M. 14 Oct 1665 in Château-Richer, New France2
Wife: Françoise Pilois
D. 1 Jun 1709 in Beaumont, New France3
In the colony of New France, many people spent their entire lives at a subsistent, yet comfortable level. The men were mostly farmers, who did little else than support their families with crops and other resources, getting by from year to year. This pretty much sums up the life of Antoine Cassé.
Antoine was born in 1641 in Doué, an ancient village in the Anjou region of France; he was baptized at the St-Pierre church there on April 26th.1 His parents were Nöel Cassé (also spelled Lacassé) and Michelle Durand, and he was the oldest of their four children. Both of Antoine’s grandfathers were said to be house roofers.
The church where Antoine was baptized.
Sometime during his 20s, Antoine left his family and migrated to New France; he first appeared in records at his confirmation in Quebec City on March 23, 1664.4 By the following year, Antoine had settled downriver from Quebec City in Château-Richer. That fall, he joined the men courting the Filles du Roi who had just arrived from France. On October 14th, he made a contract with one of them, Françoise Pilois, and their wedding took place the same day.2
The newlyweds spent their first few years in the north shore area called the Beaupré Coast, but looked toward moving across the water. During the late spring of 1666, Antoine purchased a concession of land with 3 arpents of frontage in St-Pierre on Île d’Orleans.5 But for some reason, on December 4th, he terminated the farm lease.5 He dealt with the widow of the man he had leased it from; in return for the land, she paid him 215 livres and allowed him use of the house, kitchen and barn until the spring thaw. As part of the bargain, she also gave him a gray cloak which had likely belonged to her late husband.
Back on the north shore, Antoine turned up in two transactions in March 1669, both in the area around Château-Richer. On the 22nd, he bought 144 livres worth of merchandise to be paid in “money or pelts.”5 And two days later he used 100 planks of pine to help pay off a debt; he had previously received the pine from another man in exchange for a “fat pig.”5 A year later, he made a deal in Quebec City selling 500 planks for 40 livres.5 In April 1670, Antoine made a deal for a cow that required him to pay the original owner in “18 livres worth of salted butter” for each of the next three years.5 These sorts of transactions were typical of settlers trying to make ends meet in the colony.
During these years, Antoine needed to support his growing family, with a daughter and son baptized at Château-Richer in 16666 and 1668,7 and four more children born on Île d’Orleans by 1676. In January 1677, Antoine sold his farm on Île d’Orleans and moved to Beaumont, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence,5 and this was where his youngest three children were born. The 1681 census showed that they were one of only 14 families living there,8 and at the time, their closest parish was at Pointe-Lévy. The Beaumont seigneur’s home was sometimes used for religious events, such as on August 9, 1681, when Antoine’s children Marie-Françoise and Joseph were confirmed.5
Like many men in New France, Antoine made use of other resources besides farming. For a time, he was a part-owner of a sail boat, but it was sold to a new owner in 1683;5 he likely used the boat for fishing out on the St. Lawrence River. In March 1686, he bought another concession of land adjacent to his property; it added 3 arpents of river frontage to his farm.5 But part of the deal required him to clear the land, which he never did, and so he gave it up in 1699.5 The rent he paid for 13 years ended up being a waste of money.
As their nest emptied, Antoine and his wife Françoise prepared for their retirement, and on August 26, 1702, they signed over much of their farm to their youngest son Charles.5 In return, he agreed to take care of them in their old age, and also see to it that 30 masses were said for them after each one died. Seven years later, on June 1, 1709, Antoine’s died at his home in Beaumont.3 Françoise lived a few more years, passing away in 1713.9
Children:
1. Marie-Françoise Cassé — B. 21 Nov 1666, Château-Richer, New France;6 D. 14 Jan 1750, Beaumont, New France;10 M. Étienne Blanchon (?-1712), about 1689, New France11
2. Antoine Cassé — B. 7 May 1668, Château-Richer, New France;7 D. 19 Dec 1687, Lauzon, New France12
3. Joseph Cassé — B. 23 Aug 1669, Ste-Famille, New France;13 D. 23 Jan 1744, Beaumont, New France;14 M. Marie Bazin (1673-1743), 27 Jun 1691, Lauzon, New France15
4. Jeanne-Therese Cassé — B. 7 Feb 1673, Ste-Famille, New France;16 D. 25 Aug 1699, La Durantaye, New France;17 M. Nöel Roy (~1663-1731), 27 Apr 1690, Lauzon, New France18
5. Anne Cassé — B. 29 Aug 1674, (probably) Île d’Orleans, New France;19 D. 11 Jun 1754, St-Nicolas, Lévis, New France;20 M. Jean-Baptiste Nadeau (1669-1735), 15 Jun 1690, New France21
6. Catherine Cassé — B. 10 May 1676, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;22 D. 20 Mar 1728, Beaumont, New France;23 M. Remi Vallieres (1678-1754), 18 Jan 1701, Beaumont, New France24
7. Charlotte Cassé — B. 21 Jun 1678, St-Etienne-de-Beaumont, New France;25 D. 6 Mar 1722, Beaumont, New France;26 M. Denis Nadeau (1673-1759), 9 Nov 1695, Beaumont, New France27
8. Marguerite Cassé — B. 1679, (probably) Beaumont, New France;28 D. 16 Apr 1751, Beaumont, New France;29 M. Pierre Jean (1672-1737), 1697, New France30
9. Charles Cassé — B. 29 Mar 1682, Beaumont, New France;31 D. 27 Nov 1749, Beaumont, New France;32 M. (1) Françoise Paquet (1682-1731), 12 Sep 1703, Beaumont, New France;33 (2) Marie-Josephte Filteau (1705-1787), 19 Oct 1734, Bellechasse, New France34
Sources:
1 Fichier origne listing for Antoine Cassé
2 Marriage record of Antoine Cassé and Françoise Pilois, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Antoine Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
4 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing for Antoine Cassé
5 Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
6 Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
7 Baptismal record of Antoine Cassé (younger), Q.C.P.R.
8 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
9 Burial record of Françoise Pilois, Q.C.P.R.
10 Burial record of Marie-Françoise Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
11 Marriage record of Étienne Blanchon and Marie-Françoise Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Antoine Cassé (younger), Q.C.P.R.
13 Baptismal record of Joseph Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
14 Burial record of Joseph Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
15 Marriage record of Joseph Cassé and Marie Bazin, Q.C.P.R.
16 Baptismal record of Jean-Therese Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
17 Burial record of Jean-Therese Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
18 Marriage record of Nöel Roy and Jean-Therese Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
19 Baptismal record of Anne Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
20 Burial record of Anne Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
21 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Nadeau and Anne Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
22 Baptismal record of Catherine Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
23 Burial record of Catherine Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
24 Marriage record of Remi Vallieres and Catherine Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal record of Charlotte Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
26 Burial record of Charlotte Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
27 Marriage record of Denis Nadeau and Charlotte Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
28 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing for Marguerite Cassé
29 Burial record of Marguerite Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
30 Marriage record of Pierre Jean and Marguerite Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
31 Baptismal record of Charles Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
32 Burial record of Charles Cassé, Q.C.P.R.
33 Marriage record of Charles Cassé and Françoise Paquet, Q.C.P.R.
34 Marriage record of Charles Cassé and Marie-Josephte Filteau, Q.C.P.R.
