Biographical Sketch of Walter Boswell Rubidge

From History of the County of Brant, Ontario. Toronto: Warner, Beers & Co. 1883. pp. 532-3 (971.345 H39)

WALTER BOSWELL RUBIDGE is the youngest son of the late Captain Charles Rubidge, many years Registrar of the County of Peterborough. Captain Rubidge was born in London, England, on 30th April, 1787. In 1796 he entered the Royal Navy on board the Arrow sloop of war, commanded by his uncle, Captain Portlock, R.N., and from that time till the peace of 1815 he saw much active service, having been twice wounded, and engaged in many of the most memorable naval battles of that eventful period. In 1819 he, with his wife and three children, emigrated to Canada, landing in Quebec on 24th June, and proceeding from thence as rapidly as possible, reached Cobourg on 19th July of the same year. In 1820 he settled on a farm in Otonabee, in the Newcastle District, where the subject of this sketch was born on 27th July, 1827. Captain Rubidge had a family of three sons and three daughters; the eldest son died some years ago; the remainder are all living in Canada, married, and have large families. He was appointed first Registrar of the County of Peterborough in 1841, and help that office till his death. He was the oldest magistrate of what formed the Newcastle District, and one of the oldest officers of the navy at the time of his death, which occurred on the 5th of February, 1873, in his 86th year; his wife (also a native of London) had preceded him to the grave only three or four years, at the mature age of 81 or 82. The family are all members of the English Church, except Mr. W. B. Rubidge, who left that church in 1870, and became associated with the Brethren. Mr. Rubidge was educated at the Peterborough Grammar School under the tuition of Rev. Moses Williamson, and read with the Rev. R. T. C. Taylor, rector, preparatory to his examination for entering the Law Society. On becoming an enrolled student he entered the law office of the late George B. Hall, then M.P. for the Colbourne District (now Peterborough Co.), and afterwards County Judge. In 1847 he came to Hamilton, and finished his student life in the office of the present Hon. Mr Justice Burton and Charles A. Sadler, Esq., his partner. On being admitted to the Bar in 1849, he immediately formed a partnership with the late Geo. S. Tiffany, Esq., of Hamilton, and managed the business of the partnership -- Mr. Tiffany being in Washington associated with Mr. (now Sir) Francis Hinks in effectuating the Reciprocity Treaty -- for the period of about one year, when he removed to Brantford, and entered into partnership with the late lamented John Cameron, Esq., Clerk of the Peace for this county. This firm did a large legal business. In 1856 Mr. Rubidge returned to Peterborough, where he practised law alone for some years, during a great portion of his residence there assisting his father in the Registry Office, at the same time carrying on his practice. During the Southern Rebellion in the States, the Canadian Government, unsolicited, appointed Mr. Rubidge Passport Officer for the County of Peterborough, which office he held till the close of the war. Shortly after this he opened offices simultaneously in Norwichville and Otterville, Oxford County. Business there not proving satisfactory, through the influence of his brother-in-law, Hon. E. B. Wood, late Chief-Justice of Manitoba, then one of the Sandfield Macdonald Government, he was on the 2nd June, 1868, appointed Clerk of the County Court, Deputy Clerk of the Crown, and Registrar of the Surrogate Court for this county. On 22nd August, 1881, under the provisions of the Judicature Act, the offices of Deputy Clerk of the Crown and Deputy Registrar in Chancery (the latter then held by Judge Jones) were combined under the title of Local Registrar of the High Court of Justice, which office, along with those of Clerk of the County Court and Registrar of the Surrogate Court, he now holds. On 15th May, 1852, he married Miss H. A. Martin, the elder daughter of the late Dr. P. Martin (the younger daughter afterwards being married to the late Chief-Justice Wood). Mr. and Mrs. Rubidge have had ten children, four daughters and six sons, all now living except one son, George Bertram, who was drowned near the Rev. Abram Nells' residence, in Grand River Canal, in August, 1870. Mr. Rubidge is a Commissioner for taking Affidavits in the Counties of Peterborough, Victoria, Wentworth and Brant, and a Notary Public for Ontario; and with the exception of James Wilkes, Esq., is the oldest appointed Commissioner and Notary in this county. He also held when a young man an Ensigncy in the Colborne District (Peterborough) Militia and a Lieutenancy, in Captains Henry Racey's Company of the late Gore District Militia, if we recollect aright.