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Description
FC 3212 K44 030.001 · Item · June 18, 1676
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

Promissory note for 57 livres written in French.

Translation: "At Montreal, 18 June 1676. I undersigned confess to owe the sum of 57 livres to Jean Aubuchon, bourgeois of Montreal."
Signed by Joachim Germaneau.

From notes provided by the donor, "An early promissory note, made out at Montreal. The note was most likely provided by Aubuchon by Germaneau in exchange for fur trade goods. As there was no payment date stated, they probably had a payment schedule in mind, perhaps at the end of the fur trading season, or when Germaneau was expecting to be paid his soldiering wages in hard currency by the government of New France.

Joachim Germaneau (? - 1717) arrived in Canada in 1665 as a soldier. He is known to have been an outfitter in the fur trade between 1692 and 1694. He, as with most military men of the time in New France, probably participated in the fur trade during his official assignments prior to 1692.

Jean Aubuchon dit l'Esperance (?-1685) was a fur trader in Montreal, and brother-in-law to the Royal Notary Adhemar. At one point in his career, he was fined 50 livres for trading liquor with the 'Indians,' which was strictly prohibited."

FC 3212 K44 030.007 · Item · October 26, 1798
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

Warrant to the Sheriff to summon 12 principal householders. Signed and sealed in Montreal 1798 by Alexander Henry (the elder) and Alexander Auldjo. Also endorsed by Sheriff Wm. Gray.

From notes provided by the donor: "Known by the Natives as 'the handsome Englishman,' Alexander Henry was one of the first English traders to pursue the fur trade in Canada upon the fall of New France. He was one of the founding members of the Beaver Club, and together with his nephew Alexander Henry the younger, acquired a share in the North West Company in 1792. He related his early experiences in his celebrated book 'Travels and Adventures in Canada and the Indian Territories, Between the years 1760 and 1776.'

Alexander Auldjo, a leader among Montreal businessmen in the 1780s, invested considerable sums in the Canadian fur trade, bought and sold property, and administered estates. He also had intimate dealings with other noteworthy Montreal merchants, namely William Maitland, Richard Dobie, and Simon McTavish.

With regard to the present document, Henry and Auldjo, in the capacity of 'His Majesty's Justices to Keep Peace in Montreal,' consider an application by Peter Foretier to subdivide a six-acre piece of land 'situated near the Town Walls, along the rivulet commonly called the Montreal River.' In this light, the document proposes to summon twelve principal householders of the district to appear before the justices to consider the proposed subdivision."

1806 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.014 · Item · January 31, 1806
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This is a fill-in-the-blank contract for employment with McTavish, Frobisher & Co. and John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain. It is signed by Charles Laneuville. It was signed in Montreal. There are numerous revisions to the standard contract written in ink.

1806 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.015 · Item · February 6, 1806
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract is for employment with McTavish, Frobisher & Co. and John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain. It is signed by Ignace Roberts, who signed in Montreal.

1808 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.016 · Item · April 25, 1808
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank form is an employment contract with McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. and John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain. It is signed by Francois Lefevre, who signed in Montreal.

1811 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.017 · Item · October(?) 30, 1811
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank form is an employment contract with McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. and John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain. It is signed by Louis Mallette, who signed in Montreal.
This form was printed by Imprimerie de Brown.

1811 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.018 · Item · October(?) 26(?), 1811
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract is for employment with McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. and John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain. It is signed by Pierre Mailloux, who signed in Montreal.
The form was printed by Imprimerie de Brown.

1811 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.019 · Item · October(?) 30, 1811
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract is for employment with McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. and John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain. It is signed by Andre Langevin, who signed in Montreal.
The form was printed by Imprimerie de Brown.

1820 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.020 · Item · December 5, 1820
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract is for employment with McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. & Pierre de Rocheblave. It is signed by Louis Chouinard, who signed in Montreal. It appears that A. N. Macleod signed for the company, although the last few letters of the signature are difficult to make out.

1802 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.021 · Item · April 22, 1802
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract is for employment with Alexr. Mackenzie and Company. It is signed by Frederick Abt, who signed in Montreal.

1802 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.022 · Item · April 30, 1802
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract was originally for employment with Parker Gerrard & Ogilvy, but this name is crossed out and replaced with Alexr. Mackenzie. It is signed by Michel Dantigny, who signed in Montreal.

1807 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.024 · Item · May 19, 1807
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract is for employment with Parker Gerrard Ogilvy & Co. It is signed by Charles Monnette de Boismis, who signed in Montreal.

1806 voyageur contract
FC 3212 K44 030.027 · Item · February 25, 1806
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

This fill-in-the-blank contract is for employment with Forsyth Richardson & Co. but the clerk who filled in the form began writing "Richardson" first before crossing it out. This contract is signed by Jacques Commercie (father), who signed in Montreal.

FC 3212 K44 030.029 · Item · March 2, 1818
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

Indictment for Robbery, signed in Montreal, 1818.

Docket reads: "No. 19. King's Bench, Montreal. March Term, 1818. Dominus Rex vs. Pierre C. Pambrun, Jean Bte. Girard, Antoine Robillard, Jean Bte. Lagarde, Frans. Boucher & Benonie Marie. Indictment for Robbery. A True Bill. [signed] Fs. Rolland, foreman. Witnesses: Jean Gab. Lalonde, dt. La Prielle, Jean Bte. Chauvin. Process. fyled 5 March. [signed] N.F. Uniacke, Atty Genl."

From notes provided by the donor: "This original document outlines the charge of robbery against Pierre Chrysologue Pambrun (1792-1841) and his associates (all employees of the Hudson's Bay Company), which took place on the 10th of November 1816. The indictment was officially filed with the Court of King's Bench in Montreal on 2nd of March 1818.

The charge is stated (in essence) as:

'With force and arms at a place called 'Lapuise' the accused men (employees of the HBC) assaulted and endangered the life of Joseph Belcour (trader with the NWC [North West Company]) on the 'highway' aforesaid (Lac des Cedres Rouges), and stole 9 beaver skins, 25 musk rat skins, 2 otter skins, 1 bear skin, 1 keg of gun powder, one sack of lead balls (28 pounds weight), 1 roll of tobacco (65 pounds weight), 9 pairs of woollen blankets, 3.5 yards of scarlet cloth, 14 yards of blue cloth, 21 yards of blue cloth, 6 frocks (commonly called capots made of woollen cloth or molton), 3 figured flannel robes, 1 pound and ten ounces weight of beads, 200 gun flints, 1 piece and one-half piece of broad tape, 1 Indian knife, 3 clasp knives, three-quarters of a pound of vermilion, 1 gimblet, 23 shoemaker's awls, 12 gun worms, and 4 dozen metal rings powder (each listed with values), the goods and chattel of 'certain persons' (i.e., Joseph Belcour, on behalf of the NWC).'

Pierre Pambrun was a long-time employee and servant of the HBC, and was intimately involved in the 'Pemmican War' disputes between the HBC and the North West Company, primarily during the years 1814 to 1816. Pambrun, as witness, provided the courts with his observations and experiences of various skirmishes between the two companies. His evidence was included in published accounts of the trials.

Not much is known about Joseph Belcour, aside from the fact that we know that he was employed by the NWC in 1811 at Athabasca River. Although not stated on the document, we can safely conclude that he was still associated with the NWC during the time of this incident, as the document is written in the style and format of similar indictments brought against the HBC by the NWC. We can also safely concluded that this legal action taken was paid for by the NWC coalition, as part of a larger retaliatory action against the HBC, in the fight for unrestricted access to furs and supplies (i.e., pemmican) in western Canada.

Norman Fitzgerald Uniacke, son of Nova Scotia's Attorney General Richard John Uniacke, was Attorney General of Lower Canada at the time of the 'Pemmican War' hearings. He was a controversial figure, and was criticised for his very superficial acquaintance with criminal law and inadequate knowledge of civil law.

This official document was brought before the courts in Montreal, but did not proceed to completion owing to the fact that the 'Jurisdiction Act' of 1803 did not clearly state the jurisdiction of the courts of Lower Canada. Thus, the 'Indian Countries' fell outside of their area of responsibility. In addition, it was argued that the trials would not escape sympathetic influence of Montreal residents (including lawyers) connected in some way to the NWC. Thus, the trials were moved to York (Toronto), and the legal actions continued in the fall of 1818."

FC 3212 K44 102.002 · Item · September 2, 1776
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

A handwritten voyageur contract for the position of “Devant” (Bowsman), signed in Montreal on September 2, 1776. This document contracts Joseph Leger dit Parizeau as a bowsman for Joseph-Louis Ainsse for the salary of 450 francs “currency of the country.” The outline of the contract was pre-written in black ink and later filled in with particulars by Francois Simonnet in a paler ink.