Frédéric-Auguste Quesnel
Encyclopedia
Frédéric-Auguste Quesnel (February 4, 1785 – July 28, 1866) was a lawyer, businessman and political figure in Canada East
.
He was born in Montreal
in 1785, the son of Joseph Quesnel
, and studied at the Collège Saint-Raphaël
. He articled in law with Stephen Sewell
, was admitted to the bar in 1807 and set up practice in Montreal. Quesnel also invested in the fur trade
and speculated in land. He served in the local militia during the War of 1812
and reached the rank of major in 1830. He represented Kent County, later Chambly, in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
from 1820 to 1834. Quesnel opposed the union of Upper
and Lower Canada
proposed in the early 1820s. In 1831, he was named King's Counsel. He was a moderate Reformer and opposed such measures as an elected legislative council and did not support the Ninety-Two Resolutions
. He was named to the Executive Council in 1837 and continued to opposed the union of the two Canadas. After that union came to pass, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
in 1841 for Montmorency
; he was defeated in 1844. Quesnel was named to the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning in 1845. In 1848, he was appointed to the Legislative Council
and served until his death in Montreal in 1866. He supported the 1849 Rebellion Losses Bill
and opposed annexation to the United States
; he ensured that proper compensation for seigneur
s was built into legislation to abolish seigneurial tenure. Quesnel was elected president of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
of Montreal in 1860. He was also a director of La Banque du Peuple and served as its president from 1859 to 1865. He was buried in the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
.
His brother Jules-Maurice Quesnel
worked in the fur trade and also served on the Legislative Council.
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
.
He was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1785, the son of Joseph Quesnel
Joseph Quesnel
Joseph Quesnel was a French Canadian composer, poet, and playwright. Among his works were two operas, Colas et Colinette and Lucas et Cécile; the former is considered to be the first Canadian opera....
, and studied at the Collège Saint-Raphaël
Collège de Montréal
The Collège de Montréal is a private secondary school for students attending grades 7–11 located in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A former Roman Catholic Seminary, it was founded 1 June 1767 as the Petit Séminaire of Montreal by the Suplician Order...
. He articled in law with Stephen Sewell
Stephen Sewell (lawyer)
Stephen Sewell was a lawyer and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born Stephen Sewall in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1770, the son of Jonathan Sewall who was the attorney general of Massachusetts, and returned to England with his family at the start of the American Revolution, where he...
, was admitted to the bar in 1807 and set up practice in Montreal. Quesnel also invested in the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
and speculated in land. He served in the local militia during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and reached the rank of major in 1830. He represented Kent County, later Chambly, in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
from 1820 to 1834. Quesnel opposed the union of Upper
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
proposed in the early 1820s. In 1831, he was named King's Counsel. He was a moderate Reformer and opposed such measures as an elected legislative council and did not support the Ninety-Two Resolutions
Ninety-Two Resolutions
The Ninety-Two Resolutions were drafted by Louis-Joseph Papineau and other members of the Parti patriote of Lower Canada in 1834. The resolutions were a long series of demands for political reforms in the British-governed colony....
. He was named to the Executive Council in 1837 and continued to opposed the union of the two Canadas. After that union came to pass, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
in 1841 for Montmorency
Montmorency (electoral district)
Montmorency was a federal electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1917, and from 1968 to 2004.-History:"Montmorency" riding was created by the British North America Act...
; he was defeated in 1844. Quesnel was named to the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning in 1845. In 1848, he was appointed to the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the province of Ontario...
and served until his death in Montreal in 1866. He supported the 1849 Rebellion Losses Bill
Rebellion Losses Bill
The Rebellion Losses Bill was a controversial law enacted by the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1849...
and opposed annexation to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; he ensured that proper compensation for seigneur
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
s was built into legislation to abolish seigneurial tenure. Quesnel was elected president of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society is an institution in Quebec dedicated to the protection of Quebec francophone interests and to the promotion of Quebec Sovereignism. Its current President is Mario Beaulieu....
of Montreal in 1860. He was also a director of La Banque du Peuple and served as its president from 1859 to 1865. He was buried in the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
Founded in 1854, Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is a 343-acre cemetery located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The entrance and the grounds run along a part of chemin Côte-des-Neiges and up the slopes of Mount Royal...
.
His brother Jules-Maurice Quesnel
Jules-Maurice Quesnel
Jules-Maurice Quesnel was a fur trader, businessman and political figure in Canada East.He was born Julien-Maurice Quesnel in Montreal in 1786, the son of Joseph Quesnel, and studied at the Collège Saint-Raphaël. He joined the North West Company as a clerk and assisted David Thompson in his...
worked in the fur trade and also served on the Legislative Council.