Neil McLeod

MCLEOD, Q.C., M.A., NEIL lawyer and judge; b. 15 December 1842 in Uigg, son of Roderick McLeod and Flora McDonald; m. 27 June 1877 Isabella Jane Adelia Hayden, and they had six children, Arthur, Adelia Flora, Jennie, Marie, Dorothy, and Mary; Baptist; d. 19 October 1915 in Summerside. McLeod, a Conservative, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the general election held on 2 April 1879 for Charlottetown Royalty. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1882, 1886, and 1890. In March 1879, without being an elected representative, McLeod was appointed to the Executive Council position of Secretary-Trea-surer by Premier W. W. Sullivan. McLeod also served on Executive Council as a Minister without Portfolio. When Premier Sullivan resigned in 1889 to accept the post of Chief Justice of the province, McLeod became Leader of the Conservative government. In the 1890 general election, McLeod and his party won 16 of 30 seats in the Assembly. In February 1891, three of McLeod's members (John MacLean*, Donald Ferguson ', and Patrick Blake*) resigned in order to contest that year's federal election, and left the Conservatives with 13 of 30 seats in the Assembly. Two of the subsequent by-elections were won by Liberals, James H. Cummiskey* for 3rd Queens and Alfred McWilliams* for 2nd Prince, with the third seat going to John Theophilus Jenkins*, an independent Conservative at odds with his party. The results gave the Liberals the majority and, as a result, McLeod tendered his government's resignation on 22 April 1891. McLeod served as Conservative Leader of the Opposition, until his appointment as a Judge in Prince County on 9 March 1893. During his term as Leader of the Opposition, McLeod argued forcefully for the abolition of the Legislative Council as a means of reducing the deficit. In the debate that led to the amalgamation of the two Houses, McLeod moved, unsuccessfully, to eliminate the property qualification for voting and to have all Members elected through suffrage by all adult males. He died 19 October 1915, while serving on the bench. McLeod received his early education in Uigg. Later he attended Horton Academy and Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where he received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts. Following his education at Acadia, he articled with a Charlottetown law firm and was admitted to the Bar in 1873. McLeod formed a partnership with Edward Jarvis Hodgson, which lasted for several years — Donald Martin* studied law with them — before joining Walter Morson* in the firm McLeod, Morson and McQuarrie in the 1880s. He was designated Queen's Counsel in 1891. In 1892 MacLeod was appointed County Court Judge for Prince County and served until his death. In addition to his political and legal career, McLeod was a member of numerous community organizations, including trustee of the Provincial Institutions of the Mentally 111 and a Commissioner of the Poor House. Neil McLeod died 19 October 1915. Isabella McLeod was the daughter of James and Maria Hayden of Vernon River.