Researching John Hayes

Born in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, he was the son of a dairy farmer who went on to become a prominent figure in harness racing and the first Canadian to be selected to the Little Brown Jug's Wall of Fame. His greatest accomplishment was in training horses in particular when he developed the great champion, Strike Out.

A longtime director of the Canadian Trotting Association, for ten years John Hayes served as its president and was Vice-Chairman of the Ontario Racing Commission.

It had been Hayes' lifelong dream to win the Little Brown Jug and was famous for having told a newspaper reporter: "I'd rather win the Little Brown Jug than go to heaven." When he died in 1998, the Little Brown Jug itself, won by Strike Out in 1972, was placed at the head of his casket.

John Hayes was inducted into the Little Brown Jug Wall of Fame in 1990, the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1991, and the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.

Hayes is considered a social conservative, economic protectionist, communitarian and Eurosceptic. He strongly supported Britain's withdrawal from the EU and has spoken regularly about his belief in conservative ideas and philosophy. Hayes is known for speaking passionately and theatrically in the House of Commons chamber and has been described as a "colourful character" who is "popular and influential on the Tory right".

First elected in 1997, Hayes is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lincolnshire constituency of South Holland and The Deepings - the safest Conservative seat in the United Kingdom. South Holland delivered the nation's second-highest Leave vote in the 2016 referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. 73.6% of voters voted for withdrawal from the EU, second only to neighbouring Boston.

He first played rugby as a wing forward in a Munster Junior League match for Bruff against Newcastle West R.F.C.

Hayes was born in Bridekirk, Cumberland, England, the son of Fletcher Hayes and Elizabeth Martin. On 7 December 1781, at age 13, he joined the Bombay Marine as a midshipman on the Bombay. On 6 February 1793, he sailed from Calcutta on a private trading voyage with two chartered ships, the Duke of Clarence of 250 tons (bm) and 14 guns and the Duchess, an armed snow of 100 tons (bm). The goal was to collect nutmeg from New Guinea. However, on passing Timor, due to adverse winds he decided to navigate around the south coast of Australia and resupply with wood and water at Adventure Bay in Tasmania.

He spent some time exploring the area of the River Derwent, unaware that it had already been charted by Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux. He (re)named many geographic features, generally using the names of officers in the East India Company or his shipmates. Some of these names survive to the present day, including the River Derwent itself and Risdon Cove.

Leaving Tasmania on 9 June, he arrived at New Caledonia on 28 June and explored the coast until leaving for New Guinea on 3 July. He was the first European to land on Rossel Island.

He died in the Coco Islands, in the Bay of Bengal, while en route to Calcutta, aged 63. His only son, Captain Fletcher Fulton Compton Hayes, was killed in Awadh during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Hayes attended St. Louis University, where he played soccer from 1978 to 1981. He was a 1980 Honorable Mention and 1981 First Team All American. In 2009, he was selected to the St. Louis University Men's Soccer Half-Century Team.

On October 26, 1981, the St. Louis Steamers selected Hayes with the first pick of the Major Indoor Soccer League draft. He played two seasons in St. Louis before finishing his career with one season with the Kansas City Comets.

Hayes was born at Ipswich, Queensland, the son of John Patrick Hayes and his wife Mary Jane (née McGrath). He was educated at St Mary's Catholic Primary School and the Christian Brothers College, both in Ipswich. On leaving school he was a draper's assistant, working in Ipswich, Maryborough, and Brisbane before becoming an insurance salesman. A long-time member of the Shop Assistants and Warehouse Employees Union, he became its executive officer and a union delegate, and was the secretary of the Nundah branch of the Labor Party. He married Eleanore Ann O'Neill on 3 November 1923 (died 1970) in Brisbane; together they had one son (died 1961) and four daughters.

He was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 1932 election. In 1942, he obtained leave from parliament to serve in World War II, serving as a corporal in the 8th Australian Motor Corps of the Second Australian Imperial Force until 1944. Hayes lost preselection for the 1947 state election to Frank Roberts and retired from politics. After leaving politics, he was a clerical officer and investigator for the Queensland Government Tourist Bureau.

Hayes died in June 1986 and was buried at the Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery. He remained involved with the Labor Party at a local level until his death, and was the second-last surviving member of the 1932-1942 Forgan Smith government.