James Bowes Coyne (1878-1965)

Lawyer, judge.

Born at St. Thomas, Ontario on 24 August 1878, son of James Henry and Anna Matilda Coyne, he was educated at the public schools and Collegiate Institute of St. Thomas, Upper Canada College, the University of Toronto, and Osgoode Hall. He was called to the Ontario Bar and started practising law at St. Thomas in 1904. He was called to Manitoba Bar the next year, when he became a partner in the firm of Aikins, Robson, Fullerton & Coyne. The firm later became Aikins, Fullerton, Coyne & Foley; later, Coyne, Hamilton & Martin; and still later, Coyne, McVicar & Martin. He served as Counsel and Crown Counsel for many Commissions, was as a Bencher for the Law Society of Manitoba (1916-1925), and a Member of the Council of the Manitoba Bar Association. He wrote many articles on legal matters. In December 1946, he was appointed a judge on the Manitoba Court of Appeal.

Married Edna Margaret Elliott, 1898, with whom he had a son. Member of Carleton Club, Manitoba Club, Winnipeg Golf Club, Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club. Liberal. Methodist.

A Director of Burrows and Company, the Winnipeg Golf Club, and R. J. Whitla & Company, Coyne was a prominent member of the 1919 Citizens’ Committee of 1,000. He had written in October 1918 that the Winnipeg Trades and Labor Council was dominated by “acknowledged Bolsheviki.”

He died at Ottawa on 16 June 1965.

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, 1911. C. W. Parker, editor. Canadian Press Association, Vancouver.

“Free Press Necrology Files”, Winnipeg Elite Study, G. Friesen Fonds, Mss 154, Box 15, File 16, University of Manitoba Archives]

Profile revised: 17 January 2010

A collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Send inquiries to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Suggest a Memorable Manitoban  |  Sources  |  Acknowledgements