Edmond Patrick Talbot 1932-1934
Edmond Talbot was born in 1884 in Tingwick, Quebec as one of 14 children. He immigrated to the United States in 1889 and settled in East Kingston, New York. He moved to Fall River at the age of 13 in 1896 and went to work as a weaver in the Davol Mills. Talbot became a licensed pharmacist in Fall River in 1904 and a year later became licensed in Massachusetts. He purchased his first pharmacy in 1905, and by 1926, he owned seven pharmacies in Fall River.

Talbot received his first political appointment in 1907 from Mayor John Coughlin to the Fall River Park Commission. He stayed on the board until 1915. He served one term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1914-1916. While a state representative, he served on the labor committee where he proposed refunding the $1 million in tax revenue to the state’s manufacturers and strongly advocated municipal home rule- especially in regards to appointive power of police and licensing.

Talbot attempted numerous times to win election for Mayor of Fall River. First, in 1916, he ran against Mayor James H Kay, but lost by 3,600 votes. He ran again in 1920 but lost the Democratic nomination to William Sullivan by 243 votes. Eventually, in 1923, he won the general election against Republican Thomas N Ashton. He was the city’s first mayor of French Canadian descent. Unfortunately for Talbot, Republicans managed to win a majority on the board of alderman and blocked all of his appointments and proposals. When he won reelection in 1924, Democrats won a 19-8 majority on the board, which gave the party control of the city for the first time. During his term as Mayor, Talbot established the infant and maternal commission and advocated for the abolishment of the city’s police commission.

Governor Joseph B Ely appointed Talbot to succeed Isaac P.L. Willetts as Sheriff from 1931-1933. He ran for a full term at the conclusion of his appointment but lost to Republican Patrick H. Dupuis 51%-49%. In 1934, Talbot ran again for Mayor but lost to Republican Alexander Murray. He tried again in 1936, and lost to Murray a second time. In 1944, Talbot was the Democratic nominee to the House of Representatives for the Massachusetts 14th Congressional district. He lost to Republican incumbent Joseph W Martin Jr 62% to 38%. In 1949 he ran one more time to be Mayor of Fall River and lost to incumbent William P. Grant. He died two years later in 1951.