Thomas Wolstenholme

Thomas Wolstenholme (April 6, 1870—November 16, 1952^[1]) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1922 to 1936.^[2]

Wolstenholme was born and educated in Manchester, England, the son of Henry Wolstenholme and Mary Leech, and came to Canada in 1889. He was a director and shareholder of the Moline Cooperative Society, and served as reeve of the Rural Municipality of Saskatchewan in Manitoba from 1918 to 1922.^[1]

He first campaigned for the Manitoba legislature in the 1922 provincial election, as a candidate of the United Farmers of Manitoba (UFM) in Hamiota. He was successful, defeating Liberal incumbent John Henry McConnell^[2] by 403 votes. The UFM unexpectedly won a majority of seats, and formed government as the Progressive Party. Wolstenholme served in the legislature as a backbench supporter of John Bracken's administration. He was re-elected without difficulty in the elections of 1927 and 1932.^[2] He did not seek re-election in 1936.

Before the 1932 election, the governing Progressives formed an electoral alliance with the Manitoba Liberal Party. Government members, including Wolstenholme, were known as "Liberal-Progressives" after this time.

Wolstenholme was struck by a car on November 14, 1952, and died of his injuries at the Minnedosa General Hospital two days later. His death was ruled an accident.^[1]

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