Peter Magowan (lawyer)

Peter Magowan
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island for Kings County
In office
1790–1810
Personal details
Born(1762-03-22)March 22, 1762
Bridgnorth, Shropshire, UK
DiedJune 19, 1810(1810-06-19) (aged 48)
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
OccupationLawyer

Peter Magowan (March 22, 1762 – June 19, 1810)[1] was a lawyer and political figure in Prince Edward Island. He represented Kings County in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1790 to 1810. His surname also appears as McGowan or Macgowan.

Born in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, (the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online states that he may have been a native of Ireland)[2] Magowan was educated in England and was admitted to practice as an attorney of the King's Bench in 1782. In 1788, he married Ann Stainforth.[1] He immigrated to St. John's Island (later Prince Edward Island) in 1789 from London. He was first elected to the colony's assembly in 1790. For some time, he and Attorney General Joseph Aplin were the only practicing lawyers on the island. Magowan was deputy to Thomas Desbrisay, secretary and registrar, from 1795 to 1800. He was named acting attorney general in 1798 when Aplin was relieved of his duties and became attorney general in 1800, serving in that post until his death in Charlottetown in 1810. Magowan was reelected to the assembly in 1803 and 1806.[2]

His grandson Alexander Henry Boswall MacGowan later served in the British Columbia assembly.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Macgowan family fonds". Archives Council of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  2. ^ a b Bumsted, J. M (1983). "Peter Magowan". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  3. ^ Gosnell, R. Edward (1906). A history; British Columbia. pp. 655–7. Retrieved 2011-09-03.