Jean Baillairgé (31 October 1726 – 6 September 1805) was a carpenter by trade and there is some reference to his being an architect. He was born in

Blanzay Blanzay () is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. See also *Communes of the Vienne department The following is a list of the 266 communes of the Vienne department of France ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and his death occurred at

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...

. Jean arrived at Quebec on August 30, 1741, on the same ship as Bishop

Henri-Marie Dubreil de Pontbriand Henri-Marie Dubreuil de Pontbriand ( c. January 1708 – 8 June 1760), who became the sixth bishop of Roman Catholic diocese of Quebec, was from a titled family and grew up at the Pontbriand Château (now in Ille-et-Vilaine), France. Biography He ...

and may have received assistance from the bishop to train in his field of carpentry. It is certain that he received his training in

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spai ...

and was considered to be skilled in the production of accurate plans. He likely received most of his training on the worksite, which would have been normal for those times. Baillairgé married in 1750 and was involved in construction on the church at

Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière is a parish municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Kamouraska Regional County Municipality. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumer ...

where he and his wife had moved. They returned to Quebec City after this and he formed a partnership which developed a good reputation. He was a member of the militia during the

Seven Years’ War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

and fought on the

Plains of Abraham The Plains of Abraham (french: Plaines d'Abraham) is a historic area within the Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Quebec, anada. It was established on 17 March 1908. The land is the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place ...

Works

In 1766, Baillairgé, competed for the reconstruction of

Notre-Dame Basilica-Cathedral (Quebec City) Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to: * Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France * University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States ** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the ...

, which had been burned during the war, for the Roman Catholic diocese of Quebec. His plan was ultimately rejected with the new bishop,

Jean-Olivier Briand Jean-Olivier Briand (January 23, 1715 – June 25, 1794) was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Quebec from 1766 to 1784. Life Jean-Olivier Briand was born at Plérin, Brittany on January 23, 1715. He studied at the Seminary of St. Brieu ...

, siding with those opposed to his design. He threatened to leave the province but a successful proposal for the cathedral belfry in 1770 set his career on a solid footing. The remainder of his career had various church constructions as its focal point and the importance of his work Quebec to art and architecture was a product of that time. File:Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame Québec.JPG, Jean Baillairgé oversaw construction and designed the belltower and interior of

from 1786 to 1822.

Significance

Jean Baillairgé holds an important position in the history of art and architecture in Quebec after the Conquest. Perhaps more important than his work was the Baillairgé dynasty which he founded and which has had a prominent role in this area of Quebec art and architectural history. His son,

François Baillairgé François Baillairgé (21 January 1759 – 15 September 1830) was an architect who also pursued painting and wood sculpture. The son of Jean Baillairgé, François began an apprenticeship in his father's shop at the age of 14. There he studied ...

, worked with his father and continued the family contribution to art and architecture. Another son, Pierre-Florent, contributed significantly as a carver and joiner.

External links

Biography at ''the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''

Historic Places in Canada

References links

Canadian architects Immigrants to New France French emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec 1726 births 1805 deaths People from Bas-Saint-Laurent {{Canada-architect-stub