He teached at a local one-room schoolhouse from 1828-1830. This is so that he could afford to study law. Before Charles Tupper became premier of Nova Scotia (1864-1867) he was one of his student.
Jonathan McCully was born on July 25th, 1809. He was born on his family farm in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. His parents were Samuel McCully and Esther Pipes. He was the fifth of nine children.
He was a political journalist. He was also a writer and editor for Acadian Recorder and Halifax Morning Chronicle. When fired due to his pro-confederation view in 1865 he then bought and renamed Mourning Journal and Commercial Advertiser to make Unionist and Halifax Journal in support of the Confederation.
He married Elizabeth Creed a Haligonian woman (ten years younger) at St. George's Anglican Church in Halifax, 1842. They later had 2 daughters a son and settled in Halifax in 1849.
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He knew the benefits in a larger nation. Tupper was grateful for his support in facing the opposition to the Confederation. When he returned he wrote to John A. Macdonald praising him.
Nova Scotia's premier Joseph Howe appointed Jonathan to join the legislative Council and he stayed in the position till 1867. He worked at lot of offices mainly related to building railways. In 1853, he was know appointed to the position of probate judge, in which he supported Howe's railway projects. He was a railway commissioner from 1854-1857 and ran the Nova Scotia Railway (1860-1863).
He was persuaded by the merits of Confederation at the Charlottetown Conference while his coworkers at N.S. Legislative Council were skeptical. He was to replace a delegate that withdrew because of Charles Tupper.
Jonathan McCully lived his life as many things. He was a senator, politician, journalist, lawyer, teacher, and a judge of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. He died in 1877 at the age 67. He shows the influence of political journalism on the Confederation by shifting publicopinion in favor of the Confederation.
Sir John A. Macdonald rewarded him by appointing him to Senate (1867-1870). Here he was Chair of Select Committee on Rupert's Land, Red River, and the Northwest territories (1869). In 1870, he was appointed to be puisne judge in the Nova Scotia Supreme court.