Jacob Van Buskirk was a merchant, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. He represented Shelburne County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Nova Scotia House of Assembly

The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...

 from 1805 to 1818.

He was born in Bergen County, New Jersey

Bergen County, New Jersey

Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...

, the son of Abraham Van Buskirk and Sophia Van Dam. He was a lieutenant in the loyalist New Jersey Volunteers

New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)

The New Jersey Volunteers was a British provincial regiment raised for service during the American Revolutionary War.-Regimental history:...

 during the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

. He was captured but then released and rejoined his regiment. In 1781, he was wounded at Eutaw Springs

Battle of Eutaw Springs

The Battle of Eutaw Springs was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, and was the last major engagement of the war in the Carolinas.-Background:...

. Van Buskirk settled in the Shelburne

Shelburne, Nova Scotia

Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...

 region in 1783. In 1790, he married Sarah Breen. He originally planned on farming but some time later established himself as a merchant at Shelburne. Van Buskirk was named a 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 1802 and a judge in the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1810. He also later served as provincial collector for impost and excise duties. Van Buskirk joined the local militia as major, later becoming lieutenant-colonel. After his wife's death in 1832, he moved to Yarmouth

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...

to live with his son-in-law John Bingay; he died there two years later.