Scots in the founding of Quebec

British Canada was established in 1759 by General Wolfe’s Fraser Highlanders, who were guided up the Heights of Abraham by Major Robert Stobo of Glasgow. Since Wolfe was killed during the battle, the citadel of Quebec was surrendered to the Scottish General James Murray, who shortly after became the first British Governor of Canada. The key to the city gates were handed over by Lt. –du-Roi Jean Baptiste-Nicholas Roch, who was descended from Claude de Ramezay, a Frenchman of Scottish ancestry. De Ramezay was Governor of Montreal from 1704 until his death in 1724, and for a time was Governor of Canada.

The Treaty of 1763 opened the door to settlers from the British Isles who began to descend upon the little French colony. The small Scottish contingent of immigrants separated itself from the rest and at once began to distinguish itself. Almost immediately they became “ the dominant group in most forms of commerce”.

Among these, John Richardson of Banff was chairman of the committee which prepared the articles for the establishment of the Bank of Montreal, and most of the early directors were also Scots. Richardson was also the founder and first President of Montreal General Hospital.

William Brown and Thomas Gilmour published Quebec’s first newspaper, the Quebec Gazette, in 1764.

In early Quebec, the Chateau Clique, a group of powerful men, ruled the Province’s politics. It was in turn, so dominated by Scots that it was often referred to as the Scotch Party. Pierre Berton, writing of the Scots in early Quebec says “The Irish outnumbered them as did the English, but the Scots ran the country. Though they formed only one-fifteenth of the population, they controlled the fur trade, the great banking houses, the major educational institutions, and, to a considerable degree, the Government.”