Joseph Keeler (May 24, 1824 – January 21, 1881) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Northumberland East in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal-Conservative member from 1867 to 1874 and from 1879 to 1881.[1]
He was born in Cramahe Township, Upper Canada in 1814[1] and educated at Upper Canada College. Keeler was a grain and lumber merchant and also owned a wharf, warehouses and a flour millatColborne. He was also the owner of a schooner. He was postmaster there and also served as a major in the local militia.[2] Keeler operated a printing business which produced one of the first newspapers in the region, the Colborne Transcript. He helped establish a branch of the Bank of Toronto at Colborne and also helped promote the development of the Trent-Severn Waterway.[3]
On October 12, 1848,[4] he married Octavia Phillips.[2] Keeler died in office in Ottawa at the age of 56.[5]
His father, Joseph Abbott Keeler, was credited with being the founder of Colborne[3] and his grandfather, a United Empire Loyalist from Vermont also named Joseph Keeler, was one of the first settlers in the township.[2]
| 1867 Canadian federal election: East Riding of Northumberland | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Liberal–Conservative | Joseph Keeler | 1,607 | 66.02 | |||||
| Unknown | Kenneth McKenzie | 827 | 33.98 | |||||
| Unknown | Mr. Meyers | 0 | 0.00 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 2,434 | 72.66 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 3,350 | |||||||
| Source: 1867 Return of the Elections to House of Commons[6] | ||||||||
| 1872 Canadian federal election: East Riding of Northumberland | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Liberal–Conservative | Joseph Keeler | 1,497 | ||||||
| Independent Liberal | James Lyons Biggar | 1,430 | ||||||
| Source: Canadian Elections Database[7] | ||||||||
| 1874 Canadian federal election: East Riding of Northumberland | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Independent Liberal | James Lyons Biggar | 1,662 | ||||||
| Liberal–Conservative | Joseph Keeler | 1,497 | ||||||
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