Herbert James Palmer

{{short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Herbert James Palmer

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Herbert James Palmer.jpg

| imagesize =

| order = 11th

| office = Premier of Prince Edward Island

| predecessor = Francis Haszard

| successor = John A. Mathieson

| monarch = George V

| lieutenant_governor = Benjamin Rogers

| term_start = May 16, 1911

| term_end = December 2, 1911

| office1 = Leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party

| predecessor1 = Francis Haszard

| successor1 = John Richards

| term_start1 = May 16, 1911

| term_end1 = January 3, 1912

| office2 = MLA (Assemblyman) for 3rd Queens

| predecessor2 = Frederick Peters

| successor2 = George F. Dewar

| term_start2 = December 12, 1900

| term_end2 = November 15, 1911

| birth_date = {{birth date|1851|08|26}}

| birth_place = Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Colony

| death_date = {{death date and age|1939|12|22|1851|08|26}}

| death_place = Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

| nationality = Canadian

| spouse = {{marriage|Ada Millicent Patena|1880}}

| party = Liberal

| otherparty =

| relations = Edward Palmer (father)

| children = 5

| alma_mater = Prince of Wales College
University of King's College

| occupation = Lawyer and director

| profession = Politician

| cabinet =

}}

H. James Palmer (August 26, 1851 – December 22, 1939) was the 11th premier of Prince Edward Island and the son of former colonial Premier Edward Palmer.

Born in Charlottetown, Palmer was educated at Prince of Wales College and then at King's College in Windsor, Nova Scotia.

He was called to the bar in 1876 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1878. Palmer entered the provincial legislature as a Liberal upon winning a seat in the election of 1900. He served as Attorney-General at various times except between 1904 and 1908 when he was out of office. In May 1911 he became premier when Francis Longworth Haszard was appointed to the Supreme Court of the province. At the time, members of the legislature who became Premier were required to resign their seats and run for re-election in a by-election. Palmer did so but was defeated in the December by-election. He resigned as premier and returned to his law practice.{{Cite web |title=Herbert James Palmer |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/herbert-james-palmer |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |language=en}} The loss of Palmer's seat also caused the Liberal government to lose their majority in the legislature and the lieutenant governor asked the leader of the opposition, John A. Mathieson, to form a new government.