M. 18 Apr 1678 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie-Louise Chalifour
D. 10 Jan 1725 in Charlesbourg, New France
Many American colonies included many foreigners, but New France settlers rarely came from a country other than France. So when Belgian Joseph Vandendaigue settled along the St. Lawrence, he must have been quite an outsider. Nonetheless, he seemed to adapt well to his new home.
Joseph was born in Brussels in about 1653, which was then a part of the Spanish Netherlands. Ethnically, it was in the heart of Flanders, and Joseph’s family had the Dutch name of Van Den Dyck. His father’s name was Josse or Joseph and his mother was Madeleine Dubois, but nothing else is known of them.
Brussels in the 17th century.
Joseph had at least a basic education and learned the trade of carpentry. In 1672, war broke out between the Netherlands and several other countries, and by 1675, France had control of Brussels. But a contract signed by Joseph on May 21, 1671 shows that he was gone by that time working as a carpenter for Jesuits in New France. Once in Canada, Joseph changed his name to Vandendaigue, and he settled in Beauport, a district in the Quebec City area.
Once in New France, Joseph's name was translated into Vandendaigue, and he settled in Beauport, a district in the Quebec City area. On April 18, 1678, he married Marie-Louise Chalifour. She brought a large dowry of £2,500 into the marriage, which included land and a house. Later that year, she gave birth to a baby girl. They had six daughters and one son born between 1678 and 1693; two of the girls died as infants.
The rest of Joseph’s life was spent applying his carpentry skills to the construction of homes; it’s likely that he made interior woodwork and cabinetry rather than framework construction. In July 1715, when he was in his early 60s, he received custody of his oldest daughter’s children after they were orphaned. The five grandchildren ranged in age from 2 to 15.
Jospeh died in Charlesbourg, New France on January 10, 1725. His wife Marie-Louise lived another ten years, passing away in 1735. Both are buried at Saint-Charles Borromée Cemetery in Charlesbourg.
Children:
1. Jaquette Vandendaigue — B. 27 Dec 1678, Quebec City, New France; D. 24 Apr 1714, Quebec City, New France; M. Pierre Boutillet (~1676-1715), 5 Oct 1699, Beauport, New France
2. Marie-Anne Vandendaigue — B. 12 Jan 1680, Quebec City, New France; D. 31 Mar 1752, Montreal, New France; M. (1) Antoine Bourg Lachapelle (~1662-1729), 26 Nov 1696, Beauport, New France; (2) Pierre Thibault Leveilé (1688-1747), 6 Oct 1732, St-Laurent, New France
3. Claude Vandendaigue — B. 2 May 1682, Quebec City, New France; D. 10 Mar 1752, St-François-de-Sale, Ile Jésus, New France; M. Marie Brideault (1691-?), 5 Nov 1708, Beauport, New France
4. Jeanne Vandendaigue — B. Mar 1684, Quebec City, New France; D. 11 Sep 1684, Quebec City, New France
5. Marie-Charlotte Vandendaigue — B. 29 Jun 1685, Beauport, New France; D. 8 Oct 1727, Montreal, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Dugas (~1670-1758), 9 Jan 1708, Beauport, New France
6. Louise Vandendaigue — B. 23 Mar 1687, Beauport, New France; D. Oct 1725, Montreal, New France; M. (1) Jacques Gervais (~1677-1708), 17 Nov 1704, Beauport, New France; (2) Jean Étienne Boutin (1684-?), 14 Nov 1712, Beauport, New France; (3) François Lefebvre (1679-1727), 17 Jan 1718, La Pairie, New France
7. Marguerite Vandendaigue — B. 7 Apr 1693, Beauport, New France; D. 1693, Beauport, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Find-A-Grave
