Municipality of the Township of Godmanchester

Introduction and Background

The origin of Godmanchester's name comes from a village in the county of Huntingdon, in England. William Chewett, charged with surveying the territory, chose the name when the canton was officially established in 1811. The municipality is set up 34 years later, in 1845. In 1847, it is repealed and the territory is attached to the municipality of Beauharnois to be established again in 1855. At this time, the canton's centre is the village LaGuerre today in ruins. This site is now comprised in Saint-Anicet's territory.

The first ones to come are soldiers from the Canadian corps, who received land as acknowledgement for their service during the American Revolution at the end of the XVII century.

The main interest centres of the municipality are linked to the nature and the quality of its landscapes. Dewittville hamlet, partly situated in Hinchinbrooke, offers some architectural heritage such as one of the oldest post office still operating in the country (1833) and a house built by Jacob De Witt in 1837.

Jacob De Witt (1785-1859) is an important character for the region and the period. Coming to Montreal from the United States at 17 years old, he opens his first business at 22, a hardware store. He also invests in real estate and shipping. Successful businessman and politician, he is considered to be one of Montreal's biggest landowner (1825). A few years later, he acquires a saw mill and 130 acres of land in Portage (1829) later known as Dewittville. He is a founding member of Montreal's General Hospital, the creator of La Banque du Peuple - the first truly french-canadian financial institution in Montreal - and a charter member of the Bank of Canada.

*Source, Population and Surface: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population.