Interrogation of François Piquet, 9 May 1734.
The year Seventeen Hundred thirty-four The ninth of May.
Interrogated as to his name, Surname, age, status And Residence.
Stated to be named francois Piquet twenty-one years of age, son of Jean piquet
Cobbler residing near The parlour of the ursuline Sisters in Quebec; And he
who is Responding Is a labourer [who] at the time of the Fire resided at the
house of Jean Campeau on the Chemin de la
Petite Coste near This city And for the last eight days at the house of
the man named Gaudry, On The land of the Brothers of the hopital Genéral
at Coteau du Baron.
Interrogated as to whether he took Anything from the Fire Other than what
Was found In His Chest at the said Gaudry house.
Stated that he did not take anything other than What Sieur de Coste found
on The previous night in his Chest and took with Him to remand into the hands
of the Gaol keeper.
At that very instant, the said Gaol keeper Presented us with all
that which Was found by the said bailiff de Coste in the Chest of the said
Piquet During a visit to the House of the said Gaudry, All of which was Contained
in a checked Cotton cloth, [the contents of which] we examined
In his presence And which Consisted Of four Igniters, four metal candle
Snuffers and eleven Brass sewing needles, three trumpets, nine rifle Plugs,
Five Metal Buckles
for shoes And one Garter Buckle, four large leather punches And Ten
small ones, two small Halter Buckles, four bolts two of them unmatched, four
Nails, one Broken Funnel And a Piece of another funnel
a
rifle Breech made of iron or metal And four Nails, All of it appearing
to have been affected by fire. We Interrogated the said Piquet to tell us
If he Recognises the said cloth And the Aforementioned Pieces of Hardware
And to tell us Where He got Them.
To this the Said Piquet Responded that the Cloth is His
And that he found the Aforementioned hardware in the Streets And Among
the Debris Discarded from the Burned houses And This eight Days following
the Said Fire while he was searching around with His Cane; and he cannot say
in which
house.
A reading done to him of the present Interrogation he stated that his Responses
contain truth and persisted on it And declared to not Know how to Sign as
Requested, And the Said Piquet was remanded into the Custody of the gaol keeper
And the said Hardware And the said cloth were taken to the Registry Until
Further order from Us.
To be Communicated to the king’s Prosecutor
in order to request what he will advise; done on the Said Day and year
Aforementioned.
[signed]P. Raimbault
Source: Archives nationales du Québec, Centre de Montréal, Vols associés à l’incendie du mois d’avril 1734, TL4, S1, 4137, Juridiction royale de Montréal, Interrogation of François Piquet, May 9, 1734.
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