Francis McPhelim was an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

-born merchant and politician. He represented Kent County

Kent County, New Brunswick

Kent County is located in east-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county features a unique blend of cultures including Mi'kmaq, Acadian and English Speaking Settlers...

 in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...

 from 1850 to 1865.

He was born in Donegal

Donegal

Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....

, the son of Peter and Catherine McPhelim, and came to Buctouche, New Brunswick with his family in 1821. He went into business there as a merchant and shipper. In 1839, he married Rosanna McGuirk. McPhelim served in the province's Executive Council as postmaster general, becoming the first Roman Catholic member of the council. He supported the Intercolonial Railway and did not support 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...

. After he was defeated in 1865, he was named high sheriff for Kent County. McPhelim died in Buctouche the following year.