Source : Beaconsfield
et Beaurepaire Chronicle of the development of Beaconsfield et Beaurepaire by
Robert L. Baird and Gisele Hall
----------------
Documents fournis par Monsieur André GUENET - MONTREAL
Jean Guenet : The First Landholder
Among the eight initial land grants; in Beaurepaire, there were one to Jean Guenet (or Quenet). Guenet (1647-1733) was one of the early entrepreneurs of the French colony. He was 31 years of age when on May 18, 1674. He acquired the 12 Arpents at Pointe-Anaouy which he called Beaurepaire (Terrier 129, Cadastre 7 Thomson Point). Perusal of numerous notarial documents pertaining to transactions in which he was involved provides a vivid insight into the life of this early pioneer and a picture of living conditions in New France during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries (see Appendix {7)).
Guenet was baptised on April 11th, 1647 in the ancient trading town of Rouen. He was the son of Jean Guenet and Marthe Varin of St Godard ( Rouen). Guenet Senior was director of the "Compagnie des Indes Occidentales in Tadoussac" and his uncle, Roger Guenet, was a cunseiller au Parlement in Rouen. On the maternal side, one of his uncle was the royal notary and Jean-Baptiste Varin was a medallist for the royal court of France. This family background certainly assisted Guenet's career in the fur-trading business in New-France. In 1687 he was granted a permit from France allowing him to open a hatters shop, to make fur hats, fur blankets, and gloves. (He was classified as one of six chapelliers in Canada at that time). His boutique was located on de la Commune near la porte de cette ville dite Lachine. He kept it until 1710.
He acquired his first property in LaSalle. (Lot 498) in 1672 where he was granted a concession near the mill erected by the Sulpicians. On December 8, 1675 he married Etiennette Hurtubise (1656-1717) daughter of a neighhouring farmer. Guenet was a merchant and an "importer" and he became controller of the domains ot the king and the tax collector for the seigneurs of the Island of Montreal. Consequently he became very familiar with all the lands of the seigneury.. It is not surprising, since he was in constant negociation with the Sulpicians, that he acquired several strategically-situated sites. After obtaining Beaurepaire he proceeded to secure from Sieur de Chailly 'a part of the fief noble called Bellevue at Bout de l'Ile (Senneville) This fief had been originally granted in 1672 to the Berthe brothers.
Guenet moved to fief Bellevue in 1678. According to the census of 1681 he was located there with his 25 year old wife and two chiklren. Pierre and Helene. He had 15 arpents under cultivation, two cows one gun and employed a 40 year old male domestic. This location offered great advantages in intercepting the Indians bringing furs down the Ottawa river, before they reached Ville-Marie.
This was illegal for on November 8 1680, He was sent to jail and fined 2000 livres for trafficking skins with distant tribes.
In 1685, he bought a farm situated at Pointe-Caron in Baie d 'Urfe and in 1694 he added to his possessions the eight arpents immediately west of his concession of Beaurepaire. This land had been abandoned by his cousin Jean LeMire. Thus he controlled the three major points of land where the Ottawa Indians passed on their way from Lac des Deux Montagnes to Lachine.
In 1689 after resumption of the war with the Iroquois, the entire west Island was exposcd to surprise attack. Guenet was forced to move with his family back to the protection of Ville Marie. Girouard stated that during the entire period from February 16th, 1689 to October 10th,1701, Guenet lived at Ville-Marie. At the close of the war. he renewed his interest in Beaurepaire for, on November 15th, 1701, we find Guenet letting a contract to a mason to have a chimney* built for his home there. In two years Guenet had the farm operating. for he then decided to lease it as a unit to Jean de Lalonde dit Lespérance and Jeanne Gervais his wife. (On November 30. 1703). Guenet was still designated as a hatters and residing in Ville Marie. He signed the lease with Lalonde before notary Antoine Adhemar It is an interesting: document. He leased the title to the farm together with one half the grain harvest for a period of six and one half years. This method of leasing à moitié was used frequently in New France. The property included a barn, stables, and a bakery. However. in leasing it Guenet retained for himself and his family the right to live in the house at their convenience. Lalonde undertook to farm the property and deliver one half of the produce to Guenet in Ville Marie. Guenet included in the leave four oxen and eight head of cattle. They agreed to split any increase in the size of the herd. Lalondc was allotted the use of the house when Guenet and his family were not there.
Where Lalonde and his family lived when Guenet chose to live in the house is not made clear. An elaborate formula for splitting the increase in the pig population was then agreed to, together with a formula for sharing the hens, capons, roosters and eggs. Guenet provided a labourer to assist the lessee with the vegetable garden and the produce was to be split evenly.
Just prior to signing the lease, Guenet had an inventory of all his goods and farm animals made by the notary, Antoine Adhemar. Among the usual list of items was an enumeration of his wine cellar which included seven pints and seven pots of Spanish wine..It is interesting to note that French wines were not on the list.
Guenet's first wife was interred at Montreal on Sept. 17th, 1717. After having borne thirteen children. In 1718, at the age of 71 years , he married Francoise Cuillerier widow of Joseph Trottier, owner of the fief of L'Ile Perrot and daughter of Rene Cuillerier , another wealthy merchant from Lachine.
This happy occurrence helped prolonged his life for a further 15 years.. In 1724 we find him on rue St.-Pierre with his second wife. He died on April 17th. 1733
During his lenghthy career, Guenet amassed a fortune as maitre Chapelier, merchant,.court interpreter, importer, gentleman farmer, road inspector, inspector of beaver licences and fee collectors for the seigneurs of the island of Montreal. He was certainly Beaurepaire first distinguished citizen..
Signature de Jean Guenet
Source…Beaconsfield et Beaurepaire Chronicle of the development of
Beaconsfield et Beaurepaire by RobertL. Baird and Gisele Hall
The Beaurepaire-Beaconsfield Historical Society
have in their possession close to one hundred notarail documents pertaining
to Jean Guenet (often spelled Quenet).
The following lists those documents that are
relevant to Beaurepaire.
Date
Title
Notary
March 13, 1672
Concession Casson Quenet (Cote ~Saint-Louis
Benigne Basset
March 10, 1675
Accord avec Mlle de Beslisle et Jean Quenet
B. Basset
March 17, 1675
Cession a Pierre Fourmier par G. de Berthe (Fief de Bellevue en son nom et au nom de son frere Sr. Chailly
B. Basset
December 3, 1675
Contrat de Mariage Jean Quenet et Etiennette Hurtebise
B. Basset
May 18, 1678
Cession F. Lefebvre a Quenet (Beaurepaire)
F. Lefebvre
December 10, 1678
Arpents bornes par Basset (Cession Bout-de-l'Ile)
B. Basset
August 24, 1683
Aven et denombrement du fief de Bellevue
B. Basset
October 29, 1685
Vente de cession Quenet a P. Paternostre
B. Basset
January 10, 1686
Cession & transport Quenet p?lr de Chailly
C. Maugue
September 19, 1687
Bail J. Milot a Quenet
B. Basset
June 27, 1688
Vente Truneau a Quenet
A. Adhemar
March 5, 1691
Concession Riv. St. Pierre, decharge Casson - Quenet
A. Adhemar
April 16, 1694
Concession a Quenet (pres de la petite riviere)
A. Adhemar
Decembre 28, 1694
Cession Quenet (Anaouy)
A. Adhemar
May 18, 1696
Banc d'eglise a Ville-Marie par Quenet
A. Adhemar
July 7, 1697
Partage entre Quenet et sa femme E. Hurtebise
A. Adhemar
April 12, 169?
Vente Riv. St. Pierre aux Freres Hospitaliers
A. Adhemar
August 12, 1698
Vente par Quenet aux Freres Hospitaliers
A. Adhemar
September 27, 1698
Concession a Quenet - Emplacement a Ville-Marie, Lot 8
A. Adhemar
August 30, 1700
Representation des titres Casson - Quenet
A. Adhemar
November 15, 1701
Travau a terminer (cheminees) Beaurepaire
A. Adhemar
November 30, 1703
Bail de la ferme Beaurepaire - Anaouy, Quenet a Lalonde
A. Adhemar
February 22-26, 1707
Obligation Quenet a feu Jacques LeBer
M. Le Pailleur
September 29, 1710
Vente Quenet a Antoine Farley Chapelier (boutique)
A. Adhemar
January 7, 1718
Inventaire de Quenet & sa femme
A. Adhemar
September 21, 1724
Bail maison Quenet & sa 2e femme F. Cuillerier
A. Adhemar
October 2, 1730
Dotation de Quenet a sa fille Elisabeth
E. Coron
January 11, 1735
Arret Charlotte & J. Millot au sujet de la succession de
to May 11, 1736
J. Quenet, pere
August 4, 1769
Vente par Quenet - Lamothe a Amable Curot
Pierre Panet
December 31, 1777
Vente Curot a Savourin (Pte. Quenet guest)
January Z, 1778
Vente Curot a Paul Lefebvre-Lacizerai (Pte. Quenet guest)
January 17, 1780
Bail Curot a Pierre Jolive (Pte. Quenet)
November 30, 1780
sale hy auction by Sheriff of Montreal to Pierre Vallee
E. W. Gray