Connected Lives: The Archaeology of Three Merchant Families in Nineteenth-Century Quebec City

In the early 19th century, Quebec City was one of the most important ports of the British Empire. Fortunes were made exporting timber, building ships, and importing goods from Britain, which led to the creation of a wealthy merchant class that quickly rose to prominence. Dominated by several powerful families, members of this class were connected via their businesses, marriages, political interests, churches, and social clubs. Université Laval’s historical archaeology field school excavated the Anderson and Hunt Block sites, related to two important merchant families in the city. Serendipitously, these sites were the residence and the office, respectively, of a third merchant and his family. This article explores the interconnectedness of these families and their associations and highlights some of the material remains of their daily lives.