Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière
Encyclopedia
Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, (December 5, 1829 – November 16, 1908) served as the fourth Premier
of the Canadian
province of Quebec
, a federal Cabinet minister, and the seventh Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
.
was born as Henry-Gustave Joly in Épernay
, France. His father's family was one of the traditional Huguenot
families from Switzerland and his mother's family was Roman Catholic. Initially a Huguenot
himself, Henri-Gustave converted to Anglicanism
before he married in 1856.
His father, Gaspard-Pierre-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière
, was a pioneer of early photography (the first man to photograph the Acropolis
, in 1839) who made a series of daguerreotypes while on a Grand Tour
through Greece, Egypt
and the Holy Land
. Henri-Gustave's mother was Julie-Christine, the youngest daughter of Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière
, who inherited the seigneury
of Lotbinière
, in 1828. His parents' marriage was not a happy one, which is perhaps not surprising as his father had first proposed to Julie-Christine's eldest sister, Louise-Josephe, the Seigneuresse de Vaudreuil, who instead chose to marry Robert Unwin Harwood
. Henri-Gustave Joly studied in Paris and inherited the title of seigneur of Lotbinière in 1860.
He married Margaretta-Josepha Gowen, daughter of Hammond Gowen of Quebec, and was the father of eleven children. He was the grandfather of Seymour de Lotbiniere
.
for Lotbinière
in 1861 as a Bleu
, a moderate liberal, but was a member of the more radical Parti rouge
when re-elected in 1863.
Henri-Gustave Joly became Leader of the Quebec Liberals at the time of Confederation
in 1867, and was the member for the federal riding
of Lotbinière. He was re-elected in Lotbinière in the Canadian Election of 1872
.
In 1878, Conservative premier Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville resigned on March 2 since he was about to be deposed by Lieutenant Governor Luc Letellier de Saint-Just. They had a conflict over railroad legislation which de Saint-Just deemed unconstitutional. As a result, Joly became Premier on March 8, 1878.
In the May 1, 1878 election, the Liberals won one fewer seat than the Conservatives (there were also two independent Conservatives). However, Joly remained in power in a minority government
for about a year and half. His government was brought down by a motion of censure
involving the defection of five Liberals (including future premier Edmund James Flynn
) to the Conservatives. The Leader of the Opposition
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau
was called to form a government on October 31, 1879.
Joly remained Liberal Party leader until 1883. In all, he spent about 17 years as Liberal leader, but served only briefly as Premier.
In 1883, Joly resigned as Liberal leader to make way for Honoré Mercier
. He resigned as member of the Legislative Assembly
in November 1885.
He added "de Lotbinière" (part of his mother's maiden name) to his name in 1888.
in the 1896 federal election
, this time as the member from Portneuf. He served as a federal Cabinet minister from 1897 until he retired in 1900.
In March 1900 Sir Henri was invited along with J.R. Booth, William Little, Thomas Southworth and Dr. William Saunders by Elihu Stewart, Canada's chief inspector of timber and forestry, to create the Canadian Forestry Association. On March 8, 1900, these men met in the Railway Committee Room of the House of Commons in Ottawa, playing host to lumbermen, foresters, civil servants, railroad executives and others, all concerned about the survival and future use of Canada's forests. The CFA was truly a national organization, with representation from every province and the districts of Assiniboia, Athabaska, Keewatin and Yukon.
Under the chairmanship of Sir Henri, delegates approved bylaws and a constitution of the Canadian Forestry Association, Canada's oldest conservation organization. These early conservationists recognized that the whole field of renewable resources, the forests, waters, wildlife, soils and recreational values, were closely interrelated. The CFA's mission continues to be to promote the protection and wise use of Canada's forest, water and wildlife resources. His participation as the first president of the Canadian Forestry Association was not altered by his ongoing political activity. He continued to put forward new ideas for forestry. He presented a paper in 1906 that called for the forest sector to consider conversion to the metric measurement system, a change that would not come to fruition in Canada until the 1980s.
At the 1905 annual meeting of the Canadian Forestry Association in Québec City, condolences were expressed to Sir Henri on the passing the previous year of his wife. To quote the proceedings: "Then we must all regret the affliction that has come to our honoured president, Sir Henri Joly de Lotbinière and his family in the death of Lady Joly. We all love Sir Henri, and we believe that his name will be remembered for the good work he has done as long as trees grow in this country. He has our sincere sympathy in the affliction that has befallen him."
Prime Minister Laurier appointed him Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia in 1900; he served until 1906. He died in Quebec City
in 1908. He and his wife, Margaretta Josepha Gowen (July 25, 1837 – August 14, 1904), had 11 children of whom 7 reached adulthood. Seymour de Lotbiniere
, who grew up in England and was an influential director of outside broadcasting
at the BBC
, was their grandson.
(the Liberals won one fewer seat than the Conservatives but he remained premier with the support of a few Conservatives). He lost the 1881 election
.
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
of the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, a federal Cabinet minister, and the seventh Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared with equally the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest...
.
Early years
Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, PCQueen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
was born as Henry-Gustave Joly in Épernay
Épernay
Épernay is a commune in the Marne department in northern France. Épernay is located some 130 km north-east of Paris on the main line of the Eastern railway to Strasbourg...
, France. His father's family was one of the traditional Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
families from Switzerland and his mother's family was Roman Catholic. Initially a Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
himself, Henri-Gustave converted to Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
before he married in 1856.
His father, Gaspard-Pierre-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière
Gaspard-Pierre-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière
Gaspard-Pierre-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, born in 1798 in Frauenfeld and died in 1865 in Paris, was a French merchant and photographer born in Switzerland, married to a Canadian seigneuress. Famous for being the first to photograph the Acropolis and then the Egyptian Pyramids with Horace Vernet...
, was a pioneer of early photography (the first man to photograph the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
, in 1839) who made a series of daguerreotypes while on a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
through Greece, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. Henri-Gustave's mother was Julie-Christine, the youngest daughter of Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière
Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière
Colonel The Hon. Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière , de jure 2nd Marquis de Lotbinière...
, who inherited the seigneury
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
of Lotbinière
Lotbinière Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Lotbinière is a Regional County Municipality in central Quebec, Canada in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. It is an almost exclusively rural RCM, with no village with a population above 4,000. As of the 2001 Census, the RCM had a population of 26,851, a decrease of 0.3% since 1996. Its seat is in...
, in 1828. His parents' marriage was not a happy one, which is perhaps not surprising as his father had first proposed to Julie-Christine's eldest sister, Louise-Josephe, the Seigneuresse de Vaudreuil, who instead chose to marry 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:...
. Henri-Gustave Joly studied in Paris and inherited the title of seigneur of Lotbinière in 1860.
He married Margaretta-Josepha Gowen, daughter of Hammond Gowen of Quebec, and was the father of eleven children. He was the grandfather of Seymour de Lotbiniere
Seymour de Lotbiniere
Seymour Joly de Lotbiniere CVO known as ‘Lobby’ was a Director of the British Broadcasting Corporation and pioneer of outside broadcasts. He is recognised as developing the technique of sports commentary on radio and subsequently television, and he masterminded the televising of the 1953...
.
Provincial political career
Joly was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of CanadaLegislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
for Lotbinière
Lotbinière (electoral district)
Lotbinière was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 2004.It was created by the British North America Act of 1867...
in 1861 as a Bleu
Bleu
bleu or BLEU may refer to:* the French word for blue* Three Colors: Blue, a 1993 movie* Bilingual Evaluation Understudy, a machine translation evaluation metric* Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union...
, a moderate liberal, but was a member of the more radical Parti rouge
Parti rouge
The Parti rouge was formed in the Province of Quebec, around 1848 by radical French-Canadians inspired by the ideas of Louis-Joseph Papineau, the Institut canadien de Montréal, and the reformist movement led by the Parti patriote of the 1830s.The party was a successor to the Parti patriote...
when re-elected in 1863.
Henri-Gustave Joly became Leader of the Quebec Liberals at the time of Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
in 1867, and was the member for the federal riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Lotbinière. He was re-elected in Lotbinière in the Canadian Election of 1872
Canadian federal election, 1872
The Canadian federal election of 1872 was held from July 20 to October 12, 1872, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 2nd Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Sir John A...
.
In 1878, Conservative premier Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville resigned on March 2 since he was about to be deposed by Lieutenant Governor Luc Letellier de Saint-Just. They had a conflict over railroad legislation which de Saint-Just deemed unconstitutional. As a result, Joly became Premier on March 8, 1878.
In the May 1, 1878 election, the Liberals won one fewer seat than the Conservatives (there were also two independent Conservatives). However, Joly remained in power in a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
for about a year and half. His government was brought down by a motion of censure
Censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
involving the defection of five Liberals (including future premier Edmund James Flynn
Edmund James Flynn
Edmund James Flynn was a Canadian politician and the tenth Premier of Quebec.-Background:Flynn, the son of Jacques Flynn and Elizabeth Tostevin, was born at Percé on November 16, 1847. He studied law at the Université Laval in Quebec City from 1871 to 1873, obtaining his degree with distinction. On...
) to the Conservatives. The Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Official Opposition (Quebec)
This is a list of the leaders of the opposition party of Quebec, Canada since Confederation .Note that the leader of the Opposition is not always the leader of the political party with the second-largest number of seats, in cases where the leader of that party does not have a seat.There was no...
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau
Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, PC, KCMG , born in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, was a French-Canadian lawyer and politician....
was called to form a government on October 31, 1879.
Joly remained Liberal Party leader until 1883. In all, he spent about 17 years as Liberal leader, but served only briefly as Premier.
In 1883, Joly resigned as Liberal leader to make way for Honoré Mercier
Honoré Mercier
Honoré Mercier was a lawyer, journalist and politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the ninth Premier of Quebec from January 27, 1887 to December 21, 1891, as leader of the Parti National or Quebec Liberal Party ....
. He resigned as member of the Legislative Assembly
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...
in November 1885.
He added "de Lotbinière" (part of his mother's maiden name) to his name in 1888.
Careers in Federal Politics and in Forestry
Joly de Lotbinière was once again elected to the federal House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1896 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1896
The Canadian federal election of 1896 was held on June 23, 1896 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the...
, this time as the member from Portneuf. He served as a federal Cabinet minister from 1897 until he retired in 1900.
In March 1900 Sir Henri was invited along with J.R. Booth, William Little, Thomas Southworth and Dr. William Saunders by Elihu Stewart, Canada's chief inspector of timber and forestry, to create the Canadian Forestry Association. On March 8, 1900, these men met in the Railway Committee Room of the House of Commons in Ottawa, playing host to lumbermen, foresters, civil servants, railroad executives and others, all concerned about the survival and future use of Canada's forests. The CFA was truly a national organization, with representation from every province and the districts of Assiniboia, Athabaska, Keewatin and Yukon.
Under the chairmanship of Sir Henri, delegates approved bylaws and a constitution of the Canadian Forestry Association, Canada's oldest conservation organization. These early conservationists recognized that the whole field of renewable resources, the forests, waters, wildlife, soils and recreational values, were closely interrelated. The CFA's mission continues to be to promote the protection and wise use of Canada's forest, water and wildlife resources. His participation as the first president of the Canadian Forestry Association was not altered by his ongoing political activity. He continued to put forward new ideas for forestry. He presented a paper in 1906 that called for the forest sector to consider conversion to the metric measurement system, a change that would not come to fruition in Canada until the 1980s.
At the 1905 annual meeting of the Canadian Forestry Association in Québec City, condolences were expressed to Sir Henri on the passing the previous year of his wife. To quote the proceedings: "Then we must all regret the affliction that has come to our honoured president, Sir Henri Joly de Lotbinière and his family in the death of Lady Joly. We all love Sir Henri, and we believe that his name will be remembered for the good work he has done as long as trees grow in this country. He has our sincere sympathy in the affliction that has befallen him."
Prime Minister Laurier appointed him Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia in 1900; he served until 1906. He died in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in 1908. He and his wife, Margaretta Josepha Gowen (July 25, 1837 – August 14, 1904), had 11 children of whom 7 reached adulthood. Seymour de Lotbiniere
Seymour de Lotbiniere
Seymour Joly de Lotbiniere CVO known as ‘Lobby’ was a Director of the British Broadcasting Corporation and pioneer of outside broadcasts. He is recognised as developing the technique of sports commentary on radio and subsequently television, and he masterminded the televising of the 1953...
, who grew up in England and was an influential director of outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting is the electronic field production of television or radio programmes from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera and microphone signals come into the production truck for processing, recording and possibly transmission...
at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, was their grandson.
Elections as party leader
He won the 1878 electionQuebec general election, 1878
The Quebec general election of 1878 was held on May 1, 1878 to elect members of the 4th Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada...
(the Liberals won one fewer seat than the Conservatives but he remained premier with the support of a few Conservatives). He lost the 1881 election
Quebec general election, 1881
The Quebec general election of 1881 was held on December 2, 1881 to elect members of the 5th Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada...
.
See also
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- List of Quebec general elections
- Timeline of Quebec historyTimeline of Quebec historyThis article presents a detailed timeline of Quebec history. Events taking place outside Quebec, for example in English Canada, the United States, Britain or France, may be included when they are considered to have had a significant impact on Quebec's history....
- Domaine Joly de Lotbiniere http://www.domainejoly.com/