# Wellington South (federal electoral district)

Wellington South was a Canadian federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act 1867 as the "South Riding of the county of Wellington". The County of Wellington was divided into three ridings: the North, South and Centre Ridings".
The South Riding initially consisted of the Town of Guelph, and the Townships of Guelph and Puslinch. In 1872, the Townships of Eramosa and Erin were added to the riding.
In 1903, the county of Wellington was divided into two ridings, to be called the north and the south ridings of Wellington. To the south riding were added consisted of the townships of Nichol and Pilkington, and the villages of Elora, Erin and Fergus.
In 1924, the riding was renamed "Wellington South" and was defined as consisting of the part of the county of Wellington lying south of the north boundary of the township of Pilkington, the north and east boundaries of the township of Nichol and the north boundary of the townships of Eramosa and Erin.
In 1933, it was redefined to consist of the part of the county of Wellington lying south of the north boundary of the township of Pilkington, the north and east boundaries of the township of Nichol and the north and east boundaries of the townships of Eramosa.
In 1947, it was redefined to consist of the city of Guelph and the townships of Puslinch, Eramosa, Guelph, Pilkington and Nichol. In 1952, the township of Erin and the village of Elora were added, while the township of Nichol was removed.
The electoral district was abolished in 1966 when it was redistributed between Halton, Wellington and Wellington—Grey ridings.

## Members of Parliament

This riding elected the following members of the House of Commons of Canada:
| Parliament | Years | Member | Party |
| 1st | 1867–1872 | David Stirton | Liberal |
| 2nd | 1872–1874 | David Stirton | Liberal |
| 3rd | 1874–1876 | David Stirton | Liberal |
| 3rd | 1876–1878 | Donald Guthrie | Liberal |
| 4th | 1878–1882 | Donald Guthrie | Liberal |
| 5th | 1882–1887 | James Innes | Liberal |
| 6th | 1887–1891 | James Innes | Liberal |
| 7th | 1891–1896 | James Innes | Liberal |
| 8th | 1896–1900 | Christian Kloepfer | Conservative |
| 9th | 1900–1904 | Hugh Guthrie | Liberal |
| 10th | 1904–1908 | Hugh Guthrie | Liberal |
| 11th | 1908–1911 | Hugh Guthrie | Liberal |
| 12th | 1911–1917 | Hugh Guthrie | Liberal |
| 14th | 1917–1921 | Hugh Guthrie | Government (Unionist) |
| 15th | 1921–1925 | Hugh Guthrie | Conservative |
| 16th | 1925–1926 | Hugh Guthrie | Conservative |
| 17th | 1926–1930 | Hugh Guthrie | Conservative |
| 18th | 1930–1935 | Hugh Guthrie | Conservative |
| 19th | 1935–1940 | Robert Gladstone | Liberal |
| 20th | 1940–1945 | Robert Gladstone | Liberal |
| 21st | 1945–1949 | Robert Gladstone | Liberal |
| 22nd | 1949–1953 | Henry Alfred Hosking | Liberal |
| 23rd | 1953–1957 | Henry Alfred Hosking | Liberal |
| 24th | 1957–1958 | Alfred Hales | Progressive Conservative |
| 25th | 1958–1962 | Alfred Hales | Progressive Conservative |
| 26th | 1962–1963 | Alfred Hales | Progressive Conservative |
| 27th | 1963–1965 | Alfred Hales | Progressive Conservative |
| 28th | 1965–1968 | Alfred Hales | Progressive Conservative |
| Riding dissolved into Halton, Wellington and Wellington—Grey |||||

## Election results

vte1867 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Stirton | 963 | 59.6 |
| | Unknown | F. W. Stone | 652 | 40.4 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,615 | 100.0 |
vte1872 Canadian federal election: Wellington South :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | David Stirton | acclaimed |
| Source: Canadian Elections Database |||||||
vte1874 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | David Stirton | 1,667 | 78.1 |
| | Unknown | H. Hatch | 468 | 21.9 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,135 | 100.0 |
| Source: lop.parl.ca |||||||
By-election: On Mr. Stirton's resignation to become Postmaster of Guelph, 5 July 1876: Wellington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Donald Guthrie | 1,366 | 51.5 | -26.6 |
| | Conservative | James Goldie | 1,288 | 48.5 | 26.6 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,654 | 100.0 |
vte1878 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Donald Guthrie | 1,832 | 54.5 | 3.0 |
| | Conservative | James Goldie | 1,529 | 45.5 | -3.0 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,361 | 100.0 |
vte1882 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Innes | 1,790 | 51.7 | -2.8 |
| | Conservative | James Goldie | 1,672 | 48.3 | 2.8 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,462 | 100.0 |
vte1887 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Innes | 2,411 | 51.3 | -0.4 |
| | Conservative | James Goldie | 2,285 | 48.7 | 0.4 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 4,696 | 100.0 |
vte1891 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Innes | 2,510 | 54.0 | 2.7 |
| | Conservative | James Goldie | 2,134 | 46.0 | -2.7 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 4,644 | 100.0 |
vte1896 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christian Kloepfer | 2,578 | 51.4 | 5.4 |
| | Liberal | James Innes | 2,440 | 48.6 | -5.4 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 5,018 | 100.0 |
vte1900 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Guthrie | 2,755 | 51.0 | 2.4 |
| | Conservative | Christian Kloepfer | 2,649 | 49.0 | -2.4 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 5,404 | 100.0 |
vte1904 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Guthrie | 3,694 | 52.7 | 1.7 |
| | Conservative | Christian Kloepfer | 3,315 | 47.3 | -1.7 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,009 | 100.0 |
vte1908 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Guthrie | 3,873 | 55.0 | 2.3 |
| | Conservative | John Newstead | 3,172 | 45.0 | -2.3 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,045 | 100.0 |
vte1911 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hugh Guthrie | 3,368 | 55.1 | 0.1 |
| | Conservative | Arthur Thomas Kelly Evans | 2,744 | 44.9 | -0.1 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 6,112 | 100.0 |
vte1917 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Government (Unionist) | Hugh Guthrie | 7,358 | 77.5 |
| | Labour | Lorne Cunningham | 2,139 | 22.5 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 9,497 | 100.0 |
vte1921 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Guthrie | 6,208 | 36.6 | -40.9 |
| | Labour | James Singer | 6,077 | 35.9 | 13.4 |
| | Liberal | Samuel Carter | 4,662 | 27.5 | 27.5 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 16,947 | 100.0 |
vte1925 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Guthrie | 9,096 | 52.9 | 16.3 |
| | Liberal | Robert Gladstone | 8,088 | 47.1 | 11.1 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 17,184 | 100.0 |
vte1926 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Guthrie | 8,515 | 53.3 | 0.4 |
| | Liberal | William A. Burnett | 7,471 | 46.7 | -0.4 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 15,986 | 100.0 |
vte1930 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Guthrie | 8,887 | 53.0 | -0.3 |
| | Liberal | John Burr Mitchell | 7,893 | 47.0 | 0.3 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 16,780 | 100.0 |
| Source: lop.parl.ca |||||||
By-election: On Mr. Guthrie being appointed Minister of Justice, 25 August 1930: Wellington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Guthrie | acclaimed |
vte1935 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Gladstone | 8,840 | 52.4 | 5.4 |
| | Conservative | Hugh Comym Guthrie | 5,854 | 34.7 | -18.3 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Charles Elgin Fulton | 1,578 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| | Reconstruction | Frederick Neale | 592 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 16,864 | 100.0 |
vte1940 Canadian federal election: Wellington South :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Gladstone | 8,115 | 46.9 | -5.5 |
| | Independent | Charles Leroy Austen | 5,073 | 29.3 | 29.3 |
| | Conservative | Hugh Comym Guthrie | 4,121 | 23.8 | -10.9 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 17,309 | 100.0 |
vte1945 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Gladstone | 8,484 | 45.2 | -1.7 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Charles Patrick McTague | 7,665 | 40.8 | 17.1 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Harold Dunk | 2,355 | 12.6 | 12.6 |
| | Communist | James Oldham | 268 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 18,772 | 100.0 |
vte1949 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Alfred Hosking | 10,344 | 47.3 | 2.1 |
| | Progressive Conservative | G. Ernest Robertson | 7,778 | 35.6 | -5.2 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Charles Franklin Leaman | 3,748 | 17.1 | 4.5 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,870 | 100.0 |
vte1953 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Alfred Hosking | 9,275 | 45.4 | -1.9 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alfred Hales | 8,722 | 42.7 | 7.1 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Thomas L. Withers | 2,431 | 11.9 | -5.2 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 20,428 | 100.0 |
vte1957 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alfred Hales | 11,632 | 54.6 | 11.9 |
| | Liberal | David Tolton | 6,090 | 28.6 | -16.8 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Thomas L. Withers | 3,573 | 16.8 | 4.9 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,295 | 100.0 |
vte1958 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alfred Hales | 15,160 | 59.4 | 4.8 |
| | Liberal | James B. Keating | 8,194 | 32.1 | 2.5 |
| | Co-operative Commonwealth | Fred J. White | 2,186 | 8.5 | -7.3 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 25,540 | 100.0 |
vte1962 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alfred Hales | 11,345 | 42.0 | -17.4 |
| | Liberal | Roy McVittie | 8,508 | 31.5 | -0.6 |
| | New Democratic | John Paul Harney | 6,989 | 25.9 | 17.4 |
| | Social Credit | Reginald Youd | 174 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 27,016 | 100.0 |
vte1963 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alfred Hales | 11,350 | 39.7 | -2.3 |
| | Liberal | Ralph Dent | 10,713 | 37.5 | 6.0 |
| | New Democratic | John Paul Harney | 6,391 | 22.3 | -3.6 |
| | Social Credit | Reginald Youd | 150 | 0.5 | -0.1 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 28,604 | 100.0 |
vte1965 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Alfred Hales | 11,264 | 38.8 | -0.9 |
| | New Democratic | John Paul Harney | 9,190 | 31.6 | 7.3 |
| | Liberal | Donald E. McFadzen | 8,595 | 29.6 | -7.9 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 29,049 | 100.0 |