Coulson, born in 1795, served as amanuensis to Jeremy Bentham and then worked as a
journalist and editor. Called to the bar in 1828, he served as parliamentary counsel
to the home secretary, that is, chief draftsman of bills from all government departments,
from 1848 until his death in 1860. In 1848
Lord Grey asked him to revise the charter that granted
Vancouver Island to the Hudson’s Bay Company.