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Robert Stirton Thornton
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Physician, MLA (1908-1910), MLA (1914-1915), MLA (1916-1920), MLA (1921-1922).
Born at Edinburgh, Scotland on 8 May 1863, son of David Thornton and Mary Gavin, he was educated at Heriot’s Hospital School from 7 to 15 years of age. He graduated with a medical degree from Edinburgh University in 1884 and came to Canada later that year, establishing a medical practice at Deloraine which he maintained until retirement in 1931. He also served as health officer for the Rural Municipality of Winchester. He served as President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (1895-1896) and President of the Medical Council of Canada.
He was elected to the Manitoba Legislature in 1907, defeated in 1910, and elected again in 1914, 1915, and 1920, serving until 1922 when he was defeated. He was Minister of Education (1915-1922) in the Norris government, during which time the Public Schools Act was amended to remove a provision for instruction in languages other than English.
On 30 April 1889, he married Mary Jane Johnston (1857-1931, daughter of Irish immigrants Robert Johnston and Ann Frazer) at Deloraine. He was a member of the IOOF and the Masons, having been Grand Master of the Manitoba Grand Lodge (1900-1902). He was given an honorary degree by Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario).
In late 1931, he retired to Vancouver, British Columbia where he died on 17 September 1936. He was buried with his wife in the Del-Win Cemetery at Deloraine.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Grove School No. 455 (Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Thornton School No. 1797 (RM of Alonsa)
Marriage registration [Robert Kirton Thornton, Mary Jane Johnston], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.
The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
Death registration [Mary Jane Thornton], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Auto crash victim dies of injuries,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 October 1931, page 1.
“Noted doctor of Manitoba dies at coast,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 September 1936. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9]
“Dr. R. Thornton, former cabinet member, is dead,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 September 1936, page 3.
Members of the Legislative Assembly (deceased), Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 14 December 2024
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