M. 31 Aug 1702 in Montmagny, New France2
Husband: Jacques Daniau dit Laprise
D. 28 Jun 1755 in St-François-du-Sud, New France3
The parishes of New France were remarkably honest in identifying illegitimacy in their baptismal records. In this way we are able to know that 20-year-old Louise Destroismaisons gave birth to baby boy before she was married.
Louise was born in about April 1680 to Philippe Destroismaisons and Martine Crosnier,1 the 7th of 12 children. She was the first one born after the family moved to the south shore in 1679; they made their home in Montmagny, but she was baptized at nearby L’Islet on April 3rd. Louise’s father was a shoemaker as well as a farmer, and her mother had been a Fille du Roi.
When Louise was 12-years-old, her oldest sister Angelique married a widower named Alphonse Morin,4 the son of Nöel Morin and Hélène Desportes. Angelique was a generation younger than her husband, and he had several children by his first wife, including a son named Joseph. In 1700, Joseph had an encounter with Louise, and she became pregnant; it isn’t known if their relationship was consensual, but it’s likely that it was. The child was born in about February of the following year and baptized at St-Thomas church in Montmagny on February 8th.5 Angelique served as the baby’s godmother, but sadly he lived only a week, and was buried at the same church on the 16th.6
Baptism and burial records of Louise's out-of-wedlock child.
Whatever stigma Louise might have suffered from having a baby out-of-wedlock, she was able to move on with her life. Joseph Morin married someone else by the end of the year;7 he went on to have at least seven children with his new wife. Meanwhile, Louise found a husband in Jacques Daniau dit Laprise, whom she married at Montmagny on August 31, 1702.2 Her first child with Jacques was born a year later, and interestingly, Alphonse Morin served as the baby’s godfather.8 Louise would go on to have eight more children by about 1718, with two dying as infants.
Louise and Jacques made their home along the Rivière-du-Sud, a small river that ran parallel to the St. Lawrence, and flowed into the larger river at Montmagny. In the late 17th century, farms started bordering the waterway, and this was where Louise raised her family. The nearest parish was St-Thomas in Montmagny, so this was where her children were baptized until at least 1714. Louise’s name appeared along with her husband on several documents of transactions of property and goods during their life together.
Jacques died on July 18, 1751 and was buried at St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud parish.9 Louise survived another four years, passing away on June 28, 1755 at the age of 75.3
Child by Joseph Morin (out-of-wedlock):
1. Alexandre-Joseph Morin — B. 8 Feb 1701, Montmagny, New France;5 D. 16 Feb 1701, Montmagny, New France6
Children by Jacques Daniau dit Laprise:
1. Jacques Daniau — B. before 11 Sep 1703, Montmagny, New France;8 M. Marie-Anne Clussaeu (~1710-?), 7 Jan 1730, Quebec City, New France10
2. Jean-Baptiste Daniau — B. before 25 Mar 1705, Montmagny, New France;11 D. 4 Nov 1705, Montmagny, New France12
3. Jean-Baptiste Daniau — B. 25 Mar 1707, Montmagny, New France;13 D. 2 Jan 1792, St-François-de-la-Rivière, Quebec;14 M. (1) Marie-Claire Blanchet (1705-1746), 21 Nov 1727, New France;15 (2) Madeleine Plante (1729-1808), 3 Jul 1747, St-Jean, Île d’Orleans, New France16
4. Philippe Daniau — B. 27 Mar 1710, Montmagny, New France;17 M. (1) Elisabeth Buteau (1716-?), 27 Dec 1734, Detroit, New France;18 (2) Josephte-Anne Picard (1715-?), 26 Jul 1742, Montreal, New France19
5. Pierre Daniau — B. 13 May 1711, Montmagny, New France;20 D. 1 Jun 1711, Montmagny, New France21
6. Joseph Daniau — B. 16 Jul 1712, Montmagny, New France;22 D. 20 Jun 1782, Montreal, New France;23 M. Marie-Josephte Grefferd (1711-1777), 25 Oct 1735, St-Jean, Île d’Orleans, New France24
7. Genevieve Daniau — B. 15 Feb 1714, Montmagny, New France;25 D. 11 Sep 1792, Montmagny, New France;26 M. Louis Boulay (1704-1779), 5 Nov 1731, Berthier-en-Bas, New France27
8. Marguerite Daniau — B. about 1716, New France;28 D. 17 Aug 1788, St-François-de-la-Rivière, Quebec;29 M. Antoine Morin (1704-1776), 25 Oct 1734, St-François-de-la-Rivière, New France30
9. Marthe Daniau — B. about 1718, New France;31 D. 12 Mar 1786, St-Mathias, Pointe-Olivier, Quebec;32 M. Etienne Fontaine (1686-1764), 19 Aug 1737, St-François-de-la-Rivière, New France33
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Louise Destroismaisons, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Jacques Daniau dit Laprise and Louise Destroismaisons, Q.C.P.R.
3 Burial record of Louise Destroismaisons, Q.C.P.R.
4 Marriage record of Alphonse Morin and Angelique Destroismaisons, Q.C.P.R.
5 Baptismal record of Alexandre-Joseph Morin, Q.C.P.R.
6 Burial record of Alexandre-Joseph Morin, Q.C.P.R.
7 Marriage record of Joseph Morin and Agnes Bouchard, Q.C.P.R.
8 Baptismal record of Jacques Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
9 Burial record of Jacques Daniau dit Laprise, Q.C.P.R.
10 Marriage record of Jacques Daniau and Marie-Anne Cusseau, Q.C.P.R.
11 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Daniau (older), Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Jean Baptiste Daniau (older), Q.C.P.R.
13 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Daniau (younger), Q.C.P.R.
14 Burial record of Jean Baptiste Daniau (younger), Q.C.P.R.
15 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Daniau and Marie-Claire Blanchet, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Daniau and Madeleine Plante, Q.C.P.R.
17 Baptismal record of Philippe Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
18 Marriage record of Philippe Daniau and Elisabeth Buteau, Q.C.P.R.
19 Marriage record of Philippe Daniau and Josephte-Anne Picard, Q.C.P.R.
20 Baptismal record of Pierre Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
21 Burial record of Pierre Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
22 Baptismal record of Joseph Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
23 Burial record of Joseph Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
24 Marriage record of Joseph Daniau and Marie-Josephte Grefferd, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal record of Genevieve Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
26 Burial record of Genevieve Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
27 Marriage record of Louis Boulay and Genevieve Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
28 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing for Marguerite Daniau
29 Burial record of Marguerite Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
30 Marriage record of Antoine Morin and Marguerite Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
31 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing for Marthe Daniau
32 Burial record of Marthe Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
33 Marriage record of Etienne Fontaine and Marthe Daniau, Q.C.P.R.
