Seigneurie of Batiscan
In the 17th century, intensive colonization of the seigneurie focused on the lowlands south of the Saint-Narcisse moraine, especially between 1665 and 1674, when the Jesuits approve 79 concessions.
On 15 January 1636, the Company of New France granted to Jacques de la Ferté, Abbot of St. Mary Magdalene of Châteaudun, France himself a member of the company, a "fief and seigneurie of ten lieues in width (approximately 32.48 kilometres (20.18 mi)) along the shore of the St. Lawrence River, by twenty "lieues" (about 64.96 kilometres (40.36 mi)) north from the River.
The territory of the seigneurie of Batiscan was granted to Jesuits by a deed dated 13 March 1639 by their protector in France, Sir Jacques de la Ferté priest, counsellor, almoner Meeting of Roy, Abbot of St. Magdalene of Châteaudun, cantor and canon of the Sainte Chapelle du Palais Royal in Paris".
[2] This concession contract signed before Hervé Bergeron and Hyerosme Cousin, notaries of Chatelet in Paris, stated "an area of land that is from the Batiscan River to the Champlain River, quarter of a lieue[3] in confined or fourth "lieues" in the beyond ... to enjoy full stronghold faith and homage, high, middle and low justice ... and when the said piece of land will be cultivated will be required to give the Fathers said Mr. Abbot and his heirs a silver cross value of sixty soil tournaments and twenty years for recognition without Fathers can qu'iceux Estre received his faith and homage to the said fief if deus the said Lord, since he can not do that there is nobody in this country to meet for the said Sieur de la Madeleine ... " Already established in Trois-Rivières since 1634, the Jesuits were familiar with the territory of Lower Batiscanie (especially along the river), including the site of Champlain where they met the Amerindians who had settled there.
Busy with their apostolic mission at Trois-Rivières, fearing Iroquois attacks, and lacking resources, the Jesuits delayed the operation of the seigneurie of Batiscan.
The author of the act says "have carried on said place with Mr. Saule (sic) Boivin which, in our presence, surveyed the said lands and around ycelles cut large trees and bounded by other trees large cross made along iceux with axes ... And towards Brother Malherbe, made several good acts of possession, pulling weeds and throwing stones, and finally a true possessor accustomed to.
This earthquake could significantly alter the relief in the Batiscanie, Quebec including the disappearance of waterfalls on the Batiscan River, the emergence of new rocks, the flattening of some mountains, and major cracks in the ground.
From March 1666 to May 1667, seventy concessions were allocated to pioneers in a row along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.
At the end of the 17th century, land concessions were granted to pioneers along the eastern side of the Batiscan River.
In 1723, the steward Michel Bégon de la Picardière signed an order authorizing the construction of a church in Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan on a piece of land belonging to Jean Veillet, a unique ancestor of all Veillet/te of America.
The Batiscan River winds through the moraine and waterfalls impede navigation and require long portages.
Going up the Batiscan River, colonization stopped at the edge of the Lordship of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade or the Manitou Falls (located at the boundary between Saint-Adelphe and Saint-Stanislas).
In the 1980s, colonization continued to the north along the Batiscan River after the registry of rows in the current area of the municipality of Saint-Adelphe, including St-Thomas, which is now in Sainte-Thècle.
