The 5th November, 1796, a deed of sale by the attorney of Adam
Lymburner. Subsequently Angus Shaw became the proprietor in consideration
of $4,100. On the 17th October, 1825, a judicial sale, to the late Henry
Atkinson, Esq.
[87] Hon. D.A. Ross.
[88] This attempt, although ushered in with a brilliant victory on 28th
April 1760, failed.
[89] Born in 1765; died in 1820; resided at Quebec, 1741-46.
[90] See Histoire de la Gazette de Quebec - Gerin, p. 24.
[91] The "Neptune" Inn was opened as a house of public entertainment for
captains, by William Arrowsmith, on 1st May, 1809 (See Quebec Mercury,
1st May, 1809.)
[92] DOINGS OF THE PRESS GANG AT QUEBEC, 1807 - Le Canadien newspaper, of
September, 1807, thus records the death, on the 13th September of that
year, of Simon Latresse, from the discharge of fire arms. - It had taken
place on the evening of the preceding Saturday, the perpetrator being one
of the crew of H.M. man-of-war Blossom, commanded by Captain George
Picket. "Latresse," says this journal, "was at the time attending a dance
in St. John suburbs, when a press-gang, under the charge of Lieut. Andrel,
entered. Latresse was laid hold of, but his great strength and activity
enabled him to shake off his captors. He then took to his heels and
received from one of them a pistol shot, the ball going through his body.
He was a native of Montreal, aged 25 years; had been for seven years a
voyageur to Michilimakinac; was noted for his fidelity and attachment to
his employers. Latresse leaves a widowed mother of 75 years of age to
mourn his loss, of whom he was the support". The poet Quesnel wrote a fine
piece of verse to commemorate the event. It is to be found in the
Bibliotheque Canadienne of 1826.
[93] Quebec, 5th December, 1816. "At a meeting of the Board of Green
Cloth, held at the "Neptune" Inn, John Wm. Woolsey in the chair, it was
unanimously decided to establish a Merchants' Exchange in the lower part
of the Neptune Inn, &c. (Then follow the resolutions.) Subscription to be
two guineas per annum.
"On motion of John Jones, Esq., Resolved that the following gentlemen do
form a Committee of Management: - Thomas Edward Brown, James Heath, George
Symes, John W. Woolsey and Robert Melvin."
[94] William Finlay, an eminent merchant of Quebec, and one of its chief
benefactors, made several bequests which the city authorities invested in
the purchase of this market. Mr. Finlay died at the Island of Madeira,
whether he had gone for his health, about the year 1831.
[95] "ROMPU VIF," 1752 - A good deal of patriotic indignation has been
bubbled over at the mention of what was termed the Old World mode of
punishing high treason against the State. With respect to the atrocious
sentence pronounced by Chief Justice Osgood, at Quebec, in 1797, carried
out on the criminal David McLane, the "disembowling and hanging"
particulars (so well related by an eye-witness, the late P. A. DeGaspe,
Esq.,) ought not to be considered such a novelty in Canada.
A Montreal antiquary, Mr. P. S. Murphy, has unearthed a sentence
pronounced at Montreal in the good old Bourbon times, 6th June, 1752,
which shows that the terrible punishment of "breaking alive" (rompu vif)
was in force under the French regime.
"Belisle," says Mr. P. S. Murphy, "was condemned to 'torture ordinary and
extraordinary,' then to be broken alive on a scaffold erected in the
market place. The awful sentence was carried out to the letter, his body
buried in Guy street, Montreal, and a Red Cross erected to mark the
spot."
Translation. - Extract from the requisition of H. C. Majesty's
Attorney: -
"I require for the King that Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle be arraigned
and convicted of having wilfully and feloniously killed the said Jean
Favre by a pistol shot and several stabs with a knife, and of having
similarly killed the said Marie-Anne Bastien, wife of the said Favre, with
a spade and a knife, and of having stolen from them the money that was in
their house; for punishment of which that he be condemned to have his
arms, legs, thighs and backbone broken, he alive, on a scaffold, which
shall be erected for that purpose in the market place of this city, at
noon, then on a rack, his face turned towards the sky, he be left to die.
The said Jean Baptiste Goyer dit Belisle, being previously put to the
torture ordinary and extraordinary, his dead body shall be carried by the
executioners to the highway which lies between the house lately occupied
by the said accused and the house lately occupied by the said Jean Favre
and his wife. The goods and chattels of the said Jean Baptiste Goyer dit
Belisle confiscated to the King, or for the benefit of those who may have
a right to them, or of those not liable to confiscation, the sum of 300
livres fine being previously set apart, in case that confiscation could be
made for the benefit of His Majesty.
"(Signed), FAUCHER.
"Done at Montreal, the 6th June, 1752."
[96] The most spacious, the most remarkable of these substantial vaults of
French construction, are those which now belong to the Estate Poston, on
the north side of Notre Dame street, nearly opposite the church Notre Dame
des Victoires. It is claimed that these vaults were so constructed as not
only to be fire proof but water-proof likewise at the seasons of high
water, in spring and autumn. This vault is now occupied by Messrs.
Thompson, Codville & Co. as Inland Revenue and Customs bonded warehouses.
[97] "Cours d'Histoire du Canada," Ferland, Vol.
