Robert Barry Dickey (November 10, 1811 – July 14, 1903) was a participant in the conferences leading to the

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Canada, Dom ...

of 1867 and is therefore considered to be one of the

Fathers of Confederation The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...

. Born in Amherst, the son of Robert McGowan Dickey and Eleanor Chapman, he was educated at

Windsor Academy Windsor Academy is a private Christian school in Bibb County, Georgia, United States. The school provides education from preschool to high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually in ...

and later studied law with Alexander Stewart. He was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 1834, and to the New Brunswick bar in 1835. He was made a

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

in 1863. He served as both judge and registrar of probate in

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberlan ...

for 20 years. In 1844, he married Mary Blair, one of Alexander Stewart's daughters. Dickey was a director of the Nova Scotia Electric Telegraph Company and consular agent for the United States at

Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...

. From 1858 to 1867, Dickey was appointed to the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia. In 1867, he was appointed to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

representing the

senatorial division Canadian Senate divisions refers to two aspects of the Senate of Canada. First, it refers to the division of Canada into four regional Senate divisions of 24 senators each, as set out in section 22 of the Constitution Act, 1867.The Constitution Act ...

, Nova Scotia. A

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

, he served until his death in 1903. His son

Arthur Rupert Dickey Arthur Rupert Dickey, (August 18, 1854 – July 3, 1900) was a Canadian politician. Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, the son of Robert Barry Dickey, he was a lawyer before being elected to the House of Commons of Canada in an 1888 by-election ...

served as a member of the House of Commons. His daughter Mary married the English landscape architect

Henry Ernest Milner Henry Ernest Milner (18 April 1845 – 10 March 1906) was an English civil engineer and landscape architect. Personal life He was the son of landscape architect Edward Milner and his wife, Elizabeth Mary Kelly, who had eleven children, of who ...

References

External links

Library and Archives Canada Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dickey, Robert B. 1811 births 1903 deaths Canadian Presbyterians Canadian senators from Nova Scotia Fathers of Confederation Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators Members of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia People from Amherst, Nova Scotia Colony of Nova Scotia judges Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Canadian King's Counsel 19th-century King's Counsel