Westmorland County

Privy Council of Canada

Senator

M.P.

M.L.A.

 COPP, Arthur Bliss (Hon) (1870-1949)

Born, July 10, 1870, at Jolicure, Westmorland Co. N.B. Of English-Irish ancestry. Son of Harvey Copp, Esq., farmer, lumberman and businessman of Sackville, N.B., and his wife, Frances Brennan (B. April 29, 1840-D.Dec. 23, 1933) Father of English descent, and mother of Irish descent, being the daughter of James Brennan, Fort Lawrence, N.S., and his wife, Mary Delesdernier.

(Note: William Copp, the founder of the Copp family in N.B. America, was born in England about 1609. He emigrated to America in 1635 in the Barque, “Blessing”, settling in the north end of Boston, Mass., still known as Copp’s Hill. His son, David, resided in Boston. David’s son, Duncan Jonathan Copp, moved to London, Conn., and his sons John and Samuel, emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1761, and settled at Horton. John lived there until 1773, when he moved to Chignecto. His son William was a warden of St. Mark’s Church, the first Protestant church on the Isthmus.)

Educated at the common school; Provincial Normal School, receiving a teacher’s license in 1888. Taught school for two years, and then entered Mount Allison Univ. Studied law at Dalhousie and Harvard Universities, receiving the Degree of L.L.B. in 1894. Was admitted to the Bar of N.B. as Attorney, Nov. 5, 1894, and as Barrister, Nov. 5. 1899.

Located at Sackville, N.B. and engaged in the practice of his profession Senior partner of the law firm of Copp & McCord. Mayor of Sackville, 1931. Member of several fraternal and service organisations.

Married, Aug. 20, 1903, to Miss Elisabeth Bell, daughter of William Henry Bell, and his wife, Annie Grant, Newcastle, N.B. No family.

Unsuccessfully contested West. Co for the House of Assembly at the G.E. of Feb. 1899. First elected as one of the members for West. Co. at a Bye-election held Feb., 1901, to fill the vacancy created by the death of the sitting member W.W. Wells (q.v.). Re-elected at the G.E.’s of 1903 and 1908 and sat as member until the dissolution of parliament in 1912. At the G.E. of 1912, he was defeated and subsequently retired from local politics.

First elected to the House of Commons, as member for Westmorland at a Bye-Election held Feb. 1, 1915, to fill the vacancy created by the death of the sitting member, Hon. H.R. Emmerson (q.v). Re-elected at the G.E.’s of 1917 and 1921. Re-elected at the by-election held Jan. 1922, made necessary by his acceptance of a Portfolio, and sat as member until Sept., 25, 1925, when he resigned on being called to the Senate of Canada.

On Dec. 29, 1921, he was sworn in as member of the Privy Council of Canada, and received the appt. of Secretary of State in the Adm. of the Hon. Wm. L. MacKenzie King, which portfolio he held until his resignation from the House of Commons, Sept. 25, 1925.

On Sept. 25, 1925, he was called to the Senate of Canada, and sat as member in that House until his death.

He died Dec. 5, 1949, suddenly at Newcastle, N.B., aged seventy-nine years. Survived by his widow, who died five days later, Dec. 10, 1949. Buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery, Sackville, N.B.

In Politics:  a Liberal                In Religion: a Presbyterian