Winston Blackmore
{{Short description|Canadian polygamist}}
{{infobox person
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|8|25}}
|birth_place = British Columbia, Canada
|father = Ray Blackmore
|mother = Anna Mae
|occupation = Polygamous church leader
|spouses = 27
|children = 150
|known = "Canada's best-known avowed polygamist"
}}
Winston Blackmore (born August 25, 1956){{Cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/news/crime/daphne-bramham-even-guilty-verdicts-in-polygamy-trial-unlikely-to-end-bountiful-saga|title=Daphne Bramham: Even guilty verdicts in polygamy trial won't end saga|publisher=Vancouver Sun|first=Daphne|last=Bramham|date=2017-07-21|language=en|access-date=2019-08-31}} is the leader of a polygamous Fundamentalist Latter Day Saint religious group in Bountiful, British Columbia, Canada. He is described as "Canada's best-known avowed polygamist".{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/erasmus/2017/05/02/a-polygamy-trial-in-canada-tests-the-limits-of-conjugal-freedom|title=A polygamy trial in Canada tests the limits of conjugal freedom|date=May 2, 2017|newspaper=The Economist}} He has 150 children with his 27 "spiritual" wives, some of whom he has admitted were underage.{{Cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/property-owned-by-convicted-polygamist-winston-blackmore-on-the-block|title=Property owned by convicted polygamist Winston Blackmore on the block|publisher=Calgary Herald|first=Alanna|last=Smith|date=2019-03-04|language=en|access-date=2019-08-31}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Bountiful+Four+they/10274972/story.html|title=The Bountiful Four: Who are they?|last=Bramham|first=Daphne|website=www.vancouversun.com|language=en-ca|access-date=2019-08-31}}
Leadership and excommunication
The polygamous community at Bountiful was founded by Blackmore's father, Ray Blackmore, and his older cousin, Harold Wooley Blackmore. Ray later removed Harold and took full control of Bountiful.
Winston Blackmore was born to Ray and Anna Mae Blackmore on August 25, 1956. He was the ninth of her 13 children. Anna Mae was the first of Ray's six wives and the only one he was legally married to.
For two decades, Blackmore was the bishop of the Bountiful, British Columbia group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church), a polygamist community in the Creston Valley. Upon the death of Rulon Jeffs, Winston Blackmore was considered as one of two potential successors for the role of the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, with the other being Warren Jeffs. Jeffs ultimately succeeded his father, largely due to having played an increasingly significant role in the church during the period preceding Rulon's death. More than half of the Canadian branch members left the FLDS Church to stay with Blackmore as their leader.{{cite news |title=Leaders of Canadian FLDS branch, offshoot convicted in polygamy case |url=https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2017/07/25/leaders-canadian-flds-branch-offshoot-convicted-polygamy-case/509064001/ |work=The Spectrum |date=July 25, 2017}}
In September 2002, Warren Jeffs excommunicated Blackmore;Canadian Press, [http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08/28/court-rules-against-b-c-polygamous-leader-winston-blackmore-issues-150000-in-penalties/ "Court rules against B.C. polygamous leader Winston Blackmore, issues $150,000 in penalties"], National Post, 28 August 2013.Canadian Press, [http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/polygamous-family-deemed-unworthy-of-special-tax-status-1.1144342 "Polygamous family deemed unworthy of special tax status"], CBC News, 4 May 2012. however, Blackmore asserts that he left the church of his own accord.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UixdcBdOjNM|title=16x9 | Inside Bountiful: Polygamy investigation|date=11 April 2012 |via=www.youtube.com}} The community of Bountiful was split nearly in half—about 400 people followed Blackmore, and the rest followed Jeffs. Blackmore went on to found the Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.{{cite news|title=LDS Church wins, Canadian polygamist loses in fight for 'Mormon' name|url=http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/2058895-155/lds-church-wins-canadian-polygamist-loses|access-date=19 January 2015|newspaper=Salt Lake Tribune|date=14 January 2015|quote=Finally giving up the fight, Blackmore has agreed to change his group's corporate name to "the Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.}}
Canadian polygamy case
Blackmore and another community leader, James Oler who had replaced Blackmore as FLDS bishop, were arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in January 2009 and charged with polygamy.{{Cite news |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-polygamy-evidence-helps-warren-jeffs-conviction-1.1083446 |title= B.C. polygamy evidence helps Warren Jeffs conviction |author= The Canadian Press |publisher= CBC.ca |date= August 11, 2011 |access-date= 2012-02-25}} The charges were later thrown out owing to questions about how the Crown selected its prosecutors.
The case was reopened by the provincial government in 2014, with the British Columbia Supreme Court confirming that polygamy is against the law in a constitutional case.{{cite web|last1=Fraser|first1=Keith|title=Accused polygamist Winston Blackmore loses court appeal|url=https://theprovince.com/news/accused+polygamist+winston+blackmore+loses+court+appeal/11957556/story.html|website=www.theprovince.com|publisher=The Province|access-date=10 August 2016|archive-date=27 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827153433/http://www.theprovince.com/news/accused+polygamist+winston+blackmore+loses+court+appeal/11957556/story.html|url-status=dead}} Blackmore's lawyers attempted to appeal the case, which was overruled in May 2016. Blackmore's trial began on April 18, 2017.{{cite web | title=Polygamy trial set to begin for Winston Blackmore, accused of marrying 24 times - CBC News | website=CBC | date=2017-04-18 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/winston-blackmore-polygamy-trial-1.4073376 | access-date=2021-10-01}}
On July 24, 2017, Blackmore was found guilty of polygamy in the British Columbia Supreme Court.{{cite web | url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-polygamy-trial-1.4218735 | title = Winston Blackmore and James Oler found guilty of polygamy by B.C. judge | date = 2017-07-24 | website = CBC News | access-date = 2018-07-19 | quote = Two former religious leaders in B.C. have been found guilty of polygamy after marrying more than two dozen women over the course of 25 years.}} He and Oler face up to five years in prison for violation of Section 293 of the Criminal Code of Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-71.html|title=Consolidated federal laws of canada, Criminal Code|first=Legislative Services|last=Branch|date=August 27, 2021|website=laws-lois.justice.gc.ca}}
On May 15, 2018, in Cranbrook, British Columbia, special prosecutor Peter Wilson recommended a jail sentence of between 90 days and six months for Blackmore and a term of one month to 90 days for Oler.{{Cite news |url= https://vancouversun.com/news/special-prosecutor-asks-jail-time-up-to-six-months-b-c-polygamists/wcm/209ae043-33e5-459f-aa27-1d5f0de8ee17 |title= Prosecutor recommends jail time for Winston Blackmore and James Oler |author= The Vancouver Sun |publisher= vancouversun.com |date= May 16, 2018 |access-date= 2018-05-06}} On 27 June 2018, Justice Sheri Ann Donegan sentenced Blackmore to six months' house arrest. Oler was sentenced to three months' house arrest.{{Cite news |url= https://www.foxnews.com/world/2-men-with-29-wives-and-160-children-between-them-sentenced-to-house-arrest-following-polygamy-conviction |title= 2 men with 29 wives and 160 children between them sentenced to house arrest following polygamy conviction |author= Kathleen Joyce |publisher= Fox News |date= June 28, 2018 |access-date= 2018-06-28}}
Family
As of August 31, 2019, Blackmore has married 27 wives and has 150 children.{{Cite news |url= https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-polygamist-wedded-nine-girls-under-18-1.412718 |title= B.C. polygamist wedded nine girls under 18 |author= ctv.ca |publisher= CTV BC |date= June 30, 2009 |access-date= 2009-06-30}}
He is the nephew of former Social Credit Party of Canada leader John Horne Blackmore who, though not a polygamist himself, was excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1947 for "teaching and advocating the doctrine of plural marriage". As an MP, the elder Blackmore urged Parliament to repeal the anti-polygamy law and succeeded in removing specific references to Mormons in the law.{{citation needed|date=February 2012}}
Blackmore is also related to anti-polygamy activists Carolyn Jessop, a former FLDS member and author, and Ruby Jessop.{{cite web|last=Bramham|first=Daphne|title=Escape from Polygamy|url=http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/features/polygamy/story.html?id=f4ee01d3-f79d-4d25-a08e-69ff02c117fc&p=2|work=The Secret World of Polygamy|publisher=Vancouver Sun|access-date=2013-07-20|archive-date=2013-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021182911/http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/features/polygamy/story.html?id=f4ee01d3-f79d-4d25-a08e-69ff02c117fc&p=2|url-status=dead}} His family operates J R Blackmore & Sons Ltd, a timber milling business.
References
{{reflist}}
{{MFleaders}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackmore, Winston}}
Category:21st-century Canadian criminals
Category:Canadian Christian religious leaders
Category:Canadian Latter Day Saints
Category:Canadian male criminals
Category:Criminals from British Columbia
Category:Mormon fundamentalist leaders
Category:People excommunicated by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints