B. about Apr 1618 in (probably) South Petherton, England
M. 1651 in (probably) Massachusetts
Wife: Anna Palgrave
D. 16 May 1686 in Beverly, Massachusetts
Nicholas Woodbury was a man of modest wealth, and of land that he owned on both sides of the Atlantic. He was born in Somerset, England, and was baptized in the village of South Petherton on April 19, 1618. His parents were William Woodbury and Elizabeth Patch, and he was the oldest of their seven children.
It’s uncertain when Nicholas’ family migrated to Massachusetts, but it was sometime during the Great Puritan Migration. His father was known to have owned land in Salem in 1636, and the following year, on October 15th, 19-year-old Nicholas was granted a 10-acre lot of his own. There were other extended members of the Woodbury and Patch families in Salem, and along with a few other families, they made their homes on the east side of the Bass River. In 1653, Nicholas was granted 40 more acres, and three years later, he received 4 acres of meadow.
Nicholas married a woman named Anna Palgrave in about 1651, but it isn’t known where the wedding took place. Anna came over from England during the 1630s with her mother and step-father, and she had inherited a substantial amount of land in Great Yarmouth, England. When she married, Nicholas became the legal owner of her property. The couple had nine children born between 1652 and 1668, only one of whom died young.
By the late 1650s, the part of Salem where Nicholas lived was becoming its own community, and in 1659, he was one of the men who signed a petition to form their own church. It wasn’t until 1668 that the settlement was formally incorporated as Beverly. Like many men in the area, Nicholas engaged in fishing as well as farming; Beverly was located on the coast of Massachusetts, and included some inlets and bays. For a time, Nicholas owned a mill that was said to be near Mackerel Cove (in present-day Beverly, there is a road named Woodbury Street in that area).
Nicholas served Beverly as a constable in 1669 and a selectman in 1670. He was chosen for juries at the court in Salem several times, but in 1663, he was fined 10 shillings for missing jury duty. On November 28, 1671, Nicholas was sued by a married couple for “withholding a piece of land they claimed was rightfully theirs.” This had to do with some land Nicholas had purchased from the woman’s two sons from a previous marriage. She was claiming that she owned the land, not her sons, but she had no proof, and it eventually came out that her current husband put her up to it—he was scheming to own the property. The court ruled in Nicholas’ favor.
When Nicholas died on May 16, 1686, he left an estate valued at £2,573, a large amount of money for the time. The property in Great Yarmouth, England went back to his wife Anna. When she passed away in 1701, she left it to be divided among her children. Among Nicholas descendants is First Lady Grace Coolidge.
Children:
1. Anna Woodbury — B. Mar 1652, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 30 Jun 1714, Boston, Massachusetts
2. Joanna Woodbury — B. Mar 1653, Salem, Massachusetts; D. before 30 Jun 1714, Boston, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Plummer (1647-1718), Beverly, Massachusetts
3. Nicholas Woodbury — B. May 1654, Salem, Massachusetts; D. young
4. Abigail Woodbury — B. 28 Aug 1655, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 28 Jan 1741, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Richard Ober (1641-1715), 26 Dec 1671, Beverly, Massachusetts
5. Nicholas Woodbury — B. 31 Jul 1657, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 13 Oct 1691, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Mary Elliott (1662-1729), 4 Jun 1684, Salem, Massachusetts
6. Joseph Woodbury — B. Sep 1659, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 14 Oct 1714, Manchester, Massachusetts; M. Elizabeth West (1663-?), 19 Dec 1687, Beverly, Massachusetts
7. Isaac Woodbury — B. Nov 1663, Salem, Massachusetts; D. Oct 1733, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. Elizabeth Herrick (1668-1703), 1687
8. Andrew Woodbury — B. 20 Sep 1665, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 3 Jun 1694, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Emma Elliot (~1665-?)
9. Benjamin Woodbury — B. 26 Apr 1668, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 23 Mar 1698, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Mary Woodbury (1674-1712), 23 Mar 1693, Beverly, Massachusetts
Sources:
Genealogical Sketches of the Woodbury Family, Charles Levi Woodbury, 1904
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volumes I - IX, edited by George Francis Drew, 1912-1921, 1975
WikiTree
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Monday, January 28, 2019
Philadelphia to Detroit in 1750s — Marie-Joseph Thomas
B. abt 1740 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
M. 14 May 1759 in Detroit, New France
Husband: Louis Victor Edeline
D. bef 28 Apr 1799 in Vincennes, Northwest Territory
There’s an amazing story about how Marie-Joseph Thomas of Philadelphia ended up living at the remote French outpost of Detroit in the 1750s. Unfortunately, it’s entirely lost to history.
How and why did Marie-Joseph make that trip? The only known facts come from her marriage record. On May 14, 1759, she married Louis Victor Edeline at Ste-Anne-de-Detroit parish. Louis Victor was a 28-year-old man from the Montreal area who had been living at Detroit since about 1750. The marriage record stated that Marie-Joseph had been in Detroit “for about two years or so,” and that she was a native of Philadelphia. Her father was called “André Thomas” and her mother’s name appeared to be written as “Lolis.” One more fact was that Marie-Joseph was a Catholic, or she wouldn’t have been allowed to marry her husband in the Church.
It’s highly unlikely Marie-Joseph started out as a French Catholic because very few Catholics were living in Philadelphia in 1733. Also the name “Thomas” may not have been a French name—her father was probably Andrew instead of André. Based on the birth year of her youngest child, Marie-Joseph would have been no older than about 18 when she came to Detroit, and she was probably a little younger. From all evidence, she had no family with her. Since the French and Indian War was raging at the time, it doesn’t seem plausible that she was part of some sort of pioneer migration, and as a teenage girl, she wouldn’t have trekked through a war zone by herself.
But there is one way Marie-Joseph may have ended up at Detroit: as a captive. Her family may have been among the many settlers who were homesteading on the frontier in Pennsylvania. It was said that thousands of settlers were raided by hostile Indians during that time, with adults killed and children abducted. Often children, even teenagers, were raised as members of a tribe, and some were transported for long distances. So it was possible for Marie-Joseph to have been captured, then handed off to the French in Detroit. There she may have been taught French by nuns and converted to Catholicism.
There was another way Marie-Joseph might have been a captive. During the 1750s, a fort at the site of present-day Pittsburgh was involved in the conflict between the English and French. On July 9, 1755, the fort was successfully captured by the French, and it was reported that about 25 English women who served as maids and cooks were taken captive. Marie-Joseph may have been barely old enough to be among them. There’s no report of where the women were taken, but perhaps some ended up in a place like Detroit.
While Marie-Joseph’s early life is speculation, the rest of her years are somewhat well-documented. After marrying Louis Victor, Detroit fell to the British in 1760, and around this time, the two of them moved to Post Vincennes in present-day Indiana. It was here that Marie-Joseph gave birth to her first child in September 1761, who died young. She would eventually have 11 children, with the youngest born in 1786.
Starting in 1763, the fort at Vincennes was occupied by the British, and when news of the American Revolution was brought to the village in 1778, the French settlers were eager to support the rebel cause. Marie-Joseph’s husband Louis Victor signed the oath of allegiance to the Americans, then became a captain in a newly formed militia. The following February, George Rogers Clark led a sneak attack on the fort, successfully winning the surrender of the British, and it was said that all of Vincennes helped, including the women. But Marie-Joseph may not have actively participated because the very next day, she gave birth to a baby girl. The child was named Victoire, and was the first American child born in what is now Indiana.
After the war, Louis Victor was appointed as a judge, and the family had some prominence in the community. Sadly, Marie-Joseph seems to have died sometime between the marriage of her son Nicholas on August 10, 1795 and her husband's death on April 28, 1799.
Children:
1. Marie-Louise Edeline – B. 9 Sep 1761, Post Vincennes, New France; D. before 1770
2. Marie-Joseph Edeline – B. Oct 1763, Post Vincennes, New France; D. 21 May 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; M. (1) Nicholas Perrot, 24 Jul 1778, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; (2) Jean-François Hamtramck (1756-1803)
3. Marie-Barbe Edeline — B. 13 Dec 1764, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. before 11 Dec 1809, Vincennes, Indiana Territory; M. Jacques Cardinal (1761-1810), 2 Aug 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory
4. Jean-Louis Edeline – B. Jan 1767, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
5. Marie-Louise Edeline — B. 28 Oct 1770, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. Jan 1793; M. Joseph Joyeuse (1769-?), 15 Feb 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory
6. Nicholas Edeline — B. 2 Nov 1772, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; M. Therese Godere (1778-?), 10 Aug 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory
7. Joseph Marion Edeline — B. 28 Aug 1774, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. 16 Mar 1819, Vincennes, Indiana; M. (1) Genevieve Renaud dit Deslauriers (1779-~1819), 18 Feb 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; (2) Cecile Delisle, 22 Feb 1819, Vincennes, Indiana
8. Jacques Edeline — B. 28 Mar 1776, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. about 1798
9. Alexis Edeline — B. 15 Jul 1777, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. about 1808
10. Victoire Edeline — B. 25 Feb 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory; D. young
11. Pierre Edeline — B. 21 Feb 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory; D. about 1825; M. Françoise LaTour (1796-?), 30 Apr 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory
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
History – Archdiocese of Philadelphia (website)
Fort Pitt Museum (website)
Battle of Monongahela (Wikipedia article)
M. 14 May 1759 in Detroit, New France
Husband: Louis Victor Edeline
D. bef 28 Apr 1799 in Vincennes, Northwest Territory
There’s an amazing story about how Marie-Joseph Thomas of Philadelphia ended up living at the remote French outpost of Detroit in the 1750s. Unfortunately, it’s entirely lost to history.
How and why did Marie-Joseph make that trip? The only known facts come from her marriage record. On May 14, 1759, she married Louis Victor Edeline at Ste-Anne-de-Detroit parish. Louis Victor was a 28-year-old man from the Montreal area who had been living at Detroit since about 1750. The marriage record stated that Marie-Joseph had been in Detroit “for about two years or so,” and that she was a native of Philadelphia. Her father was called “André Thomas” and her mother’s name appeared to be written as “Lolis.” One more fact was that Marie-Joseph was a Catholic, or she wouldn’t have been allowed to marry her husband in the Church.
Map of Detroit in the 18th century.
It’s highly unlikely Marie-Joseph started out as a French Catholic because very few Catholics were living in Philadelphia in 1733. Also the name “Thomas” may not have been a French name—her father was probably Andrew instead of André. Based on the birth year of her youngest child, Marie-Joseph would have been no older than about 18 when she came to Detroit, and she was probably a little younger. From all evidence, she had no family with her. Since the French and Indian War was raging at the time, it doesn’t seem plausible that she was part of some sort of pioneer migration, and as a teenage girl, she wouldn’t have trekked through a war zone by herself.
But there is one way Marie-Joseph may have ended up at Detroit: as a captive. Her family may have been among the many settlers who were homesteading on the frontier in Pennsylvania. It was said that thousands of settlers were raided by hostile Indians during that time, with adults killed and children abducted. Often children, even teenagers, were raised as members of a tribe, and some were transported for long distances. So it was possible for Marie-Joseph to have been captured, then handed off to the French in Detroit. There she may have been taught French by nuns and converted to Catholicism.
There was another way Marie-Joseph might have been a captive. During the 1750s, a fort at the site of present-day Pittsburgh was involved in the conflict between the English and French. On July 9, 1755, the fort was successfully captured by the French, and it was reported that about 25 English women who served as maids and cooks were taken captive. Marie-Joseph may have been barely old enough to be among them. There’s no report of where the women were taken, but perhaps some ended up in a place like Detroit.
While Marie-Joseph’s early life is speculation, the rest of her years are somewhat well-documented. After marrying Louis Victor, Detroit fell to the British in 1760, and around this time, the two of them moved to Post Vincennes in present-day Indiana. It was here that Marie-Joseph gave birth to her first child in September 1761, who died young. She would eventually have 11 children, with the youngest born in 1786.
Starting in 1763, the fort at Vincennes was occupied by the British, and when news of the American Revolution was brought to the village in 1778, the French settlers were eager to support the rebel cause. Marie-Joseph’s husband Louis Victor signed the oath of allegiance to the Americans, then became a captain in a newly formed militia. The following February, George Rogers Clark led a sneak attack on the fort, successfully winning the surrender of the British, and it was said that all of Vincennes helped, including the women. But Marie-Joseph may not have actively participated because the very next day, she gave birth to a baby girl. The child was named Victoire, and was the first American child born in what is now Indiana.
After the war, Louis Victor was appointed as a judge, and the family had some prominence in the community. Sadly, Marie-Joseph seems to have died sometime between the marriage of her son Nicholas on August 10, 1795 and her husband's death on April 28, 1799.
Children:
1. Marie-Louise Edeline – B. 9 Sep 1761, Post Vincennes, New France; D. before 1770
2. Marie-Joseph Edeline – B. Oct 1763, Post Vincennes, New France; D. 21 May 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; M. (1) Nicholas Perrot, 24 Jul 1778, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; (2) Jean-François Hamtramck (1756-1803)
3. Marie-Barbe Edeline — B. 13 Dec 1764, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. before 11 Dec 1809, Vincennes, Indiana Territory; M. Jacques Cardinal (1761-1810), 2 Aug 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory
4. Jean-Louis Edeline – B. Jan 1767, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
5. Marie-Louise Edeline — B. 28 Oct 1770, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. Jan 1793; M. Joseph Joyeuse (1769-?), 15 Feb 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory
6. Nicholas Edeline — B. 2 Nov 1772, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; M. Therese Godere (1778-?), 10 Aug 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory
7. Joseph Marion Edeline — B. 28 Aug 1774, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. 16 Mar 1819, Vincennes, Indiana; M. (1) Genevieve Renaud dit Deslauriers (1779-~1819), 18 Feb 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory; (2) Cecile Delisle, 22 Feb 1819, Vincennes, Indiana
8. Jacques Edeline — B. 28 Mar 1776, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. about 1798
9. Alexis Edeline — B. 15 Jul 1777, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; D. about 1808
10. Victoire Edeline — B. 25 Feb 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory; D. young
11. Pierre Edeline — B. 21 Feb 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory; D. about 1825; M. Françoise LaTour (1796-?), 30 Apr 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory
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
History – Archdiocese of Philadelphia (website)
Fort Pitt Museum (website)
Battle of Monongahela (Wikipedia article)
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Terrible Tragedy Left Her a Widow — Catherine Brunet
B. 5 Nov 1681 in Champlain, New France
M. (1) 15 Nov 1694 in Montreal, New France
Husband: Honoré Danis
M. (2) 26 Jan 1750 in Fort Frontenac, Quebec
Husband: Joseph Levron dit Metayer
D. about 1755 in (probably) Fort Frontenac, New France
When Catherine Brunet’s husband was killed in a fight, she ended up in a desperate financial situation, and had to accept help from the community to get through it.
Catherine’s life began on November 5, 1681, in Champlain, New France, a village on the St. Lawrence River not far from Trois-Rivières. Her father was a fur trader named Matheiu Brunet dit LeTang; her mother was Marie Blanchard. Catherine was named for her godmother Catherine Guerard, the wife of Julien Dubord dit LaFontaine. The Brunet family was large, and Catherine was the eighth of ten children. Since her father was away on expeditions that often lasted more than a year, Catherine’s mother had to look after the affairs of the household. Such was life in 17th-century New France.
Catherine’s childhood was brief—she was only 13-years-old when she was married to Honoré Danis, a man 12 years her senior. The wedding took place in Montreal, where her family had moved, on November 15, 1694. Being so young, she may not have shared a bed with her new husband at first; her first child was born over three years later. Between 1698 and 1711, Catherine had seven children; it’s believed three of them died young.
Catherine and Honoré moved to Lachine in about 1700, and Honoré supported the family as a carpenter and farmer. Everything changed on the night of August 14, 1722, when some Indians living at a mission across the river got drunk and came into their neighborhood. A fight erupted and as a result, Honoré would up dead, leaving Catherine grief stricken and without a means of support. Luckily the crops had already been harvested; her only surviving son was just 13—too young to run the farm—and her other children were girls.
The family made it through the winter, then Catherine faced the challenge of planting crops in the spring without a man to work the plow. An old friend of Honoré, Thomas Letendre, offered to help, not by doing the work, but by purchasing half of the farm; this would give her 800 livres to help pay off debts from the previous year. But another source of help came through when the governor made good on a previous offer to help support Catherine. With money from the government, she then asked Letendre to cancel the contract to buy her land, which he agreed to do.
By virtue of dying in the prime of life, Honoré left debts that Catherine couldn’t pay. On March 8, 1726, she sought to have two plots of land that he had purchased on Lake St-Pierre to be auctioned off to raise money. Because Catherine failed to make payments on the property itself, debtors came after her in 1728. The amount she owed was over 167 livres — quite a sum of money. After several postponements, the court ruled on October 1, 1729 that the auction could finally take place, with the proceeds given to the man who sued her, Jean-Baptiste Neveu.
M. (1) 15 Nov 1694 in Montreal, New France
Husband: Honoré Danis
M. (2) 26 Jan 1750 in Fort Frontenac, Quebec
Husband: Joseph Levron dit Metayer
D. about 1755 in (probably) Fort Frontenac, New France
When Catherine Brunet’s husband was killed in a fight, she ended up in a desperate financial situation, and had to accept help from the community to get through it.
Catherine’s life began on November 5, 1681, in Champlain, New France, a village on the St. Lawrence River not far from Trois-Rivières. Her father was a fur trader named Matheiu Brunet dit LeTang; her mother was Marie Blanchard. Catherine was named for her godmother Catherine Guerard, the wife of Julien Dubord dit LaFontaine. The Brunet family was large, and Catherine was the eighth of ten children. Since her father was away on expeditions that often lasted more than a year, Catherine’s mother had to look after the affairs of the household. Such was life in 17th-century New France.
Catherine’s childhood was brief—she was only 13-years-old when she was married to Honoré Danis, a man 12 years her senior. The wedding took place in Montreal, where her family had moved, on November 15, 1694. Being so young, she may not have shared a bed with her new husband at first; her first child was born over three years later. Between 1698 and 1711, Catherine had seven children; it’s believed three of them died young.
Catherine and Honoré moved to Lachine in about 1700, and Honoré supported the family as a carpenter and farmer. Everything changed on the night of August 14, 1722, when some Indians living at a mission across the river got drunk and came into their neighborhood. A fight erupted and as a result, Honoré would up dead, leaving Catherine grief stricken and without a means of support. Luckily the crops had already been harvested; her only surviving son was just 13—too young to run the farm—and her other children were girls.
The family made it through the winter, then Catherine faced the challenge of planting crops in the spring without a man to work the plow. An old friend of Honoré, Thomas Letendre, offered to help, not by doing the work, but by purchasing half of the farm; this would give her 800 livres to help pay off debts from the previous year. But another source of help came through when the governor made good on a previous offer to help support Catherine. With money from the government, she then asked Letendre to cancel the contract to buy her land, which he agreed to do.
1727 court record from case involving Catherine.
There is a gap in the records of Catherine’s life until she turned up in a marriage far away from Lachine. On January 26, 1750, she married a widower, Joseph Levron dit Metayer at Fort Frontenac, a military outpost at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. How she ended up at the fort is a mystery; Joseph had only recently moved there from the Montreal area, and perhaps they were acquainted when they both lived in that area. Fort Frontenac was a supply post for expeditions goiing west, and there were only about 100 civilians living there.
Catherine’s story ends with her Fort Frontenac marriage. After that date, it isn’t known when and where she and her husband died, but it was probably by 1755.
Children (all by Honoré Danis):
1. Marguerite Danis — B. 23 Jan 1698, Montreal, New France; D. 10 Aug 1784, Laval, Quebec; M. Charles-François Raymond (1697-1746), 24 Nov 1721
2. Jean-Baptiste Danis — B. 7 Feb 1701, Lachine, New France; D. 14 Mar 1701, Lachine, New France
3. Marie-Catherine Danis — B. 19 May 1702, Lachine, New France; D. 21 Aug 1739, Montreal, New France; M. Jean Custeau (1699-1769), 11 Sep 1724, Montreal, New France
4. Jean-Baptiste Danis — B. 21 Apr 1704, Lachine, New France
5. Marie-Anne Danis — B. 4 Sep 1706, Lachine, New France
6. Jean-François — B. 8 Jul 1709, Lachine, New France; D. 14 Jan 1731, Montreal, New France
7. Marie-Josephe Danis — B. 1711, Lachine, New France; D. 1732, Montreal, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Chabot (1701-1771), 23 Jan 1732, Montreal, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Catherine’s story ends with her Fort Frontenac marriage. After that date, it isn’t known when and where she and her husband died, but it was probably by 1755.
Children (all by Honoré Danis):
1. Marguerite Danis — B. 23 Jan 1698, Montreal, New France; D. 10 Aug 1784, Laval, Quebec; M. Charles-François Raymond (1697-1746), 24 Nov 1721
2. Jean-Baptiste Danis — B. 7 Feb 1701, Lachine, New France; D. 14 Mar 1701, Lachine, New France
3. Marie-Catherine Danis — B. 19 May 1702, Lachine, New France; D. 21 Aug 1739, Montreal, New France; M. Jean Custeau (1699-1769), 11 Sep 1724, Montreal, New France
4. Jean-Baptiste Danis — B. 21 Apr 1704, Lachine, New France
5. Marie-Anne Danis — B. 4 Sep 1706, Lachine, New France
6. Jean-François — B. 8 Jul 1709, Lachine, New France; D. 14 Jan 1731, Montreal, New France
7. Marie-Josephe Danis — B. 1711, Lachine, New France; D. 1732, Montreal, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Chabot (1701-1771), 23 Jan 1732, Montreal, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
L'autre Marie Morin: une femme abandonnée en Nouvelle-France : 1667-1748, Marcel Myre, 2004
WikiTree
Friday, January 25, 2019
Born on the Island of Geese — Pierre Soucy
B. 13 Apr 1673 in Île-aux-Oies, New France
M. 13 Jan 1699 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France
Wife: Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau
D. 7 Jan 1760 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France
Pierre Soucy had a somewhat unusual birthplace—an island in the St. Lawrence River called Île-aux-Oies, which translates to “Island of Geese.” Pierre was born in this remote location on April 13, 1673 to Jean Soucy dit Lavigne and Jeanne Savonnet, the second of their four children. His father was a Carignan-Salières Regiment soldier and his mother was a Fille du Roi.
The geography of where Pierre was born played an important role in his life from the very beginning. Île-aux-Oies was a narrow island downriver from the Île d’Orleans that had only a handful of inhabitants and no church. When Pierre was just 3-days-old, he was taken by boat to Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré on the mainland for his baptism. The family moved to another island, Île-aux-Grues, when he was young, but his father had died by the summer of 1679, which was when his mother married another island settler, Damien Bérubé. The 1681 census showed 9-year-old Pierre in Bérubé’s household on Île-aux-Oies.
In 1688, Pierre’s step-father died and his mother remarried again to François Miville, a Swiss man who was seigneur of Rivière-Ouelle, a settlement on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Pierre lived there in 1690 when the settlers bravely fought off an invading force from New England. That August, a fleet of 32 ships carrying about 2,000 men left Boston, intent on driving the French out of Canada. The village had advance warning, and the parish priest organized everyone in town to defend it. When boats tried to land, the people were armed and ready, and the small force managed to repel the New Englanders. Since the battle involved nearly all the young men in Rivière-Ouelle, it’s very likely that 17-year-old Pierre took part in it.
Pierre married Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau in Rivière-Ouelle on January 14, 1699. The couple had twelve children between 1700 and 1725, with three dying as infants. Pierre was said to be a carpenter as well as a farmer, and that he used his woodworking skills to build boats. He also engaged in porpoise hunting, something we would today consider a cruel practice, but common during that time in his village.
After a long life together, Pierre’s wife died at Rivière-Ouelle on December 31, 1758. He passed away about a year later on January 7, 1760 at the age of 87. The island where he was born is today uninhabited and access is off-limits to the public. Pierre was an ancestor of Chloë Sevigny.
Children:
1. Marie-Anne Soucy — B. 18 Jan 1700, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 28 Sep 1785, Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec; M. Augustin Dubé (1695-1779), 7 Jan 1721, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
2. Pierre Soucy — B. 9 Feb 1702, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 27 May 1764, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Marie-Jean Michaud, 20 Jul 1723, Rivière-Ouelle, New France
3. Joseph Soucy — B. 19 Jul 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 21 Jul 1745, La Pocatière, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Mignier (1706-1777), 7 Jan 1727, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
4. Ursule Soucy — B. 28 Jun 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 30 Mar 1754, La Pocatière, New France M. Michel Mignault dit LaBrie (1697-~1756), 26 Oct 1724, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
5. Marie-Madeleine Soucy — B. 20 Jun 1708, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 2 Nov 1743, Repentigny, New France; M. Guillaume Gabriel Miville (1704-1799), 14 Jan 1726, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
6. Angelique Soucy — B. 4 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 29 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France
7. Jean-François Soucy — B. 14 Feb 1712, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 8 Sep 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Claire Rousseau (~1715-1797), 3 Jul 1735, L’Islet-sur-Mer, New France
8. Marie-Françoise Soucy — B. 28 Jan 1714, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 9 Dec 1796, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Jean-Bernard Miville (1711-?), 22 Nov 1733, New France
9. Marie-Catherine Soucy — B. 27 Apr 1716, La Pocatière, New France; D. 28 Mar 1769, La Pocatière, Quebec; M. (1) Louis Moreau (1707-1737), 17 Jun 1734, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France; (2) Joachim Leclerc (1707-1772), 24 Nov 1738, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
10. Genevieve Soucy — B. 23 May 1718, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 18 May 1719, Rivière-Ouelle, New France
11. Charles-François Soucy — B. 9 Oct 1721, La Pocatière, New France; D. 20 Sep 1753, Fort de la Presqu'Île, New France; M. Angelique Lizotte (1711-?) 1745
12. Jean-Baptiste Soucy — B. 26 Jan 1725, La Pocatière, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
M. 13 Jan 1699 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France
Wife: Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau
D. 7 Jan 1760 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France
Pierre Soucy had a somewhat unusual birthplace—an island in the St. Lawrence River called Île-aux-Oies, which translates to “Island of Geese.” Pierre was born in this remote location on April 13, 1673 to Jean Soucy dit Lavigne and Jeanne Savonnet, the second of their four children. His father was a Carignan-Salières Regiment soldier and his mother was a Fille du Roi.
The geography of where Pierre was born played an important role in his life from the very beginning. Île-aux-Oies was a narrow island downriver from the Île d’Orleans that had only a handful of inhabitants and no church. When Pierre was just 3-days-old, he was taken by boat to Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré on the mainland for his baptism. The family moved to another island, Île-aux-Grues, when he was young, but his father had died by the summer of 1679, which was when his mother married another island settler, Damien Bérubé. The 1681 census showed 9-year-old Pierre in Bérubé’s household on Île-aux-Oies.
Île Aux Oies.
In 1688, Pierre’s step-father died and his mother remarried again to François Miville, a Swiss man who was seigneur of Rivière-Ouelle, a settlement on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Pierre lived there in 1690 when the settlers bravely fought off an invading force from New England. That August, a fleet of 32 ships carrying about 2,000 men left Boston, intent on driving the French out of Canada. The village had advance warning, and the parish priest organized everyone in town to defend it. When boats tried to land, the people were armed and ready, and the small force managed to repel the New Englanders. Since the battle involved nearly all the young men in Rivière-Ouelle, it’s very likely that 17-year-old Pierre took part in it.
Pierre married Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau in Rivière-Ouelle on January 14, 1699. The couple had twelve children between 1700 and 1725, with three dying as infants. Pierre was said to be a carpenter as well as a farmer, and that he used his woodworking skills to build boats. He also engaged in porpoise hunting, something we would today consider a cruel practice, but common during that time in his village.
After a long life together, Pierre’s wife died at Rivière-Ouelle on December 31, 1758. He passed away about a year later on January 7, 1760 at the age of 87. The island where he was born is today uninhabited and access is off-limits to the public. Pierre was an ancestor of Chloë Sevigny.
Children:
1. Marie-Anne Soucy — B. 18 Jan 1700, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 28 Sep 1785, Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec; M. Augustin Dubé (1695-1779), 7 Jan 1721, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
2. Pierre Soucy — B. 9 Feb 1702, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 27 May 1764, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Marie-Jean Michaud, 20 Jul 1723, Rivière-Ouelle, New France
3. Joseph Soucy — B. 19 Jul 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 21 Jul 1745, La Pocatière, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Mignier (1706-1777), 7 Jan 1727, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
4. Ursule Soucy — B. 28 Jun 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 30 Mar 1754, La Pocatière, New France M. Michel Mignault dit LaBrie (1697-~1756), 26 Oct 1724, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
5. Marie-Madeleine Soucy — B. 20 Jun 1708, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 2 Nov 1743, Repentigny, New France; M. Guillaume Gabriel Miville (1704-1799), 14 Jan 1726, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
6. Angelique Soucy — B. 4 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 29 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France
7. Jean-François Soucy — B. 14 Feb 1712, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 8 Sep 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Claire Rousseau (~1715-1797), 3 Jul 1735, L’Islet-sur-Mer, New France
8. Marie-Françoise Soucy — B. 28 Jan 1714, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 9 Dec 1796, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Jean-Bernard Miville (1711-?), 22 Nov 1733, New France
9. Marie-Catherine Soucy — B. 27 Apr 1716, La Pocatière, New France; D. 28 Mar 1769, La Pocatière, Quebec; M. (1) Louis Moreau (1707-1737), 17 Jun 1734, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France; (2) Joachim Leclerc (1707-1772), 24 Nov 1738, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France
10. Genevieve Soucy — B. 23 May 1718, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 18 May 1719, Rivière-Ouelle, New France
11. Charles-François Soucy — B. 9 Oct 1721, La Pocatière, New France; D. 20 Sep 1753, Fort de la Presqu'Île, New France; M. Angelique Lizotte (1711-?) 1745
12. Jean-Baptiste Soucy — B. 26 Jan 1725, La Pocatière, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
1690: Qui sont les héros et les héroïnes de la bataille de Rivière-Ouelle? (blog) Robert Bérubé, 2017Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
Pioneer Jean Soucy-dit-Lavigne (Genealogy.com)
WikiTree
Pioneer Jean Soucy-dit-Lavigne (Genealogy.com)
WikiTree
Testified to Her Cousin’s Character — Mary Patch
B. 6 Apr 1649 in Ipswich, Massachusetts
M. 28 Apr 1668 in Salem, Massachusetts
Husband: Paul Thorndike
D. 12 May 1716 in Beverly, Massachusetts
Mary Patch was a key witness in a colonial New England trial. She was born on April 6, 1649 in Ipswich, Massachusetts to James Patch and Hannah Woodbury. Her parents were first cousins, and besides Mary, they had a son and two other daughters. Mary’s father died when she was nine-years-old. Her mother remarried five years later and had two more children.
On April 28, 1668, Mary was married to Paul Thorndike in Salem. Later that year, part of Salem broke off to become the new town of Beverly, and Paul was chosen to be one of the five first selectmen of the town. The couple started a family with the birth of a daughter in 1669; this was followed by six more children, with the youngest born in 1684.
Mary found herself involved in a sensational court case in 1674 when her second-cousin, Thomas Woodbury, was accused of sexual assault by a girl named Hannah Gray. At some point before she was married, Mary had lived in Woodbury’s house, so she went under oath to vouch for his character. She said she had never seen him have “evil, lascivious or wanton behavior,” nor did she hear him use “vain or frothy speeches.” Other witnesses testified that Hannah was often heard laughing and flirting with boys, with one man describing her as “a lying little devil.” Woodbury was acquitted and Hannah was punished by having to stand in front of the meetinghouse with a sign on her head that said, “I STAND HERE FOR MY LASCIVIOUS & WANTON CARRIAGES.”
Aside from Mary’s one appearance in court, she seems to have lived a quiet, ordinary life. Her husband Paul died in about 1697 and his estate was probated in January 1698. Mary’s name appeared in a record dated August 4, 1707 when she deeded land she inherited from her father to her son-in-law Richard Thistle. Mary passed away in Beverly on May 12, 1716 and was buried alongside her husband in Abbot Street Burial Ground. Mary was the direct ancestor of John Kerry.
Children:
1. Mary Thorndike — B. 8 Jan 1669, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 31 Dec 1732, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Robert Morgan (1670-1762), 7 Jan 1703, Beverly, Massachusetts
2. Elizabeth Thorndike — B. 14 Oct 1670, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jun 1727, Hopkinton, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Gould (1670-1727)
3. Hannah Thorndike — B. 14 May 1673, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. before 1725; M. William Pride (1678-1737), 1699, Beverly, Massachusetts
4. John Thorndike — B. 22 Jan 1675, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 23 Mar 1760, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. (1) Joanna Larkin (1673-1716), 20 Apr 1696, Beverly, Massachusetts; (2) Christiana Woodbury, 30 Mar 1718, Beverly, Massachusetts; (3) Abigail Conant, Jun 1732
5. Paul Thorndike — B. 17 Apr 1677, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 14 Feb 1742; M. Mary Batchelder (~1670-?), 11 Dec 1701, Beverly, Massachusetts
6. Martha Thorndike — B. about 1682, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. after 2 Mar 1782; M. Richard Thistle (1685-1752), 1706
7. Herbert Thorndike — B. about 1684, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 6 Jan 1762, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Herrick (1692-1718), 17 Jan 1712, Beverly, Massachusetts; (2) Abigail Sallows (1693-?), 8 Jan 1719, Beverly, Massachusetts
Sources:
History of Beverly: civil and ecclesiastical, from its settlement in 1630 to 1842, Edwin Martin Stone, 1843
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volumes V, edited by George Francis Drew, 1916
Massachusetts Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
WikiTree
M. 28 Apr 1668 in Salem, Massachusetts
Husband: Paul Thorndike
D. 12 May 1716 in Beverly, Massachusetts
Mary Patch was a key witness in a colonial New England trial. She was born on April 6, 1649 in Ipswich, Massachusetts to James Patch and Hannah Woodbury. Her parents were first cousins, and besides Mary, they had a son and two other daughters. Mary’s father died when she was nine-years-old. Her mother remarried five years later and had two more children.
On April 28, 1668, Mary was married to Paul Thorndike in Salem. Later that year, part of Salem broke off to become the new town of Beverly, and Paul was chosen to be one of the five first selectmen of the town. The couple started a family with the birth of a daughter in 1669; this was followed by six more children, with the youngest born in 1684.
Mary found herself involved in a sensational court case in 1674 when her second-cousin, Thomas Woodbury, was accused of sexual assault by a girl named Hannah Gray. At some point before she was married, Mary had lived in Woodbury’s house, so she went under oath to vouch for his character. She said she had never seen him have “evil, lascivious or wanton behavior,” nor did she hear him use “vain or frothy speeches.” Other witnesses testified that Hannah was often heard laughing and flirting with boys, with one man describing her as “a lying little devil.” Woodbury was acquitted and Hannah was punished by having to stand in front of the meetinghouse with a sign on her head that said, “I STAND HERE FOR MY LASCIVIOUS & WANTON CARRIAGES.”
Example of a Puritan wearing a sign for punishment.
Aside from Mary’s one appearance in court, she seems to have lived a quiet, ordinary life. Her husband Paul died in about 1697 and his estate was probated in January 1698. Mary’s name appeared in a record dated August 4, 1707 when she deeded land she inherited from her father to her son-in-law Richard Thistle. Mary passed away in Beverly on May 12, 1716 and was buried alongside her husband in Abbot Street Burial Ground. Mary was the direct ancestor of John Kerry.
Children:
1. Mary Thorndike — B. 8 Jan 1669, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 31 Dec 1732, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Robert Morgan (1670-1762), 7 Jan 1703, Beverly, Massachusetts
2. Elizabeth Thorndike — B. 14 Oct 1670, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jun 1727, Hopkinton, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Gould (1670-1727)
3. Hannah Thorndike — B. 14 May 1673, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. before 1725; M. William Pride (1678-1737), 1699, Beverly, Massachusetts
4. John Thorndike — B. 22 Jan 1675, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 23 Mar 1760, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. (1) Joanna Larkin (1673-1716), 20 Apr 1696, Beverly, Massachusetts; (2) Christiana Woodbury, 30 Mar 1718, Beverly, Massachusetts; (3) Abigail Conant, Jun 1732
5. Paul Thorndike — B. 17 Apr 1677, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 14 Feb 1742; M. Mary Batchelder (~1670-?), 11 Dec 1701, Beverly, Massachusetts
6. Martha Thorndike — B. about 1682, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. after 2 Mar 1782; M. Richard Thistle (1685-1752), 1706
7. Herbert Thorndike — B. about 1684, Beverly, Massachusetts; D. 6 Jan 1762, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Herrick (1692-1718), 17 Jan 1712, Beverly, Massachusetts; (2) Abigail Sallows (1693-?), 8 Jan 1719, Beverly, Massachusetts
Sources:
History of Beverly: civil and ecclesiastical, from its settlement in 1630 to 1842, Edwin Martin Stone, 1843
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volumes V, edited by George Francis Drew, 1916
Massachusetts Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
WikiTree
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Accused of Breaking into a House — John Wicom
B. about 1647 in Rowley, Massachusetts
M. 14 May 1673 in Rowley, Massachusetts
Wife: Abigail Kimball
D. 1 Apr 1715 in Newbury, Massachusetts
John Wicom was an early colonist in Massachusetts who seemed to live an uneventful life, except for one serious charge that was brought against him. He was born in about 1647 in the town of Rowley to Richard and Ann Wicom. His parents had been among the first settlers there, having migrated from England during the 1630s. John had at least two older brothers.
When John was in his early 20s he married Abigail Kimball; their wedding took place in in Rowley on May 14, 1673. The couple had five daughters and two sons born between 1674 and 1692; one of the boys died young.
In March 1678, John was called into court in Ipswich. The accusation against him was that he had somehow gotten inside of the house of a neighbor, Samuel Smith, when the door was locked and nobody was home. A witness said that he had seen John “creeping out of a hole and throwing a bag ahead of him.” The record suggests that the court didn’t believe the accuser, and John was released.
For the rest of his years, John seems to have lived the quiet life of a farmer. A tax list from 1688 showed that he owned 8 acres of cultivated fields and 6 acres of meadow, with two horses, four cows and four hogs. His property was said to be in Newbury, just north of Rowley near the present-day Governor’s Academy. There were also some land deeds referring to a place called Wicom’s Spring, which was thought to be named after him.
John’s wife died not long after their youngest child was born and he never remarried. He died in his late sixties on April 1, 1715.
Children:
1. Ann Wicom — B. 1 Apr 1674, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Colin Frazer (~1662-?), Dec 1691, Newbury, Massachusetts
2. Abigail Wicom — B. 10 Mar 1675, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 17 Oct 1722, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Richard Clark (1677-1730), 2 Dec 1702, Rowley, Massachusetts
3. John Wicom — B. 23 Nov 1677, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. Jun 1679, Rowley, Massachusetts
4. Mary Wicom — B. 18 Jan 1679, Newbury, Massachusetts; D. 14 May 1741, Exeter, New Hampshire; M. Jonathan Jewett (1679-1745), 24 Jan 1699, Rowley, Massachusetts
5. Mehitable Wicom — B. 5 Sep 1682, Newbury, Massachusetts; D. before Dec 1709, Newbury, Massachusetts; M. Joshua Woodman (1672-1706), 15 Dec 1703, Newbury, Massachusetts
6. Sarah Wicom — B. 29 Aug 1688, Newbury, Massachusetts; M. Zachariah Boynton (1690-1750), 15 Nov 1715, Newbury, Massachusetts
7. Thomas Wicom — B. 6 May 1692, Newbury, Massachusetts
Sources:
Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts, George Brainard Blodgette, 1933
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume VI, edited by George Francis Drew, 1917
WikiTree
M. 14 May 1673 in Rowley, Massachusetts
Wife: Abigail Kimball
D. 1 Apr 1715 in Newbury, Massachusetts
John Wicom was an early colonist in Massachusetts who seemed to live an uneventful life, except for one serious charge that was brought against him. He was born in about 1647 in the town of Rowley to Richard and Ann Wicom. His parents had been among the first settlers there, having migrated from England during the 1630s. John had at least two older brothers.
When John was in his early 20s he married Abigail Kimball; their wedding took place in in Rowley on May 14, 1673. The couple had five daughters and two sons born between 1674 and 1692; one of the boys died young.
In March 1678, John was called into court in Ipswich. The accusation against him was that he had somehow gotten inside of the house of a neighbor, Samuel Smith, when the door was locked and nobody was home. A witness said that he had seen John “creeping out of a hole and throwing a bag ahead of him.” The record suggests that the court didn’t believe the accuser, and John was released.
For the rest of his years, John seems to have lived the quiet life of a farmer. A tax list from 1688 showed that he owned 8 acres of cultivated fields and 6 acres of meadow, with two horses, four cows and four hogs. His property was said to be in Newbury, just north of Rowley near the present-day Governor’s Academy. There were also some land deeds referring to a place called Wicom’s Spring, which was thought to be named after him.
John’s wife died not long after their youngest child was born and he never remarried. He died in his late sixties on April 1, 1715.
John’s grave in Byfield Parish Cemetery, Byfield, Massachusetts.
Children:
1. Ann Wicom — B. 1 Apr 1674, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Colin Frazer (~1662-?), Dec 1691, Newbury, Massachusetts
2. Abigail Wicom — B. 10 Mar 1675, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 17 Oct 1722, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Richard Clark (1677-1730), 2 Dec 1702, Rowley, Massachusetts
3. John Wicom — B. 23 Nov 1677, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. Jun 1679, Rowley, Massachusetts
4. Mary Wicom — B. 18 Jan 1679, Newbury, Massachusetts; D. 14 May 1741, Exeter, New Hampshire; M. Jonathan Jewett (1679-1745), 24 Jan 1699, Rowley, Massachusetts
5. Mehitable Wicom — B. 5 Sep 1682, Newbury, Massachusetts; D. before Dec 1709, Newbury, Massachusetts; M. Joshua Woodman (1672-1706), 15 Dec 1703, Newbury, Massachusetts
6. Sarah Wicom — B. 29 Aug 1688, Newbury, Massachusetts; M. Zachariah Boynton (1690-1750), 15 Nov 1715, Newbury, Massachusetts
7. Thomas Wicom — B. 6 May 1692, Newbury, Massachusetts
Sources:
Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts, George Brainard Blodgette, 1933
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume VI, edited by George Francis Drew, 1917
WikiTree
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Town Treasurer & Colonial Lieutenant — William Fletcher
B. 21 Feb 1657 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
M. 6 Sep 1677 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Wife: Sarah Richardson
D. 23 May 1712 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
William Fletcher spent his entire life in Chelmsford, Massachusetts raising a large family and serving his town. He was born on February 21, 1657 to William Fletcher and his wife Lydia, one of their eight children; his mother also had a son by a previous marriage. William’s father had been one of Chelmsford’s original settlers in 1652, and the house where the family lived was said to be the first wood-frame dwelling in town.
On September 6, 1677, William married Sarah Richardson, the daughter of another of the town’s founders. The couple started a family with the birth of a daughter in 1679, and by 1702, they produced a total of 14 children; it’s believed that four of the children died young. Along with operating a farm, William took a role in serving the common interests of the town. In 1692, he was paid a bounty for working with another man to kill a wolf. Such predatory animals were a threat to both sheep and people (there were at least 17 wolves killed in Chelmsford that year).
William was made a selectman on the town council in 1701, and from 1705 to 1707, he served as Chelmsford’s treasurer. One of his duties as treasurer was to see that money was paid to men who had committed time and money to the town, and sometimes that included his own service. In the account book of the church, William was told to pay himself £2 for several trips to neighboring towns when he brought ministers to Chelmsford to preach, and also 4 shillings that he had loaned to the town for an unknown reason. In another note he was told to pay himself £5 for “entertaining Mr. Goodhue.” This probably meant that he had taken a man into his home while visiting Chelmsford on official business.
In 1704, William was commissioned as a lieutenant by the governor in Boston, Joseph Dudley. The timing of William’s appointment seems to suggest he was involved in Queen Anne’s War, a conflict between English colonists and the French in Canada. The French were thought to have been using Indians to raid towns on the New England frontier, and when Deerfield was attacked in February 1704, the governor raised troops to invade Acadia in retaliation. This is likely when William was made lieutenant; if so, he may have participated in the effort to take Acadia from the French.
One of the last civic activities of William was to serve on a committee to build a new meetinghouse in Chelmsford. He was chosen to help supervise the project in 1710, which was due to be completed in June of 1712. But William didn’t live to see it — he died on May 23, 1712. He was buried in Forefathers Burial Ground in Chelmsford. Wife Sarah outlived him by many years, passing away in 1748. They were the great-great grandparents of President Franklin Pierce.
Children:
1. Sarah Fletcher — B. 26 May 1679, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 14 Jun 1734, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Nathaniel Butterfield (~1676-1749), 18 Jan 1697, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
2. Esther Fletcher — B. about 1685, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 20 Sep 1767, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Stephen Peirce (1678-1749), 5 Jan 1707, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
3. Reuben Fletcher — B. about 1685, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
4. Josiah Fletcher — B. 8 Apr 1687, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 30 Jan 1760, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Joanna Spaulding (1689-1768)
5. Mary Fletcher — B. about 1684; D. 23 Feb 1768, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. William Fletcher (1673-1744), 10 Dec 1701, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
6. William Fletcher — B. 1 Apr 1688, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 27 Jan 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Tabitha Pierce (1689-1742)
7. Lydia Fletcher — B. about 1690, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 27 May 1736
8. Robert Fletcher — B. 9 Jan 1691, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 20 Sep 1773, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Swan (1704-1774), 8 Jan 1724, Dunstable, Massachusetts
9. Bethiel Fletcher — B. about 1693, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
10. Ezekiel Fletcher — B. 24 Nov 1694, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. Jan 1742, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
11. Daniel Fletcher — B. 3 Mar 1697, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
12. Deborah Fletcher — B. 18 Mar 1699, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
13. Phoebe Fletcher — B. 24 Nov 1700, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 21 Jan 1743, Westford, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Hildreth (1695-1780), 29 Mar 1720, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
14. Rebecca Fletcher — B. 29 Jan 1702, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 1 Jan 1791, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Parker (1694-1738)
Sources:
Fletcher Genealogy: An Account of the Descendants of Robert Fletcher of Concord, Mass., Edward H. Fletcher, 1871
History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Rev. Wilson Waters, 1917
A Great and Noble Scheme, John Mack Faragher, 2005
Find-a-Grave
M. 6 Sep 1677 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Wife: Sarah Richardson
D. 23 May 1712 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
William Fletcher spent his entire life in Chelmsford, Massachusetts raising a large family and serving his town. He was born on February 21, 1657 to William Fletcher and his wife Lydia, one of their eight children; his mother also had a son by a previous marriage. William’s father had been one of Chelmsford’s original settlers in 1652, and the house where the family lived was said to be the first wood-frame dwelling in town.
On September 6, 1677, William married Sarah Richardson, the daughter of another of the town’s founders. The couple started a family with the birth of a daughter in 1679, and by 1702, they produced a total of 14 children; it’s believed that four of the children died young. Along with operating a farm, William took a role in serving the common interests of the town. In 1692, he was paid a bounty for working with another man to kill a wolf. Such predatory animals were a threat to both sheep and people (there were at least 17 wolves killed in Chelmsford that year).
William was made a selectman on the town council in 1701, and from 1705 to 1707, he served as Chelmsford’s treasurer. One of his duties as treasurer was to see that money was paid to men who had committed time and money to the town, and sometimes that included his own service. In the account book of the church, William was told to pay himself £2 for several trips to neighboring towns when he brought ministers to Chelmsford to preach, and also 4 shillings that he had loaned to the town for an unknown reason. In another note he was told to pay himself £5 for “entertaining Mr. Goodhue.” This probably meant that he had taken a man into his home while visiting Chelmsford on official business.
1701 Chelmsford appointment of officers.
1705 notes of payments by William as town treasurer.
In 1704, William was commissioned as a lieutenant by the governor in Boston, Joseph Dudley. The timing of William’s appointment seems to suggest he was involved in Queen Anne’s War, a conflict between English colonists and the French in Canada. The French were thought to have been using Indians to raid towns on the New England frontier, and when Deerfield was attacked in February 1704, the governor raised troops to invade Acadia in retaliation. This is likely when William was made lieutenant; if so, he may have participated in the effort to take Acadia from the French.
One of the last civic activities of William was to serve on a committee to build a new meetinghouse in Chelmsford. He was chosen to help supervise the project in 1710, which was due to be completed in June of 1712. But William didn’t live to see it — he died on May 23, 1712. He was buried in Forefathers Burial Ground in Chelmsford. Wife Sarah outlived him by many years, passing away in 1748. They were the great-great grandparents of President Franklin Pierce.
William’s grave.
Children:
1. Sarah Fletcher — B. 26 May 1679, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 14 Jun 1734, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Nathaniel Butterfield (~1676-1749), 18 Jan 1697, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
2. Esther Fletcher — B. about 1685, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 20 Sep 1767, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Stephen Peirce (1678-1749), 5 Jan 1707, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
3. Reuben Fletcher — B. about 1685, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
4. Josiah Fletcher — B. 8 Apr 1687, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 30 Jan 1760, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Joanna Spaulding (1689-1768)
5. Mary Fletcher — B. about 1684; D. 23 Feb 1768, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. William Fletcher (1673-1744), 10 Dec 1701, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
6. William Fletcher — B. 1 Apr 1688, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 27 Jan 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Tabitha Pierce (1689-1742)
7. Lydia Fletcher — B. about 1690, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 27 May 1736
8. Robert Fletcher — B. 9 Jan 1691, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 20 Sep 1773, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Swan (1704-1774), 8 Jan 1724, Dunstable, Massachusetts
9. Bethiel Fletcher — B. about 1693, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
10. Ezekiel Fletcher — B. 24 Nov 1694, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. Jan 1742, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
11. Daniel Fletcher — B. 3 Mar 1697, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
12. Deborah Fletcher — B. 18 Mar 1699, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
13. Phoebe Fletcher — B. 24 Nov 1700, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 21 Jan 1743, Westford, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Hildreth (1695-1780), 29 Mar 1720, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
14. Rebecca Fletcher — B. 29 Jan 1702, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 1 Jan 1791, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Parker (1694-1738)
Sources:
Fletcher Genealogy: An Account of the Descendants of Robert Fletcher of Concord, Mass., Edward H. Fletcher, 1871
History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Rev. Wilson Waters, 1917
A Great and Noble Scheme, John Mack Faragher, 2005
Find-a-Grave
Recruited For a New Life in America — Jacques Dubois
B. 1640 in Angouleme, Poitou, France
M. 18 Oct 1667 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Catherine Vieillot
D. Mar 1675 in St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France
Many people migrated to New France in the 17th century because the government offered an opportunity they couldn’t find at home. The story of Jacques Dubois was an example of this.
Jacques was born in 1640 to Jacques Dubois and Jeanne Tinion in Angouleme, a town in western France. He was illiterate and likely had no education, but he came of age when efforts to secure France’s colony in America were of vital interest, and this opened a door for his future. During the early 1660s, the survival of the settlement on the St. Lawrence River was threatened by Iroquois living to the south, as well as by the British in New England. It was thought that the only solution was to grow the population—and fast. So in 1663, the French government started funding the mass migration of single men and women.
In early 1664, advisors to the king looked at how well the program was going, and had a few suggestions for that year. They wrote a report that said, “There should be no girls, no women, no children; but that [the emigrants should be] all well-chosen men, good villagers and working men….” The report set a number of 300 emigrants for that year, advising that they be chosen from Normandy and not the area around La Rochelle, who, in their opinion, tended to be lazy, untrustworthy and without religion. The authorities agreed on most of the points; that year, they would send only one woman to New France, and most of the men would be from from Normandy. But it was decided that one ship carrying 50 recruits would leave from La Rochelle, and Jacques was chosen for that ship.
Jacques signed a 3-year contract of servitude, then boarded the ship Noir. Besides the 50 emigrants, the ship had a cargo of 10 barrels of brandy, 400 axes and 6 sheep. After they docked at Quebec City on May 25th, Jacques and the others awaited their fate for three days before leaving the ship. Local officials took over the recruits with the order that two-thirds of the men would be assigned work in Quebec City, while one-third would be sent to places in the west.
Jacques was among those who stayed in Quebec. In 1666, he was shown to be indentured to Louis Sédillot, a 66-year-old farmer living just west of Quebec’s Upper Town; whether Jacques spent his entire term of servitude with him isn’t known. The household had another young man under contract as well, and it's likely that both of them worked outdoors on the farm. Jacques’ term of service ended in late May 1667, and he wasted no time in finding a bride among the Filles du Roi who landed at Quebec that June. Her name was Marie Girard, but unfortunately things didn’t work out, and the marriage contract was cancelled on July 17th. Nothing more is known of the fate of Marie.
In September of that year, another ship of Filles du Roi arrived from France and Jacques found another match; on October 17, 1667, he married Catherine Vieillot at Notre-Dame in Quebec City. The couple settled on a farm in Ste-Famille on Île d’Orleans; they had four children by 1673, one of whom died young. Catherine was pregnant with their fifth child when Jacques suddenly died in March of 1675. He was buried at the church cemetery on March 17th. Catherine remarried only two months later, and Jacques’ child, a son, was born posthumously on October 7th.
Children:
1. François Dubois — B. 12 Nov 1668, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 27 Feb 1714, Quebec City, New France; M. Marie Guay (1674-1747), 18 Jan 1695, New France
2. Clémont Dubois — B. 2 Sep 1670, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. young
3. Clémont Dubois — B. 26 Oct 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 15 May 1720, Bécancour, New France; M. (1) Catherine Guay (1676-~1700), 30 Jan 1695, Lauzon, Lévis, New France; (2) Catherine LaBrecque (~1669-1703), 7 Jun 1700, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; (3) Marie-Anne Juin (~1679-?), 1 Feb 1706, Beaumont, New France
4. Jeanne Dubois — B. 28 Sep 1673, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 24 Dec 1705, Bellechasse, New France; M. Jacques Charest (1664-1725), 15 Sep 1693, Lauzon, Lévis, New France
5. Pierre Dubois — B. 7 Oct 1675, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 26 Nov 1743, Lachine, New France; M. Marie-Anne Mailloux (1682-1735), 3 Nov 1699, Beaumont, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
M. 18 Oct 1667 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Catherine Vieillot
D. Mar 1675 in St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France
Many people migrated to New France in the 17th century because the government offered an opportunity they couldn’t find at home. The story of Jacques Dubois was an example of this.
Jacques was born in 1640 to Jacques Dubois and Jeanne Tinion in Angouleme, a town in western France. He was illiterate and likely had no education, but he came of age when efforts to secure France’s colony in America were of vital interest, and this opened a door for his future. During the early 1660s, the survival of the settlement on the St. Lawrence River was threatened by Iroquois living to the south, as well as by the British in New England. It was thought that the only solution was to grow the population—and fast. So in 1663, the French government started funding the mass migration of single men and women.
In early 1664, advisors to the king looked at how well the program was going, and had a few suggestions for that year. They wrote a report that said, “There should be no girls, no women, no children; but that [the emigrants should be] all well-chosen men, good villagers and working men….” The report set a number of 300 emigrants for that year, advising that they be chosen from Normandy and not the area around La Rochelle, who, in their opinion, tended to be lazy, untrustworthy and without religion. The authorities agreed on most of the points; that year, they would send only one woman to New France, and most of the men would be from from Normandy. But it was decided that one ship carrying 50 recruits would leave from La Rochelle, and Jacques was chosen for that ship.
Jacques signed a 3-year contract of servitude, then boarded the ship Noir. Besides the 50 emigrants, the ship had a cargo of 10 barrels of brandy, 400 axes and 6 sheep. After they docked at Quebec City on May 25th, Jacques and the others awaited their fate for three days before leaving the ship. Local officials took over the recruits with the order that two-thirds of the men would be assigned work in Quebec City, while one-third would be sent to places in the west.
Passenger list of ship Noir. Jacques is the fifth name on the middle page.
Jacques was among those who stayed in Quebec. In 1666, he was shown to be indentured to Louis Sédillot, a 66-year-old farmer living just west of Quebec’s Upper Town; whether Jacques spent his entire term of servitude with him isn’t known. The household had another young man under contract as well, and it's likely that both of them worked outdoors on the farm. Jacques’ term of service ended in late May 1667, and he wasted no time in finding a bride among the Filles du Roi who landed at Quebec that June. Her name was Marie Girard, but unfortunately things didn’t work out, and the marriage contract was cancelled on July 17th. Nothing more is known of the fate of Marie.
In September of that year, another ship of Filles du Roi arrived from France and Jacques found another match; on October 17, 1667, he married Catherine Vieillot at Notre-Dame in Quebec City. The couple settled on a farm in Ste-Famille on Île d’Orleans; they had four children by 1673, one of whom died young. Catherine was pregnant with their fifth child when Jacques suddenly died in March of 1675. He was buried at the church cemetery on March 17th. Catherine remarried only two months later, and Jacques’ child, a son, was born posthumously on October 7th.
Children:
1. François Dubois — B. 12 Nov 1668, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 27 Feb 1714, Quebec City, New France; M. Marie Guay (1674-1747), 18 Jan 1695, New France
2. Clémont Dubois — B. 2 Sep 1670, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. young
3. Clémont Dubois — B. 26 Oct 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 15 May 1720, Bécancour, New France; M. (1) Catherine Guay (1676-~1700), 30 Jan 1695, Lauzon, Lévis, New France; (2) Catherine LaBrecque (~1669-1703), 7 Jun 1700, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; (3) Marie-Anne Juin (~1679-?), 1 Feb 1706, Beaumont, New France
4. Jeanne Dubois — B. 28 Sep 1673, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 24 Dec 1705, Bellechasse, New France; M. Jacques Charest (1664-1725), 15 Sep 1693, Lauzon, Lévis, New France
5. Pierre Dubois — B. 7 Oct 1675, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 26 Nov 1743, Lachine, New France; M. Marie-Anne Mailloux (1682-1735), 3 Nov 1699, Beaumont, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Paying Her Husband’s Debts — Marie-Madeleine Pruneau
B. 20 Jun 1708 in Montmagny, New France
M. (1) 31 Jul 1731 in Detroit, New France
Husband: Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St-Aubin
M. (2) 20 Jul 1735 in Detroit, New France
Husband: Vital Caron
D. before 1755 in (probably) Detroit, New France
When Marie-Madeleine’s fur trading husband died in the prime of his life, she was left alone to handle his finances. Madeleine was born in Montmagny, New France on June 20, 1708 to Jean Pruneau and Suzanne Emond. Her father was a native of France and she was one of at least 8 children in the family.
It isn’t known how or why Madeleine ended up in Detroit. She appeared there as the bride of a fur trader, Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St Aubin, married at the remote outpost on July 31, 1731. The following year, Madeleine gave birth to a son, but the child died young, and in February of 1733, her husband died of smallpox. Two years passed before she married another fur trader named Vital Caron. The wedding took place July 20, 1735 at Detroit, and they began a family in May 1736 with the birth of son. They had six more children, with the youngest born in 1746; four of their children died young.
During their married life, Vital worked as a fur trading merchant in Detroit, and Madeleine seemed to take part in the business. The Huron mission in Detroit ran a store in the settlement which also kept a detailed ledger book, and in addition to naming Vital, it also referred to “Madame Caron” in a few of the transactions. On July 3, 1746, she was said to owe the store for “wampum beads” and 500 nails, and in a separate note, that she had paid the store money owed to Hyacinth Reaume, a shoemaker.
Vital bought a tract of land from the mission in 1746 for 100 pistoles; the property had a house, and was over 66 acres with 2 arpents of frontage on the Detroit River. Unfortunately, Vital died on April 18, 1747, and Madeleine was left with the debt. For the next couple of years, the mission priests kept a record of the progress she made. On February 15, 1748, it was noted that she had made payment of 112 livres, and on April 20, 1749, another 30 livres. Finally, on May 20, 1750, the priest wrote in the ledger, “I have been paid in full for the land sold the late M. Caron by his widow.”
After the death of her husband, Madeleine conducted her own business with the mission store. In 1751, she sold them 15 pounds of beef; in other undated transactions, she sold 144 pounds of pork, and 32 pounds of pelts. One time she took money for a pig she agreed to fatten. All this was done while raising her surviving three children by herself.
It’s unknown when Madeleine died, but it was before 1755. The farm she briefly operated came to be owned by another French family, and passed through several owners before being subdivided in the mid-19th century as part of downtown Detroit. Today the land holds the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino and a portion of 5th Street.
Children by Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St-Aubin:
1. Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St-Aubin — B. 11 Jun 1732, Detroit, New France; D. young
Children by Vital Caron:
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
Cadillac’s Village, Clarence Monroe Burton, 1895
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
Corktown History (website)
M. (1) 31 Jul 1731 in Detroit, New France
Husband: Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St-Aubin
M. (2) 20 Jul 1735 in Detroit, New France
Husband: Vital Caron
D. before 1755 in (probably) Detroit, New France
When Marie-Madeleine’s fur trading husband died in the prime of his life, she was left alone to handle his finances. Madeleine was born in Montmagny, New France on June 20, 1708 to Jean Pruneau and Suzanne Emond. Her father was a native of France and she was one of at least 8 children in the family.
It isn’t known how or why Madeleine ended up in Detroit. She appeared there as the bride of a fur trader, Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St Aubin, married at the remote outpost on July 31, 1731. The following year, Madeleine gave birth to a son, but the child died young, and in February of 1733, her husband died of smallpox. Two years passed before she married another fur trader named Vital Caron. The wedding took place July 20, 1735 at Detroit, and they began a family in May 1736 with the birth of son. They had six more children, with the youngest born in 1746; four of their children died young.
During their married life, Vital worked as a fur trading merchant in Detroit, and Madeleine seemed to take part in the business. The Huron mission in Detroit ran a store in the settlement which also kept a detailed ledger book, and in addition to naming Vital, it also referred to “Madame Caron” in a few of the transactions. On July 3, 1746, she was said to owe the store for “wampum beads” and 500 nails, and in a separate note, that she had paid the store money owed to Hyacinth Reaume, a shoemaker.
Detroit during the time Madeleine lived there.
Vital bought a tract of land from the mission in 1746 for 100 pistoles; the property had a house, and was over 66 acres with 2 arpents of frontage on the Detroit River. Unfortunately, Vital died on April 18, 1747, and Madeleine was left with the debt. For the next couple of years, the mission priests kept a record of the progress she made. On February 15, 1748, it was noted that she had made payment of 112 livres, and on April 20, 1749, another 30 livres. Finally, on May 20, 1750, the priest wrote in the ledger, “I have been paid in full for the land sold the late M. Caron by his widow.”
After the death of her husband, Madeleine conducted her own business with the mission store. In 1751, she sold them 15 pounds of beef; in other undated transactions, she sold 144 pounds of pork, and 32 pounds of pelts. One time she took money for a pig she agreed to fatten. All this was done while raising her surviving three children by herself.
It’s unknown when Madeleine died, but it was before 1755. The farm she briefly operated came to be owned by another French family, and passed through several owners before being subdivided in the mid-19th century as part of downtown Detroit. Today the land holds the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino and a portion of 5th Street.
Children by Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St-Aubin:
1. Jean-Baptiste Casse dit St-Aubin — B. 11 Jun 1732, Detroit, New France; D. young
Children by Vital Caron:
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
Cadillac’s Village, Clarence Monroe Burton, 1895
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
Corktown History (website)
The Family Business of Fur Trade — Charles Diel
B. 5 Aug 1688 in La Prairie, New France
M. (1) 17 Feb 1716 in La Prairie, New France
Wife: Marie-Jeanne Boyer
M. (2) 9 Sep 1732 in Boucherville, New France
Wife: Marguerite Robert
D. 20 Jun 1734 in Longueuil, New France
For Charles Diel, fur trading was practically in his blood. He was born across the river from Montreal in La Prairie on August 5, 1688 to Charles Diel and Marie-Anne Picard. This was at a time when men in that region launched expeditions into the west in order to acquire furs from the Great Lakes Indians. Charles’ father was heavily involved in such efforts, and had signed a contract to go up the Ottawa River just days before young Charles was born. There were nine children in the family, but one of Charles’ brothers died young, and another was captured by Iroquois, never to return home. His mother died when he was 8-years-old, and his father was left to raise the children alone.
It’s likely that Charles’ father influenced him to take up fur trading. The earliest record showing him going on an expedition was in 1713, when on October 1st of that year, he was hired for a trip to Detroit. Typically a trip that left that late in the year meant he would have wintered there before returning in the spring with a canoe full of pelts. Charles was 25, so it probably wasn’t his first time on an expedition. Another contract dated May 28, 1718 had Charles making another journey to Detroit. It’s not known how many other times Charles traveled to the fur trading outposts, but he never made his permanent home in the west.
On February 17, 1716, Charles married the daughter of a fur trader, Marie-Jeanne Boyer. Just a year later, she gave birth to twin girls; the couple would eventually have nine children, including a set of twin boys. The family made their home in La Prairie, which became Longueuil when part of the town was split off. Sadly, Jeanne passed away on December 23, 1730 before any of the children came of age. Charles took a second wife on September 20, 1732, a widow named Marguerite Robert. Their time together was short because on June 20, 1734, Charles died.
The family tradition of fur trading was carried on by Charles’ sons. Oldest son Charles signed up for expeditions in 1747 and 1751, Eustache was known to have made 8 trips to outposts on the Great Lakes, and Joseph had at least two fur trading journeys. And son Antoine made his life in the west, first settling at Kaskaskia (present-day Illinois) and later at Ste-Genevieve, one of the earliest settlements in what is now Missouri.
Children (all by Marie-Jeanne Boyer):
1. Marie-Jeanne Diel — B. 24 Jan 1717, La Prairie, New France; D. 18 Feb 1769, La Prairie, Quebec; M. Jean-Baptiste Robidoux (1712-?), 28 Apr 1738, Longueuil, New France
2. Marie-Louise Diel — B. 24 Jan 1717, La Prairie, New France; D. 30 Apr 1730, New France
3. Anne Diel — B. 20 May 1720, La Prairie, New France; D. 25 Feb 1737, New France
4. Charles Diel — B. 29 Jan 1722, La Prairie, New France; M. Marie-Felicite Suave (1727-1759), 15 Jan 1746, Ste-Anne-de-Bellvue, New France
5. Antoine Diel — B. 5 Feb 1724, Longueuil, New France; D. 6 Jul 1775, Ste. Genevieve, Illinois Territory; M. Elisabeth Aubuchon
6. Eustache Diel — B. 5 Feb 1724, Longueuil, New France; D. 27 Jul 1793, St-Jean-François-Regis, Quebec; M. (1) Angelique Caille (1728-1772), 7 Apr 1750, La Prairie, New France; (2) Therese Rivard (1733-1787), 29 Aug 1774, St-Jean-François-Regis, Quebec
7. Joseph-Marie Diel — B. 21 Mar 1726, Longueuil, New France
8. Jeanne-Marie-Anne Diel — B. 11 Sep 1727, Longueuil, New France; D. 21 Nov 1760, La Prairie, New France; M. François Dupuis (1709-1764), 14 Feb 1752, La Prairie, New France
9. Marie-Josephe Diel — B. 18 Aug 1729, Longueuil, New France; D. 6 Jan 1788, Les Cèdres, Soulanges, Quebec; M. Andre Lalonde (1717-1800), 7 Apr 1750, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
M. (1) 17 Feb 1716 in La Prairie, New France
Wife: Marie-Jeanne Boyer
M. (2) 9 Sep 1732 in Boucherville, New France
Wife: Marguerite Robert
D. 20 Jun 1734 in Longueuil, New France
For Charles Diel, fur trading was practically in his blood. He was born across the river from Montreal in La Prairie on August 5, 1688 to Charles Diel and Marie-Anne Picard. This was at a time when men in that region launched expeditions into the west in order to acquire furs from the Great Lakes Indians. Charles’ father was heavily involved in such efforts, and had signed a contract to go up the Ottawa River just days before young Charles was born. There were nine children in the family, but one of Charles’ brothers died young, and another was captured by Iroquois, never to return home. His mother died when he was 8-years-old, and his father was left to raise the children alone.
It’s likely that Charles’ father influenced him to take up fur trading. The earliest record showing him going on an expedition was in 1713, when on October 1st of that year, he was hired for a trip to Detroit. Typically a trip that left that late in the year meant he would have wintered there before returning in the spring with a canoe full of pelts. Charles was 25, so it probably wasn’t his first time on an expedition. Another contract dated May 28, 1718 had Charles making another journey to Detroit. It’s not known how many other times Charles traveled to the fur trading outposts, but he never made his permanent home in the west.
French fur traders.
On February 17, 1716, Charles married the daughter of a fur trader, Marie-Jeanne Boyer. Just a year later, she gave birth to twin girls; the couple would eventually have nine children, including a set of twin boys. The family made their home in La Prairie, which became Longueuil when part of the town was split off. Sadly, Jeanne passed away on December 23, 1730 before any of the children came of age. Charles took a second wife on September 20, 1732, a widow named Marguerite Robert. Their time together was short because on June 20, 1734, Charles died.
The family tradition of fur trading was carried on by Charles’ sons. Oldest son Charles signed up for expeditions in 1747 and 1751, Eustache was known to have made 8 trips to outposts on the Great Lakes, and Joseph had at least two fur trading journeys. And son Antoine made his life in the west, first settling at Kaskaskia (present-day Illinois) and later at Ste-Genevieve, one of the earliest settlements in what is now Missouri.
Children (all by Marie-Jeanne Boyer):
1. Marie-Jeanne Diel — B. 24 Jan 1717, La Prairie, New France; D. 18 Feb 1769, La Prairie, Quebec; M. Jean-Baptiste Robidoux (1712-?), 28 Apr 1738, Longueuil, New France
2. Marie-Louise Diel — B. 24 Jan 1717, La Prairie, New France; D. 30 Apr 1730, New France
3. Anne Diel — B. 20 May 1720, La Prairie, New France; D. 25 Feb 1737, New France
4. Charles Diel — B. 29 Jan 1722, La Prairie, New France; M. Marie-Felicite Suave (1727-1759), 15 Jan 1746, Ste-Anne-de-Bellvue, New France
5. Antoine Diel — B. 5 Feb 1724, Longueuil, New France; D. 6 Jul 1775, Ste. Genevieve, Illinois Territory; M. Elisabeth Aubuchon
6. Eustache Diel — B. 5 Feb 1724, Longueuil, New France; D. 27 Jul 1793, St-Jean-François-Regis, Quebec; M. (1) Angelique Caille (1728-1772), 7 Apr 1750, La Prairie, New France; (2) Therese Rivard (1733-1787), 29 Aug 1774, St-Jean-François-Regis, Quebec
7. Joseph-Marie Diel — B. 21 Mar 1726, Longueuil, New France
8. Jeanne-Marie-Anne Diel — B. 11 Sep 1727, Longueuil, New France; D. 21 Nov 1760, La Prairie, New France; M. François Dupuis (1709-1764), 14 Feb 1752, La Prairie, New France
9. Marie-Josephe Diel — B. 18 Aug 1729, Longueuil, New France; D. 6 Jan 1788, Les Cèdres, Soulanges, Quebec; M. Andre Lalonde (1717-1800), 7 Apr 1750, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Dutch Shoemaker in a Puritan Town — Cornelius Vonck
B. about 1635 in (probably) Netherlands
M. 26 Dec 1667 in Southampton, New York
Wife: Magdalena Hendricks
D. 8 Aug 1681, Southampton, New York
The mystery of Cornelius Vonck is how a Dutchman ended up living in a settlement on eastern Long Island that was populated almost entirely by people from New England. His birth date and birth place are unknown. The first appearance of his name was on a list of inhabitants of Southampton from 1657; assuming he was an adult, that puts his birth date in the 1630s or earlier. Given the date, it’s likely that Cornelius was born in the Netherlands, but whether he first migrated to New Netherland, or came directly to eastern Long Island is a fact lost to history.
When Cornelius turned up in Southampton, the settlement had been in existence less than 20 years. It was founded by a group of men from Massachusetts seeking to expand the colony into this remote location. Southampton had all of the civic structure of any village in New England, with religion as a base of authority and a local council who reported to the General Court in Boston. The Dutch in Manhattan immediately questioned the rights of these people to settle there since New Netherland leaders claimed that Long Island was in their jurisdiction, but after meeting with the new settlers, they allowed them to stay.
The list of Southampton inhabitants from 1657 showed that there were a total 61 men as heads of households, most of them known to have originated in Massachusetts. The town was laid out on a couple of strips, with most of the homes being on “Main Street,” but Cornelius was among three lots described as “up the hill,” positioned between lots owned by men named Ben Davis and John Cooper. Cornelius was the only one on the list appearing to have a Dutch name; in later records he was identified as a “German” or Dutchman, suggesting his nationality was an outlier in the community.
Cornelius likely farmed some of his land, but was also noted as a “cordwainer,” or shoemaker. Perhaps it was a skill he brought from his native country; a shoemaker in the 17th century custom-made his product for his customers, shaping pieces of leather on wooden forms and stitching them together. For a town so remote, Cornelius' service was likely the only way settlers could easily acquire their footwear.
On December 26, 1667, Cornelius married a woman named Magdalena Hendricks. It’s believed that she was from a family living in Flatbush, and it’s easy to imagine that Cornelius traveled there to find a wife. The marriage took place in Southampton, and the following August, their first child was born; by 1681, Magdalena gave birth to seven more.
Over the years, Cornelius was involved in several land transactions in Southampton. A couple of weeks after he got married, he purchased a house with 8 acres from his neighbor, Ben Davis. A few years later, he sold some pasture land, and another 5 acres he owned to other settlers. On August 6, 1677, he purchased 10 acres from Davis in a section of the town called Sagaponack. In the present day, this area is the second most expensive zip code in the United States, with a median home sale price in 2024 of $5,950,000.
Cornelius died in Southampton on August 8, 1681, leaving his widow Magdalena with six underaged children. She sold their home in Southampton and moved to Flatbush, where she remarried in 1689.
Children:
1. Alida Vonck — B. 27 Aug 1668, Southampton, New York
2. Catherine Vonck — B. 9 Mar 1670, Southampton, New York; D. 1758, Flatbush, New York; M. (1) Henry Ruttgert; (2) Henry Filkin (1651-1713), Dec 1695, New York, New York
3. John Vonck — B. 15 Nov 1671, Southampton, New York
4. Mary Vonck — B. 27 Jan 1673, Southampton, New York; M. Jan Laurensz Van Wormer, 1697
5. Magdalena Vonck — B. 2 May 1675, Southampton, New York; D. 1736, Tarrytown, New York; M. Jan Ecker (~1660-1736), 1693, Phillipsburgh, New York
6. Ida Vonck — B. 17 Apr 1677, Southampton, New York; D. 9 Jun 1738, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. Aucke Reyniersen Van Henglen (?-1740), 1695, Long Island, New York
7. Barbara Vonck — B. 16 Apr 1679, Southampton, New York; D. 13 Sep 1774, Six Mile Run, New Jersey; M. Adriaen Bennet (~1670-1731), 1694, New York
8. Hendrick Vonck — B. 7 Jan 1681, Southampton, New York; M. Catheryna Hegeman (1685-?), 12 May 1706, Flatbush, New York
Sources:
The Early History of Southampton, L. I., George Rogers Howell, 1866
Records of the Town of Southampton, 1660-1717, J.H. Hunt (printer), 1877
Register in Alphabetical Order of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., Teunis G. Bergen, 1881
Sagaponack, New York (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree
Find A Grave
M. 26 Dec 1667 in Southampton, New York
Wife: Magdalena Hendricks
D. 8 Aug 1681, Southampton, New York
The mystery of Cornelius Vonck is how a Dutchman ended up living in a settlement on eastern Long Island that was populated almost entirely by people from New England. His birth date and birth place are unknown. The first appearance of his name was on a list of inhabitants of Southampton from 1657; assuming he was an adult, that puts his birth date in the 1630s or earlier. Given the date, it’s likely that Cornelius was born in the Netherlands, but whether he first migrated to New Netherland, or came directly to eastern Long Island is a fact lost to history.
When Cornelius turned up in Southampton, the settlement had been in existence less than 20 years. It was founded by a group of men from Massachusetts seeking to expand the colony into this remote location. Southampton had all of the civic structure of any village in New England, with religion as a base of authority and a local council who reported to the General Court in Boston. The Dutch in Manhattan immediately questioned the rights of these people to settle there since New Netherland leaders claimed that Long Island was in their jurisdiction, but after meeting with the new settlers, they allowed them to stay.
The list of Southampton inhabitants from 1657 showed that there were a total 61 men as heads of households, most of them known to have originated in Massachusetts. The town was laid out on a couple of strips, with most of the homes being on “Main Street,” but Cornelius was among three lots described as “up the hill,” positioned between lots owned by men named Ben Davis and John Cooper. Cornelius was the only one on the list appearing to have a Dutch name; in later records he was identified as a “German” or Dutchman, suggesting his nationality was an outlier in the community.
Cornelius likely farmed some of his land, but was also noted as a “cordwainer,” or shoemaker. Perhaps it was a skill he brought from his native country; a shoemaker in the 17th century custom-made his product for his customers, shaping pieces of leather on wooden forms and stitching them together. For a town so remote, Cornelius' service was likely the only way settlers could easily acquire their footwear.
Shoemakers at work.
On December 26, 1667, Cornelius married a woman named Magdalena Hendricks. It’s believed that she was from a family living in Flatbush, and it’s easy to imagine that Cornelius traveled there to find a wife. The marriage took place in Southampton, and the following August, their first child was born; by 1681, Magdalena gave birth to seven more.
Over the years, Cornelius was involved in several land transactions in Southampton. A couple of weeks after he got married, he purchased a house with 8 acres from his neighbor, Ben Davis. A few years later, he sold some pasture land, and another 5 acres he owned to other settlers. On August 6, 1677, he purchased 10 acres from Davis in a section of the town called Sagaponack. In the present day, this area is the second most expensive zip code in the United States, with a median home sale price in 2024 of $5,950,000.
Sagaponack in 2024.
Cornelius died in Southampton on August 8, 1681, leaving his widow Magdalena with six underaged children. She sold their home in Southampton and moved to Flatbush, where she remarried in 1689.
Children:
1. Alida Vonck — B. 27 Aug 1668, Southampton, New York
2. Catherine Vonck — B. 9 Mar 1670, Southampton, New York; D. 1758, Flatbush, New York; M. (1) Henry Ruttgert; (2) Henry Filkin (1651-1713), Dec 1695, New York, New York
3. John Vonck — B. 15 Nov 1671, Southampton, New York
4. Mary Vonck — B. 27 Jan 1673, Southampton, New York; M. Jan Laurensz Van Wormer, 1697
5. Magdalena Vonck — B. 2 May 1675, Southampton, New York; D. 1736, Tarrytown, New York; M. Jan Ecker (~1660-1736), 1693, Phillipsburgh, New York
6. Ida Vonck — B. 17 Apr 1677, Southampton, New York; D. 9 Jun 1738, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. Aucke Reyniersen Van Henglen (?-1740), 1695, Long Island, New York
7. Barbara Vonck — B. 16 Apr 1679, Southampton, New York; D. 13 Sep 1774, Six Mile Run, New Jersey; M. Adriaen Bennet (~1670-1731), 1694, New York
8. Hendrick Vonck — B. 7 Jan 1681, Southampton, New York; M. Catheryna Hegeman (1685-?), 12 May 1706, Flatbush, New York
Sources:
The Early History of Southampton, L. I., George Rogers Howell, 1866
Records of the Town of Southampton, 1660-1717, J.H. Hunt (printer), 1877
Register in Alphabetical Order of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., Teunis G. Bergen, 1881
Sagaponack, New York (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree
Find A Grave
The Final Force From France — Jean-Baptiste Ravellette
B. 14 Dec 1724 in Morannes, Maine-et-Loire, France
M. 25 Sep 1758 in Detroit, New France
Wife: Marie-Françoise Rosalie Fauvel
D. before 1784 in (probably) Vincennes, Virginia Territory
By early 1767, Jean-Baptiste and his family had moved to Post Vincennes in present-day Indiana. Although the British had a presence at the fort in the village, the French people were free to maintain their community and culture. One of the challenges was the absence of a permanent priest, and the baptisms of some of his children were recorded by the town’s notary. His youngest child, Marie-Therese, was baptized by the visiting priest in 1773 when the girl was nearly a year-old. Later that decade, Vincennes was the site of an important battle in the Revolutionary War. It was said that the French citizens helped the American forces capture Fort Vincennes from the British, but it’s not known if Jean-Baptiste played any role in the fight.
Jean-Baptiste spent the rest of his life in Vincennes, likely dying in about 1783. His wife Françoise died sometime before him. Their descendants continued to live in Vincennes for many generations.
Children:
1. Louis Favel Ravellette — B. about 1758, (probably) Detroit, New France; D. 1835, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Françoise Agnes Godere (1766-~1835), 2 Aug 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory
2. Marie-Madeleine Ravellette — B. before 10 Jun 1760, Detroit, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Lagarde (?-~1790), before 27 Dec 1774, (probably) Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
3. Guillaume Ravellette — B. 1763, Detroit, New France
4. Marie-Joseph Ravellette — B. about Mar 1767, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
5. Marie-Louise Ravellette — B. 10 Apr 1770, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
6. Marie-Therese Ravellette — B. 21 Feb 1772, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
Sources:
Detroit Historical Society (website)
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
Compagnies franches de la Marine au Canada 1750-1760 (website)
FichierOrigine.com
WikiTree
M. 25 Sep 1758 in Detroit, New France
Wife: Marie-Françoise Rosalie Fauvel
D. before 1784 in (probably) Vincennes, Virginia Territory
The colony of New France was populated with many people whose families had migrated there in the 17th century, but others came much later, and a lot of them were soldiers. This was the case for Jean-Baptiste Ravellette, whose service brought him to the western frontier just before the English took over.
Jean-Baptiste was born on December 14, 1724 in Morannes, France, a village in the western part of the country. His parents were Marcellus Ravalet and Jane Durandeau; his father was a potter. It’s not known if Jean-Baptiste had any brothers and sisters; his mother died by the time he was 6-years-old, then his father married three more times within 5 years. By 1733, the family lived in Tiercé, a few miles downriver from Jean-Baptiste’s birth place.
Nothing more is known of Jean-Baptiste until he turned up in a marriage record in Detroit at the age of 33. On September 25, 1758, he married Marie-Françoise Rosalie Fauvel, a 17-year-old girl who lived in the area. Jean-Baptiste was identified as a “soldier in the troops of the navy, in the company of Baune.” The date falls right in the middle of the struggle to hold onto New France. As the English threatened even the most remote outposts, Detroit was seen as the last chance to keep anything. Four hundred French soldiers were sent there, and Jean-Baptiste must have been one of them.
Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste.
French soldier in 1750s America.
As the war was ending in defeat for the French, Jean-Baptiste and his young bride made their home at Detroit. Their first child was born near the time they were married, so it’s very likely Françoise was pregnant before their wedding. By 1772, they had five more children, some of whom probably died young. Detroit fell under British authority in 1762, and a census was taken of all of the French inhabitants; Jean-Baptiste wasn’t listed, but it’s possible he was living outside of the area that was enumerated or he was simply missed.
Jean-Baptiste spent the rest of his life in Vincennes, likely dying in about 1783. His wife Françoise died sometime before him. Their descendants continued to live in Vincennes for many generations.
Children:
1. Louis Favel Ravellette — B. about 1758, (probably) Detroit, New France; D. 1835, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Françoise Agnes Godere (1766-~1835), 2 Aug 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory
2. Marie-Madeleine Ravellette — B. before 10 Jun 1760, Detroit, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Lagarde (?-~1790), before 27 Dec 1774, (probably) Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
3. Guillaume Ravellette — B. 1763, Detroit, New France
4. Marie-Joseph Ravellette — B. about Mar 1767, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
5. Marie-Louise Ravellette — B. 10 Apr 1770, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
6. Marie-Therese Ravellette — B. 21 Feb 1772, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory
Sources:
Detroit Historical Society (website)
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
Compagnies franches de la Marine au Canada 1750-1760 (website)
FichierOrigine.com
WikiTree
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Busy Life of a Tenant Farmer — Jean Baillargeon
B. about 1612 in Londigny, Angouleme, France1
M. (1) 20 Nov 1650 in Quebec City, New France2
Wife: Marguerite Guillebourdeau
M. (2) 8 Mar 1666 in Quebec City, New France3
Wife: Esther Coindriau
D. before 1681 in (probably) Île d’Orléans, New France4
There are lots of records of Jean Baillargeon working and raising a family in New France, but only during the prime of his life. Jean’s origins are a mystery, and it’s only known that he was born in about 1612 in Londigny, France to Louis Bailargeon and Marthe Fourier.1 It wasn’t until Jean was in his late 30s that he first appears in any surviving document, and that was after he arrived in New France—how and why he got there isn’t known.
On a lease dated July 1, 1650, Jean partnered with another man to acquire a farm on the southwestern tip of Île d’Orleans.1 The land was owned by a wealthy widow named Eleanore de Grandmaison; it included a house, barn and stable, along with two oxen and five cows provided for the tenants’ use. The house was 40 feet by 20 feet, and had been built two years earlier by another immigrant, Paul Chalifour. The lease agreement specified that the two men were to pay the first year’s rent with quantities of wheat, peas and barley harvested during the first year.
Later that year, Jean got married in Quebec City.2 His bride was Marguerite Guillebourdeau, a woman about 30-years-old who also had a sketchy background, and seemingly no relatives in New France. The wedding took place on November 20, 1650, and she gave birth to their first child just six months later, making it certain that she was pregnant when they married. Eventually they had three more children, with the youngest born in 1659; one of the children died young.
During the 1650s, Jean agreed to contracts working for several people in New France. On March 26, 1651, he made his mark on an agreement to work for Ursuline nuns in Quebec City doing unspecified labor for six months; he was paid a wage of one and a half livres for each day of work.1 Three years later in 1654, he agreed to provide some masonry for a new building in Quebec City; he was to “extract all of the stone” for the jambs of the chimney, and be paid two livres for the job.1
Besides the contracts for labor, Jean was busy working on farms and dealing in property. Between about 1655 and 1660, his name appeared on many contracts and transactions:
October 18, 1655 — He bought a concession of land on Île d’Orléans with 4 arpents of frontage from a widow named Étiennette Després.1
August 15, 1656 — He sold the above concession of land.1
June 5, 1656 — A house in the lower town of Quebec City was bought by Martin Prévost “for the benefit of” Jean.1
June 27, 1656 — He purchased the crops from a piece of land at Cap-Rouge from a settler returning to France. The plan was for Jean to harvest the crop and share the profits from sale with the settler who owned the land.1
October 22, 1656 — He agreed to work the land of a man who owned a farm in Sillery. He contracted to do this for five years at a rate of 350 livres per year. He also received 100 livres for each arpent he cleared on the property.1
June 16, 1657 — He sold the house in Quebec City to Étiennette Després for 300 livres.1
January 24, 1659 — He bought 50 arpents of land “between the fort St François Xavier and Le Cap Rouge.”1
On February 1, 1660, Jean signed a lease for 10 arpents of land with a house, stable and garden, plus three cows and two oxen located at St-Laurent on Île d’Orléans.1 He was paid 500 livres per year for three years, but could pay in “wheat, peas, butter, planks, etc.” The rent was later reduced to 300 livres by the owner after Iroquois attacked the island in the spring of 1661.1 There was suggestion that the raiding Indians damaged the property, although Jean and his family escaped harm.
After settling at the farm in St-Laurent, Jean seems to have stayed there for good. His wife Marguerite died on October 20, 1662 at the age of 42,5 and he had a brief second marriage with a woman named Esther Coindriau from 1666 to 1667.3 Jean last appeared in records on August 22, 1669 when St-Laurent property was officially ceded to him.1 He wasn’t alive in the 1681 census, so he must have died by that date.1
Children:
1. Jeanne Baillargeon — B. 4 May 1651, Quebec City, New France;6 D. 19 Aug 1729, Quebec City, New France;7 M. (1) Jean Lebrecque (1634-1673), 27 Nov 1664, Château-Richer, New France;8 (2) Pierre Brulon (1637-1678), 1 Nov 1674, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orléans, New France;9 (3) Antoine Mondin (~1644-1707), 3 Feb 1681, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orléans, New France10
2. Nicolas Baillargeon — B. 22 Feb 1654, Quebec City, New France;11 D. 2 Sep 1712, Quebec City, New France;12 M. (1) Anne Crepeau (1667-1703), 15 Nov 1683, St-Pierre, Île d’Orléans, New France;13 (2) Jeanne Rouleau (1690-1749), 8 Aug 1707, St-Laurent, Île d’Orléans, New France14
3. Louis Baillargeon — B. 26 Oct 1656, Quebec City, New France15
4. Jean Baillargeon — B. 5 Sep 1659, Quebec City, New France;16 D. 1 Apr 1694, St-Laurent, Île d’Orléans, New France;17 M. Marie-Jeanne Godbout (1665-1732), 2 Mar 1683, St-Laurent, Île d’Orléans, New France18
Sources:
1 Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
2 Marriage record of Jean Baillargeon and Marguerite Guillebourdeau, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage record of Jean Baillargeon and Esther Coindriau, Q.C.P.R.
4 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
5 Burial record of Marguerite Guillebourdeau, Q.C.P.R.
6 Baptismal record of Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
7 Burial record of Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
8 Marriage record of Jean Lebrecque and Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
9 Marriage record of Pierre Brulon and Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
10 Marriage record of Antoine Mondin and Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
11 Baptismal record of Nicolas Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Nicolas Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Anne Crepeau, Q.C.P.R.
14 Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Jeanne Rouleau, Q.C.P.R.
15 Baptismal record of Louis Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
16 Baptismal record of Jean Baillargeon (younger), Q.C.P.R.
17 Burial record of Jean Baillargeon (younger), Q.C.P.R.
18 Marriage record of Jean Baillargeon and Marie-Jeanne Godbout, Q.C.P.R.
M. (1) 20 Nov 1650 in Quebec City, New France2
Wife: Marguerite Guillebourdeau
M. (2) 8 Mar 1666 in Quebec City, New France3
Wife: Esther Coindriau
D. before 1681 in (probably) Île d’Orléans, New France4
There are lots of records of Jean Baillargeon working and raising a family in New France, but only during the prime of his life. Jean’s origins are a mystery, and it’s only known that he was born in about 1612 in Londigny, France to Louis Bailargeon and Marthe Fourier.1 It wasn’t until Jean was in his late 30s that he first appears in any surviving document, and that was after he arrived in New France—how and why he got there isn’t known.
On a lease dated July 1, 1650, Jean partnered with another man to acquire a farm on the southwestern tip of Île d’Orleans.1 The land was owned by a wealthy widow named Eleanore de Grandmaison; it included a house, barn and stable, along with two oxen and five cows provided for the tenants’ use. The house was 40 feet by 20 feet, and had been built two years earlier by another immigrant, Paul Chalifour. The lease agreement specified that the two men were to pay the first year’s rent with quantities of wheat, peas and barley harvested during the first year.
Later that year, Jean got married in Quebec City.2 His bride was Marguerite Guillebourdeau, a woman about 30-years-old who also had a sketchy background, and seemingly no relatives in New France. The wedding took place on November 20, 1650, and she gave birth to their first child just six months later, making it certain that she was pregnant when they married. Eventually they had three more children, with the youngest born in 1659; one of the children died young.
During the 1650s, Jean agreed to contracts working for several people in New France. On March 26, 1651, he made his mark on an agreement to work for Ursuline nuns in Quebec City doing unspecified labor for six months; he was paid a wage of one and a half livres for each day of work.1 Three years later in 1654, he agreed to provide some masonry for a new building in Quebec City; he was to “extract all of the stone” for the jambs of the chimney, and be paid two livres for the job.1
Besides the contracts for labor, Jean was busy working on farms and dealing in property. Between about 1655 and 1660, his name appeared on many contracts and transactions:
October 18, 1655 — He bought a concession of land on Île d’Orléans with 4 arpents of frontage from a widow named Étiennette Després.1
August 15, 1656 — He sold the above concession of land.1
June 5, 1656 — A house in the lower town of Quebec City was bought by Martin Prévost “for the benefit of” Jean.1
June 27, 1656 — He purchased the crops from a piece of land at Cap-Rouge from a settler returning to France. The plan was for Jean to harvest the crop and share the profits from sale with the settler who owned the land.1
October 22, 1656 — He agreed to work the land of a man who owned a farm in Sillery. He contracted to do this for five years at a rate of 350 livres per year. He also received 100 livres for each arpent he cleared on the property.1
June 16, 1657 — He sold the house in Quebec City to Étiennette Després for 300 livres.1
January 24, 1659 — He bought 50 arpents of land “between the fort St François Xavier and Le Cap Rouge.”1
Along the St. Lawrence River in New France.
On February 1, 1660, Jean signed a lease for 10 arpents of land with a house, stable and garden, plus three cows and two oxen located at St-Laurent on Île d’Orléans.1 He was paid 500 livres per year for three years, but could pay in “wheat, peas, butter, planks, etc.” The rent was later reduced to 300 livres by the owner after Iroquois attacked the island in the spring of 1661.1 There was suggestion that the raiding Indians damaged the property, although Jean and his family escaped harm.
After settling at the farm in St-Laurent, Jean seems to have stayed there for good. His wife Marguerite died on October 20, 1662 at the age of 42,5 and he had a brief second marriage with a woman named Esther Coindriau from 1666 to 1667.3 Jean last appeared in records on August 22, 1669 when St-Laurent property was officially ceded to him.1 He wasn’t alive in the 1681 census, so he must have died by that date.1
Children:
1. Jeanne Baillargeon — B. 4 May 1651, Quebec City, New France;6 D. 19 Aug 1729, Quebec City, New France;7 M. (1) Jean Lebrecque (1634-1673), 27 Nov 1664, Château-Richer, New France;8 (2) Pierre Brulon (1637-1678), 1 Nov 1674, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orléans, New France;9 (3) Antoine Mondin (~1644-1707), 3 Feb 1681, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orléans, New France10
2. Nicolas Baillargeon — B. 22 Feb 1654, Quebec City, New France;11 D. 2 Sep 1712, Quebec City, New France;12 M. (1) Anne Crepeau (1667-1703), 15 Nov 1683, St-Pierre, Île d’Orléans, New France;13 (2) Jeanne Rouleau (1690-1749), 8 Aug 1707, St-Laurent, Île d’Orléans, New France14
3. Louis Baillargeon — B. 26 Oct 1656, Quebec City, New France15
4. Jean Baillargeon — B. 5 Sep 1659, Quebec City, New France;16 D. 1 Apr 1694, St-Laurent, Île d’Orléans, New France;17 M. Marie-Jeanne Godbout (1665-1732), 2 Mar 1683, St-Laurent, Île d’Orléans, New France18
Sources:
1 Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
2 Marriage record of Jean Baillargeon and Marguerite Guillebourdeau, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage record of Jean Baillargeon and Esther Coindriau, Q.C.P.R.
4 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
5 Burial record of Marguerite Guillebourdeau, Q.C.P.R.
6 Baptismal record of Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
7 Burial record of Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
8 Marriage record of Jean Lebrecque and Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
9 Marriage record of Pierre Brulon and Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
10 Marriage record of Antoine Mondin and Jeanne Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
11 Baptismal record of Nicolas Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Nicolas Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Anne Crepeau, Q.C.P.R.
14 Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Jeanne Rouleau, Q.C.P.R.
15 Baptismal record of Louis Baillargeon, Q.C.P.R.
16 Baptismal record of Jean Baillargeon (younger), Q.C.P.R.
17 Burial record of Jean Baillargeon (younger), Q.C.P.R.
18 Marriage record of Jean Baillargeon and Marie-Jeanne Godbout, Q.C.P.R.
Friday, January 4, 2019
He Died on Trip to England — Francis Parrat
B. before 25 May 1615 in Melton Ross, Lincolnshire, England
M. 1639 in (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts
Wife: Elizabeth Northend
D. before 30 Sep 1656 in (probably) England
In the prime of his life, Francis Parrat left his family in colonial New England, returning to his country of origin, and never made it back.
Records show that Francis was born in Melton Ross, Lincolnshire, England, baptized there on May 25, 1615. His parents were Francis Parrat and Faith Barre, and he was the second of their five known children; two of his sisters also migrated to Massachusetts. Francis had enough education that he could write fairly well, but little else is known about his early life.
Francis was the ancestor of President Chester Alan Arthur, Charles and John Sargent Pillsbury (founders of Pillsbury Co.), and singer James Taylor.
Children:
1. Elizabeth Parrat — B. 1 May 1640, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 9 May 1690, Haverhill, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Worcester (1629-1681), 29 Nov 1659, Rowley, Massachusetts
2. Faith Parrat — B. 20 Mar 1642, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 15 Oct 1715, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Ezekiel Jewett (1643-1723), 26 Feb 1663, Rowley, Massachusetts
3. John Parrat — B. 22 Feb 1643, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. young
4. Sarah Parrat — B. 22 Feb 1643, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 9 Oct 1663, (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts
5. Mercy Parrat — B. 23 Jul 1646, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 27 Nov 1667, (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Tenney (1640-1722), 26 Feb 1664, Rowley, Massachusetts
6. Mary Parrat — B. 15 Jul 1647, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 28 Sep 1714, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Sawyer (1648-1722), about 1674, Rowley, Massachusetts
7. Martha Parrat — B. 9 Oct 1649, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 13 Jul 1730, Amesbury, Massachusetts; M. Isaac Colby (1640-1723), 1668, Salisbury, Massachusetts
8. Hannah Parrat — B. 21 Dec 1651, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. young
Sources:
The History of Rowley, Thomas Gage, 1840
The Early Records of Rowley, Massachusetts, 1639-1672, Benjamin P. Mighill, George Brainard Blodgette, 1984
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume I, edited by George Francis Drew, 1912
Ezekiel Rogers (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree
M. 1639 in (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts
Wife: Elizabeth Northend
D. before 30 Sep 1656 in (probably) England
In the prime of his life, Francis Parrat left his family in colonial New England, returning to his country of origin, and never made it back.
Records show that Francis was born in Melton Ross, Lincolnshire, England, baptized there on May 25, 1615. His parents were Francis Parrat and Faith Barre, and he was the second of their five known children; two of his sisters also migrated to Massachusetts. Francis had enough education that he could write fairly well, but little else is known about his early life.
By 1638, Francis had become a follower of Puritanism and he joined the migration to America. He was part of a group led by Reverend Ezekiel Rogers, a minister from Yorkshire. Early in the spring of 1639, they formed a settlement north of Salem which would later that year be incorporated as Rowley. Francis married another settler, Elizabeth Northend, around that time, starting a family with the birth of a daughter in 1640. They went on to have a total of eight children, of which two died young; all of the survivors were girls, so his name wasn’t passed on to descendants.
Francis took an active role in the civic duties of the town. He served as town clerk from 1641 to 1655, representative to the General Court in 1640 and 1642, church deacon in 1655, and he was one of four men who surveyed the town lots in 1644. The original tract of land designated as Rowley had been already divided up when Francis was involved with recording who owned each lot; his own property included upland, meadows and salt marsh, plus two acres in the village where he lived with his family.
Court records show that Francis served on juries several times, and he was paid for his service, but no cases were brought against him, nor did he appear to sue anyone. He and his wife were named as witnesses in 1652 at a case against a man named John Broadstreet who was accused of “having familiarity with the devil.” Broadstreet said that he “that he heard a voice that told him to build a bridge of sand and a ladder of sand to heaven.” He was ordered by the court to pay a fine and be whipped.
In late 1655, Francis made plans to visit England, an unusual thing for a colonist to do. In preparation for the trip, he made out a will dated November 18th, just in case something were to happen to him. It isn’t known why he went or what took place when he arrived, but in February 1658, his wife remarried, so he must have died in the interim. Because there’s no burial record for him in Massachusetts, it’s likely that he died in England, or onboard a ship in the Atlantic. There is a burial for a Francis Parrat in Sutterton, Lincolnshire dated January 5, 1656, and it’s possible that this was him.
Francis took an active role in the civic duties of the town. He served as town clerk from 1641 to 1655, representative to the General Court in 1640 and 1642, church deacon in 1655, and he was one of four men who surveyed the town lots in 1644. The original tract of land designated as Rowley had been already divided up when Francis was involved with recording who owned each lot; his own property included upland, meadows and salt marsh, plus two acres in the village where he lived with his family.
Court records show that Francis served on juries several times, and he was paid for his service, but no cases were brought against him, nor did he appear to sue anyone. He and his wife were named as witnesses in 1652 at a case against a man named John Broadstreet who was accused of “having familiarity with the devil.” Broadstreet said that he “that he heard a voice that told him to build a bridge of sand and a ladder of sand to heaven.” He was ordered by the court to pay a fine and be whipped.
In late 1655, Francis made plans to visit England, an unusual thing for a colonist to do. In preparation for the trip, he made out a will dated November 18th, just in case something were to happen to him. It isn’t known why he went or what took place when he arrived, but in February 1658, his wife remarried, so he must have died in the interim. Because there’s no burial record for him in Massachusetts, it’s likely that he died in England, or onboard a ship in the Atlantic. There is a burial for a Francis Parrat in Sutterton, Lincolnshire dated January 5, 1656, and it’s possible that this was him.
Francis was the ancestor of President Chester Alan Arthur, Charles and John Sargent Pillsbury (founders of Pillsbury Co.), and singer James Taylor.
The will Francis wrote before going to England.
Children:
1. Elizabeth Parrat — B. 1 May 1640, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 9 May 1690, Haverhill, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Worcester (1629-1681), 29 Nov 1659, Rowley, Massachusetts
2. Faith Parrat — B. 20 Mar 1642, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 15 Oct 1715, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Ezekiel Jewett (1643-1723), 26 Feb 1663, Rowley, Massachusetts
3. John Parrat — B. 22 Feb 1643, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. young
4. Sarah Parrat — B. 22 Feb 1643, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 9 Oct 1663, (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts
5. Mercy Parrat — B. 23 Jul 1646, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 27 Nov 1667, (probably) Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Tenney (1640-1722), 26 Feb 1664, Rowley, Massachusetts
6. Mary Parrat — B. 15 Jul 1647, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 28 Sep 1714, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Sawyer (1648-1722), about 1674, Rowley, Massachusetts
7. Martha Parrat — B. 9 Oct 1649, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. 13 Jul 1730, Amesbury, Massachusetts; M. Isaac Colby (1640-1723), 1668, Salisbury, Massachusetts
8. Hannah Parrat — B. 21 Dec 1651, Rowley, Massachusetts; D. young
Sources:
The History of Rowley, Thomas Gage, 1840
The Early Records of Rowley, Massachusetts, 1639-1672, Benjamin P. Mighill, George Brainard Blodgette, 1984
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume I, edited by George Francis Drew, 1912
Ezekiel Rogers (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Broken Fences and Hitting a Servant Girl — Henry Kimball
B. about Aug 1615 in Rattlesden, England
M. (1) 1640 in Massachusetts
Wife: Mary Riddlesdale
M. (2) before 1675
Wife: Elizabeth Black
D. 3 May 1676 in Wenham, Massachusetts
Henry Kimball survives in the records of a couple of court cases in colonial New England. He was born in 1615 in the village of Rattlesden, England to Richard Kimball and Ursula Scott, the oldest of their 13 children. His father was a wheelwright; many men in the family worked as craftsmen, but Henry isn’t known to have been one of them.
When Henry was 18-years-old, he joined his family as part of the Puritan migration to America, landing at Boston in June 1634 on the ship Elizabeth. The Kimballs first settled in Watertown, but within a couple of years, Henry’s parents and siblings moved up the coast to Ipswich, leaving him on his own. In about 1640, he married a woman named Mary Riddlesdale, probably in Watertown. They had three children before relocating to Ipswich in about 1646; the family eventually grew to have 13 children.
In about 1655, Henry moved to Wenham, a small settlement established a decade earlier. Along with operating a farm, he ran a tavern from his home for at least a couple of years; his license issued in 1656 allowed him to serve “wine and strong water.” In 1669, Henry was appointed to be a constable; typically that office meant he kept order in the town, and sometimes arrested those who broke the law.
Henry was involved in a court dispute in March 1656 when one of his neighbors’ cows got into his cornfield and trampled his crop. The trouble was caused by some broken fences, but it wasn’t explained in the court transcripts how they had been damaged; another man named Nathaniel Stow also lost 25 bushels of his corn due to the same problem.
Later that year in September, Henry was sued by a man named Richard Shatswell for “striking his maid.” The servant, Mary Parker, was about 14 or 15 when Henry supposedly hit her; it isn’t mentioned what prompted the act, or even if he was actually guilty.
Henry’s wife Mary died at an unknown date between 1668 and 1675, and he remarried to a widow named Elizabeth Raynor, who helped care for his younger children. In 1675, King Philip’s War affected most of Massachusetts, and son Caleb served in the militia; sadly, he was killed in a battle the western part of the colony.
On May 3, 1676, Henry died at Wenham and was survived by his wife Elizabeth. Henry was the ancestor of John and Charles Pillsbury, founders of Pillsbury Co.
Children:
1. Mary Kimball — B. 29 Nov 1641, Watertown, Massachusetts
2. Richard Kimball — B. 13 Oct 1643, Watertown, Massachusetts; D. 30 Jul 1715, Wenham, Massachusetts; M. Rebecca Abbe (~1647-1704), 13 May 1667, Wenham, Massachusetts
3. John Kimball — B. 25 Dec 1645, Watertown, Massachusetts; D. about May 1726, Amesbury, Massachusetts
4. Caleb Kimball — B. about 1647, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 18 Sep 1675, South Deerfield, Massachusetts
5. Dorcas Kimball — B. about 1649, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Dow (1640-1676), 17 Dec 1668, Haverhill, Massachusetts
6. Abigail Kimball — B. about 1652, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 14 May 1693, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Wicom (~1647-1715), 17 May 1673, Rowley, Massachusetts
7. Sarah Kimball — B. about 1654, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 16 Sep 1692, Bradford, Massachusetts; M. Daniel Gage (1639-1705), 3 May 1675, Bradford, Massachusetts
8. Henry Kimball — B. about 1655, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 14 Dec 1697, Haverhill, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Marsh (1657-1697), 14 Dec 1677, Haverhill, Massachusetts
9. Mehitable Kimball — B. about 1658, Wenham, Massachusetts; D. 7 Dec 1689, Bradford, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Stickney (1646-1714)
10. Benjamin Kimball — B. 12 Dec 1659, Wenham, Massachusetts
11. Joseph Kimball — B. 20 Jan 1661, Wenham, Massachusetts; D. about Apr 1713, Boston, Massachusetts
12. Martha Kimball — B. 18 Aug 1664, Wenham, Massachusetts; D. 27 Dec 1728, Salisbury, Massachusetts; M. (1) Daniel Chase (1661-1707), 25 Aug 1683, Newbury, Massachusetts; (2) Josiah Heath (1651-?), 1713, Essex County, Massachusetts
13. Deborah Kimball — B. about 1668, Wenham, Massachusetts
Sources:
History of the Kimball Family in America From 1634 to 1897, Leonard Allison Morrison and Stephen Paschall Sharples, 1897
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume II, edited by George Francis Drew, 1913
Great Migration: Passengers of the Elizabeth, 1634 & 1635 (website)
Essex County (Massachusetts) Registry of Probate
WikiTree
M. (1) 1640 in Massachusetts
Wife: Mary Riddlesdale
M. (2) before 1675
Wife: Elizabeth Black
D. 3 May 1676 in Wenham, Massachusetts
Henry Kimball survives in the records of a couple of court cases in colonial New England. He was born in 1615 in the village of Rattlesden, England to Richard Kimball and Ursula Scott, the oldest of their 13 children. His father was a wheelwright; many men in the family worked as craftsmen, but Henry isn’t known to have been one of them.
When Henry was 18-years-old, he joined his family as part of the Puritan migration to America, landing at Boston in June 1634 on the ship Elizabeth. The Kimballs first settled in Watertown, but within a couple of years, Henry’s parents and siblings moved up the coast to Ipswich, leaving him on his own. In about 1640, he married a woman named Mary Riddlesdale, probably in Watertown. They had three children before relocating to Ipswich in about 1646; the family eventually grew to have 13 children.
Kimball family on passenger list for ship Elizabeth.
In about 1655, Henry moved to Wenham, a small settlement established a decade earlier. Along with operating a farm, he ran a tavern from his home for at least a couple of years; his license issued in 1656 allowed him to serve “wine and strong water.” In 1669, Henry was appointed to be a constable; typically that office meant he kept order in the town, and sometimes arrested those who broke the law.
Henry was involved in a court dispute in March 1656 when one of his neighbors’ cows got into his cornfield and trampled his crop. The trouble was caused by some broken fences, but it wasn’t explained in the court transcripts how they had been damaged; another man named Nathaniel Stow also lost 25 bushels of his corn due to the same problem.
Later that year in September, Henry was sued by a man named Richard Shatswell for “striking his maid.” The servant, Mary Parker, was about 14 or 15 when Henry supposedly hit her; it isn’t mentioned what prompted the act, or even if he was actually guilty.
Henry’s wife Mary died at an unknown date between 1668 and 1675, and he remarried to a widow named Elizabeth Raynor, who helped care for his younger children. In 1675, King Philip’s War affected most of Massachusetts, and son Caleb served in the militia; sadly, he was killed in a battle the western part of the colony.
On May 3, 1676, Henry died at Wenham and was survived by his wife Elizabeth. Henry was the ancestor of John and Charles Pillsbury, founders of Pillsbury Co.
Children:
1. Mary Kimball — B. 29 Nov 1641, Watertown, Massachusetts
2. Richard Kimball — B. 13 Oct 1643, Watertown, Massachusetts; D. 30 Jul 1715, Wenham, Massachusetts; M. Rebecca Abbe (~1647-1704), 13 May 1667, Wenham, Massachusetts
3. John Kimball — B. 25 Dec 1645, Watertown, Massachusetts; D. about May 1726, Amesbury, Massachusetts
4. Caleb Kimball — B. about 1647, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 18 Sep 1675, South Deerfield, Massachusetts
5. Dorcas Kimball — B. about 1649, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Dow (1640-1676), 17 Dec 1668, Haverhill, Massachusetts
6. Abigail Kimball — B. about 1652, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 14 May 1693, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. John Wicom (~1647-1715), 17 May 1673, Rowley, Massachusetts
7. Sarah Kimball — B. about 1654, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 16 Sep 1692, Bradford, Massachusetts; M. Daniel Gage (1639-1705), 3 May 1675, Bradford, Massachusetts
8. Henry Kimball — B. about 1655, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 14 Dec 1697, Haverhill, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Marsh (1657-1697), 14 Dec 1677, Haverhill, Massachusetts
9. Mehitable Kimball — B. about 1658, Wenham, Massachusetts; D. 7 Dec 1689, Bradford, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Stickney (1646-1714)
10. Benjamin Kimball — B. 12 Dec 1659, Wenham, Massachusetts
11. Joseph Kimball — B. 20 Jan 1661, Wenham, Massachusetts; D. about Apr 1713, Boston, Massachusetts
12. Martha Kimball — B. 18 Aug 1664, Wenham, Massachusetts; D. 27 Dec 1728, Salisbury, Massachusetts; M. (1) Daniel Chase (1661-1707), 25 Aug 1683, Newbury, Massachusetts; (2) Josiah Heath (1651-?), 1713, Essex County, Massachusetts
13. Deborah Kimball — B. about 1668, Wenham, Massachusetts
Sources:
History of the Kimball Family in America From 1634 to 1897, Leonard Allison Morrison and Stephen Paschall Sharples, 1897
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume II, edited by George Francis Drew, 1913
Great Migration: Passengers of the Elizabeth, 1634 & 1635 (website)
Essex County (Massachusetts) Registry of Probate
WikiTree
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