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Quebec Family History Society |
| Frequently Asked Questions About Research in Quebec |
QFHS E-Mail:
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In this section, we try and answer some of the general questions we are regularly asked. Hopefully they'll help you with your Quebec research. An understanding of our Province's historical roots, will help your research in Quebec. We do have, at the society, or have access to in the Montreal area, records from all over the Province. One of our researchers can always visit our local Quebec National Archives, for a fee. We would recommend that you look at the National Archives of Canada, which contains much information on Canada as a whole, and Quebec in particular. The link will take you to their main page. For many years, Quebec's borders were fluid. Initially Ontario was part of Quebec, and hence some of those living near the border may be buried in Ontario, and you may find land records in Ontario, or vice versa. A similar situation exists with the US border states in the early years. As a result, in our library you will find Cemetery records and maps for Ontario, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. Here is a list of the historical names that have been used in Canada If you have a general question you think should be included, please drop us a note. We are starting a new page to answer often asked questions at the society. Questions and answers will be added every so often to check back regularly. Also see the Eastern Townships of Quebec |
| 1534 | Jacques Cartier, made his first voyage to New France, landing on the Gaspe peninsula, claiming possession in the name of France. |
| 1535 | Cartier's second voyage. Visited Indian villages of Stadacona (Quebec City) and Hochelaga (Montreal). |
| 1541 | Cartier's third voyage. |
| 1603 | Samuel de Champlain explored New France. |
| 1608 | Champlain, founded the city of Quebec, the second permanent French settlement after Port-Royal. "Canada", at that time, applied only to the St. Lawrence River valley |
| 1609 | Discovery of Lake Champlain |
| 1617 | First settlers at Quebec: Louis Hebert and family |
| 1627 | Law passed forbidding non- Catholics from settling in the colony. Hugenots had played an important part in the earlier period. Protestants were allowed to visit in summer months to conduct business |
| 1629 | British capture Canada. |
| 1632 | Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye restored Canada to France. |
| 1640 | Discovery of Lake Erie. |
| 1642 | Founding of Montreal, by Sieur de Maissoneuve. |
| 1663 | New France made a Royal Colony; end of the Company of New France, founding of the Sovereign Council. Start of the "Filles du Roi" immigrations. |
| 1665 | Arrival of the Carignan regiment, 1200 soldiers sent to defend against Iroquois raids (included some Italian mercenaries). Fort Chambly founded. (Known that Polish, Irish and Scottish mercenaries also served in New France.) |
| 1673 | Founding of Cataraqui - Kingston. |
| 1701 | Founding of Detroit. |
| 1720 | Fort Rouille founded on site of Toronto. |
| 1730-1735 | Road constructed on north shore between Montreal and Quebec City. |
| 1736 | Beauce country opened for settlement. |
| 1759 | The Battle of the Plains of Abraham. New France, including that area which was called Canada, was conquered by the British. |
| 1760 | Montreal capitulated. |
| 1763 | Treaty of Paris. New France becomes a British possession. The British then named this region "Government of the Province of Quebec". One can say that at that time, the Province of Quebec was made up of all the territory along the St. Lawrence River from the Gaspe peninsula to Detroit and Fort Michillimackinac (Michigan), including the Ohio territory. |
| 1764 | Return of Civil Government. |
| 1774 | Quebec Act passed which guaranteed French Canadians their language, religion and customs, established boundaries and more. |
| 1775 - 1783 | American Revolution. 30,000 German mercenaries hired to fight alongside British regulars in Quebec. 1500 stayed and married, many settling in the Sorel area, a military town. |
| 1775 | Quebec Act becomes law. Americans invade Canada. Loyalist arrivals start, Loyalist Regiment formed. |
| 1776 | Americans leave Canada. |
| 1771 | Governor's Cottage erected at Sorel to house the military commander. Hospital for military and invalid Loyalists, many Loyalists settled in area |
| 1783 | Major Loyalist immigration period following end of American Revolution- about 7,000 persons. New seigniories or fiefs were to be established. |
| 1791 | Constitutional Act for the Canadas. The colony is organized into two provinces, Lower and Upper Canada, roughly corresponding to modern southern Quebec and Ontario. Prior to this time, Ontario was known as the " Western; part of Montreal District of the Colony of Quebec" ;. Seigneuirial system retained, but freehold allowed. Upper Canada was to be in " free; and common soccage" ; - freehold. |
| 1792 | First Canadian elections. 21 Electoral counties were established for the purpose. |
| 1794 | Southern border with US finalized. |
| 1795 | Customs agreement between the Canadas. |
| 1800 | Founding of Hull. |
| 1806 | First French language newspaper, "Le Canadien"," was published. |
| 1809 | Steamship service began between Montreal and Quebec City. |
| 1825 | Opening of the Lachine Canal |
| 1836 | Completion of first railway, Laprairie to St. Jean, 16 miles. |
| 1837 | "Patriotes" rebellion led by Papineau and Wolfred Nelson. |
| 1842 | The two provinces, Lower and Upper Canada, are re-united to form Canada East and Canada West. |
| 1849 | Parliament buildings in Montreal were destroyed by fire by the Tories. |
| 1861 | Montreal gets public transport using horsecars. |
| 1867 | The two provinces are again separated, and together with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia form the federation of Canada. Upper Canada is now known as Ontario. |
| 1876 | Railway completed Quebec City to Halifax. |
| 1912 | Provincial Boundaries of Ontario and Quebec were extended to Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait. |
| 1927 | Labrador awarded to Newfoundland. |
During the French Regime, land holding was held in accordance to the seigneurial system:
The seigneurs, who could also be a religious order rather than an individual, paid the king rent, and were responsible for :
The habitant had to:
While arrangements were made to transfer the use of land/buildings, other than by direct inheritance, " lods; et ventes" ; were due the seigneur. (Remember the king owned the land.)
The system was feudal, paternal, hierarchal, and was fixed by law. Generally, with exception of the religious orders, private/free enterprise colonisation did not work, and the king stepped in by bringing settlers out directly from 1663 to c.1700.
With time, the province was divided into Administrative Districts or Gouvernements. Each Administrative District was sub-divided into Parishes; each parish with a "Cure" as its religious head and a Captain of Militia as the local authority in civil and military matters.
Each District, except the Gaspe, had seigneuries. In 1760 the Gouvernements were :
(See Paroisses et Missions du Quebec, Hormisdas Magnan, 1925, which gives the history of each parish and the names of the towns, counties, etc., of Quebec.)
The Quebec National Archives in Montreal, have various collections of Seigneurial documents.
In the English colonies to the south, there were large and small farmers, landlords and tenants, most farmers owned their own land, and there were not the same class divisions fixed by law.
Hence, following the British acquisition of New France, and the signing of the Peace of Paris in 1763 some "
adjustments;"
; were necessary. In the legal arena,
and these facets were recognized in the Quebec Act of 1774.
Following the American Revolution, the large influx of Loyalists from the US, created major problems of adjustment between two quite different peoples in terms of their systems; legal, religious and social. This problem was partially solved in 1791 by splitting Quebec into two parts, Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario). (Many of the Loyalists settled in the Sorel area, Eastern Townships and some in the Chateauguay Valley areas, where an early attempt at a Crown Grant scheme instead of the Seigneurial system was made.)
From 1763 to 1791, various schemes were tried to move from the Seigneurial system. Finally in 1854, it was abolished, and all land became freehold- not without problems and more years were to pass before it was finalized. (Printed Guides are available in the Archives of those who held land under Seigneurial tenure when the system was abolished.) In the conversion process, the land identification also had to be rationalized and a renumbering took place.
Under the British system, acquisition of Crown land was by petition to the Governor, stating the reason for a grant. Generally a petition, when found, will give more genealogical information than the subsequent patent or deed, which will however give a land description, location and acreage.
In Quebec, " List; of Lands Granted by the Crown in the Province of Quebec from 1763 to 31st December 1890" ;, arranged by townships within counties, and indexed by grantees, was published in 1891 by order of the Quebec Legislature. (We are fortunate in having a copy of this document in the QFHS library and can do searches.) Records of subsequent transactions are the responsibility of the Ministère de la Justice, operating through the Bureaux d' enregistrement of the various judicial districts. (There are currently 55 different land record offices. While you can do your own research, there is an hourly rate charged, and you will require an "address"- street or lot and concession.)
Reading of the preamble to this " List; of Land... " ; will give an insight into the problems encountered in the transition from the French to the English land grant system, and the " deals;" ; that occurred. All the major/fraud grants are listed, and who knows, you may find one of your ancestors listed there. In addition, it may assist with your understanding of the land granting process at a particular point in time after 1763.
It has been said that, " In; Ontario it is easier to find a land record than a person, and in Quebec, it is easier to find a person than a land record." ; Recognizing the historical background, with all its changes, the underlying truth of this statement for the earlier period becomes evident.
In the Quebec civil law system, wills and land transactions are normally handled by a Notary rather than a Lawyer as is the practice in the rest of Canada. The Notary keeps a copy of all his files, or greffes, as long as he/she practices. On retiring, they are turned over to his successor, on his death turned over to the courthouse, and approximately 100 years after the last record to an archive.
There are printed guides both in the QFHS and National Archives of all notaries who have ever practised in Quebec, including the years they practised, and the archival centre where their records have been deposited.
Recognize you can encounter three different county names:
Up to 1759, the non-native population is predominantly Catholic (no Protestant churches were permitted ) and nearly 95% of its European immigrant population came from France.
Since 1765, that part of the population that is considered French or francophone has maintained itself at 80-85%.Catholic. The other ethnic groups generally kept their religions. This is an important point because up to 1993, Quebec's official vital statistics are classified by religion.
The vital statistics of Quebec were maintained by the Catholic Church (for the Catholics), and after 1765 (for the non-Catholics) by the Ministers and Rabbis. Civil marriages have only been permitted since 1969. This all changed in 1993 with changes to the Vital Statistics Act.
On the one hand, we have the Catholic registers where the marriages are almost always present and complete, and are often to be found indexed in an assortment of repertories. The early non-Catholic registers often are missing the names of the parents, at least up to the 20th. century.
Many of these early RC records to 1875, were microfilmed by the LDS, and are available through their centres.
It follows, that the principal tools used by Quebec genealogists are those of the Catholic Church's marriage records, mostly in repertories that have themselves been classified by county. Some databases, such as the Loiselle and the Drouin contain between 500,000 and one million names.
(Thanks to Claude Montpetit for his assistance.)