Matthew Baillie Begbie
| Matthew Baillie Begbie | |
|---|---|
Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie
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| Born | 9 May 1819 Mauritius |
| Died | June 11, 1894 (aged 75) Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | |
| Known for | Chief Justice, Colony of British Columbia |
Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie (9 May 1819 – 11 June 1894) was born on the island of Mauritius, thereafter raised and educated in the United Kingdom. In 1858, Begbie became the first Chief Justice of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in colonial times and in the first decades after confederation of Canada.
Begbie served as the first Judge of the Supreme Court, Colony of British Columbia 1858 to 1866 and then, in the same capacity in the Supreme Court, the United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia from 1866 to 1870. He was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Colonies from 1870 to 1871 and, following British Columbia joining confederation in 1871, he served as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the new Province of British Columbia until his death on June 11, 1894.
In the years after his death, Begbie came to be known as the Hanging Judge.
The son of an Army Colonel, Begbie was born on a British ship en route to the island of Mauritius, where he lived until he was seven, returning with his parents to Great Britain where he pursued his education. From the age of eleven to seventeen he was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey where he held the school number 328. His brother Thomas Stirling Begbie (329) attended the school at the same time. Begbie received his first degree from Peterhouse at the University of Cambridge, where he studied mathematics and the classics. He was involved in a great number of extracurricular activities, including singing and acting in amateur productions, dining societies, playing chess, rowing, and tennis. After Cambridge, Begbie went on to study law at Lincoln's Inn. He established a successful law practice in London before heading to British Columbia for a new position in government.
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