A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
=Boswell, George Morss Jukes=, Q.C., Judge of the County Court of the
United Counties of Northumberland and Durham, Cobourg, Ontario, was born
at Gosport, England, in June, 1804. His father, John Boswell, of London,
England, solicitor, was the youngest son of James Boswell, an officer in
the Royal Navy, whose four elder brothers were also officers in the same
service, and a descendant of the Boswells of Balmuto, Scotland, the
elder branch of the family of the celebrated biographer. Judge Boswell,
the subject of our sketch, was educated at the Grammar School,
Buntingford, Herts, England, came to Canada in 1822, and was one of the
earliest settlers in Cobourg. He was called to the bar in Michaelmas
term, 1827, and is the premier Queen’s counsel in Canada, being the
first created by commission in August, 1841. He was an unsuccessful
candidate for the Upper Canada Assembly in 1836, but was returned at the
first election after the union of Upper and Lower Canada, and sat from
1841 to 1844, in the then Parliament of Canada. While in parliament he
took a prominent part in constitutional debate, was a staunch advocate
of responsible government, and although a Conservative in principle,
worked with the Reform party until constitutional government was
conceded. During the discussion on this question, he forced Mr. Draper,
then attorney-general, to admit the principle, “That if the government
cannot command the majority of the house, so that its measures may be
carried on harmoniously, if they do not find by the whole proceedings of
the house that they have the confidence of a majority of its members,
then that a dissolution of the house shall follow, or that the
government resign.” This then settled this important question of
responsible government, though dragged out of Attorney-General Draper
against his will (see _Cobourg Star_, June 11th, 1841). Before accepting
a judgeship, Mr. Boswell was one of the leading lawyers in Canada, and
as such was specially retained to defend Hunter, Morrison, Montgomery,
and others, who were tried for high treason in connection with the
rebellion in 1837. The two former were acquitted. In 1845, he was
appointed Judge of the County Court of the United Counties of
Northumberland and Durham, and accepted superannuation in 1882. In 1837,
he served under Colonel Ham as brigade major with the volunteers in
suppressing the rebellion, and was on the frontier at Chippawa, at the
time the rebels under McKenzie took possession of Navy Island. Judge
Boswell was married first in 1829, to Susannah, daughter of James
Radcliffe, by whom he had a numerous family; and last to Mary, daughter
of the late Rev. Thomas Wrench, rector of St. Michael’s Church,
Cornhill, London.
* * * * *
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