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Richard John Uniacke (June 6, 1789 – February 21, 1834) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in
On July 21, 1819, he took part in the last known fatal duel in Nova Scotia. Newspaper Accounts of Trial
/ref> In 1820, he was elected to the legislative assembly for Cape Breton, after it was reunited with Nova Scotia. In 1821, he married Mary Ann Hill. Uniacke was named
His brother James Boyle later served as premier of Nova Scotia and his brother Norman Fitzgerald served in the legislative assembly for Lower Canada.
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uniacke, Richard J 1789 births 1834 deaths 19th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Judges in Nova Scotia Canadian duellists Canadian King's Counsel Colony of Cape Breton Island judges British colonial attorneys general in the Americas 19th-century King's Counsel
Richard John Uniacke (June 6, 1789 – February 21, 1834) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
. He represented Cape Breton County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (; ), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia, and together with the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia makes up the Nova Scotia Legislature.
The assembly is ...
from 1820 to 1830.
He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
, the son of Richard John Uniacke
Richard John Uniacke (November 22, 1753 – October 11, 1830) was an abolitionist, lawyer, politician, member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and Attorney General of Nova Scotia. According to historian Brian Cutherburton, Uniacke was " ...
and Martha Maria Delesdernier who was the daughter of Moses Delesdernier. He was educated at King's College in Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places
*Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region
Australia New South Wales
*Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...
, went on to study law and was called to the bar in 1810. Uniacke went to Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
, then a separate colony, in 1813. He was named to the Executive Council and became acting attorney general. From 1815 to 1816, he served as the island's acting chief justice. He resigned his appointments in Cape Breton and returned to Halifax where he became advocate general of the vice admiralty court
Vice admiralty courts were juryless courts located in British colonies that were granted jurisdiction over local legal matters related to maritime activities, such as disputes between merchants and seamen.
American Colonies
American maritime act ...
in 1819, succeeding his father.
The Trial
On July 21, 1819, he took part in the last known fatal duel in Nova Scotia. William Bowie (merchant)
William Bowie (1762-1819) was a prominent merchant of Halifax, Nova Scotia who was killed in the last fatal duel on record in Nova Scotia. At age 20, William Bowie arrived in Nova Scotia in 1782 from Stirling, Scotland, the son of Alexander Bowie ...
, a Halifax merchant, was fatally wounded (and later buried in Old Burying Ground); Uniacke and his second, Edward McSweeny, were charged with murder. They were prosecuted by Samuel George William Archibald
Samuel George William Archibald (February 5, 1777 – January 28, 1846) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Halifax County from 1806 to 1836 and Colchester County, Nova Sco ...
but were acquitted./ref> In 1820, he was elected to the legislative assembly for Cape Breton, after it was reunited with Nova Scotia. In 1821, he married Mary Ann Hill. Uniacke was named
King's Counsel
A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...
in 1824. In 1830, he was appointed a puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia Supreme Court is a superior court in the province of Nova Scotia.
The Supreme Court consists of 25 judicial seats including the position of Chief Justice and Associate Chief Justice. At any given time there may be one or more addi ...
. He died in Halifax in 1834, reportedly having become deeply depressed after sentencing two men and a woman to death the year before for the murder of the woman's husband.
His brother James Boyle later served as premier of Nova Scotia and his brother Norman Fitzgerald served in the legislative assembly for Lower Canada.
References
External links
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uniacke, Richard J 1789 births 1834 deaths 19th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Judges in Nova Scotia Canadian duellists Canadian King's Counsel Colony of Cape Breton Island judges British colonial attorneys general in the Americas 19th-century King's Counsel