Memorable Manitobans: Ernest Newburn McGirr (1887-1982)

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Ernest Newburn McGirr
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Lawyer, MLA (1950-1953).

Born at Emerson on 7 March 1887, he was educated at Morden and Winnipeg. He came to Dauphin in 1914 to join a legal firm started in 1889 by John A. Campbell, with F. E. Simpson joining in partnership in 1907. The partnership of Simpson and McGirr was started in 1916 and, three years later, Alexander Katz joined the firm. He served as a Bencher for the Law Society of Manitoba. In 1933, he was appointed a King’s Counsel. He ran unsuccessfully for election to the Manitoba Legislature in 1932 and 1936, representing the Dauphin constituency. Elected in 1949, he served a single term and was defeated at the 1953 general election. He served on the board of United College. In December 1916, he married Elizabeth Stewart (1887-1956) at Griswold and they had two daughters, Nora Elizabeth McGirr (1917-1989, wife of Peter C. Roots and later Robert M. Clawson) and Kathleen McGirr (wife of Roger Graham and Leonard Birchall). He died at Dauphin on 23 May 1982 and was buried in the Riverside Cemetery.

Sources:

Members of the Legislative Assembly (deceased), Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 1 June 1982. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B19, page 236]

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank David Graham and Stephanie Karsten for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 26 March 2020

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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