Denis-Benjamin Viger | |
|---|---|
 Denis-Benjamin Viger by Théophile Hamel | |
| Joint Premier of the Province of Canada (Canada East) | |
| In office December 12, 1843 – June 17, 1846 Serving with William Henry Draper | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Governors General | |
| Preceded by | Dominick Daly (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Denis-Benjamin Papineau |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada | |
| In office 1808 – 1829 (three different electoral districts, nine elections; for details, see succession box at end of article) | |
| Member of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada | |
| In office 1829–1838 | |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Richelieu | |
| In office 1841–1844 | |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Wolfred Nelson |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Three-Rivers | |
| In office 1845–1847 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Greive |
| Succeeded by | Antoine Polette |
| Member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada | |
| In office February 17, 1848 – March 17, 1858 | |
| Succeeded by | None; constitution suspended |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 19, 1774 Montreal, Old Province of Quebec |
| Died | February 13, 1861 (aged 86) Montreal, Canada East, Province of Canada |
| Political party | Lower Canada: Parti canadien / Parti patriote (1808–1838) Province of Canada: French-Canadian Group (1841–1843) "British" Tory (1843–1847) |
| Spouse | Marie-Amable Foretier (d. July 22, 1854) |
| Relations | Denis Viger (father) Jacques Viger (uncle) ∟Jacques Viger fils (cousin) Joseph Viger (uncle) Louis-Michel Viger (cousin) François-Pierre Cherrier (maternal grandfather) ∟ Benjamin-Hyacinthe-Martin Cherrier (uncle) ∟ Séraphin Cherrier (uncle) ∟ Côme-Séraphin Cherrier (cousin) Joseph Papineau (uncle by marriage) ∟ Louis-Joseph Papineau (cousin) ∟ Denis-Benjamin Papineau (cousin) Pierre Foretier (father-in-law) Louis-Michel Viger (cousin) Jean-Jacques Lartigue (cousin) |
| Education | Collège Saint-Raphaël |
| Occupation | Journalist, landowner |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature |  |
| Nickname | Le Vénérable |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | British Empire |
| Branch/service | Lower Canada militia |
| Years of service | 1803–1824 |
| Rank |
|
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
Denis-Benjamin Viger (French pronunciation: [dəni bɛ̃ʒamɛ̃ viʒe]; August 19, 1774 – February 13, 1861) was a 19th-century politician, lawyer, and newspaper publisher in Lower Canada, who served as joint premier of the Province of Canada for over two years. A leader in the Patriote movement, he was a strong French-Canadian nationalist, but a social conservative in terms of the seigneurial system and the position of the Catholic church in Lower Canada.
Viger came from a well-connected middle class family. Trained as a lawyer, he invested in land and gradually became one of Montreal’s largest landowners. He held public office for most of his adult life, often working alongside his cousin, Louis-Joseph Papineau, a fiery nationalist. From 1808 to 1829, he was a member of the elected Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, then from 1829 to 1838 he was a member of the appointed Legislative Council, the upper house of the Parliament of Lower Canada.
Imprisoned during the Lower Canada Rebellion in 1838, he was subsequently elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1841. From 1843 to 1846, he served as a joint-premier of the province, which triggered criticism from his former party colleagues. He was later appointed to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, serving from 1848 to 1858.
In his later years, Viger lived quietly in Montreal, surrounded by his well-stocked library. He remained fond of entertaining, and his wine-cellar was said to be one of the best in Montreal. He died in 1861, at the age of 86.