William Cottnam Tonge
Encyclopedia
William Cottnam Tonge was a judge and political figure in Nova Scotia
. He represented Hants County from 1793 to 1799 and from 1806 to 1811 and Newport township from 1799 to 1806 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
.
He was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia
, the son of Winckworth Tonge
and Martha Grace Cottnam. He was trained as an attorney and served as deputy to his father, Nova Scotia's naval officer; he succeeded his father in that post in 1792. Tonge also was named a justice of the peace
and served as judge in the Inferior Court of Common Pleas for Hants County
. In 1793, he married Elizabeth Bonnell. Tonge suffered financial losses and was forced to sell much of the family property. Although he was able to secure some military contracts, his attempts to improve his finances through patronage were blocked by the lieutenant governor John Wentworth
. In 1799, Tonge was elected in a Halifax County seat as well as in Hants County; his election was overturned because he held no property there and Michael Wallace
, a supporter of Wentworth, was declared elected. Tonge became the centre of a dispute between the lieutenant governor and the assembly over control of expenditures in the province in the legislative session that followed. In 1805, he became speaker following the resignation of Richard John Uniacke
from that post. In 1806, Wentworth dismissed Tonge from his post as provincial naval officer. Tonge's attempts to have himself reinstated were unsuccessful. However, the conflicts between Wentworth and the assembly led to the lieutenant governor being replaced in 1808. Later that year, George Prevost
, the new lieutenant governor, named Tonge deputy commissary general for a military expedition to the West Indies
. He later settled in Georgetown, Guyana
, where he died at the age of 68.
His daughter Grizelda Elizabeth Cottnam Tonge became a well-known local poet of the time.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. He represented Hants County from 1793 to 1799 and from 1806 to 1811 and Newport township from 1799 to 1806 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...
.
He was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
, the son of Winckworth Tonge
Winckworth Tonge
Winckworth Tonge was a soldier, land owner and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Cumberland County from 1759 to 1760, King's County from 1765 to 1783 and Hants County from 1785 to 1792 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.He was born in County Wexford, Ireland and, in 1743, served as...
and Martha Grace Cottnam. He was trained as an attorney and served as deputy to his father, Nova Scotia's naval officer; he succeeded his father in that post in 1792. Tonge also was named a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and served as judge in the Inferior Court of Common Pleas for Hants County
Hants County, Nova Scotia
Hants County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia which was the home of Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Alden Nowlan and Noel Doiron. The county of Hants was created June 17, 1781, and consisted of the townships of Windsor, Falmouth and Newport...
. In 1793, he married Elizabeth Bonnell. Tonge suffered financial losses and was forced to sell much of the family property. Although he was able to secure some military contracts, his attempts to improve his finances through patronage were blocked by the lieutenant governor John Wentworth
John Wentworth (governor)
Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet was the British colonial governor of New Hampshire at the time of the American Revolution. He was later also Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia.-Early life:...
. In 1799, Tonge was elected in a Halifax County seat as well as in Hants County; his election was overturned because he held no property there and Michael Wallace
Michael Wallace (politician)
Michael Wallace was a Scottish-born merchant, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Halifax County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1785 to 1802....
, a supporter of Wentworth, was declared elected. Tonge became the centre of a dispute between the lieutenant governor and the assembly over control of expenditures in the province in the legislative session that followed. In 1805, he became speaker following the resignation of Richard John Uniacke
Richard John Uniacke
Richard John Uniacke was a lawyer, politician, member of the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly and Attorney General of Nova Scotia....
from that post. In 1806, Wentworth dismissed Tonge from his post as provincial naval officer. Tonge's attempts to have himself reinstated were unsuccessful. However, the conflicts between Wentworth and the assembly led to the lieutenant governor being replaced in 1808. Later that year, George Prevost
George Prevost
Sir George Prévost, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the eldest son of Swiss French Augustine Prévost, he joined the British Army as a youth and became a captain in 1784. Prévost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary...
, the new lieutenant governor, named Tonge deputy commissary general for a military expedition to the West Indies
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. He later settled in Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
, where he died at the age of 68.
His daughter Grizelda Elizabeth Cottnam Tonge became a well-known local poet of the time.