ALLIÉS DE LA FAMILLE CHAREST

En quittant la colonie pour aller habiter la France, si Etienne Charest n’a laissé aucun héritier de son nom de ce côté-ci de l’océan, il ne manque pas de familles fort distinguées qui peuvent encore se réclamer de lui comme parents ou alliés.

Les de Léry, les Taschereau, les Taché, les Trottier, les Beaubien, les de Beucherville sont autant de clans qui comptent parmi leurs ancêtres, soit des Charest, soit des Bissot, Mais les plus proches alliés des Charest, comme

LVI APPENDICE

les Dufy et les Charly, deux grandes familles de l’époque française, sont complètement éteints au Canada.

M. Dufy, capitaine de milice à Montréal, sous le régime français, avait joué un beau rôle pendant la guerre de la conquête. Le gouvernement, à ce qu'il paraît, voulut lui donne: la croix de St. Louis, après que la colonie eût été cédée à l'Angleterre. Il y eut alors échange d’une curieuse correspondance entre le lieutenant-gouverneur de Québec Cramahé et le ministre des colonies en Angleterre, Nous croyons intéressant de citer quelques unes de ces lettres.

Le 10 octobre 1772, M. Cramahé écrit à Lord Hillsborough :

Quebec 10th October, 1772.

My Lonp,

As the following occurrence carries with it an appearance of what Your Lordship mentioned in your secret and separate Dispatch of 9th April last, relative to the attention of the Court of France to the affairs of this country, I think it my Duty to inform your Lordship, that a M. Dufy of Montreal (before the Conquest, a Captain of Militia of that place, in which he served with credit and Reputation) lately received from Monsieur Mehegan, a Brigadier in the French service, a letter, acquainting him, that in consequence of the Duke. de Choiseuils Promiss to him, of some years standing, Monsieur de Bonnes, the Minister of the Marine, had obtained of the King his nomination to the Order of St. Louis, that as he resided in a foreign Dominion, the Croix could not be sent to him, but he should be invested with it, whenever he repaired to Franue, the Minister’s Official Letter upon the Occasion having been carefully registered for that Purpose in the Bureau des Colonies.

Monsieur Dufy made no scruple to shew me the letter, which he tells me he has answered in general Terms of Thanks, without signifying his acceptance or Refusal of the Order ; He very freely acknowledged, it flattered his

APPENDICE LVi Vanity, but that at his Time of life, being upwards of sixty, he had no thoughts of going to France for the Pleasure of wearing the Order.

Altho in strictness, as a British subject, He is rather liable to censure, for answering in the manner he alleges, yet as he is an honest man, that he is rather too old to change his Ideas of thing* or to shake of the Prejudices of his youth, I judged it most advisable to treat the matter with indifference, the taking notice of it in any other manner might have created Disgust, and added consequence to the measure, if the Court of France has reull, acted therein from political considerations only ; for it is re by many suspected M. Dufy’s Relations in France, Knowiug him to be in affluent circumstances, have r'1shed it, to entice him over in the Hopes of inheriting aore largelv in case of his Death.

.. was once an Idea cf the French Goveranvut na very few years before the Conquast, to distribute Croix to the Captains of Militia, and it is to be observed, that these of the Country Parishes, the meer Habitans or Peasants, rolled in Duty with those of the towns, chosen out of the Bourgeoisie, according to seniority of Commission, this measure at the time was stronglv opposed by the Noblesse, and officers of the Regular Troops, it is not impossible, but it may have been again resumed, in the view of alluring this Order of People, who certainly have profited most by the change of Dominion ; all these little arts wonld not avail them much, if the confusion at present subsisting in Regard to the laws was thoroughly cleared up, a Point the Canadians earnestly wish for, ifthe Government of the Province was established upon a firm and solid Basis, and some means could be devised for employing the Noblesse, who at present are at a loss how to dispose of, or provide for, their children.

I have &e, &ec.