Michel Bibaud
Michel Bibaud was a Canadian educator, journalist, and writer born in 1782 in Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal. He pursued studies in literature at the Roman Catholic College of Saint Raphael and later became a tutor. In 1812, Bibaud married Elizabeth Delisle and they had nine children. His journalism career began at Le Spectateur, where he showcased his interests in politics and science. In 1816, he published his educational work, L'Arithmetique en quatre parties, and co-founded the political journal L'Aurore, which later merged with Le Spectateur. Bibaud's literary contributions included poetry and the founding of journals, though many of his projects met with limited success due to the strict moral themes of his writings. His most notable work, Histoire du Canada, published in 1837, initially received little acclaim but is now recognized as a significant contribution to Canadian historiography. Bibaud later held governmental positions, including as an inspector of weights and measures and a justice of the peace, before passing away in 1857.
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Michel Bibaud
Author
- Born: January 19, 1782
- Birthplace: Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Died: August 3, 1857
- Place of death: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Michel Bibaud was born in 1782 in Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal, Canada. He was the son of a farmer, Michel-Anje Bibaud, and his wife, Cecile-Clemence Fresne. At the age of eighteen, he entered the Roman Catholic College of Saint Raphael and for six years studied literature. In 1806 he left Saint Raphael and became a tutor. He married Elizabeth Delisle, the daughter of Joseph Delisle, in 1812, and the couple eventually had nine children.
Bibaud remained in Montreal and embarked on a career in journalism by gaining employment at Le Spectateur, a weekly journal about politics and science. He combined his skills as an educator and a journalist and published his own work, L’Arithmetique en quatre parties, in 1816. The next year, Bibaud partnered with Joseph-Victor Delorme to start another political and scientific weekly journal, L’Aurore. This publication eventually merged with Le Spectateur in 1819, and Bibaud became chief editor. Le Spectateur ceased publication in 1822 and Bibaud returned to teaching for the next eight years.
In 1830 he published his first attempt at poetry, Epitres, satires, chansions, epigrammes et autre pieces de vers. This work of poetry was not well accepted in literary circles. However, Bibaud, who was always seeking to raise the cultural and intellectual level of his peers, continued his writing endeavors through the publication of two more journals, Biblioteque Canadienne (1830), and Magazine du Bas-Canada (1832). Both journals failed within a year of their founding because of the harsh moral tone of Bibaud’s writing.
In 1833, after many failed journalistic endeavors, Bibaud accepted a government position in Montreal as inspector of weights and measures. Four years later he was appointed a justice of the peace. That same year he published his most noted work, Histoire du Canada (1837). This publication was not well regarded during his lifetime but was later seen as a groundbreaking work that paved the way for future Canadian historians. Later in his life, Bibaud worked as a translator for the Geological Commission of Canada. He was stricken with paralysis in 1856 and died on August 3, 1857, in Montreal.