Six Family Members Killed at Deerfield — Joseph Baldwin

B. about 1610 in Cholesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
M. (1) 10 Nov 1636 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
Wife: Hannah Whitlock
M. (2) about 1662 in (probably) Hadley, Massachusetts
Wife: Isabel Ward
M. (3) about 1676 in Hadley, Massachusetts
Wife: Elizabeth Hitchcock
D. 2 Nov 1684 in Hadley, Massachusetts

The story of Joseph Baldwin, a Puritan New England immigrant of the 17th-century, turned tragic a generation later with the slaughter of some of his kin at the infamous Deerfield Massacre.

Joseph Baldwin was born in Cholesbury, a village located in Buckinghamshire, England. His parents were Richard Baldwin and Isabel Harding, and he had at least 6 siblings. The exact date of Joseph's birth isn’t known, but it was sometime between 1609 and 1612. His father made out a will in 1630 that specified Joseph would receive a half-acre of land when he reached the age of 21. The will was proved on May 16, 1633.

On November 10, 1636, Joseph got married to Hannah Whitlock in High Wycombe, a town to the south of Cholesbury. Within two years, the couple joined a large migration of people from the area who had decided to move to America. It’s believed that Joseph and his wife sailed on the ship Martin in 1638, along with his older brothers Timothy and Nathaniel. Joseph and his brothers probably went from Boston to New Haven. A group of settlers set out from there during the fall of 1639 to form a new settlement at the mouth of the Housatonic River which they named Milford.

The land in Milford was divided up and assigned to the families settling there, with Joseph receiving two acres. The lots were long and narrow so that each man would have some of the marshy land nearest to the water which was desirable for planting hay. Joseph and Hannah had a child born during the first year they lived there, followed by eight more children born by 1653. The birth dates of the older children aren’t recorded because the Baldwins didn’t join the church until June 23, 1644, and they had their oldest four children baptized on the same day.

In April of 1661, Joseph’s wife Hannah died, and soon after, he decided to move away from Milford. The place he chose was Hadley, Massachusetts, a new settlement up the Connecticut River. He married a woman who had been widowed twice named Isabel Northam (her maiden name was Ward); Joseph’s daughter Mary married Isabel’s son, John Catlin, at about the same time. Isabel died roughly ten or twelve years later, and in 1677, Joseph married another widow, Elizabeth Warriner (her maiden name was Hitchcock). 

1664 Hadley town meeting note assigning Joseph the job of constable.

On November 2, 1684, Joseph passed away in Hadley; his third wife survived him until 1696. Tragedy followed Joseph’s family when daughter Mary and son-in-law John Catlin were both victims of the Deerfield massacre. Four of their grown children, Joseph’s grandchildren, were also killed there, as well as another grandson by his daughter Martha. The event was a part of an ongoing war between the French and the English, and often the French were allied with Indigenous people who acted on their behalf. On February 29, 1704, a raiding party attacked and killed 47 settlers and took another 112 as captives.

Luckily, Joseph had many other children who lived safely away from Deerfield, and his progeny lived on. Some of his famous descendants include Thomas Edison, Lillian Gish and Jane Fonda. 

The Deerfield Massacre of 1704.

Children (all by Hannah Whitlock):
1. Joseph Baldwin — B. about 1640, Milford, Connecticut; D. 21 Nov 1681, Hadley, Massachusetts; M. (1) Elizabeth, 1662, Hadley, Massachusetts; (2) Sarah Coley (1648-1689)

2. Benjamin Baldwin — B. about 1642, Milford, Connecticut; D. 19 Jun 1729, Newark, New Jersey; M. Hannah Sergeant (~1644-~1721)

3. Hannah Baldwin — B. Milford, Connecticut; D. Newark, New Jersey; M. Jeremiah Hull (~1636-1700), 6 May 1658, Milford, Connecticut

4. Mary Baldwin — B. Milford, Connecticut; D. 9 Apr 1704, Deerfield, Massachusetts; M. John Catlin (1643-1704), 23 Sep 1662, Wethersfield, Connecticut

5. Elizabeth Baldwin — B. about Mar 1645; D. 24 Apr 1687, Springfield, Massachusetts; M. James Warriner (1640-1727), 31 Mar 1664, Springfield, Massachusetts

6. Martha Baldwin — B. about 1646, Milford, Connecticut; D. 7 Jan 1676, Hadley, Massachusetts; M. John Hawks (1643-1722), 26 Dec 1667, Hadley, Massachusetts

7. Jonathan Baldwin — B. 15 Feb 1649, New Haven, Connecticut; D. 12 Dec 1739, Milford, Connecticut; M. (1) Hannah Ward (1658-1693), 2 Nov 1677, Milford, Connecticut; (2) Thankful Strong (1663-1726)

8. David Baldwin — B. 19 Oct 1651, Milford, Connecticut; D. Sep 1689, Milford, Connecticut; M. Mary Stream (1653-1712), 11 Nov 1674, Connecticut

9. Sarah Baldwin — B. 6 Nov 1653, Milford, Connecticut; D. 17 Jan 1717, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Bartlett ~1639-1712), 1676, Northampton, Massachusetts

Sources:
History of Hadley: Including the Early History of Hatfield, South Hadley, Amherst and Granby, Massachusetts, Sylvester Judd and Lucius Manlius Boltwood, 1863
Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Volume 2, John Woolf Jordan, Edgar Moore Greene, George Taylor Ettinger, 1905
Find-A-Grave
WikiTree
Famous Kin (website)

On the Picturesque Coast of Maine — William French

B. 24 Mar 1781 in Bedford, New Hampshire
M. 9 Feb 1807 in Bedford, New Hampshire
Wife: Agnes Riddle
D. 1 Mar 1847 in Prospect, Maine

During early 19th century, William French moved to a place that later generations viewed as a tourist destination — the rugged coast of Maine. He operated a farm not far from the rocky shoreline, and his house survives to this day.

William was born in Bedford, New Hampshire on March 24, 1781 to Stephen French and Dolly Coburn. William had ten siblings, although there were said to be three others who died young. His father was a tanner who collected animal skins from farmers, treating the hides to make leather, and William likely learned this trade from his father.

On February 9, 1807, William married a woman from Bedford named Agnes Riddle. Unlike his English Puritan roots, she was of a Scots-Irish heritage, and their bond brought the two ethnicities together. At the time of his marriage, William made a living as a stone cutter, but it’s likely he didn’t work very long in this profession. The couple soon left Bedford for Prospect, Maine, located on a coastal inlet. William’s first child was born there in 1809, and seven more followed, with the last two being twin girls born in 1828. All of the children were given his wife’s maiden name as a middle name, except for one of the daughters who was named for William’s mother.

In 1814, William purchased a house on 100 acres of farmland near the water. The location was at the mouth of the Penobscot River, and part of the land that jutted out into the bay became known as French’s Point, a name that survives on maps to this day. The house he purchased had been built in the late 18th century by an early settler named Benjamin Shute, and it’s believed that William made a substantial addition to it. William’s home remained in the family for many decades, and today is being used to house families attending destination weddings held on the property.

French's Point in Stockton Springs, Maine.

Along with running a farm, William had other interests that brought him income. He owned a tannery in the nearby town of Searsport, three-quarters of a carding and clothing mill, and shares of two schooners. Prospect was a center for shipbuilding in Maine’s fishing and whaling industries, so investing in sailing vessels was a profitable business. William also owned two other houses in the area, and this may have provided rental income as well.

None of William’s siblings ever moved from Bedford, but he likely kept in close contact with his family in New Hampshire. One of his second cousins, Franklin Pierce, became a senator in 1842, and later, the 14th president of the United States. On March 1, 1847, William died in Prospect and was buried at Sandy Point Cemetery. His wife, Agnes, survived him by five years, passing away in 1852.

Children:
1. James Riddle French – B. 18 Jun 1809, Prospect, Maine; D. 23 Mar 1857, Stockton Springs, Maine; M. (1) Nancy Riddle French (1811-1848), 13 Sep 1832, Bedford, New Hampshire; (2) Sophia Newell Kittredge (1824-1900), 7 Aug 1849, Nelson, New Hampshire

2. Sarah Ann French – B. 27 Nov 1810, Prospect, Maine; D. 28 May 1839; M. Nathan Cutler (1799-1881), 12 Jun 1834, Prospect, Maine

3. William Riddle French – B. 27 Feb 1812, Prospect, Maine; D. 3 Mar 1880; M. Augusta Maria Eustis (1827-1909), 13 Dec 1855, Prospect, Maine

4. John Riddle French — B. 15 Dec 1814, Prospect, Maine; M. Eliza Jane Black (1816-?), 29 Aug 1837, Prospect, Maine

5. Dolly Coburn French – B. 17 Apr 1818, Prospect, Maine; D. 17 Jul 1905, Stockton Springs, Maine; M. Alexander Black (1814-1890), 6 Feb 1842, Prospect, Maine

6. Robert Riddle French – B. 28 Dec 1824, Prospect, Maine; D. 11 Oct 1890, Stockton Springs, Maine; M. Frances A. Stowers (1827-1908), 13 Sep 1850, Maine

7. Nancy Riddle French – B. 11 Jun 1828, Prospect, Maine; D. 15 Sep 1860, Prospect, Maine; M. Samuel Addison Stowers (1823-1865), 19 Dec 1850, Prospect, Maine

8. Mary Riddle French — B. 11 Jun 1828, Prospect, Maine; D. May 1832

Sources:
The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, Rumford Printing Company, 1903
Historical Sketches of Stockton Springs, Faustina Hichborn, 1908
New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources: Bedford Center Historic District, 2013
“A Brief History of French’s Point,” 2011, French’s Point (website)
Maine County Probate Records, 1760-1979, FamilySearch.org
Find A Grave
WikiTree

One of the Last Filles du Roi — Jeanne Braconnier

B. about 1651 in Paris, France
M. (1) 18 Sep 1673 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Crespin Thuillier dit LaTour
M. (2) 16 Oct 1675 in Boucherville, New France
Husband: Charles Edeline
D. 20 Feb 1711 in Montreal, New France

Between 1663 and 1673, an estimated 800 women were shipped to New France to choose husbands, and Jeanne Braconnier was in the final group. She was born in the 11th arrondissement of Paris in about 1651; her parents were Nicolas Braconnier and Charlotte-Claude Brunet. Nothing else is known of her origins.

In 1673, Jeanne agreed to a contract to become a fille du roi. The program had been carried out for the last ten years in order to boost the population of New France, which had plenty of men, but very few women. Each woman who signed up was given a dowry and passage to the colony in return for the promise to marry a settler. In 1672, the program was suspended because it was thought there was no longer a bride shortage. But the following year, Governor Frontenac asked for 60 more women, and this was when Jeanne got a chance to go.

It’s believed that all 60 filles du roi in 1673 were on the ship L’Nativité, which sailed out of La Rochelle and arrived at Quebec City on September 3rd. A contract was drawn up just one week later for Jeanne to marry Louis Chapacou, the son of a settler named Simon Chapacou. Something caused the marriage to be called off, though, and it was annulled on the 15th. Just three days later, Jeanne was at the altar with another man, Crespin Thuillier dit LaTour, a young widower who had recently lost his first wife. As for Louis Chapacou, he didn’t find another woman to marry until 1681.

Marriage contract between Jeanne and Louis Chapacou.

Jeanne and Crespin settled in Boucherville, a community near Montreal. For a woman from Paris, she suddenly had to adapt to life in the frontier of America. Within a year, she gave birth to a son, but sadly the baby died before he was a year old. Jeanne soon became pregnant again, and then suffered another loss when husband Crespin died.

Luckily, Jeanne found a new husband, Charles Edeline, who married her on October 16, 1675 in Boucherville. One thing she had in common with Charles was that he was also from Paris, having arrived in New France around 1669. He was a shoemaker and a farmer, with land he had just acquired in Longueuil. In January 1676, she gave birth to the child from her first husband, then a year later had a baby with Charles; they had nine more by 1693. One of her children, Charles, born in 1683, became the first baptism performed in Longueuil.

When she was about 60-years-old, Jeanne became sick and was hospitalized in Montreal; she died there on February 20, 1711. Her husband survived her by only a few months and died in October, also at the hospital in Montreal.

Children by Crespin Thuillier dit LaTour:
1. Jacques Thuillier  — B. Aug 1674, Boucherville, New France; D. Jul 1675, New France

2. Jeanne Thuillier — B. Jan 1676, Montreal, New France

Children by Charles Edeline:
1. Catherine-Therese Edeline — B. 15 Feb 1677, Longueuil, New France; 26 Apr 1715, Montreal, New France; M. Bertrand DeBlunche dit La Serre (1675-1720), 24 Jul 1697, Boucherville, New France

2. Charles Edeline — B. 15 Nov 1678, Longueuil, New France; D. 3 Apr 1726, Longueuil, New France; M. Helene Charron (1682-1738), 7 Feb 1701, Longueil, New France

3. François Edeline — B. 3 Aug 1680, Longueuil, New France

4. Pierre-Jean Edeline — B. 9 Dec 1681, Longueuil, New France; D. 14 Dec 1681, Montreal, New France

5. Pierre Edeline — B. 30 Jun 1683, Longueuil, New France; D. 18 Jun 1742, Vercheres, New France; M. Louise-Catherine Patenaude (1694-1742), 21 Feb 1718, Longueuil, New France

6. Marie-Anne Edeline — B. 26 Jul 1685, Longueuil, New France; D. Feb 1739, L’Assomption, New France; M. (1) Etienne Parseillier dit LaChappelle (?-1713), 16 Oct 1702, LaPrairie, New France; (2) Louis Douvier dit LaMarche (?-1735), 20 Nov 1715, Repentigny, New France

7. Angelique Edeline — B. 19 Apr 1687, Longueuil, New France; D. 8 Jun 1687, Boucherville, New France

8. Agathe Edeline — B. 11 Aug 1688, Longueuil, New France; D. 22 Aug 1741, Montreal, New France

9. Louis-Antoine Edeline — B. 22 Sep 1690, Longueuil, New France; D. 4 May 1758, Fort Detroit, New France; M. Marie-Madeliene Drousson (1689-1747), 15 Jan 1720, Longueuil, New France

10. Jean-Baptiste Edeline — B. 3 Jan 1693, Longueuil, New France; D. 14 Aug 1715, Montreal, New France; M. Marie-Marguerite Benoit dit Livernois (1694-1734), 29 May 1712, Longueuil, New France

Sources:
“My Ancestry & their descendants plus misc research,” Denis Paul Edeline, RootsWeb.Ancestry.com
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
Brève chronologie de la paroisse de Saint-Antoine de Longueuil (website)

Recruited as a Laborer in New France — René Binet

B. 9 Apr 1638 in Saint-Jean-de-Sauves, France
M. 19 Oct 1667 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Catherine Bourgeois
D. 15 Jun 1699 in Beauport, New France

René Binet was one of hundreds of New France colonists who started out as contract laborer. He came from a village in western France, born on April 9, 1638 in Saint-Jean-de-Sauves, and baptized in La Chausée just to the north. His parents were Mathurin Binet and Marie Proulx, and he had at least two younger brothers.

On March 23, 1665, René was living in the city of Loudon when he was recruited by La Rochelle merchant Pierre Gaigner to work in New France. The contract he agreed to required his service for three years, for which he would receive 60 livres per year, and he was given 30 livres in advance. It’s likely that René didn’t have any special skills or trade and this was a good opportunity to make money. On April 27th, he boarded the ship Le Cat at La Rochelle, along with 66 other young men who had similar contracts. The voyage took less than 8 weeks, arriving at Quebec City on June 18th.

Upon arrival in New France, René was turned over to the patronage of the Jesuits of Quebec, who then assigned him to be a servant of Henri Pinguet, the elderly patriarch of a Quebec family. René was listed in Pinguet’s household in the 1666 census, along with Pinguet’s son, daughter-in-law, five grandchildren and another man who was a servant. The house was only two rooms with a cellar and attic, and the property had a garden, a barn and 10 cattle on 63 arpents of land. It’s likely that René worked for the family outdoors on their farm, plowing fields and helping take care of livestock.

René must have decided within his first year in America that he wasn’t going to return to France. The Jesuits were setting up a new community north of Quebec City, and on March 16, 1666, they granted 40 arpents of land to René. The settlement would become the town of Charlesbourg; the Jesuits laid it out with the plots of land radiating away from the center, so that people could build their houses clustered next to the church in the center. René’s land was in a section called Petite-Auvergne, which was a half-circle layout just south of the main circle. (There is a present-day street named Avenue Binet in Petite-Auvergne, most likely named for René.)

Avenue Binet in Petite-Auvergne. (source: Google Street Views)

When the term of his contract was almost up, René sought out a wife amongst the Filles du Roi who had arrived from France, and he found Catherine Bourgeois, a 34-year-old woman from Normandy. They were married at Notre-Dame Church in Quebec City on October 19, 1667. They had at least five children together, born between 1668 and 1680.

By the fall of 1673, René had moved the family to Beauport, where he would spend the rest of his life. He died at Beauport on June 15, 1699; Catherine survived him by three years, passing away in 1702. René was the ancestor of Jack Kerouac, Ricky Gervais and Dan Aykroyd.

Children:
1. Anne Binet — B. 21 Sep 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. Aug 1698, Charlesbourg, New France; M. (1) Pierre Dron, 25 Jun 1685, Quebec City, New France; (2) Jean Bouron, 7 Oct 1686, Beauport, New France

2. Louise Binet — B. 18 Mar 1670, Quebec City, New France; D. 3 Apr 1670, Quebec City, New France

3. Nicolas Binet — B. 11 Feb 1671, Quebec City, New France; D. 29 Jul 1753, Beauport, New France; M. Genevieve Brisson, 12 Nov 1697, L’Ange-Gardien, New France

4. Joseph-François Binet — B. 22 Sep 1673, Beauport, New France; D. 25 Aug 1703, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Françoise Vachon, Feb 1698, Beauport, New France

5. René Binet — B. 10 Jan 1680, Beauport, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Société de généálogie de l’Outaouais (website)
WikiTree
Navires venus en Nouvelle-France: Gens de mer et passagers des origines á la Conquete mai a aout 1665 (website)
The Canadian Encyclopedia (website)

FamousKin.com listing for René Binet

DNA That Unlocks a Rich Heritage — Mary Fleming

B. 16 Aug 1819 in Lower Sandusky, Ohio
M. 17 Jan 1838 in Parke County, Indiana
Husband: Jackson Sutherlin
D. 31 Mar 1907 in Grady County, Oklahoma

The story of Mary Fleming illustrates how family history is lost through the passing of time, but how we can now rediscover that history through DNA.

From printed sources we know that Mary was born on August 16, 1819 in Ohio. On the 1880 census, her father was identified as having been born in Virginia and her mother in New Jersey. My own DNA shows that her mother’s maiden name was Hand, and her parents’ first names were possibly James and Nancy (see below). Mary seems to have been their youngest child with at least three older brothers, James, Eli and Henry. Sometime between 1820 and 1830, Mary’s father died and the family moved to Parke County, Indiana; in 1830, Mary and probably her mother were living in the household of her brother Eli.

The earliest certain documentation of Mary’s life was on January 17, 1838, when she married a man named Jackson Sutherlin in Parke County. Around this time, she was said to have joined the Methodist Church, which was likely her husband’s religion. Mary gave birth to a daughter in 1840; between about 1844 and 1859, she had nine more children, but many of them died young and not all of their names are known. Mary and Jackson appear to have moved a lot during this time. In 1840, they lived in Monroe, Indiana. By 1844, they were in Holt County, Missouri. Then they seem to have gone back to Indiana by 1854. The 1860 census had them listed in two places: Walker, Kansas, and Lexington, Missouri. 

Two 1860 census listings for Mary's family. Top is in Walker, Kansas and bottom is in Lexington, Missouri.

Mary’s husband Jackson was a farmer, but by 1860, he was deaf, and he may have lost his hearing much earlier. Certainly this was a challenge for him in his everyday life, and probably for Mary as well. Another challenge for the family was that the Civil War caused much violence all around where they lived. The border between Kansas and Missouri was overrun by gangs of men who were for and against the Confederacy, and violence often broke out between them. Mary’s two oldest daughters each married men who served in the Union Army, but luckily none of her sons were old enough to fight in the war.

After the Civil War, the Sutherlins continued to move back and forth between Kansas and Missouri. In 1865, they were in Johnson, Kansas, and in 1870, they were in Jackson County, Missouri. Mary's daughter Elizabeth died in 1869, leaving Mary to raise her young son, Tom Carey. Then tragedy struck in 1878 when Jackson was killed by a train; it was said that he walked too close to the tracks, and because he was deaf, he didn’t hear the train coming. The following year, Mary moved in with her son James and his family in Everett, Kansas.

By 1892, Mary had moved to Parsons, Kansas along with grandson Tom, now age 28. They lived in Parsons until 1895 when they both moved to the town of Coffeyville, in the next county over. The Kansas State Census that year had listings for the two of them in both towns; in Parsons, she was the head of the household, but in Coffeyville, Tom was listed as the head. He got married later that year.

Sometime after 1900, Mary moved to Grady County, Oklahoma to be near her son James and his family. She died there on March 31, 1907 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Minco under a marker that says "Grandma."

Mary's grave in Evergreen Cemetery. (source: Find-a-Grave)

DNA Evidence of Mary Fleming’s Heritage
There is no paper trail leading from Mary Fleming to her parents, but some circumstantial and DNA evidence has unveiled the truth about who some of her family was. My research began when I found that I share DNA with 22 descendants of a couple who lived in Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois, Eli Hand (1779-1857) and Jane Fleming (~1783-1854). Census data told me that Jane Fleming was originally from Virginia, and this fit with Mary’s paternal heritage. But what was more interesting was that I found other DNA matches who were of descendants of Eli Hand’s brother George (1789-1845), and the Hand family was originally from New Jersey. I also had numerous matches with descendants of two other men named Hand, Aaron (1760s-1839) and Jeremiah (1772-1851). By plotting the DNA that all of these matches shared with me, I determined that they were very likely brothers of Eli and George.

Using tools of genetic genealogy, I was able to conclude that Mary’s mother was a sister of Eli Hand, and Mary’s father was very likely a brother of Jane Fleming. Unfortunately the records of these people are spotty, and Mary’s parents’ first names may never be proven, but Jane Fleming was known to have a brother named James, and a research note written by one of Eli and Jane’s descendants said that Eli had a sister named Nancy. Besides the shared DNA I have with descendants of this couple, the 1840 census showed one of Eli and Jane’s sons living in Parke County on a farm next to two adult children of Mary’s brother James. This is unlikely to be a coincidence.

My DNA shows something else worth noting. One long segment has been identified by 23andMe as being from Finland, and most of my matches who were Hand descendants share DNA on this segment. Why is this significant? Because Eli Hand’s mother, a native of New Jersey, was said to be “a Swede.” Colonial New Jersey had a small population who descended from the 17th century colony of New Sweden, many of whom were actually Finns. This is the only logical source of my Finland DNA.

Eli Hand’s father was a man named John or Jesse Hand, who was said to have brought his family to Kentucky sometime in the 1780s. His heritage traced back several generations in Essex County, New Jersey. The Hand family had migrated there from East Hampton, Long Island, and before that, they were part of the Great Migration of Puritans to New England. John/Jesse Hand was said to be closely related to Phebe Hand (1767-1854), the mother of Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877). Incredibly, if this was true, Mary Fleming was the second cousin of the richest man in America.

As for Mary’s father, assuming that Jane Fleming was from the same Fleming family (and my DNA suggests this), this may be Mary’s most interesting heritage of all. According to family stories among Jane’s descendants, the family was of Virginia’s elite class (Jane’s father was said to have broken away to live on the frontier). And one line had two very important ancestors: John Rolfe and Pocahontas. The lineage could be true because there is a line all the way down to a Fleming family among Virginia’s 18th century elites, but it’s likely impossible to connect Jane to them because there’s no known documentation.

Children:
1. Sarah Ann Sutherlin — B. 16 Feb 1840, (probably) Putnam County, Indiana; D. 26 Jan 1901, Payne County, Oklahoma; M. Thomas Jefferson Nail (1833-1902), 3 Oct 1859, Westport, Missouri

2. Elizabeth C. Sutherlin — B. about 1844, Missouri; D. about 1869, Kansas; M. (1) Simon C. Carey (~1844-1865), 24 Dec 1863, Ray County, Missouri; (2) James Hiram Hampton (~1834-1893), 13 Aug 1868, Allen County, Kansas

3. Susan Sutherlin — B. about 1846, Missouri; D. (probably) young

4. Catherine Sutherlin — B. about 1848, Missouri; D. (probably) young

5. Andrew Jackson Sutherlin — B. about 1852, Missouri

6. James Madison Sutherlin — B. 22 Apr 1854, Indiana; D. 18 Jan 1948, Grady County, Oklahoma; M. Sarah Margaret Smith (1861-1933), about 1877

7. William M. Sutherlin — B. Sep 1859, Missouri

Sources:
Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007
1840, 1850, 1860 and 1880 U.S. Census records
1865 and 1895 Kansas State Census
Find-A-Grave
Rootsweb message boards: Carey, Sutherlin
"Grandma Sutherlin Dead,"The Minco Minstrel, 5 Aug 1907

Trading Beads for Furs in Detroit — Vital Caron

B. 14 May 1700 in Montreal, New France
M. 20 Jul 1735 in Detroit, New France
Wife: Marie-Madeleine Pruneau
D. 18 Apr 1747 in Detroit, New France

During the first few decades of the 18th century, what would one day be the city of Detroit was a thriving French trading post. Typical of the men who lived there was Vital Caron, who made a living as a merchant. 

Vital was born on May 14, 1700 in Montreal to Vital Caron and Marie-Louise Perthuis, the second of their eight children. When he was about 3-years-old, the family moved to Lachine. Vital’s father was a sea captain running ships on the Great Lakes, and he likely spent a lot of time away from home. 

Vital's baptismal record.

Lachine was a home base for those in the fur trade, so it was natural for Vital to get involved in that business. On May 16, 1727, his uncle, Claude Caron, hired him for an expedition to Michilimackinac, a trading outpost at the place where Lake Huron joins Lake Michigan. Vital was paid 190 livres under the terms of his contract; the expedition was for less than a year, which probably meant he returned by late fall. It’s likely that Vital signed up for several fur trading trips during this part of his life.

Eventually, Vital decided to stay in the west, and by 1735, he settled at Detroit. In about 1735, Vital married Marie-Madeleine Pruneau, the widow of a man who died of small pox. During the next eleven years, the couple had seven children, of which four died young.

Based on the account book of the local Catholic mission, which operated a supply store, Vital was actively involved in fur trading. He was shown to be purchasing such things as glass beads and vermillion (a mercury-based pigment), which were items to be traded with the Indians for beaver pelts. In one curious 1745 ledger entry from 1745, he owed money for “5 chemises de femme,” which were women’s dress-like undergarments. Presumably they were for his wife and not for his trading business.

A couple of places in the priest’s ledger referred to money Vital owed for a number of masses. The French believed that a mass said for a specific purpose could have a positive effect on something in their lives. Usually the mass was in honor of someone who had just died; other times it was for the recovery of a sick loved one, or for the success of a business venture. At one point Vital owed the church for 20 masses; it’s not known why he asked for them.  

In 1746, Vital purchased some land and a house from the church for 100 pistoles. It was a plot that was 2 arpents of frontage on the Detroit River, and 40 arpents deep. The site of the land is in present-day downtown Detroit at about where 5th Street runs; the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino is on this land today. It was noted that the payment would be due in May 1747, however, Vital never paid because he died on April 18th of that year. His wife took on the burden of the debt, repaying it over the next few years. She seems to have died by 1755.

MGM Grand Hotel in Detroit on land originally owned by Vital.

Children:
1. Vital Caron — B. 23 May 1736, Detroit, New France; D. young

2. Marie-Catherine Caron — B. 10 Apr 1738, Detroit, New France; M. Antoine Bordeleau (1730-1793), 29 Jan 1758, Post Vincennes, New France

3. Alexis Caron — B. 30 Jan 1740, Detroit, New France; D. 4 Feb 1740, Detroit, New France

4. Marie-Louise Caron — B. 14 Feb 1741, Detroit, New France; M. Antoine Robert Lefebvre (1729-?), 25 Jan 1757, Post Vincennes, New France

5. Zacharias Caron — B. 25 Nov 1742, Detroit, New France; D. young

6. Pierre Caron — B. 21 Oct 1744, Detroit, New France; D. 27 Oct 1744, Detroit, New France

7. Jean-Baptiste Caron — B. 8 Jun 1746, Detroit, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit River Region, 1701-1936, Christian Dennison, 1987
Account Book of the Huron Mission at Detroit and Sandwich (1740-1781), Pierre-Philippe Poiter
Indiana Church Marriages, 1780-1993, FamilySearch.org
Online Database of Voyageur Contracts

Slaughtered in his Home By Iroquois — Jean Michel

B. about 1640 in La Rochelle, France
M. (1) unknown date and place
Wife: Marie Richard
M. (2) 25 Nov 1670 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie Marchesseau
D. 5 Aug 1689 in Lachine, New France

For some American colonists during the 17th century, they were caught in the crosshairs of Indigenous aggression. Such was the case for Jean Michel, who was a victim in the event known as the Lachine Massacre.

Jean was born in about 1640 in La Rochelle, France to Louis Michel and Nicole Revon. Nothing is known about his childhood, or how he came to live in New France.

At an unknown time and place, Jean married a woman named Marie Richard, who died before November 25, 1670. On that date, Jean took a second wife at Notre-Dame in Quebec City. She was Marie Marchesseau, the widow of a man who died a month earlier; Marie had a young baby boy that she brought into the marriage.

Jean's family settled in Quebec City where they had three sons together, one of whom died young. Then they moved to Montreal, and had a baby girl born in June of 1677. By September 7th, they lived further to the west in the outpost of Fort Frontenac. Jean was listed on a census as a soldier at the fort, but also as a habitant with his wife and children; there was only one other family living there at the time. Marie gave birth to their final child, a daughter, in 1680.

By 1681, Jean had moved his family to Lachine, back in the Montreal area. The census that year reported that he had 12 arpents of land. Presumably, he was still living on his farm during the terrible events of 1689. On August 5th, in the hours before dawn, over 1,000 Iroquois warriors crossed the St. Lawrence river in a rainstorm. As the sun came up and the settlers were still asleep, the warriors broke windows and doors to enter houses, and they violently attacked the families who lived there. Jean was likely the first one killed in his family, followed by his step-son and his oldest son Pierre. Jean’s home was was burned by the Indians, as were most of the houses in Lachine.

It’s believed that Jean’s wife and two daughters were made captives after they witnessed the men in the family slaughtered. Over 100 people in Lachine were either killed on the spot or hauled away as captives. Many of the prisoners were taken to another site where they were tortured and executed; a few survived, including Jean’s two young daughters, but his wife Marie never returned and was presumed to be a fatality of the massacre.

The settlement of Lachine was devastated, but within a few years, it was rebuilt. Five years later, the bodies of Jean, his son and step-son were found in the ruins of their house. They were taken to the cemetery in Lachine and buried there. Jean was the ancestor of Dan Aykroyd and Rudy Vallée.

Monument for victims of Lachine Massacre.

Children (all by Marie Marchesseau):
1. Pierre Michel — B. 23 Sep 1672, Quebec City, New France; D. 5 Aug 1689, Lachine, New France

2. François Michel — B. 20 Feb 1674, Quebec City, New France

3. Guillaume Michel — B. 29 Mar 1676, Quebec City, New France; D. 1 Aug 1676, Quebec City, New France

4. Marie-Renée Michel — B. 18 Jun 1677, Montreal, New France; D. 19 Nov 1750, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France; M. Pierre Sauvé dit LaPlante (~1652-1737), 27 Feb 1696, Lachine, New France

5. Marie-Madeleine Michel — B. 1680, (probably) Fort Frontenac, New France; D. 24 Mar 1745, Montreal, New France; M. (1) Jacques Leduc (1675-1703), 3 Jul 1703, Montreal, New France; (2) Geoffrey Lefebvre (1677-1767), 3 Jun 1704, Montreal, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org

Le Fort de Frontenac, 1668-1678, Benjamin Sulte, 1901

Le vieux Lachine et le massacre du 5 août 1689, Désiré Girouard, 1889
Genealogy of Quebec and French America (website)
A Drifting Cowboy (website)
Find A Grave

In Trouble With the Law — Joseph Marion Edeline

B. 28 Aug 1774 in Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
M. (1) 18 Feb 1799 in Vincennes, Northwest Territory
Wife: Genevieve Renaud dit Deslauriers
M. (2) 22 Feb 1819 in Vincennes, Indiana
Wife: Cecile Delisle
D. 16 Mar 1819 in Vincennes, Indiana

Among the French who lived in Vincennes, Indiana after the Americans took over, were some who didn't seem to want to live by the law. One was Joseph-Marion Edeline, who was charged with several crimes. 

Born on August 28, 1774 to Louis Victor Edeline and Marie-Joseph Thomas, Joseph was baptized at St. Francis Xavier Church in Vincennes, Indiana. He had ten siblings, of which three died young. Joseph was only 4-years-old when George Rogers Clark led American forces in capturing Vincennes; his father was serving as a captain in the army at the time. As he grew up, he saw his father take a leadership role as one of three judges appointed in town. Louis Edeline was one of the few French settlers who was literate, but this wasn’t passed on to his son Joseph who couldn’t sign his own name.

When Joseph was about 16-years-old, he served in the militia in Vincennes, and for this he was granted 100 acres of land by the new American government. He sold this land to a non-French settler by 1806, a common thing among Creole people needing money for living expenses. On February 18, 1799, Joseph married 19-year-old Genevieve Renaud dit Deslauriers. She gave birth to their first child by the end of the year; the couple had eight more children by 1817.

Joseph was in his 30s when he turned up in several court cases in Vincennes. In 1804, he was accused of mutilating a cow belonging to Antoine Bordeleau, which was valued at $18. The incident was described as Joseph trespassing on Bordeleau’s farm, capturing the cow, and cutting off its ears. The case was dismissed “at the defendant’s expense” probably meaning it was settled out of court because he was guilty. It isn’t known what motivated Joseph to cut off a cow’s ears. Antoine Bordeleau was likely a cousin of his wife because her grandfather had the same name.

1804 court record of Bordeleau vs. Edeline.

The following year, Joseph was sued in another case by a man named Pierre Grimard. This time, he was accused of breaking an agreement to build a fence for a house and property he had occupied for a year, and not leaving it in a good condition. The damages asked for by the plaintiff were $200, which was a lot of money in 1806. This case was also settled before coming to trial.

Then in December 1811, he was charged with a serious crime, that of assaulting a woman. Details of the incident are sketchy in the court records. Her name was Margrette Cardinal, who was described as a spinster, although in one place the record mentions a husband François Cardinal. It was said that Joseph had used “force and arms” upon her and that he “did beat, wound and ill treat [her] so that her life was greatly despaired of." It’s unclear what relationship Joseph might have had with Margrette, but his brother-in-law was named Jacques Cardinal, and she may have been a member of his family. Joseph was tried before a jury and they found him not guilty.

One more court case involved Joseph, this time for the estate of his father. It had been almost ten years since Louis Edeline had died in 1799 and the division of his property had still not been settled. At the time of his death, there had been five living children and a sixth who was deceased, but left behind children (Joseph’s mother had died before his father and so was not an heir). The land consisted of three plots: two that were farmland outside of Vincennes and one that was a tiny lot with an old house on it.

Partial ownership of the land was a useless title, so Joseph tried to buy out the others, which he was able to do from his brothers Pierre and Alexis. His sister Barbe had received her share of the estate during her father’s lifetime, so wasn’t claiming any of the land. The other two shares belonged to his brother Nicholas and the two children of his deceased sister Josephine. Nicholas was said to be “out of the country,” and the guardian of the two children wouldn’t sell their share to Joseph. This man was none other than the governor of the Indiana Territory, and future president of the United States, William Henry Harrison. The court ruled that all of the land had to be auctioned and the money divided into five shares. The total sale was a little under $200, and when the court costs and other fees were subtracted, it was $172.50. Joseph ended up with $103.50 as his inheritance.

Joseph’s wife died in about 1818 and he remarried to Cecile Delisle on February 22, 1819. Their marriage was a short one because Joseph passed away less than a month later on March 16th.

Children (all by Genevieve Renaud dit Deslauriers):
1. Louis Edeline — B. 5 Dec 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; D. 2 Oct 1802, Vincennes, Indiana Territory

2. Jean-Baptiste Edeline — B. 25 Jan 1802, Vincennes, Indiana Territory; D. Mar 1849, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Isabelle Hunter (~1803-1872), 11 Jun 1826, Vincennes, Indiana

3. Joseph Edeline — B. 16 Jan 1804, Vincennes, Indiana Territory

4. Genevieve Edeline — B. 14 Aug 1806, Vincennes, Indiana Territory; D. 22 Mar 1864, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Jean-Baptiste Grimard (1806-1839), 7 May 1837, Vincennes, Indiana

5. Victoire Edeline — B. 17 Sep 1807, Vincennes, Indiana Territory

6. Marie-Louise Edeline — B. 23 Aug 1810, Vincennes, Indiana Territory

7. Françoise Edeline — B. 7 Jan 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory; D. 27 Dec 1832, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Pierre Godere (~1813-?)

8. Samuel Edeline — B. 2 Mar 1815, Vincennes, Indiana Territory

9. Julie Edeline — B. 30 Apr 1817, Vincennes, Indiana

Sources:
“My Ancestry & their descendants plus misc research,” Denis Paul Edeline, RootsWeb.Ancestry.com
History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana, 1886
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Baptisms 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Marriages and Deaths 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
Wabash Valley Visions & Voices Memory Project, visions.indstate.edu
American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, Part 8, Volume 7, 1860

Migrating Twice to America — Hugues Picard dit Lafortune

B. 1627 in St-Colomban, Nantes, France
M. 30 Jun 1660 in Montreal, New France
Wife: Anne-Antoinette De Liercourt
D. 22 Dec 1707 in Montreal, New France

People who came to New France during the 17th century sometimes went back to Europe after they saw how rough life was. But Hugues Picard dit Lafortune weighed his options after returning home, and opted to give Canada another chance. 

Hugues was born in St-Colomban, a village in Nantes, France in 1627 to Gabriel Picard and Michelle Clavier. Nothing is known of Hugues’ early years except that he must have acquired the skill of sawing logs into planks; it’s likely he did this as an apprenticeship. 

17th-century sawyers.

In 1653, Hugues was among 100 men recruited to help populate the New France settlement of Ville Marie, later known as Montreal. The governor of Ville Marie, Paul Chomeday de Maisonneuve, came to western France looking to hire skilled artisans who were also rugged enough to live on the frontier. Hugues was enlisted as a sawyer, and was paid 75 livres per year; it was an important job because buildings were needed to expand the settlement and make it safer from the Iroquois, who were trying to drive the French away. After a difficult voyage, Hugues arrived at Ville Marie with the other recruits on November 16, 1653.

When three years were up, Hugues had satisfied his contract, and like many other men, he sailed home to France. But something in America must have appealed to him because in 1659, he agreed to a new contract and returned. This time he worked as a carpenter for the Sulpicians, an order of the Catholic Church which had recently established a mission in Montreal.

Hugues decided to put down roots there. On June 30, 1660, he got married in Montreal to Anne-Antoinette De Leircourt, the widow of a man who had drowned while fighting the Iroquois. The marriage contract was signed by Governor Maisonneuve among others. Anne-Antoinette had four children from her first marriage that joined his household. The following year, they had their first child together, and another four children were born by 1672.

Hugues spent the rest of his life in Montreal. In 1663, he served in the militia, and between 1668 and 1677, he was involved in several land transactions. By the 1690s, Montreal had become a launching point for fur trading in the Great Lakes area, and his sons Jacques and Gabriel signed up for expeditions as they came of age.

On December 22, 1707, Hugues died in Montreal; his wife Anne-Antoinette had passed away in September. He is remembered today on the Le Grande Recrue plaque in Montreal that honors all of the pioneers who made the trip in 1653. Hugues was the ancestor of Jim Carrey.

Children:
1. Michelle-Anne Picard — B. 6 Jul 1661, Montreal, New France; D. 15 Apr 1710, Montreal, New France; M. Mathieu Gervais (1646-1728), 31 Aug 1676, Montreal, New France

2. Marie-Anne Picard — B. 3 Nov 1663, Montreal, New France; D. 4 Feb 1697, Laprairie, New France; M. Charles Diel (1652-1725), 31 Aug 1676, Montreal, New France

3. Marie-Marguerite Picard — B. Feb 1666, Montreal, New France; D. 18 Jan 1727, Lachine, New France; M. Jean Paré (1653-1734), 20 Oct 1681, Montreal, New France

4. Jean-Gabriel Picard — B. 17 Jun 1669, Montreal, New France; D. 26 Mar 1723, Lachine, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Rapin, 9 Jan 1696, Lachine, New France

5. Jacques Picard — B. 27 Feb 1672, Montreal, New France; D. 22 Jan 1735, Longue-Pointe, New France; M. Marie-Anne Lefebvre, 28 Oct 1697, Montreal, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

WikiTree
Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve (Wikipedia article)
De l’esclavage en Canada, Jacques Viger, Sir Louis Hyppolyte LaFontaine, 1859
“17th Century Fur-Trade and Military-Expedition Families,” Diane Wolfe Sheppard, Michigan’s Habitant Heritage, Vol. 35, 2014

Charged With Beating his Wife — Thomas Dutton

B. 6 Oct 1621 in Dutton, England
M. (1) about 1647 in Massachusetts
Wife: Susannah ________
M. (2) 10 Nov 1684 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Ruth ________
D. 22 Jan 1687 in Billerica, Massachusetts

Not every Puritan in early New England lived a life of piety and virtue, as is evidenced by Thomas Dutton, whose neighbors once witnessed him beating his wife.

Thomas started out life in the village of Dutton, England when he was born there on October 6, 1621. His parents were John Dutton and Mary Neeld, and the family migrated to New England with the Winthrop fleet, settling in Reading.

In about 1647, Thomas married a woman named Susannah; her maiden name is unknown. Between 1648 and 1669, they had nine children. In 1659, they moved to Woburn, and it was there that one of Thomas' neighbors, John Carter, claimed he acted violently against Susannah. The incident began on September 29, 1661 when Carter’s two teenaged daughters said they saw Thomas attack Susannah with a stick. The girls said Thomas’ wife was holding a child as he hit her repeatedly, and she told him she feared he would kill the child. Carter’s wife Elizabeth and a servant both said they heard Susannah “crying out between the blows.” Meanwhile, the Duttons 10-year-old daughter Mary ran to the Carters house and hid there, afraid of her father.

The following morning, Carter along with another man went to Thomas’ house and confronted him. They could see Susannah had been crying because her eyes were swollen, but he seemed to deny being guilty of anything. Later that day, Susannah visited the Carters and she seemed terrorized, saying she could still feel his blows upon her arms.

Thomas was charged with assault and the case was presented in court that December. The Carters and their servant were the only witnesses against him because Susannah wouldn’t testify against her husband, claiming it never happened. Thomas had a document signed by 21 people from Reading saying that when he lived there, he was “tender and loving” to his wife and he displayed no evidence of violence against her. Another document signed by 11 people, presumably from Woburn, stated the same thing. Thomas also challenged the credibility of Carter’s servant by accusing him of being a drunkard. But the court decided that Thomas was guilty, and he was fined £5 for his crime.

Thomas' signature.

Thomas was involved in another strange case in 1668, when a man named Michael Bacon claimed he stole “a napkin and a spoon.” Presumably these were valuable items, because Thomas sued Bacon for slandering him. This time Thomas won his case and Bacon was fined £15. Again it was the men of Woburn who came to his defense by saying that he was an “industrious” man who would never steal anything.

In 1669, Thomas and his family moved to Billerica, and Susannah died there in 1684. He remarried within a few months, on November 10, 1684 to a widow named Ruth Hooper. Thomas died about two years later on January 22, 1687.

Children (all by Susannah):
1. Thomas Dutton — B. 14 Sep 1648, Reading, Massachusetts; M. (1) Rebecca Brabrook (1648-1721), 10 Jan 1679, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Sarah Converse (~1648-1738), Nov 1721

2. Mary Dutton — B. 14 Sep 1651, Reading, Massachusetts; D. 9 Jul 1678, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Jacob Hamlet (~1641-1703), 21 Dec 1669, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. Susannah Dutton — B. 22 Feb 1654, Reading, Massachusetts; D. Dec 1723, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) John Durrant (1650-1692), 16 Nov 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Justinian Holden (1644-1699), 6 Dec 1693, Woburn, Massachusetts

4. John Dutton — B. 2 Mar 1656, Reading, Massachusetts; D. 7 Apr 1735, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Shedd (1658-1721), 20 Sep 1681, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Ruth ?-1738), May 1721, Billerica, Massachusetts

5. Elizabeth Dutton — B. 28 Jan 1659, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 7 Apr 1698, Concord, Massachusetts; M. William Baker (1650-1702), 5 May 1681, Woburn, Massachusetts

6. Joseph Dutton — B. 25 Jan 1661, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 24 Jan 1734, Haddam, Connecticut; M. (1) Rebecca Merriam (1662-1693), 19 Aug 1685, Reading, Massachusetts; (2) Mary Cutler (1663-1744), 7 Dec 1693, Charlestown, Massachusetts

7. Sarah Dutton — B. 5 Mar 1662, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. about 1757, Malden, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Lewis (1641-1698), 1683, Charlestown, Massachusetts

8. James Dutton — B. 22 Aug 1665, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jul 1755, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

9. Benjamin Dutton — B. 19 Feb 1669, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 11 Feb 1693

Sources:
Sex in Middlesex: Popular Mores in a Massachusetts County, 1649-1699, Roger Thompson, 1989
Find A Grave
WikiTree

Builder in Early New France — Paul Chalifour

B. 26 Dec 1612 in Périgny, France
M. (1) 10 Apr 1644 in La Rochelle, France
Wife: Marie Jeannet
M. (2) 28 Sep 1648 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Jacquette Archambault
D. 13 Oct 1680 in Quebec City, New France

The settling of America by Europeans during the 17th century required people of many skills. One was the ability to construct buildings, and Paul Chalifour made use of his talents to help build a colony.

Paul was born on December 26, 1612 in Périgny, France, which bordered La Rochelle. His parents were Paul-Mathurin Chalifour (also spelled Chalifou) and Marie Gabourit, but nothing else is known of Paul's family except for that his parents had him baptized in the Calvinist church. 

Record of Paul's baptism in 1612.

At some point, Paul learned the trade of building construction, and it’s likely that he got well-experienced at it. On April 10, 1644, he married a woman named Marie Jeannet in La Rochelle. In order to get married, he renounced his Protestant religion on the day of the wedding so he could become a Catholic. The young couple had a daughter born the following year, but within a couple of years, both his wife and his child died.

Then something happened to Paul that had him thrown in prison. Exact details of the charges against him have been lost to history, but from the surviving documents the case seems to have had something to do with money because the trial involved the mint. Curiously, soon after Paul was released from prison, he left for New France to begin a new life. The exact dates of his trip, and the name of the ship that brought him are missing from the records. His arrival in New France must have been before September 15th, though, because he and a friend were hired that day to build a house and a barn on the Ile d’Orleans. For their work, the two men were paid 800 livres and 20 pots of brandy to divide between them. 

At age 35, Paul decided to find a new bride, and on September 28, 1644, he married, Jacquette Archambault, the 16-year-old daughter of a Quebec City settler. Jacquette’s 12-year-old sister was married to another man on the same day, so it was a double ceremony. Paul and Jacquette had fourteen children together, born between 1649 and 1673, only one of whom died as an infant. In 1652, Paul built a house for his family on a grant of land he received in a section near Quebec City called La Canardiere. The property had 3 arpents of river frontage and was 40 arpents deep.

Paul had many construction contracts that have survived in the records, and they show that he specialized in the framework for buildings. In 1649, he worked on a windmill for Jacques LaNeuf for a payment of 1,000 livres, two barrels of flour and a barrel of lard. A few years later, in 1653, he made the frame for a building that was 20’ x 18’. The following year he did the same for two houses on some settlers’ properties. In another project that year, he constructed a cellar for a house. The success of his work is evident in that he hired an apprentice to work with him.

Example of the type of houses built in New France.

Constructing buildings wasn’t the only occupation Paul had; he dabbled for a time in eel fishing. He also maintained a farm, reporting in the 1666 census that he had 14 arpents under cultivation. He continued into the 1660s and 1670s as a carpenter, and he constructed the framework on at least two more windmills.

Among Paul's fourteen children, the first seven were all daughters, which meant they would each need a husband. In New France, girls often got married in their teens to older men, and the first of the seven girls was barely 13-years-old when she married. The pattern continued with the other six girls each marrying before they were 17. How much of a hand Paul had in finding husbands for his daughters isn’t known, but given the girls’ ages, it’s very likely they were all arranged marriages.

Paul made out his will on December 15, 1678, leaving half of his property to his wife and the other half to be split among his surviving children. He died on October 13, 1680. Jacquette lived another 25 years, passing away in December 1705. Paul was the ancestor of Jack Kerouac, Jim Carrey, Nathan Fillion, Bridget Fonda, Dan Aykroyd, Adrienne Barbeau and Kelsey Grammer. 

Children by Marie Jeannet:
1. Marie Chalifour — B. about Jun 1645, La Rochelle, France; D. (probably) young

Children by Jacquette Archambault:
1. Marie Chalifour — B. about Oct 1649, Quebec City, New France; D. 12 Oct 1663, Quebec City, New France; M. Joachim Martin (~1636-1690), 5 Nov 1662, Quebec City, New France

2. Marguerite Chalifour — B. 23 Apr 1652, Quebec City, New France; D. 28 Dec 1705, Quebec City, New France; M. Jean Badeau (1636-1711), 28 Oct 1665, Quebec City, New France

3. Jeanne Chalifour — B. 22 Feb 1654, Quebec City, New France; D. 1682, Trois-Riviéres, New France; M. François Bibaut (1642-1708), 17 Aug 1671, Quebec City, New France

4. Simone Chalifour — B. 18 Oct 1655, Quebec City, New France; D. 26 Oct 1695, Quebec City, New France; M. Julien Brosseau (1640-1713), 28 Oct 1668, Quebec City, New France

5. Françoise Chalifour — B. 4 Dec 1657, Quebec City, New France; D. 5 Jul 1697, St-Pierre, New France; M. Jacques Nolin (1641-1729), 18 Nov 1671, Quebec City, New France

6. Jeanne-Anne Chalifour — B. 25 Sep 1659, Quebec City, New France; D. 18 Jan 1703, Quebec City, New France; M. Germain Langlois (1642-1749), 14 Jul 1675, Quebec City, New France

7. Marie-Louise Chalifour — B. 3 Sep 1661, Quebec City, New France; D. 29 May 1735, Quebec City, New France; M. Joseph Vandendaigue (1653-1725), 18 Apr 1678, Quebec City, New France

8. Paul-François Chalifour — B. 13 May 1663, Quebec City, New France; D. 29 May 1718, Quebec City, New France; (1) Catherine Huppe (1668-1685), 22 Jan 1685, Quebec City, New France; (2) Marie-Jeanne Phileau (1665-1708), 28 Nov 1686, Beauport, New France; (3) Marie-Madeleine Brassard (1676-1752), 4 May 1711, Quebec City, New France

9. Marie-Madeleine Chalifour — B. 24 Mar 1665, Quebec City, New France; D. 2 May 1682, Quebec City, New France

10. Etienne Chalifour — B. 21 Mar 1667, Quebec City, New France; D. 10 Nov 1687, Quebec City, New France; M. Claudine Bourbeau (1671-1688), 29 Oct 1687, Charlesbourg, New France

11. Pierre Chalifour — B. 12 Dec 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. 25 Mar 1715, Charlesbourg, New France; M. Anne Mignier (1672-1743), 17 Oct 1689, Charlesbourg, New France

12. Anne Chalifour — B. 15 Apr 1670, Quebec City, New France; D. 13 Dec 1730, Beauport, New France; M. (1) Jean Normand (1661-1691), 6 Jun 1686, Quebec City, New France; (2) Jean Delage (1667-1724), 7 Feb 1692, Beauport, New France

13. Jean-Baptiste Chalifour — B. 9 Jan 1672, Quebec City, New France; D. 25 May 1672, Quebec City, New France;

14. Claude Chalifour — B. 30 Jan 1673, Quebec City, New France; D. Feb 1723, Quebec City, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990

“L’emprisonnement de Paul Cahlifou (1612-c1678) en 1647 à La Rochelle,” Guy Perron, blog  

Find-a-Grave.com

Noblewoman Turned Puritan — Elizabeth St. John

B. about Jan 1605 in Keysoe, England
M. 6 Aug 1629 in Boston, England
Husband: Samuel Whiting
D. 3 Mar 1677 in Lynn, Massachusetts

During the 17th century in England, in places north and east of London, Puritanism thrived among all classes of people. For those who moved to America in the 1630s, their social status didn’t weigh into the decision to leave. This is how a noblewoman named Elizabeth St. John wound up migrating to Massachusetts.

Elizabeth was born in about January 1605 in Keysoe, England, a village in Bedfordshire. Her father, Oliver St. John, was a from a titled family who traced back to Henry I of England. Her mother, Sarah Bulkeley, was the daughter of a minister with Puritan beliefs; she died when Elizabeth was only six years old. Elizabeth had two brothers.

Because of her family’s status, Elizabeth received a good education and developed a life-long love of books. This was during a time when few girls were educated at all. She was said to be known for “her beauty, her dignity, and her commanding presence.” She remained unmarried until she was 24-years-old, when she found a husband in a widower named Samuel Whiting. Their wedding took place in Boston, England on August 6, 1629. 

Church of St Nicholas, Skirbeck. (source: Tim Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) 

Like Elizabeth’s grandfather, Samuel was a minister with Puritan beliefs. At the time of their marriage, he had a rectorship at Skirbeck, a town near Boston, but got into trouble because of he refused to give up his non-conformist views. Elizabeth gave birth to their first child in 1633. A couple of years later, Samuel sold their property, and the family, which included a daughter from his first marriage, moved to New England.

After arriving in Massachusetts on May 26, 1636, the Whitings settled in the town of Saugus. Samuel was installed as minister and the town was renamed Lynn in honor of Kings Lynn, a place Elizabeth’s husband had preached in England. Elizabeth had another child in 1637, and two more by 1645. They were said to have had two other children who died young.

Samuel and Elizabeth’s home in Lynn was across the road from the meetinghouse, and was noted for its gardens, which produced a variety of fruit and vegetables. Along with caring for her home and children, Elizabeth also had the duties of a minister’s wife. She was said to have helped her husband with his writings and held classes for young girls who lived in the community. Also, she and her husband took in an Indian girl who became part of the family for a time during the 1640s.

Back in England, Elizabeth’s brother Oliver became a prominent figure. He was a lawyer who married into Oliver Cromwell’s family, served in the House of Commons, then sided with the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War. In 1648, he was made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, the second highest court in England. He lost his position in 1660 when the crown was restored to power.

Elizabeth's brother Oliver St. John.

Elizabeth’s three sons all became ministers in New England, and her daughter married a minister. On March 3, 1677, Elizabeth died at their home in Lynn. Her husband lived a couple more years, passing away in 1679. Elizabeth was an ancestor of Calvin Coolidge, Bette Davis and John Kerry among other famous relations.

Children:
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
Oliver St. John (Wikipedia article)
Find A Grave

The Creole Way of Life — Louis Favel Ravellette

B. about 1758 in Detroit, New France
M. 2 Aug 1784 in Vincennes, Virginia Territory
Wife: Françoise Agnes Godere
D. 1835 in Vincennes, Indiana

At the point in time of the English takeover of Canada, the waterways south of the Great Lakes were dotted with remote French outposts. This is where Louis Favel Ravellette spent his entire life, seeing a transition as others eventually moved in.

Louis was born in the Detroit River area to Jean-Baptiste Ravellette and Rosalie Marie-Françoise Fauvel; his parents got married in September 1758, but he may have been born before their wedding. Louis had at least one brother and four sisters. The family moved to Vincennes by 1767, where two of Louis’ sisters were born.

England took control of New France during Louis' childhood, then as he came of age, the American Revolution began. In 1778, French men living in Vincennes, including Louis, pledged an oath of allegiance to support their cause. The following year, George Rogers Clark fought a victorious battle to take Vincennes from the English, and did so with the help of the French inhabitants. It’s likely that Louis, at about age 20, was one of those who joined in.

Louis' mark on the Vincennes Oath of Allegiance.

In the spring of 1783, Louis got involved with a 16-year-old girl named Françoise-Agnes Godere, and she became pregnant. To make things right, Louis agreed to a contract where he promised to marry her. On a document dated September 1, 1783, he committed to having 150 livres paid from his estate if he died before the wedding took place. Their baby was born in January, a girl they named Marguerite, and on August 2, 1784, Louis married Françoise-Agnes at St. Francis Xavier church in Vincennes. The couple went on to have 11 more children over the next 20 years.

Louis was part of a French Creole culture that was vastly different from that of the Americans who were moving into Vincennes. French farmers kept their cattle on common land, a system that had to be abandoned under the Americans. They didn't live on their farms, but instead had their houses clustered together with their neighbors in town; Louis' house in 1790 was on a lot that was little more than 1,000 square feet. Living in close proximity to each other, families sought to balance farming with enjoying a lively social life.

Creole culture in 18th-century Illinois and Indiana.

With the rush of new settlers moving to the Vincennes area seeking to buy land, the new American government needed to verify the French settlers’ ancient claims to their property. It was a process that dragged out for years. Louis had two land claims rejected, one for 400 acres and one for 68 acres. A claim that he had for 136 acres was validated, so Louis did end up with some land, but it was too much work to clear much of it, and he sold it off within a few years. For the French settlers, this period began a downward spiral, where they found themselves selling off acres to pay living expenses, and it wasn’t long before their tracts of land shrunk to small amounts.

Louis died in 1835, and by that time, the French settlers of Vincennes were in the minority. With few exceptions, non-French people formed the leadership and society of Vincennes. It was a sad outcome for the people who were the earliest settlers of the town.

Children:
1. Marguerite Ravellette — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory; M. Jean Mominy, 16 Aug 1802, Vincennes, Indiana

2. Louis Ravellette — B. 20 Feb 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory; M. Helene Campeau, 1 Oct 1810, Vincennes, Indiana

3. Pierre Ravellette — B. 24 Jan 1788, Vincennes, Northwest Territory

4. Antoine Ravellette — B. about Oct 1790, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; M. Adelaide Cabassier, 6 Jul 1818, Vincennes, Indiana

5. François Ravellette — B. 9 Nov 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; D. 7 Dec 1857, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Elizabeth Turpin (1798-1835)

6. Andre Ravellette — B. 4 Feb 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; D. 17 Oct 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory

7. Françoise Ravellette — B. 19 Aug 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; François Bono, 16 May 1816, Vincennes, Indiana

8. Marie-Theotiste Ravellette — B. 19 Aug 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; M. Pierre Renaud dit Deslauriers, 12 Nov 1813, Vincennes, Indiana

9. Agnes Ravellette — B. 30 Sep 1797, Vincennes, Northwest Territory

10. Helene Ravellette — B. 25 Feb 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory

11. Marie-Amable Ravellette — B. 13 Jun 1802, Vincennes, Indiana Territory; M. Pierre Meteyer, 2 Oct 1820, Vincennes, Indiana

12. Elizabeth Ravellette — B. 26 Mar 1804, Vincennes, Indiana Territory; M. Pierre Cabassier, 24 Jul 1820, Vincennes, Indiana

Sources:
History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana, 1886
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Baptisms 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Marriages and Deaths 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
Indiana: A Redemption from Slavery, Jacob Piatt Dunn, 1888
American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, Part 8, Volume 7, 1860

A Quebec Farming Heritage — Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie

B. (probably) 21 Jul 1781, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec
M. 19 Oct 1812 in St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec
Wife: Marie-Charlotte Dubois
D. 15 Jul 1846 in St-Norbert, Quebec

In a story common to many 19th-century French-Canadians, Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie’s ancestors had farmed in Quebec for generations. But he was the end of the line, as none of his six sons carried on that tradition when they came of age. 

Joseph was born to François-Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie and Marguerite Chouinard, probably on July 21, 1781 in St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec. His parents had been married there in 1779, and there are baptisms for their children, but none were named Joseph. There was a child, though, named Jean-Baptiste who matches Joseph’s estimated birth date, and no further mention of him appears in marriage or burial records in Quebec. So it’s very likely that Jean-Baptiste and Joseph were the same person.

Joseph didn't get married until he was about 30-years-old. His bride, Marie-Charlotte Dubois was only 15, and the wedding took place on October 19, 1812 in St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy. For a few years, Joseph had a farm in the same community where he was married. By 1822, the family moved to Arthabaska, but in 1825, the census showed them back in St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, living next to the households of Charlotte’s brother and uncle. The couple had a total of 12 children born between 1813 and 1838; only the first-born and the last-born children died young. 

1825 census showing Joseph fourth from the bottom on the page.

French-Canadians along the south shore of the St. Lawrence had made a living in agriculture for generations, in spite of the harsh climate. It was a hard life with practically no opportunity for upward mobility, not to mention the fact that the physical labor took a toll on people. Many began to seek new land, perhaps because the coast was being over-farmed. In about 1830, Joseph moved his family to a place near where he was born, in St-Jean, Dorchester County. The 1831 census indicated that he was the proprietor of a 60-acre farm, and he paid rent for it amounting to 3/8 of his earnings. His farm was under an antiquated tenant system where farmers leased their land from seigneurs (or landlords); within a generation, the system would be abolished. 

On 24 acres of his farm, Joseph produced 100 bushels of potatoes that year. While many of his neighbors grew wheat, oats and peas, potatoes were Joseph’s only crop. The farm also had 8 head of cattle, 2 horses and 4 pigs. Charlotte’s brother and uncle were living close to them just as they were in St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy. Joseph and his family are missing from records of the 1842 census, likely because the originals have been lost for many communities in Quebec.

Joseph died in St-Norbert on July 15, 1846 and was buried at the church cemetery there. His wife Charlotte passed away sometime before 1864. None of Joseph’s surviving sons remained in Quebec, with most of them ending up in the United States; if they became farmers, their land was far away from the fields their father had planted. 

Children:
1. Joseph LaBrie — B. 19 Sep 1813, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec; D. 19 Dec 1820, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec

2. Genevieve LaBrie — B. about 1815, Quebec; D. 15 Mar 1881, West St. Paul, Minnesota; M. Flavien Roberge (1813-1894), 8 Nov 1834, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec

3. Louis LaBrie — B. Nov 1818, Quebec; D. 22 Feb 1903, Minneapolis, Minnesota; M. Julie Fortier (1821-1904), 14 Sep 1841, Sylvestre, Quebec

4. Henriette LaBrie — B. 9 Sep 1822, Arthabaska, Quebec; M. Jean-Baptiste Boucher dit Morency (1819-1873), 27 Apr 1841, Sylvestre, Quebec

5. Jean-Baptiste LaBrie — B. 9 Sep 1822, Arthabaska, Quebec; D. 13 Jun 1905, Barron County, Wisconsin; M. Perpetue Demers (1827-1899), 27 Feb 1843, Blandford, Quebec

6. Marie-Marguerite LaBrie — B. about 8 Mar 1826, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec; D. about 1888; M. Olivier Demers (~1822-?), 12 Jan 1847, Arthabaska, Quebec

7. Francis LaBree — B. 15 Jan 1828, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec; D. 27 Dec 1909, Minneapolis, Minnesota; M. Eliza Furlong (1830-1912), 23 Jan 1854, St. Paul, Minnesota

8. Benjamin LaBrie — B. (possibly) 1831, Quebec; D. (possibly) 19 Feb 1907, Arthabaska, Quebec; M. Marie Vachon (~1833-~1896), 3 Nov 1864, Tlingwick, Quebec

9. Marie-Adelaide LaBrie — B. 15 May 1832, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec; D. 24 Apr 1915, Yreka, California; M. François Dassisi LeMay (1820-1880), 7 Feb 1853, Ramsey County, Minnesota

10. Edouard LaBrie — B. about 18 Jul 1834, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec; M. (1) Catherine Couture, 24 Sep 1860, Tlingwick, Quebec; (2) Josephine

11. Marie-Heloise LaBrie — B. about 16 Oct 1838, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec; D. Jul 1839, Quebec

Sources:
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
U.S Federal Census records, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 and 1900
1825 and 1831 Canada census records
Canada Census (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) 1906
Find-A-Grave
Seigneurial System, The Canadian Encyclopedia (website)