Clement Francis Cornwall
Encyclopedia
Clement Francis Cornwall (June 18, 1836 – February 10, 1910) was a Canadian
parliamentarian and the third Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
.
Cornwall was born at Ashcroft House, in Newington Bagpath
, near Wotton-under-Edge
, Gloucestershire
, England
in 1836, son of the Reverend Alan Gardner Cornwall, the Anglican rector
of Owlpen
and Newington Bagpath, Gloucestershire, and Caroline Kingscote, of Kingscote, Gloucestershire
. Both of Cornwall's parents, though untitled, were able to trace their family lineages in England back as far as the Norman Conquest of 1066. After childhood education in private school
s, Cornwall went to Trinity College, Cambridge
but transferred to Magdalene College
, Cambridge, graduating in 1858 with a Bachelor of Arts. He was called to the bar by the Society of the Inner Temple
, London
in 1862, but that same year he departed for and arrived in British Columbia.
Unlike nearly all others newly arrived in the colony, and despite touring the mining districts, Cornwall made no effort to pursue mining, choosing instead to focus on stock-raising and the legal profession. He spent time at his seasonal practice as lawyer at Wild Horse Creek, French Creek and in the Big Bend
.
In 1864 Cornwall was elected to represent the Hope-Yale-Lytton riding for the newly created colonial Legislative Assembly , and was also a member of the same body in 1871 during the period in which British Columbia joined Canadian confederation
. Immediately after the new province entered Confederation, Cornwall was appointed to the Canadian senate and served in that capacity for ten years until accepting the invitation in 1881 to serve as Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. He had been appointed a provincial Justice of the Peace
in 1864 and continued in that capacity until April, 1885; he retired from the office of Lieutenant-Governor in 1887 . He was engaged in "rural pursuits" - the life of a gentleman rancher - from the time of his retirement until September 17, 1889, when he was appointed to the bench as Judge of the County Court of Cariboo, also receiving the title of Stipendiary Magistrate in the same year. He continued in that position until retiring to Victoria in 1906.
Cornwall was a member of many agricultural and pioneer societies, including the Dominion Council of Agriculture. In partnership with his brother Henry P. Cornwall, he managed a ranching operation which for many years was the province's largest supplier of livestock. Their cattle ranch near the confluence of the Bonaparte
and Thompson River
s was named for Cornwall's birthplace as Ashcroft Manor; the township as Ashcroft. The ranch also operated a gristmill, a sawmill, and a roadhouse. Both Cornwalls were avid proponents of "gentlemen's sports", especially horse-racing and fox-hunting. The Ashcroft Manor Ranch was memorable for its hunting parties, with Cornwall's select group of foxhounds, from the Duke of Beaufort's celebrated kennels, put in hot pursuit of the local coyote
s instead of foxes, and lavish social entertainments for any guests visiting during the hunt. Ashcroft became one of the main horse-racing venues in the province at a time when that was the number-one sport, and Cornwall took a prominent part in their organization. In due course he became president of the British Columbia Jockey Club.
Cornwall, who was a member of the Church of England
, was married to Charlotte Pemberton, daughter of the Reverend A.G. Pemberton of Kensal Green, London.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
parliamentarian and the third Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared with equally the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest...
.
Cornwall was born at Ashcroft House, in Newington Bagpath
Bagpath
Newington Bagpath is a hamlet in Gloucestershire, England, set in the Ozleworth valley, near the village of Kingscote and forms part of its Civil Parish...
, near Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge is a market town within the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England. Located near the southern end of the Cotswolds, the Cotswold Way long-distance footpath passes through the town. Standing on the B4058 Wotton is about from the M5 motorway. The nearest railway station is...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1836, son of the Reverend Alan Gardner Cornwall, the Anglican rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Owlpen
Owlpen
Owlpen is a small village and civil parish in the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England, set in a picturesque valley in the Cotswold hills. It is about one mile east of Uley, and three miles east of Dursley. The Owlpen valley is set around the settlement like an amphitheatre of wooded hills...
and Newington Bagpath, Gloucestershire, and Caroline Kingscote, of Kingscote, Gloucestershire
Kingscote, Gloucestershire
Kingscote is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, set on the uplands near the south western edge of the Cotswold hills. It is situated about two miles east of Uley, five miles east of Dursley and four miles west of Tetbury. The landscape is designated...
. Both of Cornwall's parents, though untitled, were able to trace their family lineages in England back as far as the Norman Conquest of 1066. After childhood education in private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s, Cornwall went to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
but transferred to Magdalene College
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
, Cambridge, graduating in 1858 with a Bachelor of Arts. He was called to the bar by the Society of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1862, but that same year he departed for and arrived in British Columbia.
Unlike nearly all others newly arrived in the colony, and despite touring the mining districts, Cornwall made no effort to pursue mining, choosing instead to focus on stock-raising and the legal profession. He spent time at his seasonal practice as lawyer at Wild Horse Creek, French Creek and in the Big Bend
Big Bend Gold Rush
The Big Bend Gold Rush was a gold rush on the upper Columbia River in the Colony of British Columbia in the mid-1860s....
.
In 1864 Cornwall was elected to represent the Hope-Yale-Lytton riding for the newly created colonial Legislative Assembly , and was also a member of the same body in 1871 during the period in which British Columbia joined Canadian confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. Immediately after the new province entered Confederation, Cornwall was appointed to the Canadian senate and served in that capacity for ten years until accepting the invitation in 1881 to serve as Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. He had been appointed a provincial Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1864 and continued in that capacity until April, 1885; he retired from the office of Lieutenant-Governor in 1887 . He was engaged in "rural pursuits" - the life of a gentleman rancher - from the time of his retirement until September 17, 1889, when he was appointed to the bench as Judge of the County Court of Cariboo, also receiving the title of Stipendiary Magistrate in the same year. He continued in that position until retiring to Victoria in 1906.
Cornwall was a member of many agricultural and pioneer societies, including the Dominion Council of Agriculture. In partnership with his brother Henry P. Cornwall, he managed a ranching operation which for many years was the province's largest supplier of livestock. Their cattle ranch near the confluence of the Bonaparte
Bonaparte River
The Bonaparte River is a tributary of the Thompson River, joining it at the community of Ashcroft, British Columbia. The river is about long, including the length of Bonaparte Lake...
and Thompson River
Thompson River
The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...
s was named for Cornwall's birthplace as Ashcroft Manor; the township as Ashcroft. The ranch also operated a gristmill, a sawmill, and a roadhouse. Both Cornwalls were avid proponents of "gentlemen's sports", especially horse-racing and fox-hunting. The Ashcroft Manor Ranch was memorable for its hunting parties, with Cornwall's select group of foxhounds, from the Duke of Beaufort's celebrated kennels, put in hot pursuit of the local coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s instead of foxes, and lavish social entertainments for any guests visiting during the hunt. Ashcroft became one of the main horse-racing venues in the province at a time when that was the number-one sport, and Cornwall took a prominent part in their organization. In due course he became president of the British Columbia Jockey Club.
Cornwall, who was a member of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, was married to Charlotte Pemberton, daughter of the Reverend A.G. Pemberton of Kensal Green, London.