Honoré Beaugrand (24 March 1848 – 7 October 1906) was a
French Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...
journalist, politician, author and folklorist, born in Berthier County, Quebec.
As a young graduate from military school Beaugrand joined the French military forces under General Bazaine in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
, supporting the ill-fated emperor
Maximilian of Mexico. He returned with those troops to France after the fall of
Chapultepec
Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest city parks in Mexico, measuring in total just over 686 hectares (1,695 acres). Centered on a rock formation called Chapultep ...
and Maximilian's execution. After some months he moved to
in 1868 and became a journalist. Subsequently, he wrote for U.S. newspapers in
St. Louis, Boston, Chicago, and
Lowell and
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
.
In 1878, he returned to Canada and founded the newspaper ''
La Patrie'' in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
to take the place of ''
Le National'' which had recently folded. It ceased publication in 1957, after 78 years. In August 1879 he acquired ''Le Canard'' from publisher and satirist
Hector Berthelot. He made a name as a political writer and reporter, and in 1885 received the cross of the French
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
.
He became a
freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
in 1873 and took part in the foundation of Montreal Émancipation lodge in 1897.
He was elected
mayor of Montreal in 1885. Today, a street in Montreal and the
Honoré-Beaugrand station on the green line of the
Montreal metro
The Montreal Metro (french: Métro de Montréal) is a rubber-tired underground rapid transit system serving Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The metro, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), was inaugurated on October 14, ...
are named in his honour. He is most famous in Quebec for writing down the legend of the "
Chasse-galerie
''La Chasse-galerie'' also known as "The Bewitched Canoe" or "The Flying Canoe" is a popular French-Canadian tale of lumberjacks from camps working around the river of Gatineau who make a deal with the devil, a variant of the Wild Hunt. Its best-k ...
", published in 1891 in ''La chasse galerie: légendes canadiennes'', which also included "Le loup-garou," "La bête à grand'queue," "Macloune," and "Le père Louison."
Publications
* ''Anita''
* ''Jeanne la fileuse''
* ''Contes Canadiens''
* ''La Chasse-galerie et autres récits''
Gallery
Image:Lachassegalerie.jpg, La chasse galerie, Illustration from Henri Julien Quebec museum
Image:Honore Beaugrand.jpg, As mayor of Montreal
Image:Honore Beaugrand dernieres volontes.jpg, Last wishes of Honoré Beaugrand
References
External links
Extensive dossier on Beaugrand at ''L'Encyclopédie de l'Agora''(in French)
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Ancestry of Honoré Beaugrand(in French)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaugrand, Honore
Canadian folklorists
Mayors of Montreal
Journalists from Montreal
1848 births
1906 deaths
Canadian Freemasons