John Costigan

For the Irish hurler, see John Costigan (hurler). For the American artist, see John Edward Costigan.

John Costigan (February 1, 1835 – September 29, 1916) was a Canadian judge and politician who served in the House of Commons of Canada and in the Cabinet of several Prime Ministers of Canada.

John Costigan
Member of the New Brunswick House of Assembly for Victoria
In office 1862–1867
Member of Parliament for Victoria
In office 1867–1907
Preceded by	first member
Succeeded by	Pius Michaud
Senator for New Brunswick
In office January 15, 1907 – September 29, 1916
Personal details
Born	February 1, 1835 Saint-Nicolas, Lower Canada
Died	September 29, 1916(1916-09-29) (aged 81) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Political party	Liberal-Conservative → Liberal
Residence(s)	Victoria County, New Brunswick

Costigan was born on February 1, 1835, in Saint-Nicolas, Lower Canada, the son of Irish immigrants John Costigan and Bridget Dunn. He was educated at Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière in Canada East from 1850 to 1852. In 1857, he became registrar of deeds and wills for Victoria County in New Brunswick and a judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas. He resigned from these posts in 1861 when he was elected to be a member of the 19th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of Victoria.^[1][2]

On September 20, 1867, he was elected to the 1st Canadian Parliament as a member of the Liberal-Conservative Party by the riding of Victoria in New Brunswick. He was re-elected nine times, and he became a member of the Liberal Party on February 6, 1906. During his time as a Member of Parliament, he was a Minister of Inland Revenue, a Secretary of State of Canada, a Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and an acting Minister of Trade and Commerce. He was Dean of the House from 1896 to 1907.

On January 15, 1907, he was appointed a member of the Senate of Canada for the senatorial division of Victoria, New Brunswick. He died in office on September 29, 1916, in Ottawa. He was interred in Grand Falls.

Mount Costigan in Banff National Park is named in his honor.

There is a John Costigan fonds at Library and Archives Canada.^[3]

v t e 1867 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	778	57.93
	Unknown	William Blackwood Beveridge	549	40.88
	Unknown	James Workman	16	1.19
	Unknown	James Tibbetts	0	0.00
Total valid votes			1,343	83.52
Eligible voters			1,608
Source: 1867 Return of the Elections to House of Commons[4]

1872 Canadian federal election: Victoria (New Brunswick)
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	1,141
	Unknown	H. Bossé	279
Source: Canadian Elections Database[5]

v t e 1874 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	868
	Unknown	F.-X. Bernier	429
Source: lop.parl.ca

v t e 1878 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	831
	Unknown	F.-X. Bernier	368

v t e 1882 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	acclaimed

v t e 1887 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	1,286
	Liberal	L. Theriault	978

v t e 1891 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	1,427
	Liberal	Thomas Lawson	732

v t e 1896 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal–Conservative	John Costigan	1,864
	Liberal	Fred Laforest	1,318

v t e 1900 Canadian federal election: Victoria, New Brunswick
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	John Costigan	acclaimed

v t e 1904 Canadian federal election: Victoria
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	John Costigan	2,176
	Conservative	Judson C. Manzer	988

Notes

1. Shanahan (2000).
2. The elections for the 19th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly took place in 1861, but Costigan did not take his seat until the Assembly's first sitting on February 12, 1862.
3. "John Costigan fonds, Library and Archives Canada".
4. Langevin, Edouard J. (1868), Return of the Elections to House of Commons, Ottawa: Hunter, Rose & Company
5. Sayers, Anthony M. "1872 Federal Election". Canadian Elections Database. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024.

References

• Shanahan, David (2000). "Costigan, John". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Retrieved October 13, 2011.

External links

• John Costigan – Parliament of Canada biography