Grant, Receiver-General of His Majesty's rents,
with Madame La Baronne de Longueuil, his respected spouse. The Grant
estate, by a patent from Sir James Craig, dated 11th March, 1811,
subsequently included what is now a most populous portion of St. Roch,
styled "La Vacherie," because the city cows were daily brought to these
moist lands adjoining the St. Charles. However, this opulent family had
another manor, built by the Baronne very shortly after her marriage with
Mr. Grant, in 1770, on the lovely Island of St. Helene, opposite to
Montreal. She had also erected, opposite to Molson's brewery, a
banal mill to grind the corn garnered in the neighborhood. The St.
Helene manor was probably the country seat during the summer mouths, and
the St. Vallier street mansion la maison de ville of its busy and
successful master, who died in 1805, ten years after his noble lady, who
had expired on the 25th February, 1795.
[140] This gentleman (Mr. William Henderson) was for many years Secretary
of the Quebec Fire Assurance Company. I believe he is still living, and
that he resides at Frampton, in the County of Dorchester, P.Q.
[141] Renaud & Brown's Mills at present.
[142] Report No. 3 of Commissioners of the Harbour of Quebec.
[142] Queen's Birthday, Brochure, 1880.
[144] QUEBEC PAST AND PRESENT, p. 353.
[145] QUEBEC AS IT WAS AND AS IT IS. - Chas. Roger, 1864.
CHAPTER IV.
[146] The residence of Jos. Shehyn, Esq., M.P.P., occupies now this
historic site.
[147] SAUNDERS SIMPSON. - He was Prevost Marshal in Wolfe's army of
Louisbourg, Quebec and Montreal, and cousin of my father's. He resided in
that house, the nearest to St. Louis Gate, outside, which has not
undergone any external alteration since I was a boy. - From unpublished
Diary of Deputy Commissary General Jas. Thompson.
[148] Recent evidence extracted by Dr. H. H. Miles, out of Jas. Thompson's
papers and letters, strengthen the theory previously propounded, and
indicate Miss Mary Simpson, daughter of Saunders Simpson, as the famed
Quebec beauty of 1782.
[149] Paint and extensive repairs have very much improved the historical
house - owned and partly occupied by Mr. Green, Surveyor of H. M. Customs,
Quebec - this year until May tenanted by George Stewart, Esq., author of
"Lord Dufferin's Rule in Canada," "The Great St. John Fire, 1877," &c.
[150] Major Perrault and his esteemed father, the Prothonotary, a warm
friend to education, both lived there many years.
[151] Three only now exist.
[152] My old friend died in 1867 - regretted as a scholar, an antiquarian
and the type of the old English gentleman.
[153] This realm of fairy land, so rich in nature's graces, so profusely
embellished by the late James Gibb, Esq., President of the Quebec Bank,
was recently sold for a rural cemetery.
[154] The stately home of Thomas Beckett, Esq.
[155] The picturesque villa of R. R. Dobell, Esq.
[156] A mossy old hall founded by Mr. McNider in the beginning of the
century; now occupied by the Graddon family.
[157] The grand mansion of the late Chas E. Levey, Esq.
[158] Owned by Mr. Morgan.
[159] The highly cultivated farm and summer residence of Andrew Stuart,
Esq.
[160] The property of Charles Ernest Levey, Esq.
[161] The beautiful home of W. Herring, Esq.
[162] The rustic abode of the late Hon. John Neilson, now owned by his
eldest son, John Neilson, P. L. Surveyor, advantageously known by his
popular notes on Canadian Birds. Dornald with its umbrageous glens,
undulating meadows, broad and dense hard wood groves, seems a veritable
Eden to the feathered tribe and offers innumerable opportunities of
observation to the eye of a naturalist.
[163] Recently acquired by James Bowen, Esq., founded by the late W.
Atkinson, Esq., in 1820.
[164] For account of the duel, which laid law one of the Hollands, see
Maple Leaves for 1863. The tree, however, has lately been destroyed by a
storm.
[165] A stately Convent of Congregational Nuns.
[166] The ornate country seat of Robt. Hamilton, Esq.
[167] The cosy dwelling of And. Thompson, President Union Bank.
[168] The homestead of Hon. D. A. Ross, late Atty.-Genl., Province of
Quebec.
PART II - ENVIRONS OF QUEBEC
[169] A. Brulart de Sillery, Marquis de Puisieux, was Minister of Foreign
Affairs in France from 1747 to 1751. - O'Callaghan's Paris Document
Table, vol. x.
[170] His career furnishes a curious instance of the lavish expenditure
which ambitious sovereigns formerly required on such grand occasions. Let
us quote his biographer's own words: "Son entree dans Rome fut superbe; il
etait dans un carosse ouvert, en forme de caleche, tout brillant d'or,
meme jusqu'aux roues qui etaient dorees. Ses chevaux etaient ferres avec
des plaques d'argent qui ne tenaient que par un seul clou, afin que,
venant a se detacher, elles fussent ramassees par les pauvres, a qui,
outre cela, il faisait jeter quantite d'argent. Son carosse etait entoure
de douze gentilshomme bien montes et superbement vetus; et de douze valets
de pied d'une rich livree, suivis des carosses que le Pape avait envoye
pour lui faire honneur. Sa Saintete fut sur un balcon pour voir son
entree. M. l'ambassadeur etait vetu en Chevalier de Malte, avec sa croix
enrichie de diamants. Ce fut dans ce superbe equipage qu'il fit les
visites des cardinaux."
[171] An authentic record still remains of the foundation of the mission;
it is written in the language of Virgil, by Father Deguen, its first
missionary, and heads the register of baptisms, marriages and burials of
the mission. It runs thus: "Dominus de Sillery, eques militenses et
sacerdos non adpridem factus, vir imprimis plus, reductionem Sancti
Josephi, una et amplius leaca, supra Kebicum ad ripas magni fluminis."
Jacta sunt fundimenta domus, Julii, 1637, et 14 Aprilis anni, 1638. -
Bressani, Appendix, p. 300.
