Ed Broadbent

Birth Name: John Edward Broadbent

Date of Birth: March 21, 1936

Place of Birth: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Date of Death: January 11, 2024

Place of Death: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Ethnicity: English, smaller amounts of Irish and Scottish, distant Dutch and German

Ed Broadbent was a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was Leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), from July 7, 1975 to December 5, 1989. He served as a Member of Parliament for Oshawa/Oshawa-Whitby (ON), from June 25, 1968 to February 1, 1990, and for Ottawa Centre (ON), from June 28, 2004 to January 23, 2006. He chaired his policy think tank, the Broadbent Institute.

Ed was the son of Mary Agnes (Welsh) and Percy Edward Broadbent, a clerk at General Motors. He was married to Lucille Munroe, until her death, and then to American-Canadian Marxist political theorist and historian Ellen Meiksins Wood, until her death.

Ed’s paternal grandfather was John Brayn Broadbent (the son of Adam Thomas Broadbent and Ellen Brayn). John was born in Parry Sound, Ontario, to English parents, from Staffordshire. Adam was born in Offley Hay, the son of James Broadbent and Ann Benton. Ellen was born in Stoke-on-Trent.

Ed’s paternal grandmother was Sarah Albertha/Alberta Tait (the daughter of Robert Blaikie Tait and Celia Balia Lawson). Sarah was born in Hurdville, Parry Sound, Ontario. Robert was the son of Robert John Tait, who was born in Ireland, and of Mary Jane Smith, who was born in Scotland.

Ed’s maternal grandfather was Patrick Welsh/Walsh (the son of Patrick Walsh/Welsh and Lavinia Lawrence). Ed’s grandfather Patrick was born in Belleville, Ontario.

Ed’s maternal grandmother was Bertha/Alberta May Scriver (the daughter of Roland Sherman Scriver and Anna/Ann Nancy Clapper/Clapp). Bertha was born in Norwood, Ontario. Roland was the son of Daniel Daly Scriver, whose parents were from New York, U.S., and of Sarah Ann Norton, whose father was from Connecticut, U.S., and whose mother was from London, England. Anna was the daughter of William Henry Clapper and Eliza Jane.

Source: Marriage record of Ed’s maternal grandparents, Patrick Welsh/Walsh and Bertha/Alberta May Scriver – https://www.familysearch.org