Happy Birthday, James! A special interview with a Father of Confederation, first speaker of the House of Commons

The Hon. James Cockburn, Northumberland County’s Father of Confederation and the First Speaker of the House of Commons.

This is going to be a very special interview with Consider This Northumberland. It is meant for a different audience. I am hoping there are lots of young listeners today. I have an extraordinary guest just for them. Now, you may be a kid in a classroom or a youth studying at home, or a young person at heart. This interview is for you.

My guest is the Hon. James Cockburn, our local Father of Confederation and the first speaker of the House of Commons. He is here because it is his birthday on Feb. 13. He would be 202-years old. Usually, Mr. Cockburn would be involved in a special local history day for school children at Victoria Hall in conjunction with the Cobourg Public Library. But, he is not able to participate this year due to the pandemic. So, he generously agreed to come on the show. Here is that interview.

A special thanks to Rob Franklin, a member of the James Cockburn Society, for arranging this interview.

Originally aired: Feb. 12, 2021