Premier of the Canadian Colony of New Brunswick. A high Tory Conservative, he served in this position from 1856 until May 1857 and was one of the Fathers of the Canadian Confederation. The son of a British naval officer, he received his education at King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He then became a lawyer in Saint John, New Brunswick and served as an officer in the New Brunswick British military, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel by 1854. He joined the New Brunswick Colonial Association and was elected to the Legislative Assembly and appointed to the Executive Council. In 1856 he formed, at the request of the colony's lieutenant governor, a new administration and he became its Premier, replacing Charles Fisher. His Party was victorious in the 1856 election but by the following year, he was unable to hold a majority and he resigned his position and was replaced by Charles Fisher. He then returned to his law practice and became an active supporter of the Canadian Confederation. After forming the new Liberal-Conservative Party, he was elected to the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly in 1864 and served as a delegate to the Charlottetown Conference on the Canadian Confederation, causing him to lose his legislative seat in 1865 due to local hostilities over the Confederation. In 1866 he returned to the Legislative Assembly and became its Speaker. Later, when the Confederation became a reality, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons. In 1872 he left politics and moved to British Columbia where he was appointed a judge to the provincial Supreme Court. In 1878 he ruled the province's Chinese Tax Act was unconstitutional and in 1885 he served on the Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration. He died at the age of 75.
Premier of the Canadian Colony of New Brunswick. A high Tory Conservative, he served in this position from 1856 until May 1857 and was one of the Fathers of the Canadian Confederation. The son of a British naval officer, he received his education at King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He then became a lawyer in Saint John, New Brunswick and served as an officer in the New Brunswick British military, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel by 1854. He joined the New Brunswick Colonial Association and was elected to the Legislative Assembly and appointed to the Executive Council. In 1856 he formed, at the request of the colony's lieutenant governor, a new administration and he became its Premier, replacing Charles Fisher. His Party was victorious in the 1856 election but by the following year, he was unable to hold a majority and he resigned his position and was replaced by Charles Fisher. He then returned to his law practice and became an active supporter of the Canadian Confederation. After forming the new Liberal-Conservative Party, he was elected to the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly in 1864 and served as a delegate to the Charlottetown Conference on the Canadian Confederation, causing him to lose his legislative seat in 1865 due to local hostilities over the Confederation. In 1866 he returned to the Legislative Assembly and became its Speaker. Later, when the Confederation became a reality, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons. In 1872 he left politics and moved to British Columbia where he was appointed a judge to the provincial Supreme Court. In 1878 he ruled the province's Chinese Tax Act was unconstitutional and in 1885 he served on the Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration. He died at the age of 75.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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