{{short description|Newfoundland politician (1881–1947)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Sir John Charles Puddester | native_name = | native_name_lang = | honorific_suffix = MHA | image = 300x300px | alt = | caption = Puddester in 1927 | order = | office = Vice-Chairman of the Commission of Government | term_start = 1938 | term_end = {{end date|1947|04|27}} | predecessor = William R. Howley | successor = ''Office abolished'' | office1 = Commissioner for Public Welfare | term_start1 = {{start date|1934|02|16}} | term_end1 = {{end date|1947|04|27}} | predecessor1 = ''Office established'' | successor1 = Herbert Pottle | constituency_AM2 = Carbonear-Bay de Verde<br><small>Bay de Verde (1924–1932)</small> | alongside2 = Richard Cramm (1924–1928) | assembly2 = Newfoundland House of | term_start2 = {{start date|1924|06|02}} | term_end2 = {{end date|1934|02|16}} | predecessor2 = William H. Cave | successor2 = Herbert Pottle (post-Confederation) | pronunciation = | birth_name = John Charles Puddester | birth_date = {{birth date|1881|10|04}} | birth_place = Northern Bay, Newfoundland Colony | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1947|4|27|1881|10|4}} | death_place = Carbonear, Newfoundland | party = Liberal-Conservative Progressive (1924–1932)<br>United Newfoundland Party (1932–1934) | spouse = Mary Moores | relations = | children = 9 | relatives = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Businessman, accountant | profession = }}

'''Sir John Charles Puddester''' (4 October 1881 &ndash; 22 April 1947)<ref name=mha/> was a businessman and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Bay de Verde from 1924 to 1932 and Carbonear-Bay de Verde from 1932 to 1934. Puddester was then appointed to the Commission of Government, serving until his death in 1947.<ref name=bio>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador |last=Smallwood |first=Joseph R |authorlink=Joey Smallwood |url=http://collections.mun.ca/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/cns_enl&CISOPTR=2385&CISOSHOW=2368|pages=470–71 |year=1993 |volume=v. 4 |ISBN=0-9693422-4-1}}</ref>

== Early life and career ==

Puddester was born in Northern Bay, the son of Mark Puddester and Sarah Sellers. Puddester married Mary Moores and had nine children.<ref name=bio/>

After teaching school from 1899 to 1903, he became an accountant with the Reid Newfoundland Company, working there until 1916.<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=2015-06-29 }}</ref> From 1916 to 1932, he was business manager for the ''St. John's Daily News''.

== Politics ==

Puddester first attempted to enter House of Assembly by running as a Conservative candidate for the district of Bay de Verde in 1923. Although he was defeated, he was elected when another election was called the following year. He served in the Executive Council as the Secretary of State.

After the House of Assembly voted to abolish itself and suspend responsible government, Puddester was appointed to the Commission of Government as the Commissioner of Public Health and Welfare before becoming its Vice-Chairman in 1938.<ref name=bio/> In the 1930s and 1940s, Puddester initiated a program to transcribe parish baptism and marriage records dating from the period before civil registration began in 1891.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/panl/gen_src.html |title=Genealogical Sources at PANL |publisher=Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923043721/http://www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/panl/gen_src.html |archivedate=2009-09-23 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2009-11-18}}</ref>

Puddester was knighted in 1939. He died in St. John's in 1947.<ref name=bio/>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Puddester, John C}} Category:20th-century members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Category:Knights Bachelor Category:1881 births Category:1947 deaths Category:Members of the Newfoundland Commission of Government Category:Dominion of Newfoundland politicians

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