Henry Allcock
Encyclopedia
Henry Allcock was a judge and political figure in Upper
and Lower Canada
.
His family was from Edgbaston
and he was born in Birmingham
, England
in 1759 and studied law at Lincoln's Inn
in London
. He was called to the bar in 1791. In 1798, he was appointed judge in the Court of King's Bench of Upper Canada
. In 1800, he was elected to the 3rd Parliament of Upper Canada
representing Durham
, Simcoe
and 1st York
. However, a petition was raised citing irregularities on the part of his agent and he was unseated. Angus Macdonell
won the seat in a by-election.
He presided over the trial of John Small
for the murder of John White in a duel
. Small was set free. In 1802, he became chief justice for Upper Canada and, in 1803, he was appointed to the Executive Council
for the province.
In 1805, he became chief justice and a member of the Executive Council for Lower Canada
despite support for another candidate, Jonathan Sewell
, by the upper class of the province and the lieutenant governor. He was named speaker for the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
in January 1808.
He died of a fever at Quebec City
in 1808, while in office.
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...
and Lower Canada
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 family was from Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
and he was born in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, 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 1759 and studied law at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in 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...
. He was called to the bar in 1791. In 1798, he was appointed judge in the Court of King's Bench of 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...
. In 1800, he was elected to the 3rd Parliament of Upper Canada
3rd Parliament of Upper Canada
The 3rd Parliament of Upper Canada was opened 28 May 1801. Elections in Upper Canada had been held in July 1800. All sessions were held at Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada in York, Upper Canada...
representing Durham
Durham County, Ontario
Durham County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County,...
, Simcoe
Simcoe County, Ontario
Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
and 1st York
York County, Ontario
York County is a historic county in Upper Canada, Canada West, and the Canadian province of Ontario.York County was created in 1792 and was part of the jurisdiction of Home District of Upper Canada...
. However, a petition was raised citing irregularities on the part of his agent and he was unseated. Angus Macdonell
Angus Macdonell
Angus Macdonell was a lawyer and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Inverness-shire, Scotland, the son of Allan McDonell and brother of Alexander Macdonell, and came to the estate of William Johnson in the Mohawk Valley of New York in 1773 as part of a large emigration by members of...
won the seat in a by-election.
He presided over the trial of John Small
John Small (1746-1841)
John Small was a political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Cirencester, England in 1746. In 1792, he was appointed clerk of the Executive Council of Upper Canada. He was also a justice of the peace and a lieutenant in the militia.In January 1800, he fought a duel with John White, the...
for the murder of John White in a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
. Small was set free. In 1802, he became chief justice for Upper Canada and, in 1803, he was appointed to the Executive Council
Executive Council of Upper Canada
The Executive Council of Upper Canada had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly. Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the Legislative Assembly but were usually members of the Legislative Council. Members were...
for the province.
In 1805, he became chief justice and a member of the Executive Council for Lower Canada
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...
despite support for another candidate, Jonathan Sewell
Jonathan Sewell
Jonathan Sewell was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada.-Early life:He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of the last British attorney general of Massachusetts...
, by the upper class of the province and the lieutenant governor. He was named speaker for the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
Legislative Council of Lower Canada
The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. The legislative council was...
in January 1808.
He died of a fever at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in 1808, while in office.