~17 Liberal-Unionist MPs (Conscription Crisis) (1917)

What the record says

In 1917, in the House of Commons, the record groups sixteen changes of affiliation, which do not all run between the same pair of affiliations. Sixteen people are named individually, and the record marks the resolution of this group as partial. A partial resolution means the named participants are not established as the whole group. No source is cited for this event record: it is a legacy lead, kept from an earlier phase of the project because it points at something real, not because anyone has checked it. These entries record the affiliations and their dates. They do not record why the changes were made, and nothing here should be read as a statement of motive. This paragraph was assembled by machine from the rows named in it, and is pending review.

Participants

1. William Ashbury Buchanan

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-F11D0262-01

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

2. Frank Broadstreet Carvell

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-49FAE22D-02

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToLiberal–UnionistTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

3. William Andrew Charlton

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-8A70F201-03

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToLiberal–UnionistTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

4. Michael Clark

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-2A2FEE58-04

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToLiberal–UnionistTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

5. Robert Cruise

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-1140F731-05

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

6. James McCrie Douglas

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-65913690-06

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

7. William Stevens Fielding

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-69F72F6B-07

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToLiberal–UnionistTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

8. Hugh Guthrie

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-9E1F48DE-08

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

9. William Stewart Loggie

   CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-CCD1199E-09

   Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

   Riding

   not recorded

   Effective

   1917year only

   Kind of transition

   Changed party affiliation

   Voluntary

   Not recorded

   Direction

   Not recorded

   Appointment

   Not applicable

10. Alexander Kenneth Maclean

    CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-3F6FC942-10

    Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

    Riding

    not recorded

    Effective

    1917year only

    Kind of transition

    Changed party affiliation

    Voluntary

    Not recorded

    Direction

    Not recorded

    Appointment

    Not applicable

11. Thomas MacNutt

    CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-E61515F1-11

    Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

    Riding

    not recorded

    Effective

    1917year only

    Kind of transition

    Changed party affiliation

    Voluntary

    Not recorded

    Direction

    Not recorded

    Appointment

    Not applicable

12. Hugh Havelock McLean

    CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-0B5111EA-12

    Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

    Riding

    not recorded

    Effective

    1917year only

    Kind of transition

    Changed party affiliation

    Voluntary

    Not recorded

    Direction

    Not recorded

    Appointment

    Not applicable

13. Edward Walter Nesbitt

    CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-A4399DC1-13

    Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

    Riding

    not recorded

    Effective

    1917year only

    Kind of transition

    Changed party affiliation

    Voluntary

    Not recorded

    Direction

    Not recorded

    Appointment

    Not applicable

14. Frederick Forsyth Pardee

    CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-928A0042-14

    Liberal Party of Canada→ToLiberal–UnionistTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

    Riding

    not recorded

    Effective

    1917year only

    Kind of transition

    Changed party affiliation

    Voluntary

    Not recorded

    Direction

    Not recorded

    Appointment

    Not applicable

15. Levi Thomson

    CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-164B6CAB-15

    Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

    Riding

    not recorded

    Effective

    1917year only

    Kind of transition

    Changed party affiliation

    Voluntary

    Not recorded

    Direction

    Not recorded

    Appointment

    Not applicable

16. John Gillanders Turriff

    CTF-EP-GRP-19170101-ABCF784C-16

    Liberal Party of Canada→ToUnionist PartyTo another partyWhere the seat went: The seat was carried to another partyBoth sides of the change are parties, and they are different parties. The member sat with one caucus and then sat with another, without the seat being returned to voters in between.What you may rely onThat a party gained a seat it did not win. It says nothing about why: the record separates where a member went from whether they chose to go.How it countsThe direction the floor-crossing total is drawn from, but not the total itself. A small number of legs whose labels read party-to-a-different-party are ruled election-time relabelling, and count toward nothing.

    Riding

    not recorded

    Effective

    1917year only

    Kind of transition

    Changed party affiliation

    Voluntary

    Not recorded

    Direction

    Not recorded

    Appointment

    Not applicable

Claims and the sources cited for them

Every statement this record makes is stored as a separate claim with its own review state and its own citations. A claim with no citation is shown as such rather than omitted.

1. ~17 Liberal-Unionist MPs (Conscription Crisis) changed affiliation from Liberal to Unionist in 1917.

   Pending review

   Field:

   affiliation_change

   Confidence:

   Not assessed

   Signed by:

   Not signed by a named contributor

   • PARLINFO — Changes in Political Affiliation (Library of Parliament)

     Library of Parliament / Bibliothèque du Parlement · record participant rows of liberal-unionist-mps-1917 already cited to this source: 16 of 16 recorded participants — Alexander Kenneth Maclean; Edward Walter Nesbitt; Frank Broadstreet Carvell; Frederick Forsyth Pardee; Hugh Guthrie; Hugh Havelock McLean; James McCrie Douglas; John Gillanders Turriff; Levi Thomson; Michael Clark; Robert Cruise; Thomas MacNutt; William Andrew Charlton; William Ashbury Buchanan; William Stevens Fielding; William Stewart Loggie — research/parlinfo-2026-08-31/transitions.csv lines 113, 158, 165, 173, 207, 243, 272, 346, 496, 512, 519, 572, 626, 653, 836, 849 · MUL

     This citation carries the evidence already attached to this event's participant rows up to the event claim. The source evidences 16 of the 16 participant rows recorded for this event, and the event's own participant count is recorded as an estimate of 17, so the source does not establish the total the claim states. Auditability caveat carried from the source record: the PARLINFO page renders its rows client-side, so the Wayback capture fixes the query but not the result set. The checkable artifact is the committed extract research/parlinfo-2026-08-31/transitions.csv (882 rows, sha256 5b17f2aeb6835b2d93c456c4feb2f9c5b43f1cb22bed01fa9427a84c8fdd15e4), re-verified byte-for-byte on 2026-09-01.

     Archived copy — September 1, 2026

     CTF-S-PLI-DATASET-B36D7418 · Reliability tier: primary official · Rights: link only · Accessed: September 1, 2026

2. In 1917, in the House of Commons, the record groups sixteen changes of affiliation, which do not all run between the same pair of affiliations. Sixteen people are named individually, and the record marks the resolution of this group as partial. A partial resolution means the named participants are not established as the whole group. On 2026-09-01, 1 citation was attached to this record's affiliation claim, drawn from 1 source, and they are recorded as pending review. The editorial status of the record is unchanged: it remains a legacy lead, and no editor has yet stood behind it. These entries record the affiliations and their dates. They do not record why the changes were made, and nothing here should be read as a statement of motive. This paragraph was assembled by machine from the rows named in it, and is pending review.

   Pending review

   Field:

   summary

   Confidence:

   Low

   Signed by:

   Official-source deterministic verifier

   Assumptions: Machine-assembled from this database’s own rows and from no other source. The text restates, as sentences, the participant rows attached to this record: the affiliation recorded on either side of each change, the date at the precision that row carries, the jurisdiction and chamber, whether the change is filed under a group event, and whether the event record behind it carries a citation. No date is printed finer than the row’s date_precision, so a year-precision row yields a year and never a day. Both languages are composed from the same rows rather than translated from one another. No motive, benefit, causation or characterisation of a person appears, and none may be added under this claim.

   Counterarguments: Two limits, stated rather than glossed. First, the prose is only as sound as the rows beneath it: where a party link is wrong the wrong party name is printed, and where an event is a legacy lead the sentence repeats an unverified lead — saying so, but repeating it. Second, restating a thin record fluently can make it read as established; the pending status on this claim, and the sentence inside the text naming the evidence state, are the only things that say otherwise. Four label-to-party mappings were deliberately not printed, because the party row’s name did not exist on the date of the event; the underlying links were left untouched and are still visible on the record.

   No source is cited for this claim.

What happened afterwards

Recorded outcomes only. An absence here means nothing has been recorded, not that nothing happened, and no causal link to the affiliation change is asserted unless a source establishes one.

No outcome is recorded for anyone on this event.

Linked records

• component of Frank Broadstreet Carvell (1917)This event records part of the same real-world episode as the group lead liberal-unionist-mps-1917. Both records describe the same people; participant totals that count them separately will double-count. Recorded so the overlap is explicit rather than hidden.
• component of William Stevens Fielding (1917)This event records part of the same real-world episode as the group lead liberal-unionist-mps-1917. Both records describe the same people; participant totals that count them separately will double-count. Recorded so the overlap is explicit rather than hidden.
• component of Hugh Guthrie (1917)This event records part of the same real-world episode as the group lead liberal-unionist-mps-1917. Both records describe the same people; participant totals that count them separately will double-count. Recorded so the overlap is explicit rather than hidden.

Revision history

Every change to this record is appended here. Nothing is edited away.

1. r4 expanded

   Wrote summary_en and summary_fr, both of which were empty. The text is machine-assembled from this database’s own rows and from no other source: the 16 participant rows attached to this event, each with the affiliation recorded on either side, the date at the precision that row carries, the jurisdiction and chamber, and whether the event record behind it carries a citation (0/1). No date is printed finer than date_precision. No motive, benefit, causation or characterisation is asserted, in keeping with the published mandate of the automated validator that signs it. Both languages are composed from the same rows rather than translated from one another. The last sentence of the text says, in the text itself, that it was assembled by machine and is pending review, so the disclosure travels with the paragraph through the API and through a copied quotation. The text is recorded as claim CTF-CL-SUM-A4F0CDB98D5A, kind project_analysis, assertion status pending_review. Nothing was copied or paraphrased from any encyclopaedia: the earlier removal of Wikipedia-derived prose from this project is not reversed by this change. Publication status and verification level are unchanged.

   September 1, 2026 · Official-source deterministic verifier

2. r3 expanded

   16 of an estimated 17 participants were named from cited sources and attached to this event; resolution status set to 'partial'. PARLINFO dates these boundaries 1917-12-17, which is the 1917 general election date; PARLINFO role periods restart at every general election, so the day is an artifact of the feed rather than an attested crossing date. Recorded at year precision to match the event. 16 named of an estimated ~17.

   September 1, 2026

3. r2 corrected

   Corrected the stored permanent URI. It pointed at /en/crossings/liberal-unionist-mps-1917, a path this site has never served, so the citation target returned HTTP 404. It now points at /crossings/liberal-unionist-mps-1917, the canonical record address. No fact, date, party, participant or source in this record was changed.

   September 1, 2026

4. r1 created

   Imported from the legacy archive as an unpublished research lead. Historical narrative, motive labels, and benefit scores were not treated as verified claims.

   July 31, 2026 · Crossing the Floor project maintainer