# Godmanchester, Quebec

Godmanchester is a township municipality located in Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 1,403 The southeast part of the township is mostly delineated by the Châteauguay River, while the south end borders with Franklin County, New York.
It was named after Godmanchester, England, in 1811.

## History

Its first settlers were Canadian soldiers who were discharged at the time of the American Revolution in the late 18th century. The geographic township of Godmanchester was first surveyed in 1811, and named by Surveyor William Chewett after the English town Godmanchester. In 1845, the Township Municipality of Godmanchester was established, but abolished in 1847. It was reestablished in 1855.

## Geography

The municipality is situated along the Canada–United States border.

### Communities

The following locations reside within the municipality's boundaries:
* Dewittville (45°06′52″N 74°05′48″W﻿ / ﻿45.11444°N 74.09667°W﻿ / 45.11444; -74.09667﻿ (Dewittville, Godmanchester, QC)) – a hamlet situated along Route 138 and the Châteauguay River, midway between Huntingdon and Ormstown.
* Lee's Corner (45°03′19″N 74°20′08″W﻿ / ﻿45.05528°N 74.33556°W﻿ / 45.05528; -74.33556﻿ (Lee's Corner, Godmanchester, QC)) – a hamlet situated 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) west of Huntingdon.

### Lakes & Rivers

The following waterways pass through or are situated within the municipality's boundaries:
* Châteauguay River – runs along the municipality's northeast border.
* Trout River – runs along the municipality's southeastern border.
Several other smaller streams and waterways also exist throughout the municipality.

## Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Godmanchester had a population of 1,403 living in 582 of its 621 total private dwellings, a change of 0.6% from its 2016 population of 1,394. With a land area of 138.66 km$^2$ (53.54 sq mi), it had a population density of 10.1/km$^2$ (26.2/sq mi) in 2021.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1861 | 2,212 | — |
| 1871 | 2,055 | −7.1% |
| 1881 | 1,893 | −7.9% |
| 1891 | 1,673 | −11.6% |
| 1901 | 1,735 | +3.7% |
| 1911 | 1,623 | −6.5% |
| 1921 | 1,603 | −1.2% |
| 1931 | 1,439 | −10.2% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1941 | 1,374 | −4.5% |
| 1951 | 1,398 | +1.7% |
| 1956 | 1,473 | +5.4% |
| 1961 | 1,588 | +7.8% |
| 1966 | 1,833 | +15.4% |
| 1971 | 1,887 | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 1,735 | −8.1% |
| 1981 | 1,702 | −1.9% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1986 | 1,620 | −4.8% |
| 1991 | 1,557 | −3.9% |
| 1996 | 1,550 | −0.4% |
| 2001 | 1,528 | −1.4% |
| 2006 | 1,457 | −4.6% |
| 2011 | 1,417 | −2.7% |
| 2016 | 1,394 | −1.6% |
| 2021 | 1,403 | +0.6% |
Source: Statistics Canada :
Canada Census Mother Tongue - Godmanchester, Quebec :
| Census | Total | French | French | French | English | English | English | French & English | French & English | French & English | Other | Other | Other |
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % |
| 2021 | 1,405 | 760 | 3.2% | 54.1% | 540 | 0.0% | 38.4% | 50 | 66.6% | 3.6% | 50 | 42.9% | 3.6% |
| 2016 | 1,390 | 785 | 1.3% | 56.5% | 540 | 0.9% | 38.8% | 30 | 20.0% | 2.2% | 35 | 30.0% | 2.5% |
| 2011 | 1,415 | 795 | 15.4% | 56.2% | 545 | 13.5% | 38.5% | 25 | 150.0% | 1.8% | 50 | 42.9% | 3.5% |
| 2006 | 1,465 | 940 | 34.3% | 64.2% | 480 | 49.0% | 32.8% | 10 | 80.0% | 0.7% | 35 | 46.2% | 2.4% |
| 2001 | 1,570 | 700 | 10.0% | 44.6% | 715 | 0.7% | 45.5% | 90 | 157.1% | 5.7% | 65 | 116.7% | 4.1% |
| 1996 | 1,545 | 770 | n/a | 49.8% | 710 | n/a | 46.0% | 35 | n/a | 2.3% | 30 | n/a | 1.9% |

## Economy

Godmanchester is a rural municipality primarily characterized by its agricultural economy. The local economy relies heavily on farming, with a focus on dairy, cattle, and crop production, such as grains and corn. Given its proximity to the United States, agriculture and trade benefit from access to both domestic and cross-border markets. Although small in size, the region supports local businesses connected to the agricultural sector, including machinery and equipment services. The quiet, rural nature of Godmanchester shapes its economy, which remains largely based on traditional farming activities.

## Government

List of former mayors:
* James Biggar (1845–1847)
* Alexander Anderson (1855)
* Charles Dewitt (1855–1857)
* James O'Neill (1857–1860)
* Robert Douglas (1860–1862, 1866–1873)
* Peter Brady (1862–1866)
* John Stewart (1873–1875)
* David White (1875–1878)
* John Ferns (1878–1883)
* William H. Walker (1883–1899)
* Alexander Cunningham (1899–1903)
* Charles Bell (1903–1905)
* Malcolm Mc Naughton (1905–1909)
* Andrew O'Connor (1909–1911)
* William J. Smellie (1911–1912)
* Joseph T. Smythe (1912–1913)
* William D. Ruddock (1913–1916, 1917–1919)
* Arthur Rankin (1916–1917)
* Edward P. Tallon (1919–1921)
* John Purcell (1921–1925)
* John White (1925–1927)
* William J. Sherry (1927–1937)
* Alfred Latulipe (1937–1941)
* John Tannahill (1941–1946)
* William Graham (1946–1947)
* John Caldwell (1947–1953)
* Olivier Leblanc (1953–1957)
* Patrick Sherry (1957–1959)
* Hector St-Onge (1959–1965)
* Charles Reid (1965–1973)
* Réal Racine (1973–1979)
* Marion Trépanier (1979–1983)
* Philippe Leblanc (1984–1999)
* Pierre Poirier (1999–present)

## Infrastructure

The CIT du Haut-Saint-Laurent provides commuter and local bus services.