The Grondines Seigneury, Parish of Saint-Charles-des-Roches

Samuel de Champlain’s 1632 map of New France.

As he sailed pass Grondines, Champlain noticed lands he thought to be uninhabited. On the map he drew in 1632, the explorer noted that Grondines and “a few nearby isles” appeared to be “prime territory for hunting and fishing.” The Grondines headlands were indeed rich with wildlife, to the delight of hunters for many centuries.

Concession deed of 1637.

A few years later, in 1637, these lowlands, which seemed to roar when the rising tides crashed against the rocks, were entrusted to Marie-Madeleine de Vignerot, Duchess of Aiguillon, for use by the nuns of the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec.

A Slowly Growing Settlement

The nuns never visited Grondines[1], but Jean Talon did grant them more land further east in 1672. These lands joined the Seigneury of La Chevrotière, and were conceded to the Pauvres de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec[2].

The settlement was slow to grow, but the nuns persevered and set about building a simple mill to meet the needs of the population. In 1674, they retained the services of Pierre Mercereau, said to be the best windmill builder in the area.

Map drawn by Gédéon de Catalogne in 1709.

On March 20, 1693, the seigneury was sold to parish resident Jacques Aubert. Only a year later, Aubert sold half of the seigneury to his son-in-law, Louis Hamelin. That area became Grondines-Est. After some estate disputes sparked by Aubert deciding to return to France[3], the western area was divided between his sons-in-law Louis and François Hamelin, now co-lords, and Roc Ripeau dit Rollet[4], who quietly remained on the sidelines.

Sold From Businessman to Businessman

After the death of Aubert, the seigneury remained in the hands of the Hamelins[5] until they sold it to Scottish businessman Mathew MacNider on July 2, 1792. From then on, the seigneury was sold and bought successively between businessmen. On September 10, 1806, Moses Hart acquired it, and then sold it on February 26, 1810, to Pierre Charay, who in turn sold it to Peter Burnet on July 8, 1831. Despite the abolition of the seigneurial system in 1854, Burnet sold the Grondines seigneury to Senator David Edward Price on December 21, 1871. When the senator died in 1883, the seigneury was bequeathed to his brother Evan John Price, who passed it to his nephew William Price in 1895[6].

Once MacNider became the owner, the seigneury stopped being passed down from generation to generation. It was instead sold between businessmen who saw in its northern part (now Saint-Casimir and Saint-Ubalde) a forest with a promising business potential.