One of the
memorable landmarks of the past, it has furnished a subject for the pencil
of Col. Benson J. Lossing, author of the "American Revolution," and "Life
of Washington," who, during his visit to Quebec, in July, 1858, sketched
it with others, for Harper's Magazine, where it appeared, over the
heading "Montcalm's Headquarters, Beauport," in the January number, 1859,
page 180, from which drawing it was transferred to the columns of the
Canadian Illustrated News, for May, 1881.
Whilst the deciphering of some of the letters I.H.S. - M.I.A. at the top of
the inscription has exercised the ingenuity of our Oldbucks and Monkbarns,
the plate itself and its inscription will furnish to the student of
history an indefeasible proof of the exact spot, and of the date, when and
where stood the oldest of our seigniorial manors, - that of Robert Gifart,
on the margin of the ruisseau de l'ours, at Beauport, in 1634.
J. M. LeMoine Esquire, President Literary and Historical Society,
Quebec:
BEAUPORT, 26th March, 1881
"SIR. - The tablet found in the Manor House of Beauport by some
workmen, last summer, and only recently restored to the proprietors,
is a circular plate of lead or pewter much injured by the fire which
consumed the building.
Owing to the unwillingness of the men concerned to give any
information, it is difficult to learn much about whereabouts in the
building it was found, nor what other articles may have accompanied
it, but as far as can be ascertained, this oval plate (about 1/4 of an
inch in thickness) was rolled up and contained a few coins and some
documents; the first cannot be traced and are spoken of as "quelques
sous;" the latter, they say, crumbled into dust at once.
