Francois Xavier Raiche (abt. 1801 - abt. 1883)

Born about 3 Sep 1801 in L'Ancienne-Lorette, Lower Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Adelaide Lacroix — married about 20 Nov 1837 in Rimouski, , Quebec, Canada [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 7 May 1883 at about age 81 in Le Bic (Rimouski), QC, Canada

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Biography

Francois-Xavier Raiche was born on 3 August 1801 to Jean-Baptiste Resche and Madeleine Voyer in Lower Canada (Quebec). He was the sixth of 9 children. He married Adelaide Lacroix and had several children: Francois Raiche, Jean Baptiste Raiche, Antoine Raiche, Philias Raiche.^[1][2]

Because his father was the local schoolmaster, Francois-Xavier had more educational opportunity than some other children.^[3] School may have been held in the family home.^[4] Because many Quebecois families required their children's labor, education was limited to 4-7 years. Attendance was not mandatory. Many adults in the province were illiterate.^[5]

When schooling ended between ages 10 to 12, Francois-Xavier may have become a "journalier" (day laborer) on a farm. Later when he purchased acreage he became a "cultivateur" (farmer). He is listed as a farmer in the 1842, 1851 and 1861 Canadian Censuses.^[6][7][8][9] His farm would likely have been a "mixed" operation to provide as much as possible for his family with a "cash crop" such as wheat, for sale. ^{[10] [11]} As a farmer, Francois was lucky. He lived in Canada, a country influenced by the agricultural advancements then happening in the British Isles.

Tools improved. When young, Francois might have used a handmade wooden plough with a piece of iron attached to its point known as an "ard". Early ploughs were clumsy taking as many as three men and up to 8 draft animals to work. They required tilling a field both horizontally as well as vertically. They worked best in sandy soil and square fields, not so well in virgin, compacted soils or Canadian long narrow fields.^[12]

Another type of plough called the Moldboard had been developed in China and introduced to Europe in the 17th century.^[13] It had a curved wooden piece that was able to turn soil over to kill weeds. Handmade, no two ploughs' moldboards were alike. if broken, a new plough was needed. In Great Britian, Joseph Foljambe patented a cast iron moldboard plough as early as 1730, but farmers in the Americas mistrusted the invention believing it "poisoned the soil".^[14] It wasn't until the introduction of ploughs made of standardized, replaceable parts that farmers were enticed by the new technology.^[15]

In Canada the use of moldboard ploughs had advantages. Cross plowing was eliminated, halving the work required to till long narrow fields. These ploughs worked well in heavy soils. They also left a furrow that allowed earlier planting.^[16] Moldboard ploughs could be managed by only one man with one or two draft animals. This freed manpower for other jobs. Some historians think this reduced need for farm labor coupled with increased farm productivity contributed to the rise of the Industrial Revolution.^[17]

New ideas in crop rotation also helped increase crop yields.^[18] In early Canada a two course rotation was practiced, one season for crops followed by a fallow season.^[19] During Francois' lifetime, the Norton four course rotation was developed. In this plan, wheat, turnips, barley, and clover are planted in succession so that the soil retains its fertility. There is no fallow year meaning more land is available for active farming and more profit can be generated.^[20][21]

Following the repeal of Great Britain's Corn Laws in 1846, Canadian farmers lost their favored trading terms for export wheat.^[22] Prices fell. Francois would have changed from wheat to beef or dairy production for his cash crop.^[23]

In his later years, Francois-Xavier saw a decline in small farming opportunity. His children began to look for work outside of agriculture. Three, Francois Raiche, Antoine Raiche and Philias "Felix" Raiche emigrated to the United States.

The 1883 date of Francois-Xavier's passing is uncertain. The site of his grave is unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N489-ZLZ : accessed 17 October 2015), Francois Raiche in entry for Antoine Raiche and Mathilde Rioux Voisine, 30 Jun 1906; citing p 205 no 697, , State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,315,297.
2. ↑ Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4CJ-YYX : accessed 17 October 2015), Francois H Raiche in entry for Antoine Raiche, 13 Apr 1915; citing Fall River,,Massachusetts, 312, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,407,807.
3. ↑ Jean Baptiste as Maitre d'Ecole. www.nosorigines.qc.ca/GenealogieQuebec.aspx?genealogie=Raiche_Jean-Baptiste&pid=1207303
4. ↑ https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/history-of-education
5. ↑ https://opentextbc.ca/preconfederation/chapter/10-9-education/
6. ↑ Canada East Census 1842. Francois Reche. Saint-Germain, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1842/lc/jpg/004569580_00611.jpg
7. ↑ Canada Census, 1851. Francois Reche. Rimouski, Rimouski County, Canada East, Canada. http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e093/e002313070.jpg
8. ↑ Canada Census, 1861. Fras. Raiche. http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1861/jpg/4108818_00088.jpg
9. ↑ "Québec, recensement, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMWD-JRX : 9 March 2018), Fras. Raiche, Ste-Cécile-du-Bic, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada; citing line number 33, p. 39; Library and Archives Canada film number C1314, Archives Publiques, Ottawa (Board of Registration and Statistics. Public Archives, Ottawa); FHL microfilm 517,416.
10. ↑ http://www.canadiangeographic.com/atlas/themes.aspx?id=farming&lang=En
11. ↑ http://www.chroniclesofamerica.com/french/farming_in_new_france.htm
12. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plough
13. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution
14. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution
15. ↑ https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-plow-1992324
16. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plough
17. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution
18. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution
19. ↑ http://www.canadiangeographic.com/atlas/themes.aspx?id=farming&lang=En
20. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Agricultural_Revolution
21. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_four-course_system
22. ↑ Allum, Collin. Factors Leading to the Confederation. Video 2014. https://prezi.com/_w9uouedvmx6/factors-leading-to-confederation/
23. ↑ McInnis, Marvin. The Changing Structure of Canadian Agriculture, 1867-1897. Economic History Association. Journal of Economic History. 1982. JSTOR

Programme de recherche en demographie historique

Fonds Drouin, Jean-Pierre Pépin

http://www.nosorigines.qc.ca/GenealogieQuebec.aspx?pid=1351928

"Efficiency of the French-Canadian Farmer in the Nineteenth Century", The Journal of Economic History Vol. 40, No. 3 (Sep., 1980), pp. 497-514 (18 pages) Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Economic History Association