 He was the Speaker of the House of Commons in Lower Canada who saw to it that the French language was recognised as equal to English in the Quebec Parliament, where a painting of him giving the speech still hangs above the Speaker's chair.Born in the Quebec City in 1748, he was the son of Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, 1st Marquis de Lotbinière, and his wife Louise-Madeleine (1726–1809), daughter of Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry (1682–1756), engineer-in-chief of New France.He was one of a distinguished group of first cousins that included The Hon.