 edward gawler prior, pc (may 21, 1853 &ndash; december 12, 1920) was a mining engineer and politician in british columbia. prior worked as a mining engineer in england until 1873 when he moved to the province where he settled in nanaimo and took employment as assistant manager of the vancouver coal mining & land co., ltd. in 1878 he resigned and was appointed inspector of mines for the british columbia government. he left that position and went into business as an iron and hardware merchant in 1880. prior was first elected to the provincial legislature in 1886. in 1888, prior won a seat in the canadian house of commons as a conservative. from december 1895 to july 1896 and 1897 prior served as controller of inland revenue in the cabinets of prime minister sir mackenzie bowell and his successor sir charles tupper. he lost his seat in 1901 due to violations of election rules. he moved to provincial politics and was elected to the legislative assembly of british columbia 
1853_births 1920_deaths Canadian_Anglicans Conservative_Party_of_Canada_(1867a1942)_MPs English_emigrants_to_Canada Hardware_merchants Lieutenant_Governors_of_British_Columbia Members_of_the_House_of_Commons_of_Canada_from_British_Columbia Members_of_the_Queen\'s_Privy_Council_for_Canada People_from_Harrogate_(district) Premiers_of_British_Columbia