Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

François-Louis Lessard, (December 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

officer, most known for his service during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

Biography

Born in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

, the son of Louis-Napoléon Lessard and Jane Felicity McCutcheon, Lessard was educated at the Collège Saint-Thomas in Montmagny and the Académie Commerciale de Québec. In 1880, he entered the Quebec Garrison Artillery as a second lieutenant. In 1884, he joined the Cavalry School Corps (now

Royal Canadian Dragoons The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) is the senior armoured regiment of the Canadian Army by precedence. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. The colonel-in-chief of The RC ...

) and participated in the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a resistance by the Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Nations Cree and Assiniboine of the District of S ...

in 1885, although his unit did not see combat. He was promoted to captain in 1888 and major in 1894. In 1896, he was made Inspector of Cavalry for the Dominion of Canada. In 1898, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and placed in command of the

. He took part in the

and was later made a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

in recognition of his services. Lessard returned to Canada in 1901 and was appointed Adjutant-General of the Canadian Militia in 1907. He was promoted to colonel in 1907, brigadier general in 1911, and major general in 1912. He was a director of the

Canadian National Exhibition The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Exhibition or The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the third Friday of August leading up to and including Canadian Labour Day, ...

. He retired in 1919 and settled in

Meadowvale, Ontario Meadowvale is a large suburban district located in the northwestern part of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, just west of Toronto. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Meadowvale Village in Toronto Township was established nearby and named for the m ...

, where he died of stomach cancer in 1927. A

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, he was buried in

Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery at 305 Erskine Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History Mount Hope was created near the end of the 19th Century when the Archdiocese of Toronto was faced with a capacity issue at St. Micha ...

in Toronto.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lessard, Francois 1860 births 1927 deaths Canadian generals Canadian military personnel of the Second Boer War Canadian Companions of the Order of the Bath Deaths from stomach cancer French Quebecers Canadian Roman Catholics 19th-century Roman Catholics 20th-century Roman Catholics The Royal Canadian Dragoons officers Deaths from cancer in Ontario Canadian Militia officers