BAROLET, CLAUDE, merchant, writer in the Marine, royal notary; b. c. 1690 in France, son of Pierre Barolet and Marie Dauteuil, from the parish of Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie, Paris; d. 25 Jan. 1761 at Charlesbourg, near Quebec.

Claude Barolet arrived in New France around 1708 and settled in Quebec as a merchant. By 1710 he had developed an interest in legal affairs and became a clerk in the office of the notary Louis Chambalon*. Chambalon promised to supply his young clerk with “food and drink, a hearth and shelter,” and an annual salary of 120 livres; Barolet for his part agreed to serve the notary faithfully. We do not know how long he stayed in the service of Chambalon, who died in June 1716. On 3 November of that year Barolet married Françoise Dumontier in Quebec. The Barolets moved into a house in Rue de Meulles, and the young bride was thus her mother’s neighbour.

Barolet continued to be occupied in business, without, however, ceasing his legal activities. He practised as an attorney. On 28 June 1728 he obtained from Intendant Dupuy* a commission as royal notary to practise in Quebec, and 8 June 1731 Intendant Hocquart* extended Barolet’s jurisdiction to the entire government of Quebec. Barolet, now living in Rue Saint-Pierre, was a busy notary during the 30 years or so of his practice. The colonial authorities had nothing but praise for him and commended particularly his work as writer in the Marine, an office he held for an undetermined period. Governor Charles de Beauharnois and Intendant Hocquart mentioned to the minister in 1740 that Barolet “writes well,” and was hard-working. In his registry for the years 1743–47 are to be found most of the contracts for the granting of lands in Beauce.

After the capitulation of Montreal Barolet became on 29 Dec. 1760 the first notary to obtain from Governor James Murray* a commission in the government of Quebec. Unfortunately he made use of it for only a month; he died on 25 Jan. 1761.

Ten children were born of his marriage, including two daughters, Marie-Louise and Marie-Françoise. The first married the notary Jean-Claude Panet*, and the second Jean-Antoine Bedout. Claude Barolet lived to see a son born of this marriage, who became the famous rear-admiral Jacques Bedout*.

Michel Paquin