James Cockburn

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James Cockburn

James Cockburn , QC (born February 13, 1819 in Berwick-upon-Tweed , Northumberland , † August 14, 1883 in Ottawa ) was a Canadian politician . As one of the fathers of the Confederation , he was one of the pioneers of the Canadian state founded in 1867. From 1867 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1881 he was a conservative member of the lower house , and until 1874 also its first speaker .

biography

In 1832, Cockburn emigrated with his family and settled in Montreal . The father died there a year later and the family moved on to York in Upper Canada (now Toronto ), where the son attended Upper Canada College . Cockburn studied law, was admitted as a 1,846 lawyer and opened in Cobourg a law firm. He also worked as a building contractor, insurance agent and real estate agent. In the years 1855-1856 and 1859 he was city councilor of Cobourg.

Cockburn ran for election to the House of Commons of the Province of Canada in 1861 and was victorious in the Northumberland West constituency . Although he opposed the government, he changed sides two years later and now supported the conservative John Macdonald . In March 1864 he was appointed Minister of Justice. Cockburn took part in the Québec Conference in October 1864 , where the creation of a federal state in British North America was negotiated.

In the first Canadian general election in September 1867, Cockburn prevailed in the unchanged constituency of Northumberland West . Prime Minister Macdonald did not appoint him to the federal cabinet, but instead appointed him Speaker of the Lower House . Cockburn lost his seat in the General Election in 1874 when the Conservatives suffered a heavy defeat in the Pacific scandal . Four years later he regained his parliamentary mandate, but no longer played a special role in the House of Commons and finally resigned in November 1881 for health reasons.

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personal data
SURNAME Cockburn, James
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician
DATE OF BIRTH February 13, 1819
PLACE OF BIRTH Berwick-upon-Tweed , Northumberland
DATE OF DEATH August 14, 1883
Place of death Ottawa