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Ordinance by Michel Begon on the prevention and control of fires, 8 July 1721.

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Michel Begon Knight and seigneur of Picardiere Murbelin and other Locations, king’s counsellor at the Conseil and at the Parlement de Metz, Intendant of Justice Police & finance in Nouvelle france.

[ Leather bucket, Anonyme, Musée des Augustines du monastère de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec  ]

As presented to us by The Police officers of The jurisdiction of This City, a major Cause of the Great number of houses lost in the Fire that occurred on the 19 of the past month is the difficulty in obtaining the number of Pails needed to Extinguish the fire and the axes needed to bring down houses in order to arrest the fire, even though by Police Regulations it is required that all Bourgeois and inhabitants Answer the call to go to the fire as soon as the Alarm is sounded and bring an axe and pail. Owners are obligated under the same Regulations to have a Ladder in Good Condition on the Roofs of Their houses and one in their Yard the height of the Main Floor to the roof and to have their Chimneys swept at least once

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Per month, which most give little Thought to doing, and they will Continue in this neglect that is so detrimental to the public’s welfare if they are not Constrained to do so under threat of fines. Also to be added to these precautionary measures is the obligation to have in their Attics two poles Measuring four inches in diameter and of A length proportionate to the height of the said Attic and pierced at intervals so that in the holes made in the two poles can be passed Kingpins that stick out on both Sides to serve as battering Rams to bring Down the roof in the event of a Fire. We could make the most of the debris Taken from Burned houses and from houses that will later be Built in This City; we could use it to Build up and compact the Streets by obliging the owners to have it transported to Locations indicated to them by the said officers and Police who will ensure that the rubble is spread along in Embankments on both Sides of the Street so as to form in the middle a

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Stream with the slant needed for the Flowing of water. Until the Roads have been paved There is no other method for the People on foot to Avoid the Mud than by the Method that has been in place for so Long, that of placing planks of wood of eight inches in Thickness by one foot in Width at the short end Along the houses and Sites and at a Distance of two feet from the said houses, filling in the Empty space with Gravel [illegible word] including Lime, or other materials from around the house, so that the Embankment with the Gravel measures three feet in Width, if the owners of the said houses and Sites do not wish to have the Said space of Three feet paved which is [illegible word] The foundations. In addition, the ordinance by M. Raudot of the twenty-two of June seventeen Hundred six, must be Executed under penalty of the fines carried with it. For which we have noted Together the said ordinance and The Regulation by the

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Conseil superieur of Quebec of the eleven May sixteen Hundred seventy Six.

We ordain That the said regulation and ordinance Be Executed In their form and manner, requiring that All Bourgeois and inhabitants Run to a fire as soon as the alarm sounds and take with Them an axe and pail under penalty of paying a fine of six Livres, and Each of them will have at Their House a ladder in Good Condition on The roof of their house and another in Their Yard the height of the Main Floor to the roof under penalty of a fine of three Livres, And will have their Chimney Swept at least once Per month in winter and every Two months in summer under penalty of a fine of two Livres. We ordain that Each of the said Owners will have the obligation to have in his Attic two poles Measuring four inches in diameter and of A length proportionate to the height of the said Attic and pierced at intervals so that in the holes made in the two poles can be passed Kingpins that stick out on both Sides to serve as battering Rams to bring Down the roof in the event of a Fire, under penalty of a fine of three Livres. We will make the most of the debris Taken from Burned houses and from other houses that will later be Built in This City; we will use it to Build up and compact the Streets by obliging the owners to have it transported to Locations indicated to them by the said officers and Police who will ensure that the rubble is spread along in Embankments on both Sides of the Street so as to form in the middle a

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Stream with the slant needed for the Flowing of water. Until the Roads have been paved the said owners of the said houses And Sites will be Held, under penalty of a fine of ten livres, to place planks of wood of eight inches in Thickness by one foot in Width at the short end Along the houses and Sites at a Distance of two feet from the said houses and Sites, and to fill in the Empty space with Gravel [illegible word] including Lime, or other materials from around the house, so that the Embankment with the Gravel measures three feet in Width, if the owners of the said houses and Sites do not wish to have the Said space of Three feet paved.

In addition, the ordinance by M. Raudot of the twenty-two of June seventeen Hundred six, must be Executed under penalty of the fines carried with it. For which we have noted Together the said ordinance and The Regulation by the

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Conseil superieur of Quebec of the eleven of May sixteen Hundred seventy Six.

In addition, we ordain that the said Regulation and ordinance be Executed In Form and manner and under penalty of the fines they carry. We Request that the said officers of the regular Jurisdiction of This city see to the Execution of the present ordinance, under the diligent duty of the king’s prosecutor, Registered at their registry, read, Published and posted wherever Required and for all to Note, done and given at Montreal The eighth of July Seventeen hundred Twenty-one.
[signed]Begon

By Monseigneur Boucault

Source: Archives nationales du Québec, Centre de Montréal, Ordonnances, 1684-1760, TL4, S35, Bégon, Michel, Ordinance regarding the prevention of fires and fire fighting, July 8, 1721.

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