Memorable Manitobans: William Davis Ardagh (1828-1893)

Lawyer, judge.

Born at Tipperary, Ireland on 21 March 1828, of Welsh descent, he was educated at the Barrie Grammar School, Upper Canada (now Ontario), and was called to the Upper Canada Bar in 1855. In 1858 he married Martha L., daughter of Rev. S. B. Ardagh, Rector of Barrie. They had two children. He was joint editor of the Upper Canada Law Journal, 1857, and proprietor of the Barrie Advance. He served as Deputy Judge and Warden of Simcoe, and for eight years, Reeve of Barrie. He entered the Ontario Legislature 1871 as an independent Liberal Conservative, but was unseated on petition, to be re-elected in January 1872.

In 1882, during his first year in Manitoba, he was appointed Deputy Attorney-General, appointed County Court Judge for the Eastern Judicial District of Manitoba in 1883, and was the revising officer for the general election of 1886. From 1888 to 1889, he was President of the Manitoba Historical Society. He was a member of Winnipeg’s Board of Police Commissioners from its formation until his death.

He died at Hoboken, New Jersey on 16 April 1893 while returning from a Mediterranean holiday.

Sources:

Pioneers and Early Citizens of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Manitoba Library Association, 1971.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 27 March 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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