Charles François Xavier Baby (19 June 1794 – 6 August 1864), was the eldest son of François Baby and received his formal education at

Séminaire de Québec The Seminary of Quebec (French: , ) is a Catholic Church, Catholic community of Secular clergy, diocesan priests in Quebec City founded by Bishop François de Laval, the first bishop of New France in 1663. History The Séminaire de Québec is ...

before entering into business. Charles had a varied career in business, encountering financial difficulties on at least three occasions, one of which ended in bankruptcy. He had purchased and lost various land holdings and also participated in the timber trade. By 1851, he appears to have had the worst of his financial difficulties behind him. He was involved in building and maintaining lighthouses for the government. He became an investor in the north shore railway and specifically the towing service and tugs. His various contracts were bought out in 1860 for an amount equal to three major debts. Baby entered politics in 1861, being elected as a member of 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 ...

, and serving until his death. The years of government contracts and behind the scenes deals had made him a man of great influence in Quebec. In August 1831, he had married Clothilde Pinsoneault, sister of Pierre-Adolphe Pinsoneault. He was the first Catholic bishop of

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

External links

* * 1794 births 1864 deaths Businesspeople from Quebec Members of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada Charles-Francois-Xavier Baby {{Quebec-politician-stub