William Vondenvelden
Encyclopedia
William Vondenvelden was a German
-born surveyor, printer and political figure in Lower Canada
.
He was born in Hesse-Kassel
(or Hesse-Cassel), Germany in 1753 and came to Quebec
as a lieutenant with the Hesse-Hanau Chasseurs, which fought for Britain
during the American Revolution
. He retired from the army and settled at Quebec City
, becoming translator for the Quebec Gazette
in 1782. He qualified as a surveyor in 1783. In 1786, he was named justice of the peace for Gaspé district and moved to New Carlisle
. He was appointed clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and clerk of the peace in 1787. He also practiced as a surveyor, including a survey for Bonaventure Island
. Vondenvelden returned to Quebec City in 1783 and, with merchant John Jones
, set up a print shop there. In 1794, Jones and Vondenvelden launched the weekly Le Cours du tems/The Times. In 1795, he was named official printer for the statutes produced by the provincial parliament by Governor Guy Carleton
. He was appointed assistant surveyor general for the province in the same year. In 1798, he sold his printing operation to Pierre-Édouard Desbarats and Roger Lelièvre.
In 1803, with Louis Charland, he produced A new topographical map of the province of Lower Canada and a book, Extraits des titres des anciennes concessions de terre en fief et seineurie, describing the seigneuries
in the province. In 1799, he was named surveyor of the highways, streets, and lanes for the town and parish of Quebec. Vondenvelden was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for Gaspé in 1800. He returned to his practice as a surveyor in 1804.
He died at Quebec City in 1809 after having been involved in a carriage
accident.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born surveyor, printer and political figure in 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...
.
He was born in Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
(or Hesse-Cassel), Germany in 1753 and came to Quebec
Province of Quebec (1763-1791)
The Province of Quebec was a colony in North America created by Great Britain after the Seven Years' War. Great Britain acquired Canada by the Treaty of Paris when King Louis XV of France and his advisors chose to keep the territory of Guadeloupe for its valuable sugar crops instead of New France...
as a lieutenant with the Hesse-Hanau Chasseurs, which fought for Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He retired from the army and settled at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, becoming translator for the Quebec Gazette
Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
The Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, founded by William Brown as the Quebec Gazette on 21 June 1764, claims to be the oldest newspaper in North America...
in 1782. He qualified as a surveyor in 1783. In 1786, he was named justice of the peace for Gaspé district and moved to New Carlisle
New Carlisle, Quebec
New Carlisle, Quebec is a small town in the Gaspé region of Quebec, best known as the boyhood home of René Lévesque; although he was born at Campbellton, New Brunswick. The population is approximately 1430, half English-speaking and half French-speaking...
. He was appointed clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and clerk of the peace in 1787. He also practiced as a surveyor, including a survey for Bonaventure Island
Bonaventure Island
Bonaventure Island is a Canadian island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence located off the southern coast of Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula, southeast of the village of Percé...
. Vondenvelden returned to Quebec City in 1783 and, with merchant John Jones
John Jones (d. 1818)
John Jones was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada. He represented the Lower Town of Quebec in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1808 to 1810....
, set up a print shop there. In 1794, Jones and Vondenvelden launched the weekly Le Cours du tems/The Times. In 1795, he was named official printer for the statutes produced by the provincial parliament by Governor Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
. He was appointed assistant surveyor general for the province in the same year. In 1798, he sold his printing operation to Pierre-Édouard Desbarats and Roger Lelièvre.
In 1803, with Louis Charland, he produced A new topographical map of the province of Lower Canada and a book, Extraits des titres des anciennes concessions de terre en fief et seineurie, describing the seigneuries
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:...
in the province. In 1799, he was named surveyor of the highways, streets, and lanes for the town and parish of Quebec. Vondenvelden was elected to 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...
for Gaspé in 1800. He returned to his practice as a surveyor in 1804.
He died at Quebec City in 1809 after having been involved in a carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
accident.