Nelson Gordon Bigelow (April 22, 1840 – November 4, 1892) was a Canadian lawyer and political figure in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. He represented

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

in 1892. He was born in Tecumseh Township,

Simcoe County Simcoe County is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. The county is just north of the Greater Toronto Area, stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west. Simcoe County forms part of the ...

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in 1840, the son of Hiram Bigelow, and studied at Victoria University in Cobourg. He then articled with John McNabb and Kenneth MacKenzie and was called to the bar in 1867. In 1874, he married Minerva Edna, the daughter of Delino Dexter Calvin. Bigelow was named

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister o ...

in 1889. He served as a member of the Senate for Victoria University. Bigelow was elected to the provincial legislature in an 1892 by-election held after the death of

Henry Edward Clarke Henry Edward Clarke (March 20, 1829 – March 25, 1892) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Toronto West from 1883 to 1886 and Toronto from 1886 to 1892 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative. He ...

. In 1879, Bigelow and Dalton McCarthy successfully defended

Emily Stowe Emily Howard Stowe (née Jennings, May 1, 1831 – April 30, 1903) was a Canadian physician who was the first female physician to practise in Canada, the second licensed female physician in Canada and an activist for women's rights and suff ...

, a female physician generally thought to be the first white female to practice medicine in Canada, against charges of attempting to procure an abortion. He died in office in 1892.

External links

Member's parliamentary history for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario''Toronto, old and new : a memorial volume ...'', GM Adam & H Scadding (1891)''The Celebrated Abortion Trial of Dr. Emily Stowe, Toronto, 1879'', CB Backhouse
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigelow, Nelson G 1840 births 1892 deaths Ontario Liberal Party MPPs