The Other Quebec: Microhistorical Essays on Nineteenth-Century Religion and Society (Heritage)

__The Other Quebec__ explores some of the complex ways that religious institutions and beliefs affected the rural societies in which the majority of Canadians still lived in the nineteenth century. In The Other Quebec, J.i. Little - One Of The Foremost Scholars On The Eastern Townships And On Rural Society In Canada - Assembles Seven Of His Essays And One By Marguerite Van Die On This Unique Region Into One Volume. The Collection Examines The Role And Influence Of Religion In The Eastern Townships. Little Uses A Microhistorical Method, Focusing On Individuals Who Left Behind Informative And Revealing Diaries Or Personal Letters, Including Those Of A Religious Ecstatic, An Anglican Clergyman, A Genteel Englishwoman, And An Entrepreneur.--jacket. Religion, Family, And Gender. The Mental World Of Ralph Merry, Tinware Peddler And Religious Ecstatic, 1798-1863 -- The Fireside Kingdom : A Mid-nineteenth-century Anglican Perspective On Marriage And Parenthood -- Gender And Gentility : Lucy Peel's Journal, 1833-6 -- A 'christian Businessman' : The Convergence Of Precept And Practice In Nineteenth-century Evangelical Gender Construction. Religion, Social Reform, And Community. 'a Moral Engine Of Such Incalculable Power' : The Temperance Movement In The Eastern Townships, 1830-52 -- 'labouring In A Great Cause' : Marcus Child As Pioneer Schools Inspector, 1852-9 -- Railways, Revivals, And Rowdyism : The Beebe Adventist Camp Meeting, 1875-1900 -- A Crime 'shrouded In Mystery' : State, Church, And Community In The Kinnear's Mills Post-office Case, 1899-1905. J.i. Little. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

The Eastern Townships region of southwestern Quebec is an area of unique culture and history. Surrounded by a French-speaking majority, yet predominantly settled by Americans and British emigrants, the area has historically been distinguished by its anglo-protestant character. In The Other Quebec, J.I. Little – one of the foremost scholars on the Eastern Townships and on rural society in Canada – assembles seven of his essays and one by Marguerite Van Die on this unique region into one volume.

The collection examines the role and influence of religion in the Eastern Townships. Little uses a microhistorical method, focusing on individuals who left behind informative and revealing diaries or personal letters, including those of a religious ecstatic, an Anglican clergyman, a genteel Englishwoman, and an entrepreneur.

Through intimate glimpses into the lives of ordinary people, The Other Quebec explores some of the complex ways that religious institutions and beliefs affected the rural societies in which the majority of Canadians still lived in the nineteenth century. Little provides an intimate look at both a time and a place of singular importance and unique character in Canadian history.

Contents 7 Maps and Illustrations 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction 13 Religion, Family, and Gender 25 1. The Mental World of Ralph Merry, Tinware Peddler and Religious Ecstatic, 1798–1863 25 2. The Fireside Kingdom: A Mid-Nineteenth-Century Anglican Perspective on Marriage and Parenthood 57 3. Gender and Gentility: Lucy Peel’s Journal, 1833–6 81 4. A ‘Christian Businessman’: The Convergence of Precept and Practice in Nineteenth- Century Evangelical Gender Construction 106 Religion, Social Reform, and Community 137 5. ‘A Moral Engine Of Such Incalculable Power’: The Temperance Movement In The Eastern Townships, 1830–52 137 6. ‘Labouring In A Great Cause’: Marcus Child As Pioneer Schools Inspector, 1852–9 173 7. Railways, Revivals, And Rowdyism: The Beebe Adventist Camp Meeting, 1875–1900 209 8. A Crime ‘Shrouded In Mystery’: State, Church, And Community In The Kinnear’S Mills Post-Office Case, 1899–1905 234 Afterword 275 Credits 279 Index 281 On a September afternoon in 1809 Ralph Merry lay peering upwards through the smoke hole in the roof of a log cabin when he saw 'the appearance of a man in the sky with blood streaming from him, and it seemed as though I saw him with my natural sight, but probably it was only a verry strong mental view presented through the medium of powerful faith.'