Picturesque Quebec : a sequel to Quebec past and present Part 70

[70] The father of French-Canadian history; born in 1809, died in 1866.

[71] The tablet on his monument, in Mount Hermon Cemetery, bears the following inscription:--

IN MEMORY OF ROBERT CHRISTIE, ESQ.

A native of Nova Scotia, he early adopted Canada as his country, and during a long life faithfully served her. In the War in 1812 as a Captain, 4th Batt., he defended her frontier; in peace, during upwards of 30 years, he watched over her interests as member of Parliament for the County of Gaspe; and in the retirement of his later years recorded her annals as her historian.

He died at Quebec on the 13th October, 1856, aged 68, leaving behind him the memory of a pure career and incorruptible character.

_Integer vitae scelerisque purus._

The inscription, which we think worthy of commendation for the chasteness and conciseness of its style, is from the pen of (the late) J. B. Parkin, Esq., advocate, of this city; the most lasting monument, however, of the honoured deceased is that which was the product of his own brain, his History of Canada. This work is unfortunately incomplete, though the materials of a posthumous volume are still extant; but it is to be regretted that Mr. Christie's widow has been robbed, and that by the hand of no common thief, of some most important doc.u.ments collected by and belonging to her late husband--_Quebec Mercury, 5th Nov._, 1859.

[72] Opposite to Mr. Narcisse Turcotte, jeweller, on Mountain Hill.

[73] The Basilica Minor, or Roman Catholic Parish Church, built in 1647, restored after the siege of 1759, was consecrated by Bishop Laval on the 18th July, 1666, under the name of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. It is the oldest church in North America. Its length is 216 feet by 108 in breadth, and is capable of containing a congregation of 4,000 persons. "It originated in a gift, in 1644, on the part of Couillard and Guillemette Hebert, his wife, of 80 perches of land in superficies, for a parish church, on condition on the part of the _Fabrique_, or church authorities, that they would furnish a pew in perpetuity in said church for them and their successors, on their paying them a sum of 30 livres, _tournois_, at each mutation. The Church was begun in 1644 and 1645, on this spot, out of collections made in the years 1643 and 1644 together, until the price for which were sold 1,270 beaver skins--worth about 8,000 livres--was given by the Quebec merchants. The partners of the India Company presented the church with a bell."--_Histoire abregee de l'eglise de Quebec_.

[74] The Indian Fort (_Fort des Hurons_) was built to protect the unfortunate Hurons who, after the butchery of 1648-49, had sought refuge at Quebec. It is conspicuous on an old plan of Quebec of 1660, republished by Abbe Faillon. It stood on the northern slope of Dufferin Terrace, on the side to the east of the present Post Office, south-east of the Roman Catholic Parish Church.

[75] _Voyage Sentimental_--LaRue, page 96.

[76] "THE VOLTIGEURS, 1812.--This corps, now forming under the command of Major De Salaberry, is completing with a despatch worthy of the ancient war-like spirit of the country. Capt. Perrault's company was filled up in 48 hours, and was yesterday pa.s.sed by His Excellency the Governor; and the companies of Captains d.u.c.h.esnay, Panet and L'Ecuyer have nearly their complement. The young men move in solid columns towards the enlisting officers, with an expression of countenance not to be mistaken. The Canadians are awakening from the repose of an age secured to them by good government and virtuous habits. _Their anger is fresh_, the object of their preparations simple and distinct. They are to defend their King, known to them only by acts of kindness and a native country, long since made sacred by the exploits of their forefathers."--(From the _Montreal Canadian Courant_, 4th May, 1812.) Does the sacred fire still burn as bright? We hope so.

[77] The Hotel Dieu is fully described at page 63 of "QUEBEC PAST AND PRESENT."

[78] Bouchette's British Dominions in North America, 1832, p. 254.

[79] The practical jokers in our good city were numerous and select; we might mention the Duke of Richmond's sons, Lord Charles and Lord William Lennox: Col. Denny, 71st Highlanders; the brilliant Vallieres de St. Real, later on Chief. Justice; Petion Christie, P. A. De Gaspe, the writer; L.

Plamondon, C. Romain and other legal luminaries; recalling the days of Barrington in Ireland, and those of Henry c.o.c.kburn in Scotland; their _pet.i.t souper, bon mots_, boisterous merriment, found a sympathetic chronicler in the author of "The Canadians of Old". _Facile princeps_ for riotous fun stood Chas. R. Ogden, subsequently Attorney-General, as well known for his jokes as for his eloquence: he recently died a judge at the Isle of Wight.--(J. M. L.)

[80] The first idea of utilising the ruins of the Chateau St. Louis, burnt in 1834, is due to His Excellency the Earl of Durham, Governor-General and High Commissioner in Canada from the 29th May to the 1st November, 1838.

George Lambton, Earl of Durham, died in England in 1840. He was one of our ablest administrators, and with all his faults, one of the most ungenerously treated public men of the day by the Metropolitan statesmen.

[81] "Le Chien d'Or--the History of an Old House,"--MAPLE LEAVES, 1873, p.

89. [82] "His constant attendance when he went abroad," says Mere Juchereau.

[83] The _Old Regime in Canada_, p. 177-9.

[84] John George Lambton, Earl of Durham, was born at Lambton Castle, in April, 1792, and died at the Isle of Wight, on the 28th July, 1840, broken-hearted at the apparent failure of his Canadian mission.

"Lord Durham," says Justin McCarthy, "was a man of remarkable character.

It is a matter of surprise how little his name is thought of by the present generation, seeing what a strenuous figure he seemed in the eyes of his contemporaries, and how striking a part he played in the politics of a time which has even still some living representatives. He belonged to one of the oldest families in England. The Lambtons had lived on their estate in the north in uninterrupted succession since the Conquest. The male succession, it is stated, never was interrupted since the twelfth century. They were not, however, a family of aristocrats. Their wealth was derived chiefly from coal mines, and grew up in later days; the property at first, and for a long time, was of inconsiderable value. For more than a century, however, the Lambtons had come to take rank among the gentry of the country, and some member of the family had represented the city of Durham in the House of Commons from 1727 until the early death of Lord Durham's father, in December, 1797, William Henry Lambton, Lord Durham's father, was a staunch Whig, and had been a friend and a.s.sociate of Fox.

John George Lambton, the son, was born at Lambton Castle, in April, 1792.

Before he was quite twenty years of age, he made a romantic marriage at Gretna Green with a lady who died three years after. He served for a short time in a regiment of Hussars. About a year after the death of his first wife, he married the eldest daughter of Lord Grey. In 1828 he was raised to the Peerage with the t.i.tle of Baron Durham."--_History of Our Own Times_, page 9.--Justin McCarthy.

[85] I use the term advisedly, for had he followed out the Colborne policy and gibbetted the "Bermuda exiles," he would have had one sin less to atone for, at the hands of Lord Brougham and other merciless enemies in England.

[86] Thanks to the late Mr. J. B. Martel, then Secretary of the Harbour Commission, Quebec, we may designate in a few words the site which the Quebec Bank now possesses. This extent of ground (at that period a beach lot), was conceded to the Seminary by the Marquis de Denonville in 1687, and confirmed by the King, the 1st March, 1688. The 25th August, 1750, Messire Christophe de Lalane, Directeur du Seminaire des Missions etrangeres a Paris, made a concession of it to Mons. Nicholas Rene Leva.s.seur, _Ingenieur_, formerly chief contractor of the ships of "His Most Christian Majesty." On the 24th June, 1760, a deed of sale of this same property, to Joseph Bra.s.sard Descheneaux, consisting of a two-story house and a wharf (_avec les peintures au-dessus de la porte_.) On the 8th September, 1764, a deed of sale to Alexander McKenzie, purchase money, $5,800. On the 19th April, 1768, Joseph Descheneaux a.s.signed his mortgage to Mr. John Lymburner. On the 11th August, 1781, a deed of concession of the beach in the rear, to low water mark, by the Seminary to Adam Lymburner. The 5th November, 1796, a deed of sale by the attorney of Adam Lymburner. Subsequently Angus Shaw became the proprietor in consideration of $4,100. On the 17th October, 1825, a judicial sale, to the late Henry Atkinson, Esq.

[87] Hon. D.A. Ross.

[88] This attempt, although ushered in with a brilliant victory on 28th April 1760, failed.

[89] Born in 1765; died in 1820; resided at Quebec, 1741-46.

[90] See _Histoire de la Gazette de Quebec_--Gerin, p. 24.

[91] The "Neptune" Inn was opened as a house of public entertainment for captains, by William Arrowsmith, on 1st May, 1809 (See _Quebec Mercury,_ 1st May, 1809.)

[92] DOINGS OF THE PRESS GANG AT QUEBEC, 1807--_Le Canadien_ newspaper, of September, 1807, thus records the death, on the 13th September of that year, of Simon Latresse, from the discharge of fire arms.--It had taken place on the evening of the preceding Sat.u.r.day, the perpetrator being one of the crew of H.M. man-of-war _Blossom_, commanded by Captain George Picket. "Latresse," says this journal, "was at the time attending a dance in St. John suburbs, when a press-gang, under the charge of Lieut. Andrel, entered. Latresse was laid hold of, but his great strength and activity enabled him to shake off his captors. He then took to his heels and received from one of them a pistol shot, the ball going through his body.

He was a native of Montreal, aged 25 years; had been for seven years a voyageur to Michilimakinac; was noted for his fidelity and attachment to his employers. Latresse leaves a widowed mother of 75 years of age to mourn his loss, of whom he was the support". The poet Quesnel wrote a fine piece of verse to commemorate the event. It is to be found in the _Bibliotheque Canadienne_ of 1826.

[93] Quebec, 5th December, 1816. "At a meeting of the Board of Green Cloth, held at the "Neptune" Inn, John Wm. Woolsey in the chair, it was unanimously decided to establish a Merchants' Exchange in the lower part of the Neptune Inn, &c. (Then follow the resolutions.) Subscription to be two guineas per annum.

"On motion of John Jones, Esq., Resolved that the following gentlemen do form a Committee of Management:--Thomas Edward Brown, James Heath, George Symes, John W. Woolsey and Robert Melvin."

[94] William Finlay, an eminent merchant of Quebec, and one of its chief benefactors, made several bequests which the city authorities invested in the purchase of this market. Mr. Finlay died at the Island of Madeira, whether he had gone for his health, about the year 1831.

[95] "ROMPU VIF," 1752--A good deal of patriotic indignation has been bubbled over at the mention of what was termed the Old World mode of punishing high treason against the State. With respect to the atrocious sentence p.r.o.nounced by Chief Justice Osgood, at Quebec, in 1797, carried out on the criminal David McLane, the "disembowling and hanging"

particulars (so well related by an eye-witness, the late P. A. DeGaspe, Esq.,) ought not to be considered such a novelty in Canada.

A Montreal antiquary, Mr. P. S. Murphy, has unearthed a sentence p.r.o.nounced at Montreal in the good old Bourbon times, 6th June, 1752, which shows that the terrible punishment of "breaking alive" (rompu vif) was in force under the French _regime_.

"Belisle," says Mr. P. S. Murphy, "was condemned to 'torture ordinary and extraordinary,' then to be broken alive on a scaffold erected in the market place. The awful sentence was carried out to the letter, his body buried in Guy street, Montreal, and a _Red Cross_ erected to mark the spot."

_Translation_.--Extract from the requisition of H. C. Majesty's Attorney:--

"I require for the King that Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle be arraigned and convicted of having wilfully and feloniously killed the said Jean Favre by a pistol shot and several stabs with a knife, and of having similarly killed the said Marie-Anne Bastien, wife of the said Favre, with a spade and a knife, and of having stolen from them the money that was in their house; for punishment of which that he be condemned to have his arms, legs, thighs and backbone broken, he alive, on a scaffold, which shall be erected for that purpose in the market place of this city, at noon, then on a rack, his face turned towards the sky, he be left to die.

The said Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle, being previously put to the torture ordinary and extraordinary, his dead body shall be carried by the executioners to the highway which lies between the house lately occupied by the said accused and the house lately occupied by the said Jean Favre and his wife. The goods and chattels of the said Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle confiscated to the King, or for the benefit of those who may have a right to them, or of those not liable to confiscation, the sum of 300 livres fine being previously set apart, in case that confiscation could be made for the benefit of His Majesty.

"(Signed), FAUCHER.

"Done at Montreal, the 6th June, 1752."

[96] The most s.p.a.cious, the most remarkable of these substantial vaults of French construction, are those which now belong to the Estate Poston, on the north side of Notre Dame street, nearly opposite the church Notre Dame des Victoires. It is claimed that these vaults were so constructed as not only to be fire proof but water-proof likewise at the seasons of high water, in spring and autumn. This vault is now occupied by Messrs.

Thompson, Codville & Co. as Inland Revenue and Customs bonded warehouses.

[97] "_Cours d'Histoire du Canada_," _Ferland, Vol._ 1, _p._ 280.

[98] _Concession de la Barre aux Jesuites_, _Sept._ 16, 1683.

[99] _Cul-de-Sac_ means a street without an issue. The filling in of this old market place, by the wharves on which Champlain Market Hall now stands, has totally altered this locality.

[100] M. de Laval, in 1661, described the city as follows:--

"Quebec.u.m vulgo in superiorem dividitur et inferiorem urbem. In inferiore sunt portus, vadosa navium ora, mercatorum apoticae ubi et merces servantur, commercium quodlibet peragitur public.u.m et magnus civium numerus commoratur."

[101] George Allsop, a British merchant, came from England to this country in the last century with Thomas Aylwin, grandfather of Judge Thos. Cushing Aylwin. The Hale family were already in Canada, and became intimate with the Allsops. George Allsop had six sons, all born in the Montcalm House ramparts. At the time of Robert Allsop's birth his mother was placed for safety in the vaults of the Citadel, at the time of the siege (1775) says a family tradition. These six sons were as follows:--

George Waters Allsop, eldest, sent home to the Bluecoat School to be educated; he was a Latin and Greek scholar, and a person of eminence in other respects.