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Donald Farquharson
Premier from 1899 to 1901
DONALD FARQUHARSON WAS BORN AT Mermaid, Prince Edward Island, just across the river from
Charlottetown on July 27, 1834. For his early education he attended the one room school in
Mermaid and then entered the Central Academy in Charlottetown. He then went on to Prince of
Wales College where he graduated with his teacher's license.
Following his education, Farquharson went on to teach for some years at various schools
throughout the province. Donald Farquharson, after teaching for a number of years, opened a business at Westville on the
Elliot River where he earned a reputation as a shrewd businessman.
At the age of 42, he entered the political arena in 1876, representing the same riding continuously
for 25 years. Farquharson was elected a member of the Executive Council in 1878, but when the
coalition, under L.H. Davies broke up and the Conservatives took power in 1879, he became a
member of the Opposition.
In 1891, the Liberal party again came to power and Donald Farquharson served in the Liberal
administrations of several premiers before succeeding Premier Alexander Warburton in 1898.
Premier Farquharson stayed in office for only three years until 1901 when he resigned to run as a
candidate in a by-election for the Federal House of Commons. He won the seat and served in
Ottawa for just one year.
Premier Farquharson was asked to run as a Federal candidate by member of the Liberal party who
felt the presence of a former provincial premier in the Federal Parliament would win a Cabinet
post for Prince Edward Island. However, the Prince Minister of the day, Sir Wilfred Laurier did
not agree and the Cabinet post went to another member of the Federal House from Western
Canada.
Donald Farquharson died while a Federal Member of Parliament on June 26, 1903.
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