Notary Léon Lalanne:
Unumbered
January 1804
Roads in St. Armand
In 1804 the Land Proprietors in St. Armand were asked which of two
roads they preferred to be the legal road across the Ranges. The vote
taken was recorded and is useful as an early census of land owners in
the town.
Marginal notes in the following transcription are indicated as:
[MN: Marginal note]. Words indicated by 'ditto' marks in the
original have been reproduced in full to avoid ambiguity. Page breaks
have been removed. Some pages bore continuation titles of "South Road"
or "North Road" that have been removed when the paragraph broke across
such pages. This transcription attempted to follow the original
spelling. Unfortunately, because I forgot to disable spelling correction
before typing this document, some of the original spelling and
capitalization has been 'corrected' to its modern form.
After page nine, Leon placed a note "See second page from here". At
this point he had got two town meetings taking place on two separate
days and in each meeting he was collecting two lists of names, one for the
South Road and one for the North Road. He had apparently decided to make
the commentary and lists for the North Road on even numbered sheets and
the commentary and lists for the South Road on odd numbered sheets.
While this is perhaps easier to follow when presented on facing pages in
a ledger it is totally unsuitable for presentation in a document such as
this. I have sequenced the pages as follows. Pages one through eight
with a line from page ten that concludes the last paragraph on page
eight are the preamble to the meetings. Then even numbered pages ten
through eighteen list those in favor of the North Road, first from the
meeting in St. Armand West and concluding with the meeting in
Frelighsburgh. Then follow pages nine, eleven and the first half of page
thirteen that detail the arguments for the South Road continuing with
odd numbered pages thirteen through nineteen that list those in favor of
the South Road, first from the meeting in St. Armand West and concluding
with the meeting in Frelighsburgh. After page nineteen the sequence of
pages continues normally with page twenty concluding the meetings and
post meeting submissions. (Pages twentyone, twentytwo and subsequent
deal with the surveying work related to these roads and have not been
transcribed.)
Whereas in pursuance of written directions unto me Leon Lalanne,
Inspector of Roads & in the Seigniory of St. Armand, given by Paul
Lacroix, Esquire, Deputy Grand Voyer of and for the District of
Montreal, contained in his letter dated the 19th day of January now last
past, I have by certain Parestisements bearing date the 13th day Inst.
and by me Subscribed and Put up at Several places of eisart in the Said
Seignory, notified and requested all persons proprietors of Land therein
to afsemble and meet me at the following places that is to say, those
living or owning Lands from Mifsiskuoie Bay to the western boundary of
the Said Seigniory so far East as that Range of lots in which Mefsrs.
Wightman, Toof, Titeman and others live inclusively to afsemble on
Monday the 27th Inst. at 9 of the Clock in the morning at Mr. Joseph
Powell's Inn, and those living or owning Lands East of the said Range of
Lots so far as the East end of the Said Seigniory to afsemble on the
following day at 9 of the Clock in the morning at Mefsrs. Ebenezer &
Artemas White's Inn in Frelighsburgh then & there to declare which of
the two roads communicating from Range to Range, from the Bridge on Rock
River to Lot Number 57 the Property of John Ferguson, Esq. both leading
to Mifsiskouie Bay and Frelighsburgh aforesaid and which the Said Depy.
Grand Voyer made an official visit of on the 4 & 5th days of October now
last past and for the one of which to wit, the southern most one he has
made and ifsued his ~ious Verbal bearing date the days and month last
aforesaid they and such of them the said proprietors would prefer and
conceive to be most advantageous to them and the Public. Therefore I the
said Leon Lalanne, on the twenty seventh day of February Instant did
repair to the Said Joseph Powell's Inn and meet the Inhabitants &
Proprietors of that part of the Said Seigniory first above described
then and there agreeable to the directions and Instructions contained in
the Said Depy. Grd Voyer's Letter aforesaid and in the presence of
Nathan Sax Esqr. and Daniel Sullivan, Gentleman, the former residing at
Highgate the latter at St. Johns.
Witnefses by me purposely called provided firstly to acquaint the
Said proprietors that the Said Grand Voyer's intention if to grant and
legalize only one road to communicate as aforesaid from Range to Range
from the Bay to Frelighsburgh aforesaid, and therefore
[MN1: ~~age the be~~ himself of the ~~~ and Depy. Grd Voyer ~~~ the Said
Inspector] proposed and offered for their choice the two Roads
herein befor described. Secondly I loudly read the Previous Verbal so as
aforesaid by the Said Grd Voyer made & ifsued for the Southern most
Raod. Thirdly also read the Report which was unto me made on Saturday
the 25th Inst. by Mefsrs. George Cook and John Jones of the Visit and
admeasurment they had on the 20th & 25th of Inst. made of both the
aforesaid Roads and of the Bridges and causeways thereon with the
Afsistance of Abraham Quackenbofs, Peter McCutcheon, Clark Rogers and
Adam Sager, persons with the Said George Cook and John Jones chosen
[MN2: for that purpose] by some of the Principal
Inhabitants of the Said Seigniory that is to say the Said George Cook,
Abraham Quackenbofs and Clark Rogers chosen and appointed by the
Inhabitants requiring the South Road aforesaid and the Said John Jones.
Peter McCutcheon and Adam Sager chosen by those requiring the North Road
as they the Said George Cook, John Jones, Peter McCutcheon and Adam
Sager.
~~~ made and signed the said Report
declared unto me the Said Clark Rogers and Abraham Quackenbofs
having upon ~~~~ of Said report refused to Subscribe their names thereto
for the reasons contained in the declaration which each of them under
oath made and which declarations they requested in the Said Inspector
~~~ to the aforesaid report. fourthly [MN3: observed]
for them that Such Causeways as are not of the breadth of twenty feet
French measure will not serve, the Law requiring that they be in breadth
alike the Road whereof they make a part. fifthly whereas the Said Depy
Grd Voyer had directed me the Said Inspector to make out and Act, in the
Capacity of Notary Public, whereby those desiring the South Road and
that the ~~~ Verbal thereof should stand in force should declare the
Same & Subscribe their names thereto, and another Act whereby thos
deiring the North Road to be established should declare the Same and
likewise Subscribe their names thereto I the Said Inspector, for Several
obvious reasons regarding the Said Depositions and the a~~~uation of the
businefs on which they were Afsembled asked them which ~~~ to them most
prosper and exp~~~ either to write their own names themselves or allow
me to write them for them, to which they unanimously replied that it was
best I should write them.
After which I the Said Leon Lalanne as a Public Notary duly
Admitted & Sworn for the Province of Lower Canada proceeded to write
immediately hereunder the declaration of those proprietors choosing and
requiring the North Road in manner as by them unto me dictated, together
with the reasons by them therefor alleged which reasons were
communicated to me in writing by John Jones for that purpose by them
d~~uted who signed the Same in the presence of us the Said Notary &
Witnefses and which remains hereunto annexed. And next on the following
Pages wrote the declaration of those choosing and requiring the South
Road in manner as by themsel~~ to me ~~~~ together with the reasons by
them therefor alledged which were Communicated to me in writing by
George Cook for that purpose by them deputed who signed the same in the
presence of us the Said Notary and Witnefses and which remains hereunto
annexed both which declarations and reasons ~~~ aforesaid alledged by
such party. I loudly said to them and their provided ~~~~ and write the
names of the Afs~~s under their respective declaration, at the Same time
subscribing the Tract or Tracts of Land whereof they are proprietors in
the Said Seigniory and exhibiting to each or ~~~ of the Lots on which
the aforesaid Raods pafs from & Mifsiskouie Bay to Frelighsburgh
aforesaid the Said Roads being ~~~ thereon and the Causeways & Bridges
as being pointed out & marked in Red, and asking each one if he approved
of and gave faith to the report herein before mentioned made by the Said
George Cookm J. Jones, Peter McCutcheon & Adam Sager and distinguishing
such as answered in the negative by the letter N placed in the third
column of the Page wherein their names are entered and opposite thereto.
In faith and testimony of ~~~ which we the Said Leon Lalanne Nathan Sax
and Daniel Sullivan have hereunto ~~~ Subscribed and ~~~ this twenty
Seventh day of February in the Year of Our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and four.
Nathan Sax
D Sullivan
L Lalanne
On the twenty Seventh day of February in the Year of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and four, in pursuance of the directions unto me
Leon Lalanne a Public Notary, given by Paul Lacroix, Esquire, Deputy
Grand Voyer of and for the District of Montreal, and agreeably to the
Notice by me given to all persons proprietors of Land in the Seigniory
of St. Armand that is to say [MN4: those living or owning
Lands] from Mifsiskouie Bay so far as that Range or Lots on
which Mefsrs. Whightman, Toof, Titeman and others live inclusively to
afsemble at Mr. Jospeh Lowell's Inn this day at 9 of the clock in the
morning for the purposes in the aforesaid Notice mentioned. I the said
Leon Lalanne having [MN5: at the aforesaid hour] come
to the said Inn, then and there met a considerable number of the said
Proprietors and having acquainted them that the said Depy Grand Voyer's
Intention is to grant and Legalize only one Road communicating from
Mifsiskouie Bay to Frelighsburgh and having offered to them their choice
of the two roads which are made from the Bridge on Rock River, between
the Land of Mefsrs W. J. Holt and Jos. Powell and run from Range to
Range so far as Lot No. 57 the property of John Ferguson Esqr. whereon
they meet again, both leading to said Frelighsburgh, then those of the
Said Proprietors whose names are hereunder written, in the presence of
me the Said Notary and of
[North Road pages start here]
Witnefses by me purposely called voluntarily have declared that
[MN6: they are of opinion that] of the aforesaid two
Roads the North one will best accomodate the Inhabitants of the Said
Seigniory and the Public and that their reasons for so thinking are such
as have this Instant been communicated to me by
to wit
Firstly That the said Road will accomodate a much greater number
of the Inhabitants in the Seigniory.
Secondly That the Said Road will accomodate the Inhabitants of
the East & North Towns much better than the South Road can possibly
do.
Thirdly That the Said Road is much Shorter & the Said better for
the purpose of a Kings or Grand Road than the South one. ~~~~ ~~~~ will
not ~~fs to make & keep in repair & more particularly as the South Road
has five times as many Bridges as their are on the North Road ~~~~ of
which will ~~~~ ~~~~ to make and keep in repair.
Fourthly That the principal part of the Causeways that are
necefsary on the North Road are already made and that work remains to be
done on the South Road.
| [DJE: Preceding three lines should be read together. i.e William and his son John.] |
Thus done and closed at half p. after five of the clock in the
afternoon and signed by us the Said Notary & Witnefses.
D. Sullivan
~~~~ on Tuesday the twenty eighth of February being at Mefsr.
Ebenezer and Artemas White's Inn in Frelighsburgh and there having matters
in considerable number of the Proprietors of that part of the Seigniory
East of the Range of Lots herein before mentioned to the East and of the
said Seigniory I the said Notary in the presence of William Sergeant
gentleman John Reichart yeoman both of Dunham. Witnefses by me purposely
called pronounced in manner as yesterday.
Thus done and closed at half past five in the after noon and
signed by us the Said Notary & Witnefses.
Wm. Sergeant
John Richard
L. Lalanne
And the 1st day of March appeared William Moffit who declared
that he was absent on the 27th and 28th of February and could not attend
the meeting above mentioned now having a right to vote as being one of
the Interested declared himself to be one of those who wish for ~~~ the
North road.
On the 1st day of march appeared Penelope Noxon Widow of the late
Simon Noxon and declared she was sick on the 28th ult and could not
attend to the meeting and says she chooses the North Road.
On same day appeared the undernamed persons some of whom
according to their respective declarations being sick and some absent
during the 27 & 28th and said they choose the North Road. John Mizner
proprietor of E. half of No. 64.
[South Road pages start here]
On the twenty Seventh day of February in the Year of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and four, in pursuance of the directions unto me
Leon Lalanne a Public Notary, given by Paul Lacroix, Esquire, Deputy
Grand Voyer of and for the District of Montreal, and agreeably to the
Notice by me given to all persons proprietors of Land [MN7: in the
Seigniory of St. Armand] and particularly to those living or owning
Lands from Mifsiskouie Bay so far East as that Range or Lots on which
Mefsrs. Whightman, Toof, Titeman and others live to afsemble at Mr.
Jospeh Lowell's Inn this day at 9 of the clock in the morning for the
purposes in the aforesaid Notice mentioned. I the said Leon Lalanne
having come at the aforesaid hour to the said Inn and there met a
considerable number of the said Proprietors and having acquainted them
that the said Depy Grand Voyer's Intention is to grant and Legalize only
one Road for communicating from Mifsiskouie Bay to Frelighsburgh and
having offered to them for their choice of the two roads which are made
from the Bridge on Rock River between the Land of Mefsrs Wm. J. Holt and
Jos. Powell and run from Range to Range so far as Lot No. 57 the
property of John Ferguson Esqr. whereon they meet again, both leading to
said Frelighsburgh; then those of the Said Proprietors whose names are
hereunder written, in the presence of me the Said Notary and of
Witnefses by me purposely called voluntarily declared that they were of
opinion that [MN7: of the aforesaid two roads] the South will best
accommodate the Inhabitants of Said Seigniory and the Public and that
their reasons for so thinking are such as have this Instant been
communicated, to me, the said Notary by George Cook, to wit
That the heavy burden and expenses which would accrue in the making of
the North Road would be almost Insurmountable on account of the number
of Causeways which would necefsarily have to be made and most
particularly the extension Swamp on the lines of Lots N. 71 & 72
commonly called Sager's Swamp, of which a part is ~~~~ and some of us
from personal knowledge and others by information an ~~~~ that said
Swamp will overflow at certain seasons of the year and also that the
Expense will far exceed that of the South Road and respecting the
Difference of the two roads in the distance, we contend that had the
South Road been measured as was permitted and to Mr Lassain's when he
visited the South Road we ~~~~ it would be of unequal distance with the
North Road and we also with ~~~ that ~~~~ ~~~~ the timber of the Causeways
and bridges as of either Road of a Sufficient length to answer the Law ~~~
therefore contend that the extensions five Causeways & bridges made
and to be made on the ~~~ & marsh Lands of the North Road are
Sufficient reasons in Support of the ~~~ Verbal ~~~ also ~~~~ that
no Public Bridges or Causeways will be required in the South
Road.
| [DJE: The name "Titeman" also appears as "Tittemore" in other documents] |
Thus done and closed at half after five of the clock in the
afternoon and signed by us the said Notary and Witnefses
D. Sullivan
And on Tuesday the twenty eighth of February at nine of the Clock
in the Morning being at Mefsrs. Ebenezer and Artemas White's Inn in
Frelighsburgh and then having met a considerable number of the
proprietors of that part of the Siegniory East of the range of Lots
herein before mentioned to the East end of the Said Seigniory I the Said
Notary in the presence of William Sergeant gentleman John Reichart
yeoman both of Dunham.
Witnefses purposely called pronounced in manner as yesterday and
having read to them the Declarations made and the reasons alleged by the
proprietors who were afsembled yesterday at Mr Jos. Powell's and the one
and the other being agreeable to them they have requested me to
Subscribe their names thereto which I have done as before.
Thus done and closed at half past five in the afternoon & signed
by us the Said Notary and Witnefses.
Wm. Sergeant
John Richard
L. Lalanne
This day the twenty ninth of February Asahel Wills signing
yesterday ~~~ objected to for reason of his not having a Deed of his
Land hath now appeared and a Deed having been presented in his favor
declared that himself to be one of those who wish for ~~~ the South Road
and on being asked if he gave faith to the report herein before
mentioned replied he did except as to the length of Bridges.
On the first day of March appeared Nancy McCouty widow of the
late John McCouty who declared that she was absent during the 27th &
28th Ult. therefore now appears to declare that she chooses the South
Road.
On the third day of March, Benjamin Spencer appeared and said
that he attended on the 27th Ult at Eben. & Art. White's Inn for the
purpose of declaring his choice as to roads in this Seigniory but was
obliged to go away before he could appear before me. Therefore calls
this day to declare that he chooses the South Road.
On same day received Letters from the undernamed persons whom I
know to be proprietors of Land in the Seigniory and some of whom were
absent and the others sick on the 28th Ult & therefore could not attend
viz.
Christr. Man propr. of Lot No. 47
Nathl. Smith propr. of Lot No. 2
Job Chadsey propr. of Lot No. 31
C~~ie Lagrange propr. of Lot No. 42 & 43 parts
Stephen Vincent propr. of Lot No. 69
Abijah Bagley propr. of Lot No. 38
Likewise came Mr. Geo. Cook who declared he would rather choose
the South Road and pofsefs Lots.
|