[319] Ononthio means the Great Mountain, the name the Indians gave Governor de Montmagny and his successors.
[320] The 8 is pronounced oui.
[321] May, 1675, Louis XIV and Colbert granted Monsieur le Comte Talon, Intendant, the Seigniory des Islets, "together with those three neighboring villages to us belonging the first called Bourg Royal, the second Bourg La Reine, the third, Bourg Talon, subsequently changed into the Barony of Orsainville."—(Ferland, Vol. II p 59.)
[322] I am happy to be able to throw some additional light on the early times of this mysterious ruin, which has much perplexed Quebec antiquaries. 'Tis probable this stately mansion was built by the great Intendant Talon as the baronial château, permitted by his grant, (see Seignorial Documents, 1852,—page 444 and 488) according to which he was empowered to establish gaols, "a four-post gibbet, a post with an iron collar on which his arms should be engraved." Of all this redoubtable feudal pomp there are no vestiges now extant. How the château fared from Talon's time to Bigot's, remains a mystery.
After the conquest, the land came by purchase into the possession of the Stewart family, lately represented by Charles Grey Stewart—a most interesting and lengthy letter from Charles Stewart, describing the winter months spent in the Hermitage in 1775-6, whilst Arnold held for Congress the environs of Quebec, will be given hereafter, Mr. Wm. Crawford the late owner of the land and ruins, having kindly allowed me the use of his title deeds. I find therein stated "Charles Stewart, avocat et notaire demeurant à Québec, propriétaire du fief de Grand Pré, autrefois dit De la Mistanguenne ou Mont Plaisir, à la Canardière par acte de vente du 26 Juin 1780, devant Jean Antoine Panet, N.P., concède a titre de cens et rentes seigneuriales … à Monsieur Jean Lees, le Jeune, Simon Fraser, le Jeune, et William Wilson, négotiant en cette ville, 10 arpents de front situés dans le fief Grand Pré ou Mont Plaisir à la Canardière an lieu nommé la Montagne on l'Hermitage, prenant d'un bout, vers le sud aux terres de Joseph Bédard, et Jean Baptiste Le Roux dit Cardinal, et allant en profondeur vers le nord quatorze arpents ou environ, jusqu'à la vieille clôture du verger, icelui verger compris en la présente concession et vente, les dix arpents de front joignant du côté du sud-ouest ou fief de la Trinité, appartenant au Séminaire, et du côté du nord-ouest à la terre de Jean Chattereau, ensemble la maison à deux étages, une grange et un étable en bois, construits sur les dits dix arpents."
[Translation.]
"Charles Stewart, advocate and notary, residing at Quebec, proprietor of the Fief Grand Pré, formerly styled De la Mistanguenne or Mont Plaisir, at the Canardière, by deed of sale, bearing date the 26th June, 1780, before Jean Ant. Panet, N.P., conceded à titre de cens et rentes Seigneuriales … to Mr. Jean Lees, junior, Simon Fraser, junior, and William Wilson, merchants of this city, ten arpents, in front, situated in the Fief Grand Pré, or Montplaisir, at the Canardière, at the place named The Mountain or the Hermitage, beginning on one side, towards the south, at the lands of Joseph Bédard and Jean Baptiste LeRoux dit Cardinal, and running in the depth towards the north, fourteen arpents or thereabouts, to the old orchard fence—said orchard included in this concession and deed of sale, the ten arpents in part joining towards the north-west, to the Fief de la Trinité belonging to the (Quebec) Seminary, and on the north-east side joining the land of Jean Chattereau, together with the two-story house, barn, wooden stable, built on the said ten arpents."
The property was resold the 12th August, 1805, by John Lees, et al., to
Charles Stewart, Esq., Comptroller of Customs, Quebec. It is now owned by
Léger Brousseau, Esq.
[323] The fascinating daughter of Lord Clifford, famous in the legendary history of England, as the mistress of Henry II. shortly before his accession to the throne, and the subject of an old ballad. She is said to have been kept by her royal lover in a secret bower at Woodstock, the approaches to which formed a labyrinth so intricate that it could only be discovered by the clew of a silken thread, which the king used for that purpose. Here Queen Eleanor discovered and poisoned her, about 1173.— (Noted names of Fiction, 1175. See also Woodstock—Waverley Novels.)
[324] I am indebted to my late old friend the Abbé Ferland for the following remark: "I visited Château Bigot during the summer of 1834. It was in the state described by Mr. Papineau in the interior, the walls were still partly papered. It must not be forgotten that about the beginning of this century a club of Bons-vivant used to meet frequently in the Château."