The Lost Code

Contents of a Seigneurie

Censives

Musée de la civilisation, bibliothèque du Séminaire de Québec.
« In the seigneural system of New France... » in : Ballantyne, Murray. Canada's story for young Canadians. Toronto : J.M. Dent, 1961-1962. Vol. 1, p. 158. Loc. 291.4.12

The largest part of a seigneurie consisted of the lands conceded to censitaires (or tentants), called censives. The seigneur occupied a seigneurial domaine, which housed the seigneur's manor. The terres de la fabrique (church land) was home to the church, rectory (or priest's residence), and cemetery. One plot of land, known as the commune, was set aside as pasture for censitaires' livestock. Flour mills, which the seigneur provided for the censitaires to use, were powered by water wheels and had to be located along watercourses.