[Louis XV]. (1719) (King of France). Letters patent conceding lle Saint-Jean to the Count of Saint—Pierre. August 1719. [Margry, Vol. 1, p. 19; cited by Harvey (1926) as PAC, AC, CHV, Vol. 8, p. 212.]

The letters patent of 7 7 79 making a proprietary grant of fle Saint-Jean to the Count of Saint-Pierre, Louis-Hyacinthe Castel, contain a clause reserving to the crown oak woods suitable for ship-building. Though this was a standard clause in such grants and not indicative of any knowledge of oak woods on the island, it does indicate the importance placed by the French government on one particular forest resource. Though the grant was to lead in the fol/o wing year to the establishment of the first permanent European settlement on the island — which was to survive until the deportation of 7758 — it did not prove to be a successful business venture for the Count of Saint-Pierre. By 7724 the count's Company of ile Saint-Jean was in financial difficulties, and from 7726 the island was being directly administered by the crown, though it was not until 1730 that the grant was finally revoked. Though the grant was issued in the name of the nine-year old Louis XV, he did not assume full powers until 1 723. The Count of Sain t—Pierre never visited the colony himself.

REFERENCES: Clark, A. H. (1959) Three Centuries and the Island. University of Toronto Press. pp. 27-28. Harvey, D. C. (1926) The French Regime in Prince Edward Island. Yale University Press. pp. 40-41.

Louis &a, tous présens et a venir salut; nous avons favorablement écouté la demande que le Sieur Comte de St. Pierre nous a faite d'une concession d'isles dans le golphe St. Laurent, pour y établir des habitans et une péche sédentaire de morue nous avons concédé au dit sieur comte St. Pierre, les Isles St. Jean at de Miscou, pour en jouir par le dit sieur comte de St. Pierre, ses héritiers ou ayants droits a

perpétuité; nous lui avons fait don et remise a la charge de conserver et faire Oak woods conserver par ses tenanciers les bois de chénes propres a la construction de nos reserved. vaisseaux, en cas que dans la suite nous eussions besoin d'aucune partie du dit

terrain pour y faire construire des forts, batteries, places d'armes, magazins, et autres ouvrages publics nous nous réservons la faculté de pouvoir les prendre aussi bien que les arbres qui seront nécessaires pour les dits ouvrages publics et le bois de chaufage pour la garnison des dits forts permettant au dit Sieur Comte de St. Pierre, de faire construire des vaisseaux et autre batiments de mer, des bois qui se trouveront sur les terres comme aussi de faire construire tels moulins qu'il avisera bon étre sur les dite terres

Other forest res tric tions.

[Margry, Vol. 1, p. 19]

Louis etc., to all present and to come, greetings; we have heard favourably the

request that the Count of Saint-Pierre has made to us concerning a concession of

islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in order to establish settlers and a sedentary cod

fishery there . We have granted to the said Count of Saint-Pierre, the islands

of Saint-Jean and Miscou, to be enjoyed by the said Count of Saint—Pierre, his heirs

with rights in perpetuity; we have made to him gift and delivery with the Oak woods obligation to preserve and to have his tenants preserve oak woods suitable for the reserved. building of our ships. in case that in future we should have need of any part of the said land for the construction of forts, batteries, parade grounds, magazines, and other public works we reserve the right to be able to take them, as well as the trees that will be needed for the said public works and the firewood for the garrison of the said forts permitting the said Count of Saint-Pierre to build vessels and other ships, from wood found on the lands and also to build such mills as he will decide to be good on the said lands .

Other forest restrictions.

[Margry, Vol. 1, p. 19]

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