Marie Catherine Demers Dessermon (1698-1785), cofondatrice oubliée : Interrogations sur le pouvoir d’effacement d’une religieuse montréalaise

Donner une place dans l’histoire à des personnages et à des groupes oubliés, c’est un peu le pain et le beurre du travail des historiens et des historiennes. Il y a des personnages qui ont cependant laissé si peu de traces qu’il faut parfois suppléer à l’absence de sources pour tracer leur portrait. Cet article se propose de questionner la quasi-absence de la mémoire collective et institutionnelle de soeur Catherine Demers et de mettre en lumière le rôle de fondatrice de cette couturière qui a consacré près d’un demi-siècle à la communauté des Soeurs de la Charité de l’Hôpital général de Montréal.Giving forgotten groups and individuals a place in history is in many ways the bread and butter of the historian’s work. But since some individuals have left so few traces, it becomes necessary to compensate for a lack of sources when drawing their portrait. This article will question the virtual absence of Sister Catherine Demers from the collective and institutional memory while shedding some light on the role played by this seamstress who spent almost half a century among the Sisters of Charity of the General Hospital of Montreal (the Grey Nuns)

Les couturières en Nouvelle-France : leur contribution socioéconomique à une société coloniale d'Ancien Régime

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

The seeds of divergence: the economy of French North America, 1688 to 1760

Generally, Canada has been ignored in the literature on the colonial origins of divergence with most of the attention going to the United States. Late nineteenth century estimates of income per capita show that Canada was relatively poorer than the United States and that within Canada, the French and Catholic population of Quebec was considerably poorer. Was this gap long standing? Some evidence has been advanced for earlier periods, but it is quite limited and not well-suited for comparison with other societies. This thesis aims to contribute both to Canadian economic history and to comparative work on inequality across nations during the early modern period. With the use of novel prices and wages from Quebec—which was then the largest settlement in Canada and under French rule—a price index, a series of real wages and a measurement of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are constructed. They are used to shed light both on the course of economic development until the French were defeated by the British in 1760 and on standards of living in that colony relative to the mother country, France, as well as the American colonies. The work is divided into three components. The first component relates to the construction of a price index. The absence of such an index has been a thorn in the side of Canadian historians as it has limited the ability of historians to obtain real values of wages, output and living standards. This index shows that prices did not follow any trend and remained at a stable level. However, there were episodes of wide swings—mostly due to wars and the monetary experiment of playing card money. The creation of this index lays the foundation of the next component. The second component constructs a standardized real wage series in the form of welfare ratios (a consumption basket divided by nominal wage rate multiplied by length of work year) to compare Canada with France, England and Colonial America. Two measures are derived. The first relies on a “bare bones” definition of consumption with a large share of land-intensive goods. This measure indicates that Canada was poorer than England and Colonial America and not appreciably richer than France. However, this measure overestimates the relative position of Canada to the Old World because of the strong presence of land-intensive goods. A second measure is created using a “respectable” definition of consumption in which the basket includes a larger share of manufactured goods and capital-intensive goods. This second basket better reflects differences in living standards since the abundance of land in Canada (and Colonial America) made it easy to achieve bare subsistence, but the scarcity of capital and skilled labor made the consumption of luxuries and manufactured goods (clothing, lighting, imported goods) highly expensive. With this measure, the advantage of New France over France evaporates and turns slightly negative. In comparison with Britain and Colonial America, the gap widens appreciably. This element is the most important for future research. By showing a reversal because of a shift to a different type of basket, it shows that Old World and New World comparisons are very sensitive to how we measure the cost of living. Furthermore, there are no sustained improvements in living standards over the period regardless of the measure used. Gaps in living standards observed later in the nineteenth century existed as far back as the seventeenth century. In a wider American perspective that includes the Spanish colonies, Canada fares better. The third component computes a new series for Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is to avoid problems associated with using real wages in the form of welfare ratios which assume a constant labor supply. This assumption is hard to defend in the case of Colonial Canada as there were many signs of increasing industriousness during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The GDP series suggest no long-run trend in living standards (from 1688 to circa 1765). The long peace era of 1713 to 1740 was marked by modest economic growth which offset a steady decline that had started in 1688, but by 1760 (as a result of constant warfare) living standards had sunk below their 1688 levels. These developments are accompanied by observations that suggest that other indicators of living standard declined. The flat-lining of incomes is accompanied by substantial increases in the amount of time worked, rising mortality and rising infant mortality. In addition, comparisons of incomes with the American colonies confirm the results obtained with wages— Canada was considerably poorer. At the end, a long conclusion is provides an exploratory discussion of why Canada would have diverged early on. In structural terms, it is argued that the French colony was plagued by the problem of a small population which prohibited the existence of scale effects. In combination with the fact that it was dispersed throughout the territory, the small population of New France limited the scope for specialization and economies of scale. However, this problem was in part created, and in part aggravated, by institutional factors like seigneurial tenure. The colonial origins of French America’s divergence from the rest of North America are thus partly institutional

Le monde de Jean Alexis Lemoine dit Monière, marchand de Montréal au XVIIIe siècle

On s’est intéressé dans les années 1950 à 1970 à la disparition d’une bourgeoisie canadienne qui aurait dû faire la transition du capitalisme marchand vers l’industrie. Les réflexions historiennes avaient cependant commencé par la fin, tentant de définir les conséquences historiques à long terme de la « Conquête » sur un groupe encore mal connu qui, en principe, incluait des marchands. Notre thèse s’inscrit dans la lignée des travaux états-uniens et européens qui ont permis de revoir, souvent dans une optique culturelle, les marchands occidentaux de l’époque moderne. À partir du cas précis d’un marchand équipeur montréalais et de sa lignée, nous voulons tout d’abord établir si la culture négociante des marchands, au sens large du terme, était du même ordre que celles des métropolitains qui avaient des commerces semblables. Deuxièmement, nous voulons cerner la marge de manœuvre individuelle face aux contraintes des conditions ambiantes ainsi que le rôle des réseaux dans l’évolution de la carrière des marchands. Enfin, nous souhaitons définir la conception de soi de ces derniers, à travers l’examen de leur style de vie et des rôles qu’ils pouvaient jouer dans leur milieu. Pour le faire, nous avons choisi de ratisser « en largeur » dans des sources multiples, y compris des livres de comptes, et de creuser « en profondeur » pour en extraire le maximum de données. L’enquête a été menée à travers la longue carrière de l’équipeur Jean Alexis Lemoine dit Monière (1680-1754) qui s’est installé à Montréal en 1715. Lemoine est connu de la postérité grâce à l’étude de Louise Dechêne qui l’avait suivi jusqu’en 1725. Elle en a tracé un portrait, amplement repris par la suite, qui a fait de lui l’exemple type de marchand équipeur. Or, Monière n’est peut-être pas typique, il pourrait même être un cas-limite. En le suivant jusqu’à sa mort, nous avons exploré toutes les possibilités qui se sont offertes à lui. Nous avons aussi fait une large place aux legs matériel et immatériel de son père Jean Lemoine, et à ce que Monière a transmis à son fils, Pierre Alexis, ainsi qu’à quelques neveux. En encadrant Monière de son père, immigrant rouennais, de ses frères et de son fils, nous avons pu observer l’émergence d’un métier, celui d’équipeur. Nous avons examiné comment Monière, décédé en 1754, a été préparé à exercer son métier et comment il concevait la pratique de ce dernier. Cette démarche a permis de mieux comprendre la culture (au sens large) des gens de la marchandise au Canada. En utilisant une variété de sources et en faisant appel à une démarche micro-historique, nous souhaitons avoir répondu, vingt-cinq ans plus tard, au vœu de Dale Miquelon de regarder, dans la mesure du possible, le monde de la marchandise avec les yeux des acteurs de la période pour répondre aux interrogations des gens d’aujourd’hui.From the 1950s to the 1970s, historians’ attention was turned towards the disappearance of a bourgeoisie canadienne which should have made the transition from commercial to industrial capitalism. These studies began, so to speak, with the end, in attempting to define the long-term historical consequences of the Conquest on an as-yet ill-defined group that in principle included some merchants. This thesis follows new investigations in both Europe and the USA which have permitted to look anew, often with a cultural history approach, at merchants of the Early Modern period. Focusing on a Montreal merchant outfitter (marchand équipeur) and his family, the investigation first seeks to determine if the Canadian merchants’ culture (broadly defined) was similar to that of their French counterparts who worked on the same business level. A second aim is to evaluate the leeway available to individuals in face of the general conditions of the trade and the role of networks in the merchants’ career. Finally, the thesis attempts to define the self-conception of these men while looking at their lifestyle and the various roles they played in their community. To complete such a study, we have chosen to look « wide and deep » like micro-historians have before us. The study examines the long life of the équipeur, Jean Alexis Lemoine dit Monière, who chose to settle in Montreal in 1715 and whose career Louise Dechêne had followed until 1725. After her, historians have since pictured Monière as a typical marchand équipeur. But he might not have been typical, he might even have been a « limiting case ». The thesis follows him to the end of his life and looking for all the opportunities that were offered to him along the way. It accords considerable importance to the material and immaterial legacy of his father, Jean Lemoine, and to what Monière passed on to this son, Pierre Alexis and a few nephews. Situating Monière between his father who emigrated from Rouen, his brothers and his own son, permits us to see the emergence of a profession, that of équipeur. We look at how Monière, who died in 1754, was prepared to embrace the merchant’s profession and how he perceived the way he should work as an équipeur. This study affords a better understanding of merchants’ culture, broadly conceived, in early French Canada. Exploring a variety of sources and using a micro-historical approach, we hope to have followed Dale Miquelon’s suggestion to look (again) at the merchants’ world with the eyes of the people of the times in order to answer today’s questions.On s’est intéressé dans les années 1950 à 1970 à la disparition d’une bourgeoisie canadienne qui aurait dû faire la transition du capitalisme marchand vers l’industrie. Les réflexions historiennes avaient cependant commencé par la fin, tentant de définir les conséquences historiques à long terme de la « Conquête » sur un groupe encore mal connu qui, en principe, incluait des marchands. Notre thèse s’inscrit dans la lignée des travaux états-uniens et européens qui ont permis de revoir, souvent dans une optique culturelle, les marchands occidentaux de l’époque moderne. À partir du cas précis d’un marchand équipeur montréalais et de sa lignée, nous voulons tout d’abord établir si la culture négociante des marchands, au sens large du terme, était du même ordre que celles des métropolitains qui avaient des commerces semblables. Deuxièmement, nous voulons cerner la marge de manœuvre individuelle face aux contraintes des conditions ambiantes ainsi que le rôle des réseaux dans l’évolution de la carrière des marchands. Enfin, nous souhaitons définir la conception de soi de ces derniers, à travers l’examen de leur style de vie et des rôles qu’ils pouvaient jouer dans leur milieu. Pour le faire, nous avons choisi de ratisser « en largeur » dans des sources multiples, y compris des livres de comptes, et de creuser « en profondeur » pour en extraire le maximum de données. L’enquête a été menée à travers la longue carrière de l’équipeur Jean Alexis Lemoine dit Monière (1680-1754) qui s’est installé à Montréal en 1715. Lemoine est connu de la postérité grâce à l’étude de Louise Dechêne qui l’avait suivi jusqu’en 1725. Elle en a tracé un portrait, amplement repris par la suite, qui a fait de lui l’exemple type de marchand équipeur. Or, Monière n’est peut-être pas typique, il pourrait même être un cas-limite. En le suivant jusqu’à sa mort, nous avons exploré toutes les possibilités qui se sont offertes à lui. Nous avons aussi fait une large place aux legs matériel et immatériel de son père Jean Lemoine, et à ce que Monière a transmis à son fils, Pierre Alexis, ainsi qu’à quelques neveux. En encadrant Monière de son père, immigrant rouennais, de ses frères et de son fils, nous avons pu observer l’émergence d’un métier, celui d’équipeur. Nous avons examiné comment Monière, décédé en 1754, a été préparé à exercer son métier et comment il concevait la pratique de ce dernier. Cette démarche a permis de mieux comprendre la culture (au sens large) des gens de la marchandise au Canada. En utilisant une variété de sources et en faisant appel à une démarche micro-historique, nous souhaitons avoir répondu, vingt-cinq ans plus tard, au vœu de Dale Miquelon de regarder, dans la mesure du possible, le monde de la marchandise avec les yeux des acteurs de la période pour répondre aux interrogations des gens d’aujourd’hui.From the 1950s to the 1970s, historians’ attention was turned towards the disappearance of a bourgeoisie canadienne which should have made the transition from commercial to industrial capitalism. These studies began, so to speak, with the end, in attempting to define the long-term historical consequences of the Conquest on an as-yet ill-defined group that in principle included some merchants. This thesis follows new investigations in both Europe and the USA which have permitted to look anew, often with a cultural history approach, at merchants of the Early Modern period. Focusing on a Montreal merchant outfitter (marchand équipeur) and his family, the investigation first seeks to determine if the Canadian merchants’ culture (broadly defined) was similar to that of their French counterparts who worked on the same business level. A second aim is to evaluate the leeway available to individuals in face of the general conditions of the trade and the role of networks in the merchants’ career. Finally, the thesis attempts to define the self-conception of these men while looking at their lifestyle and the various roles they played in their community. To complete such a study, we have chosen to look « wide and deep » like micro-historians have before us. The study examines the long life of the équipeur, Jean Alexis Lemoine dit Monière, who chose to settle in Montreal in 1715 and whose career Louise Dechêne had followed until 1725. After her, historians have since pictured Monière as a typical marchand équipeur. But he might not have been typical, he might even have been a « limiting case ». The thesis follows him to the end of his life and looking for all the opportunities that were offered to him along the way. It accords considerable importance to the material and immaterial legacy of his father, Jean Lemoine, and to what Monière passed on to this son, Pierre Alexis and a few nephews. Situating Monière between his father who emigrated from Rouen, his brothers and his own son, permits us to see the emergence of a profession, that of équipeur. We look at how Monière, who died in 1754, was prepared to embrace the merchant’s profession and how he perceived the way he should work as an équipeur. This study affords a better understanding of merchants’ culture, broadly conceived, in early French Canada. Exploring a variety of sources and using a micro-historical approach, we hope to have followed Dale Miquelon’s suggestion to look (again) at the merchants’ world with the eyes of the people of the times in order to answer today’s questions

Les couturières en Nouvelle-France : leur contribution socioéconomique à une société coloniale d'Ancien Régime

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal