32 Facts About Denis-Benjamin Papineau

Denis-Benjamin Papineau's older brother, Louis-Joseph Papineau, was a leader of the Patriote movement leading up to the Lower Canada Rebellion.

Unlike his brother and cousins, Denis-Benjamin Papineau was not politically active during the lead-up to the Rebellion.

Two years later, in 1844, Viger invited Denis-Benjamin Papineau to join his new government.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau became the Commissioner of Crown Lands with a seat in the Executive Council.

When Viger withdrew from politics in 1846, Denis-Benjamin Papineau succeeded him as joint premier from Canada East.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was the manager of the family seigneury of Petite-Nation, first for his father, then for his brother Louis-Joseph.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau had a share in a bookstore in Montreal, and some commercial activities in the Petit-Nation area.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was the postmaster for Petit-Nation, and had several term appointments as a justice of the peace in the Montreal district.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was born in 1789 in Montreal, in the old Province of Quebec, the son of Joseph Papineau and Rosalie Cherrier.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau's father was a successful surveyor and notary, and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau had risen into the seigneurial class by buying the seigneury of Petite-Nation.

Unlike his father and his brother, Denis-Benjamin Papineau did not train as a lawyer.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau's tasks included encouraging settlement into the area and developing the lumber trade and sawmills, in the rich timber area of the Ottawa River valley.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau continued to manage the seigneury for his brother, including the period when Louis-Joseph was in exile after the Rebellion.

Louis-Joseph sent letters to Denis-Benjamin Papineau, criticising him for not collecting enough rents from the tenants.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau tried to develop a horse-breeding business, but without success.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau had greater success with sheep, at one point building up a flock of over 200 sheep.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was involved in merchant activities in the Petit-Nation area, and served as the postmaster for the region.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was a partner in a Montreal bookstore, and was named a justice of the peace for Montreal district on several occasions.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was not politically active as a young man, unlike his older brother and several cousins, who were involved in the Patriote movement and had been members of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada leading up to the Rebellion.

Papineau's cousin Denis-Benjamin Viger was initially one of the leaders of the Group.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau entered politics just as a political crisis was brewing, which eventually led to him becoming joint premier.

One of them was Denis-Benjamin Papineau, who accepted the office of Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was one of the few members of the government in Canada East who was re-elected.

Viger and Denis-Benjamin Papineau were considered to be Tories, supporting the governor.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau did not help his reputation with French-Canadians by his first vote in the Assembly after the 1844 elections.

Nor did Denis-Benjamin Papineau appear to have a firm grasp of parliamentary procedure, contradicting one of his own government colleagues during the debate on the speech from the throne.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau was hampered by his own deafness, making it difficult for him to follow the debates.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau did win some support by introducing an address to Queen Victoria, requesting that the statutory restrictions on the use of French in the Assembly be lifted, but he attracted further criticism for introducing legislation to reorganise the schools and municipalities, triggering opposition from the Catholic church and landowners.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau took over as the leader of the Canada East members in the Council.

Denis-Benjamin Papineau resigned his seat in the Executive Council at that time, and did not stand for re-election in the general elections that followed.

In 1858, his son, Denis-Emery Denis-Benjamin Papineau, was elected to represent Ottawa County, the same seat his father had held.