Scots-Quebecers () are
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, 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 ...
ers who are of
Scottish descent.
Background
Few Scots came to Quebec (then New France) before the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...
. Those who did blended in with the
French population. Perhaps the first Scot to settle was
Abraham Martin dit l'Écossais (1589-1664), who by the year 1800 had 7,765 married descendants among the French-speaking population.
The Pioneers
/ref>
In 1763, the French population of Quebec was approximately 55,000 when France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
handed it over to Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
under the terms of the Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the ...
that ended the French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...
.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the Quebec population was expanding slowly as immigration began from Great Britain. Impoverished Scottish immigrants, many the victim of the Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
and Lowland Clearances
The Lowland Clearances were one of the results of the Scottish Agricultural Revolution, which changed the traditional system of agriculture which had existed in Lowland Scotland in the seventeenth century. Thousands of cottars and tenant farm ...
, saw unlimited opportunity in this huge forested land. The bond between Scotland and France, however, also extended to numerous other areas such as the '' Gens d’Armes Ecossais'' (Scots Men-At-Arms) who guarded the kings of France for nearly three hundred years. Today in France there are many descendants of these Scots who have lived there for centuries. They carry names such as Campbell and MacDonald
Macdonald, MacDonald or McDonald may refer to:
Organisations
* McDonald's, a chain of fast food restaurants
* McDonald & Co., a former investment firm
* MacDonald Motorsports, a NASCAR team
* Macdonald Realty, a Canadian real estate brokerage f ...
, the most famous of the latter being Jacques MacDonald
Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
, Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
.
Settling
Some of these Scottish immigrants settled in 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 ...
but many with an entrepreneurial drive kept moving west to Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
which at the time was little more than a small port town on the St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...
. By far the majority of the Scots arrived in Quebec with little more than the shirt on their back. John Redpath
John Redpath (1796 – March 5, 1869) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada.
Early years
In 1796, John Redp ...
, who had only enough money for ships passage to Quebec City, walked all the way to Montreal.
Commerce, science and culture
In 1779, Scotsman Simon McTavish helped establish what would become the North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great we ...
to compete in the fur trade with the English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national id ...
owned giant, the Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trade, fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake b ...
. Since 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company had been operating an unchallenged monopoly in the territory in the northwest known as Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land (french: Terre de Rupert), or Prince Rupert's Land (french: Terre du Prince Rupert, link=no), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin; this was further extended from Rupert's Land ...
, which comprised nearly half of what is now Canada. In the process, McTavish became the most important businessman in all of Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
during the second half of the 18th century.
By the first decade of the 1800s, Montreal had grown to around 9,000 inhabitants and the Scottish immigrants who chose to make Montreal their home soon began to play a key role in the city's cultural, scientific, and business life. Although at their peak, the Scots made up only a small percentage of Quebec's population, they affected the city of Montreal and the Province of Quebec far beyond their numbers. Starting from an almost non-existent economic base, they were instrumental in improving the Province's commercial prospects by exploiting an untapped hinterland. They transformed the small fortified town into the business hub for much of the St Lawrence basin and worked to enhance the Province's economic power. Scots led a wave of immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, ...
seeking a better life that saw Montreal's population grow from 9,000 in 1800 to 50,000 by the year 1850.
Other Scots were instrumental in building the Lachine Canal
The Lachine Canal ( in French) is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroughs of Lachine, ...
that turned Montreal into one of the most important and prosperous ports in North America. The canal led to a rapid industrialization that began in the late 1840s with Montreal manufacturers producing products for the entire nation. It was also Scots who constructed Montreal's first bridge across the Saint Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...
and Henry Morgan
Sir Henry Morgan ( cy, Harri Morgan; – 25 August 1688) was a privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming ...
built the first department store in Canada that was the envy of the country. Scot settlers founded many of the city's great industries including the Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company.
The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...
, Redpath Sugar, and from headquarters they established in Montreal, Scots were the driving force that built both of Canada's national railroads
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
. Early on, they realized the importance for the mercantile community to create the institutions and instruments that enabled business to be the catalyst for improved standards of living for all its citizens. Because of their work and vision, by 1860 they were greatly responsible for making Montreal the most important city in British North America.
Noted for their willingness to help fellow Scots succeed in the new world, they are also remembered for giving back to the country that had provided them with the opportunity to prosper. Scots established and funded numerous Montreal institutions such as McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
, the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec
The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (LHSQ) was the first historical society, and one of the first learned societies, in Canada. It was founded in 1824 by George Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie, governor of British North America. Its headquar ...
and the Royal Victoria Hospital.
Notable Scots-Quebecers
A few of these Scots and their offspring who were major factors in building Montreal and the Province of Quebec into the economic hub of Canada are:
*Hugh Allan
Sir Hugh Allan (September 29, 1810 – December 9, 1882) was a Scottish-Canadian shipping magnate, financier and capitalist. By the time of his death, the Allan Shipping Line had become the largest privately owned shipping empire in the wor ...
(1810–1882), financier and shipping magnate
* Montagu H. Allan (1860–1951), banker, ship owner, sportsman
*Richard Bladworth Angus
Richard Bladworth Angus (28 May 1831 – 17 September 1922) was a Scottish-Canadian banker, financier, and philanthropist. He was a co-founder and vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, president of the Bank of Montreal, president of the ...
(1831–1922), banker
* Robert Mitchell Ballantyne (1859–1929), businessman
* Aeneas Cameron (1757–1822), fur trader
*Thomas Neill Cream
Thomas Neill Cream (27 May 1850 – 15 November 1892), also known as the Lambeth Poisoner, was a Scottish-Canadian medical doctor and serial killer who poisoned his victims with strychnine. Over the course of his career, he murdered up to ...
(1850–1892), serial killer
*John William Dawson
Sir John William Dawson (1820–1899) was a Canadian geologist and university administrator.
Life and work
John William Dawson was born on 13 October 1820 in Pictou, Nova Scotia, where he attended and graduated from Pictou Academy. Of Scot ...
(1820–1899), scientist, educator
* Richard Dobie (1731–1805), fur trader, businessman
* William Dow (1800–1868), brewer and businessman
* George Alexander Drummond (1829–1910), entrepreneur
*James Dunlop
James Dunlop FRSE (31 October 1793 – 22 September 1848) was a Scottish astronomer, noted for his work in Australia. He was employed by Sir Thomas Brisbane to work as astronomer's assistant at his private observatory, once located at Parama ...
(1757–1815), businessman
*Robert Ellice
General Robert Ellice (13 October 1784 – 18 June 1856) was a British Army officer.
Military career
Born the son of Scottish merchant and fur trader Alexander Ellice and brother of Edward Ellice and Alexander Ellice, Ellice was commissioned ...
(1747–1790), merchant and fur trader
* Duncan Fisher (1753–1820), businessman
* Hugh Graham (1848–1938), newspaper publisher
* Peter Grant (1764–1848), fur trader
*William Grant William Grant may refer to:
Politicians
*Sir William Grant (Master of the Rolls) (1752–1832), Member of the Parliament, 1790–1812; Master of the Rolls, 1801–1817
*William Grant (Northern Ireland politician) (1883–1949), Unionist M.P. for ...
(1744–1805), merchant, politician
* Alexander Henderson (1831–1913), merchant and photographer
* James D. Johnson (1949) businessman
*William C. Macdonald
Sir William Christopher Macdonald (10 February 1831 – 9 June 1917) was a Canadian tobacco manufacturer and major education philanthropist in Canada. Though born in Prince Edward island, he is considered a Scots-Quebecer.
Early life and ca ...
(1831–1917), tobacco manufacturer, philanthropist
* Dugald Lorn MacDougall (1811–1885), stockbroker, investor
* Hugh Mackay (1832–1890), businessman
* Robert Mackay (1840–1916), businessman, statesman
* Roderick Mackenzie (1761–1844), fur trader, politician
*James McGill
James McGill (October 6, 1744 – December 19, 1813) was a Scottish Canadian businessman and philanthropist best known for being the founder of McGill University, Montreal. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Montreal ...
(1744–1813), fur trader, merchant, politician
*Peter McGill
Peter McGill (August 1789 – September 28, 1860) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman who served as the second mayor of Montreal, Canada East from 1840 to 1842.
Biography
He was born Peter McCutcheon in the village of Creebridge, Wigtownsh ...
(1789–1860), businessman, politician
*William McGillivray
Lt.-Colonel The Hon. William McGillivray (1764 – 16 October 1825), of Chateau St. Antoine, Montreal, was a Scottish-born fur trader who succeeded his uncle as the last chief partner of the North West Company. He was elected a member of the Le ...
(1764–1825), fur trader
*Duncan McIntyre Duncan MacIntyre or Duncan McIntyre may refer to:
* Duncan Ban MacIntyre (1724–1812), Scottish Gaelic poet
* Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand politician) (1915–2001), New Zealand politician
* Duncan McIntyre (businessman) (1834–1894), Canadian b ...
(1834–1894), businessman
* Simon McTavish (1750–1804), fur trader, saw mill and flour mill operator
*Henry Morgan
Sir Henry Morgan ( cy, Harri Morgan; – 25 August 1688) was a privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming ...
(1819–1893), built the first department store in Canada
* John Neilson (1776–1848), printer, publisher, politician
*Alexander Walker Ogilvie
Alexander Walker Ogilvie (May 7, 1829 – March 31, 1902) was a Canadian politician and businessman. He and his brothers, William and John, are remembered for their pioneering work in the Canadian milling trade with their company, A. W. Ogilv ...
(1829–1902), miller, statesman
*William Watson Ogilvie
Captain William Watson Ogilvie (15 February 1835 – 12 January 1900), commanded a division of the Royal Montreal Cavalry during the Fenian Raids. He and his two brothers, Alexander and John, are remembered for their pioneering work in the C ...
(1835–1900), businessman
* Andrew Paton (1833–1892), textile manufacturer, politician
*John Redpath
John Redpath (1796 – March 5, 1869) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada.
Early years
In 1796, John Redp ...
(1796–1869), contractor, industrialist
*Peter Redpath
Peter Redpath (August 1, 1821 – February 1, 1894) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist, closely associated with Redpath Sugar.
Biography
Redpath was born in Montreal, Lower Canada, the son of a Scottish immigrant, John Redpath, a d ...
(1821–1894), businessman
*James Gibb Ross
James Gibb Ross (18 April 1819 – 1 October 1888) was a Canadian merchant and politician from the province of Quebec.
Born in Carluke, a village of South Lanarkshire, Scotland, Ross emigrated to Canada in 1832 with his brother, John Ro ...
(1819–1888), merchant, statesman
* James Ross (1848–1913), railway engineer, businessman
*William Henry Scott (1799–1851), politician, businessman
*Philip Simpson Ross
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who populariz ...
(1827–1907), founder of the Order of Chartered Accountants of Quebec
* George Simpson (1787–1860), executive, fur trader
*Donald Alexander Smith
Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal (6 August 182021 January 1914), known as Sir Donald A. Smith between May 1886 and August 1897, was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman who became one of the British Empire's foremo ...
(1820–1914), fur trader, financier, railroad baron and politician.
* George Stephen (1829–1921), banker and railway executive
* Daniel Sutherland (1756–1832), businessman
* David Torrance (1805–1876), merchant, banker
* John Torrance (1786–1870), merchant, shipper
*William Watson William, Willie, Bill or Billy Watson may refer to:
Entertainment
* William Watson (songwriter) (1794–1840), English concert hall singer and songwriter
* William Watson (poet) (1858–1935), English poet
* Billy Watson (actor) (1923–2022), A ...
(c.1795–1867), miller, businessman, politician
*John Young John Young may refer to:
Academics
* John Young (professor of Greek) (died 1820), Scottish professor of Greek at the University of Glasgow
* John C. Young (college president) (1803–1857), American educator, pastor, and president of Centre Coll ...
(1811–1878), entrepreneur, statesman
*John Young John Young may refer to:
Academics
* John Young (professor of Greek) (died 1820), Scottish professor of Greek at the University of Glasgow
* John C. Young (college president) (1803–1857), American educator, pastor, and president of Centre Coll ...
(c.1759–1819), seigneur, businessman, judge and politician
See also
*Scottish-Canadian
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and amongst the first Europeans to settle in the country, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture sin ...
*Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ameireaganaich Albannach''; sco, Scots-American) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scotch-Irish Americans, d ...
*Celtic music in Canada
Celtic music is primarily associated with the folk traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Wales, as well as the popular styles derived from folk culture. In addition, a number of other areas of the world are known for the use of Celtic musi ...
* Québécois
*Anglo-Quebecer
English-speaking Quebecers, also known as Anglo-Quebecers, English Quebecers, or Anglophone Quebecers (all alternately spelt Quebeckers; in French ''Anglo-Québécois'', ''Québécois Anglophone'') or simply Anglos in a Quebec context, are a ...
*Irish Quebecers
Irish Quebecers (french: Irlando-Québécois, ga, Éireannaigh as Québec) are residents of the Canadian province of Quebec who have Irish ancestry. In 2016, there were 446,215 Quebecers who identified themselves as having partial or exclusive I ...
*List of Irish Quebecers
{{unreferenced, date=April 2018
This is a list of people in the Canadian province of Quebec of Irish ancestry.
* Charles McKiernan (1835-1889) - Montreal tavern owner, innkeeper and philanthropist; known as Joe Beef
*Patrice Bergeron - profession ...
References
Further reading
* McCulloch, Ian Macpherson and Steve Noon (2008). ''Highlander in the French-Indian War. 1756-67'', Osprey Publishing, 64 p.
online excerpt
* Ouellet, Jeannine (2007). ''Des Écossais à Rivière-du-Loup et leurs descendants (1763–2004)'', Montréal: Éditions Histoire Québec, 476 p.
* McCulloch, Ian Macpherson (2006). ''Sons of the Mountains: A History of the Highland Regiments in North America During the French & Indian War, 1756-1767'', Purple Mountain Press & Fort Ticonderoga, vol. 1: 392 p., vol 2: 208 p.
* Campey, Lucille H. (2006). ''Les Écossais: The Pioneer Scots of Lower Canada, 1763-1855'', Toronto: Natural Heritage Books, 332 pages
online excerpt
* Marrelli, Nancy and Simon Dardick (2005). ''The Scots of Montreal: A Pictorial Album'', Montreal: Véhicule Press, 156 p.
* Bennett, Margaret (2004). ''Oatmeal and the Catechism. Scottish Gaelic Settlers in Quebec'', Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press, 352 pages
online excerpt
* Beaulieu, Carl (2001). ''L'alliance écossaise au Québec'', Chicoutimi: Éditions du Patrimoine, 486 p.
* MacLeod, Alistair (1999). ''No Great Mischief'', Toronto : M&S, 283 p. ()
* Symons, Jeffrey (1992). ''The Auld Alliance in Canada: A Brief Examination of the Relationship between the French and the Scots throughout Canada's History'', Lovell Litho
* Little, John Irvine (1991). ''Crofters and Habitants. Settler Society, Economy, and Culture in a Quebec Township, 1848-1881'', Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 392 pages
online excerpt
* Price, Lynda. (1981). ''Introduction to the Social History of Scots in Quebec (1780–1840)'', Ottawa: National Museums of Canada, 152 pages
* Baldwin, Alice Sharples (1960). ''Metis, wee Scotland of the Gaspé'', Montreal: An-lo Inc., 63 p.
* Le Moine, James MacPherson (1881). "The Scot in New France, 1535-1880", in ''Transactions of the Literary and Historical Association of Quebec. Sessions of 1880-81, Quebec: Morning Chronicle Office'', 1881
online
{{British diaspora
Culture of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, 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 ...
+Scots
+Q
Scots
Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
* Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland
* Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland
* Scoti, a Latin na ...
European-Canadian culture in Quebec