Person:Jean Duprat (1)

Document #115 received from Barbara McGirr January 2008

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Ancestors John Pratt, the businessman Doctor Charles-Alfred, musician and alderman The genealogical table

Ancestors

Was Paul Pratt related to Pratt & Whitney Canada, principal current employer of the deprived sector with Longueuil? Are Pratt English or Irishman descendants? Not, far from there! Pratt are of French stock. The name however changed with the years.

The ancestor of Pratt is the son of Jean Duprat and Marie Sauviat, of the commune of Gruère, area of Agenois, province of Guyenne (old Aquitaine), France.

Jean Duprat, wire, are born in 1668 and come to be established in 1702 in Quebec where it exerts the trade of baker then wife Marie Auriot who dies the same year. It remarie in 1704 with Commercial Élisabeth, girl of Charles Marchand and Marie Bonneguerrière. They put at the world twelve children among whom six marry:

Élisabeth with Joseph Draper Pierre-Louis with Thérèse Normandin Jean-baptiste with Claire Bouton Charles with Clémence Leclerc Jean-Marie with Marie-Charlotte Godet Madeleine with François Roy

Jean-baptiste, born on January 6, 1710, settles with his Charles brother with Three-Rivers at the beginning of the years 1730 and marries Claire Bouton. In spite of the fact that Quebec is massively agricultural at that time, Pratt directed itself towards the trade. It is of Jean-baptiste whom the family kills from Paul Pratt.

The couple has 12 children of which Amable Prat which marries with Saint-Michel-in Yamaska, on June 23, 1761, Genevieve Diverney. It is noticed that it is at this time that the children of Jean-baptiste drop From.

The son of Amable Prat, Jean-baptiste Pratte (1763-1838), merchant, Marie with Josephte Soulard with Three-Rivers on March 31, 1788 and, in second weddings, at Louise Mulched (1781-1851), on January 29, 1798 with Berthier. This one is the girl of François Paillé and Agnes Fleur d' Épée. New modification of the name to which one adds you. Among the children of Jean-baptiste, Jean-baptiste (John) Pratt, born on July 20, 1812 with Berthier and his brother Charles-Ferdinand, born on July 16, 1806, also in Berthier, change the name definitively when they launch out in businesses because their principal customers are American tradesmen and Canadian-English.

John Pratt, the grandfather of Paul, was one of richest Quebecers the of his time, richest affirms one. Engraving of A. Alexander (London), according to a photograph of the Notman Studio, of Montreal. Collection of the author.

John Pratt, the businessman

John Pratt was one of the businessmen Québécois more in sight in second half of the XIXe century. After having followed its commercial course in Berthier, it leaves with his brother to Quebec where they open a trade general under the name of C. - F. Pratt & Frère in 1833 then another with Three-Rivers. In 1839, John and his brother repeat in Montreal to the 175 street Saint-Paul, under the name this time of John Pratt & Co. They specialize as wholesalers in the sale of leather and melt a tannery with Roxton Falls, in Estrie.

On March 3, 1840, John marries Mathilde Roy, widow of the patriot and deputy of Vaudreuil to the French National Assembly, Charles-Ovide Perreault, killed at the time of the battle of Saint-Denis in November 1837.

Is there a bond between John Pratt and Joseph Pratt, that which was required to have taken part in the murder of the English soldier Weir in Saint-Denis at the time of the revolt of the Patriots? We do not believe it. Joseph was downward of Charles who was established with Three-Rivers in the years 1730; it was thus a cousin very distant from John. Moreover, John Pratt had chosen to anglicize his name; its correspondence, the behaviour of its journals and even its will were written in English. He was primarily a businessman.

John takes his retirement in 1869, but continuous to occupy a high number of functions in various institutions: police chief of Le Havre of Montreal, chair Bank of the People and company of navigation Richelieu & Ontario (become Canada Steamship Lines). He sits on the boards of directors of Montreal Weaving, of Canadian Rubber (become the Rubber Dominion), of the insurance company the Citizen, Montreal Cotton of Valleyfield and the Dominion Oilcloth & Linoleum.

In medallion, Amanda Lamarre, mother of Paul Pratt. She was responsible for the financing campaign of the statue of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre, to replace the cross, on the roof of the College of Longueuil. Collection of Annette Laramée. On the right, Dr. Pratt, father of Paul Pratt. He subsidized the statue of Saint-Jean-Baptist of the Room outside the principal entry of the College of Longueuil. Photograph of the Dupras studio & Colas. Collection of the author.

On the political level, he is a convinced and engaged liberal, but he declines the offer, in 1872, to present itself against George-Étienne Cartier whom he knows personally.

Robert Rumilly claims in his traditional book on Longueuil that John Pratt had become one of the French Canadians richest of his time, richest, affirms one

The National of Montreal, following its death, caused by the cholera, on July 22, 1876, written:

On a vaster scene, in New York or Chicago, it had reached the fame of Astor and Stewart. In Canada, its opinion had an undeniable authority in the field of the commercial transactions. It was one of the most eminent businessmen of his country and even of America of Nord.2

His/her brother Charles-Ferdinand is deceased previous on April 7. One can admire superb monuments in their memory with the cemetery Coast-of-Snows.

Today, the town of Outremont allotted the name of a park and one street to the memory of John Pratt. It had indeed in the years 1870, a ground with Outremont, along the street Querbes close to the avenue of the Park.

With his death, John Pratt was a very rich man; some claimed that it was millionaire, others that its fortune was worth between 625.000 $ and 750.000 $. What imports! When similar sums are had, at this time, one belongs to a very restricted economic elite. He was however recognized like one of the patrons of Montreal and financed certain projects like the Academy of the Art schools applied to the industry, directed by the French refugee Joseph Chabert and who was prosperous and highly respected Saint-Jacob, where was located besides the offices of businesses of John Pratt.

Residence of Dr. Charles Pratt, with the corner of the way of Chambly and the street the St. Lawrence, at the beginning of the 20th century. Collection of the author.

Its succession, of public notoriety, made much jaser. It left an annual rent of 3.000 $, taken with very the interests, with each one of his children, Charles, Frederic, Albert, Évelina, Virginia, Aloysia, just as with its grandson Emile Girouard whose mother Mathilde Pratt had married Désiré Girouard, which became judge of the Supreme Court; following several private laws, this revenue increased gradually. It however left the capital to its grandchildren once the last of his own children deceased. With the years, the capital had increased considerably. But 65 years had to be waited, that is to say after the death of the last of his/her children, Aloysia Pratt-Woodcock in 1941, to proceed to the distribution of its fortune. The succession John Pratt was managed by Joseph-Ovide Gravel until 1910, then by the son of this one, the notary Charles-Édouard Gravel. Paul Pratt, heir to this succession, became one of the administrators in 1934 about it and was very influenced by this step at the point to copy with some nuances close his will from that of John.

Doctor Charles-Alfred, musician and alderman

The son of John, Doctor Charles-Alfred, born on August 30, 1844, comes to settle in Longueuil in 1866. He marries Alphonsine Leclair on June 4, 1866 with the Notre-Dame church of Montreal. The couple has 5 children:

Alphonsine, born in 1867 and married with Jean Lafrenière in Longueuil on May 17, 1887. Charles-Ludovic, born on January 19, 1869 and married with Émilie Denicourt, on June 9, 1891 with Longueuil. Éveline, born in 1872 and married to George Bumblebee on August 7, 1893. Alexandre, born in 1873 and married to Sarah Guertin, then in second weddings with Bertha Jodoin. White, born in 1877 and married with Raoul Lebeau.

Following the death of its wife, Doctor Charles-Alfred convole in second weddings with Amanda Lamarre (1867-1926) on February 16, 1886. They have the following children:

Édouard, died in the birth in 1893. Paul, born on November 25, 1894 and married to Eugenie Marcil. Marguerite, born in 1896 and married on September 3, 1921 with Alphonse-A. Préfontaine.

Doctor Charles-Alfred Pratt practises medicine of course, but very little, given that it is asthmatic. He buys the properties of Pierre Viau, street Saint-Andrew and of Victor Chénier, way of Chambly on the site of the future College Sacred Heart, then moves directly opposite the College, before going to live the house with the south-eastern corner of the way of Chambly and the street the St. Lawrence.

It is implied quickly in its town of adoption. It is one of the founder members of the nautical Club of Longueuil. It is city council man in 1875-1876 when it is pointed out in the debate on the construction of the aqueduct. It also takes part in a lifting of funds for the enlarging of the Saint-Anthony Old people's home. Like his father, it is liberal on the political level. Besides it collects a frightening number of caricatures and political photographs which he sticks in scrap-books.

His/her son Charles-Ludovic is a leading member of liberal Association; he is also very active on the municipal scene where he becomes secretary of the municipal Association of Longueuil and one of the leading hearts of the Lemoyne Club.

Besides Doctor Charles-Alfred one is impassioned of the music and becomes organist and choirmaster of the Saint-Anthony church. With the avant-garde of technology, it is one of the very first residents to being connected on the telephone!

It is him which gives on November 23, 1912, on its behalf and that of its boys, Charles-Ludovic, Alexandre and Paul, the statue of Saint-Jean-Baptist of the Room which will be exposed during many years outside the principal entry of the College of Longueuil. The same year, a statue of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre replaces the cross on the roof of the college. The initiator was mainly Amanda Lamarre, the wife of Doctor Pratt; in this case, even if the Pratt family contributed largely to the financing, several people of the city made their share. One cherished even the idea to build a monument to remember it Charles Moyne, but one still awaits the realization of also elementary but how much desirable project.

At the beginning of the years 1920, it arranges on the street Gardenville until the death of his wife in 1926. It moves then in his Paul son, with the corner of the streets Saint-Alexandre and Guillaume.

Charles-Alfred dies in Saint-Petersburg in Florida in February 1929, at the 84 years age.

Genealogical table

Jean Duprat and Marie Sauviat France

Jean Duprat (wire) and Commercial Élisabeth 07-07-1704

J. - B. (Of) Prat and Claire Bouton 04-07-1735

Amable Prat and Genevieve Divernay 23-06-1761

J. - B. Pratte and Louise Mulched 29-01-1798

J. - B. (John) Pratt and Mathilde Roy 03-03-1840

C. - A. Pratt and Amanda Lamarre 16-02-1886

Paul Pratt and Eugenie Marcil 11-09-1917

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Reception

1. ↑ Andre Turcotte.