Ti-Jean Gagnon
Québécois vagrant
About Ti-Jean Gagnon
Lived 1859 – 1947 (aged 88).
Ti-Jean Gagnon, born Charles-François Gagnon (1 June 1859 – 16 July 1947), was a Québécois quêteux and musician.
Biography Charles-François Gagnon was born on 1 June 1859 in Notre-Dame-de-Liesse, Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec to Jean Gagnon, a day labourer, and Marguerite Boucher. He grew up in Saint-Pâcome. His name is likely a deformation of "Le petit de Jean Gagnon" (Jean Gagnon's little one).
Ti-Jean Gagnon wandered between Rimouski and Lévis and busked with a musical saw, "mouth music" and a violin. He was also given food, clothing, and a place to sleep by charity.
Gagnon would apparently travel on trains for free, and was sometimes invited to the locomotive, where he was given the train conductor's hat and drove the train. He was likely mentally deficient. Ti-Jean Gagnon was easy-going, but would sometimes bicker with children and dogs.
A wood sculpture of Gagnon was made by Amédée Gaudreau.
A character from 's novel "Le fou" was based on Gagnon.
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Important facts
People in Ti-Jean Gagnon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ti-Jean Gagnon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ti-Jean Gagnon?
québécois vagrant
When was Ti-Jean Gagnon born?
Ti-Jean Gagnon was born on 1 June 1859.
When did Ti-Jean Gagnon die?
Ti-Jean Gagnon died on 16 July 1947.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ti-Jean Gagnon. https://biography.guide/ti-jean-gagnon/
MLA: "Ti-Jean Gagnon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ti-jean-gagnon/.
Chicago: "Ti-Jean Gagnon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ti-jean-gagnon/.
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