Joseph Andrew Chisholm

The Honourable Sir Joseph Chisholm
Chief Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court
In office 1931–1950
Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court
In office 1916–1931
Mayor of Halifax
In office 1909–1912
Personal details
Born	(1863-01-09)January 9, 1863 St. Andrews, Nova Scotia
Died	January 22, 1950(1950-01-22) (aged 87) Halifax, Nova Scotia
Spouse	Frances Affleck ​ ​ (m. 1891; died 1903)​
Education	St. Francis Xavier University Dalhousie University
Occupation	Jurist, politician

Sir Joseph Andrew Chisholm (January 9, 1863 – January 22, 1950) was Mayor of Halifax and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.

Biography

Born in St. Andrews, Nova Scotia to William and Flora Chisholm, Chisholm was educated at St. Francis Xavier University before moving to Halifax in 1896.

He attended Dalhousie University, where he received his law degree and his first job was in a law firm headed by a man destined to be a future Canadian Prime Minister, Robert Borden.

Chisholm was elected as Mayor of Halifax from 1909 to 1912. In 1916, Borden appointed him to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, being the first Dalhousie graduate to be so named. He was appointed chief justice in 1931.

Chisholm also wrote historical articles about past Nova Scotia justices and contributed to the Catholic Encyclopedia. In 1909, he edited a revised edition of The Speeches and Public Letters of Joseph Howe.

In 1935, he became the last Nova Scotia Supreme Court justice to be knighted.

Joseph Andrew Chisholm was married to Frances Affleck, sister of Annie Affleck, wife of Sir John S. Thompson, in 1891. She died in 1903.

Chisholm died on January 22, 1950, in Halifax.

References

• The MacMillan Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Toronto, Macmillan, 1973, p. 136.