William Pipes (1882-1884)

Place of birth: Amherst

Date of birth: April 15, 1850

Died: October 7, 1909

Formed government: August 3, 1882

Age on becoming premier: 32

Occupation: Lawyer

Biography:

Defeated by Charles Tupper in the 1878 federal election, Pipes turned to provincial politics and in 1882 was selected to run as the Liberal candidate in Cumberland County. The Liberals defeated the Conservatives decisively in that election, and Pipes immediately became premier.

One of the features of his brief time as premier was his refusal to accept any salary. Within two years, Pipes made way for W.S. Fielding as Premier, who was the most prominent and influential member of the Liberal party. He remained an MLA until the 1886 election. A year later, he once more tried for a federal seat , again taking on the formidable Charles Tupper. Once again he was unsuccessful. He later returned to provincial politics and was a cabinet minister in George Murray's government.