C) THE SEIGNEURY SYSTEM [TEXT PP 240242]  IN

c) The Seigneury System

c) The Seigneury System [text pp. 240-242]

 In Old France, the land system revolved around a landowner and his tenant workers.

 This system occurred in New France also, and it was based around the St. Lawrence River.

i] The Seigneury [text p. 242 Fig. 8-25]

Seigneury = parcel of colonial land granted by the king.
The king was the actual owner of this land in New France.
The king would then grant title to the land to people who would become seigneurs.
The seigneurs wouldn’t technically own the land, but they held title to it i.e., they cared for it in the king’s name.

C) THE SEIGNEURY SYSTEM [TEXT PP 240242]  IN

↓

C) THE SEIGNEURY SYSTEM [TEXT PP 240242]  IN

ii] Subdivided Lots

Once seigneurs obtained title to the land, they would subdivide the seigneury into strips.
Each strip would be rented out to habitants as farm land.

C) THE SEIGNEURY SYSTEM [TEXT PP 240242]  IN

iii] Mutual Duties

Seigneur:
- Subdivide land for habitant farms
- Build smithy, mills, and a church for common use
- Give info. on population and production to the Intendant
- Pay taxes and participate in Sovereign Council’

iv] Benefits of the Seigneural System

The seigneur gets income and status.
The habitant gets independence; with hard work, he could even be as wealthy as a seigneur.
Both got a better chance at success than in Old France.

C) THE SEIGNEURY SYSTEM [TEXT PP 240242]  IN

National Archives of Canada

Assignment

[Think question]: The king’s main goal for New France was the fur trade. Why do you think he wanted to encourage the colonists to develop seigneuries?
Look at Fig. 8-25 on p. 242. Why were the seigneuries shaped that way?