Oswald Critchley

Oswald Asheton Critchley (1864 - 1935 London, England) was a former Canadian territorial level politician, rancher and also served as a soldier in the Canadian Forces during World War I.

Critchley began ranching in Southern Alberta in the 1880's. He purchased the Stapleton Ranch which was situated on the Bow River. His first wife, Maria Newbolt, had two sons. She died during the birth of her second son. Critchley quickly re-married to Ms. Winifred Holt.^[1]

In the 1894 Northwest Territories general election Critchley ran for a seat in the West Calgary electoral district. He defeated two other candidates coming out on top of a close three way split to capture the district.^[2]

Critchley only served in the Northwest Territories Legislature for a single term, choosing not to run again at the dissolution of the Legislature in 1898.^[2] He sold his first ranch a year later in 1899 and returned to England.^[1]

He moved back to Alberta and returned to ranching. In 1909, he purchased the Bell-Irving ranch in Grand Valley and continued ranching until the outbreak of World War I. He enlisted in the Canadian Army with his two sons. All three served with the Strathcona's Horse regiment and saw combat in France. After the war he moved back to London, England and stayed the rest of his life until he died in 1935.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Pioneer Profiles (C)". Southern Alberta Pioneer. April 25, 2004. http://www.pioneersalberta.org/profiles/c2.html#critchley. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "North-West Territories: Council and Legislative Assembly, 1876-1905". Saskatchewan Archives. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. http://web.archive.org/web/20070928101028/http://www.saskarchives.com/web/seld/1-00.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-30. 

Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
Preceded by New District	MLA West Calgary 1894–1898	Succeeded by Richard Bennett

Persondata
Name	Critchley, Oswald
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1864
Place of birth
Date of death	1935
Place of death