William Wilfred Sullivan

Sir William Wilfred Sullivan
4th Premier of Prince Edward Island
In office
April 25, 1879  November 13, 1889
Monarch Victoria
Lieutenant Governor Robert Hodgson
Thomas Heath Haviland
Andrew Archibald Macdonald
Jedediah Slason Carvell
Preceded by Louis Henry Davies
Succeeded by Neil McLeod
Leader of the Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island
In office
1877  November 13, 1889
Preceded by Lemuel Owen
Succeeded by Neil McLeod
Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island
In office
November 13, 1889  June 21, 1917
Preceded by Edward Palmer
Succeeded by John Alexander Mathieson
Member of the General Assembly of Prince Edward Island for 2nd Kings
In office
1872  November 13, 1889
Serving with Hilary McIsaac, William Hooper, John Underhay
Preceded by none
Succeeded by John P. Sullivan
Administrator of Prince Edward Island
In office
February 14, 1894  February 21, 1894
Preceded by Jedediah Slason Carvell
Succeeded by George William Howlan
Personal details
Born (1839-12-06)December 6, 1839
Hope River, Prince Edward Island
Died September 30, 1920(1920-09-30) (aged 80)
Memramcook, New Brunswick
Nationality Canadian
Political party Conservative Party
Spouse(s) Alice Maud Mary Newberry (m. 1872)
Children Adele M. M, Alice M. M, W. F. Cleaver, Wilfred C. P., Faustina M. L., and Louis Arthur
Residence Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Alma mater University of Prince Edward Island
St. Dunstan’s College
Occupation journalist, lawyer, and judge
Profession Politician
Cabinet Solicitor General (1873–1876)
Religion Roman Catholic

Sir William Wilfred Sullivan (December 6, 1839 September 30, 1920) was a Prince Edward Island journalist, politician and jurist, the fourth premier of Prince Edward Island.

A native of Hope River, Sullivan had a career as an assistant editor at the Charlottetown Herald as well as a lawyer before being elected to the provincial legislature in 1872 as a Liberal MLA.

A staunch Catholic, Sullivan became leader of the opposition in 1877 to the Protestant coalition government of Louis Henry Davies which had been formed to implement a public, secular school system that denied funding to Roman Catholic separate schools. Sullivan reorganised the Conservative Party and was asked by the lieutenant governor to become premier once Davies' coalition broke up and became unable to command a majority in the assembly.

Sullivan served as premier for ten years and fought for PEI's rights in the dominion of Canada. He protested the federal government's failure to fulfill the terms of confederation on which the island had joined the dominion in 1873. In 1886, he petitioned the Imperial government in London protesting Canada's delinquency in respect to promises to ensure communication lines between the island and the rest of the country but the problem remained unresolved until the 1900s.

In 1889, Sullivan was appointed Chief Justice of PEI and served in that position until his retirement in 1917. In 1914 he was knighted by King George V.

External links

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