Honorific Prefix: | The Honourable |
William Pugsley | |
Order: | 11th Premier of New Brunswick |
Term Start: | March 6, 1907 |
Term End: | May 31, 1907 |
Predecessor: | Lemuel J. Tweedie |
Successor: | Clifford W. Robinson |
Lieutenant Governor: | Lemuel J. Tweedie |
Order1: | 15th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick |
Term Start1: | November 6, 1917 |
Term End1: | February 28, 1923 |
Predecessor1: | Gilbert Ganong |
Successor1: | William Frederick Todd |
Monarch1: | George V |
Governor General1: | The Duke of Devonshire The Lord Byng of Vimy |
Premier1: | Walter E. Foster Peter J. Veniot |
Office2: | MLA for Kings |
Term Start2: | July 4, 1885 |
Term End2: | October 22, 1892 |
Predecessor2: | Edwin Arnold Vail |
Successor2: | George G. Scovil |
Alongside2: | Finnemore E. Morton, Albert Scott White, Gabriel Flewelling, George L. Taylor |
Term Start3: | February 18, 1899 |
Term End3: | March 3, 1908 |
Predecessor3: | George William Fowler |
Successor3: | James Alexander Murray |
Alongside3: | Albert Scott White, George G. Scovil, Ora P. King |
Constituency Mp4: | City and County of St. John |
Parliament4: | Canadian |
Predecessor4: | Alfred Augustus Stockton |
Successor4: | John Waterhouse Daniel |
Term Start4: | September 18, 1907 |
Term End4: | September 21, 1911 |
Constituency Mp5: | City of St. John |
Parliament5: | Canadian |
Predecessor5: | John Waterhouse Daniel |
Successor5: | District was abolished in 1914 |
Term Start5: | September 21, 1911 |
Term End5: | November 6, 1917 |
Birth Date: | September 27, 1850 |
Birth Place: | Sussex, New Brunswick, British North America |
Death Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Party: | Liberal |
Spouse: | |
Children: | 3 sons and 2 daughters |
Alma Mater: | University of New Brunswick |
Occupation: | Lawyer, businessman |
Profession: | Politician |
William Pugsley (September 27, 1850 – March 3, 1925) was a politician and lawyer in New Brunswick, Canada.
He was born in Sussex, New Brunswick, the son of William Pugsley, of United Empire Loyalist descent, and Frances Jane Hayward. He was educated at the University of New Brunswick. He studied mathematics, classics, and English and was awarded many scholarships. In his junior year he was the gold medallist of his class. He went on to study law, was admitted to the bar in 1872 and set up practice in Saint John. The University of New Brunswick awarded him a BCL in 1879 and would confer honorary degrees of DCL in 1884 and LL.D in 1918. Pugsley was created a QC on 4 February 1891.
Pugsley, a Liberal, served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Solicitor-General and Attorney-General in various Liberal governments before becoming the 11th premier of New Brunswick in 1907.
He resigned in September of that year to become minister of public works in the federal Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He served in that position until the government's defeat in the 1911 federal election, but remained as a Member of Parliament (MP) until 1917 when he was appointed the 15th lieutenant governor of New Brunswick. When his term ended in 1923, he was appointed to a federal position in charge of settling war claims, and held that position until his death. Pugsley was staying at King Edward Hotel when he fell ill and died of pneumonia in Toronto in 1925.[1] He was buried in the Fernhill Cemetery in Saint John, New Brunswick.