dashadashahi's review
4.0
Brian Young's Patrician Families and the Making of Quebec: The Taschereaus and McCords analyzes the histories of two prominent Quebec families. Both Young and Perry analyze elite families and their retention of social, political and economic respectability. However, Young’s analysis differs in time and space as he focuses on Quebec, not British Columbia, and a period of nearly 200 years rather than Perry’s single generation.
The power of the McCords and Taschereaus arose from their relation to religious, professional and seigneurial institutions. Both families gained wealth from land ownership and their connection to Imperial trade and economies. This afforded generations of their offspring education to enter professional fields of work. Connections to the Anglican and Catholic churches became a way to increase their cultural and political influence. The importance of tying power to surrounding institutions led to the decline of the McCords when the Anglican Church lost its prestige in English Montreal. In contrast, Quebec's Catholic Church continued to afford the Taschereaus respected positions. How patrician families tied themselves and adapted to critical cultural institutions affected their ability to hold onto power.
An important aspect in Young's book is his emphasis on the power of familial memory on preserving power. Young explains that both families archived their photo albums, portraits, genealogies, estates and family histories. A further way to preserve family memory in the public consciousness was through street names, cemeteries and monuments. What is considered a powerful institution, and thus what affords social, economic and political power, may change, but these public showings of familial power and history do not.
The power of the McCords and Taschereaus arose from their relation to religious, professional and seigneurial institutions. Both families gained wealth from land ownership and their connection to Imperial trade and economies. This afforded generations of their offspring education to enter professional fields of work. Connections to the Anglican and Catholic churches became a way to increase their cultural and political influence. The importance of tying power to surrounding institutions led to the decline of the McCords when the Anglican Church lost its prestige in English Montreal. In contrast, Quebec's Catholic Church continued to afford the Taschereaus respected positions. How patrician families tied themselves and adapted to critical cultural institutions affected their ability to hold onto power.
An important aspect in Young's book is his emphasis on the power of familial memory on preserving power. Young explains that both families archived their photo albums, portraits, genealogies, estates and family histories. A further way to preserve family memory in the public consciousness was through street names, cemeteries and monuments. What is considered a powerful institution, and thus what affords social, economic and political power, may change, but these public showings of familial power and history do not.
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