René-Édouard Caron was a politician and lawyer born in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Lower Canada, in 1800. After attending the college of Saint-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud and the Petit Séminaire de Quebec, he studied law with the firm of André-Rémi Hamel. Caron was called to the bar in January 1826 and went on to be Lawyer of the City of Quebec in 1850, and appointed to superior court in 1853. Caron was also very active in politics. He was first elected a city councillor for the Quebec City Palais district. He served as the second mayor of Quebec between 1834 and 1836, and again between 1840 and 1846. Caron went on to hold the offices of Member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada (1841 - 1857) and Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (1873-1876). Caron married Marie-Vénérande-Joséphine de Blois on 16 September 1828. Together, they had a number of children, some of whom were prominent in Quebec and Canadian society, including Sir Adolphe-Philippe, Marie-Elmire Corinne, and Marie-Joséphine.