M. 18 Nov 1669 in Château-Richer, New France
Wife: Martine Crosnier
D. after 20 Aug 1716 in St-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France
Philippe Destroismaisons was one of the many young men who was attracted to populate New France in the 1660s, making a life as a shoemaker and raising a large family. He had his beginnings in the village of Montreuil-sur-Mer, located in Picardie, France, born there on October 15, 1637. His parents were Adam Destroismaisons and Antoinette Leroux, and he was one of at least five children. Philippe’s curious surname “Destroismaisons” translates into “the three houses,” which was the name of a village in Picardie where Philippe’s grandfather had been born in the late 16th century. At one time, the village was known for its three houses, but the dwellings and the village are long gone.
Of Philippe’s early life, little is known. His father was a gunsmith who died before Philippe was 12-years-old. His mother had passed away as well, and it’s likely that Philippe was apprenticed at this time to learn the trade of cordonnier, or shoemaker. The job of shoemaker was that of a craftsman who made his product by hand, stitching pieces of leather over a form sized to the individual’s foot. Fashion in the 17th century meant that Philippe would have learned to make tall boots as well as shoes for his customers.
Cordonniers at work.
At some point as a young man, Phillipe saw the opportunity to migrate to New France. It isn’t known exactly when he arrived. By 1666, he was living in Beaupré, downriver from Quebec City, making shoes for the settlers. The following year, he had become a servant of Bertrand Chesnay de la Garenne in Château-Richer. Besides Chesnay and his family, his household had eight servants, and all were young men like Philippe. There were also 14 head of cattle, a substantial amount, and likely the hired men did farm labor for Chesnay.
In 1669, Philippe sought to start a family, and he arranged to marry one of the Filles du Roi who had arrived that year. His bride was Martine Crosnier, who brought a dowry of 200 livres plus an additional 50 livres as “the king’s gift.” The wedding took place in Château-Richer on November 18th. Their first child was born a year later, followed by 11 more, with the last born in 1691. Remarkably, only one of the children died young.
Philippe and his family lived in Château-Richer on a tract of land with 2 arpents of river frontage which he had purchased in 1670. He sold this land in 1679 and moved to Montmagny, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. The 1681 census showed him living there with his family, still working as a shoemaker as well as farming his land.
It isn’t known exactly when Philippe died, but he likely lived past the age of 80. He last appeared alive on a document dated August 20, 1716. Philippe was the ancestor of Madonna, Alex Trebek and Chloë Sevigny.
Children:
1. Angelique Destroismaisons — B. 26 Oct 1670, Château-Richer, New France; D. 26 Feb 1744, Montmagny, New France; M. (1) Alphonse Morin (1650-1711), 24 Nov 1692, Montmagny, New France; (2) Jean-François Langlois (1667-1715), 30 Apr 1714, Montmagny, New France
2. Marie Destroismaisons — B. 2 Jun 1672, Château-Richer, New France; D. 11 Feb 1757, Montmagny, New France; M. Jean Rousseau (~1662-1713), 22 Jun 1699, Montmagny, New France
3. Françoise Destroismaisons — B. 1 Jan 1674, Château-Richer, New France; D. 22 Jan 1715, Montmagny, New France; M. Charles Langelier (1670-1717), 2 Jun 1692, Château-Richer, New France
4. Marguerite Destroismaisons — B. 14 May 1675, Château-Richer, New France; D. 2 Apr 1703, Château-Richer, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Malboeuf (~1665-1733), 18 Feb 1692, Montmagny, New France
5. Philippe Destroismaisons — B. 9 May 1677, Château-Richer, New France; D. 6 Jan 1688, Montmagny, New France
6. François Destroismaisons — B. 22 Nov 1678, Château-Richer, New France; D. 29 May 1749, St-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France; M. Marie-Françoise Daniau dite Laprise (1676-1759), 3 Nov 1700, Montmagny, New France
7. Louise Destroismaisons — B. 3 Apr 1680, Montmagny, New France; D. 30 Jun 1755, St-François-du-Sud, New France; M. Jacques Daniau dit Laprise (1672-1751), 31 Aug 1702, Montmagny, New France
8. Genevieve Destroismaisons — B. 8 Jun 1682, Montmagny, New France; D. before Jan 1711, Montmagny, New France; M. Robert Vaillancourt (1678-1749), 28 Sep 1704, Montmagny, New France
9. Charles Destroismaisons — B. 22 May 1684, Montmagny, New France; D. 13 Apr 1750, Montmagny, New France; M. (1) Marie-Madeleine Blanchet (1676-?), 27 May 1709, Montmagny, New France; (2) Marie-Madeleine Boulay (1699-?), 30 Sep 1721, Montmagny, New France; (3) Marie-Anne Fontaine (1707-1783), before 1733, New France
10. Anne Destroismaisons — B. 20 Apr 1686, Montmagny, New France; D. 4 Apr 1721, Berthier-en-Bas, New France; M. Michel Chartier (1667-1750), 7 Jan 1704, Montmagny, New France
11. Jacques Destroismaisons — B. 2 Sep 1688, Montmagny, New France; D. 17 Apr 1756, St-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Pelletier (1694-1776), 30 Oct 1710, St-Pierre de Île d’Orleans, New France
12. Agathe Destroismaisons — B. 16 Jan 1691, Montmagny, New France; D. 14 Sep 1730, New France; M. Pierre Proulx (1681-1757), 8 Jun 1711, Montmagny, New France
Sources:
Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours, Cyprien Tanguay, 1890
Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997
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