Palmer was a lawyer, landed proprietor, politician, then judge. The son of an attorney, Palmer was called to the bar in 1830. His political year spanned 38 years, largely uninterrupted. After 10 years as leader of the Tory party, he became Premier in 1859 and resigned four years later due to conflicts within the party. Palmer was viewed as a champion of the status quo, and therefore opposed to Confederation. Subsequent to his political career, he became judge of the Queens County Court and then Provincial Chief Justice. Palmer sold his landholdings due to a longstanding conflict with his tenant farmers. He married Isabella Tremain in 1846
We wish to acknowledge the Dictionary of Canadian Biography as one of the main sources of our information. Read the Palmer biography here.
The photo of Edward Palmer courtesy of the Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island, P0004522 – Acc2702/s23/113.
