“Impressions de Gaspésie, 1857.”
320. Yet Another Mid-Nineteenth Century First-Hand Account of Mixed-Bloods Residing in the Region of Gaspésie, Québec: This folder contains a copy of the January 1939 edition of the Université Laval, Québec publication entitled, “Le Canada-Français.” This document is important because of an article entitled, “Vieux Papiers,” which can be found on pages 483 to 497. Although the author of this article is unknown to me, an important section of this article is entitled, “Impressions de Gaspésie, en 1857.” According to the explanation of this section found on page 483:
“Nous avons promené nos lecteurs à Boucherville en 1810 avec Jacques Viger (livraison de novembre); dans l’Ile d’Orléans en 1809 avec William Berczy (livraison de décembre). Cette fois nous allons en Gaspésie: M. l’abbé Nérée Gingras, qui y fut missionnaire pendant sept années, fut invité en 1857 à donner une conférence sur ce qui avait été le théâtre de son zèle apostolique.
L’invitation lui fut faite par l’Institut de St-Gervais (de Bellechasse). Cette petite paroisse avait son Institut: qu’on veuille bien se référer à l’article de M. Maurice Hébert, l’Institut Canadien de Montréal et l’affaire Guibord (novembre 1938, page 242); on y verra une liste d’Instituts établis dans le Bas-Canada: St-Gervais y figure.
Nous laissons de côté le début de la conférence, consacré aux precautions oratoires.
Nous remercions M. Arthur Labrie, docteur ès Sciences, directeur de la Station de pêcheries de Grande Rivière, qui a bien voulu nous fournir l’explication des termes techniques.”
This loosely translates to:
“We took our readers to Boucherville in 1810 with Jacques Viger (November delivery); This time we are going to Gaspésie: Abbé Nérée Gingras, who was missionary there for seven years, was invited in 1857 to give a lecture on what had been the scene of his apostolic zeal.
The invitation was made by the Institute of St. Gervais (Bellechasse). This small parish had its Institute: please refer to the article by Maurice Hébert, the Canadian Institute of Montreal and the Guibord Affair (November 1938, page 242); we will see a list of institutes established in Lower Canada: St-Gervais is included.
We leave aside the beginning of the conference, devoted to oratory.
We thank Mr. Arthur Labrie, Doctor of Science, Director of the Grande Rivière Fisheries Station, who kindly provided us with an explanation of the technical terms."
Based on this excerpt, we can easily conclude that the section of “Vieux Papiers” entitled, “Impressions de Gaspésie, en 1857.” Is part of a presentation given by Abbé Nérée Gingras in 1857 concerning his own first-hand observations made during his time spent in the region of Gaspésie Québec.
Before I begin my discussion concerning “Impressions de Gaspésie, en 1857,” I will first provide you with a bit of biographical information concerning its Author, Abbé Joseph-Nérée Gingras. According to an online article found on the “Municipalité de Saint-Nérée-de-Bellechasse” website, properly entitled, “Historique” (see http://www.st-neree.qc.ca/indexFr.asp?numero=15):
“La municipalité de Saint-Nérée se situe au sud de Saint-Raphaël et au nord de Saint-Damien-de-Buckland. Arrosée par la rivière Abénaquis, dix petits lacs dont le lac Vert, et quelques ruisseaux, elle est sise presque au centre de la MRC de Bellechasse. Le nom qu’on lui donne rappelle la mémoire de Joseph-Nérée Gingras (1825-1893) qui fut curé de Saint-Raphaël et de Saint-Gervais. À la demande d’une quarantaine de cultivateurs, celui-ci contribue à ouvrir la mission de Saint-Nérée qu’il dessert de 1881 à 1883. Celle-ci compte alors une centaine de familles. Le curé Joseph Élie dit Breton prend la relève l’année suivante et ne tarde pas à faire construire une première église selon les plans de l’architecte de renom Georges-Émile Tanguay. On assiste, deux ans plus tard, à l’érection canonique de la paroisse de Saint-Nérée. Elle sera formée à partir de parties des territoires de Saint-Raphaël, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Lazare et d’une augmentation de l’ancienne seigneurie de Saint-Michel. La municipalité homonyme sera constituée en 1887…”
This loosely translates to:
“The municipality of Saint-Nérée is located south of Saint-Raphaël and north of Saint-Damien-de-Buckland. Watered by the Abénaquis River, ten small lakes including Green Lake, and some streams, it is located almost in the center of the MRC of Bellechasse. The name given to it recalls the memory of Joseph-Nérée Gingras (1825-1893) who was pastor of Saint-Raphaël and Saint-Gervais. At the request of about forty farmers, he helped open the mission of Saint-Nérée that he served from 1881 to 1883. It has about a hundred families. The parish priest Joseph Élie dit Breton took over the following year and was soon to build a first church according to the plans of the renowned architect Georges-Émile Tanguay. Two years later, we witness the canonical erection of the parish of Saint-Nérée. It will be formed from parts of the territories of Saint-Raphaël, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Lazare and an increase of the former seigneury of Saint-Michel. The homonymous municipality will be incorporated in 1887..."
Based on this excerpt, we can conclude that Abbé Joseph-Nérée Gingras was a man of great importance during his time, especially in the region of Bellechasse, Québec.
This information, in addition to the fact that as previously-stated, Abbé Joseph-Nérée Gingras gave his 1857 presentation based on his own first-hand observations that he made while in the region of Gaspésie, Québec, I firmly believe it appropriate to conclude that “Impressions de Gaspésie, en 1857” should be considered a highly reliable source of information.
That being said, it’s now time to begin our discussion concerning “Impressions de Gaspésie, en 1857.” This document is important because of an excerpt found on page 488, which concerns the inhabitants of the settlement of Newport in the region of Gaspésie, Qubec. This settlement was once known to be part of “Pabos” in New France/Québec. This excerpt is as follows:
“… La population de New Port était composée de natifs de l’endroit; ils avaient un jargon tout particulier; la plus grande partie sont nés de Canadiens alliés avec des sauvages ou avec des Gersais, et plusieurs d’eux ont encore le type sauvage imprimé sur la figure; mais c’était un bon peuple, simple dans ses goûts et dans ses habitudes, ne croyant pas qu’on pût désirer mieux qu’ils avaient; c’était un peuple plein de foi, ne se mêlant jamais aux protestants, aimant leurs prêtres, et assistant aux exercices de la mission avec la plus grande régularité, et vraiment aimables dans leur simplicité…”
This loosely translates to:
“… The population of New Port was made up of natives of the place; they had unique jargon; most of them are born of Canadians allied with Savages or with Jerseys, and many of them still have the Savage type printed on the figure; but it was a good people, simple in their tastes and habits, not believing that they could desire better than they had; it was a people full of faith, never mixing with the Protestants, loving their priests, and attending the exercises of the mission with the greatest regularity, and really likeable in their simplicity..."
The most important part of this excerpt lies in the fact that Abbé Joseph-Nérée Gingras reported that in relation to the origins of the people he interacted with at the settlement of New Port in the region of Gaspésie, Québec during his time spent there “la plus grande partie sont nés de Canadiens alliés avec des sauvages ou avec des Gersais, et plusieurs d’eux ont encore le type sauvage imprimé sur la figure” (“most of them are born of Canadians allied with Savages or with Jerseys, and many of them still have the Savage type printed on the figure”). This assertion suggests that the majority of the residents of the region of New Port when Abbé Gingras was stationed there were largely of mixed-blood.
This is consistent with other documentation from the nineteenth century that we’ve discussed throughout this collection, as many of these documents, which are largely first-hand accounts, all assert that the region of Gaspésie, Québec was a region inhabited largely of mixed-blooded people.
A second important part of this excerpt is that Abbé Joseph-Nérée Gingras asserts that the inhabitants of the New Port region of Gaspésie, Québec during his time spent there in the nineteenth century “avaient un jargon tout particulier” (“had unique jargon”). This is important because it suggests that the inhabitants of this region had their own language, which was a variation of the “French” Language.
In conclusion, the importance of “Impressions de Gaspésie, en 1857” lies not in that it adds “ground breaking” information to this collection, as it really doesn’t. The important of this document, especially the recently-discussed excerpt from it, lies in the fact that it suggests the inhabitants of New Port in the Gaspésie region of Québec in the nineteenth century were largely of mixed European and First Nations blood and that they had their own language.
Basically, the importance of “Impressions de Gaspésie, en 1857” lies in the fact that it adds yet another first-hand account of the inhabitants of the region of Gaspésie, Québec in the 1800s.
Article provided by: Eli Laliberte
