Louis Massue (April 4, 1786 – July 4, 1869) was a businessman and political figure in

Canada East Canada East (french: links=no, Canada-Est) was the northeastern portion of the United Province of Canada. Lord Durham's Report investigating the causes of the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions recommended merging those two colonies. The new ...

. He was born Louis-Joseph Massue in

Varennes Varennes-en-Argonne (, literally ''Varennes in Argonne'') or simply Varennes (German: Wöringen) is a commune in the Meuse department in the Grand Est region in Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 639. Geography Varennes-en-Ar ...

in 1786, the son of the co-

seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...

of Varennes. He became a prosperous merchant in the import and dry goods trade at

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 ...

. In 1818, he was named to the board of governors for the

Quebec Bank Quebec Bank was founded on June 9, 1818 to meet a perceived need by some merchants and residents of Quebec City. They wanted an alternative to the newly founded Bank of Montreal which they felt was inadequate for the needs of the province. The ba ...

. Massue helped found the Quebec Fire Insurance Company and was president of the Canadian Fire Insurance Company. In 1840, he retired from business. Massue served on the

Quebec City Council The Quebec City Council (french: Conseil municipal de Québec) is the governing body in the mayor–council government in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The council consists of a mayor and of 21 representatives representing the 21 city council distr ...

from 1841 to 1846. He did not support the

Lower Canada Rebellion The Lower Canada Rebellion (french: rébellion du Bas-Canada), commonly referred to as the Patriots' War () in French, is the name given to the armed conflict in 1837–38 between rebels and the colonial government of Lower Canada (now southe ...

but also opposed the Union of Upper and

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 ...

that followed. In 1843, he was named to the

Legislative Council of the Province of Canada The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as ...

; he resigned in 1851 to become customs inspector at the

Port of Quebec The Port of Quebec (french: Port de Québec) is an inland port located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest port in Canada, and the second largest in Quebec after the Port of Montreal. History In the 19th century, the Port of Quebec ...

. He suffered a series of financial losses around 1849, including personal liability as a director of the Quebec Bank for the failure of a merchant who owed money to the bank, which forced the sale of Massue's extensive property holdings. He died at Quebec City in 1869. His brother

Aignan-Aimé Massue Aignan-Aimé Massue (October 1781 – February 1, 1866) was a seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada. He represented Surrey in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1824 to 1827 as a supporter of the Parti patriote. He was bo ...

served as a member of the legislative assembly for Lower Canada. His nephew,

Louis Huet Massue Louis Huet Massue (November 3, 1828 – June 17, 1891) was a farmer, seigneur and political figure in Quebec. He represented Richelieu in the House of Commons of Canada from 1878 to 1887 as a Liberal-Conservative member. He was born in Var ...

, later became a member of the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Massue, Louis 1786 births 1869 deaths Businesspeople from Quebec Quebec City councillors Members of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada People from Varennes, Quebec