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 Communes of France, commune in the Vienne (department), Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France.
See also
*Communes of the Vienne department
References
Communes of Vienne (department)
{{ ...
, France and his death occurred at
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
,
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...
.
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) was a Canadian Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Quebec.
Biography
Pontbriand was from a titled family and grew up at the Pontbriand Château (now in Ille-et-Vilaine), ...
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 (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, 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 Kingdom of Great Br ...
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 conducted by Statistics Canada, Sainte-Anne-de- ...
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 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
and fought on the
Plains of Abraham
The Plains of Abraham () is a historic area within the Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was established on 17 March 1908. The land is the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place on 13 September 1759, ...
.
Works
In 1766, Baillairgé, competed for the reconstruction of
Notre-Dame Basilica-Cathedral (Quebec City), 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. Brie ...
, 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.
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.
Life
The son of Jean Baillairgé, François began an apprenticeship in his father's shop at the age of 14. There he st ...
, 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
1726 births
1805 deaths
Carpenters
People from Vienne (department)
Emigrants from France to New France
Canadian architects
People from Bas-Saint-Laurent
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