Francis Badgley

Who was Francis Badgley?

Francis Badgley was a Canadian merchant, politician, and newspaper editor.

He was born in London, England and immigrated to Canada in about 1785. He lived in Montreal and, in 1788, entered a partnership with Richard Dobie who was active in the fur trade. This partnership lasted until 1792 when, from his diary accounts, we know that Badgley travelled to Grand Portage, Minnesota with the fur brigade and conducted a survey for the North West Company.

Badgley returned to Montreal in 1792. Three years later, on November 27, 1795, he married Elizabeth Lilly, daughter of John Lilly, a prominent Montreal merchant. From 1796 until 1799 he was in partnership with Louis Dunière and James Badgley in the firm Dunière, Badgley and Company. In 1799 he set up his own business in Montreal, Francis Badgley and Company.

Badgley was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Montreal East in 1800. This was a two-member riding and both he and Pierre-Louis Panet secured 178 votes. He was a supporter of the English party during his four years and did not run for re-election in 1804.

During the War of 1812 Badgley served as a captain in Montreal's 1st Militia Battalion. In 1822 he became accountant for Molson's Brewery. For a few years, sometime between 1816 and 1822 he was editor of the Montreal Gazette. In 1821 he was appointed justice of the peace and was promoted major in the militia.