Kent County Biographies

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LEGRIS, Marie Joseph Ernest, physician and surgeon, was born in Louiseville, Province of Quebec, Canada, May S, 1857, the son of Antoine L. and Marie L. (Beland) Legris. He is of French descent.  His grandfather Legris was born in France and emigrated to Canada about 1770. His son Antoine L. was the father of eleven children, one a priest in Webster, Mass., one a lawyer, now deceased, one a member of the Federal Parliament of Canada, and two doctors. Dr. Legris received his early education in the elementary schools, and took a complete classical course of eight years at the Nicolet College on the St. Lawrence, Canada.   He received his medical training for four years at the Victoria College, Montreal, graduating in March 1879. He first located in Natick, R. I., and after sixteen months’ residence there removed to Arctic, where he has since remained, enjoying a large practice in the town and neighborhood.   He is a member of the Rhode Island Medical Society.   He has been the medical examiner of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York since the death of Dr. Job Kenyon, which took place in 1887.   He was the first French Canadian elected to the Town Council of Warwick, and held that position for four years, from 1889 to 1892.   He endorses the principles of the Republican Party, and has worked earnestly to induce his people to become naturalized.   Since he began that work by the formation of clubs, the number of naturalized French Canadians has increased from about twenty five to eight hundred.  He was charter member of the Society’ St. Jean-Baptiste, of Centreville, and its President for the first three years, and since, its Treasurer; is a member of Court Warwick, Foresters of America, and its physician since its organization in 1887, and is also a member of many other benevolent societies.  He is a Roman Catholic and a member of St. Jean-Baptiste Church in Centreville, of which he is a trustee. He is a Director in the Centreville National Bank. On October 27, 1881, he married Miss L. H. Leopoldine Des Rosiers, of Montreal; they have had seven children: Marie Blanche, Louis J. A-, Charles Ernest, Marie L. Fiorina (deceased), Jean Martial, M. L. Florette and Marie Edith Legris.[Source: Rhode Island Men in Progress - Submitted by Marie Miller]

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