Lordship of Champlain

The Lordship of Champlain was granted in 1664 on the north side of the St. Lawrence river, between Trois-Rivières and Quebec City, under the feudal system of New France. Today, the territory of the former manor of Champlain is located in the administrative region of Mauricie in Quebec, Canada. The capital was the town of Champlain.

The Lordship of Champlain stretched from the north shore of the St. Lawrence river (west of the mouth of the Champlain River) up towards the north, parallel to the lordship of Batiscan on the east side. The dividing line between the two domains has become the way of the "mainline" (north-south), dividing the municipalities of Saint-Narcisse and Hérouxville.

Toponymy

In 1632, during an exploration trip, Samuel de Champlain, the acknowledged founder of New France, lent his name to the Champlain River. Subsequently, the first lord, Étienne Pézard de la Touche, adopted the place name of Champlain to describe his lordship. The same place name was used by the authorities in the Catholic parish at Champlain, to describe the town of Champlain in 1845 and the federal electoral district in 1867.

History of the Lordship

Many people used the St. Lawrence River before the creation of the Lordship of Champlain. The indigenous peoples were present along the river for more than 5,000 to 7,000 years. The Vikings sailed along the east coast of Canada and in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the 11th century and French fishermen frequented the Gaspé Peninsula before Jacques Cartier first arrived in Canada in 1534.

In 1535, during his second voyage of discovery on the St. Lawrence River, Cartier passed the site of the future town of Champlain. In 1580, the Basque people made several fishing trips to the St. Lawrence River. In 1603, Samuel de Champlain went to Champlain, Quebec. He erected the first permanent post which became Quebec City in 1608. The town of Trois-Rivières was founded in 1634.

On the territory of the future Lordship of Champlain, Jacques Aubuchon of Trois-Rivières was granted permission on August 16, 1643 to settle on the land. However, he did not do so mainly because of the property's remoteness and the threat of attacks by the Iroquois. Recognized as the leading pioneer of Champlain, he sold his share in 1645.

The Marsolet and Hertel land grants, of April 5, 1644, were located in the area of the upper Champlain in the western part of the municipality. Beginning in 1645, Jacques Hertel built a house on his land while continuing to live in Trois-Rivières. Both these land grants began to be divided into lots beginning in 1666.

Grant of the Lordship of Champlain

According to a deed dated August 8, 1664, the Lordship of Champlain was granted to Stephen Pézard de la Tousche, Governor Augustine Saffray Mézy and Bishop François de Montmorency-Laval. Its scope covers 1 ½ "lieue" of frontage and one "lieue" deep, on both sides of the Champlain River. The lease does not mention a name given to the lordship. The act of ratification was issued by His Majesty on May 24, 1689. In 1665, the first land grants were contracted in the Lordship of Champlain.

From 1668, manor residents said they lived in "La Touche-Champlain" which was simplified to "Champlain" in 1669. In 1684, Monsignor François de Montmorency-Laval gave the official name to the Catholic parish as "Champlain" twenty years after the creation of the Lordship of Champlain, pointing out that this was the name in common use. The first lord was called "De la Touche-Champlain" in 1680, or "Pézard Champlain" in 1693 or "Pézard Latouche-Champlain" in 1702. A fort and a chapel were built between 1664 and 1665.

The first acts were registered in 1665 in the parish registry. The first church was built between 1666 and 1671 to replace the chapel of Fort La Touche. In 1671, a flour mill was put into operation. In 1679, the town of Champlain had forty families with 250 people, some who had been established there ever since the founding of the lordship. The Lord was able to grant all the lots along the river's shore. The brave census already operating about 900 acres, averaging about 25% of the licensed area (usually measured 2 acres land granted wide by 40 long).

A first increase of the territory of the manor seems to have been granted before 1721 by the Jesuits, to Mr Stephen Pézard de la Tousche according to Jean Bouffard. Another increase, with a range of three "lieues" deep, was granted on April 28, 1697 to Madame De la Tousche by the Governor Louis Frontenac Buade and the steward Jean Bochart de Champigny. The ratification act shall be issued by His Majesty on May 28, 1700.

Biography of Stephen Pézard the Tousche (died about 1696) military, nominal governor of Montreal, Lord of Champlain, colonizer.

Stephen Pézard de la Tousche, a military man, was born in Blois, Orleans, France, the son of Claude Pézard and Marie Masson. He left France in 1661 to come to work in Canada. He was immediately appointed to the position of Lieutenant at Trois-Rivières, then captain of the garrison. During this assignment, Etienne Pézard gave assistance to Pierre Boucher in the drafting of the document "Histoire véritable et, naturelle…" (real history and natural ...) (Paris, 1664).

In June 1664, Stephen left Trois-Rivières, to perform the function of command of the garrison of Montreal. He married on June 20, 1664 at Notre Dame Church in Montreal. His wife was Madeleine Mullois de La Borde and five children were born of this union. Although he was appointed on the same day of his marriage as governor of Montreal by Augustine Saffray Mézy, this appointment was never effective. The lords of Montreal opposed, alleging their hegemony over the appointment of the Governor.

Following this setback, Augustine Saffray Mézy granted him, on August 8, 1664, a manor on the north shore of St. Lawrence river, west of the Champlain River. Stephen Pézard de la Tousche immediately activated to operate the Lordship, unlike the majority of the lords of his time. He immediately interlocked construction of a mansion near the mouth of Champlain River, on the edge of a rock and a church in 1665. This stately new concession Stephen Pézard de la Tousche exacerbated the Jesuits who believed their manorial fully vested on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River between the Saint-Maurice River and the Batiscan River. Meanwhile, the Jesuits actively pursued the settlement of Cap-de-la-Madeleine.

Through his contacts with the authorities of Trois-Rivières, as well as its efforts particularly among captains, established families, soldiers and immigrants, the Lord Stephen Pézard de la Tousche attracted many pioneers. He conceded 22 land grants in 1665. To celebrate its merit of colonizer in New France, the steward gave him as a gift a "flight" of the royal stables.

The date of his death is unknown, and is not recorded in religious or civil records of the New France. Historians conclude he died in 1696, based on documents that highlight its name in 1695. In addition, according to historian Jean Hamelin, written in November 1696 refers to the widow Mary Magdalene Mullois, who survived him until 1704.

Ephemerides

• April 5, 1644: concession of the fief Marsolet and fief Tree to the Cross, located in the present territory of the Municipality of Champlain.

• August 8, 1664: grant of the lordship of Champlain. This date proves the founding of the town of Champlain, Quebec, the eighth oldest town in the New France.

• 1664: Construction of Fort La Touche-Champlain, in Champlain, at the mouth of the Champlain River.

• 1664-1665: The first settlers moved to the side of the lordship of Champlain. One of 34 lots granted in 1664-65 by Lord Stephen Pézard La Tousche.

• In 1666: concessions of the fief Hertel begin to be granted.

• 1667: concessions on fief Marsolet begin to be granted to tenants. Some of the first families come from Trois-Rivières, including Antoine Desrosiers and Pierre François Chorel Dandonneau.

• 1789: acquisition of the manor of Champlain by Joseph Drapeau (April 13, 1752 - November 3, 1810). He is a lord, a merchant and politician in Lower Canada. In 1809 and 1810, he was elected to Northumberland to House of Assembly of Lower Canada.

• 1797: sale of the manor of Champlain by Joseph Drapeau to buy half of that of the Isle of Orleans.

• Years 1830-1850: emergence of the present village in the center of town. In 1860, there are 20 locations in the village. In 1933, there were 150.

• 1854: the end of the feudal regime in New France.

• 1855: Creation of the Municipality of parish of La Visitation-de-Champlain in the first municipal boundaries of the Quebec.

See also

• Government of Trois-Rivières
• Lordship of Batiscan
• Champlain (homonymy)
• Champlain (municipalité)
• Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes
• Saint-Narcisse
• Hérouxville
• Champlain (electoral district)
• Champlain (provincial electoral district)
• St. Lawrence river