Philippe Baby Casgrain

Who was Philippe Baby Casgrain?

Philippe Baby Casgrain was a Quebec lawyer, author and political figure. He represented L'Islet in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1873 to 1891.

He was born in Quebec City in 1826, the son of Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain, and studied at the College of Ste. Anne de la Pocatière. He articled in law with Jean-Thomas Taschereau, was called to the bar in 1850 and practiced at Quebec with Pierre Joseph Olivier Chauveau. In 1854, he married Mathilde Perrault. He was named deputy protonotary for the Quebec Superior Court in Quebec district. Casgrain was named Queen's Counsel in 1879. After he retired from politics, he was clerk for the Quebec Circuit and Revision Court. He served several terms as president of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.

Casgrain published a number of works on the history of Canada, including:

Letellier de Saint-Just et son temps

La vie de Joseph-François Perrault, surnommé le père de l'éducation du peuple canadien

La fontaine d'Abraham Martin et le site de son habitation

La maison d'Arnoux où Montcalm est mort

La maison du Chien d'Or à Québec

Les batailles des plaines d'Abraham et de Sainte-Foye