The mill on lot 343

The mill on lot 343
Summary text

Around 1871…

We know from notarial acts that a flour mill existed, before 1871, on lot 343, in the Seigneurie Lévrard-Becquet (seigneury); it stood on the Rivière-aux-Orignaux, where it passes close to the line of the 3rd concession, a short distance from the route d’en-Haut. Télesphore Jacques had then borrowed from Israël Paris the sum of 134 piastres and 34 centins, giving as security « un terrain sis au 3ème rang des concessions de Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, du contenu d’environ 1 arpent de front sur 1 arpent et demi de profondeur » [a piece of land in the 3rd rang, about 1 arpent wide by 1 and a half deep] — that is, lot 343, bounded north and south by Olivier Rochette, tanner and currier of Québec, being lots 342-344, east by Joseph Côté (lot: 341) and west by Pierre St-Cyr (lot: 347), avec ensemble moulin à farine, circonstances et dépendances. »

On 19 July 1875, Télesphore Jacques, now living at Marquette in the state of Michigan, by a power of attorney granted to Honoré Jacques, living at Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, acknowledges having « avoir vendu, cédé, quitté, transporté, délaissé dès maintenant et à toujours et a promis et promet de garantir de tout troubles dans douaire, dette, hypothèque, éviction, substitution, aliénation et autres empêchements quelconque » to Jules Deshaies, farmer of Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, the lot of land no: 343,

A few months later, Jules Deshaies sells to Jean Mercier, joiner, living at Eshpenning, in the county of Marquette, state of Michigan, lot 343, its mill, the mill accessories and other buildings; Jean Mercier is then represented by his father-in-law Cyrille Grindler, living at Gentilly, under a power of attorney made in the county of Marquette.

On 24 September 1878, a property is sold that belonged half to Marie Louise Alice Grindler, widow of Jean Mercier, and half to the latter’s children, namely: lot 343, measuring 5 perches in width and 10 arpents in area, with the flour mill erected upon it and all the mill accessories.

After the auction had been announced, as was required, at the close of divine service on Sundays 8, 15 and 22 September 1878 at the door of the church of Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, it was held on 24 September at the same place.

After several bids, the property was knocked down to Jules Pepin, annuitant of Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, for the sum of $810.00, as the highest and last bidder.

In order to acquire a larger area of land, and perhaps also to make access to the flour mill easier and more independent, Jules Pepin buys, on 8 November 1882, two lots of land from Lubin Jacques, farmer of Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets [1].

Jules Pepin becomes the owner of « d’un terre sise au 3ème rang de la paroisse de Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, du contenu de 3 arpents de front sur 12 arpents environ de profondeur ; à distraire de cette terre, le terrain que possède actuellement l’acquéreur, enclavé dans cette terre et qui n’est pas vendu par les présentes » [the buyer’s existing enclosed parcel being excepted] — that is, lot 343 bought in 1878, bounded in front by the chemin de la reine, behind by the ruisseau des Sources, on the east side by Edouard St-Cyr and on the west side by Pierre Drouin, avec bâtisses dessus construites » — that is, lots 342-344 on the official cadastre (land register).

In 1888, Jules Pépin sells the whole to François Lafrance, machinist, living at Warwick in the district of Arthabaska.

After owning the land and the flour mill for 34 years, on 22 May 1922 François Lafrance transfers the whole to Mr. Génésime Thiffault, day labourer, living in the town of Cap-de-la-Madeleine.

At the end of 1924 there is a sheriff’s sale; on 17 November, following an action brought by François Lafrance and dame Eugénie Mailhot, widow of François Lafrance, plaintiff by resumption of proceedings against Génésime Thiffaut, defendant, the goods belonging to the defendant were seized, namely lot 343 and its mill, and lots 342-344, with the barn and stable built upon them.

On 31 December 1924, at the door of the church of Sainte-Cécile-de-Lévrard, the properties were awarded to Thomas Mailhot, annuitant of Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, for a total of $500.00: $250.00 for the mill and its land, and $250.00 for the other lots with barn and stable.

In 1927, on 4 July, before Ludger Tourigny, notary of Gentilly [2], Edouard Gascon of Gentilly and Thomas Mailhot, annuitant of Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, make between them a reciprocal exchange of the properties designated hereafter, each promising to warrant the other against all trouble and impediment, namely:

Exchanged by Edouard Gascon to Thomas Mailhot, a piece of land situated in the concession south-west of the rivière Gentilly, at Gentilly, being lots 350-351

In return, Thomas Mailhot gave up everything he had acquired at the sheriff’s sale: the mill and its land lying on either side of the rivière aux Orignaux (lot 343), the land north of the mill land (lot 342), bounded by the front road of the 3rd rang (concession road), and the land to the south, bounded by the stream (lot 344), with barn and stable built upon them.

From this exchange made in 1927, there would be a retrocession made by Edouard Gascon to dame Augustine Cossette, widow of Thomas Mailhot.

« La rétrocession a été faite en considération de la quittance générale et finale de la somme de $700.00 en capital et de tous les intérêts dus sur icelle, originairement due la dite somme de $700.00 aux termes de l’acte d’échange de 1927 »

On 1 June 1935, before notary Villeneuve[3], dame Augustine Cossette, widow of Thomas Mailhot, annuitant living in the village of Gentilly, sells to Elphège Germain, farmer of Sainte-Cécile-de-Lévrard, everything that had been retroceded to her in 1933,

On 6 March 1944, Mr. Elphège Germain, industrialist of Ste-Cécile-de-Lévrard, sells[4] to Lucien Laquerre, his brother-in-law, joiner of Ste-Cécile-de-Lévrard, lots 344-343-342 (…) together with the mill and the other buildings erected upon them, and all the tools and machinery used in working the mill, and generally everything found inside and outside the buildings, with the sole reservation in the vendor’s favour of his cows and pigs, sawn wood and firewood, a closed pleasure carriage, a toolbox, a carriage rug, and his household goods and linen (…)
On 17 August 1948, Mr. Lucien Laquerre sells to Mr. Joseph Edmond Lamothe, real estate broker of Montréal, a plot of land at Ste-Cécile de Lévrard, being lots no: 344-343-342 (…), together with the mill and the other buildings erected upon it, as well as two grain grinders standing in the buildings.

The mill would then stop working, for good.

From 1948 to 1970, the property passes successively from Joseph Edmond Lamothe to Sergius Messier, then to Jean Brunet, Excel Enterprises, represented by Raymond Messier, and Sergius Messier the father; in 1967 the latter dies, leaving the whole to his son, also named Sergius; the taxes being unpaid, what remained of the mill, together with the land, was knocked down before notary Villeneuve, in the public hall of the village of Bécancour, on 12 March 1970, for the amount of the municipal and school taxes:

« une terre connue et désignée au cadastre de Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, pour la paroisse de Ste-Cécile-de-Lévrard, comme étant les lots 342-343-344 dans le troisième rang, de superficie d’environ 36 arpents, adjugé à Louis-Gilles Laquerre, cultivateur de Ste-Cécile. »

Price: $154.73.

[1] act no: 22380, vol. 35.
[2] act no: 55577
[3] act no: 59514
[4] act no: 64492