Jean-Joseph Girouard
Encyclopedia
Jean-Joseph Girouard was a notary
and political figure in Lower Canada
.
He was born at Quebec City
in 1794, of Acadian
descent, and lived with his grandfather, Jean Baillairgé, after his father's death in 1800. When Baillairgé died in 1805, his mother became the housekeeper for a parish priest, who also tutored the children. Girouard trained as a notary, qualified to practice in 1816 and set up practice at Saint-Benoît (later Mirabel
). He also served as a volunteer in the militia during the War of 1812
and was named captain in 1821. In 1818, he married Marie-Louise Félix from the village of Saint-Benoît.
He resigned his position in the militia after a number of his friends were dismissed as militia officers because of their association with the Patriotes. Girouard was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for Deux-Montagnes in an 1831 by-election held after the death of Jacques Labrie
and supported Louis-Joseph Papineau
in the assembly. He supported the Ninety-Two Resolutions
and was reelected in 1834. In 1837, his name was on a list of rebel leaders to be arrested. He escaped but later turned himself in after he heard that his supporters had already been arrested and was imprisoned at Montreal
. He was released in July 1838 but imprisoned again following the uprisings later that year.
After his release, he retired from politics and returned to his profession as a notary. He married Émélie, the daughter of local notary Joseph-Amable Berthelot, in 1851. With his wife, he established the Hospice Youville, which provided education for young girls and care for the elderly, at Saint-Benoît. It was administered by the Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général in Montreal.
He died at Saint-Benoît in 1855.
His son Jean later served in the Legislative Council of Quebec. His son Joseph
was a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
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 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...
in 1794, of Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
descent, and lived with his grandfather, Jean Baillairgé, after his father's death in 1800. When Baillairgé died in 1805, his mother became the housekeeper for a parish priest, who also tutored the children. Girouard trained as a notary, qualified to practice in 1816 and set up practice at Saint-Benoît (later Mirabel
Mirabel, Quebec
Mirabel is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is an off-island suburb north-west of Montreal.Mirabel is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality and census division of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Mirabel. Its geographical code is 74.Mirabel's population was...
). He also served as a volunteer 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...
and was named captain in 1821. In 1818, he married Marie-Louise Félix from the village of Saint-Benoît.
He resigned his position in the militia after a number of his friends were dismissed as militia officers because of their association with the Patriotes. Girouard 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 Deux-Montagnes in an 1831 by-election held after the death of Jacques Labrie
Jacques Labrie
Jacques Labrie was a physician and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born at Saint-Charles in 1784, the son of farmer Jacques Nau, dit Labry, and studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec. He studied medicine with François Blanchet and completed his medical training at Edinburgh in Scotland...
and supported Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau , born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement before the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau, also a famous politician in Quebec...
in the assembly. 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....
and was reelected in 1834. In 1837, his name was on a list of rebel leaders to be arrested. He escaped but later turned himself in after he heard that his supporters had already been arrested and was imprisoned at 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...
. He was released in July 1838 but imprisoned again following the uprisings later that year.
After his release, he retired from politics and returned to his profession as a notary. He married Émélie, the daughter of local notary Joseph-Amable Berthelot, in 1851. With his wife, he established the Hospice Youville, which provided education for young girls and care for the elderly, at Saint-Benoît. It was administered by the Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général in Montreal.
He died at Saint-Benoît in 1855.
His son Jean later served in the Legislative Council of Quebec. His son Joseph
Joseph Girouard
Joseph Girouard was a Quebec notary and political figure. He represented Two Mountains in the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative member from 1892 to 1896....
was a member of the Canadian House of Commons.