O-2015

•

chair (Speaker's)

•

1867-1873 The Honourable James Cockburn

Speaker's Chair

This Speaker's chair - bought originally for the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1863 - continued to be used in the Chamber of the original Parliament Building between 1866 and 1873. A gothic throne to harmonize with the architecture of the new Chamber replaced the gentleman's armchair of rococo revival style, elegantly carved with scroll terminals. The first Speaker of the House of Commons, Hon. James Cockburn (1867-1874), kept the chair upon his retirement. It remained with the family until it was donated to the House of Commons by Mrs. Helen Sprott, great granddaughter of Speaker Cockburn, in 1983.