Halifax Public Libraries

John William Ritchie (1808-1890), born in Annapolis Royal, is considered a Father of Confederation, though he was not present for the Charlottetown or Quebec Conferences of 1864. He joined the delegates at the London Conference of 1866, where he helped finalize the terms of Confederation. Ritchie’s support for Confederation earned him a Senate seat, which he held until 1870, when he became a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. Ritchie represented St. Paul’s and St. George’s Anglican Churches before the Legislature in 1863 and 1864, when he successfully opposed Bishop Hibbert Binney’s plan to incorporate a diocesan synod and give the bishop veto power. A memorial dedicated to Ritchie is displayed on one of the inside walls of St. Paul’s Church, one of the oldest buildings in Halifax and an Anglican parish for 266 years.

Date: 1910

Reference: Halifax Public Libraries Postcard Collection Halifax Central Library HPL-PC-0120

For more information, please contact the Local History Room at the Halifax Central Library.