George Pyke
Encyclopedia
George Pyke was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada
. His surname is sometimes recorded as Pike.
He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia
in 1775, the son of John George Pyke
, and studied law with Richard John Uniacke. He was called to the Quebec bar in 1796. In 1799, he was appointed deputy surveyor general for Lower Canada. Pyke was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for Gaspé in 1804 and represented the region until 1814. He was named advocate general for the province in 1812. In 1820, he was named judge in the Court of King's Bench at Montreal. From 1839 to 1842, he took on the functions of chief justice, without receiving the title. In 1842, he retired from the bench at the request of Governor Sir Charles Bagot
.
In 1811, Pyke published Cases argued and determined in the Court of King's Bench for the district of Quebec in the province of Lower-Canada ..., the first collection of decisions compiled for Lower Canada.
Pyke owned a large amount of property in the Eastern Townships
and a large estate at Pointe-à-Cavagnal (later Hudson, Quebec
). He died at his estate in 1851.
His sister Anne married James Irvine
, who also served in the legislative assembly. His daughter Eliza Phoebe married Henry Pryor
, who became a member of the provincial assembly and mayor of Halifax.
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. His surname is sometimes recorded as Pike.
He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
in 1775, the son of John George Pyke
John George Pyke
John George Pyke was an English-born merchant and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Halifax County from 1785 to 1799 and Halifax Township from 1799 to 1800 and from 1802 to 1818 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly .He was the only child of John Pyke and Ann Scrope of Yorkshire...
, and studied law with Richard John Uniacke. He was called to the Quebec bar in 1796. In 1799, he was appointed deputy surveyor general for Lower Canada. Pyke was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
for Gaspé in 1804 and represented the region until 1814. He was named advocate general for the province in 1812. In 1820, he was named judge in the Court of King's Bench at Montreal. From 1839 to 1842, he took on the functions of chief justice, without receiving the title. In 1842, he retired from the bench at the request of Governor Sir Charles Bagot
Charles Bagot
Sir Charles Bagot, GCB was an English diplomat and colonial administrator who served as Governor General of the Province of Canada 1841-1843)....
.
In 1811, Pyke published Cases argued and determined in the Court of King's Bench for the district of Quebec in the province of Lower-Canada ..., the first collection of decisions compiled for Lower Canada.
Pyke owned a large amount of property in the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
and a large estate at Pointe-à-Cavagnal (later Hudson, Quebec
Hudson, Quebec
Hudson, Quebec, Canada, is a town with a population of 5,088 on the south-west bank of the lower Ottawa River, in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality. Situated about west of downtown Montreal, many residents commute to work on the Island of Montreal.- Location and...
). He died at his estate in 1851.
His sister Anne married James Irvine
James Irvine (Quebec businessman)
Lt.-Colonel The Hon. James Irvine J.P., M.P. was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.James Irvine was born in England in 1766, the son of Adam Irvine and Elizabeth , daughter of John Johnston , 4th laird of Outbrecks, Orkney...
, who also served in the legislative assembly. His daughter Eliza Phoebe married Henry Pryor
Henry Pryor
Henry Pryor was a lawyer, magistrate and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Halifax County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1859 to 1867....
, who became a member of the provincial assembly and mayor of Halifax.