The seigniorial system in Canada

When we hear the words "lord", "seigniorial" or "seigniory", we tend to think that they have the same meaning as in the Middle-Ages in France. If the terms are identical, we can find their meaning in any dictionary, the reality that it represented here in Canada, were often very different. For example, in feudal France, only the "nobles" acceded to this title of "lord". In New-France, this honor was open to just about anybody. It is true that it was often given in recognition of rendered services, for one military persons. But the lords here were not all rich. Many of their principals became richer than themselves. From 1627, France provided her North American colony with a land concession system in order to populate the land. The state first wanted to join forces with private entrepreneurs who would be motivated to have as many settlers as possible. The holder of a seigniory received free of charge a large area of land, in return for a fee to the King. The new lord had to, also, give away this land, in suitable plots, to the settlers, in return for a fee given to the donor.

By establishing the seigueurial system in New France, the mother homeland wanted to confide in private entrepreneurs, that were called "lords", a portion of land more or less large, that was called "seigniory". The inhabitants were called "censitaires", imposing one on the other in a precise matter, the responsibilities and rights of which the thorough observance was submitted to the control of the state. We had, in New France, very few very large seigneuies, but rather a multitude of smaller seigueuries, who counted a large number of settlers doing the state's work.

extract (translation) from pages 55 and 56 of `HISTOIRE DE COTEAU-DU-LAC, volume 1: Les origines (the origins), author: Hector Besner (editor: Société d'histoire de Coteau-du-Lac; publication: July 1996 (in french only).