Researching William Morton

Morton was educated at St. John's College in Winnipeg, and was prominent in athletics, notably football, hockey and curling. He was a councillor in the municipality of Westbourne from 1913 to 1917, and was its reeve from 1917 to 1927.

He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1927 provincial election as a Progressive, in the rural constituency of Gladstone. He was returned as a Liberal-Progressive in the 1932 election, after the two parties formed an alliance.

Re-elected again in the 1936 election, Morton was promoted to cabinet on November 22, 1939, as Municipal Commissioner in John Bracken's government. On February 14, 1944, he was given additional cabinet responsibilities as Minister under the Manitoba Telephone Act.

When Douglas Campbell became Premier of Manitoba on December 14, 1948, he relieved Morton of the Municipal Affairs portfolio, but kept him as minister under the Manitoba Telephone Act, Minister under the Manitoba Power Commission Act, and Minister of Public Utilities under the Municipal and Public Utility Board Act. His title was later simplified to Minister of Public Works and Minister of Public Utilities. In these portfolios, Morton continued Campbell's work in providing electricity to the rural areas of the province.

In 1952, Morton approved a motion which gave aboriginal Canadians in Manitoba the right to vote in provincial elections.

Morton holds the unique distinction of having been returned without opposition in four consecutive elections: 1941, 1945, 1949 and 1953.

Morton stepped down from his ministerial portfolios on January 28, 1955, and served as a minister without portfolio until his death in Winnipeg in early 1958.

Manitoba Cooperative Commonwealth Federation leader Lloyd Stinson described Morton as the "strong silent" man of Campbell's administration. He was a loyal supporter of Campbell, and often used his extensive ties to municipal politicians for the government's benefit.

In 1907, he married Mary Mathilda Manwaring. Morton's son, William Lewis Morton, was a prominent Canadian historian. There is currently a William Morton Collegiate in Gladstone, Manitoba.

Born in 1956 he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and ordained in 1989. After a curacy at Drumachose he was the incumbent at Conwal before being appointed Dean of Derry in 1997. He remained there for almost 20 years until his appointment to Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. On Monday 9 May 2016, the chapter of St Patrick's cathedral, Dublin elected him as the new Dean of St Patrick's. In June 2018, Ulster University announced it would award him with an honorary degree in recognition of his civic contributions.

After an erratic start in Southport, Morton's career stabilised when he took on struggling illusionists Maskelyne and Cooke. He developed their careers, managed them for sixteen years, established them in the heart of London and presented them by Royal Command for Prince George's 14th birthday.

For sixteen years he was manager of the Greenwich Theatre where he further speculated, developing theatrical businesses in southeast London and the provinces.

In his sixties, he moved north to Hull where he established new companies, developed and built both theatres and cinemas. From 1920 onwards he was interviewed each birthday at his office by the local press who dubbed him the Grand Old Man of Hull. Morton had become an observer and commentator on a century of English life and entertainments.

Morton contributed to the development of Victorian entertainments and the flourishing of legitimate theatre. He prospered during its heyday and saw theatre's eventual acceptance by the 'respectable classes'. In the twentieth century, he embraced new technology and successful pioneered cinematographic entertainment. Only in the 1930s did the decline of theatre-going, and the boom and bust years of cinema, take its toll.