Nova Scotia Council

Formally known as "His Majesty's Council of Nova Scotia", the Nova Scotia Council (1720–1838) was the original British administrative, legislative and judicial body in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Council was also known as the Annapolis Council (prior to 1749) and the Halifax Council (after 1749). After 1749, when the judicial courts were established, the Nova Scotia Council was limited to administrative and legislative powers.

For the Scouting and Guiding organization, see Nova Scotia Council (Canada).
Governor of Nova Scotia Richard Philipps, created the Nova Scotia Council (1720)

There was no legislative assembly in British-ruled Nova Scotia from the time of the conquest in 1710 until during the Seven Years' War in 1758. The Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations (or simply the Board of Trade) in London through much of the 1750s pressured the various governors in Nova Scotia to establish the General Assembly of Nova Scotia. The lack of civil government with an elected assembly was a drawback to attracting settlers from the older, established colonies of New England where the population was expanding and seeking new lands. New Englanders wanted guarantees that they would have governmental institutions the same as or similar to what they had become accustomed in New England. In 1758 the Board of Trade, anxious to attract settlers to found new townships, ordered Col. Charles Lawrence to hold an election and convene an assembly.[1]

When the 1st General Assembly was established in 1758, the Nova Scotia Council became its Upper House until 1838, when the Council was divided into the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council was subsequently dissolved in 1928.

Council at Annapolis Royal

Governor Richard Philipps (1720–22)
Paul Mascarene by John Smibert, 1729

Administrator John Doucett (1722–1725)

Lt. Governor Lawrence Armstrong (1725–1739)
  • Erasmus James Philipps [2]
  • Paul Mascarene
  • William Winniett[3]
  • William Skene
  • John Adams
  • William Shirreff
  • Otho Hamilton[4]

Lt. Governor Alexander Cosby (1739–1740)

Lt. Governor Paul Mascarene (1740–1749)

Council at Halifax
Edward Cornwallis - established the Nova Scotia Council at Halifax (1749)
The table first used by Edward Cornwallis and the Nova Scotia Council (1749), The Red Chamber of Province House (Nova Scotia)
Benjamin Green by Joseph Blackburn
Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd Baronet

Governor Edward Cornwallis (1749-1752)

Governor Peregrine Hopson (1752-1753)

Governor Charles Lawrence (1753-1760)

Lt. Governor Jonathan Belcher (1760-1763)

Governor Montague Wilmot (1763-1766)

Governor William Campbell (1766-1773)

Governor Francis Legge (1773-1776)

Lieutenant-Governor Mariot Arbuthnot (1776-1778)

Lieutenant-Governor Andrew Hammond (1781-1782)

Governor John Parr (1782-1786)

Lieutenant-Governor John Parr (1786-1791)

Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Wentworth (1792-1808)

Lieutenant-Governor George Prévost (1808-1811)

Lieutenant-Governor John Coape Sherbrooke (1811-1816)

Lieutenant-Governor George Ramsay (1816-1820)
  • Robert Stanser 1816-? retired 1824, but left for England 1817. (2nd Anglican bishop of NS)
  • James Fraser 1818-1822
  • H. Binney 1819-?

Lieutenant-Governor James Kempt (1820-1828)

Lieutenant-Governor Peregrine Maitland (1828-1834)

Lieutenant-Governor Colin Campbell (1834-1840)

1838 Council divided into Executive and Legislative Councils

See also

References

Primary reference for section Council at Halifax: Haliburton, Thomas C. (1829). An historical and statistical account of Nova-Scotia. Halifax: Joseph Howe. p. 319-320.

  1. Kenneth S. Paulsen, Ph.D.: The Provincial Election of "1758: The First Vote in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 156:2 (April 2002)
  2. Godfrey, William G. (1974). "Philipps, Erasmus James". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. III (1741–1770) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  3. "Biography – WINNIETT, WILLIAM – Volume III (1741-1770) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".
  4. Godfrey, William G. (1974). "Hamilton, Otho". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. III (1741–1770) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. He was the father of Captain John Hamilton who was taken into captivity and later involved in the removal of the Acadians at Annapolis.
  5. Pincombe, C. Alexander (1974). "How, Edward". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. III (1741–1770) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  6. "Selections from the public documents of the province of Nova Scotia" (Atkins, 1869) p.570
  7. "Selections from the public documents of the province of Nova Scotia" (Atkins, 1869) p.572
  8. Hamilton, William B. (1974). "Collier, John". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. III (1741–1770) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  9. "Selections from the public documents of the province of Nova Scotia" (Atkins, 1869) p.256 footnote
  10. Blakeley, Phyllis R (1979–2016). "Bulkeley, Richard". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  11. Graham, Dominick (1974). "Lawrence, Charles". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. III (1741–1770) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  12. Akins (1895). "History of Halifax City". Collections of the Nova Scotia Historical Society. 8: 38.
  13. Hippen, James C. (1974). "Saul, Thomas". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. III (1741–1770) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  14. Patterson, Stephen E. (1983). "Perley, Israel". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. V (1801–1820) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  15. Sutherland, D. A. (1983). "Forsyth, William (d. 1814)". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. V (1801–1820) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  16. Cahill, J. B. (1987). "Hill, Charles". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. VI (1821–1835) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
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