Jonathan Bliss was a lawyer, judge and political figure in New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

. He represented St. John County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...

 from 1786 to 1792 and from 1796 to 1802.

He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...

, the son of Luke Bliss and Mercy Ely. Bliss was educated at Harvard College

Harvard College

Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...

, studied law in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 and set up practice in Wilbraham. He was named a justice of the peace in 1770 and a major in the militia in the following year. He travelled to England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 near the start of the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

. In 1784, he accepted the post of attorney general for the province of New Brunswick. With Ward Chipman

Ward Chipman

Ward Chipman was a New Brunswick lawyer, judge and political figure. He briefly served as administrator for New Brunswick from 1823 until his death in 1824.-Early life:...

, he was elected to the 1st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly

1st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly

The 1st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly represented New Brunswick between January 3, 1786 and 1792.The assembly sat at the pleasure of the Governor of New Brunswick, Thomas Carleton. The first and second sessions were held at the Mallard House, an inn in Saint John...

 after the sheriff closed the polls early and disallowed votes for opposing candidates. In 1790, Bliss married Mary Worthington. He purchased a large home in Saint John

Saint John, New Brunswick

City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...

 formerly owned by Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...

. He was named Chief Justice of New Brunswick

Chief Justice of New Brunswick

The Chief Justice of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada holds the highest office within the Province's judicial system. He/she is part of the Court of Appeal, the highest court in the Province which includes five other judges plus any former judge of the Court of Appeal who is a supernumerary...

 in 1809 and was appointed to the Executive Council of New Brunswick

Executive Council of New Brunswick

The Executive Council of New Brunswick is the cabinet of that Canadian province....

 that same year. He remained a judge until his death in Fredericton

Fredericton, New Brunswick

Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...

 in 1822 because the government was not prepared to grant him a pension.

His son William Blowers

William Blowers Bliss

William Blowers Bliss was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Hants County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1830 to 1834....

served in the Nova Scotia assembly and was a puisne judge for the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.