Back to Politics
James Warburton, immigrated to Prince Edward Island from Ireland in 1834, after receiving the appointment of Land Agent to Sir Walsh, absentee landlord of Township 11.
In 1838, James Warburton ran for election for the first time. His running mate was Hugh Carr and his opponent was James Yeo and Thomas Gorman. He was defeated at the poles in his bid to represent the people of first district Prince County. Warburton would not let this first defeat keep him out of the political ring, and public spotlight.
In 1839, he was appointed commissioner of roads and bridges for District #1, and in 1844 he became Sheriff of Prince County. In 1846 he once again ran for election, and after his opponent withdrew, ten minutes before the polls closed, he was elected to the Colonial Assembly as a representative of the First Electoral District of Prince County.
Warburton, served in this position for the 1847-48 session, but his seat was declared vacant in 1848 when he accepted the vacant seat on the Executive Council. James Yeo Jr. in a by-election won his seat in First District.
In 1850, both Yeo and Warburton were elected to serve First Prince District. Warburton served for three legislative sessions in the Assembly, and in 1851 he was appointed Colonial Sectary of Prince Edward Island, a position he held until 1853. Warburton was elected in 1853, 1854, 1858 but lost in 1859 and was re-elected in 1863, but this time in Third Prince.
Throughout the stormy confederation debate of the 1860's Warburton held his ground, and denounced the idea of a Federal Union. He believed that representation by population would leave the tiny colony without voice or power in the larger union. Under the larger union he felt that the Island legislature would become a "useless bauble, with no power save that of taxing the people." Warburton went as far as to say: " I myself shall use all my endeavors against it (confederation), they can readily get someone else to represent them." As a result he and other Island Politicians were responsible from keeping the Island out of the original federal union of 1867.
Throughout most of his political career and public life Warburton spent a substantial amount of time in competition with James Yeo. With accusations of false information, undeliverable promises from Warburton to Yeo's bullying people into voting in his favor. In 1866 Warburton ran for election one finial time, only to be defeated again by James Yeo. In 1868 he retired from political life. He died February 12th, 1892.
James Warburton and his family, were well respected and liked in the Lot 11 Township. Before and after his death many members of the community showed there respect and admiration for him and his family by giving one or more of there children the Christian name of Warburton.