Words of a Woman Held Captive — Grace Dollen

B. 1659 in Pemiquid, Maine
M. about 1680 in Maine
Husband: Denys Hegeman
D. 19 Jan 1734 in Flatbush, New York

There are several unique things about Grace Dollen. She was someone who lived in three different American colonies in her lifetime. She bravely faced being torn away from her family and taken prisoner for several years. And her dramatic story survives in her own testimony.

Grace started out life in New England, born in the remote outpost of Pemaquid, Maine in 1659. Her father was John Dollen, and it’s believed that her mother was Sarah Gridley. During some of this time, John Dollen lived on an island called Monhegan where he operated a tavern. When Grace was growing up, these were dangerous places; the frontier was vulnerable to attacks from Indians, who were often spurred on by the French. During King Philip’s War, Pemaquid was attacked and burned — Grace must have been in the middle of all this as a teenager. 

In about 1680, Grace married a Dutchman from New York, Denys Hegeman, who was in Pemaquid as a soldier. Between 1681 and 1688, they had four children. But the challenges of where they lived finally had a direct affect on Grace. On August 2, 1689, the Indians attacked Pemaquid and took around 50 settlers captive. Grace and her young daughter Jane were two of them; it’s likely that Jane was killed. 

The places where Grace lived during her life.

After Grace was returned from captivity many years later, she gave testimony describing her ordeal. This was sometimes done by authorities in New England to extract information about the behavior of those who threatened their colony:

“The day when Pemaquid was assaulted and taken by ye Indians, I was there taken prisoner and carried away by them; one Eken, a Canada Indian pretending to have a right in me, and to be my master. I apprehend that there were between two and three hundred Indians at that assault (and no French) who continued there for two days, and then carried myself and other captives (about fifty in number) unto the Fort at Penobscot.

“I continued there about three years, removing from place to place as the Indians occasionally went, and was very hardly treated by them both in respects of provisions and clothing, having nothing but a torn blanket to cover me during the winter seasons, and oftentimes cruelly beaten. After I had been with the Indians three years, they carried me to Quebec, and sold me for forty crowns unto the French there, who treated me well, gave me my liberty and I had the King’s allowance of provisions, as also a room provided for me, and liberty to work for myself.

“I continued there two years and a half, during which time of my abode there, several of the Eastern Indians came, viz., Bomaseen, Moxis his son, and Madockawondo’s son and diverse others, and brought English prisoners and scalps, and received as the French told me for each scalp (being paid by the intendent) twenty French crowns, according to a declaration which the governor there had emitted for their encouragement, and the captives they sold for as much as they could agree with the purchasers.

“The Indians also had a reward allowed them for bringing intelligence from time to time. Soon after the submission made by the Indians at Pemaquid in 1693, Bomaseen came to Quebec and brought a paper containing the substance of the articles of submission which he showed unto me, and told me that the governor of Canada said to him, that he should not have made peace with the English and he seemed to be much displeased for their having so done, however said they might carry it friendly to the English, till they should meet with a convenient opportunity to do mischief.”

Grace’s husband Denys made an effort to get her released in 1691 and in the process, was captured himself. In this way, they were reunited for a time in Quebec, and on March 4, 1693, Grace gave birth to a son they named Joseph. Denys was given his freedom before Grace; she left Quebec on September 4, 1694, spent the winter in Port Royal, Acadia, then made her way to Boston, arriving in May of 1695. She then was reunited with her husband and children at his home in Flatbush, New York.

Baptism of Joseph Hegeman in the New France Catholic parish registers.

Remarkably, for someone who had gone through so much, Grace was able to return to a normal life. She and Denys had another child in 1699, but it appears that Denys died in 1702 before their last child was born. Now a widow, on April 13, 1703, Grace filed a petition asking for money as a reward for the years of service of her late husband, and she was awarded £50. By this time she had become a part of the Dutch community and took on the name “Lucretia.”

Grace probably never went back to her place of birth. She died January 19, 1734 in Flatbush at the age of 75. Her lines of descent lived in New York, New Jersey, and later spread across the country — the legacy of a woman who had lived in so many places. 

Children:
1. Dollens Hegeman — B. about 1681, Pemaquid, Maine; D. before 20 May 1760, (probably) Middlesex, New Jersey; M. Geertruy Bergen, 1703, Middlesex County, New Jersey

2. Adrian Hegeman — B. about 1683, Pemaquid, Maine; D. Aug 1762, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. (1) Elizabeth Van Wyck (?-1720), 15 Dec 1706, Flatbush, New York; (2) Sarah ______, before 1719

3. Catharina Hegeman — B. about 1688, Pemequid, Maine; M. (1) Hendrick Vonck (1681-bef 1735), 12 May 1706, Flatbush, New York; M. (2) Anke Lefferts Haughwot, 30 July 1735

4. Jane Hegeman — B. about 1687, Pemaquid, Maine; D. about 1699, (probably) Maine

5. Joseph Hegeman — B. 4 Mar 1693, Quebec City, New France; D. 31 Mar 1748, Flatbush, New York; M. Alida Andriesz (1699-?), 4 Jun 1714, Flatbush, New York

6. Jacobus Hegeman — B. 18 Jan 1699, Jamaica, New York; D. 25 Sep 1736, Hillsborough, New Jersey; M. Jannetje Van Vegten (1701-1778), 13 May 1721

7. Denys Hegeman — B. before 29 Jun 1703, (probably) Jamaica, New York; D. after 1762 

Sources:
Ten years at Pemaquid: sketches of its history and its ruins, John Henry Cartland, 1899
"The Tribulations of Denys Hegeman," Richard W. Cook, Genealogies of New Jersey Families: A-Z, pre-American notes on New Netherland families, 1996
Register of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., Teunis G. Bergen
Genealogy website of John Blythe Dobson, which cites many sources

Wheel Maker in Early Massachusetts — Richard Kimball

B. 1595 in Rattlesden, England
M. (1) about 1613 in England
Wife: Ursula Scott
M. (2) 23 Oct 1661
Wife: Margaret Cole
D. 22 Jun 1675 in Ipswich, Massachusetts

When Richard Kimball arrived in the Massachusetts colony, he brought a large family and a valuable skill: the ability to construct wooden wheels for carts. This would be needed by many of his fellow settlers as they built communities out of raw wilderness.

Richard was born in Rattlesden, England in 1595. It’s likely that his parents were Richard and Elizabeth Kimball, but there is also speculation that they were Henry Kimball and Joann Eisely. Whoever his parents were, many in the Kimball Family around Rattlesden were craftsmen such as wheelwrights, and this is the trade that Richard chose to follow.

Richard married Ursula Scott in about 1613, probably in Rattlesden. Between 1615 and 1639, they had at least eleven children; some sources say there were two additional children who died young (Alexander, born in 1614, and Ursula, born in 1619). All but the youngest three children were born in England.

Rattlesden was located in Suffolk, England. This was a region known as East Anglia, which supplied many Puritans to Massachusetts. In April 1634, Richard and his family joined the migration by boarding the ship Elizabeth, which arrived in Boston a couple of months later. Also aboard the ship were his brother Henry Kimball, his brother-in-law, Thomas Scott and his mother-in-law, Martha Scott.

Richard and his family settled in Watertown, Massachusetts. His reputation as someone who knew how to make wheels must have spread to other towns, because a couple of years later, the leaders of Ipswich asked him to settle there. They needed a wheelwright, and they offered him a town lot with a house, plus 40 acres of land for a farm, so Richard moved his family to Ipswich and set up his shop. In order to have the materials to work with, the town gave him permission to cut down 20 white oak trees for that purpose. One of Richard’s sons, John, also became a wheelwright.

How wooden wheels for carts were made.

Richard’s name appeared in many town records in Ipswich, some involving disputes with his neighbors. It was also noted that in 1647, he was paid £2 for killing some foxes; New England towns often rewarded men for shooting animals who were predators on the community.

Sometime between 1655 and 1661, Richard’s wife Ursula died. On October 23, 1661, he took a second wife, Margaret Cole, who was the widow of a man named Henry Dow. Richard passed away on June 22, 1675 in Ipswich. He left a detailed will mentioning his living children, some of his grandchildren, and his second wife’s three living children. Margaret died on March 11th of the following year.

As a 17th century immigrant to America, Richard had many noteworthy descendants, including women’s right advocate Lucretia Mott, first lady Edith Roosevelt, Rowland H. Macy (founder of Macy’s), and actors John Lithgow, Elisabeth Shue and Amy Poehler.  

Children (all by Ursula Scott):
1. (possibly) Alexander Kimball — B. Feb 1614, Hitcham, England; D. young

2. Henry Kimball — B. about Aug 1615, Rattlesden, England; D. 3 May 1676, Wenham, Massachusetts; M. (1) Mary Riddlesdale (1622-1672), 1640, Wenham, Massachusetts; (2) Elizabeth Black

3. Abigail Kimball — B. Nov 1617, Rattlesden, England; D. 17 Jun 1658, Salisbury, Massachusetts; M. John Severance (1615-1682), England

4. Elizabeth Kimball — B. about 1619, Rattlesden, England; D. after 5 Mar 1675

5. (possibly) Ursula Kimball – B. about 1621, Rattlesden, England; D. young

6. Richard Kimball — B. 1623, Rattlesden, England; D. 26 May 1676, Wenham, England; M. (1) Mary Cooley (?-1672); (2) Mary Gott, about 1673

7. Mary Kimball — B. 1625, Rattlesden, England; D. 12 Jul 1686, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. Robert Dutch

8. Martha Kimball — B. Aug 1629, Rattlesden, England; D. 16 May 1677, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Fowler (1622-1676)

9. John Kimball — B. 1631, Rattlesden, England; D. 6 May 1698, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. Mary Bradstreet (1633-1690)

10. Thomas Kimball — B. 1633, Rattlesden, England; D. 2 May 1676, Bradford, Massachusetts; M. Mary Smith (~1635-1688)

11. Sarah Kimball — B. 1635, Watertown, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jun 1690, Suffield, Connecticut; M. Edward Allen, 24 Nov 1658, Ipswich, Massachusetts

12. Benjamin Kimball — B. 1637, Massachusetts; D. 11 Jun 1696; M. Mercy Hazeltine (?-1707), 16 Apr 1661, Salisbury, Massachusetts

13. Caleb Kimball — B. 1639, Massachusetts; D. 23 Sep 1682; M. Anna Hazeltine (1640-1688), 7 Nov 1660, Ipswich, Massachusetts

Sources:
History of the Kimball Family in America From 1634 to 1897, Leonard Allison Morrison and Stephen Paschall Sharples, 1897
Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire, Volume 1, Ezra S. Stearns, William Frederick Whitcher and Edward Everrett Parker, 1908
Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 4, William Richard Cutter, 1908
Mobility and Migration: East Anglian Founders of New England, 1629-1640, Roger Thompson, 1994
Find A Grave.com
WikiTree
Rattlesden (Wikipedia article)

Grandfather’s Gift Buys Homestead — Abraham Dumont

B. April 25, 1706 in Somerset County, New Jersey
M. August 10, 1733 in Somerset County, New Jersey
Wife: Mattie Bergen
D. August 7, 1787 in Somerset County, New Jersey

Abraham Dumont was given money by his grandfather at age 21, and he turned it into a property that remained in the family for generations to come. Abraham was born on April 25, 1706 in Somerset County, New Jersey to Peter Dumont and Femmetje Janse Van Middleswart. He had two older brothers, one of whom died as an infant, but Abraham’s mother died giving birth to him. His father remarried twice, and he had nine younger half-siblings.

On August 10, 1733, Abraham married Mattie Bergen (also spelled as Meetje), who was the daughter of Hans Jorise Bergen and Sitje Van Wycklen. Abraham and Mattie had four children born between 1734 and 1747.

Abraham and his family lived on a farm of about 500 acres directly south of Somerville, New Jersey, on the road toward Harlingen. He had acquired the property using money that was given or bequeathed to him by his grandfather, Jan Teunise Van Middleswart. Abraham and his brother John each received money from their grandfather when they came of age. Abraham’s farm including the house he built became the family homestead, which survived among his descendants until 1913. 

Typical farm in colonial New Jersey.

Mattie passed away on February 13, 1768, and Abraham died on August 7, 1787; both were buried in the Dumont Burying Ground in Hillsborough. The inventory for Abraham's will showed that his personal property was valued at over £462, not including his land. He owned at least one slave, which he left to his son Peter.

Children:
1. Peter Abraham Dumont – B. 11 Jul 1734, Hillsborough, New Jersey, D. 7 Jul 1818, Hillsborough, New Jersey; M.  (1) Abigail Tunison (?-1761), 6 Dec 1757; (2) Sarah Hegeman (1744-1820), 23 Feb 1763, Somerset County, New Jersey

2. Sitie Dumont – B. 2 Apr 1738; M. Hendrick Probasco

3. John Dumont – B. 10 Jan 1740; D. 3 May 1758

4. Phebe Dumont – B. 13 Sep 1747; M. (1) Frederick Ditmars; (2) Thomas Drew

Sources:
“Wallerand Dumont and his Somerset County Descendants,” John B. Dumont, Somerset County Quarterly, Volume 1, 1912
Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Elmer T. Hutchinson, 2009
“An Interesting Document of 1727,” Somerset County Quarterly, Volume 7, 1918

Speaking Up for a Servant Woman — Elinor _______

B. about 1613 in England
M. about 1640
Husband: Henry Glover
D. 1 Mar 1698 in New Haven, Connecticut

In Puritan New England, sex outside of marriage was strictly forbidden, and those found guilty of such an act could be brutally punished. Elinor Glover came to the defense of an unmarried woman in her community to escape a public whipping.

Elinor was born in about 1613 somewhere in England; nothing is known of her exact origins. Even her first name is not proven. On various records she is called Elinor, Helena, Ellin and Ellen. There has been heavy speculation about her maiden name, and no definitive proof exists for any of her supposed relations. Elinor first turned up in records, along with her husband Henry Glover, at the baptism of their daughter Mary in June 1641 in New Haven colony. Elinor and Henry had at least six more children, with the youngest born in 1655.

New Haven colony in the 17th century.

Elinor’s husband held several offices in the community, and both of them were involved in probate matters of relatives, but there was one time that Elinor was mentioned in her own right in town records. This was concerning a sensational court case of a young woman named Mary Hitchcock, a servant who willfully had sex with another servant named Richard Matticks. The affair took place in 1660 and the couple admitted that they slept together several times. Mary Hitchcock was found guilty of having sex outside of marriage, and she was sentenced to be publicly whipped.

Since Mary said she might be pregnant, her punishment was delayed for several months. Then on September 2, 1662, a hearing was held to decide if she should be given a lesser punishment. Elinor was one of the women who came forward to testify on her behalf, partly because she was an acquaintance of Mary’s mother. Elinor told the court that although Mary had done something bad, she felt there was “something of repentance begun in her” and that the woman should be fined and not whipped. The court took the suggestion of Elinor and the other women who testified, reducing Mary’s punishment to a fine of £4.

Other than this brief appearance of Elinor in the New Haven town records, little else is known about her life. Her husband Henry died on September 2, 1689, and Elinor passed away on March 1, 1698. She left no formal will, but had written something “which conveyed her testamentary wishes” that her children used to divide up her estate, valued at £123.

Probate document of "Helena" Glover in place of having a written will.

The list of Elinor’s notable descendants is quite impressive; they include Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Ernest Hemingway and Clint Eastwood.

Children:
1. Mary Glover — B. about Jun 1641, New Haven, Connecticut

2. Mercy Glover — B. about Aug 1643, New Haven, Connecticut; D. before Feb 1685, (probably) New Haven, Connecticut; M. Moses Manfield (~1640-1703), 5 May 1664, New Haven, Connecticut

3. Hannah Glover — B. 23 May 1646, New Haven, Connecticut; D. 7 Jun 1727, Westfield, Massachusetts; M. David Ashley (1642-1718), 24 Nov 1663, New Haven, Connecticut

4. John Glover — B. Oct 1648, New Haven, Connecticut; D. 29 Jan 1680, New Haven, Connecticut; M. Joanna Daniel (1652-1702), 7 Dec 1671, New Haven, Connecticut

5.  Abigail Glover – B. 29 Apr 1651, New Haven, Connecticut; D. 20 Aug 1651, New Haven, Connecticut

6. Abigail Glover – B. 31 Jul 1652, New Haven, Connecticut; D. about 1720, Fairfield, Connecticut; M. Daniel Burr (1642-1695), 11 Dec 1678, New Haven, Connecticut

7. Sarah Glover – B. about Dec 1655, New Haven, Connecticut; D. 22 Nov 1730, East Haven, Connecticut; M. John Ball (1649-~1731), 11 Dec 1678, New Haven, Connecticut

Sources:
New Haven Town Records, 1649-1684, Volumes 1 & 2, 1917, 1919
Founding Mothers & Fathers: Gendered Power and the Forming of American Society, Mary Beth Norton, 2002
Historical Catalogue of the Members of the First Church of New Haven, 1914
A Genealogical Dictionary of the First settlers of New England: D-J, James Savage, 1860
New Haven Probate Records, Volume 2

A Seigneur in Early Quebec — Guillaume Fournier

B. about 1620 in Coulmer-Argentan, Orne, Normandie, France
M. 20 Nov 1651 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie-Françoise Hébert
D. 24 Oct 1699 in Montmagny, New France

Guillaume Fournier gained status by marrying into Quebec’s oldest family, and became of patriarch of a significant family of his own. He was born about 1620 in Coulmer-Argentan, France, which was in Normandie. His parents were Gilles Fournier and Noelle Gagnon, but nothing else is known of his early years.

The early settlers' plaque on the Louis Hébert Monument in Quebec City lists Guillaume as having arrived in 1634, but there is no evidence that he was there before 1651. On November 20th of that year, he married Marie-Françoise Hébert, the 13-year-old daughter of Hélene Desportes and Guillaume Hébert. Two years later, they had their first child, a boy who died as an infant. They would have 14 more children, the youngest being born in 1680.

Marriage record of Guillaume Fournier and Marie-Françoise Hébert

Through his marriage, Guillaume became a seigneur, or feudal lord. Land in New France belonged to the king and it was divided into seigneuries. Guillaume was granted a seigneury, and he presided over the habitants who lived on subdivisions of the land. The habitants were required to pay Guillaume a percentage of what they produced from the land, while Guillaume was required to build a gristmill for the habitants' grain.

In 1668, Guillaume acquired his first seigneury through litigation against his wife’s family. The land, which was located in Sault-au-Matelot, had been granted to Louis Hébert as the very first seigneury in New France. Françoise’s aunt Guillemette Hébert held the seigneury along with her husband, and since Guillaume's wife was also an heir of Louis Hébert, he felt he was entitled to a portion of it as well. The case was ruled in Guillaume's favor and he became co-seigneur. Later, the wife of Françoise’s late brother Joseph, Charlotte de Poitiers, claimed some of the land was rightfully hers, and Guillaume had to concede a good portion of his seigneury.

By the early 1670s, Guillaume’s seigneury was in what was becoming the heart of Quebec City. The new administrative leader sent over from France, Jean Talon, acquired the entire seigneury, and Guillaume received another seigneury in a different location away from Quebec City. The grant was given on November 3, 1672, described as “ thirty acres on the river, two leagues in depth in the neighborhood of L'Islet, on the south shore of the St Lawrence.” This would be incorporated as the town of Montmagny in 1678.

Guillaume’s house on his new seigneury was described as being “built of squared beams,” and was 22 feet by 18 feet, single story plus an attic. It had two windows and a door on the north side, and one window on the south side. Mass was held in Guillaume’s house until they could build a church, and on December 21, 1685, Guillaume gave 3 or 4 acres of deforested land for it. This would become the St-Thomas-de-la-Pointe-à-la-Caille parish, and Guillaume is given credit as being its founder.

St-Thomas church as it looked during the 18th century.

Guillaume died at Montmagny on October 24, 1699 and was buried in Saint Odilon de Montmagny Cemetery. His wife Françoise survived him by many years, passing away on March 16, 1716. They were the distant ancestors of Celine Dion, Jack Kerouac, Jim Carrey and Bridget Fonda.

Children:
1. Gilles Fournier — B. 26 Nov 1653, Quebec City, New France; D. 31 Dec 1653, Quebec City, New France

2. Marie-Anne Fournier — B. 5 May 1655, Quebec City, New France; D. 13 Nov 1717, Saint-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France; M. Pierre Blanchet (1646-1709), 17 Feb 1670, Quebec City, New France

3. Agathe Fournier — B. 9 Apr 1657, Quebec City, New France; D. 8 Jun 1743, Lauzon, New France; M. Louis Gesseron (1642-1712), 28 Sep 1671, Quebec City, New France

4. Jacquette Fournier — B. 9 Apr 1659, Quebec City, New France; D. 22 Jan 1736, Montmagny, New France; M. Jean Proulx (1646-1703), 5 Jun 1673, Quebec City, New France

5. Joseph Fournier — B. 12 Jul 1661, Quebec City, New France; D. 9 Dec 1741, Montmagny, New France; M. Barbe Girard (1667-1737), 25 Jun 1684, Quebec City, New France

6. Marie-Madeleine Fournier – B. 17 Jul 1663, Quebec City, New France; D. 8 Oct 1664, Quebec City, New France

7. Jean Fournier — B. 18 Mar 1665, Quebec City, New France; D. 17 Sep 1735, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, New France; M. Marie-Jeanne Roy (1664-1751), 2 Jun 1686, Cap-St-Ignace, New France

8. Simon Fournier — B. 20 Apr 1667, Quebec City, New France; D. 8 Dec 1749, Saint-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France; M. Anne-Catherine Rousseau (1668-1749), 12 Nov 1691, St-Pierre-Ile ‘d Orleans, New France

9. Pierre Fournier— B. 23 Apr 1669, Quebec City, New France; D. 22 Aug 1750, Montmagny, New France; M. Marie Isabelle (1675-1754), 24 Nov 1695, Montmagny, New France

10. Françoise Fournier— B. 30 Apr 1671, Quebec City, New France; D. 15 Jul 1734, Montmagny, New France; M. Jacques Boulay (1664-1738), 21 Apr 1686, Saint-Thomas, New France

11. Louis Fournier — B. 20 Apr 1673, Quebec City, New France; D. 17 Jun 1721, Montmagny, New France; M. Marie-Jeanne Caron (1678-1724), 19 Nov 1696, Cap-St-Ignace, New France

12. Madeleine Fournier — B. 3 Aug 1675, Quebec City, New France; M. Pierre Laporte (~1675-1757), 2 May 1707, St-François-de-Sales, New France

13. Charles Fournier — B. 20 Jun 1677, Quebec City, New France; D. 9 Sep 1739, Montmagny, New France; M. Elisabeth-Agnes Bouchard (1677-1758), 13 Jul 1699, Cap-St-Ignace, New France

14. Baby Fournier — B. 2 Aug 1679, Montmagny, New France; D. 2 Aug 1679, Montmagny, New France

15. Jacques Fournier — B. 17 Aug 1680, Montmagny, New France; D. 17 Apr 1681, Montmagny, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Hélène’s World: Hélène Desportes of Seventeenth Century Quebec, Susan McNelley, 2014
Report on Canadian Archives and on the System of Keeping Public Records, 1886
Find-a-Grave.com
Seigneurial system of New France (Wikipedia article)

Famous Kin (website)

A Soldier and a Weaver – Charles Pimparé dit Tourangeau

B. 6 Apr 1696 in Tours, France
M. 18 Jul 1724 in Montreal, New France
Wife: Marie-Louise Bourg dit Lachapelle
D. 16 May 1777 in Montreal, New France

During the years following the initial phase of the French colony in Canada, migration from France slowed to a trickle. No one was actively recruiting new people to settle there, so most of the fresh inhabitants were from a single source: the French military. And this was the case with Charles Pimparé dit Tourganeau, who came to America in the early 18th century.

Charles was born in Tours, France on April 6, 1696 to Pierre Pimparé and Anne Chaquenau. He was likely their first child, although Pierre had been married before and may have had other children. The Pimparé family lived in the St-Symphorien district, now a part of the larger city of Tours. It’s easy to imagine that Charles had an apprenticeship to learn the trade of weaving, which he took up later in life. When Charles came of age, he became a soldier, and found himself being shipped to Canada. This would change the course of his life.

The first known record of Charles was in Montreal on July 18, 1724, when he married Marie-Louise Bourg, a native of Charlesbourg, New France. It would appear that Marie-Louise was pregnant when they married because their first child was born a couple of months later. They went on to have a total of 15 children, six of whom died young.

At the time of his marriage, Charles was serving in the company of Constant le Marchand de Lignery. Lignery was involved in several campaigns of the Fox Wars as an effort to keep French control of fur trading in the Great Lakes area. It isn’t known how much Charles was present on these campaigns, but it’s almost certain that he saw some of the action. Lignery’s expeditions against the Meskwaki tribe (also called the Foxes) took place in the years 1716, 1722 and 1728. The fighting involved attacks on fortified native villages in present-day Wisconsin.

At some point, Charles left the service and settled in Laval on Île Jésus, just north of Montreal. Along with farming, he also became a weaver during this time. Charles seems to have kept a low profile, only appearing in records as a witness in a couple of court cases. In October 1729, he testified at the trial of a man accused of killing three pigs belonging to another man. And in September 1745, he again testified in a trial of a man accused of “having made and distributed false navy orders.” 

October 1729 testimony showing Charles' signature.

Charles lived a long life in his adopted home, and he passed away in Montreal on May 16, 1777 at the age of 81. His wife Marie-Louise died two years later on October 6, 1779. There is a street today in Laval, Quebec called Rue Charles Pimpare. This may have been the area where he lived. 

Children:
1. Marie-Louise Pimparé — B. 15 Sep 1724, New France; D. before 1735 (probably) Île Jesus, New France

2. Marie-Thérèse Pimparé — B. 17 Nov 1725 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Louis Plichon (1719-?), 6 Nov 1747, Montreal, New France

3. Charles Pimparé — B. 1727 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 16 Aug 1728 (probably) Île Jesus, New France

4. Charles Pimparé — B. 17 Oct 1728 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 22 Apr 1730 (probably) Île Jesus, New France

5. Jean-Baptiste Pimparé — B. 3 Feb 1731 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Jeanne Langevin dit Lacroix (1734-?), 7 Jan 1755, Montreal, New France

6. Joseph-Amable Pimparé — B. 25 Oct 1732, Île Jesus,  New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Langevin dit Lacroix (1735-?), 25 Nov 1754, Montreal, New France

7. Augustin Pimparé — B. 5 Jul 1734, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Marie-Charlotte Goulet

8. Marie-Louise Pimparé — B. 15 Jul 1735, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Denis-Joseph Mailly dit Couture (~1729-?), 4 Nov 1755, Montreal, New France

9. Louis Pimparé — B. 18 Aug 1737, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. (1) Marie-Thomas Boulard, 27 Aug 1764; (2) Marie-Louise Lavergne, 15 Oct 1781

10. Marie-Françoise Pimparé — B. 24 May 1739, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Basile Marois (1698-?), 4 Oct 1756, Fort Detroit, New France

11. Baby Pimparé — B. 4 Oct 1740, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 4 Oct 1740, (probably) Île Jesus, New France

12. Marie-Anne Pimparé — B. 1741, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Pierre Jocom, 21 Feb 1757

13. Charles Pimparé —B. 8 May 1744, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 25 May 1744, (probably) Île Jesus, New France

14. Marie-Françoise Pimparé — B. 13 Apr 1746, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 29 Apr 1746, (probably) Île Jesus, New France

15. Charlotte Pimparé — B. 17 Nov 1747, (probably) Île Jesus, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Constant le Marchand de Lignery (Wikipedia article)

Scotsman Makes a Home in New Hampshire — John Bell

B. about 1696 in Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland
M. Ireland
Wife: Katherine __________
D. 28 Feb 1763 in Bedford, New Hampshire

During the early 18th century, a migration took place which brought a hardy breed of people to the English colonies in America — the Scots-Irish. Primarily they came to the middle-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania and Virginia, but some landed in New England as well. This was the course taken by John Bell, who was one of the earliest settlers of Bedford, New Hampshire

John was born in about 1696 in Coleraine, Ireland, a town near the northern coast. It had been populated by Scottish settlers in the early 17th century, among whom were John’s ancestors. As John came of age, there was turmoil among the Catholics and Protestants, and this drove many people to leave. By 1722, John married a woman named Katherine, whose last name is unknown. They had at least four children, born between the years 1722 and 1732. 

Map showing Coleraine, Ireland, where John was born.

In about 1736, John boarded a ship bound for America. His wife and children were left behind, and they would join him three years later. John likely landed at Boston, and made his way to New Hampshire within a year or two. The place he settled was still raw wilderness, as many of his former countrymen were building cabins on unsettled land. John’s new home became part of the town of Bedford. After the rest of his family came over from Ireland, they lived in a place alongside an orchard that likely produced crops for their needs. They later moved to another location before settling in an area that would be called Bell’s Hill. Sadly, Katherine passed away on January 4, 1746, and she was buried in the town cemetery, one of its earliest graves.

Bedford’s Scots-Irish immigrants were mostly Presbyterians. After the town was incorporated, the brethren needed to decide where to build their church, and this demonstrates how the community solved such issues. On January 24, 1750, a committee of men gathered at the barn of one congregant and voted that the church should be constructed at Bell’s Hill. This meant that either John or his neighbor, John McLaughlin, had to give up 2 acres of land. It seemed neither wanted to do it, so some neutral men were appointed to decide which land was a better location. They chose McLaughlin’s property, but then dragged their feet on following through with it. So the committee met again in 1755, this time in John’s barn, coming to the conclusion to build in another part of town.

John lived only another few years, and he died in Bedford on February 28, 1763. He was buried next to Katherine, and a double tombstone was erected over their graves. The inscription reads in part, “Our bodys [sic] turned are to dust, our dust it shall arise.” John’s legacy lives on with a street in present-day Bedford called Bell Hill Road. 

The grave of John and Katherine Bell.

Children:
1. Susanna Bell – B. about 1722, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland

2. Mary Bell – B. about 1721, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland; D. 7 Jan 1813, Bedford, New Hampshire; M. Gawn Riddle (~1700-1779), about 1745

3. Joseph Bell – B. about 1723, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland;

4. John Bell — B. about 1732, Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland; D. April 1804, Bedford, New Hampshire; M. (1) Jane Carr; (2) Sarah Bell (?-1786), about 1755, New Hampshire

Sources:
The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, Rumford Printing Company, 1903

History of Bedford, New Hampshire: Being Statistics Compiled on the 100th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town, 1850

The Bells in U.S.A. and Allied Families, 1650-1977, Getha Gina Bell, 1977

Captain at Fort Frontenac — Joseph Levron dit Metayer

B. about 1691 in Port Royal, Acadia
M. (1) 12 Sep 1722 in Boucherville, New France
Wife: Rose Veronneau
M. (2) 26 Jan 1750 in Fort Frontenac, New France
Wife: Catherine Brunet
D. about 1758, (possibly) Fort Frontenac, New France

As a person born in Acadia during the late 17th century, Joesph Levron dit Metayer was destined for a future struggling under the thumb of British rule. But instead he took a different course as a sea captain, bringing him far away from his native colony.

Joseph was born at Port Royal, Acadia in about 1691 to François Levron dit Nantois and Catherine Agnes Savoie, one of nine children. This was during a period of hardship for Acadians, as they faced repeated aggression from the English. Census records indicated that Joseph’s family went from having a thriving farm in 1700 to one that could barely support them in 1707. During an invasion that year, many homes were burned in Port Royal, with livestock also destroyed. By 1710, the English fully took over the colony, and the Acadian ties with France were permanently severed.

As he came of age, Joseph must have sought a way to escape living under English authority. He likely began working as a seaman when he was a young man in Port Royal. It was common for a sailor to have a layover in a distant place that turned into resettlement, and Joseph eventually put down roots along the St. Lawrence River near Montreal. On September 12, 1722, he married Rose Veronneau, a native of Boucherville, a town which became his new home base.

The places Joseph lived during his life.

 
In the early 18th century, Montreal was the launching point for French fur traders who did their business on the American frontier, and Joseph became captain of a ship that served the trade. Joseph and Rose had five children between 1724 and 1738, and the gaps in their ages suggest that he was away from home for extended periods of time. Further evidence of this is in a contract dated June 15, 1741 where Joseph agreed to bring a load of goods to Pointe Chequamegon and remain there for two years in return for 700 livres. This was a trading post that was very remote — a bay on the southern shore of Lake Superior in present-day Wisconsin. At the time it was the only post in the region.

Joseph’s wife Rose died in Boucherville on December 27, 1748, and not long after, he relocated to another outpost, Fort Frontenac. He seems to have taken his youngest daughter with him, and his married son Joseph spent time there as well. Fort Frontenac was located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario and was populated with less than 150 people, 50 of whom were part of the military. By this time, it was mainly used as a supply depot and a stopping place for vessels passing through.

1750s layout of Fort Frontenac.

On January 26, 1750, Joseph married a second wife, Catherine Brunet, who was a widow. The wedding took place at Fort Frontenac. Two years later, Joseph’s daughter, Marie-Josephte, also married at the fort. Although the parish register said that she was about 17, she was actually just 13-years-old. The marriage record described her father Joseph as a captain in the service of the king, which may denote some sort of military status Involving the ship he operated.

This was the last known record of Joseph, and it’s assumed he passed away within a few years. Fort Frontenac was captured by the British in 1758, and his death may have been related to that. If so, it’s a sad commentary that the same force who attacked his community during his childhood finished him off in the end. 

Children (all with Rose Veronneau):
1. Anne Levron — B. 31 Oct 1724, Boucherville, New France; D. 24 Feb 1754; M. Jacques Lussier (1720-1778), 13 Jan 1744, Boucherville, New France

2. Joseph Levron dit Metayer — B. 18 Jun 1728, Boucherville, New France; D. 29 Jan 1771, Vincennes, Illinois Territory; M. Josephe-Amable Cousteau (1728-?), 7 Feb 1747

3. Louis Levron — B. 31 May 1731, Boucherville, New France

4. Pierre Levron — B. 28 Jan 1736, Boucherville, New France

5. Marie-Josephte Levron – B. 22 Sep 1738, Boucherville, New France; D. 24 Mar 1807, La Malbaie, Quebec; M. Joseph Mercier (1725-1803), 17 Jan 1752, Fort Frontenac, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Revue d’histoire de l’Amérique française, George F.G. Stanley, 1954
Fort Frontenac (Wikipedia article)

A Fresh Start in New France — Anne Girard

B. about Feb 1630 in St Cyr-du-Vaudreuil, Normandy, France
M. 22 Oct 1665, Château-Richer, New France
Husband: Nicolas Daudelin
D. 23 Aug 1710, Varennes, New France

It’s easy to romanticize the story of the Filles du Roi — young women of France who signed up to become brides to strangers in colonial America. But in reality, this was a choice often made in desperation; those who took this course usually had no other option in life.

Such was likely the case for Anne Girard. She was born in 1630 to Michel Girard and Françoise de Giffard, and was one of five children. Anne was baptized on February 3rd at the parish of Cyr-du-Vaudreuil in Normandy along with a twin brother named Gilles. Anne’s mother was also a twin, and this seems to have been a genetic trait. It's interesting that the name “de Giffard” suggests she had a higher social status — Anne’s baptism designated her as demoiselle, which was also an indicator of rank. 

Anne’s father didn't seem to share his wife's status because records show that he made a living as a cart maker. When Anne was 7-years-old, her mother died and her father remarried, having five more children with his second wife. Later, her father was again widowed and married a third time. 

There's something of a mystery in the fact Anne didn’t get engaged to be married until she was 29-years-old. Her husband-to-be was named Nicolas Loton, but before they were married, she became pregnant by him. Anne gave birth to a girl on February 28, 1660 who died within a couple of days. Loton seems to have backed out of marrying Anne, and nothing more is known of him. Anne’s father passed away in 1661, and this likely left her without much of a means of support. And since she had the stigma of an out-of-wedlock child, it may have been extremely challenging to attract someone who would marry her. 

Baptismal record of Anne's out-of-wedlock child. (Source: Michigan’s Habitant Heritage, Vol. 28)

Then in 1665, Anne found a new chance in life by migrating to America as a Fille du Roi. In New France, the social norms tended to be looser (she also may have been able to hide her past). After Anne arrived, she was soon under contract to marry Nicolas Daudelin, with the wedding taking place on October 22nd in Château-Richer. The couple settled in Beaupré where Nicholas was a farmer. Like her mother, Anne gave birth to twins, and did it twice — in 1667 and 1669. These were Anne and Nicolas’ only children.

The 1681 census showed that Anne’s family had 37 arpents under cultivation and 19 head of cattle, so they seemed to be living well. Soon after, they moved to La Pérade, which was west of Quebec City. Nicolas died there on August 25, 1699, and afterward, Anne moved to the Montreal area to be near her children. She passed away at the age of 80 on August 23, 1710 in the seigneury of Varennes. Three of Anne's children carried on her bloodline with many descendants — the legacy of a woman given a second chance as a Fille du Roi.

Children by Nicolas Loton:
1. Marguerite Loton — B. 28 Feb 1660, St Cyr-du-Vaudreuil, Normandy, France; D. 1 Mar 1660, St Cyr-du-Vaudreuil, Normandy, France.

Children by Nicolas Daudelin:
1. Marie-Anne Daudelin — B. 28 Apr 1667, Château-Richer, New France; D. 1 Jul 1733, Vercheres, New France; M. René Provost (~1652-1734), 9 Jan 1684, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, New France

2. Réne Daudelin — B. 28 Apr 1667, Château-Richer, New France; D. 11 May 1719, Varennes, New France; M. (1) Marguerite Collet (1669-1703), 7 Jan 1687, Batiscan, New France; (2) Marie-Madeleine Abirou (1680-1736), 1 Dec 1703, Varennes, New France

3. Madeleine Daudelin — B. 11 May 1669, Château-Richer, New France; D. 26 Apr 1750, Varennes, New France; M. (1) Jean-Baptiste Rougeau (1649-1718), 8 Feb 1684, La Pérade, New France; (2) Antoine Berthelet (1675-1755), 30 Jun 1732, Montreal, New France

4. Marie Daudelin — B. 11 May 1669, Château-Richer, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
WikiTree
“My Journey to a Fille du Roi: Anne Girard, wife of Nicolas Daudelin,” by Patricia A. Brundirks, Michigan’s Habitant Heritage, Vol. 28, January 2007

A Rugged and Fearless Man — Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne

B. about 1624 in Breil, Anjou, France
M. 28 Sep 1648 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie Archambault
D. 21 Mar 1689 in Montreal, New France

There were few places more challenging to live in colonial America than Montreal during its first few years. It took men with muscle and nerve to make their home there, plus the wits to survive whatever circumstances threatened them. Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne stands out as one who could more than handle it.

Urbain was born in about 1624 in Breil, France, a town about 60 miles east of La Rochelle. His parents were Artus Tessier and Jeanne Mesme. Artus was a carpenter and likely taught the trade to his son. Urbain was illiterate, suggesting he didn’t attend school as a boy. 

The exact date of Urbain’s arrival in New France isn’t known, but it was some time after 1641 and before 1648. He may have been recruited while still in France to help settle a new post in the west, Ville-Marie (later renamed Montreal), and on January 10, 1648, he was granted a tract of land there. The post was set up for the purpose of fur trading, but needed men with skills like Urbain to help construct buildings. Urbain was a “long sawyer,” which meant he used the kind of saw that turned raw timber into planks of wood. He was known to have built many early houses in Montreal, and he also supplied wood to other settlers in the community.

Montreal in about 1645.

After he received his grant of land, Urbain looked to find a wife, and on September 28, 1648, he married Marie Archambault in Quebec City. He may have connected with her through a friend, Michel Chauvin, who had earlier married her sister Anne. Another sister named Jacquette was married on the same day as Urbain and Marie. When Marie married, she was not yet 13 years-old, and the following year, she gave birth to twins who didn’t survive. Marie and Urbain would go on to have a total of 17 children.

The difficulties of living in a place like Montreal in the mid-17th century went beyond just carving out a home in the wilderness — the greatest threat came from the Iroquois tribe across the river to the south. During 1651, two Montreal settlers were brutally murdered in an Iroquois raid. On May 10th, the attackers came back, said to be 40 men, and set fire to Urbain’s house, as well as his friend Michel Chauvin’s house. The following month, on June 18th, Urbain had another encounter with the Iroquois. He heard four men who were being attacked in a vulnerable spot away from the settlement, and he rushed to their aid, avoiding being shot as he navigated to their location. The settlers were barricaded in a hut, and after Urbain joined them, they fought off the attack together.

Urbain was known to be fearless against Iroquois attackers, but on March 24, 1661, he was captured with some other settlers and became a prisoner for several months. The men were taken to a village of the tribe located in present-day New York State. The Iroquois were notorious for torturing their captives, and while a prisoner, one of Urbain’s fingers was cut off. He had no contact with his family during his time with the Iroquois, and his wife Marie didn’t know he if he was dead or alive.

There’s no doubt that Urbain suffered during his captivity; he later admitted becoming so desperate, that he nearly joined his captors when they went off to battle another tribe. It was the Jesuits who negotiated for his release, and he was handed over to them in August along with eight other people. The Jesuits noted that his hand where his finger had been cut off was in pretty bad shape, but it healed enough six months later so that he could use it again.

Even after all he had been through, Urbain wasn’t afraid to fight off the Iroquois yet again. A short time after he had returned home, he woke up in the middle of the night and saw a group of warriors sneaking into town, looking to kill more settlers. He was said to have ”silently awakened his companions, and having the rest of the night for consultation they arranged their plan well, so that some of them sallied from the rear of the house, came cautiously upon the Iroquois, placed them between two fires and captured them all."

As the years passed, the threats in Montreal became less and less as it became more populated. The presence of military in the area also helped, and Urbain lived out the rest of his life in a safer community. He died in Montreal on March 21, 1689; his wife Marie survived him by many years, passing away in 1719. Urbain was the ancestor of Pierre and Justin Trudeau.

Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne left a legacy in Montreal that is evident to this day. Saint Urbain Street was said to have been built by him — today, it’s a major street in Montreal. Much of the downtown area was originally part of his land. On the Royal Trust Company building that faces the Notre-Dame Basilica, there are plaques in both French and English that read:

“This building was built on a piece of land initially granted to Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne. This was the 8th concession made to a citizen of the island of Montreal.”

(Source: Jean Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Children:
1. Baby Girl Tessier — B. 19 Jul 1649, Montreal, New France; D. 19 Jul 1649, Montreal, New France

2. Charles Tessier — B. 19 Jul 1649, Montreal, New France; D. 24 Jul 1649, Montreal, New France

3. Paul Tessier — B. Feb 1651, Montreal, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Cloutier, 13 Oct 1681, Chateau-Richer, New France

4. Madeleine Tessier — B. 19 Jul 1653, Montreal, New France

5. Laurent Tessier — B. 3 Jun 1655, Montreal, New France; D. 27 Sep 1687, Montreal, New France; M. Anne-Geneviéve Lemire, 20 Oct 1681, Quebec City, New France

6. Louise Tessier — B. 26 Mar 1657, Montreal, New France; M. Pierre Payet dit St-Amour, 23 Nov 1671, Montreal, New France

7. Agnés Tessier dite Lavigne — B. Mar 1659, Montreal, New France; M. Guillaume Richard, 26 Nov 1675 , Montreal, New France

8. Urbain Tessier — B. Jun 1661, Montreal, New France; D. Mar 1685, Montreal, New France

9. Jean Tessier — B. Jun 1663, Montreal, New France; M. (1) Jeanne LeBer, 16 Jan 1686, La Prairie, New France; (2) Louise Caron, 21 Apr 1688, La Pairie, New France; (3) Marie-Catherine De Poiters, 27 aug 1703, Montreal, New France

10. Claude Tessier — B. Dec 1665, Montreal, New France

11. Jacques Tessier — B. May 1668, Montreal, New France; D. 23 Jun 1670, Montreal, New France

12. Pétronille Tessier — B. Mar 1670, Montreal, New France; M. Pierre Janot dit Lachapelle, 31 Jan 1684

13. Jean-Baptiste Tessier — B. Jan 1672, Montreal, New France; M. Élisabeth Renault, 4 Nov 1698, Montreal, New France

14. Pierre Tessier — B. Feb 1674, Montreal, New France; D. 23 Feb 1674, Montreal, New France

15. Jacques Tessier — B. Mar 1675, Montreal, New France; M. Marie Adhémar dite St-Martin, 10 Mar 1699, Montreal, New France

16. Ignace Tessier — B. Mar 1677, Montreal, New France; D. 1747; M. Marguerite Luissier, 23 May 1703, Repentigny, New France

17. Nicolas Tessier — B. Jun 1679, Montreal, New France; M. Marie-Genevieve Augé, 27 Jan 1716, Montreal, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
The Old Regime in Canada, Francis Parkman, 1874
French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Volume I, No. I, Spring 1968, Rev. Archange Godbout, 1968
Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Volume 36, Reuben Gold Thwaites, 1899
Saint Urbain Street (Wikipedia article)

A Farmer in Lower Manhattan — Teunis Nyssen

B. about 1615 in Bunnik, Utrecht, Netherlands
M. 11 Feb 1640 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland
Wife: Phoebe Sayles
D. about 1663 In Brooklyn, New Netherland

It’s hard to imagine, but there was a time when much of lower Manhattan was farmland. This is the story of a man who lived there named Teunis Nyssen. He was born in Bunnik, Netherlands in the province of Utrecht, roughly in about 1615. There has been speculation about who his parents were, but the information has not been confirmed.

The exact date of when Teunis arrived in America is unknown. The earliest record of him was in a court proceeding in New Amsterdam on July 15, 1638 when he filed a suit against a man named Gerrit Jansen over “delivery of a cow” (the case was ruled in his favor). This would suggest he was already established as a farmer, putting his arrival maybe a year before that date, if not earlier. A record of a 1639 transaction of property near the Hudson River mentioned that Teunis had once lived on that land.

On February 11, 1640, Teunis married Femmetje Jans, a girl who at the young age of 15 was the widow of a man named Hendrick de Boer. Teunis and Femmetje would have nine children born between about 1641 and 1655. She was originally from England, born with the name Phoebe Sayles. Her family had migrated to New England, but her father was somewhat of a trouble-maker there, and relocated to the Dutch colony with his daughter in 1638. His name was John Sayles which he changed to Jan Celes after he moved to New Amsterdam.

When Jan died in 1645, he left part of his farm to his son-in-law, Teunis. The tract of land, which was called “Old Jan’s Farm,” was located just above the present-day Canal Street in what would one day be the western end of Soho. The farm was surrounded by other farms and had frontage on the Hudson River. 

Approximate location of Teunis' farm on today's map. Before landfill, it was waterfront property.

Teunis was involved in several other land sales during the next couple of years. On December 1, 1646, he bought a house on a lot located on the “great highway” (the early name for Broadway). It was “opposite the Company garden” and he paid 160 guilders for it. A few years later, on May 13, 1649, he sold the place to someone else. As for the farm he owned in Manhattan, he sold that on June 15, 1651.

At that point, Teunis seems to have left Manhattan. It’s believed that the family lived in Gowanus on land bounded by modern-day streets Carroll, President, 4th and 5th. Teunis returned to New Amsterdam for the baptism of two sons in April 1654. It isn't known if the boys were twins, or if they were born at separate times during years when the family didn't have easy access to a church.

Brooklyn and its surrounding towns became Teunis' home for the remainder of his life. He was a magistrate from 1658 to 1661, and he and his wife became members of the Brooklyn Dutch Reformed Church when it was founded in 1660. Teunis died before June 7, 1663, when his wife Femmetje was recorded on a document as a widow. She remarried later that year, but passed away on December 13, 1666. Teunis and Femmetje were ancestors of actor James Spader.

Children:
1. Jannetje Teunise — B. before 22 Dec 1641, New Amsterdam, New Netherland; D. 1734, New York; M. Titus de Vries (~1630-1689), 1660, Brooklyn, New Netherland

2. Marretje Teunise — B. before 3 Apr 1644, New Amsterdam, New Netherland; M. Derick Janse Woertman (1630-1694), 1660, Brooklyn, New Netherland

3. Annetje Teunise — B. before 18 Feb 1646, New Amsterdam, New Netherland; M. Jeronimus Jorise Rapalje (1643-?)

4. Elsje Teunise — B. before 10 May 1648, New Amsterdam, New Netherland; M. Gerret Snedeker (1640-1692), 2 Dec 1669, Brooklyn, New York

5. Femmetje Teunise — B. before 3 Apr 1650, New Netherland; M. Michiel Hansen Bergen (~1646-~1712)

6. Cornelis Teunissen Denyse — B. (probably) Gowanus, New Netherland; D. 3 Nov 1731, Raritan, New Jersey; M. Neeltje Tuneisen Bogaert (~1665-?), 22 Aug 1687, New York

7. Denyse Teunissen — B. before 12 Apr 1654, Gowanus, New Netherland; M. (1) Elizabeth Polhemius (1660-1683), 22 Oct 1682, Flatbush, New York; (2) Helen Cortelyou, 12 Aug 1685, New York

8. Jan Teunise Van Middleswart —B. before 12 Ap 1654, Gowanus, New Netherland; D. after 1742; M. Catalyntje Tunisen Bogaert (1657-1707), 16 Nov 1679, Flatbush, New York

9. Aertije Teunise — B. about 1656, (probably) Gowanus, New Netherland

Sources:
Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany, N.Y., Edmund Bailey O’Callaghan, 1865
The Bergen family: the Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen, Teunis G. Bergen, 1876
The Iconography of Manhattan Island, Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes, Victor Hugo Paltsits, and Frederik Caspar Wieder, 1915
Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam and New York, Thomas Grier Evans, 1901

The Chain of Longevity — Amos Carpenter

B. 6 Nov 1693 in Northampton, Massachusetts
M. 23 Oct 1718 in Coventry, Connecticut
Wife: Deborah Long
D. Jul 1792 in Coventry, Connecticut

In 18th century America, it was fairly unusual when someone lived past 80-years-old. Medical knowledge was primitive, living conditions were often unsanitary, and other dangers could wreck a person’s good health. That’s why the lifespan of someone like Amos Carpenter makes you wonder what he did differently. 

Amos was born to Benjamin Carpenter and Hannah Strong on November 6, 1693 in Northampton, Massachusetts, the third of twelve children. When he was 14-years-old, the family moved to Coventry, Connecticut, a new settlement where Amos would spend the rest of his life. He bought some land from his father in 1717, and on October 23rd of the following year, he married Deborah Long. Between 1719 and 1744, they had 14 children. 

Like all New England towns, every man in Coventry was expected to perform some civic duty, and starting in 1721, Amos was assigned to jobs such as “lister and inspector,” collector, and tithingman. After 1739, his name no longer appeared in town meeting notes. There is little else noteworthy about his life; he didn’t fight in any wars, and he didn’t make trouble in the community. He was a farmer who seems to have kept a low profile

But Amos did do one thing: he lived nearly a hundred years. After his wife Deborah died at an unknown date, he passed away in July 1792 in his 99th year. How could someone born that long ago live to such an age? There’s reason to believe that genetics played a part — Amos was part of a chain of people who lived to near-90 or older. There must have been something in the DNA Amos inherited and passed to his descendants that led to his longevity. 

Children:
1. Seth Carpenter — B. 18 Jul 1719, Coventry, Connecticut; D. young

2. Mary Carpenter — B. 18 Jul 1719, Coventry, Connecticut; D. (probably) young

3. John Carpenter — B. 20 Feb 1721, Coventry, Connecticut

4. Seth Carpenter — B. 13 Apr 1723, Coventry, Connecticut

5. Elisha Carpenter — B. 27 Apr 1725, Coventry, Connecticut; D. 1816; M. Deliverance Meraugh (~1728-?), 14 Apr 1748, Coventry, Connecticut

6. Timothy Carpenter — B. 5 May 1727, Coventry, Connecticut; D. Sep 1793, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Miriam Parker, 8 Feb 1759, Coventry, Connecticut

7. Rachel Carpenter — B. 29 Mar 1729, Coventry, Connecticut; D. 28 Feb 1816, Westhampton, Massachusetts; M. (1) Joshua Boynton (1723-1752), 9 Nov 1749, Coventry, Connecticut; (2) Ebenezer French (1731-?), 5 Sep 1754, Coventry, Connecticut

8. Phebe Carpenter — B. 20 May 1731, Coventry, Connecticut

9. Joshua Carpenter — B. 30 Jun 1734, Coventry, Connecticut, D. 19 Jun 1781; M. Submit Webster (1734-1815), 15 Jan 1755, Lebanon, Connecticut

10. Anna Carpenter — B. 22 Sep 1736, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Benjamin Fenton, 24 Feb 1786

11. Ephraim Carpenter — B. 1 Apr 1738, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Mary Wheeler, 21 May 1761

12. Simeon Carpenter — B. 23 Mar 1740, Coventry, Connecticut; D. 21 Oct 1830, Waterbury, Vermont; M. Anna Burton (1750-1841), 11 May 1769

13. Dan Carpenter — B. about 1742, Connecticut; M. Rebecca Smith

14. Azubah Carpenter — B. 13 Sep 1744, Connecticut; M. Perez Sprague, 16 Dec 1782, Coventry, Connecticut

Sources:
Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, familySearch.org
Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, FamilySearch.org
Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934, FamilySearch.org
Carpenter Cousins [website], carpentercousins.com
History of Northampton, Massachusetts: From its Settlement in 1654, Vol. 1, James Russell Trumbull and Seth Pomeroy, 1898
WikiTree
Find-A-Grave.com

Marrying into a Creole Family — Isabelle Hunter

B. about 1803 in Indiana
M. 11 Jun 1826 in Vincennes, Indiana
Husband: Jean Baptiste Edeline
D. 8 Jan 1872 in Vincennes, Indiana

During the first few decades of the 19th century, the town of Vincennes, Indiana was undergoing a cultural shift. It had been founded a couple of generations earlier by French-Canadians, but after the American Revolution, a wave of non-French settlers from the East moved in. Isabelle Hunter was from one such family, and by marrying a French man, she became a part in blending the two groups together. 

Isabelle was born to Robert and Naomi Hunter in about 1803, probably in Vincennes. She seems to have been their oldest child, and the cabin where they lived soon became crowded with the addition of many siblings. Her father had been born in Ireland, undoubtedly of Scottish descent, and her mother was from Delaware with an English heritage. There are no handed-down stories that give any clue as to how and why Robert and Naomi both ended up in Vincennes. While the family was later shown to belong to the Presbyterian church, no records exist showing Isabelle ever being a member.

On June 11, 1826, Isabelle married Jean Baptiste Edeline in Vincennes, Indiana. Since she wasn’t Catholic, they weren’t allowed to be married in the church that Jean’s family attended, so it was a civil marriage. Jean had a long heritage in Vincennes going back to the days when it was a French fur trading outpost. The French people in Vincennes were considered “Creoles" — they had their own traditions, food and music which was a hybrid of French, Native-American and American frontier culture. This was certainly very different from the lifestyle Isabelle grew up with.

Isabelle's marriage record.

Between 1827 and 1848, Isabelle gave birth to seven children, one of whom died as an infant. Her oldest boy died at age 14. All of the children were baptized as Catholics, except possibly the two youngest because there is no record of them in the church. The family had a farm on the southern outskirts of Vincennes, and the children did go to school, at least for a few years.

In March 1849, Jean died, probably of a sudden illness because his will was written just days before his death. Isabelle's youngest son was a baby, but the other two boys were almost of age and helped keep the farm going. The 1850 census showed the farm to have a value of $1,500, considerably more than the ones around it. By 1860, though, one of Isabelle’s sons was listed as the head of the household and the farm was worth a lot less money.

Isabelle spent her remaining years amongst her children, and was with her married daughter’s family in 1870. She died two years later on January 8, 1872 in Vincennes. The family got permission to have her buried next to her husband in a small Catholic cemetery. Unfortunately, the cemetery was desecrated years later by a farmer who used the headstones for the foundation of his barn.

Children:
1. Joseph Edeline — B. 21 Oct 1827, Vincennes, Indiana; D. Jan 1842, Vincennes, Indiana

2. Marie Jeanne Edeline — B. 5 Oct 1829, Vincennes, Indiana; D. about 1851, Indiana; M. Paul D. Richardville (~1825-?)), 21 Sep 1850, Knox County, Indiana

3. Robert A. Edeline — B. 26 Sep 1831, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Suzanne Queret (~1840-?), 14 Jan 1861, Vincennes, Indiana

4. John Edeline — B. 9 Dec 1833, Vincennes, Indiana; D. 23 May 1896, Cairo, Illinois; M. Eliza Joyce (~1836-~1873), 19 Feb 1855, Vincennes, Indiana

5. Patience Naomi Edeline — B. 10 Feb 1838, Vincennes, Indiana; D.4 Oct 1838, Vincennes, Indiana

6. Isabelle Edeline — B. 10 Apr 1840, Vincennes, Indiana; D. 24 Mar 1895, Vincennes, Indiana; M. John Richard Glass (1830-1908), 25 Jul 1858, Vincennes, Indiana

7. William L. Edeline — B. 1848, Vincennes, Indiana; D. 1876, Indiana; M. Mary Louise Ravellette (1850-1918)

Sources:
“My Ancestry & their descendants plus misc research,” Denis Paul Edeline, RootsWeb.Ancestry.com
1850, 1860, and 1870 U.S. Census
Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
Indiana Church Marriages, 1780-1993, FamilySearch.org

A Difficult Road to Marriage — Marie-Madeleine Drousson

B. 3 Apr 1689 in La Prairie, New France
M. 15 Jan 1720 in Longueuil, New France
Husband: Louis-Antoine Edeline
D. 25 Aug 1747 in Montreal, New France

During the times when fur traders and adventurers populated the area around Montreal, their free-spirited culture spilled over into the lives of the women. One of them was Marie-Madeleine Drousson, who was connected to several family scandals during her lifetime.

Madeleine was born on April 3, 1689 in La Prairie, New France, which was across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal. Her parents were Robert Drousson dit Lafleur and Marie-Jeanne Tarde, and she was one of 9 or 10 children in their family. The reason for the confusion about the number of siblings is that one of Madeleine’s younger sisters seems to have been fathered by a different man; the baptismal record says the baby was the daughter of Madeleine’s mother without mentioning a father. A few years later, in April 1706, Madeleine’s older sister Marguerite also gave birth to an out-of-wedlock child. 

The church at La Prairie where Madeleine was baptized.

An impression emerges of a permissive atmosphere in Madeleine’s family and community. La Prairie was populated by rugged men who made frequent fur trading expeditions out west, as well as French soldiers sent over to defend the colony, and these types of men didn’t always live by the rules of society. When Madeleine was 18-years-old, she became involved with a married man in his 40s named Pierre You de La Découverte, and she ended up pregnant. Pierre You was a man who had traveled with La Salle during the 1680s, then later had a child with a woman of the Miami tribe in the 1690s. During the time he was with Madeleine, he was married to a French woman, and lived on the western end of the Montreal island where he engaged in illegal fur trading.

Was Madeleine the victim of a rape, or was she a willing mistress to an older man? Given that her mother and sister had also given birth to illegitimate children, it would suggest the relationship may have been consensual. But one source claimed that in July 1708, Madeleine’s father charged Pierre You with seducing his daughter. The same source said she had been his “servant,” which probably meant that she cooked and cleaned for him. On September 9th, Madeleine gave birth to a daughter who was baptized in Montreal, and You attended the baby’s baptism. 

Baptism of Marie-Catherine You.

After Madeleine gave birth to her child, she most likely continued to live with her parents, who had moved to Longueuil. Events continued which reflected badly on the character of the Drousson family. In 1713, Madeleine’s father was accused of assaulting two of his neighbors at the Longueuil mill, one of whom he struck with a bayonet. The existing record doesn’t suggest the outcome of his case, but one of the witnesses was a 16-year-old laborer named Laurent Benoît, and three years later, court records indicate that he seems to have married Madeleine.

The problem with the pairing of Madeleine and young Laurent was that their relationship didn’t have the blessing of his parents. On March 11, 1716, they initiated a lawsuit against Madeleine to get her marriage with their son annulled. They claimed the marriage had been obtained “improperly” from the parish priest, and the court agreed, ruling against Madeleine. The marriage (if there was one) seems to have been removed from the parish registers, because no record of it exists. What was the real issue here? It’s easy to speculate that having a child out-of-wedlock offended Laurent’s parents, and they also may have had a problem with the fact she was eight years older than he was. Madeleine did file an appeal the following year, but lost again.

It wasn’t until Madeleine was 30-years-old that she seems to have gotten her life on track. On January 15, 1720, she married a fur trader named Louis-Antoine Edeline in Longueuil. This gave her a late start on having a family, and she only bore four children with her husband, two of whom died young. Sadly, she also lost her illegitimate daughter at age 16. 

Fur trading expeditions took Louis-Antoine away from home for much of the time. During their marriage, he was known to have made trips to Fort Detroit, Michilimackinac and Grande Rivière. Typically, a fur trading expedition would last from spring to autumn. Louis-Antoine’s 1730 expedition to Fort Detroit meant that she was alone while pregnant with their youngest child, although he was probably home for the birth in December. His frequent trips continued all the way through their marriage, and for much of the time, Madeleine was left to raise their son and daughter alone. 

In July 1747, Louis-Antoine was working as a clerk at Fort des Miamis, a remote trading outpost located in present-day Indiana. Madeleine died in Montreal on August 25, 1747, so it’s likely that he was away at the time of her death. She was buried in the graveyard of Notre-Dame “near the church,” a structure that was torn down in 1830.

Child by Pierre You de La Deécouverte:
1.  Marie-Catherine You — B. 9 Sep 1708, Montreal, New France; D. 22 Jul 1724, Longueuil, New France

Children by Louis-Antoine Edeline:
1. Marie-Louise Antoinette Edeline — B. 25 Oct 1720, Longueuil, New France; D. 25 Apr 1748, Montreal, New France; M. Jacques Denis dit Lyonnais (1716-1755), 25 Nov 1743, Montreal, New France

2. Marie-Josephe Edeline — B. 21 Jun 1722, Montreal, New France; D. (probably) young

3. Antoine Edeline — B. 13 Feb 1725, Longueuil, New France; D. 19 Oct 1727, Longueuil, New France

4. Louis Victor Edeline — B. 23 Dec 1730, Longueuil, New France; D. 28 Apr 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; M. Marie Joseph Thomas (~1743-~1808), 14 May 1759, Fort Detroit, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
“My Ancestry & their descendants plus misc research,” Denis Paul Edeline, RootsWeb.Ancestry.com
“You de La Découverte, Pierre,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography