Hugh Richardson
Encyclopedia
Hugh Richardson was a stipendiary magistrate
for the Saskatchewan
district of the North-West Territories. Richardson was the man who, at the conclusion of the 1885 trial of Louis Riel
, sentenced Riel
to hang
.
He was born in London
, England in 1826 and came to York
(later Toronto
) with his family in 1831. He studied at Osgoode Hall
, was called to the bar in 1847 and set up practice in Woodstock
. He was crown attorney for Oxford County
from 1856 to 1862. He helped organize the local militia battalion, later becoming commander, and served at La Prairie
, Canada East
in 1865 with Colonel Garnet Joseph Wolseley and at Sarnia
during the Fenian raids
. After he was named a stipendiary magistrate in 1876, he moved to Battleford, Saskatchewan; in 1883, he moved to Regina
after the seat of government for the territories was moved there. He was in 1887 appointed senior judge
of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
. Richardson served as acting lieutenant governor for the territories in 1897 and in 1898. He retired in 1903 and returned to Ottawa
; his daughter Mary, who had married Donald Alexander Macdonald, was living there.
He died in Ottawa in 1913 and is interred in the cemetery of the St.Thomas Anglican ("Old English") Church
, in St. Thomas, Ontario
.
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
for the Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
district of the North-West Territories. Richardson was the man who, at the conclusion of the 1885 trial of Louis Riel
Trial of Louis Riel
The Trial of Louis Riel is arguably the most famous trial in the history of Canada. In 1885, Louis Riel had been a leader of a resistance movement by the Métis and First Nations people of western Canada against the Canadian government in what is now the modern province of Saskatchewan...
, sentenced Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
to hang
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
.
He was born in 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 in 1826 and came to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
(later Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
) with his family in 1831. He studied at Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...
, was called to the bar in 1847 and set up practice in Woodstock
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
. He was crown attorney for Oxford County
Oxford County, Ontario
Oxford County is a regional municipality and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Southern portion of the province. The regional seat is in Woodstock...
from 1856 to 1862. He helped organize the local militia battalion, later becoming commander, and served at La Prairie
La Prairie, Quebec
La Prairie is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Jacques River and the Saint Lawrence River in the Regional County Municipality of Roussillon...
, Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
in 1865 with Colonel Garnet Joseph Wolseley and at Sarnia
Sarnia, Ontario
Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
during the Fenian raids
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
. After he was named a stipendiary magistrate in 1876, he moved to Battleford, Saskatchewan; in 1883, he moved to Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
after the seat of government for the territories was moved there. He was in 1887 appointed senior judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories is the name of two different superior courts for the Canadian territory of the Northwest Territories, which have existed at different times.The first Supreme Court of the North-West Territories was created in 1885...
. Richardson served as acting lieutenant governor for the territories in 1897 and in 1898. He retired in 1903 and returned to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
; his daughter Mary, who had married Donald Alexander Macdonald, was living there.
He died in Ottawa in 1913 and is interred in the cemetery of the St.Thomas Anglican ("Old English") Church
Old St. Thomas Church
Built between 1822 and 1824, the St. Thomas Anglican Church, today called the Old St. Thomas Church, is one of the oldest structures in St. Thomas, Ontario The Church was continuously used between its founding and 1877. The church was made a designated heritage property in 1982.- History :The...
, in St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
.