Joseph Adélard Descarries (November 7, 1853 – July 25, 1927) was a French Canadian

French Canadian

French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

 lawyer and politician.

Born in Saint-Timothée, Canada East

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....

, and educated at McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

 and Université Laval

Université Laval

Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...

. He studied law with Alexandre Lacoste

Alexandre Lacoste

Sir Alexandre Lacoste, PC was a Canadian lawyer, professor, and politician.He was born in Boucherville, Quebec in 1842, the son of Louis Lacoste. From 1880 to 1923, he was a professor of law at the Université de Montréal.In 1882, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of Quebec...

, was called to the Quebec Bar

Barreau du Quebec

The Bar of Quebec is the provincial law society for lawyers in Quebec, Canada...

 in 1879 and was created 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 1903.

From 1897 to 1906, he was mayor of Lachine, Quebec

Lachine, Quebec

Lachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.-History:...

. In 1882, 1883, and 1884, he ran unsuccessfully for the Legislative Assembly of Quebec

Legislative Assembly of Quebec

The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...

. He was elected as a Conservative

Parti conservateur du Québec

The Parti conservateur du Québec was a political party in Quebec, Canada.-Origins:The party originated as the Parti bleu which was formed around 1850 by the followers of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine...

 candidate in 1892

Quebec general election, 1892

In the Quebec general election of 1892 on March 8, 1892 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Conservative Party, led by Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville, defeated the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Honoré Mercier.Mercier had been...

 in the riding of Jacques-Cartier. He resigned in 1895 and was defeated in 1895 by-election in the federal riding of Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier (electoral district)

Jacques Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1953.It was created by the British North America Act of 1867...

. He was elected in a 1915 by-election as the Conservative

Conservative Party of Canada (historical)

The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...

 candidate and did not run for reelection in 1917. He ran unsuccessfully as an Independent candidate in the 1921 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1921

The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...

.

In 1881, he married Célina-Elmire Le Pailleur. Descarries died in Lachine at the age of 73.