A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
History
A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
Canada -- Biography
=Riddell, Hon. William Renwick= (Toronto, Ont.), Justice of the Supreme
Court of Ontario, descended from the family of “Riddell of that Ilk,” a
son of the late Walter and Mary Renwick Riddell; born in Township of
Hamilton, County of Northumberland, April 6, 1852. Educated Cobourg
Collegiate Institute and Victoria University; B.A. (1874), Prizeman in
Chemistry and Mathematics, B.Sc. (1876), LL.B. (1878), L.H.D. (Syracuse
University), J.U.D. (Trinity University, Hartford), LL.D. University of
Toronto, McMaster, Lafayette, Northwestern, Wesleyan, Rochester and Yale
Universities; graduated at Law School, Osgoode Hall. (Gold Medal and
first in all examinations); called to the bar 1883, elected Bencher Law
Society of Upper Canada 1891, re-elected until 1906, created a King’s
Counsel 1904. Successfully practised at Cobourg and Toronto, and on
removal to Ontario’s capital, enjoyed large counsel practice, civil and
criminal; was retained during Toronto Municipal Investigation in 1904.
Before taking up the study of the law was Mathematical Master of the
Normal School, Ottawa, and afterwards Chairman of the Cobourg Collegiate
Institute; President, Educational Society, Eastern Ont.; Pres., Alumni
Association Victoria University, and member of the Board of Regents.
Senator of Toronto University; a Governor, Western Hospital, Toronto. In
October, 1906, the subject of this sketch was appointed one of the
Judges of His Majesty’s Supreme Court for the Province of Ontario, (the
last to be appointed to the King’s Bench Division), a position which he
has since occupied with great distinction. His judgments are models of
beautiful diction, in which the exposition of the law is clear and
illuminating, while his grasp of the facts makes for that clarity of
deduction which always characterizes his Lordship’s deliverances. Mr.
Justice Riddell has been a generous contributor to various American and
Canadian magazines and law journals, and the author of “The Canadian and
American Constitutions.” As a lecturer he is recognized as possessing
high gifts; his ripe erudition and polished style making his addresses
of more than passing interest. During the past few years, among the
addresses delivered and magazine articles contributed by His Lordship
may be mentioned: The Dodge Lectures, Yale University; Robert Fleming
Gourlay; La Rochefoucauld’s Travels in Canada, 1795; The First Judge at
Detroit and His Court. Since the outbreak of the war Mr. Justice Riddell
has taken a deep interest in recruiting and everything tending to
forward the cause of the Allies and has given very largely of his time
and great ability, presiding at many meetings and speaking at others in
the interest of recruiting. A member of the Toronto, York, and Rosedale
Golf Clubs. Mr. Justice Riddell finds recreation in the study of
Canadian History, upon which he is an authority. He is Honorary Member
of the Bar Associations of the States of Georgia, Missouri, Illinois,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account