Caldwell Manor

The "tall and handsome" Henry Caldwell was the youngest son of Sir John Caldwell, 3rd Bt., of Castle Caldwell in Ireland's County Fermanagh. His wife, Ann Hamilton, was from an equally notable Anglo-Irish family and counted a Bishop and a Baron of the Exchequer among her brothers. In 1804, when Napoleon imposed a naval blockade to starve Britain of commerce, Caldwell used his influence to persuade the Lord of the Admiralty to import Canadian timber to the Royal Navy's shipyards, and his business boomed accordingly.

A Picture Perfect Setting

Caldwell began accruing land from 1774, starting with the Seigneury de Lauzon that he acquired from Governor James Murray and on which he chose to build his country seat. The sight he chose on which to build was particularly picturesque, surrounded by rolling hills and opening onto the river with the city of Quebec in the distance. The house was Palladian in style with Doric columns and its interior was simply described as, "fantastic". The parkland about it was landscaped with grande allées in the French style, all the while retaining plenty of dells and corners that were, "full of shadow and mystery".

Sir John Caldwell: Prodigious Host, Seigneur... "A King"

Henry died in 1810 and although he left the Seigneury de Lauzon (on which stood Caldwell Manor) to his 9-year old grandson, it was very much the home of his only son, John. John Caldwell succeeded his father as Receiver-General of Lower Canada and from 1830 he became the 6th Baronet of Castle Caldwell after the death of his cousin back in Ireland - the same cousin who is shown in a famous portrait wearing Indian gifts given to his uncle at Wakeetomike while he was serving as the Commander of Fort Niagara in the 1770s.

Even in 1863, it was said: "John Caldwell menait un grain train, the old peasants of Etchemin repeat to this day... His house, stud, amusements were those of a baron of old and of a hospitable Irish gentleman, spreading money and progress over the length and breadth of the land". It was entirely due to his energy that the previously unknown village of Etchemin prospered not only in wealth but also in size and population.

In 1817, John sold "Belmont" to his old friend James Irvine and moved to Etchemin which he had only previously used as a summer home. At Caldwell Manor, he kept a fine stable of thoroughbreds and he knew each of his steeds by name. He took a walk every morning, accompanied by at least two of his favorite dogs, but other times he would be driven about in his carriage, often followed by a string of amazed children. It was his habit that if he stopped at a farm on a long journey for a glass of milk or such like, he would never fail to repay the farmer with a piece of gold. Not long after his death a visitor asked if the rumours about his munificence were really true to which he got the response: "Monsieur, il etait le roi, l'empereur de village - Sir, he was the king, the emperor of the village".

During his tenure, it was said that there was no place in the province that was more, "open, hospitable, and prodigious with its invitations" than Caldwell Manor. Sir John Caldwell's greatest desire was that every one of his guests should enjoy themselves and be fully at ease in his home, and it was said that he went to great lengths to cater to the individual tastes of each and every of his guests. He was equally popular among his censitaires, offering them a similar courtesy by treating them cordially but without a hint of condescension, and giving them no reason to feel embarrassed in his company.

A Small Error on the Balance Sheets...

The first hitch for the Caldwell family came in 1826 when it was discovered that Sir John's late father, Henry, had embezzled over £40,000 of public money, including £8,000 from the Jesuits while he was serving as Treasurer of the commission that he himself had established to administer to their affairs! The Seigneury de Lauzon - and with it Caldwell Manor and the Etchemin Mills - were seized that year to repay his debts. Sir John died at Boston in 1845 when a second discrepancy became apparent: "an error in his Government balance sheet of £100,000 on the debit side". At this, his son, Sir Henry John Caldwell 7th Bt., returned to Ireland where he died considerably poorer than his distinguished forbears.

The debt was never wholly repaid, but indeed some have argued that Receiver-General's were hopelessly underpaid and it was better that the money was re-invested in Canada - even if misappropriated - and certainly the people of Etchemin would have agreed. The fate of the manor at Caldwell however remains a mystery. Most likely it ran into ruin and was soon after demolished - another significant loss to Canada's architectural history.