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William Erskine Knowles (November 28, 1872 – July 17, 1951) was a Canadian politician.

Born in Alliston, Ontario, Knowles was educated at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Ontario. A lawyer by profession, he was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the electoral district of Assiniboia West in a by-election held on February 6, 1906. A Liberal, he was re-elected in 1908 and 1911 for the electoral district of Moose Jaw. He did not run in 1917. From 1918 to 1927, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. From 1918 to 1921, he was the Provincial Secretary and from 1919 to 1921 he was the Minister of Telephones. He attempted a federal comeback in the 1921 and 1923 elections but was defeated.

Knowles resigned his seat in the Saskatchewan assembly in 1927 after he was named a judge.^[1]

Electoral results (partial)

1925 Saskatchewan general election: Moose Jaw City
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	Elected
	Labour–Liberal	William George Baker	4,704	32.83%	Y
	Liberal	William Erskine Knowles	4,095	28.58%	Y
	Conservative	James Pascoe	2,809	19.60%
	Conservative	Netson Ross Craig	2,722	18.99%
Total			14,330	100.00%

By-election: On Mr. Scott's resignation to enter provincial politics in Saskatchewan, 29 August 1905.

References

• William Erskine Knowles – Parliament of Canada biography
• The Canadian Parliament; biographical sketches and photo-engravures of the senators and members of the House of Commons of Canada. Being the tenth Parliament, elected November 3, 1904