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HONOURS IN CANADA FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES

Honours in Canada to 1759

The modern Canadian honours system can find some of its origins in those of two of Canada’s founding peoples: the French and British honours systems. Canada’s Native peoples did not have a formal honours system in the sense of an institution. Rather, the concept of honour was more prized than any particular insignia or possession. Service to the community and bravery were recognized in Native communities not by gold or silver medals but through respect accorded to the individual often through the adoption of a chieftainship. When Europeans arrived, this system was complemented through the awarding of Chief’s Medals, which French and British officials both used to secure the loyalty of a particular Native group. This process was not unidirectional; Native peoples quickly learned how to extract better terms and conditions for themselves when accepting such medals from Europeans.

The Honours of Royal France in Canada

Prior to the French Revolution, the Kingdom of France possessed a comprehensive honours system, primarily graded by the hierarchy of French society at the time. The king of France would elevate French subjects to the nobility as dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, and barons. On one occasion a Canadian, Charles Le Moyne, Seigneur of Longueuil, was made Baron de Longueuil in recognition of his peace negotiations with the Iroquois on behalf of the French Crown. Le Moyne would later go on to serve as governor of Montreal. This now-ancient French title still exists, though the family no longer lives in Canada.

In New France honours were awarded by the governor on behalf of the king. Prior to an honour being bestowed, the governor of New France had to receive permission from the French sovereign. The advice of the governor general was usually followed, though there were occasions when the king of France bestowed an honour without the prior knowledge of the governor. This was, after all, his prerogative as king.

Commander of the Order of St. Louis.

Looking for a way to motivate and reward all the officers of his armies for outstanding and long services, Louis XIV established the Ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis in April 1693. For the subjects of New France this was the most familiar honour, and it became an immediate success. The order gained the favour of all and was seen as a very prestigious honour, since the deserving officer would wear the same insignia as worn by a marshal of France or, even better, the king himself! It was the first military reward in modern history open to officers in the army or navy regardless of social status. However, it was awarded only to Roman Catholic officers. The order consisted of three classes: Knight (with no limit on overall membership), Commander (with a maximum of twenty-four living members), and Grand Cross (with a maximum of eight living members).[1] After the French Revolution, the order was abolished by the Convention in 1792, though it continued to be used by the government in exile and was revived following the first Restoration and finally discontinued in 1830 by King Louis-Philippe. Nearly three hundred appointments to the order were made to people associated with Canada, either French-born officers serving in New France, Canadian-born officers serving in New France, or Canadian-born officers serving in France during or after the fall of New France.

Comte de Frontenac, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Louis, governor general of New France.

The first officer to be appointed to the order was the governor of Montreal, Louis-Hector de Callière, in 1694. Louis de Buade, comte de Frontenac and governor of New France, was the second, in 1697. The best-known Canadian subject to receive the Order of St. Louis was François Coulon de Villers. Born in Verchéres, New France, in 1712, Coulon de Villers went on to serve with great distinction in the French colonial army. In the battle for Fort Necessity on July 4, 1757, Coulon de Villers became the only man to ever defeat George Washington in battle. The last governor general of New France, Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial, was the only Canadian to receive the Grand Cross.

With the fall of New France in 1759, one would expect the flow of honours from France to come to a halt. However, this was not the case, since up until the French Revolution the Crown continued to bestow the Order of St. Louis upon residents of the old colony in recognition of military services rendered prior to 1759. These awards were usually given to veterans whose families had petitioned for belated recognition.