Within the winter of 1749-1750, Jesuit Father Claude-Godefroi Coquart travelled by means of the Malbaie space of New France (now the province of Quebec) inspecting the lands owned by the King of France.
One in all two farmers taking care of this land was considered one of my ancestors, Joseph Dufour. Dufour’s farm was referred to as “La Malbaie.”
Coquart’s written report back to France describes the farm run by Dufour and his neighbours’ operation in nice element.
Creator George McKinnon Unsuitable describes Coquart’s report on pages 17 and 18 of his 2005 e-book entitled “A Canadian Manor and Its Seigneurs The Story of a Hundred Years, 1761-1861”:
Father Coquart’s census is as rigorous and unsparing of element because the Doomsday Guide of William the Conqueror. He tells precisely what the Malbaie farm can produce in a yr; the document for the yr of grace 1750 is “4 or 6 oxen; 25 sheep, 2 or 3 cows, 1200 kilos of pork, 1400 to 1500 kilos of butter, one barrel of lard,”—definitely not a lot to assist a paternal authorities. The salmon fishery must be developed, says Coquart. Now the farmers get their very own provide and nothing extra. Nets must be used and nice portions of salmon could be salted down in good seasons. Fortunately, situations are mending. The earlier farmer had let issues go to rack and smash however now one sees neither thistles nor black wheat; all of the fences are in place. Joseph Dufour has a particular expertise for making issues worthwhile. If he may be induced to proceed his providers, it will likely be a profit to his employer. However he isn’t contented. Final yr he couldn’t make it pay and wished to depart. Almost all his wages are used within the help of his household. He has three grown-up daughters who assist in carrying on the institution, and a boy for the stables. One of the best paid of those will get solely 50 livres (about $10) a yr; she ought to get at the least 80 livres, M. Coquart thinks. Dufour has on the farm eight sheep of his personal however even of those the King takes the wool, and really the farmer has needed to pay for what wool his household used. Absolutely he must be allowed to maintain at the least half the wool of his personal sheep! If it was the coverage of the Crown to grant lands alongside the river of Malbaie there are a lot of individuals who would love these fertile areas, however there may be hazard that they’d commerce with the Indians which must be strictly forbidden.”
#Joseph #Dufours #Farm