Biography.guide
Home › People › Physician › Edwin Arnold Vail
Portrait of Edwin Arnold Vail

Edwin Arnold Vail

1817 – 1885

Canadian politician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Edwin Arnold Vail

Lived 1817 – 1885 (aged 67). Edwin Arnold Vail was a Canadian physician.

Edwin Arnold Vail (August 19, 1817 – July 31, 1885) was a physician and political figure in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Kings County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1857 to 1866, from 1870 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1885.

He was born in Sussex Vale, New Brunswick, the son of John Cougle Vail and Charlotte Hannah Arnold, and studied medicine in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He returned home and set up practice in King's County. He also served as surgeon for the local militia. In 1842, he married Frances Charlotte Cougle. Vail was an opponent of Confederation. He served as Speaker for the New Brunswick assembly from 1865 to 1866, when he was defeated in a general election. Vail was reelected in 1870 and again served as speaker from 1871 to 1874. He married Harriet Courtland Murphy in 1873 after the death of his first wife. He was defeated again in 1874 but reelected in 1878. Vail served as a minister without portfolio in the Executive Council from 1883 to 1885. He was president of the New Brunswick Medical Society from 1883 to 1884. In April 1885, Vail was named to the province's Legislative Council. He died a few months later in Sussex at the age of 67.

His brother William Berrian Vail served in the Nova Scotia assembly and the Canadian House of Commons.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Edinburgh
Positions held
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Awards
Dufferin Medal

People in Edwin Arnold Vail's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Edwin Arnold Vail's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Edwin Arnold Vail?

Canadian politician (1817-1885)

When was Edwin Arnold Vail born?

Edwin Arnold Vail was born on 19 August 1817.

When did Edwin Arnold Vail die?

Edwin Arnold Vail died on 31 July 1885.

What was Edwin Arnold Vail's occupation?

Edwin Arnold Vail was a physician.

What nationality was Edwin Arnold Vail?

Edwin Arnold Vail was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Edwin Arnold Vail

· Wikidata: Q5346210

· DBpedia: Edwin Arnold Vail

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Edwin Arnold Vail. https://biography.guide/edwin-arnold-vail/

MLA: "Edwin Arnold Vail." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/edwin-arnold-vail/.

Chicago: "Edwin Arnold Vail." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/edwin-arnold-vail/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:18 UTC