James Bethune
Encyclopedia
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
lawyer and political figure. He represented Stormont
Stormont (electoral district)
Stormont was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1882, 1904 to 1917, and 1925 to 1968. It was located in the eastern part of the province of Ontario....
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
member from 1872 to 1879.
He was born in Glengarry County
Glengarry County, Ontario
thumb|right|Glengarry located within OntarioGlengarry County , an area covering , is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario, and is historically known for its settlement of Scottish Highlanders due to the Highland Clearances.Glengarry was founded in 1792 by Scottish loyalists, mainly from...
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...
in 1840. He studied at Queen's College
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
and University College
University College, University of Toronto
University College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its secularism contrasted with contemporary...
. He articled in law, was called to the bar in 1862 and opened a practice in Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
. In 1865, he was named County Crown Attorney for Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario
The United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry is an upper tier county and census division in the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Cornwall...
. He was called to the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
bar in 1869. He was elected to the 2nd Parliament of Ontario
2nd Parliament of Ontario
The 2nd Parliament of Ontario was in session from March 21, 1871 until December 23, 1874, just prior to the 1875 general election. The majority party was the Ontario Liberal Party led by Edward Blake; Oliver Mowat replaced Blake as premier in October 1872...
for Stormont in an 1872 by-election and was reelected in 1875. In 1870, he moved to 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...
and formed a law firm with Edward Blake
Edward Blake
Dominick Edward Blake, PC, QC , known as Edward Blake, was the second Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1871 to 1872 and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1880 to 1887...
and James Kirkpatrick Kerr
James Kirkpatrick Kerr
James Kirkpatrick Kerr, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and Senator. He served as Speaker of the Canadian Senate during the 11th Parliament from 14 January 1909 to 22 October 1911....
. He retired from politics in 1879.