Timothée Franchère
Timothée Franchère | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1791 |
| Died | Error: Need valid birth date (second date): year, month, day |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, politician |
| Years active | Early 19th century–1849 |
| Known for | Participation in the Lower Canada Rebellion; member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada |
Timothée Franchère (circa 1791 – October 5, 1849) was a prominent Canadien entrepreneur and political figure in both Lower Canada and the Province of Canada. He participated in the 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion and temporarily sought refuge in the United States. Subsequently, he was elected twice to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada as a representative of the French-Canadian faction.
Early life and family
Born around 1790 to Antoine Franchère and Marie-Josette Nicolas, Franchère came from a politically active family. His brother, Joseph Franchère, served in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada during the early 1820s. Their sister Marguerite was married to Rémi-Séraphin Bourdages, who represented Rouville from 1830 until 1832. Among his cousins were Gabriel Franchère, known for his work as a fur trader and writer, and Joseph-Charles Franchère, a noted painter.
During the War of 1812, he served in the local militia, achieving the rank of captain by 1821 and acting as adjutant for the Rouville district. Additionally, he held responsibilities as a school commissioner.
Business activities
Franchère established himself as a merchant based in Saint-Mathias, Lower Canada, operating both retail and wholesale grain enterprises that supplied markets in Quebec City. His commercial ventures extended into the lumber industry, where he owned sawmills and managed transportation via a barge on the Richelieu River. He later acquired shares in a steamboat company. Beyond these activities, he was involved in lending money and speculating on local land. In 1832, he was appointed commissioner charged with overseeing the construction of the Chambly Canal.
Lower Canada Rebellion
As an adherent of the Patriote movement and supporter of Louis-Joseph Papineau, Franchère attended the significant Assembly of the Six Counties in 1837. The Assembly adopted a forceful resolution denouncing British colonial governance; however, Franchère later disputed with Papineau over its severity.
Following the outbreak of the Lower Canada Rebellion in November 1837, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Franchère with a £500 bounty. He escaped to the United States alongside fellow merchants Louis Marchand and Eustache Soupras. He was granted a pardon within that same year. Franchère also held a directorship at La Banque du Peuple, which was suspected of providing financial support for rebel armaments.
Province of Canada politics
After uprisings in both Lower and Upper Canada, the British government united them under the 1840 Union Act, forming the Province of Canada with a single Parliament composed of an elected Legislative Assembly and an appointed Legislative Council. Initially, significant powers remained with the Governor General.
In the inaugural general election of 1841, Franchère contested the Rouville seat opposing the union but was narrowly defeated by Melchior-Alphonse de Salaberry, who supported it. The election was marred by violence resulting in one fatality.
Franchère secured victory in an 1843 by-election for Rouville and aligned himself with French-Canadian reformers led by Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine. He retained his seat in the 1844 election but chose not to run again in 1848.
Later life and death
Reappointed commissioner for the Chambly Canal in 1840, Franchère became a justice of the peace in 1843 and was elected as Saint-Mathias’s inaugural mayor in 1845. Throughout these years, he continued to manage his business interests.
He passed away at Saint-Mathias in 1849, leaving behind considerable wealth to his widow and five children. His estate included two pianos along with portraits of Pope Pius IX, Jacques Cartier, and Bishop Joseph-Octave Plessis. His widow recorded that he had claimed £1,300 from government compensation related to losses during the Rebellion, receiving £837 in payment.