Читать книгу A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography - Various - Страница 102

Stockton, Alfred Augustus

Оглавление

Table of Contents

Stockton, Alfred Augustus, Barrister-at-Law, D.C.L., Ph.D., LL.D., M.P.P. for the city and county of St. John, New Brunswick, residence, St. John, was born November 2nd, 1842, at Studholm, Kings county, N.B. His father is William A. Stockton, of Sussex, Kings county, N.B., and his mother, Sarah, daughter of the late Robert Oldfield, who came to this country from Stockport, England. He is descended on the paternal side from Richard Stockton, who emigrated from Cheshire, England, some years prior to 1660, settled for a short time in Long Island, New York, and afterwards removed to Princeton, New Jersey, where he became the grantee of extensive tracts of land. His great-great-grandfather was Richard Witham Stockton, who was born at Princeton, N.J., in 1733, and was a cousin of his namesake who signed the Declaration of Independence. Richard W. Stockton served under the Crown with the rank of major during the war of the revolution. His son, Andrew Hunter Stockton (Mr. Stockton’s great-grandfather), also served under the Crown, with the rank of lieutenant, throughout the revolutionary war, and at its close they both, with other members of the family, came with the U. E. loyalists to St. John, then known as Parr Town. They were among the original grantees of that city. They subsequently removed to Sussex, Kings county, and became grantees of extensive tracts of land there. His great-grandfather, Lieutenant Andrew Hunter Stockton, was married at St. John (Parr Town) on the 4th day of April, 1784, to Hannah Lester. It was the first marriage which took place at Parr Town. Alfred A. Stockton was educated at the Academy and at the University of Mount Allison College, Sackville, N.B.; graduated B.A. there in 1864, being the valedictorian of his class, and M.A. in 1867. He also graduated LL.B. at Victoria University, Cobourg, Ontario, in 1869; Ph.D., on examination at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1883, and received the degree of D.C.L. from the University of Mount Allison in 1884; also LL.D. in course from Victoria University in 1887. He studied law with his uncle, the late C. W. Stockton, and was admitted to the bar of New Brunswick in Trinity term, 1868, and was for some years senior member of the law firm of A. A. and R. O. Stockton, of St. John, N.B. This legal firm having been dissolved, he is now practising law on his own account. As an advocate and as a speaker, Mr. Stockton stands high, and has done good service for his profession in compiling the rules of the Vice-Admiralty Court of New Brunswick, and editing in 1882, with very extensive notes, “Berton’s Reports of the Supreme Court of New Brunswick.” He is an examiner for degrees at the University of Mount Allison in political economy and constitutional history, and in law at Victoria University; is also registrar of the Court of Vice-Admiralty of New Brunswick; a director of the Provincial Building Society of New Brunswick, and legal adviser of the same; a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Mount Allison College and secretary of the Board; president of the Historical Society of New Brunswick; a member of the Council of the Barristers’ Society of the province; a director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and also its legal adviser and prosecuting counsel. He was at one time a director of the St. John Mechanics’ Institute and corresponding secretary of that corporation. In July, 1883, a vacancy having occurred in the New Brunswick Assembly, in consequence of the death of the Hon. Wm. Elder, LL.D., the provincial secretary, on the 23rd of August following, Mr. Stockton was elected to the House of Assembly to represent the city and county of St. John, to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Elder’s death. He was returned again for the same constituency at the last general election in April, 1886. He was appointed in June, 1887, by the government of New Brunswick, an advisory and honorary member of the commission to report upon the amendment of the “Law and Practice and Constitution of the Courts of that Province.” Mr. Stockton was opposed to the confederation of the provinces under the terms of the Act of Union, but favoured a union of the Maritime provinces. Having been brought up in the old school of New Brunswick Liberals, he is naturally opposed to the policy of protection so-called. He is a Liberal in Dominion politics, and in favour of manhood suffrage, and thinks the lieutenant-governors of the different provinces should be elected by the people of the province at large, and that the Senate of Canada should be elected for a specific term either by the direct vote of the constituencies or by the Provincial legislatures. He has always taken an active interest in higher education, and has written considerable for publication on different subjects. At one time was one of the editors of the Maritime Monthly, since ceased publication, and also a correspondent of La Revue Critique of Montreal, which has also stopped publication. Mr. Stockton for a number of years took an active interest in military affairs, and held a commission as captain in the militia of the province at the time of the union in 1867. He is a past master of the Masonic order, and a member of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick. He is also prominently identified with the temperance reform movement. In religious matters he is a member of the Methodist denomination, and has always belonged to that church, and at present is one of the trustees of the Centenary Methodist Church in St. John. He was married on the 5th September, 1871, to Amelia E., second daughter of the Rev. Humphrey Pickard, D.D., of Sackville, N.B., who was for over a quarter of a century president of the educational institutions at Sackville, and one of the most prominent educationists of the Maritime provinces of Canada.

A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography

Подняться наверх