August Franz Globensky, born August Franciszek Głąbiński (or Glaubenskindt, Globenski, Glanbenkind; January 1, 1754 – April 19, 1830), was a Polish physician and one of the founding members of the Polish community in Canada. He was born near

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

in the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

to Joseph Glaubenskindt, a royal notary originally from Poland, and Marie Richter, a German. The surname ''Glaubenskindt'' appeared on his baptismal certificate and on his army enrollment register. As ''Glaubenskindt'' is not normally used as a surname in Germany, it is likely Joseph acquired this sobriquet from a poetic Germanicization of ''Głowiński'', a common Polish surname. He only used the name ''Globensky'' after his migration to Canada.

Military service

August Franz served as a surgeon during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

in the company of Major Hermann Albrecht von Francken, the

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...

corps of

Friedrich Adolf Riedesel Freiherr Friedrich Adolf Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach (3 June 1738 in Lauterbach/Hesse – 6 January 1800 in Braunschweig) was a German officer who served in the Seven Years' War and American War of Independence. He was the commander of ...

. His regiment landed in

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on July 1, 1776. On October 7, 1777, Riedesel's regiment was defeated and surrendered at the

Battle of Bemis Heights The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...

Life in Canada

After the defeat at Bemis Heights, his company disbanded. Rather than return to Europe, he settled in

Verchères Verchères is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in Montérégie, Quebec, located on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 5,692. History In the 17th century, the settlement at Verchères w ...

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 ...

. He was one of the first Polish settlers in Canada. There, he married Françoise Brousseau and had sixteen children. The Church required him to present proof of Catholic baptism before his marriage could be solemnized, so he wrote to his father in Berlin for documentation. His baptismal certificate was forwarded, signed by his godfather, the sixth Prince Lobkowicz, Ferdinand Philip.Globensky 1991, p. 25. He operated a pharmacy between 1791 and 1830 that is considered the first Polish business in Canada. His son, Lieutenant Colonel Maximilien Globensky fought in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

and his grandson,

Charles Auguste Maximilien Globensky Charles-Auguste-Maximilien (C.A.M.) Globensky (November 15, 1830 – February 12, 1906) was a writer and politician. C.A.M. Globensky was the grandson of August Franz Globensky, a Polish surgeon who fought alongside Hessian mercenaries for the B ...

, was elected from Two Mountains to 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 ...

in 1875.

Notes

References

* * * Makowski, William, ''The Polish People of Canada''. Toronto, Ontario: Tundra Books, 1987. . * * * Wilhelmy, Jean Pierre, ''German Mercenaries in Canada'', pp. 229–230. Beloeil, QC: Maison des Mots, 1985. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Globensky, August Franz August Franz Globensky 1754 births 1830 deaths Brunswick military personnel of the American Revolutionary War Polish people of the American Revolution Canadian people of Polish descent Polish military doctors 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian physicians Pre-Confederation Canadian businesspeople Polish emigrants to pre-Confederation Canada Polish pharmacists