From Prince Edward Legisalative Documents Online, 2017:
DARBY, K.C., HONOURABLE WALTER ERIC, teacher, lawyer, magistrate, Crown prosecutor, and judge; b. 21 November 1903 in Abrams Village, son of Harry Alfred Darby: and Bessie W. Morrison; m. 1933 Margaret McCreath, and they had four children, Peter, Elizabeth, Cecilia, and Isabel; Anglican; d. 17 March 1980 in Summerside.
Darby, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly by acclamation in a by-election held 18 July 1949 for 2nd Prince. He was reelected in the general election of 1951. He was defeated in the general election of 1943 for 5th Prince. Darby was appointed Attorney-General, Advocate General, and Provincial Treasurer from 1950 to 1954. Following the death of Premier J. Walter Jones*, Darby ran for leadership of the Liberal party, losing to Alexander W. Matheson by one vote at the leadership convention.
Darby’s father, Harry Darby”, had represented 3rd Prince in the Legislature.
Darby received his primary education at Abrams Village School. From 1917 to 1920, he attended Prince of Wales College, and at that time was the youngest person registered at the College. From 1920 to 1922, Darby taught at O’Leary High School. In 1925 Darby graduated from Dalhousie with a Bachelor of Arts degree and in 1927 with a Bachelor of Law degree. While at Dalhousie, he was president of the Debating Society. From 1927 to 1930, he practised law with the firm Covert, Pearson and Rutledge in Halifax. In 1931 he opened an office in Summerside and carried on a general law practice. He also served as a part-time Stipendiary Magistrate from 1936 to 1944.
In 1944 Darby was appointed King’s Counsel. He served as Crown Prosecutor from 1943 to 1948. He appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada on three occasions and represented the province before the Privy Council in London. In 1954 Darby was appointed Judge of the Prince County Court, and in 1975 he was elevated to the Prince Edward Island Supreme Court. Darby retired 21 November 1978 while serving as Chief Justice, at which time he was awarded a plaque by the Summerside Police Force, in appreciation of his support to the police during his time as a judge.
In 1946 and 1947, Darby was president of the Law Society and, in 1948, vice-president of the Canadian Bar Association for the Island. He served as chairman and was the only Canadian member of a Commonwealth Commission established to assist with the reorganization of the Police Force in Trinidad.
During the Second World War, Darby chaired the War Finance Committee for Prince County during nine Victory Loan campaigns. He also served as vice-chairman of the Red Cross War Services Campaigns for a number of years. In 1943 Darby was secretary of Rotary and served as its president in 1944. Later he was made a life member of the Rotary Club.
In 1948 he was the first secretary of the Summerside Air Cadet Corps. He served as president of the Prince County Hospital trustees and was a charter member of Summerside Ys Men’s Club. Darby was a chair of the Prince Edward Island Milk Board, and in 1964 he w’as appointed treasurer of the board of governors of Prince of Wales College, a position he held until the formation of the University of Prince Edward Island.
Walter Darby died 17 March 1980 at the Prince County Hospital.
Margaret Darby was the daughter of Peter L. McCreath of Halifax.