William Findlay Maclean

Who was William Findlay Maclean?

William Findlay Maclean was a Canadian politician.

Born in Ancaster, Wentworth County, Ontario, the son of John Maclean and Isabella Findlay, he was educated at the Hamilton Public School and the University of Toronto. A journalist, he established the Toronto World in 1880.

He ran unsuccessfully in North Wentworth for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the general elections of 1890, and in York East for the Canadian House of Commons in the general elections of 1891. He was first elected to the House of Commons in an 1892 by-election for the riding of York East after the death of the sitting MP and former Prime Minister, Alexander Mackenzie.

A Conservative, he would be re-elected 8 more times serving for 34 years for York East and York South until being defeated in 1926. Beginning in the 1900 federal election, Maclean stood as an "Independent Conservative" with the exception of 1917 election when he was elected as a Unionist.