B. 15 Jan 1647 in Rouen, France
M. (1) 10 Nov 1667 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Mathieu Brunet dit LeTang
M. (2) about 1713 in New France
Husband: Yves Lucas dit St-Renaud
D. 29 Jul 1722 in Lachine, New France
The story of Marie Blanchard highlights the sacrifices women in France made when signing up for a new life in America. Marie was born in Rouen on January 15, 1647. Her parents were Jean Blanchard and Martine Lebas, but everything else about her origins is unknown.
At age 20, whatever her circumstances were, Marie agreed to marry a man in New France, becoming one of the Filles du Roi. On June 10, 1667, she boarded the ship Le St-Louis in Dieppe along with around 80 other women, and a number of men who were also emigrating. The women later reported that those running the ship didn't provide enough food, with only a small ration in the morning, and dinner being "a little biscuit." The ship arrived over three months later in Quebec, and 16 of the women had become sick.
Once in Quebec, Marie and the other Filles du Roi were courted by prospective husbands, and she soon found one who would marry her. His name was Mathieu Brunet dit LeTang, a young man who had arrived within the year, possibly on the same ship as Marie. Their marriage took place on November 10, 1667 in Quebec City. Married couples in New France were encouraged to have large families, and Marie gave birth to ten children between about 1668 and 1688.
In 1668, Marie and her husband settled near Trois-Rivières, in Champlain, and later in Cap-de-la-Madeleine. In 1673, Mathieu was sued in a dispute involving hitting a woman and injuring her, but it’s not clear if Marie was actually the one to blame; the matter was settled with the payment of a fine. Around this time, Mathieu became involved in fur trading, and by 1683, was organizing expeditions to the west. Not long after that, the family relocated to the Montreal area. For a time they lived in Lachine, but moved away before the terrible massacre of 1689. On November 4, 1687, they signed a farm lease for five years on the Saint-Pierre River in the town of Hautmesnil.
Marie’s husband was away on fur trading expeditions for long periods of time, sometimes for more than a year. This left her to manage the farm and see to it that her children were fed, without having a man around. For one of Mathieu’s journeys in 1683, he put it in his contract that Marie be provided with 600 livres while he was away. There’s evidence that her husband was still making trips out west as late as 1703, when he was almost 60-years-old.
On December 17, 1708, Marie became a widow when her husband died in Montreal. In about 1713, she married another man, Yves Lucas dit St-Renaud, but the record of their marriage is lost. Marie passed away in Lachine on July 29, 1722.
Children:
1. Michel Brunet dit LeTang — B. about 1668
2. Jeanne Brunet dit LeTang — B. about 1670; D. 1704; M. François Huart, 12 Apr 1684, Champlain, New France
3. Marie-Anne Brunet dit LeTang — B. about 1672; D. 6 Nov 1747, Pointe Claire, New France; M. (1) Antoine Pilon (~1664-1715), 10 Jan 1689, Montreal, New France; (2) Laurent Godin, 26 Jun 1719, Pointe Claire, New France
4. Jean Brunet dit LeTang — B. 3 Jan 1674, Cap-de-Madeleine, New France; D. Mar 1723, Pointe Claire, New France, M. Marie Perrier, 19 Oct 1694, Lachine, New France
5. Pierre Brunet dit LeTang — B. 13 Feb 1676, Cap-de-Madeleine, New France
6. Marie Brunet dit LeTang — B. 25 Oct 1677, Cap-de-Madeleine, New France; D. Jan 1756, Ste-Genevieve, Pierrefonds, New France; M. François Bigras dit Fauvel (1665-1731), 31 Aug 1693, Montreal, New France
7. Jacques Brunet dit LeTang — 30 Jul 1680, Champlain, New France; D. about Nov 1708, Montreal, New France; M. Jeanne Verray, 14 Nov 1701, Lachine, New France
8. Catherine Brunet dit LeTang — B. 5 Nov 1681, Champlain, New France; M. Honoré Danis (1669-1722), 15 Nov 1694, Lachine, New France
9. Marguerite Brunet dit LeTang — B. 19 Aug 1683, Champlain, New France; D. 3 Aug 1699, Lachine, New France
10. Mathieu Brunet dit LeTang — B. Sep 1688, Montreal, New France; D. Nov 1706, Montreal, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Navires venus en Nouvelle-France (website)
King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
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