William Lewis Shurtleff
{{Infobox person| name = | image =Shurtleff 4036732315 373776981d o.jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1864|3|29}} | birth_place =Coaticook, Canada East | death_date = {{Death date and age|1954|1|1|1864|3|29}}| death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = | other_names = | known_for = | education = | employer = | occupation = | title = | height = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | boards = | spouse =Edna L. Alger (1868-1929){{cite web|url=http://www.interment.net/data/canada/qc/stanstead/mtforest/forest_nz.htm|work=Interment.net| title=Mount Forest Cemetery, Coaticook, Stanstead County, Quebec (Surnames A-E) |access-date=2009-11-08}} | partner = | children = | parents =Ruth E. and Lyman Shurtleff | relatives = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
William Lewis Shurtleff, {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|KC}}, (March 29, 1864 – January 1, 1954) was a Quebec lawyer and newspaper owner.{{cite news |title=William Lewis Shurtleff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dy9if3Yix8UC&q=Shurtleff&pg=PA1406 |quote=Shurtleff, William Lewis, K.C., LL.B., L.D. Born Coaticook. Que. March 29, 1864 of Lyman and Ruth E. Shurtleff. Educated: "Coaticook; Bishop's College University. Lennoxille (LL.B.. 1886; LL.M.. 1889; LL.D., 1905). ...ailed to the Quebec Bar, 1886; created K.C, 1903. Established present business, 1886. Batonlier of the Bar for the district of St. Francis; first Canadian counsel engaged by Harry K. Thaw, member Protestant section Council of Public Induction. Province of Quebec; member Teacher Training Committee of MacDonald College; member of the Legislative Council of the Strathcona Trust; Chairman. Protestant School Board; elected President, Christian Endeavour Convention, 1898; President, Sunday School Union. Province of Quebec, 1905-1906; Vice-President, Lord's Day Alliance, Canada, 1905. Editor and Proprietor, Coaticook "Observer" for 18 years established 1869). Married Edna L. Alger, Eaton, Que. 1887; has one daughter. Conservative; organizer for ten counties known as Eastern Townships. Appointed in 1911 Government Commissioner for investigation of charges of political partisanship. Methodist. Superintendent, Coatiook Methodist Sunday School. Address: Coatiook, Que. |work=Who's who in Canada |year=1914 |access-date=2009-11-09 | publisher=International Press Limited.}} He was the defense lawyer for Harry Kendall Thaw in 1913.{{cite news |title=Many Believe Thaw is Sane. |url=http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%202/Buffalo%20Ny%20Morning%20Express/Buffalo%20NY%20Morning%20Express%201915.pdf/Newspapers%20Buffalo%20NY%20Morning%20Express%201915b%20-%200470.PDF |work=Buffalo Morning Express |date=June 25, 1915 |access-date=2009-11-08 }}{{cite news |title=Immigration Officials Seek Writ from New Judge and Hope to Rush Him Across Border. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9805E4DC113CE633A25753C3A96E9C946296D6CF |quote=Sensational developments are expected to-day in the fight to get Harry Kendall Thaw out of Canada and back to the Matteawan Asylum. ... Thaw was represented by Mr. Shurtleff and the prosecution by Hector. |work=New York Times |date=August 30, 1913 |access-date=2009-11-01 }} The Buffalo Morning Express calls him "one of the leading lawyers in Canada".
Biography
He was born on March 29, 1864, in Coaticook to Ruth E. and Lyman Shurtleff. In March 1889, he and L.S. Channel bought the Coaticook Observer, which had been founded in 1869.
In December of that year, Shurtleff became the sole owner of the newspaper.{{cite book|last=Mackintosh|first=C H |title=History of Compton County and Sketches |year=1896|pages=139|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LCPlyiCzz3YC&q=%22W.+L.+Shurtleff%22&pg=PA139|access-date=2009-11-08 | isbn=978-1-113-76075-3 | publisher=BiblioBazaar, LLC}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1311&dat=19641203&id=z6QQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3329,4752457|title=95 Years Old Today|last=Beerworth|first=Gordon H.|date=December 3, 1964|work=Telegram Observer (Sherbrooke)|access-date=2009-11-08}} In 1897, he became secretary-treasurer of the Coaticook Electric Light and Power Company.{{cite news|url=http://www.museevirtuel.ca/pm.php?id=story_line&lg=Francais&fl=0&ex=00000247&sl=4954&pos=1|title=L'Étoile de l'Est, 17 mars 1897, p. 3, quoted at 100 ans de l'Hydro-Coaticook, articles 1890-1915|work= Société d'histoire de Coaticook |access-date=2009-11-08}} In 1911, he wrote a pamphlet on reciprocity, as the possibility of free trade between Canada and the United States was then known.{{cite book|last=Shurtleff|first= W.L. |title=Reciprocity : would it be a good thing for the country as a whole - for the farmer in particular : a discussion of the question |url=https://archive.org/details/cihm_84639|location= Coaticook, Que.|date=April 1911|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cihm_84639/page/n39 34]|isbn= 9780665846397 }} Series: CIHM/ICMH Microfiche series = CIHM/ICMH collection de microfiches; no. 84639. Filmed from a copy of the original publication held by the National Library of Canada. Ottawa : Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, 1997. In 1912, he was appointed organizer-in-chief for the Eastern Townships by the Conservative Association.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a0BOAAAAMAAJ&q=%22W.+L.+Shurtleff%22|title=Debates: official report, Volume 4 |year=1912|work=Canada. Parliament. House of Commons|pages= 6630|access-date=November 8, 2009| publisher=Queen's Printer}} In 1914, he conducted an investigation relating to the dismissal of a postmaster. His report was tabled in the House of Commons on March 5, 1914.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/hcc49191400uoft/hcc49191400uoft_djvu.txt|title=Journals of the House of Commons of Canada v.49 1914|access-date=November 8, 2009}}
Mr. Pelletier, a member of the King's Privy Council, presented, --Return to an Order of the House of the 2nd February, 1914, for a copy of all charges, correspondence, letters, telegrams and other documents, relating to the dismissal of Mr.Goyette, Postmaster at St. Valrien de Milton, Shefford County, Quebec, and of the evidence taken, and of the reports of investigation held by Dr. W. L. Shurtleff, in regard to the same.
In 1916, he was a member of the Protestant Committee of the Council of Public Instruction of Quebec.{{cite journal|title=The Educational Record of the Province of Quebec|url=https://archive.org/stream/educationalrecor36quuoft/educationalrecor36quuoft_djvu.txt |quote=November 26th, 1916. On which day the regular quarterly meeting of the Protestant Committee of the Council of Public Instruction was held. Present: ... W. L. Shurtleff, Esq., K.C, LL.D. ... }}
He died on New Year's Day, January 1, 1954. He was buried in Mount Forest Cemetery in Coaticook, Quebec.{{cite web |url=http://www.interment.net/data/canada/qc/stanstead/mtforest/forest_nz.htm|work=interment.net| title=Mount Forest Cemetery, Coaticook, Stanstead County, Quebec (Surnames N-Z)|access-date=November 8, 2009}}