The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (LHSQ) was the first

historical society A historical society (sometimes also preservation society) is an organization dedicated to preserving, collecting, researching, and interpreting historical information or items. Originally, these societies were created as a way to help future g ...

, and one of the first

learned societies A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

, in Canada. It was founded in 1824 by George Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie, governor of

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestow ...

. Its headquarters are still located in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

. After several moves and two fires, the Society settled into the northern wing of Quebec City's

Morrin College Morrin College, the first anglophone institute of higher education in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada flourished between the years 1862 and 1902. History It was founded following an important bequest from Joseph Morrin, former city mayor and promi ...

in 1868. The College closed at the turn of the 20th century but the Society stayed on, eventually taking over the entire building in 2004. The Society's original aims were encyclopaedic, being founded in the infancy of Canada's cultural and intellectual development. The Society gathered historical documents about Canada and republished many rare manuscripts. Research in all fields of knowledge was actively encouraged. Talks were held in the Society's reading room, the best of which were published regularly in a quasi-annual series of Transactions from 1824 to 1924. Over the years, the Society played a part in creating public institutions that would take over many of its traditional roles. For instance, it fostered the foundation of the Public Archives of Canada (today's

Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is t ...

) in 1872. It was also active in the preservation of Canada’s built and natural heritage, helping to save 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 plac ...

from developers and eventually fostering the creation of the

Historic Sites and Monuments board of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as bein ...

. With the growth of national public institutions, the Society’s activities gradually became centred on the services of its private lending library, providing access to English-language books in a largely French-speaking city. In the 1990s, the Society reassessed its mission and sought to expand its cultural services to

's small English-speaking community. In 2000, it took on the

Morrin Centre The Morrin Centre is a cultural centre in the Old Quebec neighbourhood of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is designed to educate the public about the historic contribution and present-day culture of local English-speakers. The centre contains th ...

project, which restored the 200-year-old historic site it is housed in to create an English-language cultural centre in

Presidents of the LHSQ

* Sir

Francis Nathaniel Burton Sir Francis Nathaniel Pierpoint Burton (26 December 1766 – 27 January 1832) was a British colonial administrator in Lower Canada and Irish politician. Burton was the younger of twin sons born to Francis Conyngham, 2nd Baron Conyngham (born B ...

, Lt. Governor (1824) * Hon. James Reid, Chief Justice (1828) * Lieutenant Frederick Henry Baddeley, R.N. (1829) * Hon

Jonathan Sewell Jonathan Sewell (born Jonathan Sewall; June 6, 1766 – November 11, 1839) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Lower Canada. Early life He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Jonathan Sewall, the last British attorney ge ...

, Chief Justice (1830-1831) * Hon. Andrew Stuart, K.C. (1832) (1837-1838) * Hon. William Sheppard (1833-1834, 1841, 1843, 1847) * Joseph Skey, M.D. (1835) * Rev. Daniel Wilkie, L.L.D. (1836) * William Kelly, M.D., R.N. (1839-1840) * Hon. A.W. Cochrane (1842) (1845) (1848) *

George-Barthélemy Faribault George-Barthélemy Faribault (December 3, 1789 – 1866) was a Canadian archaeologist, born in Quebec. Faribault was a first cousin of Jean-Baptiste, father of Alexander, founder of the city of Faribault, Minnesota Faribault ( ) is a city in ...

, Esq. (1844, 1849-1854, 1858-1859) *

John Charlton Fisher John Charlton Fisher, Esq., L.L.D. (October 23, 1794 – August 10, 1849) was a Canadian author, journalist, and publisher. Born in England, he settled in Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a Brit ...

, Esq., L.L.D. (1846) *

Edmund Allen Meredith Edmund Allen Meredith (7 October 1817 – 2 January 1899) was an Irish lawyer whose career was in public service in Canada. He was Under Secretary of State for Canada; a prison reformer, writer, president of the Literary and Historical Soci ...

, Esq.,

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

(1855, 1860-1861) * W. Andrew, Esq.,

(1856-1857) *

John Langton John Langton (died 1337) was a chancellor of England and Bishop of Chichester. Life Langton was a clerk in the royal chancery, serving as the first Master of the Rolls from May 1286, and became chancellor in 1292.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of Br ...

, Esq.,

(1862-1865) * Com.

Edward David Ashe Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...

, R.N., F.R.A.S. (1862-1865, 1873) * Hon.

Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (May 30, 1820 – April 4, 1890) was a Canadian lawyer and politician. Chauveau was the first premier of Quebec, following the establishment of Canada in 1867. Appointed to the office in 1867 as the leader of the ...

, L.L.D. (1868) * James Douglas (1869, 1874-1875) * Dr. W.J. Anderson (1870, 1872) * The Hon. Sir James MacPherson LeMoine, Esq. (1871, 1879-1882, 1902-1903) * James Stevenson, Esq. (1876-1878) * Hon.

David Alexander Ross David Alexander Ross, (March 12, 1819 – July 23, 1897) was a lawyer, businessman and political figure in Quebec. He represented Québec-Comté in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1878 to 1881 as a Liberal. He was born in Quebec ...

, Q.C. (1883-1884) * George Stewart, D.C.L.,

F.R.S.C. The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

, F.R.G.S. (1885-1891) * Cyrille Tessier, Esq. (1892-1893) * Archibald Campbell, Esq. (1894-1895) * Rev. R.W. Norman,

D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

, Dean of Quebec (1896-1897) *

Philippe Baby Casgrain Philippe Baby Casgrain (December 30, 1826 – May 23, 1917) was a Quebec lawyer, author and political figure. He represented L'Islet in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal member from 1873 to 1891. He was born in Quebec City in ...

, Esq. (1898-1899, 1906-1907) * William Wood, Esq., D.C.L.,

(1900-1901, 1904-1905, 1938-1941) * Dr. G.W. Parmelee, L.L.D. (1908-1909, 1917-1918) * John Hamilton,

, D.C.L. (1910-1911) * Col. H. Neilson (1912-1913) *

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

John Charles McCorkill (1914) * Dr. J.M. Harper,

, F.E.I.S (1915-1916) * E.T.D. Chambers, Esq. (1919-1920) * Lt-Col. the Rev. Peter Michael O'Leary (1921) * Dominick Daly O'Meara, Esq. (1922-1923) * J.C. Sutherland, Esq. (1924-1925) * Hon. G.F. Gibsone (1926-1927, 1942-1943) * Major W.H. Petry (1928-1929) * Rev. A.T. Love (deceased April 1930) * Hon.

Frank Carrel Frank Carrel (7 September 1870 — 30 July 1940) was a Canadian journalist, publisher, and politician. In 1918, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of Quebec for Golfe. A Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supp ...

, M.L.C. (1930-1934) * Col. Count de Bury,

C.B.E. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, R.C.O.C. (1934-1935) * Thomas R. Peacock, R.R.I.,

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

(1936-1937) * E.C. Woodley, Esq. (1944-1946) * W.Godfrey Brown, Esq. (1947-1948) * George A. Clare, Esq. (1949-1952, 1957-1960, 1970-1976) * William MacMillan (1953-1956) * John H.C. McGreevy, O.C. (1961-1965) * J.H. Bieler (1966-1969) * Rosemary Cannon (1977-1980, 1985-1989) * Cameron MacMillan (1981-1984, 1990-1992) * Dr. Tomas Feininger (1993-1998) * David F. Blair (1999-2012) * Sovita Chander (2012-2016) * Barry Holleman (2016-2020) * Gina Farnell (2020-)

Transactions of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec

Transactions of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec Vol. 1 Transactions of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec Vol. 2Vol.3Vol. 4Vol. 5 Transactions of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, Parts 8-12Part 13No.28No.25 - 30

References

External links

Morrin Centre
managed by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.
Archival Index - Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, 1824-1924The centenary volume of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, 1824-1924
digitized copy of the Society's final publication of the 20th century. {{DEFAULTSORT:Literary And Historical Society Of Quebec 1824 establishments in Lower Canada Culture of Quebec City History organizations based in Canada Literary societies Organizations based in Quebec City Learned societies of Canada Organizations established in 1824 Quebec Anglophone culture in Quebec City