Benjamin Green (July 1, 1713 – October 14, 1772) was a merchant, judge and political figure in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

. He served as administrator for Nova Scotia in 1766 and from 1771 to 1772.

Career

He was secretary to

William Pepperrell Sir William Pepperrell, 1st Baronet (27 June 1696 – 6 July 1759) was a merchant and soldier in colonial Massachusetts. He is widely remembered for organizing, financing, and leading the 1745 expedition that captured the French fortr ...

, who led the attack against

Louisbourg Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The French military founded the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1713 and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, ...

in 1745, and served as treasurer for the forces from

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

and secretary for the council that administered Louisbourg after its capture. In 1749, he went to Halifax, where he was named to

Edward Cornwallis Edward Cornwallis ( – 14 January 1776) was a British career military officer and was a member of the aristocratic Cornwallis family, who reached the rank of Lieutenant General. After Cornwallis fought in Scotland, putting down the Jacobi ...

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 Counci ...

and also served as naval officer. (Greene named his son Edward Cornwallis in honour of the Governor.) Green was also judge in the

vice admiralty court Vice Admiralty Courts were juryless courts located in British colonies that were granted jurisdiction over local legal matters related to maritime activities, such as disputes between merchants and seamen. American Colonies American maritime act ...

; he resigned in 1753. In 1750, he became secretary to the Council and provincial treasurer. Green was named a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in 1760. While in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to assist in auditing the accounts of

Peregrine Thomas Hopson Peregrine Thomas Hopson (5 June 1696 – 27 February 1759) was a British army officer who commanded the 40th Regiment of Foot and saw extensive service during the eighteenth century and rose to the rank of Major General. He also served as Britis ...

, he had to defend himself against charges of assigning contracts to

Malachy Salter Malachy Salter (February 28, 1715 – January 13, 1781), a Nova Scotian merchant and office-holder, who was convicted of sedition for betraying the Loyalists during the American Revolution. Business career He operated a successful Boston di ...

in exchange for a share in the profits. He was reprimanded but allowed to retain his posts. During his term as administrator in 1766, he was criticized by the provincial assembly for not following the correct procedures for dealing with the provincial finances. Green resigned his post as provincial treasurer in 1768, citing poor health. Benjamin Greene, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Benjamin Greene, Old Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Governor's House, Halifax, Nova Scotia (inset) by Dominic Serres, c

Family

He was born in Salem Village (later

Danvers, Massachusetts Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the renowned beaches of Glo ...

), the son of the Reverend Joseph Green and Elizabeth Gerrish, and entered business with his brothers in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. In 1737, he married Margaret Pierce. He died at Halifax at the age of 59 and is buried in the

Old Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia) The Old Burying Ground (also known as St. Paul's Church Cemetery) is a historic cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Barrington Street and Spring Garden Road in Downtown Halifax. History The Old Buryi ...

. An audit of the provincial accounts following his death found them deficient. Two of his daughters married the Newton brothers:

John Newton (Nova Scotia politician) John Newton (1727 – August 22, 1811) was a surveyor, official and political figure in Nova Scotia. He served as a member of the 2nd General Assembly of Nova Scotia for Annapolis Township and then represented Halifax County from 1770 to 1772 ...

and

Henry Newton (politician) Henry Newton may refer to: * Henry Newton (MP for Wells) (c. 1531–1599), English politician * Sir Henry Puckering, 3rd Baronet (1618–1701), previously Sir Henry Newton, English royalist and politician * Henry Newton (Canadian politician) (173 ...

Legacy

* namesake of Green Street, Halifax * Green kept a Journal for William Pepperrell of the Siege of Louisburg (1744): * Great grandfather of Major Parker, of the

Sebastopol Monument The Sebastopol Monument (also known as the Crimean War monument and the Welsford-Parker Monument) is a triumphal arch that is located in the Old Burial Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The arch commemorates the Siege of Sevastopol (1854� ...

Links

A sermon, occasioned by the death of Mrs. Margaret Green; consort of the late Honourable Benjamin Green, esq; delivered at Halifax, in the province of Nova-Scotia, February 1st, 1778 (Halifax, [1778?])

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Benjamin 1713 births 1772 deaths Governors of the Colony of Nova Scotia Colony of Nova Scotia judges People from Danvers, Massachusetts

Career

Family

Legacy

Links

See also

References