M. 24 Jan 1698 in Montreal, Quebec2
Husband: Vital Caron
D. 23 Dec 1766 in Chateauguay, Quebec3
Marie Perthuis spent her entire life of 88 years in the Montreal area as the men in her life worked in the fur trade. She was born on September 8, 1678 in the seigneury of Pointe-aux-Trembles,1 located just downriver from Montreal. Her father, Pierre Perthuis dit La Lime, was a merchant in the fur trade who used his connections back in France to supply expeditions to the west. A couple of years before Marie was born, her father had been away on a business trip when her mother, Claude Damise, became pregnant by another man.4 The baby was given to another couple to raise, and Marie likely never met her half-brother. Her parents eventually had 12 children together.
When Marie was 19-years-old, she married a man from Montreal named Vital Caron. The wedding took place on January 24, 1698,2 and by the end of the year, their first child was born.5 Marie had two more children before the family relocated to Lachine in 1702 or 1703.6 Like her father, Vital was involved in the fur trade, but while her father based his activity in Montreal, Vital was making trips to the Great Lakes area as a sea captain transporting goods. For Marie, this meant she was left at home for months at a time, taking care of the children and the house. Her husband Vital traveled on his own as far as Detroit in April 1707.7 This trip was probably one of many, and a gap of four years between the births of her children in 1709 and 1713 suggests his absence from home during that time. In spite of his time away from Marie, the family grew to a total of eight children.
A record dated December 31, 1720 showed that Marie represented her husband in court, as wives of fur traders often had to do.8 In this case, she brought a lawsuit against Vital’s brother-in-law, Jean Tessier dit Lavigne, for “payment of an obligation” going back to 1702. Marie’s late father had been owed some money, but if her husband was in town, he would have been the one to handle this legal action.
As Marie’s children got older, the lure of the fur trade seems to have influenced her sons Vital and Jean-Baptiste. Each went on expeditions to the west as young men in 1727,9 and they likely went on many other trips as well. By 1735, Vital moved to Detroit permanently,10 while Jean-Baptiste continued to make his home in the Montreal area.11
In 1745, Marie’s husband died,12 and once again, she took on the role of handling the family’s business. A receipt dated October 10, 1748 stated that she received 202 livres for the “building and animals” that had belonged to her children Vital and Angelique as their inheritance.13 This document is evidence that she was at least able to sign her name.
1748 receipt showing signature of Marie. (Source: BAnQ)
Some time later, Marie seems to have been taken in by her son Jean-Baptiste in her old age. He had settled in the village of Chateauguay, located west of Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, and it was here that Marie died on December 23, 1766.3 Her death record indicated she had been disabled for a long time before her death.
Children:
1. Marie-Anne Caron — B. 17 Dec 1698, Montreal, New France;5 D. 1 Apr 1754, Chateauguay, Quebec;14 M. (1) Jacques Pare (1695-1719), 16 Nov 1717, Lachine, New France;15 (2) Paul Hotesse (1682-1730), 22 Sep 1728, Montreal, New France;16 (3) Jacques Forestier (1695-1747), 5 Nov 1736, Montreal, New France17
2. Vital Caron — B. 14 May 1700, New France;18 D. 18 Apr 1747, Fort Detroit, New France;10 M. Marie-Madeleine Pruneau (1708-?), 20 Jul 1735, Fort Detroit, New France10
3. Marie Caron – B. 19 Apr 1702, Montreal, New France;19 D. 4 Aug 1782, Montmorency, Quebec;20 M. Jean-Baptiste Brault (1699-1773), 14 Dec 1721, Lachine, New France21
4. Jean-Baptiste Caron — B. 26 Apr 1704, Lachine, New France;6 D. 5 Nov 1785, Chateauguay, Quebec;11 (1) Josephe Tabault (1708-1749), 26 Oct 1733, Montreal, New France;22 (2) Josephe Duquet (1726-1784), 7 Apr 1750, Chateauguay, New France23
5. Angélique Caron — B. 17 Feb 1706, Lachine, New France;24 M. (1) Pierre Lamothe (~1693-1752), 21 Jan 1740, Montreal, New France;25 (2) Michel Henry (~1727-?), 6 Jun 1757, Montreal, New France26
6. Catherine Caron — B. 25 Dec 1707, Montreal, New France;27 D. 25 Nov 1799, Lachine, Quebec;28 M. Antoine Picard (1700-1779), 8 Jan 1731, Lachine, New France29
7. Jeanne Caron — B. 27 Nov 1709, Lachine, New France;30 D. 13 Aug 1757, Fort Detroit, New France;10 M. Pierre Meloche (1701-1760), 16 Aug 1729, Lachine, New France31
8. Madeleine Caron — B. about 1713, New France;32 D. 18 Apr 1769, Lachine, Quebec;32 M. Antoine Tabault (1710-?), 10 Jan 1735, Lachine, New France33
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Marie Perthuis, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Vital Caron and Marie Perthuis, Q.C.P.R.
3 Burial record of Marie Perthuis, Q.C.P.R.
4 Baptismal record of André Jean Paradis, Q.C.P.R.
5 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
6 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Caron, Q.C.P.R.
7 Le Détroit Du Lac Érié 1701-1710, Gail F. Moreau-DesHarnais, Diane Wolford Sheppard, Suzanne Boivin Sommerville, 2016
8 Court record of case between Marie Perthuis and Jean Tessier dit Lavigne, BAnQ
9 Rapport de l’Archiviste de la province de Québec, 1929, 1929-1930, p. 261
10 Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit River Region, 1701-1936, p. 225, Christian Dennison, 1987
11 Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Caron, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Vital Caron (older), Q.C.P.R.
13 Note of receipt by Marie Perthuis concerning an estate, BAnQ
14 Burial record of Marie-Anne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
15 Marriage record of Jacques Pare and Marie-Anne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Paul Hotesse and Marie-Anne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
17 Marriage record of Jacques Forestier and Marie-Anne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
18 Baptismal record of Vital Caron (younger), Q.C.P.R.
19 Baptismal record of Marie Caron, Q.C.P.R.
20 Burial record of Marie Caron, Q.C.P.R.
21 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Brault and Marie Caron, Q.C.P.R.
22 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Caron and Josephe Tabault, Q.C.P.R.
23 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Caron and Josephe Duquet, Q.C.P.R.
24 Baptismal record of Angélique Caron, Q.C.P.R.
25 Marriage record of Pierre Lamothe and Angélique Caron, Q.C.P.R.
26 Marriage record of Michel Henry and Angélique Caron, Q.C.P.R.
27 Baptismal record of Catherne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
28 Burial record of Catherine Caron, Q.C.P.R.
29 Marriage record of Antoine Picard and Catherine Caron, Q.C.P.R.
30 Baptismal record of Jeanne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
31 Marriage record of Pierre Meloche and Jeanne Caron, Q.C.P.R.
32 Burial record of Madeleine Caron, Q.C.P.R.
33 Marriage record of Antoine Tabault and Madeleine Caron, Q.C.P.R.
