Transcribed by Audrey Henderson, 2014
Quebec City Archives
Themis Database of Court Records
April 22, 1852
Piece #34219
Contenant 1960-01-357\93
Dated 22nd April 1852
DEPOSTION
OF
Catherine McGee
Versus
James Lannin(g) & al(l)
(?) Forcible Entry
For
(?) Forcible entry – Warrant refused by (?)
POLICE OFFICE
Province of Canada
District of Quebec Ss.
BEFORE ME, the undersigned, one of the Justices of our Sovereign Lady the Queen assigned to keep the Peace, within the District of Quebec, this twenty second day of April in the year of our Lord Christ, one thousand eight hundred and fifty two, personally came and appeared Catherine McCullough, of the place called Valcartier, wife of Joseph McGee.
Who being duly sworn upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, doth declare, depose, and say, as follows: – to wit,
On or about the first day of May one thousand eight hundred and fifty, my husband agreed with the inhabitants of Valcartier interested in the ferry over the river Jacques Cartier at Valcartier, to act as ferryman there as long as he would live, to which the inhabitants agreed, thereupon we took possession of the house and lot of land which belong to the said ferry, we made a good deal of improvements to the house, we put in two new windows which cost us three dollars, a new loft and a floor, the value of which is at least two dollars. My husband ferried two summers. Last fall my husband left the ferry and hired himself with Mr. D(?) at Valcartier, with the intention of not ferrying any more. In the course of this winter, the inhabitants interested in the said ferry, asked my husband if he intended to ferry any longer, to which my husband replied that he did not. The week before last Easter, eight of the inhabitants interested in the ferry aforesaid, came and warned me to leave the house on or before Easter Monday following, as my husband did not intend to ferry any more, and as they required the place to put in the ferryman who would take my husband’s place. I answered that I did not wish to keep possession of the place if I had any other place to go to. They told me that they had another place in view for me. They then went away. On Easter Monday, the twelfth instant, James Lanning, Richard Kelly, John Bowles, Michael Griffin, John Woodlock and Martin Moyland, all farmers of Valcartier, came to my house with four horses and berlines to cart away my things. When I saw them coming I went and opened the door for them to come in, I asked them for payment of the windows, and boards which my husband had put into the house. They offered me, each, a fifteen pence, and at the same time told me to go and asked the rest of the inhabitants for a fifteen pence from each, the inhabitants interested in the ferry amount to twenty six in number and this money was offered on the value of improvements. I refused their offer and sat down. They told me I’d be to leave the house, I told them that I would leave it if I were paid for the improvements. They took away my things from the house and put them in the berlines and drove them with my children to the school house of Jacques Cartier, at about a mile distant from the ferry aforesaid. Before I left the house of the ferry, I said that they I would take away the boards as three dollars (which they offered to pay me for the improvements) was not the full value of these improvements. At first they agreed to give them to me, and when I went to take them up from the floor where they were laid on the beam but not nailed, the two men still remaining in the house, Richard Kelly and Michael Griffin prevented me from taking away the said boards and Griffin said that if I dared to lay hands on the boards that he would put me to Gaol and Kelly told me that I had no more possession of the house and to walk out of it, otherwise he would nail me up inside.
In the school house where they have put me and my family there are three broken windows and no door in one part of the house.
Since I have been expelled from the house of the ferry I have received fifteen pence from three of the inhabitants connected with the ferry Francis Conway, John Woodlock & Martin Moyland. Further Deponent saith not and hath declared she cannot sign.
Sworn before me, at the City of Quebec on the day and year first above written. Signed (?) J.P.
____________________________________________________________________
Recent Comments