Samuel Denny Street (May 16, 1752 – December 11, 1830) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-born lawyer and political figure in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) 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. It is the only province with both English and ...

. He represented

Sunbury County Sunbury County (2016 population 27,644) is located in central New Brunswick, Canada. A large military base (CFB Gagetown) is located in the western part of the county south of the town of Oromocto. The county also hosts forestry and mixed farm ...

in the

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick A legislature is an deliberative assembly, assembly with the authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country or city. They are often contrasted with the Executive (government), executive and Judiciary, ...

from 1795 to 1802 and from 1809 to 1816.

Career

Youth and military service

He was born in

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

, the son of Thomas Street and Ann Lee. Street apprenticed with a

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

attorney and practiced law for a time before joining the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. During his time in the navy he served under Lieutenant-General

Thomas Gage General Thomas Gage (10 March 1718/192 April 1787) was a British Army general officer and colonial official best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as British commander-in-chief in the early days of the ...

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 ...

. After his discharge from the navy he went to

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

in 1776, joined the

Royal Fencible Americans The Royal Fencible American Regiment of Foot (or RFA) was a Loyalist battalion of infantry raised in 1775 to defend British interests in the colony of Nova Scotia. The RFA was commanded by Lt. Col. Joseph Goreham throughout its existence. The most ...

, and was sent to Fort Cumberland (near

Sackville, New Brunswick Sackville is a town in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. It is home to Mount Allison University, a primarily undergraduate liberal arts university. Historically based on agriculture, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, the economy is now driven ...

) later that year with his regiment. While stationed at Fort Cumberland in 1778, he married Abigail Freeman. Street took part in a number of missions to

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. In 1781, he was captured. He was put on a prison ship but later escaped. After his escape the rest of the war was quiet for him and eventually he was retired on half pay.

Postwar life

He settled near Burton. In 1785, he was admitted to the practice of law in the new province of New Brunswick. Street ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the provincial assembly in 1792. In 1800, he challenged

John Murray Bliss John Murray Bliss (22 February 1771 – 22 August 1834) was a Canadian jurist, politician and administrator. Biography Father John Murray Bliss was born in Massachusetts, the son of Massachusetts loyalist Daniel Bliss, a lawyer and British sold ...

to a duel after Bliss accused him of lying in court. In 1802, he was named clerk for the legislative assembly. In 1819, he was named to the province's Legislative Council. He died in

Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...

at the age of 68.

Family

His son George Frederick served in the province's Supreme Court. His sons John Ambrose and William Henry served in the province's assembly. His daughter Ann was the grandmother of poet

Bliss Carman William Bliss Carman (April 15, 1861 – June 8, 1929) was a Canadian poet who lived most of his life in the United States, where he achieved international fame. He was acclaimed as Canada's poet laureate during his later years. In Canada, Car ...

References

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Street, Samuel D 1752 births 1830 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick People from Sunbury County, New Brunswick Members of the Legislative Council of New Brunswick Colony of New Brunswick people English emigrants to pre-Confederation New Brunswick