Series

This series focusses on Georges Samuel Leclère and his wife Corinne Turgeon. It chronicles the couple's personal life and assets, along with Georges Samuel Leclère's professional activities.

The series contains several texts written by Georges Samuel Leclère between 1843 and 1845, when he was studying the classical curriculum at the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe. These exercises and compositions, dotted with deletions, corrections and, in some cases, short comments, doubtless from his teachers, are remnants of his Rhetoric classes and generally involve classic themes and works. Among the titles are "Le dauphin d'Hippone" (Pliny the Younger's description of the boy and the dolphin), "Discours de Persée contre Demetrius" (when Perseus spoke against Demetrius) "Les catacombes de Rome" (the catacombs of Rome) and "Speech of Junius Brutus over the dead body of Lucretia." Sometimes, the students are given themes that are more open-ended. "Discours d'un écolier sur les malheurs de sa condition" (a student writes about the hardships of his condition) for example, inspired Leclère to write multiple pages.

In addition, the series contains correspondence between various members of the Leclère and Turgeon families. Seven letters covering the period 1843 to 1894 primarily address family topics. One letter dated 1845 from James Morrison, a close friend who chosen an ecclesiastical career, is addressed to both Georges and Charles (likely Georges Samuel's brother, Charles Ambroise Leclère). The other letters chronicle the adult lives of Georges Samuel Leclère and his wife Corinne. In two letters dated respectively June 19 and December 26, 1855, sent to a correspondent whom the young man calls "my dear Félix," Georges shares news on the professional activities of his brother Charles, the travels of his father, and the health of his mother and his "little Georges." He mentions his wife's visit to Terrebonne to see her family and a short illness that she had. Two letters dated October 15, 1863, and May 5, 1864, from members of the Turgeon family document Georges' relations with his in-laws. The correspondence also includes a letter dated March 26, 1890, addressed to "my dear Hélène" (perhaps his daughter) and a last letter signed "Corine," dated July 15, 1894, in all likelihood written by Corinne Turgeon.

Finally, legal documents complete the series. One such document formalizes Georges Samuel Leclère's appointment as secretary of the Agricultural Council of Quebec on August 23, 1869. The others provide information about the couple's real estate holdings, namely properties located in Sainte-Thérèse de Blainville that Corinne Turgeon inherited from her father. In addition to these notarized documents are lists recording the rents to collect from a number of individuals, primarily in the Terrebonne area (e.g., Sainte-Thérèse, Saint-Henri-de-Mascouche, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines and Saint-Janvier).