This article is about a group in nineteenth century Canadian history. For the pact between the royal families of eighteenth century France and Spain, see Pacte de Famille. The Pacte de Famille (Family Compact in English Pacto de Familia in Spanish is one of three separate but similar alliances between the kings of France and Spain
The Family Compact was the informal name for the wealthy, Anglican, conservative elite of Upper Canada in the early 19th century. The Province of Upper Canada (French Province du Haut-Canada) was a British colony located in what is now the southern portion of the Province of Ontario The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar It was one of a number of Tory-dominated Compact governments that ruled the colonies of British North America. In the political tradition of some English-speaking countries, the term Tory has referred to a variety of political parties and Creeds since it was Compact governments or compacts were the conservative colonial cliquesthat ruled colonies particularly in British North America prior to the granting of responsible British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary
The Family Compact developed after the War of 1812 and lasted (at least) until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies The Province of Lower Canada (French Province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The Clique du Château or Château Clique was a group of wealthy families in Lower Canada in the early 19th century The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s. Canadian Members of the Family Compact were described as adherents of "rabid Toryism" by Charles Dickens during his visit to North America. Some of the members were of dubious reputation, even in the eyes of their own circle.
The Family Compact controlled the government through the Executive Council, the advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, leaving the popularly elected Legislative Assembly with little real power. The Executive Council of Upper Canada had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly. A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was the elected Legislature for the province of Upper Canada and functioned as the province's Lower house. Members of the Family Compact ensured their conservative friends held the important positions in the colony through political patronage.
The Family Compact was centred in Toronto, then called York. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Its most important member was Bishop John Strachan; in fact, many of the other members were his former students, or people who were in some way related to him. John Strachan ( April 12, 1778 &ndash November 1, 1867) was an influential figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican The most prominent of Strachan's pupils was Sir John Beverley Robinson who was from 1829 the Chief Justice of Upper Canada for 34 years. John Beverley Robinson ( 21 February, 1821 &ndash 19 June, 1896) was elected mayor of Toronto in 1856 For the game see 1829 (board game. Year 1829 ( MDCCCXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display The Province of Upper Canada (French Province du Haut-Canada) was a British colony located in what is now the southern portion of the Province of Ontario The rest of the members were mostly descendants of United Empire Loyalists or recent upper-class British settlers. The name United Empire Loyalists is a honorific name which has been given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located With this Loyalist background and under the leadership of Strachan, they were strong royalists, and supported the Church of England over not only Catholicism but other Protestant churches. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. They especially interpreted the Constitutional Act of 1791, which gave land grants to build Protestant churches, to refer to Anglican churches alone. The Constitutional Act of 1791 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (1791 (31 Geo They were able to act on this interpretation through the creation of the Clergy Corporation which oversaw the management of the reserves. The Clergy Corporation, or the Clergy Reserve Corporation of Upper Canada existed to oversee manage and lease the Clergy reserves of Upper Canada. This was opposed by the large numbers of Presbyterian Scottish settlers, as well as smaller groups of Methodists. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations
The influence of the Family Compact was one of the chief concerns of all liberal-minded citizens of Upper Canada. The radical reformer William Lyon Mackenzie was, in particular, a most vocal advocate against the Family Compact. William Lyon Mackenzie ( March 12, 1795 &ndash August 28, 1861) was a Canadian Journalist, Politician, and Mackenzie's frustration with their control of the government was one of the catalysts for the failed Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. The Upper Canada Rebellion was along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838 Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Their hold on the government was reduced with the creation of the united Province of Canada and later the installation of the system of Responsible Government in Canada. The Province of Canada or the United Province of Canada was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867 Responsible government is a conception of a System of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster