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.
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.
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
Genealogy of Quebec and French America (website)
A Drifting Cowboy (website)
Find A Grave
