Richard Chapman Weldon (January 19, 1849 – November 26, 1925) was a Canadian professor, lawyer 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 ...

and

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 represented

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street mar ...

in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

from 1887 to 1896 as a

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 ...

member.

Early life and education

He was born in

Sussex, New Brunswick Sussex is a town in Kings County, New Brunswick, Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. Sussex is located in south central New Brunswick, between the province's three largest cities, Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton. Sussex straddles th ...

, the son of Richard Chapman Weldon and Catherine Geldart. He was educated at Mount Allison Wesleyan College and taught school for two years. Weldon returned to Mount Allison, receiving an

M.A. A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

in economics. He went on to study at

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

, where he received a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in political science in 1872, and

Rupert Charles University Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is List ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Career

In 1875, he returned to Mount Allison as professor of mathematics and political economy. In 1883, he became professor of law at

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

, where he established the

Dalhousie Law School The Schulich School of Law is the law school of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1883 as Dalhousie Law School, it is the oldest university-based common law school in Canada. It adopted its current name in October ...

. In 1884, he was called to the Nova Scotia bar. In 1887, Weldon, who owned property in New Brunswick, was elected to the House of Commons. Weldon married Louisa Frances Hare in 1893 after the death of his first wife. He helped developed legislation which established conditions for extradition of American fugitives in Canada convicted of crimes in the United States, then referred to as the Weldon Act. Weldon was unsuccessful in bids for reelection in 1896, 1900 and 1906.

Death

On November 26, 1925, he died in

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Dartmouth ( ) (Scottish Gaelic, Scottish-Gaelic: Baile nan Loch) is a Urban area, built-up community of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has 101 ...

at the age of 76.

Personal life

On July 11, 1877, he married Sarah Maria Tuttle and they remained married until her death in 1892.Biography - WELDON, RICHARD CHAPMAN
Canadian Biography He then married Louisa Frances Hare on December 28, 1893. His grandson, Richard L. Weldon, was a provincial politician and lawyer.

Awards

established the Weldon Award in 1983 to recognize outstanding accomplishment by a graduate.

Electoral record

References

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weldon, Richard C 1849 births 1925 deaths Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Yale College alumni 19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada