 and in September of that year Anderson became Premier of Saskatchewan.

There couldn’t have been a worse time to have become Premier of the prairie province. The depression was just setting in and combined with drought and dustbowls made for an economic hard time under his government. He was defeated at the polls in the election of 1934 and retired from politics just two years later. He later served as superintendent of the School for the Deaf in Saskatoon. James Anderson died on December 29, 1946 in Saskatoon.

Henry Robert Emmerson

Henry Emmerson was born on September 25, 1853 at Maugerville, New Brunswick. He was educated at Boston University and Acadia College. He was called to the bar of N.B. in 1878 and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1899. He opened a law practice at Dorchester, N.B. and practiced law there for some years. He was President of the New Brunswick Petroleum Company and the Acadia Coal Company. He also held a large financial interest in the "Moncton Transcript", a strongly partisan Liberal newspaper.

He was elected to the New Brunswick Legislature for the first time in 1888 in the riding of Albert and was to remain a member until 1900. As a member one of Emmerson’s greatest crusades was for women’s right to vote. From 1892 - 1900 he was the Minister of Public Works and from 1897 until 1900 he served as Attorney General and Premier of New Brunswick. He resigned as Premier on August 31, 1900 in order to run for the House of Commons in Ottawa.

He was elected as the Liberal member for the riding of Westmoreland and continued to represent the riding until his death. He served as Minister of Railways and Canals in the Laurier Cabinet from 1904 - 1907. He was finally asked by Laurier to hand in his resignation as a Cabinet Minister on account of his drinking problems. He served as President of the Baptist convention of the Maritime Provinces in 1899 and in 1900 he served as President of the Baptist Congress of Canada. Henry Emmerson died on July 9, 1914.

Edward Cochrane

Ed Cochrane was born on January 01, 1834 in Cramahe Township, Ontario. He was a successful farmer for most of his life and it was the needs and plight of farmers that led him into politics. He was a councillor and reeve of Cramahe Township and in 1880 was elected as the Warden of the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham.

He was first elected to the House of Commons as the Conservative member for the riding of Northumberland East in 1882. He was defeated in 1887 but re-elected the following year in a by-election. He was to never lose the seat and was re-elected in 1891, 1896, 1900, and 1904. Cochrane was a strong partisan Conservative in the House of Commons and was one of John A. Macdonald’s strongest supporters. He became the unofficial voice of the Canadian farmer in Parliament and on all occasions rose to their defence in the reduction of tariffs.

When the Laurier administration took over Cochrane came into his own on the floor of Parliament. A tireless debater, he constantly attacked the Laurier government over patronage issues and he also opposed giving subsidies to railways and wanted a reduced civil service. The Laurier government replied to his charges of patronage that they were doing nothing that the previous Conservative government had not done. Cochrane always replied that each and every government should remain or fall on its own merits. In 1899 he challenged a Liberal member to a fist fight, but he continued to earn the respect of members of both parties and was affectionately nicknamed "Uncle Ned".

Cochrane had been one of the original signers in 1890 calling for the Orange Order in Canada to receive official incorporation status. He was a member of L.O.L. 903 in Brighton, Ontario and served as the County Master of Northumberland in 1880. He was a frequent attendee at the Grand Lodge sessions of Ontario East. Ed Cochrane died in Ottawa on March 8, 1907 of throat cancer.

Albert Bradley

Bro. Bradley comes of Irish descent. His grandfather fought for his liberty in the rebellion of 1798, and brought with him to Canada the musket he used at the Battle of Vinegar Hill. Bro. Bradley was born in the Township of Goulburn, Carleton County, Ontario, on July 13, 1848. After the usual course in the public school of that day he was apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade, which business he successfully followed up to the present time.

In May, 1868, he was initiated into L.O.L. 246 at Hazeldean, the place of his residence and birth. In December, 1869 he was elected Deputy Master, and in 1874 Worshipful Master - which office he held for five years. In 1886 he was elected Deputy Master of District No. 7, in the County of Carleton, which he held till 1889. In 1892 and 1893 he held the position of County Master; he was Grand Master of Ontario East in 1898 and 1899. At the last session of the Grand Lodge, held in Prescott, he was elected a representative to the Imperial Grand Council of Orangemen, to be held in New York City in July next year.

The subject of our sketch is a member of R.B.P. 227, Ottawa and has filled every office from Pursuivant to Preceptor, and was chosen Grand Master of the Grand Black Chapter of Eastern Ontario at Picton in 1897. At the last Grand Chapter meeting he was elected Grand Chaplain. Bro. Bradley is also a member of the Masonic craft; was received into Goodwood Lodge No. 157, G.R.C., on December 27, 1869, of which he is a Past Master. In politics he has been a life long Conservative. In the general election of 1891 he acted as returning officer for the County of Carleton.

The above was printed in the Minutes of Proceedings of the Provincial Grand Orange Lodge of Ontario East in 1900.


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