Francis Black

Who was Francis Black?

Francis Mollison Black was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1922 to 1927, and was a cabinet minister in John Bracken's government from 1922 to 1925.

Black was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland, the son of Francis M. Black, and was educated at Perth Academy and at King's College London. He joined the British civil service in 1886 and then was hired by the Union Discount Company of London in 1889. In 1892, he moved to British Columbia, where he worked for the Bank of British Columbia. Black operated on his own in Vancouver from 1898 to 1901. In 1895, he married Margaret Elizabeth McIntosh. He later joined the Pat Burns Company, working in Nelson and Calgary. Black served as president of the Calgary Board of Trade in 1916-17 and was a member of the Alberta Public Utilities Commission in 1917. He later moved to Manitoba, and became treasurer of the United Grain Growers association. Black became vice-president of the Winnipeg Street Railway Company in 1924.

Black's entry into politics came about in an unusual manner, after the United Farmers of Manitoba emerged as the province's largest political party in the 1922 provincial election. The UFM won 25 seats out of 52, with elections deferred in three other northern seats. They were not an organized political party, however, and did not have a leader until John Bracken was chosen by caucus after the election.