{{Short description|Canadian politician (1896–1952)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Herman William Quinton | image = 300x300px | caption = Quinton in military uniform, 1927 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|10|26}} | birth_place = Red Cliff, Newfoundland Colony | death_date = {{death date and age|1952|4|2|1896|10|26}} | death_place = St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada | office = Senator from Burgeo-La Poile, Newfoundland | term_start = {{start date|1951|01|24}} | term_end = {{end date|1952|04|02}} | nominator = Louis St. Laurent | appointer = Viscount Alexander of Tunis {{Collapsed infobox section begin | cont = yes | Ministerial and commission offices | titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey; }} {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes | office2 = Minister of Finance | term_start2 = {{start date|1949|07|29}} | term_end2 = 1950 | premier2 = Joey Smallwood | predecessor2 = Gordon A. Winter (acting) | successor2 = Joey Smallwood | office3 = Commissioner for Public Health and Welfare | term_start3 = 1947 | term_end3 = 1949 | predecessor3 = John C. Puddester | successor3 = James Chalker (as Minister of Health) | office4 = Minister of Public Works | term_start4 = 1932 | term_end4 = 1934 | prime_minister4 = Frederick C. Alderdice | predecessor4 = Richard Hibbs | successor4 = Thomas Lodge (as Commissioner of Public Utilities){{Collapsed infobox section end}} }} {{Collapsed infobox section begin | cont = yes | Legislative offices | titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey; }} {{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes | constituency_AM5 = Burgeo-La Poile | assembly5 = Newfoundland House of | term_start5 = {{start date|1949|05|27}} | term_end5 = 1950 | predecessor5 = James A. Winter (pre-Confederation) | successor5 = George Norman | constituency_AM6 = Bonavista South | assembly6 = Newfoundland House of | term_start6 = {{start date|1928|10|29}} | term_end6 = {{end date|1934|02|16}} | predecessor6 = Lewis Little<br>Walter S. Monroe<br>William C. Winsor (as MHAs for Bonavista Bay) | successor6 = Ted Russell (post-Confederation){{Collapsed infobox section end}} }} | party = Liberal-Conservative (1928–1932)<br>United Newfoundland (1932–1934)<br>Liberal (1949–1952) | occupation = Teacher, merchant | education = Bishop Feild College | spouse = {{marriage|Ella Blackmore|1921}} | children = 2 | relatives = Dave Quinton (nephew) | allegiance = {{flag|Newfoundland}} | branch = British Army | unit = Royal Newfoundland Regiment | service_years = | rank = Lieutenant | battles = First World War *Western Front }}
'''Herman William Quinton''' (October 28, 1896 – April 2, 1952) was a Newfoundlander and Canadian politician.
== Military service and mercantile career ==
Quinton was born in Red Cliff, Bonavista Bay to Jacob Quinton and Sarah (née Benger).<ref name="bio">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Krachun|first=Carla|date=1993|title=Quinton, Herman William|url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_enl/id/2986|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1 |location=St. John's |publisher=Harry Cuff Publications Ltd. |access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref> After graduating from Bishop Feild College in St. John's, he worked as a school teacher from 1913 to 1914 and, afterwards, joined Sir William Coaker in the Fisherman's Union Trading Company managing various branches<ref name=bio/> before becoming dry goods superintendent.<ref name=cdp>{{cite book |title=Canadian Dictionary of Parliament 1867-1967 |last=Johnson |first=JK |year=1968 |page=481}}</ref>
Quinton served with the Newfoundland Regiment during World War I<ref name=bio/> and saw action in France and Belgium. He achieved the rank of lieutenant in 1918. He became secretary-treasurer of the Great War Veterans' Association of Newfoundland in 1924.
Following the war, he went back to the Trading Company<ref name=bio/> before joining A.E. Hickman & Co. as a travelling salesman.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hibbs |first1=Richard |title=Who's Who In and From Newfoundland 1927 |date=1927 |publisher=Richard Hibbs |location=St. John's, NL |page=265 |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_tools/id/181539 |access-date=13 May 2026}}</ref> From 1928 to 1932, Quinton was manager for an export division of the Monroe Export Co.<ref name=cdp/>
He married Ella Blackmore in 1921.<ref name=bio/>
== Politics ==
Quinton was elected to the Newfoundland House of Assembly in 1928 representing Bonavista and was re-elected in 1932 defeating a young Joey Smallwood. He served as minister of public works in the Newfoundland government until responsible government was suspended in 1934 in favour of a Commission of Government appointed by London. He was appointed magistrate for St. Barbe district.
Following the death of Sir John Charles Puddester, Quinton was appointed to the Commission of Government in 1947 to fill Puddester's portfolio as Commissioner of Public Health and Welfare. In this period, the dominion was considering whether or not to join Canada as a province, and Quinton was one of only two commissioners to support joining confederation. Following Newfoundland's entry into Canadian Confederation, he was elected to the new House of Assembly representing Burgeo-LaPoile for the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and served in the new provincial government as Minister of Finance in Premier Joey Smallwood's first Cabinet.<ref name=bio/>
He retired from provincial politics in 1950<ref name=bio/> and was appointed to the Senate of Canada on January 24, 1951 on the recommendation of Louis St-Laurent. He represented the senatorial division of Burgeo-Lapoile, Newfoundland as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada until his death in St. John's at the age of 55.<ref name=mha>{{cite web|url=http://www.assembly.nl.ca/business/hansard/HistoricHansards/1932/08_AppendixE.pdf |title=Members of the Legislature, 1932-1933 |publisher=Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629223628/http://www.assembly.nl.ca/business/hansard/HistoricHansards/1932/08_AppendixE.pdf |archivedate=June 29, 2015 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinton, Herman William}} Category:1896 births Category:1952 deaths Category:20th-century members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Category:Canadian senators from Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Liberal Party of Canada senators Category:Bishop Feild School alumni Category:Members of the Newfoundland Commission of Government Category:Newfoundland military personnel of World War I Category:Government ministers of the Dominion of Newfoundland Category:Royal Newfoundland Regiment officers Category:20th-century members of the Senate of Canada