Political Biographies

(Hon.) John Costigan (P.C.)

1835 – 1916

Hon. John Costigan

Privy Council, Canada – Senator – M.P. – M.L.A.

Victoria Country

Born, February 1, 1835, at St. Nicholas, Quebec and of Irish Ancestry. Son of John & Bridget Dunne

Educated at the Public School of St. Nicholas, Quebec and at the College of St. Anne.

Located at Grand Falls, N.B., and engaged in general country business. Appointed a Justice of the Peace, and a Justice of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas. Appointed Registrar of Deeds and Wills for Victoria County on Augist 7th, 1857, vice William T. Wilmot, Esq.

Married [——–], 1855 to Miss Harriet Ryan, daughter of J.H. Ryan, Esq., Grand Falls, N.B. By this marriage there was a family of five children. {2 sons & 3 daughters}

First elected to the House of Assembly of N.B. as member for Victoria County at the general election of June 1861. Re-elected at the general election of 1865, on the issue of Confederation, to which he was opposed.

At the general election of May, 1866, he suffered defeat upon the same issue, and subsequently retired from local politics.

At the first General Election for the House of Commons on September, 1867, he was elected as member for the constituency of Victoria. Re-elected at the next nine general elections of 1872, 1874, 1876, 1882, 1887, 1891, 1896, 1900 and 1904, and sat continuously until 1907, when he resigned his seat on being appointed to the Senate of Canada.

On May 23, 1882, he was sworn in a member of the privy Council of Canada, and received the portfolio of Minister of Inland revenue in the Administration of the Right Honorable Sir John A. MacDonald, which position he held until November 24, 1892.

He subsequently held the portfolios of Secretary of State of Canada and Receiver General from December 5, 1892 to December 12, 1894, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, December [1], 1894 to July 12, 1896. Served in the Administration of the Right Honorable Sir J.C. Abbott, Sir J.S.B. Thompson, Sir Mackenzie Bowell, and Sir Charles Tupper, retiring when the Conservative Party went out of power on July 12, 1896.

On January 15, 1907, was appointed to the senate of Canada, which position he held until his death.

He died, September 29, 1916 at Ottawa, Ontario, aged eighty-one years.

Survived by his widow and three children. Buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery, Baker Brook, Madawaska County, N.B.

Mrs. Costigan died April 18, 1922, age ninety years.

In Politics: a Conservative
In Religion: a Roman Catholic.

Family

1: Son – John Ryan	Lawyer – Calgary, Alberta – Son: Gerald Costigan
2: Son – Harry	Winnepeg, Manitoba
3: Dau – Theresa	Married [ ], Walter Armstrong, Ottawa. (Federal Civil Service. St. John, (ottawa). Died December 25, 1935, aged 79 years.

MC1156 – Graves Papers

For more detailed information on John Costigan, please visit the Dictionary of Canadian Biographies at:

http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7298&interval=25&&PHPSESSID=n10228hbme4sqg8kpmup8l18s5

Return to Political Bios

Political Biographies

Cochrane, Donald Theodore

1906 –

M.L.A.

York County

Born, October 3rd, 1906, at Marysville, York Co., N.B.. Of Scottish-Irish ancestry. Son of Norman Clinton Cochrane, Scottish, and his wife, Ethel Minverva Moore, Irish.

Educated at the Marysville Public School.

Located at Marysville, York County, N.B. and engaged in business. Was President of the United Textile Workers of Canada, Local No. 16, from 1941 – 1944.

Married, August 6th, 1924, to Miss Hazel D. Saunders, daughter of Joshua Saunders, Esq., Marysville, N.B. By this marriage there was a family of three sons.

First elected to the House of Assembly, as one of the members for York Co., at the G.E. of August 28th, 1944, and sat that Legislature. Re-elected at the G.E. of June 28th, 1948, and sat as a member until the dissolution of that Legislature in 1952. At the G.E. of September 22nd, 1952, he was defeated and subsequently retired from local politics.

He was later appointed Head of the Industrial Relations Branch, Province of Nova Scotia, for the Federal Department of Labour, which position he now holds.**

Address: 25 Oak St., Halifax, Nova Scotia.**

In Politics: a Liberal.
In Religion: Reformed Baptist.

Family:

1. Son: Harry H. D.	Marysville, N.B. Mar. Ruth Stafford
2. ” : Ernest Clinton	Newcastle Creek, N.B. Mar. Eunice Estey
3. ” : Theodore Saunders	Hardwood Ridge, N.B. Mar. Jean Jardine

** These biographies were completed in the 1960s. Any reference to an occupation, address, or person as being current refers to the point at which the biography was produced, not today’s date.

MC1156 – Graves Papers

Return to Political Bios

Political Biographies

Clinch, Peter (Capt.)

1753-1816

M.L.A.

Charlotte County

Born 1753 in Ireland. Son of

Educated at Trinity College, Dublin.

Emigrated to America before the Revolutionary War. Gazetted Lieut. and Adjutant of the Royal Fencible Americans, May 15, 1776, and saw much service. At the close of the War he was Captain in the King’s N.B. Regt.

Emigrated to N.B. and settled at St. George, Charlotte Co., where he was granted a large tract of land, and may be considered a pioneer of that place. Took an active interest in public affairs, became a Magistrate, and a very influential man. Organized a Company of Voluntary Militia.

First elected to the House of Assembly, as one of the members for Charlotte Co., at the first G.E. of the new province, Oct. 1785. Re-elected at the G.E. of 1792, and sat until the dissolution of Parliament in 1795 when he retired.

He died, July 31st, 1816, at St. George, N.B., aged 63 years. His wife, Lucretia, predeceased him, dying July 30th, 1816, aged 43 years. They were buried in the Church of England churchyard in that place. A neat, marble slab marks their resting place.

Family:

1. Son: Patrick Clinch

(1790-1869) (q.v.)

MC1156 – Graves Papers

Return to Political Bios

Political Biographies

Clinch, Patrick

(1790 – 1868)

M.L.A.

Charlotte County

Born, , 1790, at St. George, Charlotte County, N.B. of Loyalist ancestry, son of Capt. Peter Clinch (q.v.)(1753-1816), Loyalist, and M.L.A. charlotte Co., 1785-1795, and his wife, Lucretia, also of Loyalist ancestry.

Educated at the St. George public schools

Located at St. George, N.B. and engaged in the agriculture and newspaper business. Founded a newspaper, the “Provincialist”, at St. Andrews, N.B. Was appointed a Justice of the Peace, and a Justice of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas for Charlotte County. Was also Inspector of Schools for Charlotte County for many years.

Married, , to Miss Eleanor Davidson, daughter of Davidson, Esq. By this marriage there was a family of .

Unsuccessfully contested Charlotte County for the House of Assembly at the G.E. of June, 1827. He protested the return of his opponent, J.N. Clarke, and on March 19th, 1828, a Committee of the House of Assembly declared Mr. Clinch entitled to the seat, which he took for that session. On January 26th, 1829, at the next session, the committee reversed their decision, and awarded the seat to Mr. Joseph N. Clarke (q.v.).

At the G.E. of October, 1830, he was elected to the House of Assembly, and was re-elected at the G.E. of December, 1834, and sat as member until the dissolution of the legislatrure in 1837. At the G.E. of October, 1837, he was defeated, and subsequently he retired from active political life.

He died, March 10th, 1868, at his residence, St. George, N.B., aged seventy-nine years. Buried in the Church of England Cemetery, St. George, N.B. Survived by .

His wife pre-deceased him, dying July 4th, 1854, aged sixty-three years.

In Politics: ______
In Religion: Church of England

Family

Son: Peter

(B. 1824 – D.August 1854) Attorney, St. George, N.B. Married, Jan. 28th, 1845, Miss Susan Josephine Wetmore, dau. of Abraham J. Wetmore, Esq. She died Feb., 1895.

Son: Douglas Carleton Clinch,(B. 1849 – D. Nov. 15, 1933) St. John, N.B.

MC1156 – Graves Papers

Return to Political Bios

Political Biographies

Clair, Thomas

1856 – 1917

M.L.A.
Madawaska County

Born, January 28th, 1856, in Ireland. Of Irish ancestry. Son of Peter Clair, and his wife, Anne Underwood, both Irish.

Emigrated to Canada with his parents, and was educated at the Public School, Clairs, N.B.

Located at Clairs, Madawaska Co., N.B. and engaged in the mercantile and lumbering business.

Married, Jan. 11th, 1880, to Miss Georgina Levesque, daughter of Firman Levesque, Farmer & Black Smith, St. Pascal, P.Q., and Baker Brook, N.B. Family of three sons and two daughters.

First elected to the House of Assembly, as one of the members for Madawaska Co., at the G.E. of Feb. 28th, 1903, and sat that Legislature until its dissolution in 1908. At the G.E. of March 3rd, 1908, he was defeated and subsequently retired from active political life.

He subsequently entered the employ of the Canadian Government Railways, and served with that company a few years.

He died, July 3rd, 1917, at Clairs, N.B., aged sixty-one years. Buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery, Clairs, N.B.

In Politics: a Liberal.
In Religion: a Roman Catholic.

Family:

1. Son: James T.	(b. Feb. 4th, 1886) Clairs, N.B. Merchant and Lumberman
2. ” : John	Lumberman, Merchant — Clairs, N.B.
3. ” : George	Automobile & Truck Dealer, Garage Owner, Three Rivers, P.Q.
4. Dau: Nora	Mar. John O’Brien, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Hotel Owner & Insurance Agent.
5. ” : Lillian	Grey Nun Superior, Montreal, Baker Brook, and Clairs, N.B.

MC1156 – Graves Papers

Return to Political Bios

Political Biographies

Political Biographies

Main Menu