Fonds

This archival fonds chronicles the activities of the Le Moine family from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. It is composed primarily of documents associated with three family members from different generations: Alexandre Olivier Le Moine (1810-1883), Henri Gaspard Le Moine (1848-1934) and John Gaspard Maricourt (Jack) Le Moine (1906-1990).

The fonds contains an account book with a chronological list of the contracts awarded to notary Alexandre Olivier Le Moine between 1852 and 1855, along with the income earned from each contract. The client information recorded in the book suggests that Alexandre O. Le Moine's work focussed mainly on settling estates after a death.

The diaries of Henri Gaspard Le Moine offer a rich, detailed portrait of the young man's daily life over the years. One notebook records his school, family and social activities between 1861 and 1862, when the adolescent was a boarder at Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal. Having returned to his hometown in 1866, the law student began writing a more personal journal, recording his thoughts, questions and hopes, describing the world around him through his friendships and social activities. In particular, these diaries document his love for Emma Renaud, whom he married in 1872 when he stopped writing in his notebook.

In addition, three journals describe John G. M. Le Moine's hunting, fishing and boating activities on the St. Lawrence River and various Quebec lakes, between 1917 and 1945. They complement the fonds' photo albums, which illustrate the same trips. These accounts chronicle the daily activities of John G. M. Le Moine (also known as Jack): life on board the yacht, the tasks involved in maintaining the ship, the names of the guests accompanying him, the places visited, the animals and fish caught as well as the weapons and equipment used. These documents paint a portrait of a man from the bourgeoisie with no financial worries.

The fonds also includes photographs of Le Moine family members collected in various albums. One of them is signed, as follows: "Emma LeMoine from her affectionate cousin Edward/Xmas 1860." It is composed of portraits the size of calling cards, several drawings, and poems collected by Marie Sophia Emma Le Moine (Montreal, 1848 -- Ottawa, about 1930). Another album, put together by Henri Gaspard Le Moine, contains portraits of his classmates from St. John's College, Fordham, New York. Two other albums, compiled by John G. M. Le Moine, document his annual hunting and fishing trips to various places in Quebec and elsewhere. These photographs depict a lifestyle reserved for a wealthy social class, free from financial obligations.