Tommy Byrne holds a copy of Premio-Real’s book of musical compositions at the book launch at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

A phone call out of the blue from a historian in Spain launched Tommy Byrne, the honorary Spanish consul in Quebec City, on a quest that culminated in a book about his predecessor from 140 years ago, whose remarkable story is all but forgotten.

Byrne hosted an elegant launch party for the book, Premio-Real Dans La Capitale, on Oct. 26 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Old Quebec. It would have been familiar terrain for the Spanish diplomat, who was a prominent figure in Quebec City society in the late 1800s.

A week later, Byrne flew to Spain to present his book to the Royal Society in Jerez de la Frontera, the home of the historian whose call ended up inspiring Byrne to write the book.

Byrne, the former historical curator at the cathedral, who has a background in international relations, began unearthing the amazing story of the Count Premio-Real, Jose Antonio de Lavalle, when he received an inquiry from the historian wanting to confirm the diplomat’s burial place.

Thanks to a helpful staffer at Notre-Dame-de-Belmont cemetery who found an 1888 obituary of the count in a local newspaper, Byrne’s interest was piqued. He decided to dig into the count’s story and write a book about it.

Five years and a six-month research sabbatical in Spain later, Byrne’s profoundly researched and richly documented 248-page book is now available in French, through legendary Quebec City historical publishers Septentrion.

What Byrne has assembled is not simply a biography of a captivating character, but a fascinating history and analysis of the role of consuls – both honorary and remunerated – dating back to the early days of Canada. As Byrne notes, since 1855, the Spanish representative in Quebec City has been “four times a vice-consul, three times a consul, following which, were civil servants either honorary, career (diplomat) [or] in between.”

Premio-Real, for his part, was a full-blown diplomat, responsible for Spanish relations with all British and French possessions in North America at the time, including Newfoundland and the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Byrne said the count was “kind of a bridge between the two communities [French and English] as a diplomat.”

Born into a noble but not “grand” family, the newly anointed count, having inherited the title from his deceased father, joined the Spanish diplomatic corps at age 17. Prior to his posting in Quebec in 1874, Premio-Real served stints in Wales, Malta, Philadelphia, Naples and Hong Kong.

However, Quebec is where he thrived as a man of letters, composer, architect, mathematician, naturalist and general social butterfly. As the book’s subtitle suggests, Premio-Real’s 14-year stint in the Quebec capital was a “sentimental journey.”

Byrne said perhaps the most surprising thing he learned about Premio-Real is that he was “one of the greatest patrons of the arts” in the city, supporting artists, writers and musicians and often giving them their first exposure.

The artists he supported were mostly French-Canadians, Byrne said, but also included English-speaking talents. He co-wrote a book with Annie Howells Frechette, the daughter of then-U.S. consul William C. Howells, called Popular Sayings from Old Iberia.

Byrne writes that Premio-Real was “in his element” in the intellectual and scientific circles in the city, including the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, in whose rare book collection one finds a copy of one of the count’s publications, dedicated to the Society.

The count was a close friend of governor generals Lord Dufferin and Lorne, as well as George Stewart Jr., the editor of the Morning Chronicle, a predecessor of the QCT.

Alas, mounting debts, failing health and being stripped of his post ultimately drove the count to suicide on Oct. 16, 1888. A report in the New York Times indelicately noted he blew “his brains out with a pistol.” The report said “the Count was a bon vivant and had a great deal of trouble in consequence.”

Upon Premio-Real’s passing, the book cover notes, “several of his contemporaries paid tribute to him by dedicating works to him, notably Louis Fréchette, Calixa Lavallée and Joseph Vézina.”

Byrne’s account of the life and times of this colourful character is brimming with fascinating detail and depicts a vibrant cultural and political society in Quebec’s post-Confederation history. The preface by Lt.-Gov. Michel Doyon provides some interesting diplomatic context.

The author said he did not set out to glorify the count, but simply to tell a compelling story that’s been lost to time. Premio-Real would surely be pleased.

Byrne said he feels a lot of satisfaction “at having started and finished an undertaking” that began as a New Year’s resolution.

Byrne, honorary consul since 2017, lived in Spain for several years working on a United Nations project, and met his “half-Russian, half-Spanish” wife, Veronica Biriucov González, in Madrid. The community of Spanish expats under his watch numbers about 800.

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Photo by Peter Black