The Arrest of Etienne Parent - Part IV

I finished the last post with, 'At the prison they were "imprisoned with other political prisoners; Mr. Rousseau, Teed, Chasseur, and Dumont".' Who were these "other political prisoners"? 

Pierre Chasseur

Pierre Chasseur was a gilder and wood carver. He came from a less affluent background and he was not well educated. After apprenticing as a gilder Pierre Chasseur also began to carve wood as well. It is interesting that Pierre Chasseur had an interest in natural history but he started collecting at a time when an interest in arts and science was flourishing in Quebec. It is not known when he started collecting but by 1824 Pierre Chasseur had a significant collection of animals, particularly birds that was housed in his home on Rue Sainte-Hélène (Rue McMahon) in the Upper Town of Quebec City. When the government acquired his collection in 1830 he had over 500 specimens.

Pierre Chasseur was closely involved with the rebellions of 1837 and 1838. He made his home available for the meetings of the Comitè Permanent de Québec during 1837. These activities lead to his arrest in November of 1837 but he was subsequently released through a writ of habeas corpus. Pierre Chasseur was arrested again in November of 1838 but this time he could not fall back on a writ of habeas corpus because John Colborne had illegally suspended habeas corpus. This is how Pierre Chasseur was present in the Quebec jail when Etienne Parent was arrested.  

John Teed was a tailor by trade from Quebec City. he was deeply involved in the rebellion of 1837 - 1838. He spoke at gatherings and he was a member of the Standing Committee for the Patriotes.Teed held meetings for Patriotes in his own home. Ultimately, the authorities caught with Teed and was arrested on November 11, 1838 and imprisoned in the Citadelle in Quebec City. A lawyer, T.C Aylwin represented John Teed in front of the judges Panet and Bedard for a writ of habeas corpus. It was the legal opinion of Panet and Bedard that John Colborne's suspension was an illegal contravention of the Canadian constitution so they Granted Teed's request of  habeas corpus on November 21, 1838. Unfortunately, Panet and Bedard were removed from the bench by Colborne's Special council. Bedard immediately left Canada to travel to England to argue for his ruling that it was illegal to suspend habeas corpus. Since Panet and Bedard had been removed, their ruling in John Teed's favor no longer stood. At the same time, all prisoners were transferred from civil authority to military authority. When John Teed tried to present his writ of habeas corpus at the jail in Quebec City he was informed that he was no longer under the jurisdiction of the civil authority. He was now under the control of the military authority which in Teed's case was Colonel Bowles who imprisoned him in the jail in Quebec City.

Alexandre Dumont

Alexandre Dumont is somewhat of a puzzle  in that it is not clear to me why he was in prison. He was imprisoned on November 19 1838, paid bail so that he could be released until the next sitting of the king's court, but he remained in jail.

It was also not clear as to the nationality of Alexandre Dumont. According to the government's official description Alexandre Dumont was listed as a citizen of France. But, according to Napoleon Aubin, his journal was le Fantasque. Alexandre Dumont was an "English gentleman" who was travelling across Canada as a tourist for "his health and pleasure" but instead he was resting and dieting in a small cell with four walls. Apparently, his crime was to pay too much attention to the Quebec fortifications.

Doctor Edouard Rousseau


Doctor Edouard Rousseau was a mystery. I can only find fragments of references to Edouard Rousseau. It is clear that he was a Reformist who was associated with Patriotes like Robert Shore Milnes Bouchette, Charles Drolet, Charles Hunter, Dr. Jean Blanchet and Pierre Chasseur. The only reference that I found to his arrest was that he was arrested for helping to Patriotes to escape. This is curious but I am confident that with more research I will get to the bottom of Doctor Edouard Rousseau's arrest and imprisonment. 

These were the men, the Patriotes who greeted Etienne Parent. These were the men who were Etienne Parent's companions and associates during his internment in the Quebec prison. What I would not give to have been able to listen to the discussions that those men had on the political situation in Lower Canada in 1838 - 1839.




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