The Special Council of Lower Canada was an appointed body which administered 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...

 until the Union Act of 1840 created the Province of Canada

Province of Canada

The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...

. Following the Lower Canada Rebellion

Lower Canada Rebellion

The Lower Canada Rebellion , commonly referred to as the Patriots' War by Quebeckers, is the name given to the armed conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada and the British colonial power of that province...

, on March 27, 1838, the Constitutional Act of 1791

Constitutional Act of 1791

The Constitutional Act of 1791, formally The Clergy Endowments Act, 1791 , is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain...

 was suspended and both the Legislative Assembly

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...

 and Legislative Council

Legislative Council of Lower Canada

The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. The legislative council was...

 were dissolved. The Act of Union created a common upper and lower house with representation from both of the former provinces 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.

In November 1839, the Special Council approved proposals made by Governor Sydenham

Charles Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham

Charles Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham PC was a British politician and the first Governor of the united Province of Canada.-Background:...

 for the union of the two Canadas.

There were three Special Councils:

• the first, appointed by Sir John Colborne, existed from April 2, 1838 to June 1, 1838
• the second, appointed by Lord Durham
  John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham
  John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham GCB, PC , also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America...
  
  , existed from June 28, 1838 to November 2, 1838
• the third, appointed by Sir John Colborne, existed from November 2, 1838 to February 10, 1841

Lists of Members of the Special Council

First Special Council James Cuthbert James Cuthbert, Jr. James Cuthbert was a seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born at Berthier in 1769, the son of seigneur James Cuthbert, and studied at the English College at Douai, France. He served in the 60th Regiment of the British Army, becoming lieutenant in 1797. Cuthbert inherited the... Toussaint Pothier Toussaint Pothier Toussaint Pothier was a businessman, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born Jean-Baptiste Pothier in Montreal in 1771, the son of Louis-Toussaint Pothier, a merchant and one of the founders of the North West Company... Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry was a seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in the town of Quebec in 1774, the son of seigneur Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry and Louise Martel de Brouague, the daughter of François Martel de Brouague... James Stuart Peter McGill Peter McGill Peter McGill was a Scots-Quebecer businessman who served as the second mayor of Montreal, Canada East from 1840 to 1842.- Biography :... Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière was a Quebec doctor, seigneur and political figure.He was born in Baie-du-Febvre, Lower Canada in 1792, the son of Pierre de Sales Laterrière who became the seigneur of Les Éboulements. Laterrière studied at the Petit Séminaire of Quebec and went on to study... Barthélemy Joliette Barthélemy Joliette Barthélemy Joliette was a notary, businessman, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.... Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave was a fur trader, businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Kaskaskia, Illinois in 1773, the son of Philippe-François de Rastel de Rocheblave, and moved to Montreal with his family after the American Revolution. Like his father, he entered the... John Neilson John Neilson John Neilson was a Scots-Quebecer editor of the newspaper La Gazette de Québec/The Quebec Gazette and a politician.- Biography :... Amable Dionne Amable Dionne Amable Dionne was a businessman, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.He was born in Kamouraska in 1781 and grew up there. He became a clerk for Pierre Casgrain, a merchant at Rivière-Ouelle, and, in 1811, was made a partner in the business... Samuel Gerrard Samuel Gerrard Samuel Gerrard was a Canadian fur trader, businessman, militia officer, justice of the peace, politician, and seigneur. He was the second president of the Bank of Montreal.-References:... Jules-Maurice Quesnel Jules-Maurice Quesnel Jules-Maurice Quesnel was a fur trader, businessman and political figure in Canada East.He was born Julien-Maurice Quesnel in Montreal in 1786, the son of Joseph Quesnel, and studied at the Collège Saint-Raphaël. He joined the North West Company as a clerk and assisted David Thompson in his... William Plenderleath Christie Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain was a lawyer and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born at Rivière-Ouelle in Lower Canada in 1800, the son of merchant Pierre Casgrain, and studied at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal, Petit Séminaire de Québec and the Séminaire de Nicolet... William Walker Joseph-Édouard Faribault Joseph-Édouard Faribault Joseph-Édouard Faribault was a notary and political figure in Lower Canada. He represented Leinster in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1808 to 1809.... John Molson, Jr. Étienne Mayrand Étienne Mayrand Étienne Mayrand was a Quebec businessman and political figure.He was born in Montreal in 1776 and went on to work in the fur trade with the North West Company. He established a business in grain and hay at Rivière-du-Loup , also expanding into real estate and money lending... Paul Holland Knowlton Paul Holland Knowlton Paul Holland Knowlton was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.He was born in Newfane, Vermont in 1787 and came to Lower Canada in 1798 with his family. After his mother died two years later, he went back to Newfane to live with his grandparents and complete his... Turton Penn Joseph Dionne Ichabod Smith Thomas Brown Anderson Thomas Brown Anderson Thomas Brown Anderson was a Canadian merchant, banker, and member of the Special Council of Lower Canada. He was the sixth president of the Bank of Montreal.-References:... Thomas Austin

Second Special Council Charles Paget James Macdonell Charles Buller Charles Buller Charles Buller , was a British barrister, politician and reformer.-Background and education:Born in Calcutta, British India, Buller was the son of Charles Buller , a member of a well-known Cornish family, and Barbara Isabella Kirkpatrick, daughter of General William Kirkpatrick, considered an... George Couper Charles Grey John Clitherow John Clitherow Major-General John Clitherow was an army officer, politician and was briefly Lieutenant Governor of Canada West and Canada East ....   Arthur William Buller Arthur William Buller Sir Arthur William Buller was a British Liberal Party Member of Parliament, who in his early career served as head of a commission of inquiry into education reform in Lower Canada....

Third Special Council James Cuthbert James Cuthbert, Jr. James Cuthbert was a seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born at Berthier in 1769, the son of seigneur James Cuthbert, and studied at the English College at Douai, France. He served in the 60th Regiment of the British Army, becoming lieutenant in 1797. Cuthbert inherited the... Toussaint Pothier Toussaint Pothier Toussaint Pothier was a businessman, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born Jean-Baptiste Pothier in Montreal in 1771, the son of Louis-Toussaint Pothier, a merchant and one of the founders of the North West Company... Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry was a seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in the town of Quebec in 1774, the son of seigneur Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry and Louise Martel de Brouague, the daughter of François Martel de Brouague... James Stuart  Peter McGill Peter McGill Peter McGill was a Scots-Quebecer businessman who served as the second mayor of Montreal, Canada East from 1840 to 1842.- Biography :... Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière was a Quebec doctor, seigneur and political figure.He was born in Baie-du-Febvre, Lower Canada in 1792, the son of Pierre de Sales Laterrière who became the seigneur of Les Éboulements. Laterrière studied at the Petit Séminaire of Quebec and went on to study... Barthélemy Joliette Barthélemy Joliette Barthélemy Joliette was a notary, businessman, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.... Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave was a fur trader, businessman and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Kaskaskia, Illinois in 1773, the son of Philippe-François de Rastel de Rocheblave, and moved to Montreal with his family after the American Revolution. Like his father, he entered the...   John Neilson John Neilson John Neilson was a Scots-Quebecer editor of the newspaper La Gazette de Québec/The Quebec Gazette and a politician.- Biography :... Amable Dionne Amable Dionne Amable Dionne was a businessman, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.He was born in Kamouraska in 1781 and grew up there. He became a clerk for Pierre Casgrain, a merchant at Rivière-Ouelle, and, in 1811, was made a partner in the business... Samuel Gerrard Samuel Gerrard Samuel Gerrard was a Canadian fur trader, businessman, militia officer, justice of the peace, politician, and seigneur. He was the second president of the Bank of Montreal.-References:... Jules-Maurice Quesnel Jules-Maurice Quesnel Jules-Maurice Quesnel was a fur trader, businessman and political figure in Canada East.He was born Julien-Maurice Quesnel in Montreal in 1786, the son of Joseph Quesnel, and studied at the Collège Saint-Raphaël. He joined the North West Company as a clerk and assisted David Thompson in his... William Plenderleath Christie Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain was a lawyer and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born at Rivière-Ouelle in Lower Canada in 1800, the son of merchant Pierre Casgrain, and studied at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal, Petit Séminaire de Québec and the Séminaire de Nicolet... William Walker Joseph-Édouard Faribault Joseph-Édouard Faribault Joseph-Édouard Faribault was a notary and political figure in Lower Canada. He represented Leinster in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1808 to 1809.... John Molson, Jr. Étienne Mayrand Étienne Mayrand Étienne Mayrand was a Quebec businessman and political figure.He was born in Montreal in 1776 and went on to work in the fur trade with the North West Company. He established a business in grain and hay at Rivière-du-Loup , also expanding into real estate and money lending... Paul Holland Knowlton Paul Holland Knowlton Paul Holland Knowlton was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.He was born in Newfane, Vermont in 1787 and came to Lower Canada in 1798 with his family. After his mother died two years later, he went back to Newfane to live with his grandparents and complete his... Turton Penn Joseph Dionne Ichabod Smith Thomas Austin Dominique Mondelet Dominique Mondelet (seigneur) Dominique Mondelet was a lawyer, judge, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu, the son of notary Jean-Marie Mondelet, and studied at the Collège de Montréal. He articled in law with Michael O'Sullivan, was admitted to the bar in 1820 and set up... George Moffatt Edward Hale  John Wainwright Jean-Baptiste Taché Jean-Baptiste Taché Jean-Baptiste Taché was a notary and political figure in Lower Canada. He represented Cornwallis from 1820 to 1824 and Rimouski from 1834 until the suspension of the constitution in 1838 in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada...   Robert Unwin Harwood Robert Unwin Harwood The Hon. Robert Unwin Harwood was the last Seigneur of Vaudreuil and a political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.-Arrival in Canada:...   Edward Hale Dominick Daly Dominick Daly Sir Dominick Daly was the Governor of Prince Edward Island from 11 July 1854 to 25 May 1859 and later Governor of South Australia from 4 March 1862 until his death on 19 February 1868....   Charles Richard Ogden Charles Richard Ogden Charles Richard Ogden was a Joint Premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1842 with William Henry Draper PM for Canada West. Odgen was a member of the Château Clique....   Frederick George Heriot  Henry Black Henry Black (Quebec judge) Henry Black was a Quebec lawyer, judge and political figure.He was born in Quebec City in 1798, studied there and was admitted to the bar in 1820. He joined the law practice of Andrew Stuart at Quebec City. In 1836, he was appointed judge in the Court of Vice-Admiralty for the Quebec district,...   Charles Dewey Day

External links

• Assemblée nationale du Québec (French)
• Journals of the Special Council of the province of Lower Canada, Armour & Ramsay (1838-1841) (Canadiana.org)