François Baby (businessman)

For other people named François Baby, see François Baby (disambiguation).

François Baby (4 October 1733 – 6 October 1820) was a fur trader and political figure in New France, early Quebec, and Lower Canada.

Baby was born in Montreal to a family of fur traders. His father, and grandfather Jacques Babie, had been successful in the business and his eldest brother Jacques and other family members were active in the same business. After his formal education at the Jesuit college at Quebec, he joined his brothers Jacques and Antoine in a fur business they called Baby Frères. His two brothers conducted the field operations while François ran the Montreal operation; importing trade goods and exporting furs and dealing with their contacts in France.

Baby was appointed to the Legislative Council for the Province of Quebec in 1778 by Governor Haldimand who also made him part of his unconstitutional privy council around that time. (This appointment placed him on the Legislative Council of Lower Canada when it was formed in 1792.) His joining of the governing class lessened the time he spent on commercial activities.

In 1786, he married Marie-Anne Tarieu, the daughter of seigneur Charles-François Tarieu de La Naudière.

He suffered from ill health later in life and became less active in politics. Baby died at Quebec City in 1820.

His son Charles-François-Xavier later served as a member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada. His daughter Monique-Ursule married Thomas Ainslie Young, a member of the legislative assembly.