Robert Parker (judge)
Encyclopedia
Robert Parker was a lawyer, judge and political figure in New Brunswick
. He represented St. John County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
from 1826 to 1830.
Parker was born in Saint John, New Brunswick
, the son of Robert Parker and Jane Hatch, and was educated in Saint John and Windsor, Nova Scotia
. He went on to study at King's College
, then studied law with Ward Chipman, Jr.
and was called to the bar in 1820. In the same year, he married Susan Robinson, the niece of John Robinson
and became a director and the solicitor for the Bank of New Brunswick. From 1826 to 1834, he practiced law in partnership with his brother Neville. Parker served as attorney general in 1828 following the death of Thomas Wetmore
and became solicitor general later that year after Charles Jeffery Peters
was named attorney general. He was also named judge commissary in the vice admiralty court
. In 1834, he was named puisne judge in the province's Supreme Court. In 1865, he was named Chief Justice
but died a few months later in Saint John.
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 St. John County 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 1826 to 1830.
Parker was born in Saint John, New Brunswick
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...
, the son of Robert Parker and Jane Hatch, and was educated in Saint John and Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
. He went on to study at King's College
University of King's College
The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....
, then studied law with Ward Chipman, Jr.
Ward Chipman, Jr.
Ward Chipman was a lawyer, judge and political figure in the pre-Confederation Province of New Brunswick, Canada....
and was called to the bar in 1820. In the same year, he married Susan Robinson, the niece of John Robinson
John Robinson (Businessman)
John Robinson was a merchant and political figure in the pre-Confederation Province of New Brunswick, Canada. He represented the City of Saint John in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1802 to 1809 and from 1810 to 1816.He was born near New York City, the son of Beverley Robinson and...
and became a director and the solicitor for the Bank of New Brunswick. From 1826 to 1834, he practiced law in partnership with his brother Neville. Parker served as attorney general in 1828 following the death of Thomas Wetmore
Thomas Wetmore
Thomas Wetmore was a lawyer and political figure in New Brunswick.He was born in Rye, New York, the son of Timothy Wetmore and Jane Haviland. He came to New Brunswick after the American Revolution in 1783, first settling at Carleton and then Gagetown. Wetmore studied law with Ward Chipman and was...
and became solicitor general later that year after Charles Jeffery Peters
Charles Jeffery Peters
Charles Jeffery Peters was a lawyer, judge and politician in New Brunswick.He was born in Hempstead, New York, the son of James Peters, a United Empire Loyalist, and Margaret Lester. Peters came to Nova Scotia with his father in 1783. He studied law with Ward Chipman and was admitted to practice...
was named attorney general. He was also named judge commissary in the vice admiralty court
Vice admiralty court
Vice admiralty courts were juryless courts located in British colonies that were granted jurisdiction over local legal matters related to maritime activities, such as disputes between merchants and seamen. Judges were given 5% of confiscated cargo, if they found a smuggling defendant guilty...
. In 1834, he was named puisne judge in the province's Supreme Court. In 1865, he was named Chief Justice
Chief Justice of New Brunswick
The Chief Justice of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada holds the highest office within the Province's judicial system. He/she is part of the Court of Appeal, the highest court in the Province which includes five other judges plus any former judge of the Court of Appeal who is a supernumerary...
but died a few months later in Saint John.