Martin Isaac Wilkins was a lawyer 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...

, Canada. He represented Pictou Township 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 1851 to 1859 and from 1867 to 1871.

He was born in Halifax

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...

, Nova Scotia, the son of Lewis Morris Wilkins

Lewis Morris Wilkins (speaker)

Lewis Morris Wilkins was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Lunenburg in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1799 to 1817...

 and Sarah Creighton. He studied at King's College

University of King's College

The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....

 in Windsor

Windsor, Nova Scotia

Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...

, was admitted to the bar in 1828 and set up practice in Pictou

Pictou, Nova Scotia

Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....

. Wilkins married Jane Mortimer (Wallace). He was editor for the Pictou Observer. He was the province's solicitor general from 1857 to 1859. Wilkins was opposed to Confederation

Canadian Confederation

Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...

. In 1867, he published a pamphlet that argued that Confederation was unconstitutional. He served as the province's attorney general from 1867 to 1871. Wilkins was named protonotary for the province's Supreme Court in Halifax in 1871. He died in Halifax at the age of 76.

His brother Lewis Morris Wilkins

Lewis Morris Wilkins

Lewis Morris Wilkins was a lawyer, judge and political figure. He represented Windsor Township from 1833 to 1838 and from 1852 to 1856 and Hants County from 1843 to 1847 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly....

also served in the province's assembly.