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The seigneurial system was the name for the system by which land was held in New France. The government in France granted large blocks of land in New France to French nobles, army officers, merchants, and government officials, who became known as seigneurs (meaning "lords" or "landlords"). Land was also granted to the Roman Catholic Church. The aim was to get the colony of New France settled as quickly as possible so that it could raise enough produce to feed its people. The seigneurs were required either to farm their land themselves or lease much of it to farmers (known as habitants). Most seigneurs brought poor people from France to be habitants. Others recruited farmers within the colony. Both seigneurs and habitants had certain duties and obligations. The seigneur was required to clear his land and find settlers for it. He also maintained a house to which the habitants came to pay their rents and to settle minor disputes. Seigneurs had to build a mill where the habitants could grind the grain they grew. Local leadership was provided by a "Captain of the Militia," who was selected from among the habitants by the governor. A few seigneurs tried to make habitants work for them for a few days each year without pay, though this was against the law. If the seigneur failed to carry out his duties, his seigneury could be taken from him and given to someone else. The habitants' duties included building their own dwellings, ploughing their land, growing crops, and maintaining livestock. They had to pay their seigneur various forms of taxes, which might include some of their grain and other produce as well as a little money. In return, the habitants became virtual owners of their farms, which they could leave to their children. If they sold the land outside the family, they had to pay the seigneur a part of the money they received. The average seigneury was 5 km by 15 km in area. Since there were no roads at first, the seigneuries were situated alongside the St Lawrence and other rivers, which served as highways. As many as possible of the habitants' farms also had access to a river (or, later, to a road). The typical farm was thus a long, thin strip about 175.5 m by 1755 m, which became thinner still when a habitant divided his farm among his children. After the CONQUEST of 1760, the new British rulers of the colony kept on the seigneurial system. It was not abolished until 1854. Today, its pattern is still visible in the shape of the strip farms alongside rivers and roads in Quebec. Related Article: CORVÉE; NEW FRANCE.
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