WARK, David, Canadian legislator: b. near Londonderry, Ireland, 19 Feb. 1804; d. Fred ericton, New Brunswick, 20 Aug. 1905. In 1825 he emigrated to New Brunswicic, there took up shipbuilding, boolckeeping and teach ing until 1836, turned to mercantile life at Richibucto, later adding to his interests milling and the lumber-trade. He held office as a county magistrate and judge of the Court of Common Pleas, in 1842 was elected from the county (Kent) to the provincial legislature and in 1846 re-elected. From 1851 to 1867 he was a representative of the county in tire legislative council, being in 1858-62 in the executive coun cil, and for a time holding the post of receiver general. In 1867 he was one of the original senators appointed to the Senate of Canada under the British North America Act. Through out his political career he was identified with the Liberal party. In the development of agri culture, the extension of trade and the pro motion of education, he was prominently con cerned. He undertook in 1847 the furtherance
of legislation favoring reciprocal trade between the provinces, and such legislation eventualy proved of influence in connection with the reciprocity treaty of 1854 between Canada and the United States. The perfected system of the New Brunswick savings bank was largely due to his initiative; and he was chiefly instru mental in bringing about the movement which in 1847 resulted in the constitution of the pro vincial board of education of New Brunswick, with the attendant changes, and in the reor ganization of King's College as the Univer sity of New Brunswick (1859). His centenary was formally observed in 1904 by the presentar tion of addresses, it being claimed for him thdt he was the world's oldest legislator; and on 28 April a portrait of him by W. Forbesi A.R.C.A, was unveiled in the Senate. Consult an article by Crockett in the Westminster Magazine (Toronto), June 1903.