Richard Chapman Weldon (January 19, 1849 – November 26, 1925) was a Canadian professor, lawyer and political figure in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native En ...

and

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic Canad ...

. He represented

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in the House of Commons of Canada from 1887 to 1896 as a

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

member.

Early life and education

He was born in

Sussex, New Brunswick Sussex is a town in 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 the Kennebecasis River, northeas ...

, 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 ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) 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. ...

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

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in political science in 1872, and Rupert Charles University in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

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, a fourth in Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dalhousie offer ...

and helped establish the law school there. 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 ( ) is an urban community and former city located in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. Dartmouth is located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes, after the lar ...

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 Richard Laurence Weldon (December 26, 1932 – July 25, 2020) was a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Dartmouth East in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1978 to 1984. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Progressiv ...

, was a provincial politician and lawyer.

Awards

Dalhousie Law School , mottoeng = "Law is the source of light" , endowment = , staff = , faculty = 119 , dean = Camille Cameron , head_label = , head = , doctoral = , students = 500 , city ...

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

Electoral record

References

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