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Jean Guay and his Fishery |
| We have already
seen that the farm Jean Guay bought from the
Jesuits ended at the shores of the Saint-Lawrence
River, which was an ideal spot to install nets.
His neighbor Guillaume Couture who arrived
earlier, had already fished there. The Jesuits
Fathers wanted to keep for themselves the right
to fish there so they asked Intendant Bouteroue
to confirm their right. He decided that Couture
together with the Fathers could use the spot to
fish. He could install his nets provided he
shared the profits with the Jesuits after
expenses. Fishing The Sovereign Council was the highest tribunal in the country. In August 1667, the appeal to the Council by François Becquet, Michel Bisson, Louis Bégin, and Jean Guay was rejected. Guillaume Couture and François Bissot requested that a road be built the width of a pole and crossing the plots at the highest point of the tides. The Council approved such a road, fenced and at the expense of the owners of the plots of land and to be completed as soon as possible. In
September 1670, Jean Guay as owner of the land
purchased from the Jesuits, went to the Provost
of Quebec to challenge Guillaume Couture's right
to fish on that location. This time, the Provost
decided in favor of Jean Guay, but left Intendant
Talon to decide on the penalty. Talon turned over
to the Sovereign Council the task. The Council
decided that Couture
and Guyet (Guay) would enjoy the right to fish
for that year. Page 12 |