The Growth of a Craft Labour Force: Montreal Leather Artisans, 1815‑1831

Abstract

This study calls into question the view that immigration from the British Isles in the first half of the nineteenth century dramatically altered the ethnic composition of the urban crafts of Lower Canada and resulted in the marginalisation of French-Canadian artisans. Unlike earlier studies, which relied essentially on the snapshots provided by the manuscript censuses of 1831 and 1842, this case study combines a variety of sources in order to reconstitute the entire population of Montreal's leather trades between 1815 and 1831. The evidence provided by this important group of crafts shows that, while the British presence increased, it was primarily confined to the most transient elements of the anisan population. A mong craftsmen who settled in Montréal for extended periods of time, French Canadians remained dominant. Although their relative importance declined, their absolute numbers grew. Vital craft traditions ensured that skills were transmitted from father to son and that apprenticeship thrived. While the local ecomony was the major source of new manpower throughout this period, there was a steady increase in the flow of young men into Montréal from the surrounding countryside.