Date Published:
July 2007

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Hon. Edmund James Flynn, LL.D.

FLYNN, Hon. Edmund James, LL.L., LL.D. – Puisné Judge, Court of King's Bench, Province of Quebec, Quebec, Que. [until his death, June 7, 1927] Born Percé, Shiretown of the County of Gaspé, Nov. 16, 1847, son of the late James Flynn [fisherman], and Elizabeth Tostevin (Taudevin de Long Frie); father being of Irish descent, and mother of Guernesey descent. Educated: Quebec Seminary; Laval University (LL.L., 1873); Professor of Roman Law, Laval University, 1874-1914; in 1878, the degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by his Alma Mater, heretofore Dean of the Law Faculty, Laval University. Practised as Advocate in Quebec City successively, as follows: with the Hon. Mr. Rémillard, as Rémillard & Flynn; as Drouin, Flynn et Gosselin, and finally with his son, Francis, as Flynn & Flynn. Member for Gaspé County in Quebec Legislative Assembly, 1878-1900, when he was elected for Nicolet County for same Legislative Assembly. Unsuccessful candidate for Gaspé in 1875, election having been annulled; was defeated by narrow majority in 1877; elected for Gaspé and Matane, 1892, [was a liberal candidate and sat as a liberal member until October 29, 1879 when he joined the ranks of the Conservative Party, along with four of his colleagues, thus forcing the resignation of the Joly de Lotbinière government that had lost its majority] [was elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in 1879, 1881, 1884, 1886; defeated in the elections of 1890 and in the federal elections of 1891; reelected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, 1892, 1897, 1900 ( in Nicolet)] and chose to sit for Gaspé; Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Chapleau administration, 1879-82; Commissioner of Railways and Solicitor-General in the Ross administration, 1884-87; Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Boucherville Government, 1891-92; in the Taillon administration, 1892-May, 1896; Prime Minister of Quebec [May 11, 1896-May 24, 1897] and Commissioner of Public Works until May, 1897; Leader of the Quebec Opposition, 1897-Dec., 1904, when retired from the Quebec Legislature. Unsuccessful candidate for the House of Commons for County of Quebec, 1891; unsuccessful candidate for the House of Commons for Dorchester County, 1908; appointed Queen's Counsel by the Ottawa Government, 1887; subsequently by the Quebec Government; Bâtonnier of the Quebec Bar, 1907-09; appointed as Judge of the Superior Court on June 9, 1914, and promoted to the Court of King's Bench on July 26th, 1920. Married Augustine Côté, daughter of the late Augustin Côté, 1875; had eleven children, four of whom survive; secondly, Cécile Pouliot, widow of Eugène Globensky of Montreal, and daughter of the late Mr. B. Pouliot of L'Islet, Jan., 1912. Liberal-Conservative. Roman Catholic. Residence: 9 Hamel Street, Quebec, Que.

Source: Prominent People of the Province of Quebec, 1923-24, Montreal, Biographical Society of Canada, Limited, undated and unpaginated. Correct French spelling and accents have been restored.