Lewis Wigle

Lewis Wigle
Member of Parliament for Essex South
In office 1882–1887
Preceded by	New riding
Succeeded by	James Brien
Ontario MPP
In office 1875–1882
Preceded by	New riding
Succeeded by	William Balfour
Constituency	Essex South
Personal details
Born	(1845-03-10)March 10, 1845 Gosfield Township, Canada West
Died	July 30, 1934(1934-07-30) (aged 89)
Political party	Conservative, 1875-1882
Other political affiliations	Conservative, 1882-1887
Spouse	Bertha Smith
Occupation	Businessman

Lewis Wigle (March 10, 1845 – July 30, 1934) was an Ontario farmer, businessman and political figure. He represented Essex South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1875 to 1882 and in the House of Commons of Canada from 1882 to 1887 as a Conservative member.

He was born in Gosfield Township, Essex County, Canada West in 1845, the son of Solomon Wigle. He owned a general store at Leamington and served as reeve of Mersea from 1867 to 1875. Wigle married Rebecca Hairaine in 1868. He was president of the Leamington and St. Clair Railway and a tobacco buyer for the Empire Tobacco Company. After the death of his first wife in 1898, Wigle married Bertha Smith, the widow of a Doctor Wray. After 1887, he ran unsuccessfully four times for the Essex South seat in the House of Commons and in the 1919 provincial election as an independent Conservative. Wigle served as mayor of Leamington from 1902 to 1904.

His daughter Edith married Seger McKay, mayor of Kingsville.

Electoral history

1875 Ontario general election: Essex South
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Lewis Wigle	1,014	51.19
	Liberal	J.C. Iler	967	48.81
Turnout			1,981	69.61
Eligible voters			2,846
Election voided
Source: Elections Ontario

Ontario provincial by-election, September 1875: Essex South Previous election voided
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Lewis Wigle	1,310	58.53
	Liberal	J.C. Iler	928	41.47
Total valid votes			2,238
	Conservative pickup new district.
Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario

1879 Ontario general election: Essex South
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lewis Wigle	1,418	52.93	−5.60
	Liberal	William Balfour	1,261	47.07	+5.60
Total valid votes			2,679	74.29
Eligible voters			3,606
	Conservative hold		Swing		−5.60
Source: Elections Ontario

External links

• Lewis Wigle – Parliament of Canada biography
• Ontario Legislative Assembly parliamentary history
• The Canadian parliamentary companion and annual register, 1877, CH Mackintosh
• A Cyclopæedia of Canadian biography : being chiefly men of the time GM Rose (1886)
• Commemorative biographical record of the county of Essex, Ontario ... (1905)