Memorable Manitobans: Adam John Laing Peebles (1812-1902)

Click to enlarge

Adam John Laing Peebles
Click to enlarge

Soldier, magistrate.

Born at Kent, England on 24 October 1812, of Scottish parents, he was educated at Sandhurst and obtained a commission in the British army. He served in the Mediterranean for some years. He left the army service in 1849 and emigrated to Toronto, Ontario.

In 1870, he accompanied Garnet Joseph Wolseley to Red River and served as control officer to the Red River Expedition until 1877 when the force was disbanded. When Military District No. 10 was founded in 1877, he became its paymaster and Superintendent of military stores and served until 1893. He was appointed Police Magistrate for Winnipeg in 1880 and remained in the position for almost twenty years. He was occasionally criticized for his lack of legal training but was generally respected. He was on the first Board of Commissioners of Police, founded in 1884 to oversee the Winnipeg force.

He died at Winnipeg on 10 February 1902 and was buried in the St. John's Cathedral Cemetery. He was survived by a son and five daughters.

See also:

Adam John Laing Peebles, Dictionary of Canadian Biography XIII, 824.

Sources:

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

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Lyle Brennen for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 1 September 2022

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.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!