Austin Cuvillier | |
|---|---|
 Austin Cuivillier, wearing the Speaker's robes | |
| 1st Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada | |
| In office 1841–1844 | |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Allan Napier MacNab |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Huntingdon | |
| In office 1841–1844 | |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin-Henri Le Moine |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Laprairie (two-member constituency) | |
| In office 1831–1834 Serving with Jean-Moïse Raymond | |
| Preceded by | New district – redistribution |
| Succeeded by | Joseph-Narcisse Cardinal and Jean-Moïse Raymond |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Huntingdon county (two-member constituency) | |
| In office 1814 – 1830 (six elections) Serving with
| |
| Preceded by | Jean-Antoine Panet / Edme Henry |
| Succeeded by | District abolished – redistribution |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Augustin Cuvillier August 20, 1779 Quebec City, Province of Quebec |
| Died | July 11, 1849 (aged 69) Montreal, Canada East |
| Resting place | Old Notre-Dame, Montreal |
| Political party | Parti canadien |
| Spouse | Marie-Claire Perrault |
| Relations | Joseph Perrault (brother-in-law); Alexandre-Maurice Delisle (son-in-law); Charles-Ovide Perrault (nephew) |
| Children | 7 |
| Alma mater | Collège Saint-Raphaël |
| Occupation | Businessman, wholesale auctioneer, banker |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Britain |
| Branch/service | Lower Canada militia |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | War of 1812: 5th Select Embodied Militia Battalion of Lower Canada ("The Devil's Own"); Chasseurs Canadiens Lower Canada Rebellion: 5th Montreal Militia Battalion |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812: Battle of the Châteauguay |
| Awards | War of 1812 Medal with Châteauguay clasp |
Austin Cuvillier (August 20, 1779 – July 11, 1849) was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East. He was a successful Canadien businessmen, unusual when most businessmen in Lower Canada were British. He also was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for twenty years, as a member for the Parti canadien, which tended to oppose the policies of the British-appointed governors. As a result, he served as a bridge between the conservative business community, and the more radical Parti canadien, although he finally broke with the Parti canadien (by then called the Parti patriote) prior to the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838.
After the Rebellion, when the British government united Lower Canada with Upper Canada as the province of Canada, he again played a bridging role as the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, His fluent bilingualism enabled him to deal with both the English and the French speaking members of the Assembly in their own language, a tradition which carries on with the Speakers of the federal House of Commons. His portrait hangs in the Centre Block of the federal Parliament buildings, along with other former speakers.