Fonds

The Hale Family fonds focuses on the different individuals of the Hale family. It contains information about Edward Hale, his wife Eliza Hale, his brother Jeffery Hale, his father John Hale, the family of his son William Amherst Hale, his sister Mary Hale and her cousin William Hale. The documents in this fonds reflect the activities, lives and careers of the various members of the Hale family, as well as the relationships between them. The fonds mainly covers the regions of the Eastern Townships, Montreal, Quebec City and Trois-Rivières. However, some documents also come from Ontario (Kingston, Niagara, Toronto, London, Malahide), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown), Nova Scotia (Halifax), United States (New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, Vermont and Massachusetts) and England. The main period covered by the fonds is the first half of the 19th century, more specifically from 1822 to 1851. On the other hand, some documents were created at the end of the 18th century, in the second half of the 19th century and in the 20th century. Other documents do not have a date.

The majority of the fonds' documents concern Edward Hale and relate to his life as a politician, a businessman, a military man, a family man, and his social involvement. His voluminous correspondence, as well as other types of documents (receipts, property deeds, account statements, merchandise lists and legal documents) testify to his activities in the Sherbrooke District Council and the Parliament in Kingston and Montreal. The documents also testify to his activities as a landowner and shareholder in the British American Land Company, as well as his association with the construction of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic railway. Several documents also concern the cotton factory in Sherbrooke and the establishment of a branch of the Bank of Montreal in the Eastern Townships. Other letters relate to the creation of the Sherbrooke Rifle Company during the Rebellions of 1837-1838 and some documents inform us of Mr. Hale's involvement in the Anglican Church and the Sherbrooke Agricultural Society. Finally, many letters sent and received from various members of his family testify to his relationship with them and inform us on many topics, including Edward Hale's travels and military activities, health, death, marriages, and the birth of family members, politics and business. Among his many correspondents are his wife Eliza Hale, Judge Edward Bowen, his uncle Edward Hale, his brother Jeffery Hale, Alexander Tilloch Galt, Peter McGill, Edward Lewis Montizambert, Hubbard, Simpson, Mathew Bell, John Davidson, George Beaumont, his sister Mary Hale, Robert Maingy, David Orr and others.

Eliza Hale’s correspondence-based documents inform us about her relationship with family members including her husband, Edward Hale, and her family, the Bowen family. Other letters testify to her ties with friendly relations, including Edward Lewis Montizambert, Lucy Peel, as well as Isabelle and Anne Webster. A handwritten note by Mrs. Hale testifies to her religious beliefs.

Jeffery Hale’s papers are composed of letters received by and sent to various individuals, including David Orr, John Emsley, his uncle Edward Hale, and members of the Hanford family. The correspondence focuses on the sale and purchase of land owned by the Hale family, but also on the succession of his father, John Hale, and on Jeffery Hale’s friendly relations.

The fonds also contains correspondence, a statement and an official document related to John Hale. These documents testify to his military activities, family relationships, affairs and honours received for his political career as Receiver General for Canada. General Walpole, his daughter Mary Hale and Miss E. Bowen are among his correspondents.

The family of William Amherst Hale, the son of Edward and Eliza Hale, is also represented in the fonds by notarial deeds, photographs and newspaper clippings. These documents bear witness to transactions related to the family's property, the deaths of its members and their family life.

A letter to William Hale from an acquaintance, William Smith, testifies to his life in the Eastern Townships and his knowledge of the region.

A letter from Mary Hale to Fanny Hale, whose family tie remains unclear, testifies to her relationship with members of the Hale family living in England.

Finally, the fonds also contains documents that were not created or received by members of the Hale family. A few letters refer to members of Eliza Hale's family, the Bowen family. There are also documents concerning Eve de Langley and the McCormick family, whose relationship with the Hale family is not known. There is also correspondence created by and addressed to other individuals, including Henry Cunningham, Mary Wilkins, David Orr, John Emsley, James Mckeon, C.M. Montizambert, Robert Symes, George Beaumont, Eliza Hammond and many others. Finally, there are other types of documents, such as newspaper clippings, notes, account statements, receipts, title deeds, minutes, several lists (of shares, debts, burial plots, furniture, and merchandise), instructions, a form, a petition, an advertisement, a page of a theatre programme, a letter in Arabic, postcards, a recipe, poetry and a map.

The fonds has been classified according to the following series:

P036/A Edward Hale
P036/B Eliza Hale
P036/C Jeffery Hale
P036/D William Hale
P036/E John Hale
P036/F Mary Hale
P036/G William Amherst Hale family
P036/H Other Correspondence
P036/I Other Textual Records
P036/J Cartographic Material
P036/K Graphic Material