To the Free and Independent Electors of the East Riding of the County of York, and of the Counties of Durham and Simcoe.

York, Upper Canada, 1804. Ephemera. Very Good. No Binding. [York, Upper Canada: s.n., May 1804]. Broadside. 32.5 × 19.5 cm. The text begins: "GENTLEMEN, The period at which the present Parliament must necessarily meet its dissolution having nearly arrived; I am induced to offer myself as a Candidate to represent you in the ensuing Parliament.." 3 paragraphs of text with the last four lines: "I have the Honor to be | GENTLEMEN, | your devoted humble Servant, | WILLIAM WEEKES." Laid paper backed on linen, with folds. This copy of this broadside has writing in two places: (1) in dark black ink at the top left are 5 inconsequential lines ("10 plain squares | 28 plain fish.."); (2) 12 lines after the text as follows: "[hand pointing to the right] Mr Weekes cannot yield to the impression that any anonymous Address, or the Excertions of a puny officiate shall sway the free and independent Electors of this Riding into an acquiescence in any imaginary Representation. He trusts that those whom he has addressed himself feel so strict a Sense of their Rights and of the necessity of asserting them as not suffer the Shadow of a Shade or the Phantom of a visionary candidate to divert their Suffrage from the making of such a claim as may cause those Rights to be more generally known and more fully asserted. York 14 May 1804." References: Fleming, Upper Canadian Imprints,1801-1841, no. 34. A lawyer and political figure in Upper Canada, William Weekes was born in Ireland. He journeyed to the United States, later settling at York in 1798. In 1804, he was defeated by Angus Macdonell in the riding of Durham, Simcoe, and 1st York. Macdonell died the same year aboard a ship that sank in a storm on Lake Ontario. In 1805, Weekes finally won his seat in the Provincial Parliament. In 1806, in court, he referred to the recently deceased Lieutenant Governor Peter Hunter as a "gothic barbarian". After a dispute with William Dickson on this remark, Weekes challenged him to a duel. On 10 October 1806, Weekes was mortally wounded and died the next day..