Letter by Élisabeth Rocbert de la Morandière, dite Madame Bégon, on the situation of women in Montréal and Québec, 12 November, 9 and 11 December 1748.
The 12 November 1748 [...]
I am informing you that mater [Catherine Legardeur de Repentigny] and tilly
[Marie-Anne Legardeur de Moncerville Tilly] went to the city of quebec with
monsieur [Legardeur] de tilly on July 15 last, and returned only a few days
ago, quite taken with the pleasure they found in quebec where monsieur the
intendant danced away, but their black dress [mourning] prevented them from
partaking of these celebrations; however they did eat and notice the beautiful
silverware that contributes to the air of fashionable conversation, with madame
Lanodière the shining light there, all others paling in comparison. [...]
The 9. [December 1748]
Would you believe, dear son, that this devout madame verchere organized a
dance that lasted throughout the night; our priests will certainly have much
to preach about; on the feast of notre dame, during Advent, to give a ball,
and all the more, tomorrow, there is yet another one at the house of madame
lavaltery, and after tomorrow at the house of madame [brageloyne ?], much
to the dismay of the curate. [...]
The 11. [December 1748]
Today, there is a dance at the house of madame beaulac, and it is, it appears,
monsieur de morpeaux [Monrepos] who is assuming the costs; monsieur Foucher,
his shadow, is there with his spouse, madame de la valtrie and her daughter,
mesdemoiselle de longueoil and noyan, hardly enough to form a circle.[...]
Source: Archives nationales du Québec, Centre de Québec, Journal de Madame Bégon, P2,P1; P2,P27; P2,P28, Rocbert de la Morandière, Elisabeth (Madame Bégon), Letter on the situation of women in Montréal and Québec City, 12 novembre, 9 et 11 décembre 1748.