Origin and Naming
Mansfield-et-Pontefract is a Quebec municipality with a surface area of 525 km², located in the MRC Pontiac region of the Outaouais and surrounding the village of Fort-coulonge.
The township of Mansfield was created in 1849, and a few years later, in 1855, became the municipality of the township of Mansfield. But it was on January 1, 1868, that the municipality of Mansfield-et-Pontefract came into being, when the neighboring township of Pontefract, officially founded in 1863, was annexed.
Historically, according to Jame White, Mansfield Township was named after Sir James Mansfield, then Solicitor General of Canada in 1780, who lived from 1733 to 1821, while others believe the name Mansfield was given to honor William Murray, the first Earl of Mansfield. The origin of Mansfield Township’s name remains a mystery.
The township of Pontefract, on the other hand, takes its name from a town in Yorkshire, England.
The municipality of Mansfield-et-Pontefract is divided into a number of sectors, including Davidson, Saint-Camille, Bois Franc (which used to be in Pontefract township), the Amyotte section, Lac La Truite, Lac Jim, Lac Galarneau, Coulonge Falls and Grand Marais, to name but a few. In all, the municipality has 12 sectors.
The first mayor of Mansfield-et-Pontefract was Georges Bryson, and it’s in his honour that Bryson House, which houses our town hall, bears his name.
Mayors Since 1855
- 1855-1857: George Bryson
- 1858-1859: John Armstrong
- 1860-1861: James Findlay
- 1862-1867: George Bryson
- 1868-1875: Alexandre Proudfoot
- 1877: George Bryson
- 1878-1881: Thom Bryson
- 1882-1888: John Bryson
- 1889: James Landon & John Bryson
- 1890-1891: Henry Connely
- 1892: George Bryson
- 1893: Philippe Gillis
- 1894-1895: George Bryson Jr.
- 1896: Henry Connely
- 1897: Ed Bamford
- 1898: Eddy Davis
- 1899-1903: Ed Bamford
- 1904-1913: Charles Béle
- 1914-1915: Thomas Bamford
- 1916: Edward Davis
- 1917-1918: Charles Bélec Jr.
- 1919-1920: James W. Bryson
- 1921-1927: Edward Davis
- 1928-1935: William Labelle
- 1936: William Sharpe
- 1937-1937: William E. Sharpe
- 1940-1944: Euchère Mousseau
- 1945-1948: Éméril Leblanc
- 1949-1950: Alfred Bélec
- 1951-1956: Joseph Lafrance
- 1957-1964: Vézina Hérault
- 1965-1968: Léo Bertrand
- 1969-1970: Robert Landouceur
- 1971-1976: Vézina Hérault
- 1977-1978: Robert Ladouceur
- 1979-1982: Vézina Hérault
- 1983-2002: Robert Ladouceur
- 2002-2009: Richard Romain
- 2009-2013: Leslie Bélair
- 2013-2017: Kathleen Bélec
- 2017-2021: Gilles Dionne
- 2021 à aujourd’hui: Sandra Armstrong
Find out more about our history
The George Bryson House, in addition to being a historic monument, is also home to the Mansfield-et-Pontefract Municipal Museum. Built in 1854 by lumber baron George Bryson, the house today serves as a repository of the region’s rich heritage, offering a glimpse into the municipality’s dynamic history and George Bryson’s significant contributions as its first mayor. The house’s designation as a Quebec historic site since 1980 further enhances its historical and cultural value to the community.
