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The Honourable Mr. Justice Christopher Salmon Patterson

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of the Hon. Mr. Justice Christopher Salmon Patterson

Christopher Salmon Patterson was born in London, England, on January 16, 1823. He was the son of John and Ann Patterson. After completing his studies at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution in Ireland, he emigrated to Canada in 1845 and settled in Picton, Canada West (Ontario). Called to the bar in 1851, he became a partner in the office of Philip Low, where he had served his articles after his arrival in Canada. In 1856 he moved to Toronto, where he practised law for 18 years with Wilson, Patterson & Beaty. He was appointed a member of a commission of inquiry into the fusion of common law and equity in 1871. Three years later, he was appointed to the Ontario Court of Error and Appeal, and on October 27, 1888, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of Canada. He served on the Supreme Court for four years. Justice Patterson died on July 24, 1893, at the age of 70.