M. 25 Aug 1681 in Beauport, New France2
Wife: Marie-Jeanne Tarde
D. 13 Jul 1730 in Longueuil, New France3
During colonial times, the area around Montreal featured a colorful society with sometimes rugged characters. One of them was Frenchman Robert Drousson dit Lafleur, who was once charged with striking a woman in a public place.
Robert was likely born in Clermont, France, to Jean Drousson and Mathine Heritiere in about 1656.1 Nothing else is known of Robert’s origins, nor when and why he migrated to New France. He first turned up in records in his marriage to Marie-Jeanne Tarde on August 25, 1681.2 The wedding took place in Beauport, where the couple lived for the first few years of their marriage. After she gave birth to a daughter in 1683,4 they moved to near Montreal, settling in the town of La Prairie,5 and they had another 8 children, with the youngest born in 1706.6
That same year, Robert’s daughter Marguerite became pregnant out-of-wedlock. The father was unnamed in the baptism of the baby girl, who was born on April 30th.7 Two years later, another of Robert’s daughters, Madeleine, became pregnant while working as a servant. This time he sought to take legal action against the man she worked for, Pierre You de la Découverte, accusing him of more or less raping his daughter.8 Pierre You was a well-known adventurer who ran a successful, though illegal, fur trade business; he also had a jealous wife who kicked Madeleine out, and wouldn’t give the girl her clothes until she paid her 35 livres. Robert won the case, and the second child, another girl, was born on September 9th and baptized in Montreal.9
Within a few years, Robert moved his family to Longueuil, and it was here that he got into some trouble. During the spring of 1713, Robert was involved in a scuffle, or a confrontation that turned violent, between himself and a married couple, Barbe Beauchamp and André Bouteiller. The activity took place at their mill, and Robert was said to have threatened Barbe, and struck her with his bayonet, plus assaulted André in some way. The case was tried in court between June 26th and July 14th, with witnesses that included three women. A doctor reported that Barbe’s injury was only slight. From the record, it’s not clear if Robert was punished for what he may or may not have done.10
Confrontation at a mill. (AI-generated image)
An incident that happened a couple years later suggests that the Drousson family had a bad reputation. This again involved daughter Madeleine who had now arranged to marry a young man from another Longueuil family, Laurent Benoit. The suitor had been a witness at Robert’s trial, but it isn’t known if this played into his relationship with Madeleine. In a somewhat unusual case, his parents filed a lawsuit to nullify their agreement to marry — the Benoits wanted a better match for their son!11 Madeleine was soon out a husband, though she rebounded by marrying someone else.12
Robert lived into his 70s, dying on July 13, 1730 in Longueuil.3 His wife survived him and died in Montreal in 1741.13
Children:
1. Marie-Louise Drousson — B. 18 Mar 1683, Beauport, New France;4 D. 17 Dec 1742, La Prairie, New France;13 M. Jean-Baptiste Raymond dit Toulouse (~1666-~1737), 10 Feb 1699, La Prairie, New France15
2. Marguerite Drousson — B. 12 Aug 1685, La Prairie, New France;5 D. 17 Aug 1768, Chambly, Quebec;16 M. Jean LaFort dit LaForest (~1683-?), 28 May 1708, Montreal, New France17
3. Etienne Drousson — B. 11 Oct 1687, La Prairie, New France;18 D. 11 Oct 1687, La Prairie, New France19
4. Marie-Madeleine Drousson — B. 3 Apr 1689, La Prairie, New France;20 D. 25 Aug 1747, Montreal, New France;21 M. Louis-Antoine Edeline (1690-?), 15 Jan 1720, Longueuil, New France22
5. Marie-Jeanne Drousson — B. 27 Apr 1692, La Prairie, New France;23 D. 8 Jun 1706, Montreal, New France24
6. Françiose Drousson — B. 7 Nov 1694, La Prairie, New France;25 D. 10 Apr 1695, La Prairie, New France26
7. Marie-Josephte Drousson — B. 13 Apr 1700, La Prairie, New France;27 D. 7 Apr 1754, Chambly, New France;28 M. Jean-François Courault dit Coulon (1699-1761), 15 Feb 1734, Longueuil, New France29
8. François Drousson — B. 12 Feb 1703, La Prairie, New France;30 D. 8 Jun 1778, La Prairie, Quebec;31 M. Marie-Madeleine Charles (1708-1733), 25 Nov 1726, St-François, Île Jesus, New France32
9. Ange Drousson — B. 17 May 1706, La Prairie, New France;8 D. 25 Feb 1785, Longueuil, Quebec;33 M. (1) Marie-Josephe Charles (1706-1736), 25 Nov 1726, St-François, Île Jesus, New France;34 (2) Marie-Madeleine Sorel (1716-1757), 20 Aug 1742, Longueuil, New France35
Sources:
1 Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française of Robert Drousson Lafleur
2 Marriage record of Robert Drousson dit Lafleur and Marie-Jeanne Tarde, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Robert Drousson dit Lafleur, Q., C. P. R.
4 Baptismal record of Marie-Louise Drousson, Q., C. P. R.
5 Baptismal record of Marguerite Drousson, Q., C. P. R.
6 Baptismal record of Ange Drousson, Q., C. P. R.
7 Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte, daughter of Marguerite Robert Drousson, Q., C. P. R.
8 La Vie Libertine en Nouvelle-France au XVII e Siècle, Vol I, Robert-Lionel Séguin, 1972, pp. 318-319
9 Baptismal record of Marie-Catherine You, Q., C. P. R.
10 Court record of Barbe Beauchamp vs. Robert Drousson, June 26, 1713 - July 14, 1713, BAnQ
11 Court record of Laurent Benoit vs. Madeleine Drousson, 11 Mar 1716 to 7 Oct 1716, BAnQ
12 Marriage record of Louis-Antoine Edeline and Marie-Madeleine Drousson, Q., C. P. R.
13 Burial record of Marie-Jeanne Tarde, Q., C. P. R.
14 Burial record of Marie-Louise Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
15 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Raymond dit Toulouse and Marie-Louise Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
16 Burial record of Marguerite Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
17 Marriage record of Jean LaFort dit LaForest and Marguerite Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
18 Baptismal record of Etienne Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
19 Burial record of Etienne Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
20 Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
21 Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
22 Marriage record of Louis-Antoine Edeline and Marie-Madeleine Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
23 Baptismal record of Marie-Jeanne Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
24 Burial record of Marie-Jeanne Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal record of Françoise Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
26 Burial record of Françoise Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
27 Baptismal record of Marie-Joseph Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
28 Burial record of Marie-Joseph Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
29 Marriage record of Jean-François Courault dit Coulon and Marie-Joseph Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
30 Baptismal record of François Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
31 Burial record of François Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
32 Marriage record of François Drousson and Marie-Madeleine Charles, Q.C.P.R.
33 Burial record of Ange Drousson, Q.C.P.R.
34 Marriage record of Ange Drousson and Marie-Joseph Charles, Q.C.P.R.
35 Marriage record of Ange Drousson and Marie-Madeleine Sorel, Q.C.P.R.
