Joseph Bouchette
Encyclopedia
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...
soldier and surveyor.
Born in Montreal to Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bouchette, a topographer, and Marie Angelique Duhamel. He later joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine
Provincial Marine was a coastal protection service in charge of the waters in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control. While ships of the PM were designated HMS, they were operated in more of a coast guard manner than as a full fledged navy....
on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
(1791–1796) and the Royal Canadian Volunteers (1796–1802). He also served 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 rising to the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He was sent to Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in 1792 to help survey Toronto Harbour
Toronto Harbour
Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a natural harbour, protected from Lake Ontario waves by the Toronto Islands. It is a commercial port on the Great Lakes as well as a recreational harbour...
and he produced maps that included the Toronto Islands
Toronto Islands
The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands in the city of Toronto, Ontario. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the city centre, and provide shelter for Toronto Harbour...
.
He reviewed the territory of 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...
for the Government. In 1815, he published his great book Topographical Description of the province of Lower Canada, which was the sum of knowledge of the territory for that day. The book, complete with some essential maps, was published in London in English and French, and was updated in English only in 1831–1832. His regional maps and two topographical descriptions of Lower Canada are still considered an essential reference for knowledge of the territory.
Bouchette return to 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...
to become Surveyor General of Lower Canada, replacing his uncle Samuel Holland
Samuel Holland
Samuel Johannes Holland was a Royal Engineer and first Surveyor General of British North America.-Life in the Netherlands:...
.
The Township of Bouchette
Bouchette, Quebec
Bouchette is a municipality in the geographic centre of the La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, north of Gatineau. Its territory is along both shores of the Gatineau River and the western shores of Thirty-One Mile Lake....
in Quebec was named in his honour.
Family
Joseph BouchetteJoseph Bouchette
Lieutenant Joseph Bouchette was a French Canadian soldier and surveyor.Born in Montreal to Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bouchette, a topographer, and Marie Angelique Duhamel. He later joined the Royal Navy's Provincial Marine on the Great Lakes and the Royal Canadian Volunteers...
`s daughter Louisa Bouchette Hart was born and educated in Quebec. She married, first, at Quebec, November 8th, 1851, Alexander Hart, C E, who died. She married second the Hon. Ambrose Shea
Ambrose Shea
Sir Ambrose Shea, KCMG , from Newfoundland was a political and business figure in Colonial Newfoundland and later served as Governor of the Bahamas. He was one of two Newfoundland delegates to the Québec Conference that led to Canadian confederation.Shea was born in St. John's, Newfoundland...
, M.E.C. at Quebec, November 26th, 1878.