Pierre-Amand Landry

Who was Pierre-Amand Landry?

Sir Pierre-Amand Landry was an Acadian lawyer, judge and political figure in New Brunswick. He represented Westmorland County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1870 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1883. He represented Kent in the Canadian House of Commons from 1883 to 1890 as a Conservative member.

He was born in Memramcook, New Brunswick, the son of Amand Landry and Pélagie Caissie, and was educated in Memramcook and Fredericton. He taught school for a time, articled in the law office of Albert James Smith and was called to the bar in 1871, becoming the first Acadian lawyer in the province. Landry set up practice in Dorchester. In 1872, he married Bridget Annie McCarthy. In 1875, he helped defend nine Acadians charged with killing an English protester at a demonstration by Acadians against a public school tax. Landry served in the province's Executive Council as Commissioner of Public Works from 1878 to 1882 and provincial secretary from 1882 to 1883. As Commissioner of Public Works, he was responsible for the construction of a new provincial building for the assembly; the old building had burned in 1880. In 1881, he was named Queen's Counsel. Landry was elected to the House of Commons in an 1883 by-election after Gilbert-Anselme Girouard accepted the position of customs collector. In 1890, he was named judge in the county court of Westmorland and Kent and, in 1893, was appointed to the Supreme Court of New Brunswick. Landry was knighted in June 1916. He died in Dorchester later that year at the age of 70.