George Skeffington Connor
Encyclopedia
George Skeffington Connor, QC
(1810 – April 29, 1863) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Canada West.
He was born in Dublin, Ireland
in 1810 and graduated with a law degree from Trinity College
. He came to Canada
in 1832 and settled near Orillia
in Upper Canada
. He returned to Ireland in 1834 and was called to the bar there in 1838; he went back to Canada, was called to the bar in 1842 and set up practice with William Hume Blake
and Joseph Curran Morrison
in Toronto
. In 1850, he was named QC
. In 1848, he became professor of law at King's College (later the University of Toronto
) teaching until 1853. He also served as solicitor for the University and served as chancellor in 1863. In 1857, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly
in the South riding of Oxford
; he was elected again in 1861. In 1863, he resigned to become puisne
judge in the Court of Queen's Bench.
He died in Toronto in 1863 after an epileptic
seizure.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(1810 – April 29, 1863) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Canada West.
He was born in Dublin, Ireland
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...
in 1810 and graduated with a law degree from Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. He came to Canada
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...
in 1832 and settled near Orillia
Orillia, Ontario
Orillia, pronounced ōrĭl'ēə, is a city located in Simcoe County in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, 135 kilometres north of Toronto.Originally incorporated as a village in 1867, the history of...
in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. He returned to Ireland in 1834 and was called to the bar there in 1838; he went back to Canada, was called to the bar in 1842 and set up practice with William Hume Blake
William Hume Blake
William Hume Blake, QC was a Canadian jurist and politician. He was the father of Edward Blake, an Ontario Premier and federal Liberal party of Canada leader....
and Joseph Curran Morrison
Joseph Curran Morrison
Joseph Curran Morrison was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Canada West.He was born in Ireland in 1816 and came to Upper Canada with his family in 1830. He studied at Upper Canada College, studied law, articled with Simon Ebenezer Washburn and was called to the bar in 1839...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In 1850, he was named QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
. In 1848, he became professor of law at King's College (later the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
) teaching until 1853. He also served as solicitor for the University and served as chancellor in 1863. In 1857, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
in the South riding of Oxford
Oxford County, Ontario
Oxford County is a regional municipality and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Southern portion of the province. The regional seat is in Woodstock...
; he was elected again in 1861. In 1863, he resigned to become puisne
Puisne
Puisne is a legal term of art used mainly in British English meaning "inferior in rank." It is pronounced like the word puny, and the word, so spelled, has become an ordinary adjective meaning weak or undersized.The judges and barons of the common law courts at...
judge in the Court of Queen's Bench.
He died in Toronto in 1863 after an epileptic
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
seizure.