b. 1834-11-15
d. 1908-01-13
Walkem was born in Northern Ireland on
15 November 1834 and emigrated with his family to Canada in
1847. Walkem went to McGill College to study law and in
1858 was called to the bar of Lower Canada and in
1861, Upper Canada. In
1862, during the
Cariboo gold-rush, Walkem moved to
British Columbia where he applied for admission to the bar under
Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie. However,
Begbie refused him because Walkem was not British educated.
1 Walkem’s father wrote a letter in protest, as mentioned in
this despatch, which led to
Douglas defending Walkem’s request to practice law in
British Columbia to
Newcastle. In
June 1863, the Legal Professions Act allowed
colonial
lawyers to plead in court,
and on
21 November 1863, Walkem
was admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court.
2On
23 December 1872,
Amor De Cosmos replaced John Foster McCreight as Premier of
British Columbia and held that position until
1883. As a member of
De Cosmos’ administration in the position of attorney general, Walkem was placed in charge
during the Premier’s numerous absences, and after
De Cosmos stepped down in
1874, Walkem replaced him, making Walkem the third premier of
British Columbia until
1876. In
1875, Walkem was accused of putting
British Columbia in debt as well as having done nothing to start the construction of the promised
railway. Walkem’s political career continued to decline, and in
1876, Walkem’s administration lost by two votes and he resigned. Walkem’s administration
came into power again in
1878, also making him
British Columbia’s fifth premier until
1882.
4
- 1. Hamar Foster, Walkem, George Anthony, Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
- 2. Douglas to Newcastle, 9 July 1863, 8487, CO 60/16, p. 57.; Hamar Foster, Walkem, George Anthony, Dictionary of Canadian Biography;Douglas to Newcastle, 9 July 1863, 8487, CO 60/16, p. 57.
- 3. Hamar Foster, Walkem, George Anthony, Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
- 4. Ibid.