Francois Parent (1774 - 1851)
I ended the last post on François Voyer (1774 - 1851) with the death of Madeleine Vandal on July 9, 1815. At that time François was a resident of L'Ancienne Lorette and as a 'cultivateur' or farmer, he had a farm in the seigneury of Gaudarville. In just over a year after the death of Madeleine Vandal, François married Judith Bertrand on July 30, 1816. They were married in Quebec City at the Notre-Dame-de-Quebec. In the marriage record François and Judith's residence was in Quebec City. In the document that I will discuss in a little while François' residence is stated as L'Ancienne Lorette. I cannot explain this discrepancy. At the time of their marriage Judith parents were deceased. Her father, Jean Bertrand was a 'journalier' or 'labourer'. and Judith's mother was Félicité Trépanier.
Judith Bertrand was born on September 27, 1779 in Neuville. Judith was 37 years old when she married François Voyer. Considering the time period, 37 was old for a woman to marry for the first time in Nouvelle France. It was clear that François was not looking for a young bride who would bear him more children. Judith would have been almost the same age as Madeleine Vandal when she died. Madeleine Vandal was born on June 23, 1779 and Judith Bertrand was born only three months later on September 27, 1779. It would not be out of line to say that Judith and Madeleine could have known each other, they were both born in the same town in the same year. They were peers. In 1779 there were only 50 families in Neuville. Even by the most generous estimates there would not have been more than 500 people living in Neuville at that time, so it would not have been unreasonable that Madeleine Vandal and Judith Bertrand knew each other. They might even have been classmates. At any rate, in 1816 Francois Voyer had 5 children under the age of 16, four boys and one one girl. It is obvious that he needed someone to look after his children, his home and him. Judith Bertrand was a prudent choice for his second wife.
There is an interesting theme that seems to keep recurring and that is the connection between the Voyer family and the town of Neuville. It is true that Neuville is not that far from L'Ancienne Lorette but that does not explain why Francois Voyer's (1774 - 1851) two wives were from Neuville, why his son François married a woman from Neuville, Marie Delphine Faucher Chateauvert, and lastly why François' daughter, Madeleine married Charles Faucher Chateauvert from Neuville and probably the brother of Marie Delphine. Hopefully at some point in the future after further research this connection will become clear.
During the period of Madeleine Vandal's death and his marriage to Judith Bertrand, François Voyer was very active. On February 16, 1816 François Voyer obtained letters of patent from the king, which means that he had been planning, thinking and requesting for land either before Madeleine passed away or just after she passed away because obtaining letters of patent for land was a lengthy process that was approved, if not by the king, then by his representative upper and Lower Canada. In 1816 the king of England (and British North America) was King George III and Sir John Sherbrooke was Governor General of British North America. It is not likely that king George signed letters of patent. More likely, Sir John Sherbrooke approved the letters and some administrator signed and distributed the letters. Having said that, it was probably a lengthy process between the time a request was made for land and the time when the letters of patent were actually obtained. François most likely started the process sometime around the middle of 1815 when Madeleine Vandal passed away.
As I said above, François obtained letters of patent on February 16, 1816 and on February 20, 1816 he published his title for the land for which had obtained letters of patent. In this document dating from October 1816, it is stated that François was a resident of L'Ancienne Lorette but from the period between 1805 and 1807 you start to see that Francois' children were born in Quebec City not L'Ancienne Lorette and his marriage to to Judith Bertrand in 1816 took place in Quebec City and not L'Ancienne Lorette or Neuville. So there was a discrepancy between where Francois lived and where he kept his official residence, they may not be the same.
In this document it states that Francois received about 20 arpents of land. An arpent was equal to 3,420 sq./m. which is approximately 1 acre. An arpent is a unit of measure equivalent to about 190 feet (58m). The arpent is based on the Roman Actus which was passed down through the Greeks and originated with the Egyptians. The arpent had been around for a while.
The land that Francois received was in the seigneury of St. Gabriel. St. Gabriel was adjacent to the seigneury of Gaudarville where Pierre Voyer (Francois' father) had a farm and Francois had his original farm.
In discovering several maps of the seigneury of St. Gabriel I found out that the seigneury was originally founded by Robert Giffard de Moncul on April 11, 1647 about eighteen miles west of Quebec City. This is the same Robert Giffard who was also the seigneur of Beauport which was the home of my Parent ancestors. Robert Giffard did not take possession of St. Gabriel. He was probably more focused on Beauport which he had founded before St. Gabriel. Giffard gave a quarter of the seigneury to the nuns hospitallers of Quebec (which later became Saint Ignace) as a dowry for his daughter Marie Francoise Giffard dite Marie de Saint - Ignace, who was the first Canadian nun. The remainder of the land went to the Jesuits which was added to the Seigneury of Sillery.
After the Jesuits died out the land was passed to the crown. In 1815, John Neilson, Andre Stuart, Louis Moquin and Nicholas Vincent, obtained a large portion of the Saint Gabriel Seigneury which was to become Valcartier by the Jacques Cartier River. This is where Francois Voyer obtained his land.
Going back to the document of October 1816, the document gives very precise details as to where the land is located. In the south, his property bordered on the Chemin de Roy (Roi) au Bernard known as Chemin Cequi. To the north of his property it bordered on the property of Pierre Drolet. Francois property was 3,800 feet deep. Part of his land to the north bordered on the land of Meldire Desebenaux named Ange dit Aeguy. At the other end of the southern part of his property was the land of Joseph Boivin and part of his land bordered on the seigneury of Sillery. Part of the south west portion of Francois' land follows the St. Charles River towards the Chemin de Roi ending at the land of Monsieur DeVarennes and part by the land of Pierre Drolet.
On the land, there was a house, a barn, stables, and other out buildings. Francois acquired the land from Antoine Lanet who was the husband of Louise Bedelart. Part of the land was acquired from Madame Lanet who was representing Dame Marie Charlotte Lanet her widowed mother. marie Charlotte Guilmin the widow of Joseph Reverin. Dame Lanet had acquired the land from Joseph Reverin and Dame Charlotte Guilman. This piece of land had a very complicated Provenance.
In the document it is stated that Francois Voyer promises to pay his 'Dit Ans' and his descendants will honour their obligations to the king and the order of the Jesuits.
Charles Voyer was the notary who drew up this document but, at the time of this writing, I have not been able to establish his relationship to Francois Voyer.
At this point, I would like to say a few things about the seigneury system. Francois Voyer was the last Voyer in my family to live under the Seigneurial system so I feel that it merits explanation.
The seigneurial system in New France was established in 1627 as an institutional form of land distribution. It last until 1854 when it was abolished. In New France, 80% of the population lived within the seigneurial system in the rural areas that were controlled by seigneurs. Essentially, it was a grant system where a family would receive a grant for a portion of land under a royalty system.
It was a feudal system, basically the same system that was used in France. The censitaires or tenants personally depended on the seigneur. The difference between a feudal system and the seigneurial system was how the land was occupied and the payment that there was payment for the land. In New France, the tenants were referred to as habitants.
The 'Companie des Cents - Associes' were granted ownership of the land in New France as well as seigneurial rights over all of New France, from the Arctic to Florida, [of course the king did not recognize that the land already belonged to the aboriginal people who were inhabiting the area call New France].
The land was granted as fiefs and seigneuries to the most prestigious and influential inhabitants of New France. In turn, these seigneurs, granted individual tenancies to habitants. Francois Voyer would have been one of those tenants.
The seigneurial system was not arbitrary, it was regulated by a series of strict laws that were designed to promote the systematic settlement of New France between Quebec City and Montreal. Each seigneury was approximately 1X3 leagues (5X15 kilometers) which were then divided into river lots or rangs. Every habitant insisted on having property with at least some water front. The water was the main mode of transportation in New France. This system was based on the French feudal system of Normandy especially the 'rangs' design that fit the geography of New France and had the added benefit of creating a sense of community and cooperation between habitants. It also provided important access the river. Individual plots of land were typically 3X30 arpents which was enough to provide a living for a habitant family in New France.
The relationship between the seigneur and the habitant was set by the state. The main task that was set for the seigneur was to improve the land of the seigneury which means that had to put the land to use. Either the seigneur would develop the land or they would task the inhabitants who were granted the land to make improvements. Improving the land could be farming, erecting buildings. The land that the seigneur leased was notarized through a contract which stated the rights and obligation on either side. This is the contract that I refer to above for Francois Voyer in 1816.
The seigneur had rights and obligations that were established by law. They had to build and operate a mill for the habitants and charge only a nominal fee for the use of the mill, usually a small portion of the milled grain. They also had to organize a commune for the benefit of the habitants. The seigneur received what was called, 'le cens', a small tithe from the habitants, a carry over from the feudal system. A reminder of the habitants subjugation, in theory, to the seigneur. There was also , the rente, which was a payment in cash or kind for the use of the land that was granted to the habitant. The banalites were taxes levied on the grain that the habitant paid for using the mill which they were required to used. In addition to granting land to the habitants, the seigneur also had the right to grant hunting, fishing, and woodcutting licences.
In the 18th century seigneurs began to insist that habitants work a number of days per year called a corvee although this was not legal. This illegal burden put on the habitant was eventually stopped by the intendants who were above the seigneurs.
The habitants had other requirements, as if they did not have enough already. The habitants were required to donate some of their time to the militia. When there was not a work to fight, they worked on building roads, bridges, fortifications and other projects. This type of labour was legal. This 'volunteer' work was roundly resented by the habitants, it often interfered with sowing and harvesting their crops. By the 19th century this voluntary work had evolved into voluntary work for the benefit of the community, i.e. church building, barn raising, etc. which was looked upon more favourably because it was perceived as benefiting the entire community.
In many ways, the seigneurial system can be perceived as playing a leading role in the development and support of social relations in New France. Some historians say that 'it represents' the essence of the social hierarchy and inequality that characterized pre-revolutionary France. The seigneurs were a privileged class whether or not they were born noble or common. Their relationship to the habitants was coloured by their perception of the cens. That is not to say that seigneurs mistreated or oppressed their tenants, although this was known to happen.Seigneurs had to be mindful of how they treated their habitants. There was so much land available for development in the 17th and 18th centuries that the habitants could simply move to another seigneury if they did not like the current seigneur. There were seigneurs who made unreasonable demands on their habitants. There were absentee landowners who did not develop their land. These types of seigneurs did not attract many tenants.
During the entire regime of New France there were 220 seigneuries granted. This was an area in New France of 36, 500 square kilometers. This covered an area on both banks of the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City, from Chaudiere and Richelieu Valleys to the Gaspe Peninsula. Seigneuries were granted to nobility, religious orders (with the understanding that they provide education and hospitals for the community), military officers, civil administrators, civil administrators. Parishes, municipalities, and the militia held land that bordered seigneuries.
This was the system in which Francois Voyer acquired his land in Saint Gabriel seigneury in 1816.
The last part of this post on Francois Voyer is based on the census of Canada.
In the 1825 census of lower Canada Francois Voyer is identified as male, over 40 years of age but less than 60. The census also identifies a female who was over 45 and married, that would have been Judith Bertrand. The census record did not state Francois' profession or where they lived.
In the 1831 census of lower Canada Francois Voyer is living on rue Richelieu in Quebec City. Rue Richelieu is located in an area of Quebec City which is now called Saint Jean Baptiste. It is in the lower part of the city. Francois is listed as the 'proprietiere de bien fonds' or 'owner of the property'. This is also the first time that Francois' metier or profession is listed as 'Chartier'. The census record indicates that there were two people living at the address on rue Richelieu, Francois and Judith Bertrand. The census indicates that Francois was 60 years old but in 1831 he would have only been 57 years old. It only goes to show that records are not always that accurate. That is why you have to cross check your information. never rely on just one source of information. Judith was 52 years old in 1831. Both Francois and Judith were documented as being Roman Catholic.
In the 1842 census of lower Canada, Francois' occupation was still 'Charretier'. This is the more correct spelling compared to the spelling used in the 1831 census of lower Canada. Francois and Judith were still living on rue Richelieu in 1842.
Francois Voyer passed away on September 15, 1851 at the age of 77. He interred at Notre-Dame-de-Quebec in Quebec City. Judith survived Francois for another 19 years. Judith died on August 11, 1870 at the age of 90. She was a month short of her 91st birthday. Judith's death record is interesting in what it reveals so I will finish with that. I will give the French text followed by the English translation.
"Le onze Aout mil huit cent soixante dix, nous pretre sous signe avons inhume dans le cimetiere de cette paroisse le corps de Judith Bertrand, veuve de Francois Voyer, Chartier de la Pointe aux Trembles, morte avant hier age de quatre vingt dix ans. Present, Francois Marcoux et Andre Fitzbach, n'ont su signer.
F.B. Grenier, ptre."
The eleventh of August, eighteen seventy, we the undersigned priest have buried in the cemetery of this parish the body of Judith Bertrand, the widow of Francois Voyer, Carter of Pointe aux Trembles, died the day before yesterday [9Aug1870] at the age of ninety. Present, Francois Marcoux and Andre Fitzbach. They did not sign [the death record].
[signed] F.B. Grenier, priest.
What is interesting is that Francois is identified as a Carter as he was in the census records. What is also interesting is that it was stated he was a carter of Pointe aux Trembles which was Neuville. As far as I know Francois never lived in Neuville. Did he have his carter business in Neuville? His son Francois had his wheelwright business in Neuville for a while so this may have been the case.
The term 'Chartier' translates as 'Carter' in English which means someone who drives a cart. I believe in the case of Francois Voyer that this definition is too narrow. There is a more complete definition or translation of 'Charretier' that includes the idea of someone who makes and maintains carts and other horse drawn vehicles. In other words, a 'Carter' is more or less a wheelwright. This broader definition/translation of 'Charretier' makes more since because Francois Voyer (fils), Francois Voyer's son became a wheelwright and one of his sons was a wheelwright in Lewiston, Maine, which is another story.
As I said above, François obtained letters of patent on February 16, 1816 and on February 20, 1816 he published his title for the land for which had obtained letters of patent. In this document dating from October 1816, it is stated that François was a resident of L'Ancienne Lorette but from the period between 1805 and 1807 you start to see that Francois' children were born in Quebec City not L'Ancienne Lorette and his marriage to to Judith Bertrand in 1816 took place in Quebec City and not L'Ancienne Lorette or Neuville. So there was a discrepancy between where Francois lived and where he kept his official residence, they may not be the same.
In this document it states that Francois received about 20 arpents of land. An arpent was equal to 3,420 sq./m. which is approximately 1 acre. An arpent is a unit of measure equivalent to about 190 feet (58m). The arpent is based on the Roman Actus which was passed down through the Greeks and originated with the Egyptians. The arpent had been around for a while.
The land that Francois received was in the seigneury of St. Gabriel. St. Gabriel was adjacent to the seigneury of Gaudarville where Pierre Voyer (Francois' father) had a farm and Francois had his original farm.
In discovering several maps of the seigneury of St. Gabriel I found out that the seigneury was originally founded by Robert Giffard de Moncul on April 11, 1647 about eighteen miles west of Quebec City. This is the same Robert Giffard who was also the seigneur of Beauport which was the home of my Parent ancestors. Robert Giffard did not take possession of St. Gabriel. He was probably more focused on Beauport which he had founded before St. Gabriel. Giffard gave a quarter of the seigneury to the nuns hospitallers of Quebec (which later became Saint Ignace) as a dowry for his daughter Marie Francoise Giffard dite Marie de Saint - Ignace, who was the first Canadian nun. The remainder of the land went to the Jesuits which was added to the Seigneury of Sillery.
After the Jesuits died out the land was passed to the crown. In 1815, John Neilson, Andre Stuart, Louis Moquin and Nicholas Vincent, obtained a large portion of the Saint Gabriel Seigneury which was to become Valcartier by the Jacques Cartier River. This is where Francois Voyer obtained his land.
Going back to the document of October 1816, the document gives very precise details as to where the land is located. In the south, his property bordered on the Chemin de Roy (Roi) au Bernard known as Chemin Cequi. To the north of his property it bordered on the property of Pierre Drolet. Francois property was 3,800 feet deep. Part of his land to the north bordered on the land of Meldire Desebenaux named Ange dit Aeguy. At the other end of the southern part of his property was the land of Joseph Boivin and part of his land bordered on the seigneury of Sillery. Part of the south west portion of Francois' land follows the St. Charles River towards the Chemin de Roi ending at the land of Monsieur DeVarennes and part by the land of Pierre Drolet.
On the land, there was a house, a barn, stables, and other out buildings. Francois acquired the land from Antoine Lanet who was the husband of Louise Bedelart. Part of the land was acquired from Madame Lanet who was representing Dame Marie Charlotte Lanet her widowed mother. marie Charlotte Guilmin the widow of Joseph Reverin. Dame Lanet had acquired the land from Joseph Reverin and Dame Charlotte Guilman. This piece of land had a very complicated Provenance.
In the document it is stated that Francois Voyer promises to pay his 'Dit Ans' and his descendants will honour their obligations to the king and the order of the Jesuits.
Charles Voyer was the notary who drew up this document but, at the time of this writing, I have not been able to establish his relationship to Francois Voyer.
At this point, I would like to say a few things about the seigneury system. Francois Voyer was the last Voyer in my family to live under the Seigneurial system so I feel that it merits explanation.
The seigneurial system in New France was established in 1627 as an institutional form of land distribution. It last until 1854 when it was abolished. In New France, 80% of the population lived within the seigneurial system in the rural areas that were controlled by seigneurs. Essentially, it was a grant system where a family would receive a grant for a portion of land under a royalty system.
It was a feudal system, basically the same system that was used in France. The censitaires or tenants personally depended on the seigneur. The difference between a feudal system and the seigneurial system was how the land was occupied and the payment that there was payment for the land. In New France, the tenants were referred to as habitants.
The 'Companie des Cents - Associes' were granted ownership of the land in New France as well as seigneurial rights over all of New France, from the Arctic to Florida, [of course the king did not recognize that the land already belonged to the aboriginal people who were inhabiting the area call New France].
The land was granted as fiefs and seigneuries to the most prestigious and influential inhabitants of New France. In turn, these seigneurs, granted individual tenancies to habitants. Francois Voyer would have been one of those tenants.
The seigneurial system was not arbitrary, it was regulated by a series of strict laws that were designed to promote the systematic settlement of New France between Quebec City and Montreal. Each seigneury was approximately 1X3 leagues (5X15 kilometers) which were then divided into river lots or rangs. Every habitant insisted on having property with at least some water front. The water was the main mode of transportation in New France. This system was based on the French feudal system of Normandy especially the 'rangs' design that fit the geography of New France and had the added benefit of creating a sense of community and cooperation between habitants. It also provided important access the river. Individual plots of land were typically 3X30 arpents which was enough to provide a living for a habitant family in New France.
The relationship between the seigneur and the habitant was set by the state. The main task that was set for the seigneur was to improve the land of the seigneury which means that had to put the land to use. Either the seigneur would develop the land or they would task the inhabitants who were granted the land to make improvements. Improving the land could be farming, erecting buildings. The land that the seigneur leased was notarized through a contract which stated the rights and obligation on either side. This is the contract that I refer to above for Francois Voyer in 1816.
The seigneur had rights and obligations that were established by law. They had to build and operate a mill for the habitants and charge only a nominal fee for the use of the mill, usually a small portion of the milled grain. They also had to organize a commune for the benefit of the habitants. The seigneur received what was called, 'le cens', a small tithe from the habitants, a carry over from the feudal system. A reminder of the habitants subjugation, in theory, to the seigneur. There was also , the rente, which was a payment in cash or kind for the use of the land that was granted to the habitant. The banalites were taxes levied on the grain that the habitant paid for using the mill which they were required to used. In addition to granting land to the habitants, the seigneur also had the right to grant hunting, fishing, and woodcutting licences.
In the 18th century seigneurs began to insist that habitants work a number of days per year called a corvee although this was not legal. This illegal burden put on the habitant was eventually stopped by the intendants who were above the seigneurs.
The habitants had other requirements, as if they did not have enough already. The habitants were required to donate some of their time to the militia. When there was not a work to fight, they worked on building roads, bridges, fortifications and other projects. This type of labour was legal. This 'volunteer' work was roundly resented by the habitants, it often interfered with sowing and harvesting their crops. By the 19th century this voluntary work had evolved into voluntary work for the benefit of the community, i.e. church building, barn raising, etc. which was looked upon more favourably because it was perceived as benefiting the entire community.
In many ways, the seigneurial system can be perceived as playing a leading role in the development and support of social relations in New France. Some historians say that 'it represents' the essence of the social hierarchy and inequality that characterized pre-revolutionary France. The seigneurs were a privileged class whether or not they were born noble or common. Their relationship to the habitants was coloured by their perception of the cens. That is not to say that seigneurs mistreated or oppressed their tenants, although this was known to happen.Seigneurs had to be mindful of how they treated their habitants. There was so much land available for development in the 17th and 18th centuries that the habitants could simply move to another seigneury if they did not like the current seigneur. There were seigneurs who made unreasonable demands on their habitants. There were absentee landowners who did not develop their land. These types of seigneurs did not attract many tenants.
During the entire regime of New France there were 220 seigneuries granted. This was an area in New France of 36, 500 square kilometers. This covered an area on both banks of the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City, from Chaudiere and Richelieu Valleys to the Gaspe Peninsula. Seigneuries were granted to nobility, religious orders (with the understanding that they provide education and hospitals for the community), military officers, civil administrators, civil administrators. Parishes, municipalities, and the militia held land that bordered seigneuries.
This was the system in which Francois Voyer acquired his land in Saint Gabriel seigneury in 1816.
The last part of this post on Francois Voyer is based on the census of Canada.
In the 1825 census of lower Canada Francois Voyer is identified as male, over 40 years of age but less than 60. The census also identifies a female who was over 45 and married, that would have been Judith Bertrand. The census record did not state Francois' profession or where they lived.
In the 1831 census of lower Canada Francois Voyer is living on rue Richelieu in Quebec City. Rue Richelieu is located in an area of Quebec City which is now called Saint Jean Baptiste. It is in the lower part of the city. Francois is listed as the 'proprietiere de bien fonds' or 'owner of the property'. This is also the first time that Francois' metier or profession is listed as 'Chartier'. The census record indicates that there were two people living at the address on rue Richelieu, Francois and Judith Bertrand. The census indicates that Francois was 60 years old but in 1831 he would have only been 57 years old. It only goes to show that records are not always that accurate. That is why you have to cross check your information. never rely on just one source of information. Judith was 52 years old in 1831. Both Francois and Judith were documented as being Roman Catholic.
In the 1842 census of lower Canada, Francois' occupation was still 'Charretier'. This is the more correct spelling compared to the spelling used in the 1831 census of lower Canada. Francois and Judith were still living on rue Richelieu in 1842.
Francois Voyer passed away on September 15, 1851 at the age of 77. He interred at Notre-Dame-de-Quebec in Quebec City. Judith survived Francois for another 19 years. Judith died on August 11, 1870 at the age of 90. She was a month short of her 91st birthday. Judith's death record is interesting in what it reveals so I will finish with that. I will give the French text followed by the English translation.
"Le onze Aout mil huit cent soixante dix, nous pretre sous signe avons inhume dans le cimetiere de cette paroisse le corps de Judith Bertrand, veuve de Francois Voyer, Chartier de la Pointe aux Trembles, morte avant hier age de quatre vingt dix ans. Present, Francois Marcoux et Andre Fitzbach, n'ont su signer.
F.B. Grenier, ptre."
The eleventh of August, eighteen seventy, we the undersigned priest have buried in the cemetery of this parish the body of Judith Bertrand, the widow of Francois Voyer, Carter of Pointe aux Trembles, died the day before yesterday [9Aug1870] at the age of ninety. Present, Francois Marcoux and Andre Fitzbach. They did not sign [the death record].
[signed] F.B. Grenier, priest.
What is interesting is that Francois is identified as a Carter as he was in the census records. What is also interesting is that it was stated he was a carter of Pointe aux Trembles which was Neuville. As far as I know Francois never lived in Neuville. Did he have his carter business in Neuville? His son Francois had his wheelwright business in Neuville for a while so this may have been the case.
The term 'Chartier' translates as 'Carter' in English which means someone who drives a cart. I believe in the case of Francois Voyer that this definition is too narrow. There is a more complete definition or translation of 'Charretier' that includes the idea of someone who makes and maintains carts and other horse drawn vehicles. In other words, a 'Carter' is more or less a wheelwright. This broader definition/translation of 'Charretier' makes more since because Francois Voyer (fils), Francois Voyer's son became a wheelwright and one of his sons was a wheelwright in Lewiston, Maine, which is another story.
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