John Babington Macaulay Baxter

John Babington Macaulay Baxter PC KC DCL (February 16, 1868 – December 27, 1946) was a New Brunswick lawyer, jurist and the 19th premier of New Brunswick.

For other people named John Baxter, see John Baxter (disambiguation).
The Honourable
John Babington Macaulay Baxter
PC KC DCL
John B. M. Baxter as Chief Justice
19th Premier of New Brunswick
In office
September 14, 1925 – May 19, 1931
MonarchGeorge V
Lieutenant GovernorWilliam Frederick Todd
Hugh Havelock McLean
Preceded byPeter J. Veniot
Succeeded byCharles D. Richards
MLA for Saint John County
In office
December 7, 1911 – December 6, 1921
Serving with Allister F. Bentley, Thomas B. Carson, L. Murray Curran
Preceded byJames Lowell
Succeeded byAllister F. Bentley
In office
August 10, 1925 – May 19, 1931
Preceded byAllister F. Bentley
Succeeded byRobert McAllister
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for St. John—Albert
In office
December 6, 1921 – July 23, 1925
Serving with Murray MacLaren
Preceded byRupert Wilson Wigmore
Succeeded byThomas Bell
Personal details
Born(1868-02-16)February 16, 1868
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
DiedDecember 27, 1946(1946-12-27) (aged 78)
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Grace W. Coster
​
(m. 1924)​
ChildrenJohn B.M. Jr.; Frederick Coster Noel; Eleanor Crowden; and Mary Faith
Alma materKing's College
Occupationlawyer, jurist
Professionpolitician

Baxter served in the Canadian Army and was the author of Historical Records of the New Brunswick Regiment, Royal Artillery, the unit he commanded from 1907 to 1912. He also had a keen interest in genealogy and in 1943 the New Brunswick Museum published his book titled Simon Baxter - The first United Empire Loyalist to settle in New Brunswick, (Canada).

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, John Baxter served on the municipal council for eighteen years from 1892 to 1910. A Conservative Party member, he was elected to the 32nd New Brunswick Legislative Assembly in 1911. He was appointed Attorney-General of the province, holding that office from 1915 to 1917. He entered federal politics and served as Minister of Customs and Excise under Prime Minister Arthur Meighen in 1921 before taking over the leadership of the provincial Conservative party and leading it to victory in 1925.

Baxter was a leader of the Maritime Rights Movement which expressed the discontent felt by the maritime provinces concerning their loss of influence in the Canadian confederation dominated by the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

He left politics in 1931 and was appointed Chief Justice of the New Brunswick Supreme Court in 1935 serving until his death. His son, John B. M. Baxter, Jr., later served in the cabinet of Richard Hatfield. He is the great grandfather of Luke Macaulay Baxter, the son of Kirk Macaulay Baxter.

He died in West Saint John in 1946 at 78.[1]

References
  1. "Hon. J. B. M. Baxter Dies at Saint John". The Ottawa Journal. 27 December 1946. pp. 1, 12. Retrieved 24 December 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading
  • Arthur T. Doyle, Front Benches and Back Rooms: A story of corruption, muckraking, raw partisanship and political intrigue in New Brunswick, Toronto: Green Tree Publishing, 1976.
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