Selling Off Land to Pay Expenses — Joseph Crosby

B. 5 Jul 1669 in Billerica, Massachusetts
M. 4 Aug 1691 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Sarah French
D. before 1759 in (probably) Massachusetts

Joseph Crosby became the owner of vast amounts of land as a member of one of the founding families of Billerica, Massachusetts. And this land became a means of support during his later years.

Joseph was born in Billerica on July 5, 1669 to Simon Crosby and Rachel Brackett. He was the fourth of nine children. His father built the log house where Joseph was born, and ran a tavern there. Throughout his childhood, Joseph’s home was often used by town leaders to discuss business, and during King Philip’s War, a few soldiers were billeted there. In 1678, a larger house replaced the original cabin, and the Crosby family’s inn remained in business for many years.

One day in June 1683, Joseph was out working with his older brother Thomas when they became witnesses to an altercation involving their father. A neighbor named Thomas Richardson was the aggressor, and later the two brothers appeared in court to testify to what they saw:

As we were together roaming homewards from the sawmill, and coming by Thomas Richardson’s field, we saw our father and Thomas Richardson together, and we saw Thomas Richardson lay hands on our father, and struck at him with his feet. And threw out father down and kept him down for some time. And saw Thomas Richardson hold up his hand against our father while he was down. We were not near enough to understand any words that were said at first, but afterwards we heard Thomas Richardson calling our father to fight, and _____ his fist at him. Sometime after this, as we were at work in one field, some of Thomas Richardson’s hogs came into the field, and all of them unyoked and one of them un____ed. And we set the dog upon them to scare the, and Thomas Richardson came up to us with a long ____ behind him. while he came right to us. Then he left it up at us and threatened us, i.e. …”

The court records unfortunately don't reveal the outcome of this case; it’s easy to imagine that there was another side to the story from the viewpoint of Mr. Richardson. 

After Joseph came of age, he married a woman from another of Billerica’s founding families, Sarah French. Their wedding took place on August 4, 1691. She brought property into the marriage which she inherited from her father, William French, who had been an old man when Sarah was born, and had died ten years earlier. The newlyweds had their first child in September 1692, and would have eleven more by 1713. Only the youngest seems to have died as a child.

Along with farming his land, Joseph supplemented his income as a tailor. He didn’t seem to hold any civic offices, though, except for an assignment as a constable in 1696. It’s thought that he served in that role to relieve his aging father from the duty, or perhaps to offer protection to the area around his home. Joseph’s father helped him to build his house on property he gave him next to his own. In 1712, Joseph was granted a place in the Billerica meetinghouse to build his pew “behind the women’s seats.” It was common for New England men to be responsible for their bench at Sunday services, and this is where he must have sat from then on.

At some point during his adult years, Joseph seems to have decided to use his land as a source of income. Between 1708 and 1728, he appeared as the seller in 16 Billerica land transactions. The amounts of land he sold at a time varied, but typically was about 20 acres. Only in 1723 was he shown to have purchased land, and it was in the town of Lancaster, not Billerica. In addition to the acreage Joseph got from his father, the land came from grants by the town when they divided new tracts among its citizens. He sold most of his land by the time he reached old age.

Joseph’s wife Sarah died in July of 1727, leaving him a widower at age 58. A few years later, with most of his land gone, he formally asked that his children support him by petitioning the court to order it. The document dated August 31, 1736 stated that he was “unable to support himself by business of any sort.”  It’s thought that in his old age he may have had a physical disability that caused him to seek the help of his children. The petition was never tried in court and was likely settled by the family outside of court.

It’s uncertain what became of Joseph after the date of the petition. There is some speculation that he went to live in the household of one of his married children, possibly in another town. Joseph died sometime between about 1737 and 1759.

Children:
1. Joseph Crosby — B. 3 Sep 1692, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. about 1744, Worcester, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Maynard (1694-?), 21 Apr 1714, Marlborough, Massachusetts

2. Sarah Crosby — B. 12 Jun 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Thomas Hunt (1689-1709), 22 Jul 1709, Providence, Rhode Island; (2) Ephraim Abbott (1682-1748), 6 Jan 1716, Andover, Massachusetts; (3) John Dane (1692-1763), 1 Aug 1749

3. Rachel Crosby — B. 18 Apr 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 18 Jan 1757, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Samuel Stearns (1693-1730), 1719, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Thomas Wyman (1687-1760)

4. William Crosby — B. 13 Feb 1698, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1 Jan 1754, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Ross (1702-1756), 1720, Billerica, Massachusetts

5. Mary Crosby — B. 12 Jan 1700, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1738, Dedham, Massachusetts; M. Eleazer Ellis (1692-1745)

6. Thomas Crosby — B. 12 Oct 1701, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 7 Dec 1745; M. Hannah Parker (1692-1729)

7. David Crosby — B. 27 Mar 1703, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1750, Middletown, Connecticut; M. Sarah Foster (~1709-~1751)

8. Prudence Crosby — B. 11 May 1705, Billerica, Massachusetts; 26 Oct 1750, Needham, Massachusetts; M. Jeremiah Fisher (1701-~1766), 20 Jan 1725, Needham, Massachusetts

9. Hannah Crosby — B. 9 Mar 1707, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) John Peploe (~1707-?); (2) Samuel Watts

10. Deborah Crosby — B. 23 Jul 1709, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. Nov 1759, Litchfield, New Hampshire; M. Peter Russell (1700-1759), 21 Mar 1727, Andover, Massachusetts

11. Robert Crosby — B. 20 Jul 1711, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 10 Sep 1743, Townsend, Massachusetts; M. Mehitable Chandler (1709-1768)

12. Peletiah Crosby — B. 5 Nov 1713, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. (probably) young

Sources:
Simon Crosby the Emigrant: His English Ancestry and Some of His American Descendants, Eleanor Francis Crosby, 1914
WikiTree
Find A Grave

Leaving Debt to His Kids — René Maillot dit Laviolette

B. between 1637 and 1644 in Castet-Arrouy, France
M. after 28 Oct 1671 in (probably) Sillery, New France
Wife: Marie Chapacou
D. between 1715 and 1722 in (probably) Deschallions, New France

René Maillot dit Laviolette went to New France as a soldier, deciding to make his life there, but he struggled to accumulate any wealth. He was born in Castet-Aurroy, located in the southern part of France. His parents were René Maillot and Catherine Berger; everything else about his origins is sketchy, including his birth year which was sometime between 1637 and 1644.

During the 1660s, René joined the military, and found himself among the Carignan-Saliéres Regiment that was sent to the French colony in America. He was a member of the company led by Captain Duprat, which boarded the St-Sebastien at La Rochelle on May 24, 1665. The ship was crowded with soldiers, and the trip took several months, arriving at Quebec on September 12th. One week later, René received the Scapular of Mount Carmel in a ceremony at Quebec City (a scapular is a pair of small squares of cloth worn around the neck under a shirt). On October 2nd, the soldiers traveled west to the Richelieu River on a mission to build several forts; René’s company helped construct Fort Ste-Thérèse, then were assigned to stay there. Captain Duprat died over the winter and was replaced by a Captain de Portes.

René likely served three years in the region around the Richelieu River, then in 1668, became one of many soldiers who not decided to return to France when the regiment disbanded. He seems to have moved as far west as Varennes in 1669 where he appeared on a record of a land sale. René next showed up back in Quebec, signing a marriage contract on October 28, 1671. His bride was a 13-year-old girl named Marie Chapacou, whose family had a farm at Côte Saint-Michel de Sillery. The record of their wedding is lost, but it likely took place within a few months of the contract.

René and Marie settled in Grondines, located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Trois-Rivières. They had 11 children born between about 1673 and 1695, with only one who seems to have died young. The 1681 census showed that they had only 5 arpents of cleared land and two cattle. In 1698, René sold his property in Grondines and moved to the newer settlement of Deschallions, which was near Grondines on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. The land he acquired in 1701 had 4 arpents of river frontage.

It isn’t known exactly when René died. He was known to be living at the time of his son François’ marriage on December 30, 1715, and he was deceased by his daughter Genevieve’s marriage on October 26, 1722. His wife Marie passed away in 1733. The knowledge that he died in debt came from a report several years later; on February 27, 1742, his nine surviving children gave up “all the rights coming to them by [their father’s] legacy” in order to pay the money that he owed others at the time of his death. It was declared that the church in Deschallions would receive title to René’s estate in return for unpaid rent.

Children:
1. Marie-Rose Maillot — B. about 1673, Grondines, New France; D. before 1700, New France; M. Raymond Chaine (1658-?)

2. Pierre-René Maillot — B. about 1675, Grondines, New France; M. Françoise-Marguerite Gauron (1683-?), 2 Feb 1702, Deschallions, New France

3. Marie-Simone Maillot — B. 1677, Grondines, New France; D. 25 Jan 1746, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, New France; François Guibault

4. Jean Maillot — B. abt 1679, Grondines, New France

5. Guillaume Maillot — B. 31 Dec 1680, Grondines, New France; D. 20 Apr 1718, Montreal, New France; M. Marie-Anne Masse (1684-1721), 16 Jan 1704, Montreal, New France

6. Marie-Louise Maillot — B. about 1684, Grondines, New France; D. 19 Feb 1713, Château-Richer, New France; M. Pierre Matteau (1677-1741), 10 May 1706, Château-Richer, New France

7. Louis Maillot — B. 4 Jan 1689, Grondines, New France; D. 30 Nov 1760, Deschaillons, New France; M. Madeleine Houy (~1698-1763)

8. Jacques Maillot — B. about 1691, (probably) Grondines, New France; D. 24 Oct 1753, Lotbinière, New France; M. Angelique Houy (1696-1753)

9. Geneviève Maillot — B. 12 Jun 1692, Grondines, New France; D. before 26 Nov 1733, New France; M. Antoine Godard (1698-1754), 26 Oct 1722, Château-Richer, New France

10. François Maillot — B. 15 Jan 1695, Grondines, New France; D. 8 Dec 1758, St-Pierre-les-Becquets, New France; M. Marie-Charlotte Gauron (1689-1769), 30 Dec 1715, New France

11. Marie-Anne Maillot — B. 15 Jan 1695, Grondines, New France; D. 10 Feb 1747, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, New France; M. Antoine Thibault (1690-?)

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
WikiTree

Accidental Bigamist — Pierre Piché dit Lamusette

B. about 18 Aug 1632 in Faye-la-Vineuze, France
M. (1) before 1661 in France
Wife: Marie Lefebvre
M. (2) 25 Nov 1665 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Catherine Durand
D. 31 Oct 1713 in St-Sulpice, New France

For several years of his life, Pierre Piché had more than one wife, and he was unaware of it. Pierre came from the small village of Faye-la-Vineuze, France, born there about August 18, 1632 to Pierre Piché and Anne Pinot. After he became an adult, he married a woman named Marie Lefebvre, although the date and place of the wedding are unknown. It's also unknown whether or not they had any children together.

In about 1662, Pierre decided to make a new life in America, migrating alone with the intention of bringing his wife over once he was established. But just three months after he landed in Quebec, a letter arrived from his brother Louis in France saying that Marie had died. For the next three years, Pierre remained unmarried as he worked as a hat maker. Then in 1665, he decided to find a bride among the Filles du Roi who arrived in Quebec that September. His effort was a success, and on November 25th, Pierre married Catherine Durand, a 16-year-old girl from Paris.

The couple started their family with the birth of a son in October 1666. The following year, Pierre acquired land in St-Michel, where they added two more children by the end of 1670. But the following year, Pierre received the upsetting news that his first wife was still alive back in France. Not knowing what to do, he turned to the leader of the Church in Quebec, Bishop François de Laval. The bishop was soon leaving for France on business and told Pierre he would try to find the truth about Marie. Later that year, word arrived from Bishop Laval that she was indeed living.

On the advice of the bishop, Pierre did the only thing he could do: he left Catherine and the three children, and boarded a ship for France. He reunited with Marie, and together they made plans to return to Quebec, but during the passage, she died. This left him free to resume his marriage with Catherine, which the Church formally validated on September 9, 1673. Two days later, the legitimacy of their three children was recognized as well. Everyone must have breathed a sigh of relief.

After the awkward situation of Pierre’s unintentional bigamy, he and Catherine moved away from Quebec City to the settlement of Neuville. Over the next few years, they had five more children, with the youngest born in 1691 when Pierre was 59-years-old. The family moved to Boucherville in 1701, and to St-Sulpice in 1708, both places being in the Montreal area. Pierre died at St-Sulpice on October 31, 1713. Catherine outlived him by many years, passing away in 1732.

Children (all by Catherine Durand):
1. Jean-Baptiste Piché — B. 24 Oct 1666, Quebec City, New France; M. Marie-Anne Dolbec (1682-1732), 30 Aug 1700, Saint-Augustin, New France

2. Adrien Piché — B. 4 Nov 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. 2 Jul 1739, Cap Santé, Portneuf, New France; M. Élisabeth Léveillé (1676-1738), 22 Nov 1694, Neuville, New France

3. Marie-Madeleine Piché — B. 15 Nov 1670, Quebec City, New France

4. Pierre Pichét — B. 11 Jun 1674, Neuville, New France; D. 12 Aug 1712, Portneuf, New France; M. Marie-Anne Sylvestre (1678-1729), 14 Nov 1697, Neuville, New France

5. Catherine Piché — B. 21 Dec 1677, Neuville, New France; M. Antoine Bordeleau (1673-1758), 5 Mar 1696, Neuville, New France

6. François Piché — B. 1 Oct 1681, Neuville, New France; D. 1 Jul 1706, Boucherville, New France

7. Ignace-Joseph Piché — B. 19 Oct 1685, Neuville, New France; D. 11 Feb 1771, Sainte-Sulpice, Quebec; M. Marie-Anne Émery dite Coderre (1692-1737), 16 Jun 1717, Contrecoeur, New France

8. Louis Piché — B. 12 Sep 1691, Neuville, New France; M. Françoise Gélineau, 11 Jan 1712, Saint-Sulpice, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
WikiTree

Minister’s Son Who Served His Town — Oliver Whiting

B.  8 Nov 1665 in Billerica, Massachusetts
M. 22 Jan 1690 Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife Anna Danforth
D. 22 Dec 1736 in Billerica, Massachusetts

Oliver Whiting’s father and grandfather were early ministers in Puritan New England, and while he didn’t become a member of the clergy, he did choose a lifetime of service to his community.

Oliver was born on November 8, 1665 to Samuel Whiting and Dorcas Chester of Billerica, Massachusetts, the fourth of their eleven children. Samuel was the first preacher in Billerica and one of the town’s leaders, responsible for the religious instruction of the children who lived there. When Oliver was 10-years-old, the family’s house was used as a garrison in King Philip’s War. A strong sense of civic duty likely rubbed off on Oliver.

After Oliver came of age, he joined the Billerica militia, and was promoted to ensign in 1689. A year later, the militia participated in the invasion of Quebec, but it isn’t known if Oliver was a part of that mission, which was a defeat for New England. On January 22, 1690, Oliver married Anna Danforth, the daughter of Jonathan Danforth, a surveyor and leader in Billerica. The couple had their first child the following year, and by 1712, had a total of nine children, with only one dying young.

As a married man, Oliver took a place among the town’s leaders. He served as a selectman off and on between 1692 and 1733, for a total of 20 years. Oliver was also Billerica’s representative to the General Court in Boston for the years 1719, 1720 and 1728, and for a time was a justice of the peace. Perhaps his most prominent civic role was as Billerica’s town clerk during the years 1705-1711, and 1714-1723. It was said that Volume II of Billerica land grants was written almost entirely in “the good handwriting” of Oliver. This covered a period of time from 1704 to 1723.

Oliver died at Billerica on December 22, 1736, and his widow Anna passed away in 1737. They were 6G grandparents of actress Bette Davis.

Children:
1. Oliver Whiting — B. 29 Mar 1691, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Elizabeth Brown (1694-1732), 28 Mar 1721, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Mary, 4 Jun 1735,  Billerica, Massachusetts

2. Dorcas Whiting — B. 21 Mar 1693, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 23 Dec 1765, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Joshua Abbott (1685-1769), 2 Mar 1721, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. Mary Whiting — B. 4 May 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Benjamin Wellington, 21 Oct 1731, Lexington, Massachusetts

4. John Whiting — B. 11 Nov 1697, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 17 Dec 1697, Billerica, Massachusetts

5. John Whiting — B. 14 Oct 1699, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 8 Aug 1775, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Hunt (1709-1745), 9 Mar 1726, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Anne Frye (1709-?), 22 Feb 1747, Tewksbury, Massachusetts

6. Samuel Whiting — B. 6 Sep 1702, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 4 Nov 1772,  Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Deborah Hill (1705-1745), 8 May 1729, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Elizabeth, 2 May 1749, Billerica, Massachusetts

7. Anna Whiting — B. 15 Apr 1705, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 26 Mar 1749, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. William Stickney (1705-1781), Jun 1729, Billerica, Massachusetts

8. Eleazar Whiting — B. 25 Jul 1707, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1780, (probably) Temple, New Hampshire

9. Benjamin Whiting — B. 12 Feb 1712, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 14 Feb 1738, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Dorothy Crosby (1712-1793), Billerica, Massachusetts

Sources:
History of Billerica, Massachusetts, With a Genealogical Register, Henry Allen Hazen, 1883
WikiTree
Find-A-Grave
Famous Kin (website)

An Impressive List of Descendants — Robert Blott

B.  about 1584 in (probably) Podington, England
M. 31 Aug 1609, in Harrold, England
Wife: Susanna Selbee
D. before 22 Aug 1665 in Boston, Massachusetts

Robert Blott showed how an ordinary person can end up having many descendants who achieve great fame. Robert was born to a peasant family in Elizabethan England; his birth was thought to have been about 1584 in the village of Podington, located in northern Bedfordshire. Nothing has been proven about Robert’s parents, but his father may have been named Robert.

On August 31, 1609, Robert married Susanna Selbee in the nearby town of Harrold. The baptism of their first child followed that December, so it would seem Susanna was pregnant before their wedding. The couple made their home in Podington, where all ten of their children were born, at least three of whom died young.

Although Bedfordshire wasn't a center of Puritanism, a small number of followers lived there, and Robert seems to have been one of them. In about 1634, he and Susanna along with their surviving children left England for the Massachusetts colony. They settled in Charlestown, becoming members of the church there on January 4, 1635; Robert was made a freeman on March 4th. In about 1640, the family moved to Concord, then to Boston in about 1642. Robert’s membership to the church in Boston was recorded on December 28, 1644.

Colonial New England men were usually assigned to specific civic duties based on their education and skills. In Robert’s case, he was given jobs watching the animals that were kept on the town commons: herding the sheep and the cows, and taking care of the pigs. This was his contribution to the community during the years 1643 to 1660.

It isn’t known exactly when Robert died. He made out a will dated May 27, 1662, and added a codicil on March 27, 1665. The inventory of his property was taken on August 22nd, and it’s likely he died within a month or two before that date. His estate was valued at £112, which included his house, his land and his personal possessions.

Robert’s legacy was in his remarkable list of descendants, which included Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Princess Diana, Prince William, Nancy Reagan, First Lady Edith Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Ethan Allen, Nathan Hale, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Frank W. Woolworth, Gilbert Clifford Noble (co-founder of Barnes & Noble), Emily Dickinson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Glenn Close, Brooke Shields, Matt Damon, James Brolin, John Lithgow and Harry Chapin. Not bad for a cow keeper in early colonial Boston.

Children:
1. Mary Blott — B. 24 Dec 1609, Podington, England; D. before 27 May 1662; M. Thomas Woodford (?-1666), 4 Mar 1635, Roxbury, Massachusetts

2. John Blott — B. about Oct 1611, Podington, England; D. Sep 1617, Podington, England

3. Elizabeth Blott — B. about Mar 1614, Podington, England; M. (1) Ralph Green, Boston, Massachusetts; (2) ______ Tozier, 3 Jul 1656, Boston, Massachusetts

4. Ann Blott — B. about Jan 1617, Podington, England

5. George Blott — B. about Oct 1619, Podington, England; D. Oct 1620, Podington, England

6. Joanna Blott — B. about Oct 1620, Podington, England; D. 20 Mar 1694, Mendon, Massachusetts; M. Daniel Lovett (1623-1692), before 8 Jun 1645, Boston, Massachusetts

7. Robert Blott — B. about May 1623, Podington, England; D. before 1658

8. Anna Blott — B. about Jan 1625, Podington, England

9. Lydia Blott — B. about Jul 1627, Podington, England; D. 23 Jun 1659, Boston, Massachusetts; M. Daniel Turell (1622-?), 1645, Boston, Massachusetts

10. Sarah Blott — B. 1631, Podington, England; D. 1711, Boston, Massachusetts; M. Edward Ellis (1621-1695), 6 Oct 1652, Boston, Massachusetts

Sources:
The Blott Family of Essex, England and New England (website)
WikiTree
Find-A-Grave
Famous Kin (website)

A Child of Very Early Detroit — Antoine Mallet

B. 16 Aug 1706 in Detroit, New France
M. 11 Aug 1730 in Montreal, New France
Wife: Marie-Therese Maillot
D. about 1750 in New France

Detroit was just a fledgling outpost when Antoine Mallet was born there to Pierre Mallet and Marie-Madeleine Thunay dite Dufresne. His family had arrived at Detroit among a group of settlers on August 8, 1706. Antoine's mother was pregnant at the time, and his birth took place barely a week later on August 16th.

Antoine spent his first few years in Detroit before his family moved back to Montreal in about 1712. It must have been quite an adventure for a 6-year-old boy to travel such a great distance by canoe; the family would have spent all day on the water, camping at night on the shores of the Great Lakes. For some parts of trip, they had to walk from one body of water to the next. Antoine spent the rest of his childhood in Montreal, with his fur trading father often away for months at a time.

When Antoine was 23-years-old, he was granted permission by the governor to move back to Detroit. The formal document dated July 28, 1729 allowed Antoine and another young man, Laurent Parent, to make the journey by canoe along with three other men. By 1730, Antoine returned to Montreal where he got married to Marie-Therese Maillot on August 11th. The couple then moved back to Detroit where they made their new home.

Little else is known about Antoine’s life. He was either a fur trader or a farmer, or he may have been both. In the account book of the Huron Mission of Detroit dated about 1745, it was noted, “I paid [Vital] Caron 120 livres which he had advanced to Antoine Mallet for the house he sold me.” Church records at Detroit showed that Antoine had ten children with Marie-Therese, but sadly, six of them died young.

It’s unknown when or where Antoine died. On October 25, 1753, Marie-Therese was listed as a widow on a baptism at Post Vincennes. One of their daughters had married there in October of 1750, so the family relocated to Vincennes by that date. Antoine must have died just before or after that move.

Children:
1. Marie-Therese Mallet — B. about 3 May 1731, Detroit, New France; D. Jan 1734, Detroit, New France

2. Marie-Catherine Mallet — B. about 22 Oct 1732, Detroit, New France; D. Oct 1732, Detroit, New France

3. Marie-Therese Mallet — B. about 12 Apr 1735, Detroit, New France; D. 19 Sep 1763, Post Vincennes, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Renaud dit Deslauriers (1708-?), 26 Oct 1750, Post Vincennes, New France

4. Jacques-Louis Mallet — B. about 15 Apr 1736, Detroit, New France

5. Joseph Mallet — B. about 26 Aug 1737, Detroit, New France; D. Apr 1739, Detroit, New France

6. Jean-François Mallet — B. about 11 Oct 1738, Detroit, New France

7. Marie-Timothea Mallet — B. about 6 Sep 1739, Detroit, New France; D. Dec 1739, Detroit, New France

8. Angelique Mallet — B. about 9 Dec 1740, Detroit, New France; D. Dec 1740,  Detroit, New France

9. Antoine Mallet — B. about 12 Feb 1742, Detroit, New France; M. Catherine Bordeleau (1759-?)

10. Augustin Mallet — B. about 12 Apr 1743, Detroit, New France; D. Apr 1743,  Detroit, New France

Sources:
Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours, Cyprien Tanguay, 1890
Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997
Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit River Region, 1701-1936, Christian Dennison, 1987
“Records of the Parish of St. Francis Xavier,” Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 12, 1901

Woman on Plaque in Montreal — Jeanne Soldé

B. about 15 May 1638 in La Flèche, Anjou, France
M. 7 Jan 1654 in Montreal, New France
Husband: Jacques Beauvais
D. 12 Nov 1697 in Montreal, New France

Jeanne Soldé was one of 14 French women who, along with 100 men, migrated to save Montreal in 1653. She was born in about May 1638 in the town of La Flèche, France, and was baptized there on the 15th of that month. Her parents were Martin Soldé and Julienne Le Potier. Besides that her father was a laborer, nothing is known of her family or early years.

At age 25, Jeanne sought to make a future for herself by signing up to migrate to New France. She was recruited by agents of the governor of Montreal who were on a special mission to find new settlers to populate the outpost. Montreal had been founded about ten years earlier, but because it was on the frontier of New France, many gave up living there because of threats from the Iroquois to the south. The effort in 1653 became known as La Grande Recrue and it was a last ditch effort to make Montreal safe enough to survive.

Jeanne and the other recruits embarked from France on June 20th, but the ship was in poor condition, and it sprung some leaks which caused them to turn around and go back. Those in charge made sure they docked at an island, not the mainland of France, so that no one would be tempted to defect. It took several weeks to get another ship to take them all the way across the Atlantic. It’s likely that Jeanne got to know the other women on the ship pretty well; three others were also from La Flèche, one of whom was as young as 10-years-old. The voyage was especially difficult, and they didn’t arrive in Quebec City until late September.

At this point, Jeanne’s group still hadn’t made it to the final destination of Montreal. They had to wait in Quebec City while the recruiting agents arranged the journey. The immigrants camped in a warehouse near the water, while nuns took care of the ones who had become sick. Meanwhile, the authorities in Quebec tried unsuccessfully to claim the group to populate their city. Finally about a month later, the 114 people left in small boats traveling upriver, and landing at Montreal on November 16th.

It was on the last leg of the journey that Jeanne likely met her husband, Jacques Beauvais, a man who had come to Quebec the previous year and now joined the people bound for Montreal. Jeanne and Jacques’ wedding took place at Montreal’s church on January 7, 1654, making her the first of the La Grande Recrue people to get married, although two other ceremonies followed that same day. Jacques was a lime maker, and the newlyweds made their home in Montreal where he set up his business. Jeanne gave birth to her first child later that year, and by the beginning of 1673, they had a total of nine children, with two of them dying young.

Jeanne spent the rest of her life in Montreal. Her husband Jacques died in 1691, and she passed away on November 12, 1697. Centuries later, the voyage that brought Jeanne to Montreal was remembered on a plaque that lists the passengers who made the trip. Her name is among the 14 women who were so honored.

Children:
1. Raphael Beauvais — B. 15 Oct 1654, Montreal, New France; D. 19 Oct 1734, Montreal, New France; M. Élisabeth Turpin (1667-1747), 24 May 1683, Montreal, New France

2. Barbe Beauvais — B. 28 Aug 1656, Montreal, New France; D. 25 Jan 1746, Lachine, New France; M. François Brunet dit Bourbonnais (1644-1702), 11 Jul 1672, Montreal, New France

3. Marguerite Beauvais — B. 30 Aug 1658, Montreal, New France; D. 12 Jul 1715, La Prairie, New France; M. Jacques Tetu dit Lariviére (1641-1712), 9 Oct 1675, Montreal, New France

4. Jean Beauvais — B. 26 Sep 1660, Montreal, New France; D. after 1667, (probably) Montreal, New France

5. Jean-Baptiste Beauvais — B. 7 Oct 1662, Montreal, New France; D. 17 Apr 1705, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine LeMoine (1675-1727), 12 Nov 1697, Batiscan, New France

6. Jacques Beauvais — B. 13 Dec 1664, Montreal, New France; D. 14 Aug 1671, Montreal, New France

7. Charlotte-Marie Beauvais — B. 26 Jun 1667, Montreal, New France; D. 25 Dec 1700, Montreal, New France; M. Alexandre-Pierre Turpin (1641-1709), 30 Oct 1684, Montreal, New France

8. Marie-Étiennette Beauvais — B. 21 Sep 1669, Montreal, New France; D. 14 Sep 1753, Trois-Rivières, New France; M. Jean Pottier (1653-1711), 14 Jun 1688, Montreal, New France

9. Jeanne Beauvais — B. 8 Jan 1673, Montreal, New France; D. 6 Feb 1703, Montreal, New France; M. Guillaume Boucher (1665-?), 19 Dec 1695, Montreal, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
The Family of Jacques Beauvais I & Wife Jeanne Solde of France and Canada, sadieparks.com 
Montreal, 1653: La Grande Recrue, Michel Langlois, 2003

Big Pioneer Family in Boucherville — Denis Veronneau

B. about 1641 in Bournezeau, France
M. (1) 6 Jan 1668 in Trois-Rivières, New France
Wife: Marguerite Bertault
M. (2) 20 Jan 1689 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France
Wife: Catherine Guertin
D. 30 Oct 1730 in Boucherville, New France

Denis Veronneau was among the earliest settlers of Boucherville, New France, and as the father of sixteen, he did his part to populate it. Denis was born in about 1641 in Bournezeau, France to parents Louis Veronneau and Perrine Baril. His village was a short distance north of La Rochelle, the port city where many ships left for America, and at age 20, he agreed to a contract to migrate there.

The story of how Denis was recruited to move to the colonies started with an explorer and early fur trader named Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers. In 1659, Chouart and another explorer, Pierre-Esprit Radisson, traveled to the interior of North America, further than any Europeans had ever been. They wintered among the Sioux tribe in what is now Minnesota, the first white men to visit there. The following summer, the explorers returned to Montreal with 60 canoes full of pelts. But without having a license to trade, they were in trouble with authorities, and Chouart went to France to defend himself.

After handling his affairs regarding the illegal fur trading, Chouart decided to make some money by engaging men to go with him to New France as indentured servants. Over the course of a couple of months, he signed up six workers, one of whom was Denis. On June 17, 1661, Denis agreed to work in New France for three years at a salary of 72 livres per year. It’s believed that he traveled on the ship Le Taureau, which sailed out of La Rochelle, and arrived in Quebec City on August 24th.

Chouart was based in Trois-Rivières and Denis ended up working there, although it’s not clear if he directly served under Chouart. When his term of service was over in 1668, Denis looked to get married, and on December 21st, he made a contract with the 12-year-old daughter of a Trois-Rivières settler, a girl named Marguerite Bertault. The wedding is thought to have taken place a few years later in 1673, the same year that Denis moved to Boucherville, a new settlement near Montreal.

The seigneury of Boucherville was one of the earliest settlements on the south shore of that part of the St. Lawrence. The man who founded it was Pierre Boucher, who was said to have brought some of the town’s first settlers from Trois-Rivières, which must have included Denis. The location of Boucherville was challenging at first because the Iroquois lived nearby and they were enemies of the French. The original settlement was within a stockade, and Denis likely lived in one of the houses there.

Denis and Marguerite had their first child in June 1674, and by October 1687, they had five more. Two boys died young, and a month after the youngest was born, Marguerite passed away at the age of 31. On January 20, 1689, Denis married Catherine Guertin, the widow of a man who had been killed by Iroquois. She brought two young children into the marriage, and had ten more with Denis. The last child was born in 1707 when he was about 66-years-old.

Denis lived a long life in Boucherville. After Catherine died on October 2, 1730, his death followed just four weeks later on October 30th. His memory lives on in the community with a suburban street named after him: Rue Denis Veronneau. There’s a tiny park on the street which also bears his name. It’s a neighborhood green space that mostly holds a 21st century playground—appropriate for a man who fathered 16 children.

Children by Marguerite Bertault:
1. Denise Veronneau — B. 5 Jun 1674, Boucherville, New France; D. 27 Mar 1742, Boucherville, New France; M. Adrien Lamoureux (1671-1734), 6 Apr 1693, Boucherville, New France

2. Marguerite Veronneau — B. 14 Jan 1677, Boucherville, New France; D. 30 Sep 1740, Boucherville, New France; M. Jacques Reguindeau (1673-1750), 29 Oct 1696, Boucherville, New France

3. Joseph Veronneau — B. 10 Jun 1679, Boucherville, New France; D. 22 Nov 1725, Boucherville, New France; M. Françoise Rougeau (1692-1731), 20 Jan 1710, Boucherville, New France

4. Pierre Veronneau — B. 10 Oct 1682, Boucherville, New France; D. 20 Apr 1685, Boucherville, New France

5. Marie-Madeleine Veronneau — B. 27 May 1685, Boucherville, New France; D. 8 Sep 1729, Boucherville, New France; M. Charles Langevin (1688-1771), 22 Nov 1711, Boucherville, New France

6. Jean-Baptiste Veronneau — B. 19 Oct 1687, Boucherville, New France; D. 13 Jun 1688, Boucherville, New France

Children by Catherine Guertin:
1. Pierre Veronneau — B. 17 Jul 1689, Boucherville, New France; D. 27 Aug 1689, Boucherville, New France

2. Jean-Baptiste — B. 11 Jul 1690, Boucherville, New France; D. 26 Aug 1690, Boucherville, New France

3. Élisabeth Veronneau — B. 10 Aug 1691, Boucherville, New France; D. 4 Nov 1692, Boucherville, New France

4. Marie-Marguerite Veronneau — B. 17 Sep 1693, Boucherville, New France; D. 25 Sep 1728, Contrecoeur, New France; M. François Deguire (1684-1735), 6 Nov 1713, Boucherville, New France

5. Jean-Baptiste Veronneau — B. 23 Dec 1695, Boucherville, New France

6. Marie-Angelique Veronneau — B. 28 Sep 1697, Boucherville, New France; D. 27 Nov 1765, Boucherville, Quebec; M. (1) Joseph Thomas Ouilem (~1689-1743), 19 Feb 1715, New France; (2) Pierre Gauthier (1684-1761), 3 Aug 1750, Boucherville, New France

7. Rose Denise Veronneau — B. 17 Jun 1700, Boucherville, New France; D. 28 Jan 1735, New France; M. Joseph Levron dit Metayer (~1700-?), 12 Sep 1722, New France

8. Louis Veronneau — B. 30 Mar 1703, Boucherville, New France; D. 24 Jun 1703, Boucherville, New France

9. Pierre Veronneau — B. 11 Aug 1704, Boucherville, New France; D. 15 Aug 1773, Boucherville, Quebec; M. (1) Marie-Josephe Doyon (1713-?), 2 Oct 1730, Boucherville, New France; (2) Marie-Françoise Chevrefils (1711-1794), 13 Jan 1740, Boucherville, New France

10. François Veronneau — B. 27 Jun 1707, Boucherville, New France; D. about 25 Jul 1763, New France; M. (1) Catherine Robin (1708-1751), 25 Feb 1732, Terrebonne, New France; (2) Charlotte-Marie Legros (1713-1767), 26 Apr 1757, Pointe-Claire, New France

Sources:
Généálogie du Québec et d’Amérique française (website)
Les engagés levés par Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers pour Trois-Rivières en 1661 (blog), Guy Perron, 2017 
Boucherville history (website) 
WikiTree

Married Life Interrupted — Catherine Durand

B. about 1649 in Paris, France
M. 25 Nov 1665 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Pierre Piché dit Lamusette
D. 18 Jan 1732 in Saint-Sulpice, New France

Catherine Durand suffered an unusual hardship as a wife to a New France settler when she learned her husband was legally married to someone else. It wasn’t his fault, though, because he was misinformed that his first wife had died.

Catherine was born in about 1649 in the heart of Paris to Pierre Durand and Jacquette Courtois. Nothing else is known of her family, and at age 16, she was recruited to migrate to America as a Fille du Roi. She boarded a crowded ship, the St-Jean-Baptiste, which left from Dieppe. After stopping at La Rochelle to pick up more passengers, the ship headed out across the Atlantic, arriving at Quebec City on October 2, 1665.

Catherine was among about 90 young women competing for husbands, and it took almost two months before she became a bride. On November 25th, she married Pierre Piché dit Lamusette, a man who had come to France three years earlier. He had been married before he left, and intended to bring his wife over when he got settled, but a letter arrived from back home saying that she had passed away.

Newlyweds Catherine and Pierre made their home in Quebec City, where he worked as a hat maker. She gave birth to her first child within a year, and by the end of 1670, had two more. But early the following year, Pierre received shocking news from an immigrant who had just arrived: his first wife hadn’t died after all, and was still alive. This voided the marriage he had with Catherine, and meant he needed to return to his first wife.

Catherine was suddenly the mother of three young, illegitimate children, and had no man to support her. It’s unknown how she felt, but it couldn’t have been easy now that she was alone in the colony. Her circumstances changed again, though, because when Pierre tried to return to Quebec with his wife, she died at sea. Catherine and Pierre reunited, and the church officially restored their marriage on September 9, 1673. In addition, it was ruled that their children could be considered legitimate, saving them from problems of inheritance later in life.

The family now settled just west of Quebec City in the seigneury of Neuville. Catherine had five more children between 1674 and 1691. In 1701, they relocated to the Montreal area, first in Boucherville, then seven years later in Saint-Sulpice. Pierre died in October of 1713, and Catherine passed away on January 18, 1732.

Children:
1. Jean-Baptiste Piché — B. 24 Oct 1666, Quebec City, New France; M. Marie-Anne Dolbec (1682-1732), 30 Aug 1700, Saint-Augustin, New France

2. Adrien Piché — B. 4 Nov 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. 2 Jul 1739, Cap Santé, Portneuf, New France; M. Élisabeth Léveillé (1676-1738), 22 Nov 1694, Neuville, New France

3. Marie-Madeleine Piché — B. 15 Nov 1670, Quebec City, New France

4. Pierre Pichét — B. 11 Jun 1674, Neuville, New France; D. 12 Aug 1712, Portneuf, New France; M. Marie-Anne Sylvestre (1678-1729), 14 Nov 1697, Neuville, New France

5. Catherine Piché — B. 21 Dec 1677, Neuville, New France; M. Antoine Bordeleau (1673-1758), 5 Mar 1696, Neuville, New France

6. François Piché — B. 1 Oct 1681, Neuville, New France; D. 1 Jul 1706, Boucherville, New France

7. Ignace-Joseph Piché — B. 19 Oct 1685, Neuville, New France; D. 11 Feb 1771, Sainte-Sulpice, Quebec; M. Marie-Anne Émery dite Coderre (1692-1737), 16 Jun 1717, Contrecoeur, New France

8. Louis Piché — B. 12 Sep 1691, Neuville, New France; M. Françoise Gélineau, 11 Jan 1712, Saint-Sulpice, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
Navires venus en Nouvelle-France (website)
WikiTree

His Name on a River and Town — Nicolas Godbout

B. May 1635 in Berneval-le-Grand, France
M. 9 Jan 1662 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie-Marthe Bourgoin
D. 5 Sep 1674 in Quebec City, New France

There is a small river in eastern Quebec called Godbout River that was said to be named for 17th-century immigrant, Nicolas Godbout. And later, the river gave its name to a small settlement nearby.

Nicolas Godbout was born in Berneval-le-Grand, France in May of 1635 to Michel Godbout and Colette Caron; he was one of eight children. The village where he was from was close to the port city of Dieppe, which may have been why he was recruited to move to New France. It’s said that he migrated in 1654, but there’s no documentation of it.

The earliest mention of Nicolas in New France was in a land transaction of Jean Bourdon dated April 15, 1655. It’s thought that Nicolas worked for Bourdon, who had lived in New France for many years as a surveyor and mapmaker. Two years later, Bourdon led an expedition to reach Hudson Bay, a trip that ventured far to the north. It’s possible that Nicolas was one of the 16 men who went with him, but there’s no way to say this definitively.

Nicolas was known to be a sailor and navigator, a useful skill in a place where boats were the only transportation. A contract in April 1658 identified Nicolas as being hired for an expedition “from Trois-Rivières in a boat of [Jacques Maheu] …to make a journey to Tadoussac and other places coming back.” For this he was to paid 30 livres per month. Among Nicolas' possessions at the time he died was a “naval chart on parchment with a logbook concerning the voyage that he had taken at sea.” This may have referred to his 1658 trip, or some other voyage not recorded in surviving documents.

At the end of 1661, Nicolas agreed to a marriage contract with Marie-Marthe Bourgoin, a woman who had been brought to Quebec City by Bourdon and his wife after a trip to France. The document signing took place at Bourdon’s home on December 26th and was attended by some of the most important people in the colony, including the governor. Marie-Marthe had connections to the French government through her late father Jean Bourgoin, who once worked for King Louis XIII. The wedding was a couple of weeks later on January 9th at Notre-Dame church in Quebec City.

In August 1662, Nicolas bought land at St-Pierre on Île d’Orleans, but he seems to have kept his residence in Quebec City. Marie-Marthe gave birth to their first child in 1663, and they would have three more children born in Quebec City. Then by the end of 1671, they were living at St-Laurent on Île d’Orleans, where one more child was born.

During his married life, Nicolas may have continued working as a navigator on boats that transported people and goods up and down the St. Lawrence. In a 1670 journal written by a Jesuit missionary was reference to a small river on the north shore, far downriver from Quebec City, called “Godebout River.” It isn’t known how the river became named for Nicolas, but it suggests he visited that remote area at some point in his life.

Nicolas was only 39 when he died at Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec City on February 5, 1674. At the time of his death, he had debts of over 640 livres that his widow Marie-Marthe had a difficult time paying off. She remarried the following year, but died in 1682.

The lasting legacy of Nicolas Godbout is that his name is still on the map today, attached to a tiny fishing village next to the river that he may have only seen in person once.

Children:
1. Marie-Anne Godbout — B. 9 Jun 1663, Quebec City, New France; D. 21 Jun 1668, Quebec City, New France

2. Marie-Jeanne Godbout — B. 11 Aug 1665, Quebec City, New France; D. 7 Jul 1732, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. (1) Jean Baillargeon (1659-1694), 2 Mar 1683, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; (2) René Pelletier (1659-1713), 23 Jul 1703, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France

3. Nicolas Godbout — B. 14 Oct 1667, Quebec City, New France; D. 27 May 1720, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marguerite Angélique Lemelin (1668-1742), 16 Oct 1685, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France

4. Antoine Godbout — B. 16 Nov 1669, Quebec City, New France; D. 23 Apr 1742, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marguerite Labrecque, 26 Feb 1691, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

5. Joseph Godbout — B. 29 Jun 1672, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 16 Jun 1745, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marguerite Manseau, 8 Feb 1700, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990

Godbout, Quebec (Wikipedia article)

Daughter of a 17th Century Lawyer — Catherine Bourgeois

B. Feb 1633 in Rouen, France
M. 19 Oct 1667 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: René Binet
D. 28 Sep 1702 in Beauport, New France

While many of the Filles du Roi came from poor families, Catherine Bourgeois stood out as having a father with a good profession. She was born in February 1633 to Thomas Bourgeois and Marie Petit in Rouen, France, and baptized there on February 17th. Catherine had at least one brother and one sister.

Rouen was a thriving port city in the north of France, and was said to be one of the country's administrative centers. At the time of Catherine’s birth, her father was a "tabellion in the high justice of St. Gervais,” meaning he worked as a notary in one of the main churches. Later, he became a lawyer in the parliament of Rouen, which was a provincial appellate court.

Catherine apparently lived in Rouen until she was in her 30s, and seemed to be unmarried. By 1667, her father had died and perhaps it left her needing to find a secure future. That year, government officials recruited women from Rouen who were willing to move to America. The Filles du Roi program had been going on for the last few years, offering money and passage in exchange for a commitment to marry a New France settler, but many of the women had been uneducated peasants. The man overseeing the effort, Jean Talon, asked for some women from better backgrounds. It’s possible that’s why Catherine was chosen, even though at age 34, she was somewhat old to be a bride.

The ship that brought Catherine to New France was Le St-Louis, which sailed out of Dieppe on June 10, 1667. It was a difficult crossing, with the trip taking over three months. There were about 80 other women onboard, and upon arrival in Quebec on September 25th many of them had become sick. Catherine was courted, engaged and married within a month’s time; her new husband was René Binet, a former indentured servant. The marriage contract was signed on October 9th and the wedding took place on October 19th at Notre-Dame church in Quebec City. Catherine's dowry was worth about 300 livres.

The couple stayed in Quebec City, and Catherine gave birth to their first child the following year. They had a total five children, with the youngest born in 1680. The size of their family was smaller than most New France settlers, possibly because of her age when they married. In 1673, they moved to the town of Beauport.

Catherine and her husband spent their remaining years in Beauport. He died on June 15, 1699, and she died three years later on September 28, 1702.

Children:
1. Anne Binet — B. 21 Sep 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. Aug 1698, Charlesbourg, New France; M. (1) Pierre Dron, 25 Jun 1685, Quebec City, New France; (2) Jean Bouron, 7 Oct 1686, Beauport, New France

2. Louise Binet — B. 18 Mar 1670, Quebec City, New France; D. 3 Apr 1670, Quebec City, New France

3. Nicolas Binet — B. 11 Feb 1671, Quebec City, New France; D. 29 Jul 1753, Beauport, New France; M. Genevieve Brisson, 12 Nov 1697, L’Ange-Gardien, New France

4. Joseph-François Binet — B. 22 Sep 1673, Beauport, New France; D. 25 Aug 1703, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Françoise Vachon, Feb 1698, Beauport, New France

5. René Binet — B. 10 Jan 1680, Beauport, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Société de généálogie de l’Outaouais (website)
History of Rouen (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree

Boat Master on the St. Lawrence — Louis Martin

B. 12 Jun 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France
M. 12 Jan 1700 in St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France
Wife: Louise-Angelique Ratté
D. May 1749 in St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

At the beginning of the 18th century, Louis Martin operated a small boat near where the St. Lawrence River meets the Atlantic. Louis was born on June 12, 1671 at Ste-Famille on Île d’Orleans, the oldest child of Joachim Martin and Anne-Charlotte Petit. The family grew to have 8 children, then when Louis was 19-years-old, his father died. As the oldest son, it’s likely that he shouldered a lot of responsibility in the family because his only brothers were ages 7 and 3. When Louis’ mother remarried in September of 1691, he was one of the witnesses on the marriage contract.

During the next few years, several of Louis’ younger sisters got married, but he remained a bachelor. Somewhere along the way, he became the owner of a small boat, and turned his interest toward fishing. In July 1695, Louis acquired property at Kamouraska, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, although he didn’t seem to occupy it.

Louis suffered some unknown health issues during the period of November 1695 to June 1698, which brought him to the hospital in Quebec four times. The records don’t indicate if the visits were extended stays, or were for simple treatments such as medicine. In January 1697, Louis got another tract of land in Kamouraska that he turned over to one of his brothers-in-law; it’s possible that his medical condition prevented him from moving there.

By 1699, Louis once again looked to involve himself in a fishing venture, and signed on to join a new settlement at a place called Mont-Louis, located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. His father-in-law’s death that year may have delayed him from leaving right away. Meanwhile, on January 12, 1700, Louis finally got married; his new wife was Louise-Angelique Ratté, the daughter of a family friend, Jacques Ratté.

That April, the young couple left for Mont-Louis, joining over 50 families that lived there. The location provided easy access to cod fishing, but it was far away from civilization, and a sandbar prevented large ships from landing there. The fish that were caught had to be transported miles upriver to Quebec City, then put on a bigger ship headed back down the river to France; Louis with his small boat was probably one of the men who went back and forth to Quebec. His time at Mont-Louis was brief, and by the fall of 1700, he moved back to Île d’Orleans. The settlement was totally abandoned two years later.

In November 1700, Louis became a father for the first time with the birth of a son. During the next 20 years, there would be ten more children, with five of them dying young. Through land transactions involving Louis’ mother, in 1702, he left again for the south shore. He made his home at Kamouraska until about 1710, when he returned to Île d’Orleans. By 1720, he was once again on the south shore, living at various times in Cap-St-Ignace, Montmagny, and Port-Joli. In 1725, Louis was said to be living as a farmer at Gaspé, a location out on the gulf of the St. Lawrence; he stayed there until moving back to Port-Joli in about 1729.

At age 63, Louis still engaged in fishing, working on his own boat with one of his nephews. The boat he operated in 1734 measured 30 feet in length and weighed an estimated 300 pounds. Five years later, Louis seems to have retired with his wife Louise at Port-Joli, and he arranged to have his sons Pierre and François take care of them in their old age.

Louis lived another ten years, and died in May of 1749 at St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans. Louise outlived her husband and passed away in February 1760.

Children:
1. Jean-Baptiste Martin — B. 22 Nov 1700, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 1760; M. Marie-Anne Boucher (1702-?), 25 Jul 1737, L’Islet, New France

2. Marie-Anne Martin — B. 26 Dec 1701, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Renee Devin (~1701-?), 16 Jan 1723

3. Pierre Martin — B. about 1703, New France; D. 19 Jan 1773, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Quebec; M. Marie-Françoise Lebel (1697-1780), 13 May 1725, New France

4. Ursule Martin — B. 9 Nov 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Pierre Chouinard, 14 Feb 1724, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France

5. Louis Martin — B. 10 Nov 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 17 Nov 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

6. Louis-Joseph Martin — B. 30 Apr 1708, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 2 Jan 1711, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans

7. Marie-Therese Martin — B. 12 Sep 1710, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 29 Oct 1785, Kamoursaka, Quebec; M. Joseph Vaillancourt, 7 Jan 1733, L’Islet, New France

8. Marie-Charlotte Martin — B. 18 Feb 1713, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. François Urette, 10 Nov 1740, L’Islet, New France

9. Baby Martin — B. 4 Dec 1715, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 4 Dec 1715, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

10. François Martin — B. 25 Jul 1717, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. (probably) young

11. Louis-Philippe Martin — B. 27 Apr 1720, Cap-St-Ignace, New France; D. (probably) young

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990Un Martin en Amérique: Joachim Martin, né à Aytré, 1636-1690, Marcel Martin, 1997
Parks Canada History (website)
WikiTree

Allowed to Remarry After Husband Vanished — Mary Lane

B. 22 Oct 1620 in Cruwys Morchard, England
M. (1) 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: Joseph Long
M. (2) after May 1651 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: Joseph Farnsworth
M. (3) 20 Apr 1660 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: John Wilcox
D. before 7 Sep 1671 in (probably) Middletown, Connecticut

When Mary Long’s husband went on a trip in the mid-17th century, she never heard from him again. And before moving on, she had to prove in court that he was no longer alive.

Mary was born on October 22, 1620 in Cruwys Morchard, England, a village in the heart of Devon. She was the fifth of seven children born to William and Agnes Lane. Devon had a large population of Puritan followers, many of whom migrated to Massachusetts during the Great Migration. Mary and her family were among them, and it's believed that they all arrived in 1635 (possibly not all on the same ship). The family settled in Dorchester, and this was where Mary married Joseph Long in 1638. The couple was known to have had at least children together, both of them boys.

Sometime before about 1650, Mary’s husband Joseph learned that his father had died back in Devon, and that he needed to go there in person to receive an inheritance of £60. In spite of the fact Joseph was “not in good health,” he boarded a ship to England. He was said to have arrived in London and wrote to his family in Massachusetts on the day before he was to deal with the estate. But after he sent the letter, there was no further word of him, and this left Mary alone with two young boys to care for.

Mary’s only option was to find a new husband, but she couldn’t remarry if Joseph Long was possibly still alive. Time passed and finally she turned to the court, petitioning to have her husband declared legally dead. Several people made an effort to locate Joseph in England, and no one was successful. So on May 22, 1651, the court concluded that he must have died, and permission was granted that she could remarry.

Around this same time, Mary’s father died and bequeathed her part of his estate, including 24 acres of land, plus some cattle, hay, corn, malt, swine, pewter, brass and bedding. His will also said that she would have use of his house for a period not exceeding six months. Mary found a new husband, a widower named Joseph Farnsworth, and they were married at an unknown date. In about 1656, she gave birth to a third son, but the death of Joseph on January 12, 1659 left her again without a man to take care of her family.

Over a year later, on April 20, 1660, Mary married her third husband, John Wilcox, in Dorchester. Within a couple of years, they moved to Middletown, Connecticut, where John had lived before he met Mary. John brought three children from his earlier wives into the marriage, and his oldest, Sarah, would marry Mary’s son Thomas in about 1668.

Sometime during early 1671, Mary became seriously ill, and she made out her will. Her death date isn’t known, but her husband John was in court on September 7th and stated that he had given his late wife permission to write the will. The details of the document showed that Mary gave personal thought to family members, even those who weren’t blood relatives. In addition to property she gave to her sons, she mentioned her white waistcoat and red "tammy coat” for her step-daughter Mary Wilcox, and a feather bed, bolster, a cloth waistcoat with “great silver lace,” and a petticoat for her step-daughter/daughter-in-law Sarah Wilcox Long.

Children by Joseph Long:
1. Joseph Long — B. 1640s, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. 26 Aug 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts; M. Mary, 3 Dec 1661

2. Thomas Long — B. 1644, Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. Nov 1711, Windsor, Connecticut; M. (1) Sarah Wilcox (1648-1718), (probably) Hartford, Connecticut; (2) Sarah Elmer (1664-1741), before 1688, (probably) Connecticut

Child by Joseph Farnsworth:
1. Samuel Farnsworth — B. 1656, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. 1697, (probably) Connecticut; M. Mary Stoughton, 3 Jun 1677, (probably) Connecticut

Sources:
Fifty Puritan Ancestors, 1628-1660, Elizabeth Todd Nash, 1902
WikiTree

Colonial New England Militia Sergeant — William French

B. 8 Aug 1687 in Billerica, Massachusetts
M. about 1712 in (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Mehitable Patten
D. 28 Feb 1746 in Billerica, Massachusetts

Like many men in 18th century Massachusetts, William French served in his town’s militia. He was born on August 8, 1687 in Billerica, a place where he would spend his entire life. His parents were John French and Mary Littlefield, both of whom had been married before. His father had three daughters from previous marriages, and his mother had five sons. Together they had six more children, with William as the youngest (John French was 52-years-old when William was born).

William married Mehitable Patten in about 1712, and the following year they had their first child. By 1730, they had seven more children, with one dying young. William was primarily a farmer, but also held the office of selectman in Billerica during 1633 and 1634.

In town histories, William was described as a sergeant of the militia, but details of his service are scarce. His name was on a muster roll dated July to November 1722; the men on the list were thought to have served as scouts or performed guard duty as part of the ongoing “Indian Wars.” William was about 35-years-old, so he probably had previous military experience.

The conflict William was likely involved in was known as Dummer’s War, fought between English colonists and the tribes near Acadia who were allied with the French. Action took place in the area between Acadia and New England, and also along the western border with the French colony that is now Quebec. The war spanned the years 1722 to 1725, with New England winning some territory in what is now Maine. 

William’s wife Mehitable died in 1743, and he only lived three years beyond that, dying in Billerica on February 28, 1746. His probate record showed a list of his debts, including payments to his doctor and to a “French doctor” for medicine, so he was probably sick for some time before his death. The inventory of William’s possessions listed an “old gun and sword,” wearing apparel worth £16, old furniture, various household items, 40 bushels of corn, 14 bushels of rye, 3 bushels of beans, one barrel of pork and seven barrels of cider.

The military legacy of William was continued in his descendants. His grandson, also named William French, was said to be the first “martyr” of the American Revolution. At age 22, he was shot by a sheriff’s posse at the “Westminster Massacre” on March 13, 1775. The event actually preceded the revolution, but the dispute was between the two sides who would soon become opponents in the revolution.

Children:
1. William French – B. 25 Jan 1713, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Tabitha Pierce (1715-?), 22 Apr 1736, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; about 1793

2. Elizabeth French – B. 3 Apr 1716, Billerica, Massachusetts; 30 Nov 1755; M. Ephraim Kidder (1710-1756)

3. Mehitable French – B. 29 Aug 1718, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. John White

4. Nathaniel French — B. 2 Feb 1721, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 8 Jun 1801, Brattleboro, Vermont; M. (1) Elizabeth Frost (1723-1777); (2) Joanna Kingsley (1729-1800), about 1780

5. David French – B. 28 May 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts

6. Jonathan French – B. 28 May 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 20 Jun 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts

7. Sarah French – B. 28 Apr 1728, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1793; M. Daniel Kittredge (1726-?), 17 Mar 1746, Billerica, Massachusetts

8. John French – B. 27 May 1730, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 15 May 1815, Jaffrey, New Hampshire; M. (1) Mary French (1731-?), 9 May 1754; (2) Priscilla Mace (1738-?), 6 Jan 1763, Billerica, Massachusetts

Sources:
The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 44, 1890
Dummer’s War (Wikipedia article)
Westminster massacre (Wikipedia article)
Find A Grave
WikiTree