Guillaume Bresse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guillaume Bresse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Legislative Council of Quebec for des Laurentides | |
| In office 1887–1892 | |
| Preceded by | Jean-Élie Gingras |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Chapais |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 2, 1833 |
| Died | January 30, 1892 (aged 58) |
| Party | Quebec Liberal Party |
Guillaume Bresse (February 2, 1833 – January 30, 1892) was a Canadian shoe manufacturer and politician.
Guillaume Bresse was born on February 2, 1833, at Saint-Mathias, Lower Canada to father Charles Bresse, a farmer, and mother Marie Rocheleau. The Bresse family constituted the two parents, Guillaume, two brothers, and three sisters. Guillaume attended primary school in the parish of St. Athanasius before leaving to work as a factory worker in Montreal. It is believed that Bresse learned of the shoemaking trade whilst living in Massachusetts after emigrating there with large numbers of other Canadians. In 1863, Bresse had lived in Quebec City for three years and started a shoe repair shop, Côté and Bresse, with two workmates from Massachusetts. In 1866, the Côté-Bresse partnership split up, and Bresse set up his own business elsewhere in Quebec City. After moving twice more, he spent $11,304 on a brick and stone factory which was to house his mechanized shoe manufacturing operation. His $165,000 per year revenue aided him in riding out the economic depression of the 1870s, and by 1889 Bresse controlled between $300,000 and $400,000 worth of assets.[1][2]