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Michigan Chapter Six Cadillac as Feudal Lord
An example is cited in Fer-land, "Notes surles Registers de Notre Dame de Quebec, " of the ceremony of rendering faith and homage. It is that of Jean Guion, vassal of Gifford, seignior of Beauport. Guion presented himself in the presence of a notary at the principal door of the manor-house of Beauport. One Boulle, farmer of Gifford, opened the door in response to the knock and in reply to the question if the seignior was at home, replied that he was not, but that he, Boulle, was empowered to receive acknowledgments of faith and homage from the vassals in his name. Thereupon Guion placed himself on his knees on the ground with head bare and
without sword or spurs said three times these words: "'Monsieur de Beauport, Monsieur de Beauport, Monsieur de Beauport! I bring you the faith and homage which I am bound to bring you on account of my fief, Du Buisson, which I hold as a man of faith in your seigniory of Beauport, declaring that I offer to pay my seignioral and feudal dues in their season, and demanding of you to acept me in faith and homage as aforesaid. "
One feature of the royal grants of the seigniories, as well as of the grants made by the seigniors to their vassals was the requirement that the land thus granted should be cleared and cultivated within a specified time, on pain of forfeiture. This requirement cuts something of a figure in a controversy which arose when Cadillac, long after his retirement from the command at Detroit, sought to enforce his claim to his estate there. It was argued in opposition to his claim that he had failed to clear the land which had thereby become forfeited to the crown. To this contention he replied that he was not a woodchopper and that it was absurd to insist that he should have cleared this land in person; this had been done by his grantees, which was a substantial compliance with the requirement.
Michigan
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