The Battle of Beauharnois was fought on November 10, 1838, between Lower Canada loyalists and

Patriote The patriotes movement was a political movement that existed in Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) from the turn of the 19th century to the Patriote Rebellion of 1837 and 1838 and the subsequent Act of Union of 1840. The partisan embodiment of ...

rebels, after 500 armed men had converged on Beauharnois, on November 3–4, overtaking the seigneurial manor. The seigneury of Beauharnois belonged to the Ellice family, having, in 1796, purchased it from

Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière Michel-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, 1st Marquis de Lotbinière (1723–1798), Seigneur of Vaudreuil, Lotbinière and Rigaud, Quebec etc. In 1757, on his advice at the Siege of Fort William Henry, the Marquis de Montcalm successfully attacked Fo ...

. Edward Ellice, private secretary to

John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, (12 April 1792 – 28 July 1840), also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in Canadian history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor G ...

, had then been in residence for several months. He, and, separately, his wife, Lady

Jane Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...

Ellice, and her sister, Eglantine "Tina" Balfour, later Ellice, were taken prisoner, along with a number of others. Ellice's

watercolours Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to ...

, sketches and diary survived, and record that they were unharmed. The town rose up, following a series of raids by rebel leaders who had escaped into the United States. François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier commanded the ranks of the

rebels. The British were victorious, and 108 rebels were captured and tried in Montreal. 58 of the Patriote rebels were deported to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, while Lorimier was hanged. Government forces burned several buildings in the area in reprisal for the rebels’ actions.

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See also