Career
Born in Billtown, Nova Scotia, a town founded by his ancestors, he was a farmer before entering politics. He represented Kings County from 1855 to 1859 and the northern region of Kings County from 1863 to 1867 in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. A Liberal-Conservative, he was appointed to the Senate on 23 October 1867 by a royal proclamation of Queen Victoria following Canadian Confederation earlier that year.
He represented the senatorial division of Nova Scotia until his death.