Young, Sir William, LL.D., ex-Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, Halifax.—The late Sir William Young, who was a Scotchman by birth, was born at Falkirk, in 1799, and died at Halifax, on the 8th of May, 1887. He was a son of John Young, of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, who, many years ago, emigrated to Nova Scotia, making Halifax his home. His son William received his education at the University of Glasgow, where he took honors. He then took up law as a profession, was admitted to the bar of Nova Scotia in 1826, and appointed Queen’s counsel in 1843. In commencing his career as a lawyer, he had some advantages over most young men, in his family connections, which were quite numerous. But he, wisely, did not too largely depend on this for success; he was well-read, clear-headed, energetic, and bound to get on through his own inherent powers and perseverance. When he had established his reputation at the bar, and became comparatively independent in circumstances, he entered the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, having been returned in 1833 to represent the island of Cape Breton when it formed an electoral district. Subsequently, when the island was divided, he represented Inverness, extending over a period of twenty-two years—from 1837 to 1859. In the latter year he successfully contested the county of Cumberland against Dr. (now Sir Charles) Tupper. Sir William being at that time leader of the Liberals, or opposition, and Dr. Tupper that of the Conservatives, or government party. Cumberland returned both these gentlemen to the Legislature, there being three members, Sir William, however, taking the lead. Shortly after getting into parliament Sir William showed his boldness of spirit and manly independence by entering his protest against the unjust coal mining monopoly then in existence, which had been granted by the Crown to the creditors of the late Duke of York, a monopoly which he and his brother George were largely instrumental in having removed at a later date. In 1838, during the closing scenes of the Canadian rebellion of that time, he was appointed as a delegate, with others, to meet Lord Durham, and discuss the numerous grievances of which the French population complained. The grievances of his own province he exposed in a letter of vigorous remonstrance, which Lord Durham afterwards annexed to his celebrated report. His associates on this memorable occasion were Mather B. Almon, J. W. Johnson and Jas. B. Uniacke, and sad to say the last of these delegates in the person of Sir William Young has now passed away. They met Lord Durham in Quebec, and in the several interviews with his lordship and his suite, and representatives from the several other provinces, they laid the foundations of the confederacy which in July, 1867, was perfected. In 1839 Sir William Young and Herbert Huntington were sent to Britain to impress upon the home government the removal of grievances existing in Nova Scotia, such a delegation having been found necessary, Lord Durham having thrown up his office, and returned to England in disgust. These delegates showed a considerable amount of tact and diplomatic skill, and their mission advanced the interests of the people in many ways. Their report, which shortly after their return was published, covered a wide field, and exhibited an active correspondence with the several departments of the Imperial government, from which valuable concessions were obtained. During the long period Sir William served in parliament he was a prominent figure in that body, acting either as chairman or leading member on almost every important committee. He became a member of the Executive Council in 1842. In 1843 he was elected speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and occupied this office for eleven consecutive years. In 1854 he became leader of the government as well as attorney-general; and leader of the opposition in 1857, a change of government having taken place. In 1859 he was chosen president of the Executive Council. For all this period, even when in the speaker’s chair, the impress of his strong mind was visible in almost every important measure, as the journals of the house amply testify, from the time he first attacked the coal mine monopoly of the creditors of the Duke of York, to the time of his retirement from the arena of politics. In 1851 he was associated with Messrs. Ritchie and McCully, both of whom afterwards were, like himself, made judges, in revising the statutes of Nova Scotia; and on the floor of the house he was the recognized spokesman of the agriculturists of the province, “a legacy,” which he often jokingly remarked, “had possibly descended to him from his father, the famous ‘Agricola,’” a then popular writer on agriculture both as a science and as an art. In 1860 he retired from political life, and was appointed chief justice of Nova Scotia, and this office he resigned in 1881 on account of age. When appointed to the chief justiceship he brought to the discharge of his high duties a clear intellect, a sound understanding of law, and a well-trained judicial mind, and during the time he sat on the bench he attended to its duties faithfully. His quick apprehension of points of both law and practice, his searching insight into all matters of a difficult or abstract character, made him distinguished as a judge and respected by the bar. In 1876 Sir William started on a six months’ tour in Europe, and, just before he left, the bar of Nova Scotia, and the mayor and corporation of Halifax presented him with addresses, which bore feeling testimony to his eminent services in the legislative halls, on the bench, and as a citizen in all the various spheres of life. To these addresses he made an off-hand and very happy response, showing the cordiality of his disposition and warmth of heart, as well as his readiness and ability as a speaker. In 1868 he received the honor of knighthood from her Majesty Queen Victoria; and in 1881 the degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Dalhousie College. Sir William Young was married, in 1830, to Anne, daughter of the late Hon. Michael Tobin, M.L.C. She died at Halifax on the 12th January, 1883, at the age of seventy-nine years. Few ladies in Halifax were more generally known or more sincerely respected than Lady Young. She was a lifelong contributor to all public charities of the city, and in her more active years was prominently connected with every benevolent undertaking. Sir William Young was possessed of considerable means at the time of his death, and by his will he left his possessions to various educational, charitable, and other institutes in the city in which he had lived and been so benevolent and public spirited a citizen for the greater part of a century.
Cannon, Lawrence Ambrose, Quebec, Advocate, and Clerk of the Corporation of Quebec city, was born at Quebec on the 20th March, 1814. His father, John Cannon, architect, was of Irish parentage, and his mother, Angèle Griault dite Larivière, was of French descent. Mr. Cannon, senr., was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1824 to 1830, and represented the county of Hampshire, then comprising the present counties of Portneuf and Champlain. He was an Independent in politics, and though not unfriendly to the powers that then ruled, was much attached to the principles of the French Canadian party in the Assembly. He was a strenuous supporter of the Autonomists, who, at the time of the first proposed union of Lower and Upper Canada, exerted themselves so strongly that they succeeded in defeating the measure. Mr. Cannon was also above all an Irishman, and although living in Canada, he deeply sympathized with every movement calculated to advance the prosperity of the land of his birth. He, too, helped his fellow-countrymen in the land of his adoption, and contributed largely by his exertions and means to have erected in Quebec St. Patrick’s Church, which stands to-day as a monument to the religious ardor and generosity of the Irish race in the ancient capital. He was twice married; first to Angèle Griault dite Larivière; and the second time, in 1826, to widow Rosslewin, née Archange Baby. Lawrence Ambrose Cannon, the subject of our sketch, was educated first in private English schools, and afterwards in the Quebec Seminary, where he prosecuted and terminated his classical course of studies in 1833. He entered as a law student the office of Hon. C. R. Ogden, then attorney-general of Lower Canada; and in 1836, that of Stuart and Black. When he had completed his legal studies in 1838, he was called to the bar, and continued to practise his profession until May, 1864. On the resignation of F. X. Garneau, the Canadian historian, the city clerk of Quebec, through ill-health, Mr. Cannon was elected to fill this important position, and he has done it faithfully ever since. Some time after his appointment, the charter of the city was materially amended, thus considerably increasing his duties. Among other important changes, he was charged with the preparing of the lists of the parliamentary electors, and also of the persons qualified to be called upon to act as grand and petit jurors. And by the Act 33 Vict., chap. 46, the sole management of the municipal elections was conferred upon him. He married in 1845, Mary Jane Cary, daughter of the late Thomas Cary, then proprietor and publisher of the Quebec Mercury, and of Marie Anne Dorion. He has three surviving children; one son, Lawrence John Cannon, a practising barrister in Arthabaskaville, and two daughters.
Torrance, David, Montreal.—Mr. Torrance, during his lifetime one of Montreal’s most successful and distinguished merchants, was of Scotch parentage. He was born in New York in 1805, and died in Montreal Jan. 29th, 1876. When yet a boy he came to Kingston, Upper Canada (now Ontario), with his father, James Torrance, who was then extensively engaged in business in that town. In 1821 he removed to Montreal, and became a clerk with his uncle, the late John Torrance, who kept a place of business at the corner of St. Paul and St. Nicholas streets. By his close attention to his duties, and aptitude to the work, he rapidly rose in his employer’s estimation, which ended in his being taken into partnership in 1833. During his clerkship the late Rev. Dr. Wilkes, and the late Hon. John Young were engaged in the same establishment. With the view of extending the business of the concern, in 1835 Mr. Torrance entered into partnership with Mr. Young, of Quebec, under the firm name of Torrance & Young; and on the retirement of the late John Torrance, the senior member, the firm’s name was changed to that of D. Torrance & Co., which continued to the date of his demise, his partners being for many years Thomas Cramp, and his son John Torrance. In 1826 the old firm purchased a tug and passenger boat, the Hercules, from John Handyside & Co., and placed it under the command of Captain Brush, who afterwards became the proprietor of the Eagle Foundry, Montreal. This was the first step towards the establishment of an opposition line to the Molsons’ steamboats, then plying on the St. Lawrence, and its stock was eventually merged in that of the Richelieu Steamboat Company (now the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company). Mr. Torrance was early alive to the great future in store for Montreal, and was the first to launch out into direct trade with the East Indies and China, and for over thirty years the name of his firm has been well known in the great eastern centres of commerce. As a business man he was remarkable for great force of character and determination. This, combined with unflinching industry and regular habits, made the immense business of the firm move ahead with precision. An old friend of his once said of him, “He was a model man in regard to his business and social habits, and in the days of his prosperity was as regular in his attendance at the counting house as when he first started in business. His ambition was great, but tempered with prudence, and though he engaged in commercial ventures in other cities than Montreal, yet was uniformly successful.” Besides his promotion of commerce and navigation, he likewise proved himself a stay to our banking system, and after holding office for a long time as one of the directors of the Bank of Montreal, he was in 1873 elected president, which responsible position he held at the time of his death. His firm was also one of the originators of the Dominion Steamship Company. While largely engaged in ocean commerce, his capital and resources were also devoted to the carrying on of our inland forwarding trade. He was a diligent merchant, and did not meddle much in public affairs, though he was a consistent Liberal in politics throughout. To all benevolent and charitable schemes he was a frequent and liberal giver. He was always ready to aid the distressed and bring joy to those in want, and the main feature in this regard was the unostentatious way in which he helped those in need. He was a member of the St. James Street Methodist Church, and at the time of his death was one of its trustees. He was, in fact, the thorough type of a merchant prince, a representative of a class which, unfortunately, is far too small in these latter days. He was married to his cousin, the eldest daughter of the late John Torrance. He was in feeble health for some years previous to his death, and had only a few months before to forego active business, and when death at last came he passed away quietly, surrounded by his sorrowing family.
Skinner, Hon. Charles N., Q.C., St. John, ex-Judge of Probate for the county of St. John, New Brunswick, was born in St. John on the 12th March, 1833. His father, Samuel Skinner, was a contractor and builder, and was a native of Nova Scotia. His mother, Phœbe Sherwood, was a daughter of Robert Golding, whose grandfather, Captain Golding, commanded a company of loyal dragoons during the American revolutionary war. Both the Skinner and Golding families were loyalists and emigrated from the New England states—Mr. Skinner, the grandfather of the subject of our sketch, a short time before the outbreak of the revolution, and Mr. Golding after the war—and settled in the Maritime provinces. Charles N. Skinner received his education in the common and grammar schools of St. John. He studied law under Charles W. Stockton, of that city; was admitted to practice in 1858, and called to the bar in 1860. Since then he has successfully practised his profession in his native city. He is a well-read lawyer, a fluent, clear, and logical speaker, and seldom fails to present his case in the best possible light before a jury. His mind, too, is of a judicial cast; he is candid, honest, and impartial, and is admirably fitted by nature for the position he holds. When only about twenty-eight years of age he entered the field of politics, and was elected to represent St. John in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 1861. After being in the house three years, the party with whom he was allied was defeated on the question of confederation. In 1866 he again appealed to his constituents, and was elected. During August of next year he was appointed solicitor-general in the A. R. Wetmore administration, and this office he held until March, 1868, when he retired from political life, having been made a judge of probate. He was also created a Queen’s counsel that year by the Provincial government, and by the Dominion government in 1873. He was elected to the Dominion parliament to represent the city and county of St. John at the general election in 1887, having previously resigned the office of Judge of Probate. He still practises at the bar of St. John, and stands high among his confrères. For some years he was a member of St. John city council, and took an active interest in all matters brought forward for the benefit of the citizens. He is a member of the brotherhood of Oddfellows. He belongs to the Baptist denomination, and is considered a man of unblemished character and liberal impulses. On the 12th January, 1865, he was married to Eliza Jane, daughter of Daniel J. McLaughlan (then president of the Commercial Bank of N.B.), of St. John, and the fruit of this union has been a family of eight children.
Fenwick, George Edgeworth, M.D., C.M., Montreal, was born in the city of Quebec, on the 8th October, 1825. His father, Joseph Fenwick, in early life entered the East India Company’s service, and subsequently, in command of his own ship, traded between London and the port of Montreal. He was from Morpeth, Northumberland, England. His mother, Margaret Elizabeth Greig, was a native of Quebec, of Scotch descent. His grandfather belonged to the landed gentry of Northumberland. Dr. Fenwick received his education under the Rev. Mr. Ramsay, a clergyman of the Church of England; and in June, 1841, began the study of medicine and surgery in the Marine and Emigrant Hospital in his native city. His brother, Dr. A. G. Fenwick, was at that time house-surgeon to that institution, and he acted under him as house apothecary. He remained in this position until November, 1842, when he entered the medical department of McGill College, in Montreal. He successfully passed his examination in May, 1846, but not being of age did not receive his diploma until January, 1847, when a special convention of the University was called for the purpose of conferring upon him the degree of doctor in medicine and master in surgery. In May following, Dr. Fenwick was appointed house-surgeon and apothecary to the Montreal General Hospital, which office he filled until December, 1848, when he commenced general practice in Montreal. In 1849 he aided, in conjunction with Dr. Howard, the late Dr. G. D. Gibb (afterwards Sir G. D. Gibb, baronet, M.D., of London, England), and the late Drs. Pelletier, Boyer and Jones, in establishing the Montreal Dispensary, and was one of the attending staff of that institution until November, 1864, when, on the death of Dr. Thomas Walter Jones, he received the appointment of attending surgeon of the Montreal General Hospital. In 1867 he was appointed professor of clinical surgery in McGill University, and held this position until 1876, when, on the resignation of the late Dr. George W. Campbell, he was appointed professor of surgery, which chair he has filled to this time. As a teacher Dr. Fenwick has had long experience in the teaching of surgery. For many years professor of clinical surgery, his lectures were all delivered in the General Hospital, and every student who had the privilege of visiting the wards during his term of service, knows well the keen interest he took in everything concerning the cases in hand. Careful and painstaking himself, he firmly exacted from his assistants, house officers and dressers, a like degree of attention and carefulness in little things. After his promotion to the chair of surgery his lectures were of a more didactic nature, but to them he brought the same spirit of earnest devotion to the cause of science, the same grasp of subject leading to the formation of opinions strongly held, the same care for the important minutiæ, and the same genial and impressive manner which characterized his early teachings in the wards. In 1864 Dr. Fenwick, with his colleague, Dr. F. W. Campbell, established the Canada Medical Journal, which he continued to edit until 1879, when he relinquished the editorial chair. As a medical writer he is probably as well known as any in Canada. His articles upon surgical subjects are all terse and logical, and carry the impress of a vigorous and thoughtful mind. His most important papers are those upon lithotomy, of which operation he has probably had a larger experience than any other living surgeon in the Dominion. On excision of bronchocele, his bold operations have commanded the most wide-spread attention, and on excision of the knee-joint and other major operations he has been remarkably successful. He holds the degree of M.D., C.M. from his first university, and has never sought medical honors from any institution abroad; nevertheless, he has been considered worthy of them. He has been elected honorary member of the New Brunswick Medical Society; of the Medical Society of Nova Scotia, and of the Gynæcological Society of Boston. For many years Dr. Fenwick represented the profession of Montreal as one of the governors of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Quebec province. He has served as president of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Montreal; and was, at the meeting of the Canada Medical Association, held at Ottawa in 1880, elected vice president of that body for Quebec province, and in 1882 was elected president of the association. Dr. Fenwick is an adherent of the Episcopal church; and in politics a Conservative. In 1852 he was married to Eliza Charlotte, daughter of the late Colonel de Hertel, of St. Andrews, Argenteuil. The fruit of this union has been seven children, only three of whom survive.