author
Adam Charles Gustave Desmazures
1818–1891
A French-born priest, lawyer, and historian, he became a notable literary figure in Montreal and wrote with a deep interest in Canada’s religious and colonial past.
1 Audiobook
Histoire du Chevalier d'Iberville (1663-1706)
by Adam Charles Gustave Desmazures
About the author
Born in Nogent-sur-Seine, France, on January 15, 1818, Adam-Charles-Gustave Desmazures first trained and worked as a lawyer before joining the Sulpicians in 1844. He was ordained in Paris in 1848 and moved to Montreal in 1851, where he served as vicar at both Notre-Dame and Saint-Jacques.
In Montreal, he was known not only as a Catholic priest but also as an active man of letters. He helped organize a reading group, later served as a priest of Saint-Sulpice, and built a reputation as a writer interested in religion, history, and French Canada. In 1868, he received a doctorate in letters from Université Laval.
Desmazures wrote works including Histoire du Chevalier d'Iberville (1663-1706) and Colbert et le Canada, showing his lasting interest in New France and its historical figures. He died in Montreal on September 30, 1891.