William Aberhart (1878 - 1943)

Born 30 Dec 1878 in Hibbert, Perth, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Janet Maria (Flatt) Aberhart — married 30 Jul 1902 in North Dumfries, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Died 23 May 1943 at age 64 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Preceded by
Richard Reid

7th Premier of Alberta
September 3, 1935 – May 23, 1943

Succeeded by
Ernest Manning

Biography

William Aberhart is Notable.

Born in 1878 (December 31 according to his birth certificate, but December 30 according to other sources), William Aberhart was the son of William Aberhart, a farmer, and his wife Louisa Pepper.^[1] He was the fourth of eight children and spent his early childhood in Perth County until his parents relocated to a farm near Egmondville in Huron County.^[2] After graduating from Ontario Normal School in Hamilton in 1898, he began his teaching career.

In 1902 he married Jessie Flatt.^[3] They had two daughters, Khona in 1903 and Ola in 1905. By the time Khona was born, they were living in Brantford, Ontario, where William eventually became principal of the local high school and completed his B.A. by correspondence. In 1910 he accepted an offer from the Calgary School Board and was a high school principal in Calgary until 1935.^[4] During that time, he was a lay preacher at Grace Presbyterian Church for a few years, then became the unofficial minister of Westbourne Baptist Church. ^[5]

In the 1920s his evangelical radio programs earned him the nickname "Bible Bill." He founded the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute in 1927 and began promoting the economic theories of British economist C.H. Douglas. He founded the Social Credit Party in 1935. When it won that year's provincial election, he became Alberta's premier.^[6]

He died in 1943 in Vancouver, British Columbia.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "Ontario Births, 1869-1912," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMQZ-7WL : 16 July 2017), William Aberhart, 31 Dec 1878; citing Birth, Hibbert Township, Perth, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,845,223.
2. ↑ "Canada Census, 1891," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWL4-7LR : 3 August 2016), William Aberhardt, Tuckersmith, Huron South, Ontario, Canada; Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; Library and Archives Canada film number 30953_148147.
3. ↑ "Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZB5-FGL : 11 March 2018), Wm Aberhart and Jesse Marie Flatt, 30 Jul 1902; citing registration , North Dumfries, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,871,524.
4. ↑ "Canada, Prairie Provinces Census, 1926," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPJL-QZQW : 18 April 2019), William Aberhart, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; citing Census, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa.
5. ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia
6. ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica
7. ↑ "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986; 1992-1993", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLVR-7JF : 8 November 2017), William Aberhart, 1943.

See also:

• Wikipedia:William Aberhart Wikidata: Item Q1311454, en:Wikipedia
• "Canada Census, 1901," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHLQ-5MV : 18 March 2018), William S Aberhart in household of Mary A Scott, Huron (east/est), Ontario, Canada; citing p. 6, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa.
• Aberhart Foundation: Preacher
• Aberhart Foundation: The Man
• Find A Grave