The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volume 3 (of 4)Dent, John Charles
History
The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volume 3 (of 4)
Dent, John Charles
Canada -- Biography
brother Edward, the style of the firm being "E. & S. H. Blake." On the
2nd of February, 1859, he married Miss Rebecca Cronyn, third daughter of
the late Right Rev. John Cronyn, Bishop of the Diocese of Huron. In
Hilary Term, 1860, he was called to the Bar. Like his brother, he
devoted himself almost exclusively to the Equity branch of the
profession, in which he soon attained to an eminent position.
The splendid professional and financial successes achieved by the legal
firm of which he was a member have been sufficiently indicated in the
sketch of the life of Edward Blake. Of that firm, under its various
phases, Mr. S. H. Blake continued a member until Mr. Mowat's resignation
of the Vice-Chancellorship of Ontario, towards the close of 1872. The
position thus rendered vacant was promptly offered by the Premier, Sir
John A. Macdonald, to the subject of this memoir, who, after careful
deliberation, resolved to accept it. Only a few months before he had
been invested with the silk gown of a Queen's Counsel. During the
progress of the year he had also for the first time taken part in
political life. Frequent overtures had at various times been made to him
to emulate his brother's example by accepting a seat in Parliament.
These overtures he had persistently declined, but during the long and
heated contest preceding the general election of 1872 he consented to
supply the place of his brother--who was then absent in Europe for the
benefit of his health--by going down to the country and addressing his
constituents on the hustings and elsewhere. His political speeches
afforded unmistakable evidence of his ability to adapt himself to novel
circumstances. They showed an accurate knowledge of the country's past
political history, and of the nature of the various issues then before
the public. His views on all the questions of the day were of course
fully in accord with those of his brother, and in expatiating upon them
he displayed the same grasp and breadth which have always marked the
public utterances of the present member for West Durham.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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