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5$B Historical facts…!Here is how they use to squabble in Montreal at the time…! Only a few months before the bloody Lachine massacre, on or around 1689 Anne-Marie Van Zeigt opened a "PUBLIC HOUSE" (on St-Jacques street in Montreal) where she was welcoming and receiving as customers, soldiers, Coureurs de bois, and Indians.
Anne-Marie’s daughter whose name was Anne-Charlotte, at the very young age of 14 years old, and had already married the carpenter Michel Leblond, left the said Michel Leblond and Anne-Charlotte went to find shelter at her mother’s place.
As Michel Leblond came to Anne-Marie’s place, seeking for his wife, Anne-Marie was absolutely not impressed by him and certainly not anxious to help him, because the belligerent mother-in-law would not want her daughter to go back. According to Anne-Marie, Michel Leblond was a rascal and he would surely regret it.
Rumors were floating around already at the time that the said "Anne-Marie Van Zeigt" sold wine and all kind of persons went to her place where there was much habitual drunkenness during day time and nearly every night.
Anne-Marie Van Zeigt
was finally put under arrest and condemned. Was the punishment fruitful…? Anne-Charlotte went back to her husband, but not so long after, there were rumors that the Anne-Charlotte was showing off her seductiveness without any modesty, and welcoming gentlemen either at her home or on the public way and at any hour of the day.On May 1695, Anne-Charlotte was condemned for adultery and soliciting by the Montreal tribunal. Anne-Charlotte nevertheless successfully ran away before the execution of the judgment.
(Ref.: City of Montreal archives and the book of R.L. Seguin which is:
"La vie libertine en Nouvelle-France Montréal).
