Moses French Colby
Encyclopedia
Moses French Colby was a doctor and politician in Canada East
.
He was born in Thornton, New Hampshire
in 1795 but moved to Derby, Vermont
with his family in 1798. He studied medicine with the local doctor there, then went on to further medical studies at Yale College
and Dartmouth College
. He returned to Derby to practice. In 1828, he studied anatomy at Harvard College
. In 1832, after qualifying as a physician in Lower Canada
, Colby moved to Stanstead
. Besides practicing medicine, he also contributed to medical journals and produced his own remedies. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for Stanstead
in an 1837 by-election and served until March 27, 1838, when the province was put under the rule of a special council
after the Lower Canada Rebellion
. He ran unsuccessfully in 1841 for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
. In 1847, he was named surgeon for the local militia regiment. He died at Stanstead in 1863.
His son, Charles Carroll Colby
, later represented Stanstead in the Canadian House of Commons.
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
.
He was born in Thornton, New Hampshire
Thornton, New Hampshire
Thornton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,490 at the 2010 census.- History :Thornton was incorporated in 1763, and named for Doctor Matthew Thornton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.- Geography :...
in 1795 but moved to Derby, Vermont
Derby, Vermont
Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,604 at the 2000 census. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Salem and North Derby; and two incorporated villages: Derby Center and Derby Line...
with his family in 1798. He studied medicine with the local doctor there, then went on to further medical studies at Yale College
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. He returned to Derby to practice. In 1828, he studied anatomy at Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
. In 1832, after qualifying as a physician in 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...
, Colby moved to Stanstead
Stanstead, Quebec
Stanstead is a town of about 3,000 people, part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Québec. Stanstead is located on the Canada-United States border across from Derby Line, Vermont....
. Besides practicing medicine, he also contributed to medical journals and produced his own remedies. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
for Stanstead
Stanstead (electoral district)
Stanstead was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968.It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. It consisted initially of the Townships of Stanstead, Barnston, Hatley, Barford, and Magog East and West.In...
in an 1837 by-election and served until March 27, 1838, when the province was put under the rule of a special council
Special Council of Lower Canada
The Special Council of Lower Canada was an appointed body which administered Lower Canada until the Union Act of 1840 created the Province of Canada. Following the Lower Canada Rebellion, on March 27, 1838, the Constitutional Act of 1791 was suspended and both the Legislative Assembly and...
after the Lower Canada Rebellion
Lower Canada Rebellion
The Lower Canada Rebellion , commonly referred to as the Patriots' War by Quebeckers, is the name given to the armed conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada and the British colonial power of that province...
. He ran unsuccessfully in 1841 for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
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 1847, he was named surgeon for the local militia regiment. He died at Stanstead in 1863.
His son, Charles Carroll Colby
Charles Carroll Colby
Charles Carroll Colby, was a Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician.He was born in Derby, Vermont in 1827, the son of Moses French Colby, and came to Stanstead, Quebec with his family in 1832. He studied at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He studied law, was called to the Quebec bar in...
, later represented Stanstead in the Canadian House of Commons.