French Peasant or Italian Prince — François Joseph Savoie

B. about 1621 in (probably) Martaizé, France
M. about 1651 in Port-Royal, Acadia
Wife: Catherine Lejeune
D. after 1671 in (probably) Port-Royal, Acadia

François Joseph Savoie has perhaps gained more notoriety centuries after his death than he had during his life because some family historians have tried to claim he was an Italian prince.

François had an interesting enough life without any connection to royalty. He was born in about 1621 and made his way to the colony of Acadia during the 1640s. Acadia, which is present-day Nova Scotia, had been seeking French people to engage in fishing and agriculture, and many signed up for it. François settled in Port-Royal, and in about 1651, he married Catherine Lejeune, who is believed to have been born in France in about 1633. They had nine children between about 1653 and 1669.

The entire family was listed in the 1671 Acadia census as living in Port-Royal, with François being a farmer. Despite the large number of people in his household, he only owned 4 cattle and no sheep. Oldest daughter Françoise was listed a second time in the household next door as the 18-year-old wife of Jean Corporan and mother of a newborn daughter. 

1671 Acadia census listing for François and his family.

Those who lived in the French colony of Acadia were always on edge because of the English wanting to control the region. During François’ time, they did take charge in 1654, and ruled Acadia until 1670. This didn’t create a huge hardship, though, for the settlers; military confrontation with the English would come in the next couple generations. It's unknown when François and his wife Catherine died.

Like most early settlers of Acadia, François and Jeanne's descendants scattered to a number of places in America. After the expulsion of 1755, they were exiled temporarily to many places, including the British American colonies, the area around the St. Lawrence River in Canada, and France. A large number of Savoie descendants were said to have arrived in Louisiana in 1765 to settle permanently. Along with other Acadian refugees, they would evolve into the people of the bayou — the Cajuns.

Among some descendants, stories were said to be passed down claiming François was not a Frenchman — that he was actually the illegitimate son of an Italian nobleman named Tommaso Francesco Savoie, making him a “prince.” While this story hasn’t been disproven, there’s no documentation to back it up. Other research has shown there was a family named Savoie in the village of Martaizé, France, and other Acadian families appear to be from the same area. This seems a more likely place of origin for François.

Tommaso Francesco Savoie

Children:
1. Marie-Françoise Savoie — B. about 1653, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 27 Dec 1711, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Jean-François Corporon (~1647-1713), 1668, Port-Royal, Acadia

2. Germain Savoie — B. about 1654, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 24 Nov 1749, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Marie Breau (1662-1749), 1678, Port-Royal, Acadia

3. Marie Savoie — B. about 1657, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 10 Mar 1741, Louisbourg, Acadia; M. Jacques Triel (1646-?), about 1676, Acadia

4. Jeanne Savoie — B. about 1658, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 3 Nov 1735, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Étienne Pellerin (~1647-1722), 1675, Port-Royal, Acadia

5. Catherine Savoie — B. about 1662, Port-Royal, Acadia, D. about 1712, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. François Levron dit Nantois (~1651-1714), 1676, Port-Royal, Acadia

6. François Savoie — B. about 1663, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 1685

7. Barnabé Savoie — B. about 1665, Port-Royal, Acadia, D. 1686

8. Andrée-Marguerite Savoie — B. about 1667, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Jean Prejean (~1651-1733), 1683, Port-Royal, Acadia

9. Marie-France Savoie — B. about 1669, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Gabriel Pierre Chiasson (1667-1741), 1688, Port-Royal, Acadia

Sources:
1671 Acadian Census
WikiTree
Acadians in Gray (website)
Martaizé (Wikipedia article)

Accused of Insulting the Governor — Agnes Morin

B. about Jan 1641 in Quebec City, New France
M. (1) 17 Nov 1653 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére
M. (2) 12 Jan 1671 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Ignace Bonhomme dit Beaupré
D. 30 Aug 1687 in Quebec City, New France

During the 1670s, Agnes Morin was charged for being too outspoken with the colony’s authorities. And this led to what must have been a frightening situation for her.

Agnes was a member of one of the founding families of Quebec. Her mother was Hélène Desportes, the first European child born in what is now Canada, and her father was Hélène’s second husband, Noël Morin. Agnes was born in about January 1641 in Quebec City, and she grew up there in a household with 11 younger siblings, plus two older half-siblings.

During the mid-17th century, there were few marriageable girls in New France, and brides were often very young. Agnes was wed at the age of 12 on November 17, 1653 to Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére, who was in his early 30s. She had her first child, a daughter, when she was 15. Agnes and Nicolas had six children born between 1656 and 1667. Nicolas died on June 22, 1669 and was buried the following day at Notre-Dame in Quebec City. On January 12, 1671, Agnes married Ignace Bonhomme dit Beaupré, a man who was a few years younger than she was. They had a daughter born within the year, followed by eight more children, with the youngest born in 1685.

Agnes’ life was marked by an event for which some of the details are sketchy. The governor of New France in the 1670s was an ex-military man named Louis de Baude de Frontenac, who was said to be contentious and arrogant. Governor Frontenac took charge of the French colonies in 1672, having spent much of his life in the French royal court. He had certain demands for protocol when he became the governor in New France, and he often clashed with the people around him, including the Sovereign Court, which handled judicial matters. 

Governor Frontenac (Source: Thomas1313, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

One of the cases brought to the court in February 1678 involved Agnes, who had been charged with “uttering insulting words against the governor.” Exactly what Agnes said or did isn’t clear from records, but she seems to have been arrested and made to stand trial. Governor Frontenac may have himself pressed the charges, and Agnes said on the witness stand that his guards “ill-treated” her. It was the Sovereign Court that had control of the proceedings, though, and after hearing several witnesses, they dismissed the case.

Governor Frontenac wasn’t pleased and he took his rage out on the clerk who served the court. First, he cornered the man after a dinner and demanded he share what was going on behind the closed court session. The clerk refused, then when Frontenac forced the information out of him, got even more angry that it wasn’t going as he liked. He ended up grabbing the clerk by his coat, and ordering his guards to lock the man up; the clerk was detained for several days.

After the incident involving her trial, Agnes returned to her life as a wife and mother. She passed away on August 30, 1687 in Quebec City, and was buried with her first husband Nicolas. Her second husband Ignace remarried in 1691 to the widow of Nicolas’ brother Jacques. Among Agnes' many descendants are Madonna, Jim Carrey and Alex Trebek.

Children by Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére:
1. Hélène Gaudry — B. 5 Mar 1656, Quebec City, New France; D. 22 Nov 1712, St-Nicolas, New France; M. Pierre Boucher dit Desroches (1648-1702), 13 Dec 1671, Sillery, New France

2. Jacques Gaudry — B. 24 Apr 1658, Quebec City, New France; D. 12 Feb 1731, Varennes, New France; M. (1) Jeanne-Françoise Guillory (1674-1700), 1 Feb 1694, Montreal, New France; (2) Anne Bourdon (1678-1743), 3 Nov 1701, Boucherville, New France

3. Christine-Charlotte Gaudry — B. 16 Jun 1660, Quebec City, New France; D. 17 Sep 1729, Ste-Croix, New France; M. Jean Hamel (1652-?), 16 Feb 1677, New France

4. Marie-Françoise Gaudry — B. Aug 1662, Quebec City, New France; D. 21 Oct 1710, Sillery, New France; M. Jean Pilote (1657-1738), 27 Jun 1678, Quebec City, New France

5. Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére — B. 16 Aug 1664, Quebec City, New France; D. 30 Jan 1735, Montreal, New France; M. Anne Pigeon (1672-1742), 7 Jan 1687, Montreal, New France

6. Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry — B. 6 Apr 1666, Quebec City, New France; D. 30 May 1666, Quebec City, New France

7. Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry — B. 19 Nov 1667, Quebec City, New France; D. 9 Jun 1713, Montreal, New France; M. Joseph Lemay (~1661-1707), 4 Jun 1686, Quebec City, New France

8. Joseph-Alphonse Gaudry — B. 14 Feb 1670, Quebec City, New France

Children by Ignace Bonhomme dit Beaupré:
1. Marie-Catherine Bonhomme — B. 23 Nov 1671, Quebec City, New France; D. 14 Jul 1747, Quebec City, New France; M. Louis Moreau (1668-1735), 29 Mar 1693, Quebec City, New France

2. Anne-Félicité Bonhomme — B. 7 Oct 1673, Quebec City, New France; D. 8 Feb 1757, Quebec City, New France; M. (1) Louis Lefbvre (1667-1669), 18 Mar 1697, Sainte-Foy, New France; (2) Etienne Ayotte (1673-1758), 20 Jan 1702, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

3. Anne-Agnes Beaupré — B. 21 Jun 1675, Quebec City, New France; D. 27 Aug 1703, Quebec City, New France; M. Pierre Dion (1674-1738), 1697, New France

4. Marie-Catherine Bonhomme — B. 12 Jun 1677, Sillery, Quebec; D. 21 Feb 1745, Repntigny, Quebec; M. (1) François Michel Provost (1669-1711), 23 Oct 1695, Ste-Foy, Quebec; (2) Pierre Paris (1691-1746), 12 Feb 1714, Ste-Foy, Quebec

5. Ignace Bonhomme — B. 17 Oct 1678, Côte-St-Michel, New France; D. 13 Mar 1755, Terrebonne, New France; M. Marie-Therese Goulet (1691-1772), 9 Nov 1705, Montreal, New France

6. Jean Bonhomme — B. 26 Oct 1680, Quebec City, New France; D. 26 Dec 1702, Ste-Foy, New France

7. Charles-Ignace Bonhomme — B. 28 Sep 1682, Côte-St-Michel, New France; D. 28 Oct 1752, L’Ancienne-Lorette, New France

8. Noel Bonhomme — B. 13 Nov 1684, Côte-St-Michel, New France; D. 28 May 1755, L’Ancienne-Lorette, New France; M. Felicite Hamel (1687-1743), 2 May 1709, L’Ancienne-Lorette, New France

9. Marie-Madeleine Beaupré — B. 29 Oct 1685, Côte-St-Michel, New France; D. 13 Mar 1733, Quebec City, New France; M. Pierre-Joseph Marache (1677-1717), 10 Nov 1710, Sainte-Foy, 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
The Courtier Governor, W. J. Eccles, 1959
Louis de Baude de Frontenac (Wikipedia article)

Farmer and Miller in Early Brooklyn — Hans Jorise Bergen

B. 31 Aug 1684 in New Utrecht, New York
M. 16 Aug 1711
Wife: Sitje Van Wicklen
D. before 3 Feb 1727 in Hempstead, New York

Before New York City was a crowded metropolis, people like Hans Jorise Bergen lived off the land, operating a flour mill right on the East River. Hans was born in New Utrecht on August 31, 1684 to Joris Hansen Bergen and Sara Stryker, one of ten children. His heritage was Norwegian and Dutch, and included some of the original settlers of Brooklyn.

Hans was a young man of 24 when he joined his cousin Hans Michielse Bergen and others in causing a disturbance in town. On April 30, 1708, the group was tried for a “riot” at the tavern of Sarah Knight in Brooklyn. Mrs. Knight was the widow of an Englishman, Thomas Knight, and her tavern was located near the intersection of present-day Hoyt and Fulton streets. The tavern was next to land that had belonged to Hans’ father, and likely this is where Hans lived at the time. Mrs. Knight and another woman named Martha Brower were indicted for “false swearing” at the trial. It isn’t known if Hans or the others were convicted for the incident at the tavern, or even if they were guilty of anything at all.

Hans married a woman named Sitje Van Wicklen on August 16, 1711. They are known to have had three children, and they may have had others. On February 9, 1713, Hans bought over 20 acres of land located on Wallabout Bay. The property had a creek and a recently-built grist mill. Hans took over and operated the mill for several years. By the time he sold the property in 1723, it included a house, bolting house, bolting mill and dam along with the mill. There was also a meadow, and a beach on the East River. 

The man who bought the property was named Remsen, and the mill became known as Remsens Mill. In 1776, the mill was adjacent to where a British ship was docked holding Americans as prisoners in brutal conditions. A few generations later, the property would be the site of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Maps showing location of Hans property in 1766 and 1874.

When Hans sold his Brooklyn property, he seems to have moved to Hempstead, a Dutch and English community located further east on Long Island. A probate record suggests that he died here in late 1726 or early 1727, and that his wife was deceased at that time as well. The inventory of his estate was taken on February 3, 1727. Among his possessions were 17 sheep, 8 cows, one steer, 4 other cattle, several calves, 9 swine and 2 mares — a decent-sized farm for colonial Long Island. 

 
Children:
1. George Bergen – B. 9 Oct 1712; D. 13 Oct 1784; M. (1) Margaret Dumont (1715-1743), 3 Jun 1738; (2) Maria Hoagland (1720-1770); (3) Mareya Van Nuys (~1727-?), 22 Aug 1771

2. Mattie Bergen – B. about 1713, Long Island, New York; D. 13 Feb 1768, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. Abraham Dumont (1706-1787), 10 Aug 1733

3. Evert Bergen – B. 1717, Long Island, New York; D. 17 Nov 1776, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. Jane Hegeman, 1739

Sources:
The Bergen Family: The Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen, Teunis G. Bergen, 1876
“Wallerand Dumont and his Somerset County Descendants,” John B. Dumont, Somerset County Quarterly, Volume 1, 1912
American Ancestry: Giving Name and Descent in the Male Line of Americans whose Ancestors Settled in the United States Previous to the Declaration of Independence, Volume 6, Thomas Patrick Hughes, Frank Marshall, 1891
Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Volume 2, Francis Bazley Lee, 190

An Expert in Digging Wells — Jacques Archambault

B. 1605 in L’Ardillière, La Rochelle, Aunis, France
M. (1) 24 Jan 1629 in La-Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, France
Wife: Françoise Toureau
M. (2) 26 Jan 1666 in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, New France
Wife: Marie Deneau
D. 15 Feb 1688 in Montreal, New France

The early French population of Canada was made of rugged people, some of whom brought unique skills to the colony. One of these was Jacques Archambualt, who among other things, knew how to find potable water. And he has been credited with digging the first well in Montreal.

Jacques was born in 1605 in the village of L’Ardillière, France, which is a few miles inland from La Rochelle. His parents were Antoine Archambault and Renée Ouvrard, and he had at least one brother and one sister. On January 24, 1629, Jacques married Françoise Toureau (also spelled Tourault) in the town of La-Roche-sur-Yon. They had seven children, all born in France between 1630 and 1642, one of whom died young. Records show that Jacques may have been a winemaker in the La Rochelle area. 

The house where Jacques was born in L'Ardillière (now called Saint-Xandre), France.

In about 1646, he and his family boarded a ship bound for New France. Jacques was under contract to Pierre Lagardeur de Repentigny, and on October 2, 1647, he signed a five-year lease on some of Lagarduer’s land. Jacques was granted another piece of land in Cap-Rouge on September 15, 1651. This property had 4 arpents of frontage on the St. Lawrence River.

During his family’s time in New France, Jacques married off three of his daughters, with two of the marriages happening on the same day in 1648. The colony had a shortage of marriageable women, and the arrival of his daughters must have interested many of the men of New France. One of his daughters, Marie, was only 12-years-old at the time of her marriage. She married a man named Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne, who had been granted land in the new settlement of Montreal.

Jacques became interested in joining the Montreal settlement, too, and for the next few years, he seems to have spent some of his time there. Montreal was having trouble developing because of its proximity to the Iroquois. The importance of the location to the French was due to the fur trade, which was pushing further and further into Indian territory. The settlers in the Montreal settlement were constantly on guard to defend their homes.

During 1651, an incident with the Iroquois directly involved Jacques. On May 6th, some Iroquois warriors came upon two settlers named Jean Chicot and Jean Boudart. The Iroquois followed Boudart to his house where they captured his wife, and when he tried to fight them off, he was killed. Three other settlers arrived on the scene to help, and one of them was Jacques. Unfortunately, Boudart’s wife was taken away, then tortured and burned alive. After not being able to help the Boudarts, Jacques and his companions went out to look for Jean Chicot. They found he had been scalped and left for dead, but he somehow survived and lived another 16 years.

Later that year, Jacques suffered a personal tragedy involving the Iroquois raids. On July 26th, a force of 200 warriors attacked Montreal. Jacques’ 20-year-old son Denis was firing a cannon at the attackers, but it exploded, killing him.

The French had to find a long-term solution for the Iroquois problem or give up settling in Montreal. They needed to strengthen their numbers by getting more people to commit to staying there. On September 18, 1651, Jacques was granted 30 arpents near Montreal’s newly-built fort. New settlers were recruited in France and began arriving within a couple of years. In 1654, the founder of Montreal, Paul de Chomedey, offered money to Jacques in return for guarding the fort and helping people into the fort whenever the Iroquois attacked.

As the focus turned to developing Montreal into a town, Paul de Chomedey commissioned Jacques to build a well at the fort. Jacques signed a contract on October 11, 1658 and was paid 300 livres for the project. The well was such a success, he was hired to build a well at the hospital the following year, and another well for a man’s farm the year after that. The well at the fort was the first ever built in Montreal, and the site today bears a plaque with Jacques’ name on it. 

The site of the first well built in Montreal. (Source: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

On December 9, 1663, Jacques' wife Françoise died. He married a widow named Marie Deneau (also spelled Denot), on January 26, 1666. Jacques lived out the rest of his life amongst his family. In 1678, his surviving son Laurent, along with his sons-in-law, offered him a pension because he was too old to work. Jacques died on February 15, 1688.

Because Jacques arrived in New France at least a generation before most others and his daughters married so young, he has hundreds of thousands of descendants. The most famous of them are Pierre and Justin Trudeau, Jack Kerouac, Jim Carrey, Kelsey Grammer, Bridget Fonda, Jane Krakowski and Angelina Jolie. 

Children:
1. Denis Archambault — B. 12 Sep 1630, Dompierre-Sur-Mer, La Rochelle, Aunis, France; D. 26 Jul 1651, Montreal, New France

2. Anne Archambault — B. Mar 1631, Dompierre-Sur-Mer, La Rochelle, Aunis, France; D. 29 Jul 1699, Montreal, New France; M. (1) Michel Chauvin (1612-?), 27 Jul 1647, Quebec City, New France; (2) Jean Gervaise (1616-1690), 3 Feb 1654, Montreal, New France

3. Jacquette Archambault — B. about 1632, Dompierre-Sur-Mer, La Rochelle, Aunis, France; D. 17 Dec 1700, Ville de Quebec, New France; M. Paul Chalifour (1612-~1679), 28 Sep 1648, Quebec City, New France

4. Marie-Anne Archambault — B. about 1633, Dompierre-Sur-Mer, La Rochelle, Aunis, France; D. 8 Aug 1685, Montreal, New France; M. Gilles Lauzon, 27 Nov 1656, Montreal, New France

5. Marie Archambault — B. 24 Feb 1636, Dompierre-Sur-Mer, La Rochelle, Aunis, France; D. 16 Aug 1719, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; M. Urbain Tessier (1626-1689), 28 Sep 1648, Quebec City, New France

6. Louise Archambault — B. 18 Mar 1640, Dompierre-Sur-Mer, La Rochelle, Aunis, France; D. young

7. Laurent Archambault — B. 10 Jan 1642, Dompierre-Sur-Mer, La Rochelle, Aunis, France; D. 19 Apr 1730, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; M. Catherine Marchand (~1644-1713), 7 Jan 1660, Montreal, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1988
Jacques Archambault (wikipedia article)

FamousKin.com 

Sea Captain and Fur Trader in New France — Vital Caron

B. 11 Aug 1673 in La Prairie, New France
M. 24 Jan 1698 in Montreal, New France
Wife: Marie Perthuis
D. 20 Apr 1745 in Lachine, New France

New France’s system of rivers and lakes played a part in nearly every habitant’s life, and many made a living off of them. Vital Caron ran ships used in the fur trade, and also sometimes used his ships in the defense of the colony.

Vital was born on August 11, 1673 in La Prairie, a settlement on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Montreal. His parents were Claude Caron and Madeleine Varennes, and he was one of eight children. On January 24, 1698, Vital married Marie Perthuis in Montreal. They had eight children born between 1698 and 1713. 

Vital and his family settled in Lachine, which is on the island of Montreal. This was a home base for his fur trading activity, and expeditions often took him far from home. Records show that he traveled to Fort Pontchartrain (Detroit) arriving there on April 3, 1707, a time when it was a remote outpost. Often when Vital was away, wife Marie looked after his business affairs, a common situation for fur trading men.

Vital was captain of the Lachine militia, a rank he held as early as 1711, and at least until December 1723. France supplied some military to its colonies in America, but forces were supplemented with local militias in times of need. A sea captain like Vital played an important role when the colony came under threat, having the resources to navigate soldiers and supplies up and down the St. Lawrence River and beyond.

On the water near Montreal in the 18th century.

On one occasion, Vital may have been involved in taking goods from an abandoned English ship. In October 1711, a fur trader named Margane de Lavaltrie came upon an English shipwreck along the St. Lawrence River. The ship had been part of a fleet of English ships that had sailed from Boston in order to attack New France. Margane said that Vital was the captain of a ship that had gotten to the shipwreck before he did, and that his men had “pillaged the wreckage.” It’s not known if Vital faced any legal action for raiding the enemy ship.

In 1713, Vital was named in a lawsuit regarding the transport of goods between Lachine and Fort Pontchartrain. Two men named Desrouchers and Paul Chavalier were accused of transporting the items without a permit. Vital was a recipient of the goods, but was not charged with a crime.

List of goods seized from Vital on March 6, 1713. (Source: BAnQ)

Vital had a more personal legal matter in 1723 involving one of his daughters, Angélique. The 17-year-old girl had become pregnant out-of-wedlock, and Vital had a young man named Jean-Baptiste Girard charged with rape. The court found him guilty and Girard was ordered “to be forthwith led and conveyed under good and safe guard to the parish church of Lachine, for there the marriage between him and Angélique Caron to be celebrated in the accustomed manner if she and her father and mother consent thereto.” But Girard appealed to the Supreme Council and the ruling was overturned, so the marriage never took place. Angélique gave birth to a baby girl on October 15, 1723, and she was named Marie-Jeanne Girard.

Vital turned up in court records again in 1729, this time being sued for a sum of money by François Amariton, a military captain who had been in charge of an outpost at Green Bay a few years earlier. This case was regarding a debt that Vital and another man apparently owed Amariton from when they were all partners in the fur trade a few years earlier. Also that same year, a charge of assault was brought against Vital and his son Vital also involving fur trading; they were accused of trying to block another man from entering a house to collect pelts he claimed were his. It isn’t known how either of these court cases ended.

After a life spent on the waterways of New France, Vital passed away in Lachine on April 20, 1745. He was buried at the Notre-Dame cemetery in Montreal.

Children:
1. Marie-Anne Caron — B. 17 Dec 1698, Montreal, New France; D. 1 Apr 1754, Chateauguay, New France; M. (1) Jacques Pare (1695-1719), 16 Nov 1717, Lachine, New France; (2) Paul Hotesse (1682-1730), 22 Sep 1728, Montreal, New France; (3) Jacques Forestier (1695-1747), 5 Nov 1736, Montreal, New France

2. Vital Caron — B. 14 May 1700, New France; D. 18 Apr 1747, Fort Detroit, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Pruneau (1708-?), 20 Jul 1735, Fort Detroit, New France

3. Marie Caron — B. 19 Apr 1702, Montreal, New France; D. 4 Aug 1782, Montmorency, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Brault (1699-1773), 14 Dec 1721, Lachine, New France

4. Jean-Baptiste Caron — B. 26 Apr 1704, Lachine, New France; D. 5 Nov 1785, Chateauguay, New France; (1) Josephe Tabault (1708-1749), 26 Oct 1733, Montreal, New France; (2) Josephe Duquet (1726-1784), 7 Apr 1750, Chateauguay, New France

5. Angélique Caron — B. 17 Feb 1706, Lachine, New France; M. (1) Pierre Lamothe (~1693-1752), 21 Jan 1740, Montreal, New France; (2) Michel Henry (~1727-?), 6 Jun 1757, Montreal, New France

6. Catherine Caron — B. 25 Dec 1707, Montreal, New France; D. 25 Nov 1799, Lachine, New France; M. Antoine Picard (1700-1779), 8 Jan 1731, Lachine, New France

7. Jeanne Caron — B. 27 Nov 1709, Lachine, New France; D. 13 Aug 1757, Fort Detroit, New France; M. Pierre Meloche (1701-1760), 16 aug 1729, Lachine, New France

8. Madeleine Caron — B. 1713, New France; D. 18 Apr 1769, Lachine, New France; M. Antoine Tabault (1710-?), 10 Jan 1735, Lachine, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Bibliotheque et Archives nationales Quebec
Analytic Table of the judgments and Deliberations of the Supreme Council from the 11th of January 1717 to the 25th of November 1730
Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume III

Farm Likely Ruined in War — François Levron dit Nantais

B. about 1651 in (probably) Nantes, France
M. 1676 in Port-Royal, Acadia
Wife: Agnés-Catherine Savoie
D. 23 Jun 1714 in Port-Royal, Acadia

Decades before the expulsion of 1755, English forces were brutally dealing with Acadians. During the first few years of the 18th century, an attack on Port-Royal left many farms destroyed, and François Levron dit Nantais seems to have been one of the victims. 

François' origins and exact birth year are unknown, but his surname on some records indicates he may have been born in Nantes, France, and records giving his age suggest he was born between 1650 and 1653. His arrival in Acadia was believed to be after the 1671 census, and before 1676, the year he got married. His wife was Agnés-Catherine Savoie, a native of Acadia, who may have been as young as 14-years-old at the time of their marriage. Between about 1677 and about 1700, they had nine children.

After François arrived in Acadia, he seems to have spent the rest of his life in Port-Royal as a farmer. The settlement had around 500 inhabitants and was the largest town in the colony. Censuses taken between 1686 and 1700 show that François’ farm was thriving, with up to 18 sheep and 12 cattle, plus some hogs and 20 fruit trees, on 15 arpents of land. But in 1707 his farm was much smaller, with only one-half arpent of land and two cattle. That year, he and his wife had seven children living in the household.

The years between the 1700 Census and the 1707 Census were not peaceful ones in Port-Royal. There was war between France and England that spilled over into their colonies. Forces from New England attacked Acadia several times, trying to take control from the French. This culminated in some fierce fighting in 1707. The New Englanders were defeated, but it was reported that they had “wrought considerable havoc by burning down many houses, killing livestock, and uprooting grain and crops.” It's likely that one of the farms that was attacked belonged to François.

The English destroyed the farms of French settlers in many parts of New France, especially in Acadia.

The New England forces returned in 1710 and successfully took control of Acadia, which marked the beginning of the end for the French settlers. François died on June 23, 1714, and the generations of his family that followed were pushed out of Port-Royal. with his descendants migrating to other places in New France. Some went to Ile-St-Jean (Prince Edward Island), some went to Ile-Royal (Cape Breton), and one son went to Boucherville, Quebec. Later generations would migrate to the Great Lakes region, the Illinois territory, and after being exiled from Acadia during the 1750s, New Orleans.

Children:
1. Jacques Levron — B. about 1677, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. about 1745, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Marie-Marian Doucet (~1694-1746), 8 Jan 1710, Port-Royal, Acadia

2. Madeleine Levron — B. about 1682, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Clement Vincent (~1674-?), 1698, Port-Royal, Acadia

3. Anne Levron — B. about 1684, Port-Royal, Acadia

4. Marie Levron — B. about 1685, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 1 Aug 1727, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. (1) Jean Garceau (1678-~1710), 20 Nov 1703, Port-Royal, Acadia; (2) Alexandre Richard (~1686-?), 26 Dec 1711, Acadia

5. Elisabeth Levron — B. about 1690, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. (1) Michel Picot (~1685-~1711), 3 Nov 1705, Port-Royal, Acadia; (2) Yves Maucaire (~1680-?), 8 Jan 1712, Port-Royal, Acadia; (3) Etienne Comeau (~1680-1758), 29 Nov 1730, Port-Royal, Acadia

6. Joseph Levron — B. about 1691, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. about 1758, (probably) Fort Frontenac, New France; M. (1) Rose Veronneau (1700-1735), 12 Sep 1722, Boucherville, Quebec; (2) Catherine Brunet (1681-~1756), 26 Jan 1750, Fort Frontenac, New France

7. Jean-Baptiste Levron — B. about 1692, Port-Royal, Acadia; about 1755, Acadia; M. Françoise Labauve, 13 Jan 1716, Port-Royal, Acadia

8. Jeanne Levron – B. about 1694, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 19 Jan 1751, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Augustin Comeau (~1688-1741), 12 Feb 17, Port-Royal, Acadia

9. Pierre Levron – B. about 1696, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. Jan 1725, Acadia

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
1678, 1686, 1693, 1687, 1700 and 1707 Acadian and Port-Royal Censuses
Acadians in Gray (website)
A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the french Acadians from their American Homeland, John Mack Faragher, 2005

Building Mills in Bedford, New Hampshire — John Riddle

B. 30 Oct 1754 in Bedford, New Hampshire
M. (1) 1775 in (probably) Bedford, New Hampshire
Wife: Mary McAfee
M. (2) 22 Dec 1809, New Hampshire
Wife: Sarah Hartshorn
D. 17 Nov 1814 in Bedford, New Hampshire

A man who could build things was valuable to his community, especially during colonial times. During the late 18th century, John Riddle helped construct mills and bridges in the place he lived his entire life: Bedford, New Hampshire.

John was born on October 30, 1754 in Bedford to Gawn Riddle and Mary Bell, their oldest child; he had four younger brothers and one sister. His parents’ heritage was Scottish, as were many of the people in Bedford. In about 1775, John married a young woman named Agnes McAfee (or McDuffee), who was born in about 1756. John and Mary had nine children born between 1777 and 1793.

John came of age around the start of the American Revolution, and he signed the Declaration of the Inhabitants of New Hampshire in 1776. This was a statement of support for the fight for independence, and all young men in New Hampshire were encouraged to sign it.

The following year, John decided to become a soldier, and enlisted in the First New Hampshire Regiment. During John’s service, the regiment was present at both battles at Saratoga (1777), and the Battle of Monmouth (1778). In the summer of 1779, they were involved in an action called Sullivan’s Expedition, a “scorched earth” campaign against Loyalists and Iroquois in western New York. It isn’t known if John actually participated in any of these campaigns, but it’s likely that he did. His service continued at least into 1780; on a muster roll from July of that year, he was listed as being sick in the hospital, and seems to have been back within a few months. 

One of many muster rolls from the American Revolution showing John Riddle.

In his civilian life, John was known to be a carpenter, and around 1781, he built a saw mill and a grist mill on the Piscataquog River. At least one of the mills was still in operation into the 20th century. He also was involved in constructing bridges in the Bedford area, including one in 1785. And in April 1786, he was on a Bedford building committee for an enclosure made of stone to replace a previous one made of logs. The enclosure to keep stray livestock until the animals could be claimed by their owners.

In addition to the other things he built, during the 1770s or 1780s, John constructed his own house. Remarkably, it’s still standing in 2022 near the intersection of New Amherst Road and Wallace Road in Bedford. The official description of the house describes it as a single-story clapboard Cape Cod with a center chimney. 

John's house in Bedford.

John’s wife Agnes died on July 20, 1807. He married a second wife, Sarah Hartshorn, on December 22, 1809 and they had two children. John passed away on November 17, 1814 and was buried in Bedford Center Cemetery. The inventory of his possessions was made the following year, and it showed that his oldest son, Gawn, was working as his partner and shared ownership of his carpentry equipment. 

Children by Mary McAfee:
1. Gawn Riddle — B. 28 Jun 1777, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. Jul 1837, Bedford, New Hampshire; M. Dolly French (1778-?), 20 Feb 1800, Merrimack, New Hampshire

2. Mary Riddle — B. 11 Dec 1778, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. 22 Jun 1854, Frankfort, Maine; M. John Black (1769-1842), 2 Jan 1814, Prospect, Maine

3. Agnes Riddle — B. 5 Jan 1781, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. 20 Jun 1852, Prospect, Maine; M. William French (1781-1847), 9 Feb 1807, Bedford, New Hampshire

4. Susannah Riddle — B. 1784, Bedford, New Hampshire; 3 Sep 1862; M. Daniel Moore (1780-1850), 24 Sep 1807, Bedford, New Hampshire

5. James Riddle — B. 9 Jan 1786, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. Mar 1827; M. Anna Dole (1790-1849), 6 Dec 1815, Bedford, New Hampshire

6. Anna Riddle —B. May 1789, Bedford, New Hampshire; M. James Staples (1786-1869), 10 Aug 1811, Prospect, Maine

7. William Riddle — B. 1791, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. 1845, Bedford, New Hampshire

8. John Riddle — B. about 1791, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. about 1812

9. Matthew Riddle — B. 1793, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. 1 Sep 1828, Terre Haute, Indiana; M. Sarah Dole (~1792-1844), 13 Dec 1819, Butler County, Ohio

Children by Sarah Hartshorn:
1. Gilman Riddle — B. 25 July 1811, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. 25 May 1893, Manchester, New Hampshire; M. (1) Mary J. Eveleth (1811-1839), 1836; (2) Emeline Henry (1811-1899), 1841

2. Eliza S, Riddle — B. 1814, Bedford, New Hampshire; D. 18 Sep 1859; M. William Wiseman West (1807-1872)

Sources:
The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, Rumford Printing Company, 1903
Inventory of the will of John Riddle, 22 Mar 1815
New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources: Bedford Center Historic District, 2013
History of the First New Hampshire regiment in the war of the revolution, Frederic Kidder, 1868

Find A Grave

Woman Who Helped Found Hartford — Dorothy Hooker

B. about 1590 in (probably) Marefield, Leicestershire, England
M. 1 Jun 1609 in Birstall, England
Husband: John Chester
D. 1662 in Hartford, Connecticut

Dorothy Hooker’s life was largely shaped by the fact her brother was a prominent Puritan minister. But she had enough status in her own right to later have her name engraved on a monument as a founder of a city.

Dorothy was born in about 1590, probably in the village of Marefield, England, which was in Leicestershire. Her parents were Thomas Hooker and Susannah Pym, and she was one of at least six children. On June 1, 1609, Dorothy married John Chester at Bristall, England. They had two known children, one of whom died likely as an infant. John died in 1628, leaving Dorothy as a widow.

Even though Dorothy was about 38-years-old, she opted to not get remarried. Instead, she seemed to follow the path of Reverend Thomas Hooker, her older brother. Hooker began preaching at a time when Puritans were under the threat of authorities in England. For a few years, he escaped persecution by moving to the Netherlands, then he made the decision to migrate to Massachusetts. He arrived on the ship Griffin on September 4, 1633 along with his wife and children. Also on board the ship were Dorothy and her son Leonard.

Reverend Hooker first settled in Newtown, Massachusetts, but had disagreement over some issues with the colony leaders, and he made plans to settle elsewhere. He obtained a grant of land in the Connecticut valley, and in 1636 led a group of 100 people there. They were the original settlers of Hartford, and Dorothy was among them. 

Painting of Rev. Hooker's 1636 journey into Connecticut.

Dorothy's brother had a significant influence on Hartford during its early days. Hooker felt that all Christian men should have the right to vote, not just those who had been through the screening process of becoming a freeman. He once said, “The foundation of authority is laid firstly in the free consent of the people.” In January 1639, he and his followers created a document called “Fundamental Orders of Connecticut,” which is been thought to have been the earliest “democratic constitution establishing a representative government” in the world.

Shortly after the Fundamental Orders were ratified, the land in Hartford was divided into lots for the settlers. Dorothy may have been the only woman to be given land in her own right. Her town lot was shown on a 1640 map to be at the end of a block of what was later Main Street. She was given two years to build a house there; it’s not known if she actually did.

1640 Hartford map showing the plot of land granted to Dorothy.

Dorothy's name turned up in early Hartford court records. In 1649, she made a complaint against three people named George Chappell, Goody Coleman and Daniel Turner whom she accused of “misdemeanors.” Daniel Turner was mentioned as having “libeled” Dorothy, and he was given a harsh sentence that included both a prison term and two public whippings.

Reverend Hooker died in 1647, and Dorothy’s son Leonard died in 1648. Sometime in 1662, Dorothy passed away at Hartford and she was buried in the Ancient Burying Ground. Years later, she would be one of only two women named on the Hartford Founders Monument. Dorothy left some noteworthy descendants, including Calvin Coolidge, Bette Davis, Endicott Peabody (governor of Massachusetts), writer Archibald MacLeish, actor Orson Bean, and Kyra Sedgwick.

Hartford Founders' Monument showing Dorothy Chester.

Children:
1. Leonard Chester — B. 15 Jul 1610, Blaby, Leicestershire, England; D. 11 Dec 1648, Wethersfield, Connecticut; M. Mary Sharpe (1608-1688), 1634, Wethersfield, Connecticut

2. Elizabeth Chester — B. 6 Feb 1625, England; D. young

Sources:
A Catalogue of the Names of the early Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut, Royal Ralph Hinman, 1852
The Memorial History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Volume 1, James Hammond Trumbull, 1886
Thomas Hooker (Wikipedia article)
Find A Grave

English Girl Immigrant to Canada — Rebecca Pepperell

B. 1798 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England
M. before 1820 in (probably) Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Husband: Job Bevan
D. 17 Dec 1868 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

One day in 1809, a ship sailed into Canada, carrying passengers from England seeking a new life. Among them was a 10-year-old girl, Rebecca Pepperell, and as the ship docked, she saw for the first time the place she make her home — Charlottetown, Prince Edward island.

Rebecca was born in 1798 in St. Albans, England to William Pepperell and Mary Browne, one of eight children, seven of whom were girls. Her parents were originally from Durnford, in Wiltshire County, and didn’t have roots in St. Albans. By the time Rebecca was 6-years-old, her family had moved to the city of Bristol. It isn’t certain if there were any other places in England where they lived during her early childhood.

There’s no record of what prompted the Pepperell family to resettle in Canada in 1809, but conditions in England may have had something to do with it. The beginning of the industrial revolution meant a shift in what skills were needed to make a living, plus a population boom was making cities like Bristol crowded. As with others from Europe before and after, finding a more secure future was likely a motivation for the Pepperells to become immigrants.

Prince Edward Island was going through a transition when young Rebecca arrived. Once called Île d’St-Jean, the first colonists to settle there were French. After England took over Canada in 1763, families from Scotland and loyalists from the American colonies were encouraged to come. But around 1810, a new group of people started moving in, and they were from England. With the English becoming well-established there, it must have given the Pepperell family a sense of familiarity.

Charlottetown in the early 19th century.

Sometime before 1820, Rebecca married a soldier from Bath, England named Job Bevan. After Job’s military service ended, he made a living as a carpenter. They would have eight children born between 1820 and 1845. Rebecca was a member of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Charlottetown, where her father was a sexton and her husband was a beadle.

Job died on January 6, 1862, and Rebecca was listed as his widow in the 1864 directory, living in a house on Prince Street near Kent. She passed away on December 17, 1868. Her obituary said she died after "a long and painful illness." She was buried in the Old Protestant Burying Ground in Charlottetown.

Rebecca's descendants would scatter widely across Canada and the U.S. One daughter moved to Boston, a son went to New Jersey, another daughter to Seattle, and another son to Victoria, British Columbia.

Children:
1. Maria Bevan – B. 5 Oct 1820, Halifax, Nova Scotia; D. 14 Dec 1888, Boston, Massachusetts; M. (1) John Baird, 15 Jan 1838, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; (2) Charles W. Hughes (1819-?), 15 Jun 1842, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

2. William Bevan – B. 26 Mar 1823, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 26 Feb 1880, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; M. Hannah Vessey (1825-1904), 16 Jan 1846

3. James Job Bevan – B. 1827, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 17 Oct 1859, Trenton, New Jersey; M. Sophia Elizabeth Wiseman, 11 Nov 1858, Trenton, New Jersey

4. Sarah Ann Bevan – B. 3 Oct 1830, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 26 Nov 1924, Seattle, Washington; M. Daniel McKinnon (1833-1895), 20 Oct 1854

5. Job Bevan – B. 18 Mar 1834, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; M. Abigail Treneman (~1837-?), 5 Aug 1858

6. Rebecca Bevan – B. 9 May 1837, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 12 Apr 1868, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; M. Charles Rodd (1839-1905), 26 May 1864

7. John Bevan – B. 18 Apr 1841, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 17 Sep 1842, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

8. Charles Frederick Bevan – B. 17 Jan 1845, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; D. 3 Jun 1926, Victoria, British Columbia; M. (1) Mary Gill (1847-bef 1877), 12 Nov 1868; (2) Mary Helen Moody (1843-1900); (3) Hattie Ann Gray (1857-1929), 23 Nov 1908, Victoria, British Columbia

Sources:
Records of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Records of Prince Edward Island Heritage Foundation
Obituary of Job Bevan, January 1862
Obituary of Rebecca Bevan, December 1868
The Island Register (website)

3 Months in Iroquois Captivity — Pierre-Michel Lefebvre

B. 20 Oct 1623 in Sceaux, Ile-de-France, France
M. about 1645 in (probably) Trois-Riviéres, New France
Wife: Jeanne Aunois
D. about 1668 in Trois-Riviéres, New France

People who lived in New France during its earliest years were under a nearly constant threat from the Iroquois. And for those who lived upriver from Quebec City, the odds of being met with violence were much greater. For Pierre-Michel Lefebvre, this meant being captured and held for months, not knowing if he would survive.

Pierre was born in the town of Sceaux, France to Pierre Lefebvre and Jeanne Cutiloup on October 20, 1623. After he came of age, he migrated to America, first appearing in records on April 11, 1643 as a trial witness at Trois-Riviéres. This would be where Pierre made his home, and on August 15, 1644, he received a grant of land from the governor. Sometime in the next couple years, he married a woman named Jeanne Aunois, and they had seven children born between 1647 and 1661.

Location of Trois-Rivières.

During the 1640s, Trois-Riviéres was on the frontier of New France. Located at the mouth of the Saint-Maurice River on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, the settlement was quite a distance west of Quebec City. The French needed places like this to expand the fur trade, but being so remote came with the tension of being outnumbered by Canada's indigenous tribes. They had a good relationship with the Hurons and others, but not with the Iroquois. 

On July 14, 1648, Pierre was among some French and Hurons who were attacked by Iroquois while guarding cattle on the outskirts of Trois-Riviéres. Others rushed to their aid, but the attackers had already killed two men, and taken others prisoner, including Pierre. The frightened captives were led away, and Pierre was held for three months; his then-pregnant wife must have thought him dead. But in October, he returned home accompanied by one of the Iroquois. It isn't known why Pierre was released.

1666 illustration showing an Iroquois with an Indigenous captive.

As time went on, more settlements developed along the St. Lawrence, and Trois-Rivières became a somewhat safer place. Pierre acquired several pieces of land in the area, including a tiny island at the mouth of the Saint-Maurice River only one-acre in size. In 1647, he was granted a large tract of land on the southern shore of the St. Lawrence, but the location was too remote to safely develop it at the time. A couple of years later, in 1650, Pierre acquired a lot in Trois-Riviéres with a house; it’s believed that he rented it out to tenants, and by the 1660s, the house had fallen into ruin. Pierre also owned land in Cap-de-la-Madeleine which he bought in 1656, and this may have been his family home.

After Pierre’s experience with the Iroquois, he appeared to show caution in dealing with them. He joined an effort to build a stockade around Trois-Rivières, and in 1652, when others went out seeking to confront the Iroquois, he chose to stay behind in town. Pierre was sometimes mentioned in Trois-Riviéres records involving civil matters. He was said to have served as “mayor” in 1658 and 1660, then in 1663, he was the church warden. The following year, he was on a panel of three men arbitrating a dispute between a priest and a habitant. And he was one of the people who helped build the church.

In 1666, Pierre was given another piece of land in Cap-de-la-Madeleine by the Jesuits, but he only lived about another two years. He died in about 1668 while only in his 40s. His wife Jeanne remarried on October 12, 1670, and passed away in 1697. They were both an ancestor of Justin Bieber. 

Children:
1. Jacques Lefebvre – B. 12 Jan 1647, Trois-Riviéres, New France; D. 19 Feb 1720, Baie-du-Febvre, New France; M. Marie Beaudry dit Lamarche (1650-1734), Trois-Riviéres, New France

2. Marie-Catherine Lefebvre — B. 4 Dec 1648, Trois-Riviéres, New France; D. 30 Nov 1705, Batiscan, New France; M. Antoine Trottier (1640-1706), 2 Sep 1663, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, New France

3. Élisabeth Lefebvre — B. 15 May 1651, Trois-Riviéres, New France; D. 30 Sep 1687, Batiscan, New France; M. (1) Felix Thunay dit Dufresne (1633-1683), 28 Dec 1665, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec; (2) Jean Collet (1637-1699), 13 Jan 1687, Batiscan, New France

4. Michel Lefebvre – B. 3 Mar 1654, Trois-Riviéres, New France; D. 21 Oct 1708, Trois-Riviéres, New France; M. Catherine-Marie Trottier (1669-1723), 3 Nov 1683, Champlain, New France

5. Ignace Lefebvre — B. 3 Apr 1656, Trois-Riviéres, New France; D. 27 Mar 1740, Trois-Riviéres, New France; M. Marie Trottier (1667-1740), Champlain, New France

6. Ange Lefebvre — B. 19 Sep 1658, Trois-Riviéres, New France; D. 25 Dec 1735, Becancour, New France; M. (1) Marie-Madeleine Cusson (1659-1720), about 1680, Champlain, New France; (2) Genevieve Guillet (1665-1741), 22 May 1724, Becancour, New France

7. Pierre Lefebvre – B. 30 Sep 1661, Trois-Riviéres, New France; D. 3 Oct 1745, Trois-Riviéres, New France; M. Marie-Louise Daniau (1691-1764), 3 Sep 1731, Nicolet, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1988
Find A Grave
FamousKin.com

Passing Father’s Land to His Son — Antoine Bordeleau

B. 18 Dec 1673 in Neuville, New France
M. 5 Mar 1696 in Neuville, New France
Wife: Catherine Piché
D. 4 May 1758 in Neuville, New France

Sometimes it’s the land that tells the story of those who came before us. Antoine Bordeleau’s land left a remarkable legacy in that a charming house standing there today still bears his name — Maison Bordeleau.

Antoine Bordeleau was born in Neuville, New France on December 18, 1673 to Antoine Bordeleau and Pérette Hallier. Like many of his generation, his father had been a Carignan-Sallieres Regiment soldier and his mother was a Fille du Roi. Antoine only had one sibling, a younger sister, which was unusual in a colony that encouraged its settlers to have large families. When Antoine was about 8-years-old, his mother returned to France, abandoning his father, who was left to raise the two children alone.

When Antoine was 20-years-old, he spent several weeks in Hotel-Dieu, the hospital in Quebec City; it’s unknown what sort of sickness or injury brought him there. A couple of years later on Mar 5, 1696, he married Catharine Piché, a young woman from another family who had settled in Neuville. Antoine and Catherine had 16 children between the years 1696 and 1720, of whom six died as infants.

On August 19, 1700, Antoine’s father gave him land that had been deeded to him in 1669. Antoine held onto this land until December 20, 1742 when he gave it to his two youngest sons, Louis and Etienne. It’s believed that at his time, Etienne began construction of a house, and this became Maison Bordeleau. The property remained in the Bordeleau family until 1825. In 2011, the house was beautifully restored, preserving its original floors, beams and exposed stone walls. The house is considered to be the oldest surviving dwelling in Neuville.

Maison Bordeleau in Neuville, Quebec

Since Maison Bordeleau had been built in Antoine’s lifetime, he likely was at least a visitor to it, perhaps even living in one of its rooms. He passed away on May 4, 1758 in Neuville. It’s not known when his wife Catherine died. 

Children:
1. Antoine Bordeleau — B. 14 Dec 1696, Neuville, New France; D. about 23 Jan 1697, Neuville, New France

2. Jean-Baptiste Bordeleau — B. 10 Nov 1697, Neuville, New France; D. before Nov 1760, Neuville, New France; M. (1) Marie Anne Fauteux (1683-1758), 14 Jul 1721, Neuville, New France; (2) Marie-Françoise Béland (1715-1805), 11 Jan 1759, Neuville, New France

3. Marie-Catherine Bordeleau — B. 15 Aug 1699, Neuville, New France; D. 14 Nov 1767, St-Nicolas, Quebec; M. (1) René Rousseau (1688-1744), 9 Sep 1737, Neuville, New France; (2) Joseph Bergeron (1699-1772), 3 Oct 1745, St-Nicolas, New France

4. Antoine Bordeleau — B. 23 Oct 1701, Neuville, New France; D. 20 Sep 1735, Quebec City, New France; M. Madeleine-Angélique Savary (1708-1782), 4 Nov 1727, Neuville, New France

5. Marie-Angélique Bordeleau — B. 15 Apr 1704, Neuville, New France; D. 10 Jun 1761, Neuville, New France; M. Pierre Sylvestre (1704-?), 26 Feb 1732, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

6. Marie-Louise Bordeleau — B. 11 Aug 1706, Neuville, New France; D. 3 May 1783, Neuville, Quebec; M. Ignace Grégoire (1709-1788), 1 Mar 1734, Neuville, New France

7. François Bordeleau — B. 16 Aug 1708, New France; D. 16 Aug 1708, New France

8. François de Sales Bordeleau — B. 10 Aug 1709, New France; D. 1 Nov 1710, New France

9. Louis-Joseph Bordeleau — B. 7 Jan 1711, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Laberge (1695-?), 30 Jun 1738, Neuville, New France

10. Marie-Claire Bordeleau — B. Feb 1712, Neuville, New France; D. Nov 1712, New France

11. Antoinette Bordeleau — B. 19 Feb 1713, Neuville, New France; D. 22 Feb 1715, New France

12. Marie-Françoise Bordeleau — B. 15 Mar 1714, Neuville, New France; D. 24 Nov 1773, Ste-Famille, Cap-Santé, Quebec; M. Joseph-Marie Potrel, 30 Aug 1756, Neuville, New France

13. Michel Bordeleau — B. Jun 1715, Neuville, New France; D. Aug 1715, New France

14. Louis Bordeleau — B. 7 Jun 1716, Neuville, New France; M. Geneviéve Dion (1717-?), 19 Aug 1743, Neuville, New France

15. Etienne Bordeleau — B. 2 Nov 1717, Neuville, New France; D. 8 Jul 1781, Neuville, Quebec; M. (1) Geneviéve Béland (1719-1748), 17 Apr 1747, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; (2) Louise Aide (1726-1769), 9 Feb 1750, Neuville, New France

16. Marie-Anne Bordeleau — B. 25 Jul 1720, Neuville, New France; M. Jean-François Pinel (1721-?), 1 Aug 1746, Neuville, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
D’Histoire Société de Neuville, Maisons ancestrales 
Le Registre journalier des malades de l’Hotel-Dieu de Quebec, Marcel Fournier and Giséle Monarque, 2005
Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française
La maison Bordeleau, du régime franaise, rénovée de A á Z, Lise Fournier, 30 Jul 2011

First Minister of Lynn, Massachusetts — Samuel Whiting

B. 20 Nov 1597 in Boston, England
M. (1) (probably) about 1623 in England
Wife: unknown
M. (2) 6 Aug 1629 in Boston, England
Wife: Elizabeth St. John
D. 11 Dec 1679 in Lynn, Massachusetts

Reverend Samuel Whiting was one of the most important Puritan ministers in New England, and the first to head the congregation at Lynn, Massachusetts. Such men were early leaders in colonial America, and in a way, they were among the seeds which led to the founding of the United States.

Samuel was born in Boston, England on November 20, 1595, to John and Isabel Whiting, one of six children. His father was a merchant and town council member who was voted as mayor in 1600 and 1608. Because of his father’s position, Samuel grew up around people like Reverend John Cotton, who was the church rector in Boston and an outspoken Puritan. It's very likely that Reverend Cotton influenced Samuel to pursue a career in the ministry.

Samuel attended Emanuel College at Cambridge, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1616 and a masters degree in 1620; he later earned a doctorate as well. Emmanuel College was considered “the hotbed of Puritanism.” The religion Samuel was indoctrinated in believed that kings had no “divine right” to oversee church matters. This basic belief guided him throughout his life.

In 1617, Samuel’s father died, and left him £120 in his will, a large sum of money for the time. After he finished college, Samuel’s first assignment was as chaplain to a family in Norfolk consisting of “two knights and five ladies.” He was said to have met “distinguished personages” during those years. Three years later, he took an assignment at Kings Lynn, but after another three years, he was forced out due to complaints from his parishioners about his Puritan preaching. Samuel was fearful of losing some of his estate because of the dismissal, but was saved by the fact that King James I died, and the authorities were more focused on the transition to a new king.

The church at King's Lynn.

Samuel had gotten married during the time he was in Kings Lynn, but his wife, whose name is unknown, died within a few years. There were three children born to his wife, only one of which, a girl, survived. After the end of his time at Kings Lynn, Samuel took a rectorship at Skirbeck, a town near Boston. In 1629, he married Elizabeth St. John, a woman he had known since his time in Norfolk. They had a son named Samuel, born in 1633.

At the time Samuel preached in Skirbeck, Reverend Cotton was still the rector at Boston, and Samuel’s brother John was mayor. Complaints of non-conformity were made against both ministers. Reverend Cotton left for America first, escaping in disguise in 1633. Samuel continued longer, partly because of his brother’s position. He was advised by friends to modify his preaching, but this went against his honest nature. Although he wanted to remain there, he made the decision to move to New England so that he could be true to his beliefs without “a life of humiliating submission to the bishops” in England. He sold all of his property and prepared to move. He said, “I am going into the wilderness to sacrifice unto the Lord, and I will not leave a hoof behind me.”

On the journey, Samuel was very seasick and managed to deliver only one sermon during the voyage.  He later said, “I would much rather have undergone six weeks’ imprisonment for a good cause than six weeks of such terrible sea-sickness.” He arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on May 26, 1636, and spent the first month with a friend, Atherton Hough. Then later that year, he went to Saugus to become the first minister there. Soon after, Saugus was renamed in his honor as Lynn, after the town of Kings Lynn, where he served in England. Samuel was formally made pastor on November 8, 1636, and he established his home with his wife and two children across from the meetinghouse. Their garden was said to be known for its variety of fruit and vegetables, and for the apple cider produced by its trees. He also was given 200 acres of land in 1638. The first year he was settled there, a son named John was born. He would have two more children: Joseph in 1641 and Elizabeth in 1645.

The first meetinghouse in Lynn, where Samuel served as minister.

Samuel was said to be greatly respected by his community, and was “peculiarly amiable.” When among groups of people, he would “kiss all the maids” and “he felt all the better for it.” They were said to “hug their arms around his neck and kiss him right back.” Samuel was described as being “a man of middle size, dark skin, and straight fine hair.” He thought it was important to be well-dressed when he preached, saying that “his hearers should not be made to have their eyes upon an unseemly object, lest the good instruction might be swallowed up in disgust.”

A story was told that happened during one of Samuel’s sermons: A young man had the job of poking those who nodded off during services with a foxtail attached to a stick. One day in 1647, a man named Tomlins was jolted awake and cursed loudly at an imaginary woodchuck, not realizing where he was. This caused Samuel to say to the congregation that he seems to be preaching to “sacks of straw with men sitting here and there among them.” Samuel was also known to sometimes interrupt his sermon and grab his hat as if to leave if too many of his audience had nodded off.

In 1649, Oliver Cromwell, who had just taken control of England, sent a request that Samuel and other prominent ministers in New England be sent to Ireland as missionaries to convert the Catholics there. The ministers including Samuel responded to Cromwell by letter, but nothing ever came of the plan.

Samuel was a teacher to his children, including his daughters. His sons all went on to attend Harvard and later became ministers; Samuel himself was appointed as “overseer” at Harvard in 1654. He also educated others in the community, offering religious instruction and language lessons to children in Lynn. And in about 1646, Samuel took an Indian girl into his household given over by her mother. He gave her an education and she became a part of his family for a time and, but eight years later, she ran away back to her tribe. Samuel was said to heartbroken when she left.

In 1656, Samuel was one of 12 ministers appointed to a board representing all the New England colonies making decisions on matters of religion. He was known to have opinions favorable to the liberty of the citizens, even if their practice differed with his own. During the 1660s, when others were whipping and giving other cruel punishments to Quakers, Samuel wouldn’t condone it. He was firmly in favor of separation of church and state, and petitioned against the authority of the General Court over religious matters several times.

Samuel's signature.

Samuel authored books on religion and a volume of sermons. In 1664, he published a book called,  “A Discourse of the Last Judgment,” about his views regarding Judgment Day. In the book, he wrote, “What is it to draw nigh to God in prayer? It is not to come with loud expressions when we pray to him. Loud crying in the ears of God is not to draw near to God. They are nearer to God that silently whisper in his ears and tell him what they want, and what they would have of him.” During his career, it was said that he knew Hebrew and “wrote Latin with elegance.”

Samuel’s wife died on March 3, 1677 in Lynn, and after that, his health deteriorated rapidly. He was said to be suffering from “a grinding and painful disorder,” and “scarce enjoyed a day of perfect ease,” though this didn’t stop him from his service to the community. About six months before he died, he submitted a claim to the General Court for 600 acres of land in return for money that he had arranged to be given to the colony in its early days. The deed of land was granted and was passed on to his heirs.

He died on December 11, 1679 at his home in Lynn. He was given a funeral attended by many in the town and beyond, and buried in the churchyard. Samuel was the ancestor of Calvin Coolidge, Bette Davis, Orson Bean, Kyra Sedgwick and John Kerry.

Children (by first wife):
1. Dorothy Whiting — B. 1628, England; D. 31 Jul 1694, Roxbury, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Weld (1626-1683), 4 Jun 1650

Children (by Elizabeth St. John):
1. Samuel Whiting — B. 25 Mar 1633, Skirbeck, England; D. 28 Feb 1713, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Dorcas Chester (1637-1712), 12 Nov 1656, Wethersfield, Connecticut

2. John Whiting — B. 1637, Lynn, Massachusetts; D. 11 Oct 1689, Leverton, England; M. Esther ? (1639-1689), 1653, Salem, Massachusetts

3. Joseph Whiting — B. 6 Apr 1641, Lynn, Massachusetts; D. 7 Apr 1723, Southampton, New York; M. (1) Sarah Danforth (1646-?); (2) Rebecca Bishop (1663-1726)

4. Elizabeth Whiting — B. 1645; D. 1733, Hartford, Connecticut; M. Jeremiah Hobart (1630-1715)

Sources:
Memoir of Rev. Samuel Whiting, D.D., and of his wife Elizabeth St. John, William Whiting, 1873
The American Biographical Dictionary, William Allen, 1857
Find A Grave
Lynn, Massachusetts (Wikipedia article)