William Wedderburn (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
William Wedderburn, QC
(October 12, 1834 – April 5, 1918) was a lawyer, journalist, judge and political figure in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada
. He represented the city of Saint John
in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
from 1870 to 1882.
He was born and grew up in Saint John, the son of Alexander Wedderburn, a Scottish
immigrant, and Jane Heaviside, from London
, England
. He studied law with John Hamilton Gray
and was called to the bar in 1858. In that same year, he married Jeannie Vaughan. In 1873, he was named Queen's Counsel
. Also in 1873, Wedderburn was named a commissioner to consolidate the statutes for the province. Wedderburn served as president of the St. John Mechanics' Institute, was a Grand Master for the Freemasons and a prominent member of the Sons of Temperance. He served as speaker for the provincial assembly from 1875 to 1878, when he was named provincial secretary. Wedderburn was an early supporter of Confederation
. In 1882, he was named a judge for the court for Kings and Albert counties.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(October 12, 1834 – April 5, 1918) was a lawyer, journalist, judge and political figure in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada
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 the city of 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...
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 1870 to 1882.
He was born and grew up in Saint John, the son of Alexander Wedderburn, a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrant, and Jane Heaviside, from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
. He studied law with John Hamilton Gray
John Hamilton Gray (New Brunswick politician)
John Hamilton Gray, QC was a politician in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada, a jurist, and one of the Fathers of Confederation. He should not be confused with John Hamilton Gray, a Prince Edward Island politician in the same era.Gray was born in St. George's, Bermuda...
and was called to the bar in 1858. In that same year, he married Jeannie Vaughan. In 1873, he was named Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
. Also in 1873, Wedderburn was named a commissioner to consolidate the statutes for the province. Wedderburn served as president of the St. John Mechanics' Institute, was a Grand Master for the Freemasons and a prominent member of the Sons of Temperance. He served as speaker for the provincial assembly from 1875 to 1878, when he was named provincial secretary. Wedderburn was an early supporter of Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. In 1882, he was named a judge for the court for Kings and Albert counties.