Profile Text
Birth Name: Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis
Date of Birth: April 20, 1890
Place of Birth: Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
Date of Death: September 7, 1959
Place of Death: Schefferville, Québec, Canada
Ethnicity: *87.5% French-Canadian *12.5% Scottish
Maurice Duplessis was a Canadian politician and attorney. He served as Premier of Québec, and Attorney General of Québec, both, from August 26, 1936 to November 8, 1939, and again, from August 30, 1944 to September 7, 1959. The Duplessis years in Québec were termed La Grande Noirceur/”The Great Darkness” by some commentators. He was also Leader of the Opposition of Québec, from November 7, 1932 to August 26, 1936, and again, from November 8, 1939 to August 30, 1944; Leader of the Conservative Party of Québec, from October 4, 1933 to June 20, 1936; Leader of Union Nationale, from June 20, 1936 to September 7, 1959; Minister of Lands and Forests of Québec, from February 23, 1937 to July 27, 1938; President of the Bar of Québec, Bar of Trois-Rivières, from 1937 to 1938; and Minister of Roads of Québec, from July 7, 1938 to November 30, 1938. He was bynamed “Le Chef”/”The Boss.”
Maurice was the son of Marie-Catherine-Camille-Berthe/Bertha (Genest) and Conservative party politician and attorney Nérée Le Noblet Duplessis (Nérée Louis Theodule Le Noblet Duplessis), who was Mayor of Maurice’s birthplace of Trois-Rivières, from 1904 to 1905. His family was religious, and wealthy, with many being conservative and ultramontanist. Maurice was named for Saint-Maurice, the district for which his father was an MLA.
Maurice’s paternal grandfather was Joseph Le Noblet Duplessis (the son of Joseph Le Noblet Duplessis and Marie-Rose Caron). Maurice’s grandfather Joseph was born in Yamachiche, Mauricie Region, Québec. Maurice’s great-grandfather Joseph was the son of Isidore Duplessis and Émélie/Emilie Rouette. Marie-Rose was the daughter of Augustin Caron and Josepte/Josephe Mottard/Motard.
Maurice’s paternal grandmother was Marie-Louise Lefebvre dit Descôteaux (the daughter of Francois Descôteaux and Rosalie Thibault/Thibeau). Marie-Louise was born in Yamachiche. Francois was the son of Jean-Francois Descôteaux and Josephte Gelinas. Rosalie was the daughter of Basile Thibault and Marguerite Doiron.
Maurice’s maternal grandfather was Laurent-Archibald/Ubald-Antoine Genest (the son of Laurent Genest and Anne-Marie Panneton). Maurice’s grandfather Laurent was born in Gentilly, Nicolet, Québec, and was a greffier (clerk) of Trois-Rivières. Maurice’s great-grandfather Laurent was the son of Louis Genest dit Labarre and Élisabeth Mireault. Anne-Marie was the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Panneton and Francoise Rocheleau.
Maurice’s maternal grandmother was Charlotte-Esther-Emma McCallum/MacCallum (the daughter of John McCallum/MacCallum and Marie-Flave/Flavie Raymond). Emma was born in Montréal, Québec. John was Scottish, and was a police mayor. Marie-Flave was born in La Prairie, Québec, the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Raymond and Marie-Clotilde/Clothilde Girardin.
Sources: Genealogies of Maurice Duplessis – https://www.geni.com https://www.nosorigines.qc.ca
Genealogy of Maurice Duplessis (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
Maurice Duplessis on the 1911 Canada Census – https://www.familysearch.org