radical party, with whom, indeed, he chiefly associated. On 10 May 1833 he started for home once more. In 1835 he became clerk at the hank of Quebec, having done but little notarial work. Shortly afterwards he was appointed translator to the Chamber of Assembly, and in 1844 obtained the office of greffier (town clerk) of Quebec, which he continued to hold till May 1864, when he retired on a pension. In 1841 he undertook with Mr. Roy the publication of a literary and scientific journal, entitled 'L'Institut.' Important though this publication was, from its connection with the educational movement in Lower Canada, its period of issue extended only from 7 March to 22 May. Till 1845 his literary reputation was that of a patriotic poet, whose productions appeared in 'Le Répertoire National;' but he began the compilation of his history as far back as 1840-1. From the beginning of the publication of his history its merits were abundantly recognised, and general appreciation of his talents was shown, in 1855, by his election as president of the Canadian Institute of Quebec, and by his appointment in 1857 on the council of public instruction. He died at Quebec 3 Feb. 1866, after a long illness. He was married, 25 Aug. 1835, to Esther Bilodeau, by whom he had nine children, five dying young.
His principal writings were:
- 'Histoire du Canada depuis sa découverte jusqu'à nos jours' 1845-6 (2nd edit, 1852).
- 'Abrégé de l'histoire du Canada depuis sa découverte jusqu'à 1840.'
- 'Voyage en Angleterre et en France, dans les années 1831, 1832, 1833.' This was originally published in the 'Journal de Québec,' 1854-5; then reprinted as a whole, 1855, but suppressed. Copious extracts appear in 'La Littérature Canadienne.'
[Casgrain's Un Contemporain; Memoir in 4th edition of History, by M. Chauveau; Voyage; Quebec Daily Mercury, February 1866.]
GARNER, THOMAS (1789–1868), engraver, born at Birmingham in 1789, received instruction in the art of engraving from Samuel Lines [q. v.] He resided in Birmingham nearly all his life, and was an active promoter of the study of art in that town. He was one of the founders of the Antique Academy there, subsequently known as the 'Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.' As an engraver he did some of his best work for the annuals then in vogue, and also in subjects of local interest and portraits of local celebrities. He was employed to engrave several plates for the 'Art Journal,' and it is by these that he is best known. They included the 'Mountaineer' after P. F. Poole, R.A.; the 'Grecian Vintage' after T. Stothard, R.A.; 'L'Allegro' after W. E. Frost, R.A.; 'Il Penseroso' after J. C. Horsley, R.A.; 'Chastity' after W. E. Frost, R.A.; 'H.R.H. Princess Charlotte' after Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A.; and the 'Village Diorama' after T. Webster, R.A. Garner was of a modest and unassuming disposition and so was little known, but he was very much esteemed for his cultivated knowledge and artistic skill. He died at Birmingham, 14 July 1868.
[Art Journal, 1868; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists.]
