Province of Quebec (1763–1791)

History

Under the proclamation, Quebec included the cities of Quebec and Montreal, as well as a zone surrounding them, but did not extend as far west as the Great Lakes or as far north as Rupert's Land.

In 1774, the Parliament of Great Britain passed the Quebec Act that allowed Quebec to restore the use of French customary law (Coutume de Paris) in private matters alongside the English common law system, and allowing the Catholic Church to collect tithes. The act also enlarged the boundaries of Quebec to include the Ohio Country and part of the Illinois Country, from the Appalachian Mountains on the east, south to the Ohio River, west to the Mississippi River and north to the southern boundary of lands owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, or Rupert's Land.

Western District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District, which were later detached in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Hesse District (named after Hesse in Germany) until 1792.

Through Quebec, the British Crown retained access to the Ohio and Illinois Countries after the Treaty of Paris (1783) ceded control of this land to the United States. By well-established trade and military routes across the Great Lakes, the British continued to supply not only their troops but also the Western Confederacy (a wide alliance of indigenous nations) through Detroit, Fort Niagara, Fort Michilimackinac, and so on, until these posts were turned over to the United States following the Jay Treaty (1794).

Quebec retained its seigneurial system after the conquest. Owing to an influx of Loyalist refugees from the American Revolutionary War, the demographics of Quebec came to shift and now included a substantial English-speaking Protestant element from the former Thirteen Colonies. These United Empire Loyalists settled mainly in the Eastern Townships, Montreal, and what was known then as the west of the Ottawa River. The Constitutional Act 1791 divided the colony in two at the Ottawa River, so that the western part (Upper Canada) could be under the English legal system, with English speakers in the majority. The eastern part was named Lower Canada.

Governors

In 1760, following the capitulation of Montreal, the colony was placed under military government, with civil government only instituted beginning in 1764. The following were the governors:

• James Murray 1760–1766
• Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester 1766–1778
• Sir Frederick Haldimand 1778–1786
• Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester 1786–1796

There were also "lieutenant governors", but these were merely the deputies of the governors, and should not be confused with the subsequent to 1791 Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec.

• Guy Carleton (lieutenant governor to James Murray) 1766–1768
• Hector Theophilus de Cramahé (lieutenant governor to Guy Carleton) 1771–1782
• Henry Hamilton (lieutenant governor to Frederick Haldimand) 1782–1785
• Henry Hope (lieutenant governor to the Lord Dorchester) 1785–1788
• Alured Clarke (lieutenant governor to the Lord Dorchester) 1790

Counsellors to the governor

The Province of Quebec did not have an elected legislature and was ruled directly by the governor with advice from counsellors. A council responsible to advise the governor (then James Murray) on all affairs of state was created in 1764. The Quebec Act 1774 created a Council for the Affairs of the Province of Quebec to advise the governor on legislative affairs. The Legislative Council served as an advisory council to the governor until a legislative assembly was established after 1791.

The individuals James Murray called into the council from 1764 to 1766:

List of councillors under Carleton from 1766 to 1774:

Geography

Around 1763 to 1764, the province was divided into two judicial districts:

• Montreal District – covering the western parts of Quebec along the St. Lawrence River including Montreal and much of Ontario (Eastern and Southern Ontario)
• Quebec District – covering the eastern parts of Quebec along the St. Lawrence and Labrador

In 1790, the Trois-Rivières District was formed out of part of Quebec District.

The Trois-Rivières and Quebec districts continued after 1791 when Lower Canada came into existence, while Montreal District west of the Ottawa River became Upper Canada and east of the Ottawa River was partitioned into many electoral districts.

References

References

1. Colin G. Calloway. (2006). "The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America". Oxford U.P..
2. "Province of Quebec 1763–91".
3. {{London Gazette. (18 April 1778)
4. "Hey, William".