Marshall Spring Bidwell

Marshall Spring Bidwell

Marshall Spring Bidwell (February 16 1799 – October 24 1872) was a lawyer and political figure in Upper Canada.

He was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in 1799, the son of Barnabas Bidwell. His family settled in Bath in Upper Canada before the War of 1812. He studied with a law firm in Kingston and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1821. When his father was unseated in 1821 based on allegations of misappropriation of funds in Massachusetts, Bidwell presented himself as a candidate but was declared ineligible. In 1824, he was allowed to run for office and was elected to the 9th Parliament of Upper Canada representing Lennox & Addington. He held the seat until 1836. In 1828, he helped introduce a bill which made it easier for American-born residents to become citizens. He also lobbied for responsible government within the province. In 1828, he was elected speaker for the assembly. Although he did not take part in the Upper Canada Rebellion, his name appeared on a banner carried by the rebels and he was forced to leave the province in December 1837. Some sources believe that Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head forced Bidwell out of the province, because Head's refusal to appoint Bidwell as a judge in the province was a factor in his dismissal by the British Colonial Office. He was admitted to the New York state bar and became a partner in the law firm of George Washington Strong.

He died in New York City in 1872.

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online