Hiram Blanchard
| Hiram Blanchard | |
|---|---|
| 1st Premier of Nova Scotia | |
|
In office July 4, 1867 – September 30, 1867 |
|
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Lieutenant Governor |
Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet, of Kars Charles Hastings Doyle |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | William Annand |
| MLA for Inverness County | |
|
In office May 12, 1859 – October 22, 1868 Serving with Peter Smyth, Hugh McDonald, Samuel McDonnell, Alexander Campbell, Duncan J. Campbell |
|
| Preceded by |
William Young Peter Smyth |
| Succeeded by | Hugh McDonald |
|
In office May 16, 1871 – December 17, 1874 Serving with Duncan J. Campbell, John McKinnon |
|
| Preceded by | Hugh McDonald |
| Succeeded by | Allan MacMaster |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 17, 1820 West River, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | December 17, 1874 (aged 54) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party |
Liberal Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Eliza Cantrell (m. 1842) |
| Relations | Jotham Blanchard (brother) |
| Children | 4 daughters |
| Residence | Port Hood, Nova Scotia |
| Alma mater | Pictou Academy |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Profession | politician |
Hiram Blanchard (January 17, 1820 – December 17, 1874) was a Nova Scotia lawyer, politician, and the first Premier of the province of Nova Scotia. Blanchard won election to the Nova Scotia legislative assembly in Inverness in 1859 as a Liberal.
Hiram Blanchard was born in West River, Nova Scotia on January 17, 1820 to father Jonathan Blanchard and mother Sarah Goggins. Hiram attended the same school as his brother, Jotham Blanchard, Pictou Academy. After graduating, Blanchard began studying law at Guysborough, Nova Scotia with future Nova Scotia House of Assembly member William Frederick DesBarres and was admitted to the bar as an attorney at age 21 in November 1841. Marrying Eliza Cantrell in 1842, he was admitted to the bar as a barrister in April 1843. Shortly after his admission to the bar, Blanchard opened up a law office in the small seaside village of Port Hood, Nova Scotia, practising in the law courts of Antigonish and Guysborough. In a short time, Blanchard gained a reputation amongst those in the legal profession for his skill in examining witnesses and clear presentation of facts.
In 1860, Blanchard moved to Halifax and became engaged in a partnership with Jonathan McCully, then Solicitor General and railway commissioner in the government of Joseph Howe. There, he argued against characters such as James MacDonald, the future federal Minister of Justice and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. Charles James Townshend, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, observed the courtroom encounters of McCully and Blanchard, commenting "... it was delightful and instructive to listen to [their] forensic battle. Both were men of high and honourable character, incapable of any unworthy schemes to win their cases." In 1870, Blanchard became partners with Nicholas Meagher, future Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
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