Township of Rawdon

The family remained in Montreal until 1821 when once again, despite the advantages in Montreal, George could not resist the temptation to move to greener pastures.

David Petrie and John Eveleigh, who had recently applied for lots in the newly established Township of Rawdon, convinced George that is was a wonderful opportunity and brought him up to Rawdon. George was impressed with what he saw and filed a request for a lot in proximity to Eveleigh’s. In 1820 he was granted a ticket of location, (the first step to acquire land) for lot 24, range 6.

Joseph Bouchette’s 1824 map of the Rawdon Settlement shows the ranges, south to north, 1 – 11 and the lots 1 – 28 , left to right.

In 1798, Richard Holland, a government surveyor, subdivided the first two Ranges of Rawdon into 28 lots of 200 acres each. Rawdon Township was given its patents July 17, 1799, the ninth such patent to be given in Quebec under the English Regime, the 3rd settlement north of the St. Lawrence, to be settled under the English regime. It bordered on the St Sulpice, l’Assomption, and LaChenaye Seigneuries. 

In 1815, Joseph Bouchette, Surveyor General of Lower Canada and Lieutenant Colonel, described Rawdon as “having a very uneven surface, rocky in many places, but having good 

land in others, suitable for growing grain for profit, and some few even suited to the growing of flax and hemp”. On the higher elevations, the trees were mostly maple, beech and birch with firs growing on the lower spots.

He mentions several streams providing water for the area, as well.

In 1820 there were very few lots surveyed in Rawdon mostly on the 1st 2 ranges.

Parts of Ranges 3 – 8 were surveyed in 1821 and another attempt at surveying was made in 1826 on parts of ranges 2 & 7.

The first lot of grants was issued for the lower ranges about 1821. It was 1845 before the 9th, 10th and 11th ranges were surveyed.

When the Coppings moved to Rawdon Township they embarked on a truly different venture. Their experience in Quebec City and Montreal, both well established towns with all the convenient services could not compare with the reality of the very early days of a settlement.

Such a settlement was totally lacking in services and community organizations such as churches and schools was another game entirely  The primitive roads and bridges that could hardly be designated as such limited travel.

A 14 mile trek to St Jacques over these virtual tracks, mostly on foot, or with oxen to acquire essential needs was definitely challenging.

Social gatherings with neither church, nor school,  was limited. The nearest doctor was also in St Jacques. 

Once again the family, with 7 children,(10 year old was apprenticed to a friend and leather merchant, John Eveleigh and remained in Montreal) packed everything up, acquired a wagon and ox and travelled to the east end of the Montreal Island, the first step on the journey to the Rawdon . Here they hired a ferry to cross the back river to the mainland. From there they continued on towards l’Assomption where they spent the night.

At dawn the next morning they continued their trek, (a trek it was as only the youngest rode on the wagon), the others walked, to the Rawdon settlement. At the town of St. Jacques in the Seigneury of St. Sulpice they stopped to purchase basic supplies needed for clearing and building.

Being too late to continue to their destinati they camped for the night before facing the last, and most difficult sector of their travel. Once they left the seigneury the roads were more a track than a road imbedded with stumps, roots and rocks. This type of road was possibly the family’s first experience on these primitive tracks.

A Corduroy Road

The earliest roads were barely paths chopped through the dense forest. Here, unlike in the forest where stumps were left rather high, trees were cut low enough to allow a wagon to pass over the stump. Rocks that would not impede the passage of a wagon were left in the road while larger boulders were rolled to the edge of the road.

An axe was always fixed to the wagons to chop trees that had fallen into the road or repair damage to the wagon itself. 

Boggy or swampy areas, of which there were many, were traversed on a corduroy road. These roads were made of logs laid side-by-side in the mud.

As can be imagined walking on such a road was challenging as clambering over rocks and stumps as well as water holes required a stout heart as well as stout boots.

 A Corduroy Bridge

Poles or saplings were lain crossways on tree trunks supported by posts driven into the bed of the stream. The  cross poles were then covered with moss or earth.

These bridges were always insecure and often dangerous. The poles rotted or broke, leaving gaping holes which could break the leg of an ox, horse, or man  if they failed to note the danger.

Heavy rains washed off the earth and high water in spring swept bridges away entirely.

          A Primitive Bridge      

Smaller streams, where they were shallow enough, were forded. Where the gullies were too steep, or the creeks too deep, falling trees were used as footbridges. Often these footbridges were natural happenings – a tree fallen across the river or stream during a storm. As most travel was on foot these were common sights and often approached with much apprehension.

Larger rivers were crossed by ferries or barges. This service was often offered by a settler on the river to augment his income. Just such a service was offered to cross the Oureau River near what is now 1st  Avenue in Rawdon. 

This early map shows the roads, some mere tracks, coming into the settlement. They would have entered the Township of Rawdon on the extreme right and made their way up to the 6th range towards riv. Rouge est.(East Red River) passed through their lot.

This sketch depicts a family approaching their cabin in a relatively small clearing. The dress was typical of American settlers who arrivedin Rawdon.at time the Copping family came to Rawdon. 

Notice they are on foot, carrying their supplies, even the young boys, and the mother has what would appear to be toddler.

Note the stumps strewn throughout. It would be many years before they would have disappeared. It took 7 years to rot a hardwood stump and 25 or 30 to before softwood stumps could be hacked to bits and the roots dislodged.

These eye sores frustrated the ladies, particularly. Usually limited to an area close to their cabins they became very tired of looking at rotting stumps. It was virtually impossible to make the outdoors look tidy with stumps thrusting their ugly heads all about.

A closer look at an early cabin. Note the rocks piled to the left of the cabin. Rocks were plentiful in Rawdon Township and a bane to cultivating the land. Every spring, even twenty years after their arrival, the Coppings hitched an ox to a stone boat (a low sledge) and picked rocks from their fields. In one area towards the 11th range it was said that what grew best in the fields were rocks.

This clinging lady certainly does not reflect Elizabeth nor her girls who trod the roads and worked in the fields as well as their brothers.

The Copping Family 

1821

George Copping age 39

Elizabeth Mallion Copping age 38

George William age 14 years

William George age 13 years

John Charles age 11 years

Clarinda age 9 years

James age 7 years

Thomas Henry age 5 years

Henry Thomas age 3 years

Mary newborn

This is the family who arrived in Rawdon. Mary born September 20, 1821 was probably born soon after their arrival and was baptized in Rawdon. Note Elizabeth’s age, 38, yet she went on to give birth to two more children, rather unusual for that time.

George would not be considered in his prime, either. He did have 2 boys, George and William, of an age to be considered men. John was apprenticed shortly after their arrival, to Philemon Dugas’ mill.