M. about 1661 in Port-Royal, Acadia2
Husband: Pierre Morin
D. 16 Sep 1714 in Montmagny, New France3
Colonial America had many superstitious people who accused others of witchcraft, and this wasn’t limited to Puritan New England. Such cases also happened in the French colonies, and one involved Marie-Madeleine Morin.
Madeleine was born in Acadia in about 1642 to Pierre Martin and Catherine Vigneau,1 two of the earliest residents of the colony. She was one of seven children. In about 1661, Madeleine married Pierre Morin dit Boucher in Port-Royal.2 Between about 1662 and 1686, they had 12 children.
In 1680, the family settled in Beaubassin,4 a town on the isthmus that connects present-day Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. One of their neighbors, a man named Jean Campagna, was accused of using sorcery in 1684 and Madeleine was one of several people who testified against him.5 Campagna was said to be responsible for the death of "several men and domestic animals" in town. He was held for nearly a year before the trial started. One accuser was Madeleine's sister Andrée, who claimed among other things that Campagna caused the death of her husband by breathing on his eye. Madeleine took the stand to back-up what her sister said. There were several others who told similar tales on the witness stand, but ultimately Campagna was found not-guilty of the crimes.
Some of Madeleine's testimony.
In 1688, Madeleine was on the opposite end of the judicial process when her son Louis was accused of raping the daughter of Beaubassin founder, Michel Leneuf.4 The family was charged as a whole and 19 people were banished — Madeleine, her husband Pierre, and her children and their families had their property confiscated and were forced to leave Acadia. Son Louis was taken away by ship to serve a lifetime sentence in the French Navy, and was never heard from again. The family lived for a few years in a M'kMaq village called Ristigouche, where Pierre died at the age of 56.4
In 1697, Madeleine was able to move to the St. Lawrence River region, and through the family connections of her daughter-in-law Françoise Chiasson, received a land grant on the Gaspé River.4 Madeleine died in the village of Montmagny on September 16, 1714 and was buried the following day.3 Descendants of Madeleine include Jack Kerouac, Jim Carrey and Bridget Fonda.6
Children:
1. Pierre Morin — B. about 1662, Port-Royal, Acadia;1 D. Apr 1741, St-Thomas, New France;7 M. Françiose Chiasson (1668-1724), 8 Nov 1682, Beaubassin, Acadia8
2. Louis Morin — B. about 1664 Port-Royal, Acadia1
3. Antoine Morin — B. about 1666 Port-Royal, Acadia1
4. Marie Morin — B. about 1668 Port-Royal, Acadia;1 M. (1) Jacques Cochu (?-~1710), 8 Nov 1682, Beaubassin, Acadia;4 (2) Jean Pinet, 3 Feb 1710, Quebec City, New France9
5. Anne Morin — B. about 1670 Port-Royal, Acadia;1 D. Aug 1745, Quebec City, New France;10 M. (1) René Deneau, about 1687, Beaubassin, Acadia;11 (2) Jean-Claude Louet (?-1739), 15 Jul 1707, Quebec City, New France12
6. Jacques Morin — B. about 1672, Acadia;4 M. Marie-Anne Lavergne (?-~1754), 13 Feb 1699, Quebec City, New France13
7. Charles Morin — B. about 1674, Acadia;4 D. about Jul 1724, New France;4 M. Anne-Therese Minet, 23 May 1719, Quebec City, New France14
8. Marguerite Morin — B. about 1676, Acadia4
9. Jean-Marie Morin dit Ducharme — B. 10 Aug 1680, Beaubassin, Acadia;4 D. 30 Jan 1717, Quebec City, New France;15 M. Marie-Elisabeth Hubert (1697-1717), 17 Nov 1715, Quebec City, New France16
10. Jacques-François Morin — B. 23 Sep 1682, Beaubassin, Acadia4
11. Simon-Joseph Morin — B. about Jan 1685, Beaubassin, Acadia;4 D. before 1686, Beaubassin, Acadia4
12. Jacques Morin — B. about Mar 1686, Beaubassin, Acadia;4 D. Apr 1757, St-Pierre-du-Sud, New France;17 M. Marie-Charlotte Robert-Jeannes (?-1734), 25 Aug 1704, Chambalon, New France18
Sources:
1 Recensement 1671 Port Royal
2 Estimated marriage date of Pierre Morin and Marie-Madeleine Martin based on age of oldest child
3 Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Martin, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4 "The Morins of Acadia," French-Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1968, pp. 127-142
5 Court records of case against Jean Campagna, BAnQ
6 FamousKin.com listing for Marie Martin
7 Burial record of Pierre Morin (younger), Q.C.P.R.
8 Marriage record of Pierre Morin and Françoise Chiasson, Nouvelle-Écosse, Acadie et Gaspésie, 1679-1686, 1751-1757, registres de l’état civil, catholique, FamilySearch.org
9 Marriage record of Jean Pinet and Marie Morin, Q.C.P.R.
10 Burial record of Anne Morin, Q.C.P.R.
11 Estimated marriage date of Anne Morin and René Deneau based on age of oldest child
12 Marriage record of Jean-Claude Louet and Anne Morin, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Jacques Morin and Marie-Anne Lavergne, Q.C.P.R.
14 Marriage record of Charles Morin and Anne-Therese Minet, Q.C.P.R.
15 Burial record of Jean-Marie Morin dit Ducharme, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Jean-Marie Morin dit Ducharme and Marie-Elisabeth Hubert, Q.C.P.R.
17 Burial record of Jacques Morin (younger), Q.C.P.R.
18 Marriage record of Jacques Morin and Marie-Charlotte Robert-Jeannes, Q.C.P.R.
