M. (1) 4 Jul 1796 in Beaumont, Quebec2
Husband: Michel Dubois
M. (2) 19 Oct 1812 In St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec3
Husband: Laurent Gosselin
D. 8 Nov 1856 in St-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec4
Marie-Joseph Fournier had the unusual distinction of getting married at the same place and on the same day as her oldest daughter. She lived her entire life on or near the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, born in Beaumont to Alexandre Fournier and Charlotte Turgeon on June 23, 1777.1 Marie-Joseph grew up as the only girl among five brothers.
On July 4, 1796, 19-year-old Marie-Joseph married Michel Dubois.2 After the wedding in Beaumont, she moved with her husband to his hometown of St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy. About a year later, Marie-Joseph gave birth to her first child, Marie-Charlotte,5 and seven more children followed by 1808. Sadly, one died young, then Michel passed away on August 12, 1809.6 Marie-Joseph likely had help supporting her children from her elderly father and her brothers, but for a woman in her situation, finding a new husband was her best option. So in the autumn of 1812, she married Laurent Gosselin of Bellechasse.
Record of Marie-Joseph's marriage to Laurent Gosselin in 1812. (Source: FamilySearch.org)
Marie-Joseph’s wedding took place at St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy on October 19th,3 but it wasn’t the only marriage the family celebrated that day. After her service was done, her 15-year-old daughter Marie-Charlotte married Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie.7 Why were two weddings held the same day? Perhaps it was for the convenience of having family gathered for both events at once. Remarkably, Marie-Joseph’s husband was about six years younger than the man her daughter married. Within a few months, both mother and daughter became pregnant, and they each gave birth to sons about six weeks apart.8,9 Marie-Joseph had one more child in 1816.10
Marie-Joseph was the wife of a tenant farmer, and census records show that her second husband’s farm production was below average. In the 1831 census,11 with 9 people in the household, Laurent had a harvest of 54 bushels of potatoes, but there were no other crops or animals on the farm. Another census taken in 1842 said that there were 8 family members under their roof,12 and they reported no crops at all that year, with a single hog as their livestock. Neither farm was located in St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy; in 1831, they lived in St-Charles-de-Bellechasse, and by 1842, they had moved to St-Jean-Chrysostome. Both locations were several miles south of the St. Lawrence, and far away from any large town or city.
Despite the hardships of life in rural 19th-century Quebec, Marie-Joseph lived to a fairly old age, passing away at 79 on November 8, 1856.4 Her husband Laurent survived until 1858.13
Children by Michel Dubois:
1. Marie-Charlotte Dubois — B. 29 Jun 1797, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;5 M. Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie (~1781-1846), 19 Oct 1812, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec7
2. Michel Dubois — B. about 30 May 1798, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;14 D. 5 Jul 1806, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec15
3. Marie-Euphrosine Dubois — B. about 9 Aug 1800, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;16 M. Pierre Cantin (1788-?), 8 Feb 1820, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec17
4. Judith Dubois — B. about 24 Jan 1801, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;18 M. Thomas Roberge (1798-?), 15 Oct 1822, Lévis, Lauzon, Quebec19
5. Jacques Dubois — B. about 12 Sep 1802, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;20 D. after 1881, (probably) Quebec;21 M. Julie Hinse (~1805-?), 8 Feb 1825, Lévis, Lauzon, Quebec22
6. Charles-Raphael Dubois — B. 12 Jul 1804, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;23 D. 18 Sep 1891, Lauzon, Quebec;24 M. Marie Roberge (1811-?), 12 Feb 1828, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec25
7. Magloire Dubois — B. 29 Aug 1806, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;26 D. 19 Feb 1873, Lauzon, Quebec;27 M. (1) Françoise Couture (1806-?), 4 Oct 1825, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;28 (2) Marie Dion (~1806-?), 13 Jan 1863, Lauzon, Quebec29
8. Marie-Pelagie Dubois — B. 3 Jun 1808, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;30 D. 3 Apr 1826, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;31 M. Louis Samson, 20 Jul 1824, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec32
Children by Laurent Gosselin:
1. Laurent Gosselin — B. 3 Aug 1813, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;8 D. 15 Sep 1847, St-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec;33 M. Marie Simoneau (~1812-?), 31 Jul 1832, St-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec34
2. Hubert Gosselin — B. 30 May 1816, St-Joseph-de-la Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;10 D. 24 Sep 1899, St-Romauld-d’Etchemin, Quebec;35 M. (1) Marie-Theotise Dupperon (1817-1866), 19 Mar 1839, St-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec;36 (2) Vitaline Belanger (1836-1876), 25 Feb 1867, St-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec;37 (3) Flavie Shink (~1828-1902), 6 Nov 1882, St-Lambert, Lévis, Quebec38
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Marie-Joseph Fournier, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Michel Dubois and Marie-Joseph Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
3 Marriage record of Laurent Gosselin and Marie-Joseph Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
4 Burial record of Marie-Joseph Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
5 Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
6 Burial record of Michel Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
7 Marriage record of Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie and Marie-Charlotte Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
8 Baptismal record of Laurent Gosselin (younger), Q.C.P.R.
9 Baptismal record of Joseph LaBrie, Q.C.P.R.
10 Baptismal record of Hubert Gosselin, Q.C.P.R.
11 Lower Canada Census, 1831, FamilySearch.org
12 Lower Canada Census, 1842, FamilySearch.org
13 Burial record of Laurent Gosselin, Q.C.P.R.
14 Baptismal record of Michel Dubois (younger), Q.C.P.R.
15 Burial record of Michel Dubois (younger), Q.C.P.R.
16 Baptismal record of Marie-Euphrosine Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
17 Marriage record of Pierre Cantin and Marie-Euphrosine Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
18 Baptismal record of Judith Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
19 Marriage record of Thomas Roberge and Judith Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
20 Baptismal record of Jacques Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
21 Canada Census, 1881, FamilySearch.org
22 Marriage record of Jacques Dubois and Julie Hinse, Q.C.P.R.
23 Baptismal record of Charles-Raphael Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
24 Burial record of Charles-Raphael Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
25 Marriage record of Charles-Raphael Dubois and Marie Roberge, Q.C.P.R.
26 Baptismal record of Magloire Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
27 Burial record of Magloire Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
28 Marriage record of Magloire Dubois and Françoise Couture, Q.C.P.R.
29 Marriage record of Magloire Dubois and Marie Dion, Q.C.P.R.
30 Baptismal record of Marie-Pelagie Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
31 Burial record of Marie-Pelagie Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
32 Marriage record of Louis Samson and Marie-Pelagie Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
33 Burial record of Laurent Gosselin (younger), Q.C.P.R.
34 Marriage record of Laurent Gosselin and Marie Simoneau, Q.C.P.R.
35 Burial record of Hubert Gosselin, Q.C.P.R.
36 Marriage record of Hubert Gosselin and Marie-Theotise Dupperon, Q.C.P.R.
37 Marriage record of Hubert Gosselin and Vitaline Belanger, Q.C.P.R.
38 Marriage record of Hubert Gosselin and Flavie Shink, Q.C.P.R.
