Charles Jeffery Peters (October 8, 1773 – February 3, 1848) was a lawyer, judge and politician in

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

. He was born in

Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) on Long Island, in New York, United States. The town's combined population was 793,409 at the 2020 census. It occupies the s ...

, the son of James Peters, a

United Empire Loyalist United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Quebec and governor general of the Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North Ameri ...

, and Margaret Lester. Peters came to

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 ...

with his father in 1783. He studied law with

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, Massa ...

and was admitted to practice as an attorney in New Brunswick in 1794. He practiced law for a brief time in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

before returning to Saint John. In 1797, he married Elizabeth Baker. In 1799, Peters became common clerk of the city. Later that year, he was named deputy surrogate and probate judge for St. John County. In 1809, Peters was named judge in 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 ...

. He 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 1823. Peters married Marianne Elizabeth Forbes that same year, after the death of his first wife. In 1825, he was named solicitor general and, in 1828, Peters became

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

. In 1846, he was named to the province's Executive Council. Peters died near

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, ...

at the age of 74. His brother Benjamin Lester was a merchant, militia officer and police magistrate for the city of Saint John.

References

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Charles J 1773 births 1848 deaths 19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Canadian King's Counsel Colony of New Brunswick judges Attorneys general of the Colony of New Brunswick 19th-century King's Counsel Members of the Executive Council of New Brunswick