landholding systems and habitants in France and New France

seigneurial system
1. France granted estates to Seigneurs
  1. did not own it and could be taken if duties not fullfiled
  2. with promise to find settlers
2. Seigneurs granted land to Censitaires who then pd dues
3. not all landholders were noble or rich
4. did not include military committment
5. agreements were written in notarized contracts
6. could hunt
7. social distinctions somewhat blunted
8. larger narrow strip farms stretching along the St. Lawrence
9. seigneurs made money through military, trade and government
10. habitant had security of tenure as long as he pd rent
  1. could not be evicted by seigneur
11. fixed rent
12. nourishing diet
feudal system
1. King grants land to Nobles
2. peasants rented plots or pd through working their Nobles land 3x/week
3. nobles owned land
4. Nobles had military committment
5. looser agreements
6. could not hunt
7. distinct social distinctions
8. small plots on Nobles land in a circular formation
9. nobles could not trade, were not pd for military duties and earned their money through rent
10. serf had security of tenure if duties fulfilled
  1. military
  2. work on nobles land
11. rent not fixed and serfs pd high
12. poor diet
habitants
1. Economy
  1. could clear two arpants of land
  2. peasant houses were, whitewashed and topped by thatch made of squared lgs
    1. ground floor had 2-3 rooms
  3. peasant farm 10x the size of France
    1. most not cleared
    2. poor farming practices depleted soil producing poorer crops quickly
    3. had home kitchen garden
    4. learned to subdivide property not land
  4. same as Europe
    1. family worked together to ensure collective survival
    2. marriage was a business partnership where women brought a dowery
2. Family/marriage
  1. Canadian women married at a younger age
  2. Canadian men remarried in 2 years and women in 3
  3. Coureurs de Bois often married FN women
  4. some married without clergy or lived common law
  5. same as Europe
    1. sex for procreation
    2. large families (7-8)
    3. children born and taught at home
    4. weddings had Christian and Pagen customs
    5. inter Faith marriages frowned upon
    6. homosexuality proscribed
    7. death was common
    8. 1 in 4 children died in first year and childhood diseases killed many before adolescence
    9. women commonly died in childbirth
    10. corporal punishment used on children
    11. most families experienced a reasonable level of social harmony due to the need for cooperation for survival
  6. childrearing became less corporal due to FN influence and change in church teachings
3. Family heirarchy (same as Europe)
  1. children belonged to father and could not marry without consent until reached age 25 for daughters and 30 for sons
  2. controlled wife's possessions

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landholding systems and habitants in France and New France

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	Created by tdhein over 10 years ago