This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1888. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... MOST REV. FRANCIS NORBERT BLANCHET, D. D., First Bishop and First Archbishop of Oregon. Francis Norbert Blanchet was born in the parish of St. Pierre, Riviere de Sud, Province of Quebec, Canada, on September 3d, 1795. His family were for several generations of the respectable class of farmers in Canada. He was the sixth child of Pierre and Rosalie Blanchet, and was great-grandson of Pierre Blanchet, originally of Picardy in France, who married Mary Fournier, a native of Canada, on February 17th, 1670. On his father's side he was related to many of the most distinguished men of Canada, legislators and professional men of distinction. His mother was descended from Louis H6bert, an apothecary of Paris, who came with Champlain to America. Her family was allied to all the most illustrious families of Canada, to Joliette, de Ramesay, d'Eschambault, Archbishop Tache, Cardinal Tachereau, and others. There was something of nature's nobility in his very blood, for grandeur of character and deeds of heroism seemed an inheritance in the family. In 1807, his twelfth year, with a religious character moulded at home, he was sent to his own parish school and continued his studies there for three years, and until he had made his first Communion. Here he had studied the rudiments of Latin. He espoused for his calling the holy ministry, for which he showed a strong vocation from his earliest years of discretion, and in 1810, was sent to the Little Seminary of the Sulpitians, at Quebec, where he continued his studies in the ancient languages and completed his rhetoric in 1814, and his philosophical course in 1816. He was thence transferred to the Great Seminary, and commenced the study of theology. His application was remarkable, and he achieved such great success, that for two yea...