Marshall Spring Bidwell (February 16, 1799 – October 24, 1872) was a lawyer and political figure in

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

. He was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in 1799, the son of politician Barnabas Bidwell. His family settled in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

in Upper Canada before the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. He studied with a law firm in Kingston and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1821. When his father was unseated in 1821 based on allegations of misappropriation of funds in Massachusetts, Bidwell presented himself as a candidate but was declared ineligible. In the April 1823 Lennox and Addington by-election, Bidwell ran against George Ham of

where Ham won by 13 votes.

Canadian political career

Bidwell ran in the byelection for Lennox & Addington to replace his father, who had been barred from taking his seat by the legislature. Bidwell was disqualified by the election returning officer under the assumption that if his father was ineligible to run for office Bidwell was unqualified, too. After the byelection, the legislature voided the results because of Bidwell's disqualification. In the second byelection, the returning officer again disqualified Bidwell under similar pretences but the legislature voided the second results. The 1824 general election was called before another byelection could be held and Bidwell was able to run and become elected to the 9th Parliament of Upper Canada. He held the seat until 1836. In 1826 Bidwell represented

William Lyon Mackenzie William Lyon Mackenzie (March12, 1795 August28, 1861) was a Scottish-born Canadian-American journalist and politician. He founded newspapers critical of the Family Compact, a term used to identify the establishment of Upper Canada. He represe ...

in his civil lawsuit against rioters in the Types Riot. In 1828, he helped introduce a bill which made it easier for American-born residents to become citizens. He also lobbied for

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive br ...

within the province. In 1828, he was elected speaker for the assembly. Although he did not take part in the

Upper Canada Rebellion The Upper Canada Rebellion was an insurrection against the Oligarchy, oligarchic government of the British colony of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) in December 1837. While public grievances had existed for years, it was the Lower Canada Rebe ...

, his name appeared on a banner carried by the rebels and he was forced to leave the province in December 1837. Some sources believe that Lieutenant Governor Sir

Francis Bond Head Sir Francis Bond Head, 1st Baronet KCH PC (7 December 1793 – 20 July 1875) was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada during the rebellion of 1837. Biography Head was an officer in the corps of Royal Engineers of the British Army from 181 ...

forced Bidwell out of the province because Head's refusal to appoint Bidwell as a judge in the province was a factor in his dismissal by the British Colonial Office.

Return to the United States

Bidwell returned to the United States, settling in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He was admitted to the New York bar and in 1838 became a partner in George Washington Strong's law firm, which would later become Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft. Bidwell died in

in 1872, aged 73.

Footnotes

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''Marshall Spring Bidwell family fonds
Archives of Ontario {{DEFAULTSORT:Bidwell, Marshall Spring 1799 births 1872 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada American emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Lawyers in Ontario New York (state) lawyers People from Stockbridge, Massachusetts People from Lennox and Addington County Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada Immigrants to Upper Canada People associated with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft 19th-century American lawyers