Joseph-Guillaume Barthe

Joseph-Guillaume Barthe (March 16 1818 – August 4 1893) was a lawyer, journalist and political figure in Canada East.

He was born in Carleton, Lower Canada in 1818 and studied at the Séminaire de Nicolet. He first studied medicine with doctor René-Joseph Kimber, then law with Edward Barnard and was called to the bar in 1840. In 1838, he wrote a poem "Aux exilés politiques canadiens"; as a result, he was put in jail at Trois-Rivières for three months. In 1840, he became editor of the Montreal newspaper "L’Aurore des Canadas". In 1841, Barthe was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Yamaska; he was defeated in the next general election in 1844. He married Louise-Adélaïde Pacaud, the daughter of Joseph Pacaud and sister of Édouard-Louis Pacaud in 1844. In 1846, he was appointed clerk in the Court of Appeals. He lived in France from 1853 to 1855. While there, he attempted to encourage stronger ties between France and French Canadians, publishing a book "Le Canada reconquis par la France". He returned to Trois-Rivières, serving as editor for newspapers there. Barthe then moved to Quebec City, where he was co-editor of "Le Canadien" for a time. He later moved to Montreal, where he died in 1893.

His brother Georges-Isidore also became a lawyer and journalist and served in the Canadian House of Commons. His daughter Émilie married Joseph Lavergne, who became a judge and member of the Canadian House of Commons; their son, Armand Renaud, served in the House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5952 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]