DCB/DBC Mobile beta
+

As part of the funding agreement between the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and the Canadian Museum of History, we invite readers to take part in a short survey.

I’ll take the survey now.

Remind me later.

Don’t show me this message again.

I have already taken the questionnaire

DCB/DBC News

New Biographies

Minor Corrections

Biography of the Day

Confederation

Responsible Government

Sir John A. Macdonald

From the Red River Settlement to Manitoba (1812–70)

Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Sir George-Étienne Cartier

Sports

The Fenians

Women in the DCB/DBC

The Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences of 1864

Introductory Essays of the DCB/DBC

The Acadians

For Educators

The War of 1812 

Canada’s Wartime Prime Ministers

The First World War

BOISDON, JACQUES, sometimes wrongly called Jean, first innkeeper and taverner at Quebec in 1648.

Of Boisdon’s career nothing is known except that on 19 Sept. 1648 the council of New France permitted him “to the exclusion of all others . . . to keep a pastry shop and hostelry for all comers.” At the same time the council drew up what is the oldest legislation dealing with the management of inns and taverns in New France. Boisdon was required to reside on the public square, not far from the church; to prevent any unseemliness, drunkenness, blasphemy, or games of chance in his house; to close his establishment during religious services on Sundays and feast days; in short, he was generally subject to the ordinances and regulations applicable to business. These few basic rules reappear in all subsequent legislation concerning inns and liquor shops. On the other hand, the council guaranteed Boisdon the shipment of “eight barrels gratis” from France to Quebec, and the use of the brewery of the Communauté des Habitants for three years. This monopoly was granted to him for a period of six years altogether; how long the innkeeper did ply his trade in Quebec cannot however be stated.

André Vachon

ASQ, Documents Faribault, 79. Philéas Gagnon, “Le premier cabaret tenu à Québec,” BRH, IV (1898), 116f.

General Bibliography

Cite This Article

André Vachon, “BOISDON, JACQUES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed March 29, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/boisdon_jacques_1E.html.

The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:


Permalink:   http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/boisdon_jacques_1E.html
Author of Article:   André Vachon
Title of Article:   BOISDON, JACQUES
Publication Name:   Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1
Publisher:   University of Toronto/Université Laval
Year of publication:   1966
Year of revision:   1979
Access Date:   March 29, 2024