FRENCH PEASANTS IN TWO WORLDS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF RURAL EXPERIENCE IN SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ACADIA AND THE LOUDUNAIS GREGORY M. W. KENNEDY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN HISTORY YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO APRIL 2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-39018-4 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-39018-4 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. •*• Canada ABSTRACT This study examines rural societies in Acadia and the Loudunais and their relations to the state, between about 1650 and 1765, in order to compare peasant experience broadly between France and its Atlantic colonies, and specifically between families from western France who migrated to Acadia and those who remained. Although we know much about political events in these regions, relatively little has been written on the social history of their inhabitants. This approach suggests new ways of interpreting the conditions imposed on peasants and the choices they nevertheless made in pursuit of their self-interest. The comparison includes three distinct approaches. Part I considers the contexts that shaped rural development, including the natural environment, frontier conditions, and the demands of the state. Part II establishes demographic trends using parish registers in order to consider questions of growth, change and continuity, conformity, and social hierarchy. Part III studies the seigneurial system, the rural economy, and community institutions like the vestry and assembly. These socioeconomic structures, in part imposed on and in part defined by peasants, placed limits on agriculture and trade and the ability of peasants to change their circumstances, and shaped differences in wealth and status among peasant groups. The general argument is that the Acadians were not greatly different from those they left behind in the Loudunais in their political pragmatism, their social organization, their local hierarchy, or even their demographic success, and that both rural societies occupy points on a common spectrum of French rural experience within a larger Atlantic world - one defined by the shared interests, methods, and perspectives of rural people. iv Although the contexts for rural development were very different for these rural societies, Acadian demographic patterns were gradually becoming more like those of the Loudunais, while socioeconomic structures like the seigneurial system and the village assembly retained important similarities throughout the period. Peasants in both Acadia and the Loudunais had a pragmatic perspective, seeking order and security through the creation and maintenance of a network of social relationships, economic options and political connections, as well as a common landscape of community and agriculture. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ...iv Acknowledgements . vi List of Maps, Pictures, Tables and Figures viii List of Abbreviations xi General Introduction 1 Part I - Contexts for Rural Development 1. The Natural Environment 14 2. Frontier Conditions 76 3. The Demands of the State 142 Conclusion to Part 1 174 Part II — Demography Introduction to Sources and Methods 178 4. The Demography of the Loudunais, 1737-1765 182 5. The Demography of Acadia, 1712-1740 218 6. Comparative Analysis and Conclusion to Part II , 257 Part III - Socioeconomic Structures 7. The Seigneurial System 281 8. The Rural Economy and Differences in Wealth 321 9. Community Institutions - Vestry and Assembly..... 392 Conclusion to Part III 435 General Conclusion. 439 Appendix A: Rural budgets 452 Maps 487 Documents and Secondary Sources 490 vii LIST OF MAPS Map 1 - The Loudunais and the Loire (1635) 68 Map2-Aulnay, La Chaussee, Martaize, Cassini Map (1744-1787) 487 Map 3-Acadia before 1755 488 Map 4 - Settlement around Annapolis Royal, 1733 489 LIST OF PICTURES Picture 1 - Fields around Loudun 69 Picture 2 - Fields near Martaiz6 70 Picture 3 - Belleisle Creek (near Annapolis Royal) 71 Picture 4 - Belleisle Marsh (near Annapolis Royal) 72 Picture 5 - Fields near Grand Pre (Minas) ..73 Picture6-LowtideontheBayofFundyatMinas 74 Picture 7-Former location of Beaubassin 75 Picture 8 - Square Tower at Loudun 136 Picture 9 - Porte du Martray, Loudun 137 Picture 10-ToweratMoncontour 138 Picture 11 - Remains of walls at seigneurial estate of La Bonnetiere (La Chaussee) 139 Picture 12-Fort Anne Flag Bastion (Annapolis Royal) 140 Picture 13-Fort Anne overlooking harbour at Annapolis Royal .141 Picture 14 - Seigneurial estate of La Bonnetiere 320 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 - Adverse weather reported by contemporary observers in Acadia and the Loudunais...32 Table 2 - Population growth in Acadia during the LMM 33 Table 3 - Estimated early modern annual mean temperatures, France, Quebec, and Acadia 40 Table 4 - Punishments authorized for men caught salt-smuggling 98 Table 5 - State machinery in Acadia and the Loudunais in 1700 145 Table 6 - Taille assessments and population of the election of Loudun, 169 8-1788 151 Table 7 - Taille assessments and population within the election of Loudun, 1788 152 Table 8 - Rate of the taille tarifee on rural property and income 156 Table 9 - Average birth intervals of first and second children (Loudunais) 196 Table 10 -Average birth intervals of first and second children (Acadia) 234 Table 11 - Delay between birth and baptism among selected centre families of Annapolis Royal 238 Table 12 - Delay between birth and baptism among selected centre families of Minas... 239 Table 13 - List of seigneurs in and around Aulnay, La Chaussee and Martaize, about 1750 283 Table 14-List of seigneurs in Acadia, about 1690 285 Table 15 - Seigneurs and estate managers as lenders in Aulnay, La Chaussee and Martaize....306 Table 16 - Estimate of seigneurial revenue from the cens et rentes, 1707 309 Table 17 - Accounts of Annapolis Royal rent-collectors Duon and Robichaud, 1739 310 Table 18 - Total revenue, expenses, and net income of day-worker and ploughman 335 Table 19- Total revenue, expenses, and net income of Landry and Boudrot 375 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 -Taille assessment for the election of Loudun, 1744 150 Figure 2 -Taille assessment for the election of Loudun, 1760 150 Figure3 -Burials in Aulnay, LaChaussee, andMartaize 183 Figure 4 - Age at death in Aulnay, La Chaussee, and Martaize 184 Figure 5 - Age at death broken down by five year periods 185 Figure 6-Number of burials each year and average wheat price 191 Figure 7-Number of baptisms 192 Figure 8 -Number of baptisms and burials 193 Figure 9-Number of conceptions by month ....194 Figure 10- Comparison of number of conceptions by month 194 Figure 11 -Number of marriages by year 208 Figure 12-Number of marriages, burials, and baptisms by year 209 Figure 13- Comparison of number of marriages by month 211 Figure 14 - Origins of grooms 213 Figure 15 - Origins of brides 213 Figure 16-Marriage alliances of the centre families 215 Figure 17-Number of burials (Acadia)... 222 Figure 18-Age at death in Annapolis Royal and Minas 223 Figure 19 - Movement of age at death in Annapolis Royal and Minas 224 Figure 20 - Number of baptisms by year in Annapolis Royal and Minas 229 Figure 21 - Comparison of baptisms and burials in Annapolis Royal 231 Figure 22 - Conceptions by month in Annapolis Royal, Minas and Beaubassin 232 Figure 23 - Comparison of conceptions by month in Acadia and Canada 233 Figure 24 - Length of delay between birth and baptism at Annapolis Royal 237 Figure 25- Length of delay between birth and baptism in Minas 238 Figure 26- Length of delay between birth and baptism in Beaubassin 239 Figure 27 - Number of marriages by year in Annapolis Royal, Minas and Beaubassin 244 Figure 28