John Jones Ross

John Jones Ross PC (August 16, 1831 – May 4, 1901) was a Canadian politician. Ross served as the seventh premier of Quebec and later as a member of the Senate of Canada.

The Honourable John Jones Ross
7th Premier of Quebec
In office January 23, 1884 – January 25, 1887
Monarch	Victoria
Lieutenant Governor	Théodore Robitaille Louis-Rodrigue Masson
Preceded by	Joseph-Alfred Mousseau
Succeeded by	Louis-Olivier Taillon
Senator for De la Durantaye, Quebec
In office April 12, 1887 – May 4, 1901
Preceded by	Jean-Charles Chapais
Succeeded by	Alphonse Arthur Miville Déchêne
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Champlain
In office September 20, 1867 – January 22, 1874
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Hippolyte Montplaisir
Member of the Legislative Council of Quebec for Shawinigan
In office November 2, 1867 – May 4, 1901
Appointed by	Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Némèse Garneau
MLA for Champlain
In office September 1, 1867 – November 2, 1867
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Jean-Charles Chapais
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Champlain
In office 1861–1867
Preceded by	Joseph-Édouard Turcotte
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	(1831-08-16)August 16, 1831 Quebec City, Lower Canada
Died	May 4, 1901(1901-05-04) (aged 69) Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade (La Pérade), Quebec, Canada
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Arline Lanouette ​ (m. 1854)​
Occupation	Physician militia officer
Cabinet	Canada: Minister Without Portfolio (1896) Quebec: Commissioner of Railways (1881–1882) Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works (1884–1887)
Portfolio	Canada: Speaker of the Senate (1891–1896) Quebec: President of the Legislative Council (1873–1874 & 1876–1878 & 1879–1881)

Personal life

Ross was born in Quebec City, Canada. He was the son of a Scots-Quebecer merchant, George McIntosh Ross, and his French-Canadian wife Sophie-Éloïse Gouin.

Political career

Province of Canada Assembly

Ross belonged to the Parti bleu and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for the district of Champlain in 1861. He was re-elected in 1863 and served until 1867.

Provincial politics

Ross was elected to the newly established Legislative Assembly of Quebec for the district of Champlain in 1867, but resigned only a few months later to become a Conservative Member of the Legislative Council of Quebec for Shawinigan. From 1873 to 1874, 1876 to 1878 and 1879 to 1882, Ross served as Speaker of the Legislative Council, of whom he remained a member until his death in 1901.

He was Minister without Portfolio from 1876 to 1878 and from 1879 to 1881, as well as the seventh Premier of Quebec from January 23, 1884, to January 25, 1887,

Federal politics

Ross successfully ran as a Conservative candidate for the district of Champlain in the 1867 and 1872 federal elections, but did not run for re-election in 1874.

He was appointed to the Senate of Canada for the Division of La Durantaye in 1887 and served as Speaker of that institution from 1891 to 1896.

Ross also was Minister without Portfolio in the federal Cabinet for a couple of months in 1896.

Elections as party leader

He lost the 1886 provincial election as Leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec but remained in power in a minority government until he resigned on January 25, 1887. He died in 1901 in Quebec City.

See also

• Politics of Quebec
• List of Quebec general elections
• Timeline of Quebec history

References

• "John Jones Ross". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.
• "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
• John Jones Ross – Parliament of Canada biography