GUENET AT LACHINE RAPIDS

But to return to Guenet. He chose building sites not only at Pointe Claire and St. Annes, but also at Lachine, Thus, in the year 1672, we see him take the deed of concession of a lot, since gone into the Sommerville family, with an additional extent of land, and finally to W. W. Ogilvie, at the exact spot whereon was built the first water mill of the Seigneurs at Lachine Rapids.

In relation to this larger piece of land in part formed by the concession of Jean Boursier dit Lavigne, recently purchased by Mr. W. W. Ogilvie, a newspaper generally well informed has been giving vent, through the mouth piece of one of its reporters, to indescribable naïvetés. The reader is informed in the gravest manner that ‘ Dollard de Casson,” instead of Dollier de Casson, Superior of the Seminary, could neither read nor write, and that this appears literally by Mr. Ogilvie’s first deed of grant. I have read this deed, and it is simply stated that the grantee, that is to say Boursier, not Dollier, could neither read nor write. Mr. Dollier is well known as the first historian of Montreal. It might perhaps be advisable, before undertaking the risk of explaining old parchments, to first become acquainted with the leading characters of our history, and then familiarize one self with ancient writings. Mr. Dollier granted the concession titles of nearly every land on the island of Montreal, from that of Guenet, at Beaurepaire, to Boursier’s at Lachine, on Sault St, Louis. If he dit not always sign, this is explained by the fact that the notary, who was at the same time tabellion, did not require him: s0 to do. When under hand—-a frequent occurrence — the deed was always signed. |

Guenet generally made his summer residence at Lachine ; the census of 1681 finds him on his farm at Lachine, with his wife, Etiennette Heurtebise, and two children. He had then fifteen acres under cultivation, and even indulged in the luxury of a servant,

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Antoine Sans-Soucy. All his children were baptized at Ville Marie or at Lachine, His name never appeared in the registers of Pointe Claire, His wife was buried in Montreal, in 1717, at a time when Pointe Claire existed as a parish. At Montreal also, in 1718, he married Françoise Ouillerier, daughter of a prominent citizen of Ville Marie and Lachine, the brave René Cuillerier.

LA POINTE ANAOUY.

I do not doubt but that Guenet did very little upon his farm at Beaurepaire before the commencement of the last century (1), at the same time as the colonists were commencing to take possession of the lands of Grand’Anse and Pointe Claire. It was on || the 28th of November, 1694, that he acquired the eight acres of {| frontage adjoining west of Beaurepaire, and forming to day the qi holding of John Angell, and part of that of James Thompson.

| Upon these eight acres Pointe Anaouy was situated, where

Messrs. Charles Shorey, William Macmaster. C. P. Sclater, and

others have just built magnificent summer cottages. It was

on September 30th, 1700, that he thought of asking for a title

to another portion of his domain which he held only under a

verbal agreement with Mr. Dollier, made ‘ twenty-one or twenty-

two years ago,” for the good reason that peace having been prac-

tically concluded with the Iroquois, the lands of Pointe Claire

and above were becoming valuable. In the deed of 1700, Beaure-

paire is again mentioned as being ‘on Lake St. Louis and at

the point of fine resort (beau repaire) above Lachine.” No men- : tion of the parish of Pointe Claire.