Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1782-1970 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
0,26 m of textual records. - 3 photographs.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
John Savage was born in Ireland in 1740 and immigrated to the United States as a young man. He married Ann Pratt, probably in Spencertown, NY, and together had seven children, all born in New York state. In 1775, having refused to command a local company of the Continental Army, he was regarded as an enemy and imprisoned. He escaped and joined the British Army. When hostilities ended in 1783, he and his family took refuge in the province of Quebec. In July 1792, he petitioned to obtain the Township of Shefford, but did not receive the letters patent until 1801. He was named Captain of the 2nd Battalion of the Eastern Townships Militia in 1805 and Justice of the Peace for the District of Montreal in 1806. Savage contributed to the surveying of the Township of Shefford, the opening of roads, and the organization of religious services in Shefford County. He continued to play a major role in the life of the community of the Township of Shefford until his death in West Shefford on 27 September 1826.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The fonds has been held on long-term loan since 1981 from Fred Vaudry of Lennoxville.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The fonds contains source material on the activities of John Savage during the colonization of the Township of Shefford at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th. It consists of documentary materials of various kinds, such as correspondence, petitions, invoices and receipts, deeds, notices, government documents, letters of reference, notebooks, and newspapers. The holdings include correspondence and research notes that belonged to Mary O. Vaudry, who wrote a biography of John Savage in 1921. It contains the following series: 1770-1789 (1770-1789), 1790-1799 (1790-1799), 1800-1809 (1800-1809), 1810-1819 (1810-1819),1820-1829 (1820-1829), 1830-1839 (1830-1839), 1840-1849 (1840-1849), 1910-1949 (1910-1949), Undated ([178-?]-[1943?]), Ledgers and Notes (1782-1837), Mary O. Vaudry's Research ([1908?][1943?]), and Miscellaneous ([1783?]-1970).
The photographs consist of the following: Margaret Wilson and John Wilson (lawyer), adult children of John Wilson and Agnes Craig, cousin of Thomas Craig Sr., taken in Hamilton, Scotland); the sword (poor copy) carried by Capt. John Savage in the War 1776-1783, owned by Jennie R. (née Culter) Mansur of Worcester, Mass. at the time of the photo; and a family crest (poor copy) possibly for the Pierce family.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Few documents are in bad condition (mildew, friability, tearing).
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
System of arrangement
Documents in the first nine series were sorted chronologically before being microfilmed (800 documents).
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Material is restricted from any reproduction or publication, except when permission is granted by the donor.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
The documents are in English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
The fonds includes a few copies of documents held by the National Archives of Canada and some transcriptions. Moreover, also available in the Old Library in McGreer Hall are microfilm copies of the fonds' first nine series and of documents relating to John Savage held by the Brome County Historical Society and the National Archives of Canada.
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Researchers may also consult the John Savage papers at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Finding aid prepared using Rules for Archival Description (RAD).
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
28 janvier, 2016