George Vanfelson
Encyclopedia
George Vanfelson was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada
.
He was born in Quebec City
in 1784, of German
descent, and studied law with Jean-Antoine Panet
. He was called to the bar in 1805. Vanfelson was a captain in the militia during the War of 1812
. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for the Upper Town of Quebec in an 1815 by-election held after Jean-Antoine Panet was named to the Legislative Council; he was reelected in 1816. He was named advocate general for the province in 1819 and served in that position until 1832. Vanfelson was elected for the Lower Town of Quebec in an 1832 by-election held after the death of Thomas Lee; he was reelected in 1834. He supported the Ninety-Two Resolutions
but became a moderate Patriote, becoming the leader of this group when Elzéar Bédard
was appointed judge.
Vanfelson retired from politics in 1837, disturbed by the increasing animosity in the assembly. He became a Queen's Counsel
in 1843 and was named inspector of police for Montreal
later that year. In 1849, he was named to the Superior Court of Lower Canada at Montreal and served until his death at Montreal in 1856.
His sister Josette married Louis Gauvreau
, who also served in the legislative assembly.
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 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...
in 1784, of German
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...
descent, and studied law with Jean-Antoine Panet
Jean-Antoine Panet
Jean-Antoine Panet was a notary, lawyer, judge, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Quebec in 1751, the son of Jean-Claude Panet. He served in the militia defending the town of Quebec during the American Revolution and he later attained the rank of ieutenant-colonel in the...
. He was called to the bar in 1805. Vanfelson was a captain 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...
. 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 the Upper Town of Quebec in an 1815 by-election held after Jean-Antoine Panet was named to the Legislative Council; he was reelected in 1816. He was named advocate general for the province in 1819 and served in that position until 1832. Vanfelson was elected for the Lower Town of Quebec in an 1832 by-election held after the death of Thomas Lee; he was reelected in 1834. He supported 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....
but became a moderate Patriote, becoming the leader of this group when Elzéar Bédard
Elzéar Bédard
Elzéar Bédard was a lawyer and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. He later became a judge.He was born at Quebec City in 1799, the son of Pierre-Stanislas Bédard...
was appointed judge.
Vanfelson retired from politics in 1837, disturbed by the increasing animosity in the assembly. He became a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1843 and was named inspector of police for 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...
later that year. In 1849, he was named to the Superior Court of Lower Canada at Montreal and served until his death at Montreal in 1856.
His sister Josette married Louis Gauvreau
Louis Gauvreau
Louis Gauvreau was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Petite-Rivière-Saint-Charles near Quebec City in 1761 and studied at Quebec. He owned a general store and was also involved in lumber, wholesale trade, real estate and money-lending...
, who also served in the legislative assembly.