M. 2 Oct 1673 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Michel Prezeau
D. (probably) 5 Aug 1689, Lachine, New France
Marie Chansy almost certainly died in the 1689 massacre that happened in Lachine, New France, along with her husband and daughter. She was born in Auxerre, France on March 4, 1657 to Gaspard Chansy and Étiennette Frappe Métier. By the time Marie was 16, her mother had died, and she made the decision to sign up as a Fille du Roi, a prospective bride for a husband in New France. The program to recruit young French women had begun in 1663, and Marie was in the final group that migrated. Her ship, L’Espérance, sailed from La Rochelle on July 11, 1673, carrying between 50 and 60 women, and arrived at Quebec City on September 3rd.
It didn’t take long for Marie to find a husband in Michel Prezeau, a young man who had arrived from France a few years earlier. The wedding took place on October 2nd at Notre-Dame de Quebéc on the same day when two of her shipmates also had their marriages. After their weddings, each of them went their separate ways. The other two women had tragic stories. One bride had three infants who died within days of birth, then she died herself in 1678. The other married a husband who was frequently absent, causing her to turn to prostitution; she was later imprisoned and returned to France by 1680. These stories show what a risk the Filles du Roi took in choosing this life.
Marie and her husband Michel first settled in Montreal, then moved to Varennes, and finally Lachine by 1679. She gave birth to six children; two died as infants and one died at age 5. Michel was a farmer, and the family led a quiet, uneventful life. All of that changed on the morning of August 5, 1689.
The Lachine Massacre was one of the most brutal Iroquois attacks in French Canadian history. One morning, settlers were awoken from their sleep by a raging force of over 1,000 Indian warriors, breaking doors and windows to enter their houses. The men were dragged from bed and killed on the spot, likely while their helpless wives and children watched. Then the same was done to others in the family. Some of the women and children were taken captive, and killed later on. It’s not certain exactly what happened to Marie, but she and her husband didn’t survive the assault. Of their three girls, one was killed, but the other two escaped.
There was no burial for Marie or her husband. The Indians burned their house to the ground, making it impossible to recover any bodies, or even to confirm that they died there. The daughters who survived the massacre went on to marry, and carry on the bloodlines of Marie and Michel.
Children:
1. Pierre Prezeau — B. 1 Jul 1676, New France; D. 1681, (probably) Lachine, New France
2. Marie-Catherine Prezeau — B. 1 Apr 1679, Lachine, New France; D. 1 Sep 1763, Montreal, New France; M. Pierre Clement (~1670-1725), 19 Apr 1702, Montreal, New France
3. Marie-Marguerite Prezeau — B. 5 Sep 1681, Lachine, New France; D. 6 Mar 1757, Ste-Genevieve, Pierrefonds, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Gauthier (1674-1743)
4. Marie-Madeleine Prezeau — B. 12 Dec 1683, Lachine, New France; D. 28 Dec 1683, Lachine, New France
5. Madeleine Prezeau — B. 3 Mar 1685, Lachine, New France; D. (probably) 5 Aug 1689, Lachine, New France
6. Françoise Prezeau — B. 28 Jan 1688, Lachine, New France; D. 9 Feb 1688, Lachine, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Le vieux Lachine et le massacre du 5 août 1689, Désiré Girouard, 1889
L’autre Marie Morin: une femme abandonnée en Nouvelle-France, 1667-1748, Marcel Myre, 2004
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