M. about 1668 in Contrecœur, New France2
Husband: Pierre Favreau dit Deslauriers
D. 11 Dec 1733 in Contrecœur, New France3
Marie Benoit was a teenaged girl when she became the wife of a New France settler. Her origins are completely unknown, and it’s assumed she was one of the Filles du Roi, the migration of marriageable women from France. But there’s no marriage contract or parish record of her wedding, so this can’t be taken as pure fact.
Based on the age of her oldest child, Marie would have migrated as a Filles du Roi in 1667 or 1668,2 and according to other records, she would have been 14- or 15-years-old.1 Why would a girl that young go on such a risky venture? The Filles du Roi were recruited in Paris, as well as places near the port cities of Dieppe and LaRochelle. Those who had few options in life snapped up the opportunity. Marie may have been an orphan, or maybe she was from a large, impoverished family, but no records offer any sort of clue to her actual background.
An alternative to this scenario is that Marie was actually born in the colony. This speculation plays out because there was a man who arrived in Montreal in 1653 whose name was Paul Benoit (or Benoist). Much of Marie’s life was in the Montreal area, and for a time, she lived in the same community as some of his family. But Marie was not listed in Paul Benoit’s household in the 1666 census, so there’s nothing to really connect her to him.
Sometime about 1668, Marie married a man named Pierre Favreau dit Deslauriers,2 who had been a Carignan-Salières Regiment soldier. After having arrived in 1665, Pierre finished his 3-year term of service, and he became one of the many who decided not to return to France. The couple settled in the seigneury of Contrecœur, located downriver from Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. Marie had three children before she was age 20, and their family grew to thirteen children by 1693; four of them, all boys, died young. In about 1687, the family moved to closer to Montreal, to the settlement of Boucherville.4
In July 1697, Marie testified at the scandalous trial of Marie-Madeleine Gibault,5 a young woman who left her newborn baby in a manure pile next to a barn; as an unmarried mother, she was charged with trying to hide the baby by leaving it to die. The woman was found guilty and hanged for her crime.
Marie's testimony at the 1697 trial of Marie-Madeleine Gibault. (Source: BAnQ)
Marie’s husband Pierre died on May 26, 1708.6 Twelve years later, Marie was living in the household of her oldest son Nicolas when she wrote a will dated March 5, 1720.7 In the document, she bequeathed such things as bedding, clothing and “a full pot of butter” to various children, grandchildren and daughters-in-law. Marie lived another 13 years and passed away on December 11, 1733.3 Among her descendants are voiceover actress June Foray, famous for being the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel.
Children:
1. Nicolas Favreau — B. about 1669, New France;2 D. 11 Jan 1731, Boucherville, New France;2 M. (1) Catherine Picard (~1679-1699), 18 Oct 1694, Boucherville, New France;8 (2) Marie Meunier (1683-1742), 20 Apr 1700, Boucherville, New France9
2. Pierre Favreau — B. about 1670, New France;1 D. before 21 Mar 169310
3. Marie-Anne Favreau — B. about 1672, New France;11 D. 3 Apr 1737, Contrecœur New France;11 M. (1) Antoine Emery dit Coderre (1643-?), 5 Jun 1688, Boucherville, New France;12 (2) Joseph Circe (1691-1754), 10 Feb 1716, Contrecœur, New France13
4. Antoine Favreau — B. 26 Feb 1675, Contrecœur New France;14 D. 6 Nov 1709, Montreal, New France;15 M. Anne Meunier (~1678-?), 11 Jan 1700, Boucherville, New France16
5. Mathurin Favreau — B. 16 Mar 1677, Contrecœur New France;17 D. 27 Mar 1752, Boucherville, New France;18 M. Marie-Madeleine Emery (1678-1760), 11 Jan 1700, Boucherville, New France19
6. Marie Favreau — B. about 1679, New France;20 D. 1 May 1703, Montreal, New France;20 M. François Picard (1673-1728), 18 Oct 1694, Boucherville, New France21
7. Jean Favreau — B. about 1681, New France;22 D. 31 Oct 1747, Boucherville, New France;22 M. Jeanne Meunier (1685-1760), 23 Jan 1702, Boucherville, New France23
8. Joseph Favreau — B. 25 Mar 1683, Contrecœur, New France;24 D. (probably) young
9. Charles Favreau — B. 13 Feb 1685, Contrecœur New France;25 D. 31 Oct 1764, Verchères, New France;26 M. Marie-Angelique Benard (1699-?), 11 Nov 1720, Boucherville, New France27
10. Genevieve Favreau — B. 4 Oct 1686, Contrecœur, New France;28 D. before 5 Oct 1717, New France;29 M. Gabriel Giard (1675-1753), 21 Jul 1710, Contrecœur, New France30
11. René Favreau — B. 25 May 1688, Boucherville, New France;4 D. 11 Apr 1689, Boucherville, New France31
12. Jacques Favreau — B. 28 Aug 1690, Boucherville, New France;32 D. 25 Sep 1690, Boucherville, New France33
13. Pierre Favreau — B. 21 Mar 1693, Boucherville, New France;10 M. Marie-Anne Perrault (1692-1730), 28 Jun 1716, Boucherville, New France34
Sources:
1 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
2 Burial record of Nicolas Favreau, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Marie Benoit, Q.C.P.R.
4 Baptismal record of René Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
5 Court record of case against Marie Madeleine Gibault, BAnQ
6 Burial record of Pierre Favreau dit Deslauriers, Q.C.P.R.
7 WikiTree listing for Marie Benoit
8 Marriage record of Nicolas Favreau and Catherine Picard, Q.C.P.R.
9 Marriage record of Nicolas Favreau and Marie Meunier, Q.C.P.R.
10 Baptismal record of Pierre Favreau (younger), Q.C.P.R.
11 Burial record of Marie-Anne Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
12 Marriage record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre and Marie-Anne Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Joseph Circe and Marie-Anne Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
14 Baptismal record of Antoine Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
15 Burial record of Antoine Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Antoine Favreau and Anne Meunier, Q.C.P.R.
17 Baptismal record of Mathurin Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
18 Burial record of Mathurin Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
19 Marriage record of Mathurin Favreau and Marie-Madeleine Emery, Q.C.P.R.
20 Burial record of Marie Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
21 Marriage record of François Picard and Marie Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
22 Burial record of Jean Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
23 Marriage record of Jean Favreau and Jeanne Meunier, Q.C.P.R.
24 Baptismal record of Joseph Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal record of Charles Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
26 Burial record of Charles Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
27 Marriage record of Charles Favreau and Marie-Angelique Benard, Q.C.P.R.
28 Baptismal record of Genevieve Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
29 Marriage record of Gabriel Giard and Suzanne Menard, Q.C.P.R.
30 Marriage record of Gabriel Giard and Genevieve Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
31 Burial record of René Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
32 Baptismal record of Jacques Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
33 Burial record of Jacques Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
34 Marriage record of Pierre Favreau (younger) and Marie-Anne Perrault, Q.C.P.R.
