Amable Dionne

Who was Amable Dionne?

Amable Dionne was a businessman, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.

He was born in Kamouraska in 1781 and grew up there. He became a clerk for Pierre Casgrain, a merchant at Rivière-Ouelle, and, in 1811, was made a partner in the business. In the same year, he married Catherine Perreault, the niece and daughter by adoption of the local seigneur, Jacques-Nicolas Perrault. In 1818, he established his own business. Dionne served in the local militia, reaching the rank of major. He purchased the seigneuries of La Pocatière and Grande-Anse during the 1830s. In 1830, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Kamouraska; he was reelected in 1834. He supported the Ninety-Two Resolutions but did not support the rebellion that followed. Dionne was named to the Legislative Council in 1837 and then served as a member of the Special Council after the suspension of the constitution.

In 1842, he was named to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada and served until his death at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière in 1852.

His son Élisée became a lawyer and later served as a member of the Legislative Council of Quebec. His daughters married important men in the province including: