Edme Henry
Encyclopedia
Edmund "Edme" Henry was a notary
and political figure in Lower Canada
.
He was born in Longueuil
in 1760, the son of a surgeon-major in the Régiment Royal Roussillon who settled on Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
leaving his wife and family in Quebec. Henry attended the Collège Saint-Raphaël
, studied law with Simon Sanguinet, received his commission as a notary in 1783 and set up practice in Montreal
. In 1794, he moved to La Prairie
. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for Huntingdon County
in 1810. Henry served as a major in the militia during the War of 1812
, taking part in the Battle of Châteauguay
, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1822. Henry acted as seigneurial
agent for Napier Christie Burton, the son of Gabriel Christie
; he was also crown land agent for the seigneury of Prairie-de-la-Madeleine and served as commissioner for roads and bridges. In 1815, he established the villages of Christieville (later Iberville
), Napierville
, and Henryville
. Henry was also part owner of the steamboat
Edmund Henry. In 1828, he married Marie-Clotilde Girardin, the widow of Jean-Baptiste Raymond
, after the death of his first wife Eunice Parker. In 1837, he founded Henry's Bank, with branches at La Prairie and Montreal; he was temporarily forced into bankruptcy after his bank manager absconded with the cash.
He died at La Prairie in 1841.
Civil law notary
Civil-law notaries, or Latin notaries, are lawyers of noncontentious private civil law who draft, take, and record legal instruments for private parties, provide legal advice and give attendance in person, and are vested as public officers with the authentication power of the State...
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 Longueuil
Longueuil, Quebec
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
in 1760, the son of a surgeon-major in the Régiment Royal Roussillon who settled on Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France. It is the only remnant of the former colonial empire of New France that remains under French control....
leaving his wife and family in Quebec. Henry attended 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...
, studied law with Simon Sanguinet, received his commission as a notary in 1783 and set up practice 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 1794, he moved to La Prairie
La Prairie, Quebec
La Prairie is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Jacques River and the Saint Lawrence River in the Regional County Municipality of Roussillon...
. He 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 Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County, Quebec
Huntingdon County, is an historical county in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is named after the town and county of the same name in east central England. It is situated in the Montreal South Shore region of Montérégie, one of the roughly 12 regions of Quebec...
in 1810. Henry served as a major in the 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...
, taking part in the Battle of Châteauguay
Battle of Chateauguay
The Battle of the Chateauguay was a battle of the War of 1812. On 26 October 1813, a force consisting of about 1,630 French Canadian regulars and militia and Mohawk warriors under Charles de Salaberry repulsed an American force of about 4,000 attempting to invade Canada.The Chateauguay was one of...
, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1822. Henry acted as seigneurial
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:...
agent for Napier Christie Burton, the son of Gabriel Christie
Gabriel Christie (general)
Gabriel Christie was a British Army General from Scotland, who settled in Montreal after the French and Indian War. He was one the largest landowners in the British Province of Quebec....
; he was also crown land agent for the seigneury of Prairie-de-la-Madeleine and served as commissioner for roads and bridges. In 1815, he established the villages of Christieville (later Iberville
Iberville, Quebec
Iberville was a city in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada, on the east side of the Richelieu River, across from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. It was about 30 miles from Montreal, and about the same distance from the United States border at the head of Lake Champlain...
), Napierville
Napierville, Quebec
Napierville is a municipality in the Jardins de Napierville Regional County Municipality in Quebec, Canada, situated in the Montérégie administrative region. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 3,352. It is the location of the seat of the Jardins de Napierville Regional County...
, and Henryville
Henryville, Quebec
Henryville is a municipality in the province of Quebec, Canada, located in the Regional County Municipality of Le Haut-Richelieu. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 1,529.-Population:Population trend...
. Henry was also part owner of the steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
Edmund Henry. In 1828, he married Marie-Clotilde Girardin, the widow of Jean-Baptiste Raymond
Jean-Baptiste Raymond
Jean-Baptiste Raymond was a seigneur, businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies in New France in 1757 and entered the fur trade at a young age. He later became a merchant at La Tortue...
, after the death of his first wife Eunice Parker. In 1837, he founded Henry's Bank, with branches at La Prairie and Montreal; he was temporarily forced into bankruptcy after his bank manager absconded with the cash.
He died at La Prairie in 1841.