People of historical significance

Mathew Bell

A picture of Mathew Bell great administrator and legendary face of the Forges du Saint-Maurice.
© Collection John Mc Greevy

Mathew Bell, a clever British-born merchant, managed the Forges for 53 years, a fact which contributed significantly to the company's stability. Under his reign, the village reached its peak population of 425 inhabitants.

Bell's superintendants had a solid command of the operating schedule, which depended heavily on regular, continuous supplies. The old-stock French workers who had been in the employ of the Forges for several generations ensured that operations in the workshops ran smoothly. They were supervised by foremen of British origin.

The company flourished, and enjoyed an enviable reputation.

• The iron resources of New France
• Francheville's experiment
• Vézin builds the forges
• The forges and military production
• The indirect ore reduction process
• An expanding colony
• Mathew Bell reigns over the forges
• The Industrial Era
• The McDougalls make over the forges
• An abandoned industrial village
• The old forges
• The forges return to life
• The forges today