Pierre of Calvet

Pierre of Calvet , born with Caussade in the 1735, disappeared at sea Atlantic on March 28th, 1786, trading, Justice of the Peace, political prisoner and Québécois lampoonist of French origin.

Biography

Family

Born at the summer from 1735 with Caussade in the old French province from Guyenne (today in the Department of Tarn-et-Garonne) from a family Calviniste. It is the elder one of an family of five children. His/her father, Pierre Calvet, of calvinist confession, makes baptize his children with the Catholic church. He will transmit the Protestant faith however to them. His/her mother is Anne Boudet.

An ancestor, François Calvet, passes to the scaffold on June 23rd, 1563 to have introduced the Réforme with Montauban.

Education

Very little thing is known education of Pierre of Calvet.

Emigration in News-France

A cousin by alliance, a Mr Guireaud, provides him the capital necessary to the purchase of goods which it intends to exchange in News-France. Of Calvet for Quebec aboard trading vessel the Lion embarks, which leaves Bordeaux in April 1758. Its transport makes shipwreck with 100 miles of Quebec. Its lost cargo, it is forced to be an employment on its arrival in the capital of Canada towards mid-June.

On behalf of the government of News-France, it will be guard-store with Miramichi and Restigouche in Acadie. It is charged to provide for the need for three to four miles Acadiens off-set by the British government in 1755. It will be there until the autumn 1759. To the summer of 1759, it charged with is transferred thereafter from the British prisoners of war to Halifax to the side from the Bourdon officer. The lieutenant William Cæsar McCormick will write a letter of appreciation dated August 28th to him. September 10th, it gives a certificate to him recognizing the humane prisoner salary. Of Calvet goes thereafter to Montreal after having learned, while passing by Quebec, that gouvernment Vaudreuil is there following the capitulation. It is again in charge of a mission in Acadie, this time to count the population off-set to come to them to assistance. Of return, it is sent to Holy-Foy for the last important battle between the French Armies and English before the rendering of Montreal on September 8th.

Following the capitulation of the government from News-France in Montreal on September 8th, 1760, British lieutenant William Cæsar McCormick recommends of Calvet to the General Jeffrey Amherst. On Calvet, decides to turn over to Europe and goes to Quebec to obtain a passport. The governor James Murray request with of Calvet to delay its departure to count the Acadian ones still in Acadie in order to make them transport to Quebec. This last humane mission, that it accepts, occupies it from July in October 1761. It seems that he has to give up his project to return to France, since in January 1762, he is in Montreal.

Trading and Justice of the Peace

In January 1762, it settles in Montreal where it starts finally its trade of import-export. It exports corn and pelletries which it charges aboard the trading vessels with the company Watson & Rashleigh (Brook Watson and Robert Rashleigh) with destinaison with England and Spain. It imports in exchange various goods of Europe such of the spirits and the products of domestic use.

In 1763, he learns death from one of his uncles establishes in South Carolina. He leaves the province of Quebec for London at the summer 1764 and is of return to him in Montreal only in June 1766.

June 23rd, 1766, it is named Justice of the Peace for the district of Montreal by the Murray governor. It again leaves Canada for commercial businesses and returns only in April 1767, called by its duty of Justice of the Peace.

In 1769, it submits to the new governor Guy Carleton a reform project aiming at the standardization of the administration of justice in the Province of Quebec.

October 28th, 1770, it submits to the Secretary of State American Colonies, Wills Hill, count de Hillsborough, an headed document Mémoire on the current legal shape of the Province of Quebec .

Its public denunciation of the abuses justice on behalf of certain judges among his/her colleagues attracts at the same time friends and enemies to him. Its actions for an improvement of the system of administration of justice are rented by the Governor Carleton, the public prosecutor Francis Masères and judges it as a chief William Hey. It however puts at back several its fellow-members of magistrature, of which the judge John Fraser, Edward Southouse and Rene-Ovide Hertel de Rouville.

Political prisoner

He is made prisoner by the military government of Frederick Haldimand under reason of a complicity supposed with the “rebels” of the colonies of the South. He will be imprisoned during 3 years, from September 27th, 1780 to May 2nd, 1783.

Vendetta and tragic death

Left prison, of Calvet the continent bound for London leaves where he intends to make the lawsuit of the Haldimand governor, just like had done it, in 1766, the British merchants of Quebec with the Murray governor. It makes publish, in March 1784, a factum legal heading The Case off Peter of Calvet and intended to make known its cause in London. It receives the assistance of Francis Maseres, former public prosecutor, and Peter Livius, former judge as a chief, of the Province of Quebec, for the drafting of the factum.

In July, it publishes its Appel with the justice of the State , collection of letters intended this time for its compatriots of Canada.

Political thought

Political heritage

Precursor of the combat several times centenaries carried out by citizens of the Province of Quebec for the recognition of their political rights inside the British Empire, of Calvet does not remain about it less one large not forgotten of the Québécois history. Its actions will be and are still largely ignored by the posterity.

Although the lawsuit of Haldimand never took place, the actions undertaken by of Calvet largely influenced the course of the history of Quebec. It contributed undoubtedly to the mobilization of the citizens, Protestants and catholics, French-speaking people and english-speaking, in order to off obtain a parliamentary mode for the Province Quebec. Indeed, a few months after the probable arrival of the first copies of its political lampoon in the province, of the citizens of the town of Quebec sign, on November 24th, 1784, the humble petition of the old and new subjects of Your Majesty asking for a room of Parliament .

Louis-Joseph Papineau briefly evoked his memory at the time of its conference of 1867. Like good number of people of its time, he knew well the history of the lawsuit which brought of Calvet against the Haldimand governor and he is extremely probable that he read his Appel with the justice of the State as Papineau father had done it.

In 1877, Louis Fréchette dedicates a poem entitled to him Of Calvet in its collection the Legend of people . Reporting in worms the account of its history, it makes of it a national hero, the “first champion of our civic fights”.

Contemporary Redécouverte

Not less than 202 years separate the first publication, in London, of Appel to the justice of the State of its first republication, partial, in 1986 in the work of Pierre of Calvet, Appel to the Justice of the State of Jean-Paul de Lagrave and Jacques G. Ruelland. They are only 16 years later, in 2002, that the work is reprinted completely by the Editions of North in Appel with the justice of the State of Pierre of Calvet, Champion of the democratic rights in Quebec of the historian Jean-Pierre Boyer.

Chronology

1735 - Birth of Pierre of Calvet with Caussade in the province of Guyenne.
1758 - In April, it embarks for Quebec starting from Bordeaux.
1758 - In June, it arrives at Quebec.
1758 - In July, it goes to the port of Miramichi.
1759 - on August 28th, it receives a letter of British lieutenant William Caesar McCormick thanking it for having protected the British prisoners.
1760 - on January 18th, by order of the Governor of Vaudreuil, it accompange the commander Boishébert in a mission aiming to know the state of Acadie, to count the acadian population and to provide them vivres.
1760 - on April 20th, it leaves Montreal with the army of commander de Lévis who goes to Quebec to try to take again the city fallen to the hands from the British.
1760 - on May 16th, the army of the commander is forced to raise the head office of Quebec.
1761 - on September 8th, by order of the Murray general, Calvet is sent on mission to convince the Acadian ones to settle in Canada.
1761 - In October, it is of return to Quebec; its mission is accomplished successfully.
1762 - In January, it begins a trade from import-export in Montreal.
1763 - Death of his/her uncle in South Carolina and his father in France.
1764 - At the summer, it leaves Quebec in direction of Great Britain (Greenock, then London).
1764 - the xx, it leave London for France.
1766 - In January, it leaves France and goes back to London.
1766 - In spring, it embarks for Quebec on board the General Conway .
1766 - In June, it is of return to Montreal.
1766 - on June 23rd, the Murray Governor names of Calvet Justice of the Peace of the Court of the common pleas of the district of Montreal.
1768 - on June 28th, the governor leaves Canada for England in order to undergo a lawsuit there.
1766 - In November, it leaves Quebec for London for commercial businesses.
1767 - In April, it is of return to Montreal.
1767 - on April 13rd, the Murray Governor is recognized not-culprit of all the loads related heavy to him.
1768 - on April 12th, Guy Carleton succeeds officially James Murray at the post of general Captain and Governor as a chief of British North America.
1769 - the xx xxxx, it submit a project of standardization of the French and British legal systems to the Carleton governor.
1770 - on February 1st, the Carleton governor promulgates new legal measurements which will not satisfy of Calvet.
1770 - on February 4th, it forwards to the colonial government an headed document Mémoire on the administration of justice .
1770 - on October 28th, it submits an headed document Mémoire on the current legal shape of the Province of Quebec to Lord Hillsborough, Secretary of State of the American Colonies.
1771 - on October 3rd, it marries Marie-Louise, girl of her friend Pierre Jusseaume with the Christ Church of Montreal.
1772 - on July 7th, birth of its first wire, Jean-Pierre.
1772 - on August 31st, his/her son dies.
1773 - on November 8th, birth of its second wire, Jean Dumas.
1774 - on October 16th, birth of its third wire, Guy.
1774 - In? December? , his wife, Marie-Louise of Calvet, die at the 24 years age.
1775 -? May 11th? , its third wire, Guy, die.
1775 - October 7th and 9th, it appears before a jury of nine police chiefs under the charge to sympathize with the rebels. The proof being insufficient, it is slackened.
1776 - In April, it receives one of the representatives of the delegation sent by the American Congress.
1778 - on June 26th, Frederick Haldimand arrives at Quebec to replace Guy Carleton at the post of general Captain and Governor as a chief for the province.
1779 - on May 26th, of Calvet produces an indictment taking with part the two judges of the Court of the common plaids, Edward Southouse and Rene-Ovide Hertel de Rouville.
1779 - James Monk, public prosecutor, continue Of Calvet for makes out.
1780 - From Calvet, defended by the lawyer William Dummer Powell, is discharged.
1780 - on September 27th, Of Calvet is stopped then imprisoned without lawsuit on order of Allan Maclean brigadier general.
1780 - on December 6th, Haldimand accepts the request for release of Of Calvet which the legislative adviser François Lévesque subjects to him.
1783 - on May 2nd, it leaves prison.
1783 - In October, in Paris, it meets Benjamin Franklin ambassador of the United States in France.
1784 - In March, The puts Peter Of Calvet '' off is published in London.

1784 - In June, Appel with the justice of the State '' is published in London.
1785 - In June, it meets Benjamin Franklin second once.
1785 - By three times during September, it is presented in person in front of the continental Congress in order to claim the sum which it believes to be to him due.
1786 - on March 3rd, the Spanish ship which must transport it to Paris leaves the wearing of New York.
1786 - on March 15th, the Spanish ship perishes at sea.

Works

Memory on the administration of justice , Quebec, 1770
Memory on the current legal shape of the Province of Quebec , Quebec, 1770
Memory in answer to the public writing, of Me Panet, founded of procuration of Watson & Rasleigh of London, applicants, against Pierre of Calvet of Montreal, rider, defendant '', Quebec, 1779

The off puts Peter Of Calvet, esq., off Montreal in the Province off Quebeck, containing, amongst other things worth note, long year account off and severe imprisonment He suffered in the said province '', London, March 1784 (written in collaboration with Francis Masères and Peter Livius)
'' Appel with the justice of the State; or collection of letters to the king, prince de Galles, and the ministers; with a letter with Canadiens,… '', London, July 1784

Quotations

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