Joseph-Napoléon Francoeur Explained

Joseph-Napoléon Francoeur
Constituency Mp:Lotbinière
Parliament:Canadian
Predecessor:Joseph-Achille Verville
Successor:Hugues Lapointe
Term Start:1937
Term End:1940
Office2:Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for Lotbinière
Predecessor2:Napoleon Lemay
Successor2:Maurice Pelletier
Term Start2:1908
Term End2:1936
Office3:17th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
Predecessor3:Antonin Galipeault
Successor3:Hector Laferté
Term Start3:1919
Term End3:1928
Birth Date:1880 12, df=yes
Birth Place:Cap-Saint-Ignace, Quebec, Canada
Death Place:Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Party:Liberal
Cabinet:Minister of Public Works and Labour (1930-1931)
Minister of Public Works (1931-1936)
Minister of Labour (1935-1936)
Minister of Mines (1935-1936)
Relations:Joseph-Achille Francoeur, brother

Joseph-Napoléon Francoeur (13 December 1880 – 25 July 1965) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Quebec. He represented Lotbinière in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1908 to 1936 and Lotbinière in the House of Commons of Canada from 1937 to 1940 as a Liberal. Francoeur was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1919 to 1928.

He was born in Cap-Saint-Ignace, Quebec, the son of Auguste Francoeur and Avila Caron, and was educated at the Séminaire de Québec and the Université Laval. He was admitted to the Quebec bar in 1904 and set up practice in Quebec City. Francoeur practised in partnership with Philippe-Auguste Choquette, Antonin Galipeault and Thomas Vien, among others. In 1913, he was named King's Counsel.

He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Quebec assembly in 1904 before being elected in 1908. In 1918, he prepared the Francœur Motion in response to anti-Quebec sentiment following the conscription crisis during World War I. Francoeur served in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Public Works and Labour from 1930 to 1931, as Minister of Public Works from 1931 to 1936 and as Minister of Mines and Minister of Labour from 1935 to 1936. He was defeated when he ran for reelection to the provincial assembly in 1936.

Francoeur was elected to the House of Commons in a 1937 by-election held following the death of Joseph-Achille Verville. He resigned his seat in 1940 after he was named judge in the Court of King's Bench, serving until 1945. He died in Quebec City at the age of 84.

His brother Joseph-Achille also served in the Quebec assembly.

External links