M. (1) 29 Sep 1654 in Beauport, New France
Wife: Marie Godard
M. (2) 29 Oct 1686 in Beauport, New France
Wife: Therese Leblanc
D. 15 Feb 1715 in Beauport, New France
When Toussaint Giroux lost his beloved first wife, he appears to have made a poor decision in choosing a second one. So he took the drastic step of separation — an unusual thing in Catholic French Canada.
Toussaint was born about November of 1633 in Revellion, France to Jean Giroux and Marguerite Quilleron. He was one of seven children, but five of his siblings died young. His father was a weaver and died in 1641 when Toussaint was only a boy. It was said that he also took up the trade of weaving. Amazingly, the house where the family lived is still standing.
The house where Toussaint grew up.
It’s been estimated that Toussaint arrived in New France in about 1650. He first turned up in records on June 20, 1654 on a grant of land in Beauport from Robert Giffard which he was to share with two other men. Giffard was a seigneur who recruited many young men in France to become indentured servants; it’s likely that Toussaint was one of them, and had just ended his term of service. The land that the three men shared was 50 arpents, and they were to each pay 25 sols in rent, along with a “fat hen” on Christmas Day each year.
Toussaint stayed with this arrangement only for that summer. On September 29, 1654, he married a teenaged girl named Marie Godard. The wedding took place at Sieur Giffard’s own house in Beauport. Marie was of an unknown background, and it's been speculated that she may have been a Huron Indian. After they were married, Toussaint and Marie continued working as servants for Giffard and lived in an outbuilding of his seigneurial manor. Between 1655 and 1679, Toussaint and Marie had 12 children. Their first child was born in Sieur Giffard’s house, but unfortunately died a week later. The date of this child's birth suggests Marie may have been pregnant when they married, but this is uncertain.
Eventually, Toussaint was able to get a place of his own. In about 1658, he bought a plot of land in the Bourg de Fargy section of Beauport. He built a house consisting of “a heated room, antechamber, cellar and attic.” Toussaint was friends with Michel Baugis and the two men became eel fishermen together. They lived next to each other in the 1666 census. Toussaint was among 65 people confirmed at the church of Notre-Dame de Quebéc on February 24, 1660.
After Sieur Giffard died in 1667, Toussaint had most of his concession of land revoked by Giffard's son, who was the new seigneur. The charge was that Toussaint had been late in paying his rent. Left with just one arpent of land, it was difficult to support the family, but he was able to work hard and acquire more property. By 1681, he had 53 arpents of land under cultivation.
Marie passed away on November 21, 1684; a note was made in her burial record that she had “lived a good life.” Toussaint needed a new spouse to look after his young children, and on October 29, 1686, he married a widow named Therese Leblanc. They had a daughter born two years later, but then trouble arose in the marriage. Therese spent a large sum of money shopping in Quebec City and caused Toussaint to go into a lot of debt, so he arranged to end their marriage. It was also said that they quarreled “continuously.”
Toussaint spent a month in the Quebec hospital in 1692, for unknown reasons. In 1711, he sold a tract of his land to grandson Raphael on the condition he care for him in his old age and pay a sum of money to each of his children after his death. His estranged wife Therese tried to block this arrangement in the courts, but lost.
Toussaint died on February 15, 1715 at the age of 81. He left behind 7 children and 70 grandchildren. Toussaint was an ancestor of Robert Goulet and Madonna.
Children by Marie Godard:
1. Charles Giroux — B. 30 Apr 1655, Beauport, New France; D. 7 May 1655, Beauport, New France
2. Raphael Giroux — B. 21 Jul 1656, Beauport, New France; D. 10 Feb 1715, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Vachon (1664-1715), 26 Nov 1681, Beauport, New France
3. Charles Giroux — B. 10 Aug 1658, Beauport, New France; D. 23 Dec 1708, Beauport, New France
4. Toussaint Giroux — B. 2 May 1660, Beauport, New France; D. 7 Jul 1660, Beauport, New France
5. Michel Giroux — B. 13 Jun 1661, Beauport, New France; D. 6 Aug 1715, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Therese Prévost (1665-1743), 18 Aug 1683, Beauport, New France
6. Toussaint Giroux — B. 21 Oct 1663, Beauport, New France; D. 10 Nov 1663, Beauport, New France
7. Jean Giroux — B. 26 Oct 1664, Beauport, New France; D. 16 Jan 1732, Beauport, New France; M. (1) Marie Dauphin (1673-1685), 8 Feb 1685, Beauport, New France; (2) Suzanne Bélanger (1665-1707), 12 Feb 1686, Beauport, New France (3) Marie-Charlotte Grenier (1666-1736), 27 Feb 1707, Beauport, New France
8. Marie-Anne Giroux — B. 28 Dec 1666, Beauport, New France; D. 9 Jun 1711, Charlesbourg, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Prévost (1662-1737), 18 Aug 1683, Beauport, New France
9. Jean-Baptiste Giroux — B. about Dec 1668, Beauport, New France; D. before 1681
10. Marie-Madeleine Giroux — B. 29 Dec 1669, Beauport, New France; M. (1) Pierre Choret (1655-1701), 21 Jan 1686, Beauport, New France; (2) Maurice Rhéaume (1666-1709), 10 Jan 1705, Charlesbourg, New France
11. Toussaint Giroux — B. 1 Mar 1672, Beauport, New France; D. 25 Feb 1750, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Therese Dauphin (1674-1732), 15 Nov 1690, Beauport, New France
12. Monique Giroux — B. about 1679, Beauport, New France; D. 1 Mar 1725, Quebec City, New France; M. Noel Vachon dit Pamerlaux (1669-1699), 24 Oct 1695, Beauport, New France
Children by Therese Leblanc:
1. Marie-Madeleine Angelique Giroux — B. 14 Feb 1688, Beauport, New France; D. 31 Jul 1746, Beauport, New France; M. (1) Vincent Rodrique (1681-1726), 11 Jan 1707, Beauport, New France; (2) Jacques Paridis (1701-1769), 15 Feb 1729, Beauport, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
Before the King’s Daughters: The Filles à Marier, 1634-1662, Peter Gagné, 2002
Toussaint Giroux—Marie Godard, Seventh Great Grandparents, Warren Gereaux, 2000
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy (website)
