Fonds
This fonds documents the history of three related families, several members of which had a significant impact on the political, social and economic life of Quebec in the 19th and 20th centuries. The biographies of the most famous members are summarized below.
Born in Montreal, MARIE-THÉRÈSE FORGET CASGRAIN (1896-1981) was the daughter of Rodolphe Forget and Blanche MacDonald. She married lawyer and politician Pierre-François Casgrain in 1916.
A memorable figure in 20th-century Quebec history, this feminist activist and politician was involved in numerous social and political causes throughout her life. Named president of the League for Women's Rights in 1928, she played an active role in various campaigns for social and legal reforms, notably the suffrage bill that gave Quebec women the right to vote. She headed the Quebec wing of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (which later became the Social Democratic Party of Quebec, and then the New Democratic Party) from 1951 to 1957, becoming the first woman to head a political party in Quebec (and Canada).
During the second half of the 20th century, Thérèse Casgrain helped found the Fédération des femmes du Québec (1966) and the League for Human Rights (1960), which she served as president from 1966 to 1970. In 1970, she sat as an Independent senator for nine months, until she reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.
PIERRE-FRANÇOIS CASGRAIN, fils, (1886-1950) was a lawyer in Montreal, a federal Liberal MP as of 1917, Speaker of the House, and Secretary of State under Mackenzie King. He was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec in 1941.
Born in Terrebonne, RODOLPHE FORGET (1861-1919) was an influential and controversial financier, who served as president and director of several major commercial and industrial firms. For example, he became a controlling shareholder in the Royal Electric Company in 1898, was vice-president of the Montreal, Light, Heat and Power Company and, from 1908 to 1911, chaired the board of the Montreal Stock Exchange. Serving as a Conservative MP in the House of Commons from 1904 to 1917, he was also a major philanthropist.
Businessman and Conservative politician LOUIS-JOSEPH FORGET (1853-1911) founded (in 1876) and ran major brokerage company L. J. Forget, in addition to being active in numerous financial and industrial companies. He was appointed to the Senate in 1896.
A notary who practised in Saint-Eustache, JOSEPH-AMABLE BERTHELOT, père, (1776-1860) was active in the Patriot movement. He was charged with high treason and imprisoned from December 1837 to July 1838.
A judge and lawyer, JOSEPH-AMABLE BERTHELOT, fils, (1815-1897) practised with Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine and George-Étienne Cartier. He was also active in the Patriot movement.
Scope and Content
The fonds documents the genealogy, personal and family lives, as well as the social and professional activities of members of the Casgrain, Forget and Berthelot families.
Records from the Casgrain family focus primarily on the life and work of Thérèse Casgrain. Her personal and professional relationships, involvement in various social causes and political career are chronicled in biographical texts, voluminous correspondence, published articles and conference proceedings, parliamentary publications, press clippings and numerous tributes. Biographical documents, financial records, newspaper clippings and correspondence also recount the personal life and professional activities of Pierre-François Casgrain, fils.
Documents from the Forget family deal primarily with the life, professional activities and estate of Rodolphe Forget, as recorded in scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, correspondence and notarial acts.
Berthelot family archives are comprised mostly of genealogical documents, wills and photocopies of correspondence.
The fonds also contains photographs (primarily portraits), many of which are collected in albums.
Classification Scheme
P683
Casgrain, Forget et Berthelot Families
P683/A Documentation and genealogy
P683/B Berthelot Family
P683/C Forget Family
P683/C,1 Documentation about Rodolphe
Forget
P683/C,2
Succession of Rodolphe Forget
P683/C,3
Professional life of Rodolphe Forget
P683/C,4
Blanche Forget
P683/D Casgrain Family
P683/D1
Pierre-François Casgrain
P683/D2 Thérèse
Forget Casgrain
P683/D2.1
Biographical information
P683/D2.2
Financial records
P683/D2.3
Social and political commitment
P683/D2.3,1
Women's rights
P683/D2.3,2
Senate
P683/D2.3,3 Status of Indigenous women
P683/D2.3,4
Bilingualism
P683/D2.3,5
Fédération des femmes du Québec
P683/D2.3,6
Status of senior citizens
P683/D2.3,7
Pension for widows of judges
P683/D2.3,8
Foundation of UQÀM
P683/D2.3,9
Quebec sovereignty and referendum movement of 1980
P683/D2.4
Official correspondence
P683/D2.5 Personal correspondence
P683/D2.6
Invitations
P683/D2.7
Speeches, texts and publications
P683/D2.8
Tributes, testimonials and accolades
P683/D2.9
Death notices, condolences and sympathy cards
P683/D2.10
Other documents
P683/E Other Related Families
P683/F Audio-Visual Materials
P683/G Photographs
Source of title proper: Title based on the creators of the fonds.
Language: The majority of the documents are in French, but some are in English.
Restrictions on access: Some records have been photocopied so that the originals, which are very fragile and brittle, are not handled. There is also limited access to scrapbooks that show traces of mildew.
Last update: February 26, 2019
Information about the objects in our collection is updated to reflect new research findings. If you have any information to share regarding this object, please email reference.mccord@mccord-stewart.ca.Information about rights and reproductions is available here.
This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Azrieli Foundation and Canadian Heritage.