Etienne-Michel Faillon

Who was Etienne-Michel Faillon?

Etienne-Michel Faillon was a Catholic historian.

Faillon was born in Tarascon, France. He studied in Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, joined the Sulpicians, and was ordained priest in 1824. While director of "La Solitude", he wrote several ascetic and biographical works and collected materials for future publications.

In 1848, during an official visit to Montreal, he conceived the plan of his Histoire de la Colonie française au Canada. Of the twelve intended volumes of this work, intended to embrace the entire period of French rule, only three were published, the narrative closing with the year 1675. Two subsequent voyages to Canada enabled him to write several important biographies, those of Sister Marguerite Bourgeoys, of Jeanne Mance, of Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, and of Jeanne Le Ber. He died in Paris.

His chief works relating to Old France are his life of Monsieur Olier and Monuments inédits sur l'apostolat de Sainte Marie-Madeleine en Provence. He has been repeatedly criticized for his partiality towards his society, to Montreal and to the Jesuits. On the other hand, he has been credited for giving prominence to persons and events of Ville-Marie, less elaborately treated by the Jesuit "Relations" and later histories.