Husband Tortured and Killed by Iroquois — Agnes Tessier

B. 23 Mar 1659 in Montreal, New France
M. (1) 26 Nov 1675 in Montreal, New France
Husband: Guillaume Richard
M. 21 Nov 1692 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France
Husband: Claude Duconge
D. 24 Jan 1733 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

During the early days of Montreal, French settlers lived under the constant threat of violence at the hands of Iroquois. For Agnes Tessier, her life was directly affected in childhood and in her first marriage.

Agnes came from Montreal's founding families. She was born on March 23, 1659 in Montreal to Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne and Marie Archambault, the 7th of their 17 children. This was a time when Montreal was more of a frontier outpost than a city, and settlers were often attacked by raiding Iroquois. Her father Urbain was said to be fearless in defending the community, but when she was a toddler, he was taken captive by the Iroquois for several months. Luckily, some Jesuits won his release, although he lost a finger to torture.

Like many females in the colony, Agnes was just a teenager when she married her first husband, Guillaume Richard on November 26, 1675. Guillaume had been born in France, arriving in Montreal as a soldier in a force sent over to defend it from the Iroquois. Soon after Agnes married him, she became pregnant, and she gave birth to a daughter the following August. They settled outside Montreal in Pointe-aux-Trembles, and seven more children were added to the family by 1690.

Agnes' signature.

This was a time when the danger from Iroquois aggression was at its worst. On July 2, 1690, Guillaume was part of a small military force who became overwhelmed by 100 Iroquois warriors. The terrible result was that Guillaume was captured, tortured and then killed, and it took four years to recover his body for a proper burial. This was the price Agnes paid for living where she did. 

After her husband’s death, Agnes was left to raise her children alone, so on November 21, 1692, she married another soldier from France named Claude Duconge. With him, she had five more children born between 1693 and 1702. Agnes’ second husband Claude died in 1729. She lived another few years and passed away on January 24, 1733. She was buried next to her first husband in the church cemetery in Point-aux-Trembles.

Children by Guillaume Richard:
1. Agnes Richard — B. 23 Aug 1676, Montreal, New France; D. 4 Apr 1757, Repentigny, New France; M. Jean Moreau Duplessis (~1664-1735), 1 Dec 1703, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

2. Pierre Richard — B. 8 Aug 1678, Montreal, New France; D. 12 Jan 1744, L’Assomption, New France; M. Catherine Larrivee (1686-1759), 11 Oct 1706, Boucherville, New France

3. Guillaume Richard — B. 26 Feb 1680, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

4. Jean-Baptiste Richard — B. 19 Mar 1682, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; M. Marie-Anne You, 15 Aug 1718, Montreal, New France

5. Claude Richard — B. 30 Jan 1684, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

6. Marie-Anne Richard — B. 10 Apr 1686, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; D. 17 Jul 1710, Contrecoeur, New France; M. Mathieu Coitou (1681-1752), 23 Nov 1705, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

7. Marie-Madeleine Richard — B. 14 Mar 1688, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; D. 7 Oct 1726, Varennes, New France; M. (1) Pierre Lambeye Larose (1681-1721), 22 Nov 1706, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; (2) Pierre Desjardins (~1700-1767), 24 May 1723, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

8. Urbain Richard — B. 25 Mar 1690, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; D. 10 Aug 1760, St-Sulpice, New France; M. (1) Marguerite Fleuricourt (1697-1740), 23 Jan 1719, Riviére-des-Prairies, New France; (2) Marie-Catherine-Collet (1695-?), 19 May 1749, St-Sulpice, New France

Children by Claude Duconge:
1. Marie-Barbe Duconge — B. 20 Sep 1693, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; D. 7 Sep 1778, L’Assomption, Quebec; M. Ignace Goulet (1696-1776), 27 Apr 1722, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

2. Marguerite Duconge — B. 26 Jun 1696, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; M. (1) François Marie Jean Serran (1694-1731), 3 Jan 1718, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; (2) Charles Couvret (1710-1760), 22 Sep 1732, Montreal New France

3. Jean-Baptiste Duconge — B. 8 Sep 1698, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; D. 19 Aug 1700, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

4. Catherine Duconge — B. 9 Oct 1700, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; D. 21 Mar 1718, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

5. Guillaume Duconge — B. 27 Jun 1702, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France; D. 19 Jun 1705, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
“Richard dit Lafleur, Guillaume,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography