Ward Chipman (July 10, 1787 – November 26, 1851) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in the pre-

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Province of New Brunswick, Canada. He was born in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...

in 1787, the son of

Ward Chipman Ward Chipman (July 30, 1754 – February 9, 1824) was a New Brunswick lawyer, judge, and political figure. He briefly served as administrator for New Brunswick from 1823 until his death in 1824. Early life He was born in Marblehead, Massac ...

and Elizabeth Hazen Chipman. He studied in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

, and then at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

. He studied law in his father's office and became an attorney in 1808. In 1810, he went to

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 ...

and continued his studies in law with

George Sowley Holroyd Sir George Sowley Holroyd (31 October 1758 – 21 November 1831) was an English lawyer and justice of the King's Bench. Life He was eldest son of George Holroyd, by Eleanor, daughter of Henry Sowley of Appleby, Westmorland, was born at York on 3 ...

, being admitted to the bar 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 ...

in 1812. On his return, he resumed practice and, in 1815, was named recorder for the city of Saint John. He later became a director of the

Bank of New Brunswick The Bank of New Brunswick, established in 1820, was the first Canadian bank to operate under a charter. The bank operated independently in New Brunswick and later in Prince Edward Island until it merged with the Bank of Nova Scotia (now Scotiabank ...

. He assisted his father during negotiations held in 1816 with the state of

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 ...

to determine the ownership of certain islands in

Passamaquoddy Bay Passamaquoddy Bay (french: Baie de Passamaquoddy) is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its w ...

. In 1820, he was elected to 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, ...

for

Saint John County Saint John County (2016 population: 74,020) is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Saint John dominates the county. Elsewhere in the county, tourism is focused around the Bay of Fundy. Census sub ...

. In 1824, he was elected Speaker for the assembly. In 1825, after his father's death, he was named to the New Brunswick Supreme Court. In 1834, he was named chief justice for New Brunswick, which also made him president of the Legislative Council. He resigned from the council in 1842 and from his position as judge in 1850 due to illness. He died in Saint John in 1851.

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipman, Ward 1787 births 1851 deaths Harvard College alumni Lawyers in New Brunswick Members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Politicians from Saint John, New Brunswick Colony of New Brunswick judges Colony of New Brunswick people