Contract - Contract of commitment between Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve and nine new settlers in Ville-Marie | McCord Museum

Contract

Contract of commitment between Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve and nine new settlers in Ville-Marie

Date January 23, 1654

Dimensions1 textual record ; 31.4 x 22.2 cm

ClassificationCommunication Objects - Documentary Objects - Legal Documents

Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada, North America

Object NumberS001/C1.7,1.1

DivisionArchives - Textual Archives

CollectionStewart

Scope and ContentPaul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve (1612-1676) founded Ville-Marie on May 17, 1642. The ensuing years were difficult, and development of the colony remained precarious owing to the Iroquois wars. Having gone back to France in 1651, Maisonneuve undertook to return to Montreal with 200 men. In 1653 he began fulfilling his promise by sending 120 recruits. The young colony was saved, and the peace agreement with the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) reached in 1655 eased pressure on the settlers, allowing them to concentrate on developing their land.

This archival document is the contract that confirmed in Ville-Marie the agreement reached in France between Maisonneuve and nine recruits from the 1653 contingent. They were Jean Le Marché, a carpenter, and Mathurin Langevin, Yves Bastard, Simon Galbrun, Pierre Vilain, Toussaint Hunault, Jacques Mousseau, Bertrand de Rennes and Simon Deprés, land clearers. All signed up for five years. They were obliged to settle on the island of Montreal, where they would each receive 500 pounds from Maisonneuve by way of assistance. The contract was signed in the presence of several Montreal leaders: Maisonneuve himself, Lambert Closse (1618-1662), merchant, notary and sergeant-major, and Charles Le Moyne, (1626-1685) officer, trader and seigneur.

NotesSource of title: based on the nature of the document.

Signatures and inscriptions: signed by Paul de Chomedey, Charles Lemoyne, L. Closse et al; the document is kept in a green binder bearing the title “Paul de Chomedey and the first Settlers of Montreal.”

Physical description: 2 pages.

Physical condition: fair.

Language of the document: the document is in French.

Status

Not on view

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