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The old occupation of surveyor in New France

Was your ancestor an “arpenteur,” or surveyor? Learn what this occupation was like in New France and Canada.

Cliquez ici pour la version en français

L’Arpenteur | The Surveyor

The surveyor had the task of measuring and surveying the land, making land surveys using certain measuring and optical instruments.

Originally, measuring instruments were manual: ropes and chains. Introduced in 1620, the first survey chain in Canada was about 20 meters (66 feet) long. Called Gunter's Chain, it was made up of 100 rings, or links. Measuring with a chain wasn't very accurate but it provided a quick estimate. The chain also made it possible, thanks to the Pythagorean theorem, to find a right angle.

 

Measuring the width of a river by triangulation, Hulsius, 16th century (Wikimedia Commons).

A Gunter’s Chain (Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division).

 

Subsequently, the chain was replaced by the steel tape, and finally by telescopic devices, such as the telemeter (invented in 1821) and the tacheometer (invented in 1835). In addition to telescopic devices, the surveyor also used the theodolite (to measure angles), the compass (to determine location and magnetic bearing), levels and barometers (to take vertical measurements).

Measurement of the area of land; surveying techniques, in the Larousse du XXème siècle (Wikimedia Commons)

Example of a chainage report by surveyor Jean Guyon in 1675 (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

In New France, surveying was necessary to the seigneurial system. The state had to be able to measure and distribute land to seigneurs, owners, or directly to censitaires. The professional surveyor was the only one who could practice this trade. Between 1626 and 1760, there were at least 78 surveyors in Canada. From 1663 to 1760, the intendant of the colony was responsible for issuing surveying commissions. The surveyor had to have a certificate issued by Father Allioux, professor of hydrography at the Jesuit College of Quebec, and the sworn surveyor Dubeau, attesting to his knowledge and experience. Surveyors' commissions could be limited geographically (to a seigneury, a region or a government). After having surveyed a piece of land, the surveyor normally drew up a report, sometimes accompanied by a map. Surveyors were often called upon to measure land to settle legal disputes.

Plan of part of the township of Jersey for the office of Colonel Joseph Bouchette, Surveyor-General (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec).

In 1763, after the British Conquest, the position of Surveyor General was created. He was responsible for surveying Crown land. In 1785, the first official surveying regulations were established, specifying new procedures to be followed (most of which are still in place today). Reports were standardized and the surveyor had to maintain a register going forward, which would be classified as public property upon his death.

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec hosts a database called « Inventaire des procès-verbaux des arpenteurs de la région de Québec, 1673-1891 » (Inventory of surveyors' reports in the Quebec region, 1673-1891).

Today, the French term "arpenteur-géomètre" (land surveyor) is more common, but it did not come into widespread use until the 19th century.

Men who practiced the profession of surveyor:

“Architecture & Geometry & Surveying”, drawing by Petrejus, Johann (Drucker), 1547 (Wikimedia Commons).

Jean-Olivier Arcand, Pierre Arseneau, Louis Bacon, François Badeau, Charles Basset,  Toussaint Beaudry, Jean Baptiste Bélisle, Hilaire Bernard de Larivière, Noël Bonhomme dit Beaupré, Louis-Marin Boucher dit Boisbuisson, Joseph Bouchette, Jean Boutin, Joseph P. Bureau, Louis Cantin, Gédéon de Catalogne, Louis Champoux, René de Couagne, Charles Deblé, Jean Baptiste Demers, Pierre Déry, Maurice  Desdevens, Antoine Desmarets dit Lepellé, Jean-Baptiste Duberger, Jean Duboc, Janvier Dufresne, Joseph-Narcisse Duval, Benjamin Ecuyer, François Fortin Jérémie, Joseph Fortune, Charles Fournier, Charles François, Jean Gaudet, Amable Gipoulou, Jean Baptiste Grenier, Jean Guyon, Jean Guyon du Buisson, Joseph Hamel, Jean-François Hamelin, Samuel Holland, Pierre Janson dit Lapalme, Jean Baptiste Janvrin dit Dufresne, Paul Labrosse, François de Lajoue, Adolphe Larue, Jean Baptiste Larue, Jean-Baptiste Leclerc, Jean-Baptiste Lefebvre dit Angers, Michel Lefebvre, Charles Lefrançois, François Legendre,  Hilarion Legendre, Louis Legendre, François Lemaître dit Lamorille, Alexis Lemoyne, Jean Lerouge, Pierre Noël Levasseur, James MacDonnell, Charles Manuel, Pierre Marcouiller, Jeremiah McCarthy,  Gilles Papin, Étienne Parent, Jean Péladeau, Pierre Pépin dit Laforce, Jean-Baptiste Perreault, Louis Perreault, Ignace Plamondon, Ignace Plamondon dit Lafleur, Jean Plamondon, Modeste Pratte, Owen Quinn, Joseph Raymond, Patrice Renaud dit Blanchard, William Sax, Alexander Stevenson, Charles Vallée, William Ware, Joseph Weilbrenner.

 

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