author
Alfred D. (Alfred Duclos) DeCelles
1843–1925
Best known as the longtime head of Canada’s Parliamentary Library, this versatile man of letters also worked as a journalist, lawyer, and historian. His writing reflects a deep interest in French Canadian history, public life, and the political story of Canada.
1 Audiobook
The 'Patriotes' of '37: A Chronicle of the Lower Canada Rebellion
by Alfred D. (Alfred Duclos) DeCelles
About the author
Born in Saint-Laurent, Lower Canada, in 1843, Alfred Duclos DeCelles built a career that moved through journalism, law, and public service before settling into the literary and historical work for which he is remembered. Sources agree that he studied in Quebec, worked for newspapers including the Journal de Québec and La Minerve, and was later called to the bar.
In 1882 he joined the Parliamentary Library in Ottawa as assistant librarian, and from 1885 to 1920 he served as its head. That long tenure placed him close to the center of Canadian political life, and it helped shape the informed, documentary style of his historical and biographical writing.
DeCelles wrote on Canadian politics, constitutional history, and notable public figures, often signing his work as A.D. DeCelles. He died in Ottawa in 1925, leaving behind books that still offer a clear window into nineteenth-century Quebec and the early national life of Canada.