Frédéric-Auguste Quesnel, QC (French pronunciation: [fʁedeʁik oɡyst kɛnɛl]; February 4, 1785 – July 28, 1866), was a lawyer, businessman and politician in Lower Canada (now Quebec).

Condemned by the Patriotes as a vendu ("sell-out") in the Lower Canada Rebellion, in 1860 he was elected President of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of Montreal.

[1][2] After his studies at the Collège Saint-Raphaël, Quesnel articled in the law offices of Stephen Sewell, and could speak both French and English fluently.

In 1843, the Banque du Peuple was born through the French-Canadian nationist movement, to cater for French Canadians, and in 1848 Quesnel was made a director.

[1][2][4] Quesnel also continued his legal career, including acting for the Sulpician order in obtaining confirmation of some of its seigneurial properties.

From 1820 to 1834, Quesnel represented Kent County (re-named Chambly in 1829), in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, gaining a reputation as an elegant speaker.

In his early years in the Assembly, he was a member of the Parti canadien, which agitated for greater self-government in Lower Canada and a reduction in the powers of the governors, who were appointed by the British government.

He also spoke at the farewell dinner for Papineau and John Neilson, before they left for Britain on a successful mission to oppose the union.

After several stands against Papineau and his supporters, the final break for Quesnel came over the Ninety-Two Resolutions, which the Legislative Assembly adopted in 1834, calling for significant constitutional changes in the government of Lower Canada.

He supported Neilson's attempt to introduce more moderate resolutions, but both men were condemned at a public meeting at Saint-Athanase-d’Iberville.

[2][5][6] As the political situation in Lower Canada worsened by 1837, Quesnel, Clément-Charles Sabrevois de Bleury, and George Moffatt arranged a public meeting at Montreal in support of the government.

As head of the delegation, Quesnel presented a petition to the Governor, with 6,370 signatures, opposing the union of Upper and Lower Canada.

The general respect in which he was held is shown that he had originally been offered the seat by Draper, then the Tory premier, but was actually appointed on the advice of the Reformers, Lafontaine and Baldwin, after a change in government.

The passage of the bill and grant of royal assent by the Governor General was the clear mark that responsible government had been achieved, although at the cost of the Montreal riot and burning of the Parliament Building.

He also opposed annexation by the United States, which was proposed by some in the Montreal business community when Britain ended imperial tariff protection.

She was the only daughter and heiress of Captain Joachim Denaut, a wealthy fur trader who lived at Granville, by his wife Marguerite Chabert.