George Duval, precis writer and secretary of the chief justice and the judges of the Supreme Court of the Dominion, was born in the city of Quebec, on the 19th of December, 1843. His parents were Joseph Duval, merchant, and Adelaide Dubuc, the latter now being the wife of John F. Duval, late chief justice of the Province of Quebec. George was educated at the Jesuits’ College, Montreal, graduating in 1861; studied law first with Messrs. Holt and Irvine, then with L. B. Caron, advocate, being called to the Bar in 1865. He immediately entered upon practice in partnership with Mr. Caron, who has since been appointed judge of the Superior Court of the Province of Quebec.
Mr. Duval practiced in his native city until 1874, when he was appointed private secretary to the Hon. Antoine A. Dorion, minister of justice. Subsequently Mr. Duval was appointed private secretary of Hon. T. Fournier, minister of justice, and chief clerk in the department of justice, receiving his appointment to his present position in the Supreme Court, in January, 1876. As precis writer, Mr. Duval is the official law reporter of the court. The Supreme Court’s reports are published in numbers, making yearly a volume of over 750 pages. He is also a Commissioner under the great seal of Canada, for administering oaths in the Supreme Court and in the Exchequer Court of Canada.
In June, 1872, Isabella, fourth daughter of Hon. William Power, one of the Judges of the Superior Court of Lower Canada, and of Susanna Aubert de Gaspe, and grand-daughter of the late P. Aubert de Gaspe, became the wife of Mr. Duval, and they have one child.