Charles Dow Richards (June 12, 1879 – September 15, 1956), was a Canadian lawyer, judge and politician. He served as the 20th

premier of New Brunswick The premier of New Brunswick ( (masculine) or (feminine)) is the first minister and head of government for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The premier of a Canadian province is much like the prime minister of Canada. They are normally ...

from 1931 to 1933.

Early life and education

Richards was born in

Southampton, New Brunswick Southampton is a Canadian rural community in York County, New Brunswick. The community is located on the east side of the Saint John River, 3.71 km south of Southampton Junction, a station located within the village of Nackawic-Millville ...

. He attended Fredericton Normal School and later the University of New Brunswick.

Career

Richards taught school for several years. He was admitted to the bar at age 33. and practised law in Fredericton. Richards was elected to the New Brunswick legislature in 1920. He served as

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

house leader and then Minister of Lands and Mines under

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

John B. M. Baxter. In 1928 the University of New Brunswick conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. In 1931 Richards became premier of New Brunswick. His two-year administration, in the depths of the Great Depression, instituted public bidding on crown land and fishing rights. In 1933 he left politics when he was appointed to the

Supreme Court of New Brunswick The Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick (in Canadian French, French: ''Cour du Banc du Roi du Nouveau-Brunswick'') is the superior court, superior trial court of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Structure The Court of King's Bench o ...

, serving as its Chief Justice from 1946 to 1955. As Justice, Richards sentenced the last man to be executed in Charlotte County. He did not accept the jury's request "that mercy be shown to the accused," 22-year-old Thomas Roland Hutchings, and sentenced him to hang at

St. Andrews, New Brunswick Saint Andrews is a town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. The historic town is a national historic site of Canada, bearing many characteristics of a typical 18th century British colonial settlement, including the original grid layo ...

on Wednesday, December 16, 1942, for the

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

and

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

of Bernice Connors.

Personal life

Richards married Grace Bolton. The couple had one daughter, who married a descendant of

Philemon Wright Philemon Wright (September 3, 1760 – June 3, 1839) was a farmer, lumberman and entrepreneur who founded the Ottawa River timber trade in 1806. He was also founder of what he named Columbia Falls Village, mostly known as (or Wrightstown) a ...

. Richards died in 1956 and was buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery in

Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...

References

External links

Government of New Brunswick biography (pdf)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Charles D. 1879 births 1956 deaths University of New Brunswick alumni Lawyers in New Brunswick Judges in New Brunswick Premiers of New Brunswick People from York County, New Brunswick 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick