James David Edgar
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The Hon. Sir James David Edgar K.C.M.G, P.C. |
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| 7th Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons | |
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In office August 19, 1896 – July 31, 1899 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governor General |
The Earl of Aberdeen The Earl of Minto |
| Prime Minister | Wilfrid Laurier |
| Preceded by | Peter White |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Bain |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Monck |
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In office 1872–1874 |
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| Preceded by | Lachlin McCallum |
| Succeeded by | Lachlin McCallum |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Ontario West |
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In office 1884–1899 |
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| Preceded by | George Wheler |
| Succeeded by | Isaac James Gould |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 10, 1841 Hatley, Lower Canada |
| Died | July 31, 1899 (aged 57) Toronto, Ontario |
| Political party | Liberal |
Sir James David Edgar, KCMG PC (August 10, 1841 – July 31, 1899) was a Canadian politician.
In his twenties, Edgar was a law student, legal editor of the Toronto Globe, an alderman on Toronto's city council, and an organizer for the Liberal Party in Ontario. He was also rare among English Canadians of the time for his sympathy for the rights of French-Canadians. Edgar was married to Matilda Ridout and together they had nine children.
Born in Hatley, Canada East (later Quebec), Edgar was educated in Lennoxville and Quebec City. He moved to Toronto as an adult and became a lawyer in 1864. He was elected an alderman in 1866, and was a supporter of George Brown and the Reform Party. He ran as a Liberal in the 1871 Ontario provincial election, but was defeated by a margin of four votes in his attempt to win a seat in the provincial legislature.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1872 federal election, and became Whip in the caucus of Alexander Mackenzie. He helped bring down the Conservative government over the Pacific Scandal. However, despite the election of a Liberal government in the ensuing election, Edgar was defeated in his own riding.
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