Battle of Beauharnois

For other uses, see Beauharnois.
Battle of Beauharnois
Part of The Lower Canada Rebellion
DateNovember 10, 1838
Location
Beauharnois, Quebec
Result Loyalist victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Lower Canada Loyalist volunteers
1st Glengarry Militia
71st Highlanders[1]		 500 Patriotes
Commanders and leaders
General Sir James Macdonell
General John Clitherow
Colonel Alexander Fraser		 Chevalier de Lorimier

The Battle of Beauharnois was fought on November 10, 1838, between Lower Canada loyalists and Patriote rebels, after 500 armed men had converged on Beauharnois, on November 3–4, overtaking the seigneurial manor.[2]

The seigneury of Beauharnois belonged to the Ellice family, having, in 1796, purchased it from Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière. Edward Ellice, private secretary to John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, had then been in residence for several months. He, and, separately, his wife, Lady Jane Ellice, and her sister, Eglantine "Tina" Balfour, later Ellice, were taken prisoner, along with a number of others. Ellice's watercolours, sketches and diary survived, and record that they were unharmed.[3][4]

The town rose up, following a series of raids by rebel leaders who had escaped into the United States. François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier commanded the ranks of the Patriote rebels. The British were victorious, and 108 rebels were captured and tried in Montreal.[5] 58 of the Patriote rebels were deported to Australia,[6] while Lorimier was hanged.[7][8]

Government forces burned several buildings in the area in reprisal for the rebels’ actions.[9]

  1. ^ "The history of the county of Huntingdon [Quebec] and of the seigniories of Chateaugay and Beauharnois from their settlement to the year 1838". Huntingdon, The Canadian gleaner. 1888.
  2. ^ "Insurrection des patriotes à Beauharnois en 1838 (L') de Marcel Labelle | Septentrion". Septentrion (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  3. ^ K. D. Reynolds, 'Ellice , Katherine Jane [Janie] (1813–1864)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 20 June 2017
  4. ^ Ellice, J. The diary of Jane Ellice; Patricia Godsell, Ed.; Oberon Press; 1975, p. 139. ISBN 0887501648.
  5. ^ "Robert Nelson: 2. Leads Patriotes to Defeat". www.raidersandrebels.com. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  6. ^ http://ville.beauharnois.qc.ca/histoire-de-beauharnois/ (French)
  7. ^ "Robert Nelson: 2. Leads Patriotes to Defeat". www.raidersandrebels.com. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  8. ^ "Patriotes' End: 1. 108 Face Court Martial". www.raidersandrebels.com. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  9. ^ "Robert Nelson: 2. Leads Patriotes to Defeat". www.raidersandrebels.com. Retrieved 2017-06-20.