He was educated as a teacher and lawyer and considered one of the leading experts of the day on Quebec's municipal civil law.

His brother, William Alexander Weir, was born there and would later become a Cabinet Minister in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.

[3] The family divided their time between Montreal and a summer home named Cedarhurst, in Cedarville,[4] a picturesque hamlet on the east shore of Lac Memphrémagog in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

During this time as a recorder, he also taught liturgics and jurisprudence in the Congregational College of Canada, which was affiliated with McGill University.

In 1908, Weir wrote English lyrics for "O Canada" while at his summer home, Cedarhurst, in time to honour the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.

The French version had originally been commissioned in 1880 by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, Théodore Robitaille with lyrics by Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier and music composed by Calixa Lavallée in time for the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français which was to be held on St. Jean Baptiste Day of that year.

The popularity of the song grew quickly in Quebec and was played frequently at special events in the province.

By the time Weir wrote his version in 1908, there were more than a hundred English quasi-translations of the French original (whose lyrics have never changed).

But while it was often used alongside "God Save the King" at official functions in Anglophone areas of the country, no French version was ever produced making it impossible for that song to ever become Canada's national anthem.

The complete form of the song, including Judge Weir's verses two through four, has increasingly recovered to reflection and modern usage among Canadians, as a hymnal spiritual expression of their appeal to God the "Ruler Supreme" of Canada's ongoing future, as Weir intended.

A recent Youtube file entitled, "Song - Canadian national anthem "O Canada" - All four verses!"

Beneath thy shining skies May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise, To keep thee steadfast through the years From East to Western sea, Our own beloved native land, Our True North, strong and free!

Ruler Supreme, Who hearest humble pray’r, Hold our dominion within Thy loving care.

Help us to find, O God, in Thee A lasting, rich reward, As waiting for the Better Day, We ever stand on guard.

The original French lyrics, written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier in 1880 [8] include lines like “ Le Canadien a grandi dans l'espoir.

Il est né d'une race fière” which roughly translates to “ The Canadian grew up with hope.

Canada’s official National Anthem Act[9] does not include Weir’s full song.

In seeking to enact "O Canada" as the national anthem officially, a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons was struck.

In 1968, the committee recommended changes to the English version–replacing one of the repeated phrases "We stand on guard for thee" with "From far and wide" and one "O Canada" with "God keep our land".

Evidence was found that the copyright had actually descended to Gordon V. Thompson, a music publisher, who agreed to sell it to the government in 1970 for the nominal sum of $1.

Today, "God Save the King" is Canada's royal anthem, while "The Maple Leaf Forever" is rarely heard.

Weir's grandson, Steve Simpson, says the word "son" is not about gender, but a reference to a patriotic command from a maternal goddess.