Pierre-Stanislas Bédard
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Stanislas Bédard (September 13, 1762 – April 26, 1829) was a lawyer, judge, journalist and political figure in Lower Canada
.
He was born in Charlesbourg
in 1762, descended from French
ancestors who had first arrived in New France
before 1660. He studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec
, articled in law and was called to the bar in 1790. In 1792, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
for Northumberland; he was reelected in 1796, 1800 and 1804. In 1796, he married Luce, the daughter of a surgeon, François Lajus. Bédard became leader of the parti canadien
. He was one of the founders of the newspaper Le Canadien
, which presented the party's views in print, in 1806. In 1808, he was elected in the Lower Town of Quebec and was reelected in 1809.
Bédard saw the legislative assembly as the only government body that represented the people of Lower Canada and so he resented the unchecked power wielded by the appointed councils and government ministers; he felt that ministers should be held accountable to the assembly. He also believed that judges should be kept independent from politics and so should not be allowed to sit in the legislative assembly. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1810 on the orders of Governor James Henry Craig
for treasonable activities because of his association with Le Canadien; he was released in March the following year. Bédard represented Surrey in the legislative assembly from 1810 to 1812, when he was named a judge in the Court of King's Bench for Trois-Rivières district. In 1811, James Stuart replaced Bédard as leader of the Parti canadien. During the War of 1812
, Bédard served as a captain in the militia. He opposed the union of Upper
and Lower Canada and led the opposition to the union in the Trois-Rivières region.
He died at Trois-Rivières
in 1829.
His son Elzéar
was a member in the legislative assembly, a judge and a mayor of Quebec City. His son Joseph-Isidore
also served in the assembly. His brother Joseph
was a member of 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 Charlesbourg
Charlesbourg, Quebec
Founded in 1659, Charlesbourg is a borough of Quebec City, in the northeastern part of the city and West of the city of Beauport. Incorporated in 1976 following the merger of the cities of Orsainville, Notre-Dame-des-Laurentides, the town of Charlesbourg and the municipality of Charlesbourg-Est...
in 1762, descended from French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
ancestors who had first arrived in New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
before 1660. He studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec
Petit Séminaire de Québec
Le Petit Séminaire de Québec is a private French-language Roman Catholic secondary school in the Vieux-Québec area of Quebec City which was originally part of the Séminaire de Québec...
, articled in law and was called to the bar in 1790. In 1792, 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 Northumberland; he was reelected in 1796, 1800 and 1804. In 1796, he married Luce, the daughter of a surgeon, François Lajus. Bédard became leader of the parti canadien
Parti canadien
The Parti canadien or Parti patriote was a political party in what is now Quebec founded by members of the liberal elite of Lower Canada at the beginning of the 19th century...
. He was one of the founders of the newspaper Le Canadien
Le Canadien
Le Canadien was a French language newspaper published in Lower Canada from November 22, 1806 to March 14, 1810. Its motto was: "Nos institutions, notre langue et nos droits"...
, which presented the party's views in print, in 1806. In 1808, he was elected in the Lower Town of Quebec and was reelected in 1809.
Bédard saw the legislative assembly as the only government body that represented the people of Lower Canada and so he resented the unchecked power wielded by the appointed councils and government ministers; he felt that ministers should be held accountable to the assembly. He also believed that judges should be kept independent from politics and so should not be allowed to sit in the legislative assembly. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1810 on the orders of Governor James Henry Craig
James Henry Craig
General Sir James Henry Craig KB was a British military officer and colonial administrator.-Early life and military service:...
for treasonable activities because of his association with Le Canadien; he was released in March the following year. Bédard represented Surrey in the legislative assembly from 1810 to 1812, when he was named a judge in the Court of King's Bench for Trois-Rivières district. In 1811, James Stuart replaced Bédard as leader of the Parti canadien. 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...
, Bédard served as a captain in the militia. He opposed the union of Upper
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...
and Lower Canada and led the opposition to the union in the Trois-Rivières region.
He died at Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières is a city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It is situated in the Mauricie administrative region, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour...
in 1829.
His son Elzéar
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 a member in the legislative assembly, a judge and a mayor of Quebec City. His son Joseph-Isidore
Joseph-Isidore Bédard
Joseph-Isidore Bédard was a lawyer and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Quebec City in 1806, the son of Pierre-Stanislas Bédard, and studied at the Séminaire de Nicolet. He articled in law with Georges-Barthélemi Faribault and was called to the bar in 1829...
also served in the assembly. His brother Joseph
Joseph Bédard (Lower Canada politician)
Joseph Bédard was a politician in Lower Canada. He represented York from 1800 to 1904 and Surrey from 1810 to 1814 in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada....
was a member of the legislative assembly.