Hired Out By Her Parents — Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau

B. 22 Aug 1679 in Neuville, New France¹
M. 13 Jan 1699 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France²
Husband: Pierre Soucy
D. 31 Dec 1758 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France³

When Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau was still a girl, her family sent her to work as a live-in servant, an act which may have set the course for the rest of her life.

Élisabeth was a second generation Canadian, with her parents Urbain Fouquereau and Jeanne Rossignol having come over from France; her mother had been a Fille du Roi. Élisabeth was born in Neuville on August 22, 1679,¹ the oldest girl in the family, which would grow to include 11 children. Perhaps because of the number of mouths to feed, her parents made the decision to hire her out, and on March 2, 1693, they made a service arrangement with a couple in Quebec City.⁴

The people who took in Élisabeth as a servant were Jaques Pinguet de Vaucourt and Marie-Anne Morin; he was 25-years-old and she was just 17. They had been married for two years (it was common for girls to marry that young in New France), and they had a baby boy by the time Élisabeth joined their household.⁵ Marie-Anne was the granddaughter of Hélène Desportes, the first European born in Canada. Jacques was a well-educated man who would one-day become a notary and judge.⁶

Élisabeth was contracted to work for Jacques and Marie-Anne for three years. What sort of chores did she likely do? Probably look after the baby and help clean the house, things she would have had much experience with already. It isn’t known if Élisabeth returned to her parents after the three years were up, but there’s no indication that she did. It wasn’t until 1698 that she became engaged to get married, and the marriage took place far from home in Rivière-Ouelle. It’s interesting to note that none of her siblings ended up in that region of New France, giving the impression that Élisabeth had made a break from her family.

  Typical servant girl in the 17th century.

The man Élisabeth married was Pierre Soucy, whose family was established on the Côte-du-Sud (south shore of the St. Lawrence). They exchanged their vows January 13, 1699,² and soon after, Élisabeth was pregnant with her first child. Between 1700 and 1725, she had 12 children, of whom three died as infants.

Élisabeth passed away at Rivière-Ouelle on December 31, 1758.³ Her husband Pierre died in January 1760.⁷ They were ancestors of actress Chloë Sevigny.

Children:
1. Marie-Anne Soucy — B. 18 Jan 1700, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;⁸ D. 28 Sep 1785, Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec;⁹ M. Augustin Dubé (1695-1779), 7 Jan 1721, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France¹⁰

2. Pierre Soucy — B. 9 Feb 1702, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;¹¹ D. 27 May 1764, Kamouraska, Quebec;¹² M. Marie-Jean Michaud, 20 Jul 1723, Rivière-Ouelle, New France¹³

3. Joseph Soucy — B. 19 Jul 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 21 Jul 1745, La Pocatière, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Mignier (1706-1777), 7 Jan 1727, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France

4. Ursule Soucy — B. 28 Jun 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;¹⁴ D. 30 Mar 1754, La Pocatière, New France;¹⁵ M. Michel Mignault dit LaBrie (1697-~1756), 26 Oct 1724, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France¹⁶

5. Marie-Madeleine Soucy — B. 20 Jun 1708, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁰ D. 2 Nov 1743, Repentigny, New France;²¹ M. Guillaume Gabriel Miville (1704-1799), 14 Jan 1726, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France²²

6. Angelique Soucy — B. 4 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²³ D. 29 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France²⁴

7. Jean-François Soucy — B. 14 Feb 1712, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁵ D. 8 Sep 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁶ M. Claire Rousseau (~1715-1797), 3 Jul 1735, L’Islet-sur-Mer, New France²⁷

8. Marie-Françoise Soucy — B. 28 Jan 1714, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁸ D. 9 Dec 1796, Kamouraska, Quebec;²⁹ M. Jean-Bernard Miville (1711-?), 22 Nov 1733, New France³⁰

9. Marie-Catherine Soucy — B. 27 Apr 1716, La Pocatière, New France;³¹ D. 28 Mar 1769, La Pocatière, Quebec;³² M. (1) Louis Moreau (1707-1737), 17 Jun 1734, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France;³³ (2) Joachim Leclerc (1707-1772), 24 Nov 1738, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France³⁴

10. Genevieve Soucy — B. 23 May 1718, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;³⁵ D. 18 May 1719, Rivière-Ouelle, New France³⁶

11. Charles-François Soucy — B. 9 Oct 1721, La Pocatière, New France;³⁷ D. 20 Sep 1753, Fort de la Presqu'Île, New France;³⁸ M. Angelique Lizotte (1711-?) 1745³⁹

12. Jean-Baptiste Soucy — B. 26 Jan 1725, La Pocatière, New France⁴⁰

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
3    Burial record of Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
4    Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 18, p. 36, Pierre-Georges Roy
5    Baptismal record of Jacques-Nicolas Pinquet de Vacour (younger) Q.C.P.R.
6    Pinguet de Vaucour, Jacques-Nicolas, Dictionary of Canada, Vol. III
7    Burial record of Pierre Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
8    Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
9    Burial record of Marie-Anne Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
10  Marriage record of Augustin Dubé and Marie-Anne Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
11  Baptismal record of Pierre Soucy (younger), Q.C.P.R.
12  Burial record of Pierre Soucy (younger), Q.C.P.R.
13  Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Marie-Jean Michaud, Q.C.P.R.
14  Baptismal record of Joseph Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
15  Burial record of Joseph Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
16  Marriage record of Joseph Soucy and Marie-Madeleine Mignier, Q.C.P.R.
17  Baptismal record of Ursule Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
18  Burial record of Ursule Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
19  Marriage record of Michel Mignault and Ursule Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
20  Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
21  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
22  Marriage record of Guillaume Gabriel Miville and Marie-Madeleine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
23  Baptismal record of Angelique Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
24  Burial record of Angelique Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
25  Baptismal record of Jean-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
26  Burial record of Jean-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
27  Marriage record of Jean-François Soucy and Claire Rousseau, Q.C.P.R.
28  Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
29  Burial record of Marie-Françoise Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
30  Marriage record of Jean-Bernard Miville and Marie-Françoise Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
31  Baptismal record of Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
32  Burial record of Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
33  Marriage record of Louis Moreau and Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
34  Marriage record of Joachim Leclerc and Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
35  Baptismal record of Genevieve Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
36  Burial record of Genevieve Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
37  Baptismal record of Charles-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
38  Burial record of Charles-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
39  Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Charles-François Soucy 
40  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Soucy, Q.C.P.R.

Sisters Marrying Brothers — Mary “Polly” Franklin

B.about 1770 in Burke County, North Carolina¹
M. about 1788 in (probably) Burke County, North Carolina²
Husband: William Sutherland
D. before June 1, 1830 in (probably) Indiana³

There was a time in early America when it was common for a pair of siblings to marry another pair of siblings. This was the case for members of the Sutherland and Franklin families of Burke County, North Carolina, and one member of this quartet was Mary “Polly” Franklin.

Polly was born to John and Phoebe Franklin in about 1770, the fifth of their eleven children.¹ Her father was originally from New England and had wound up in the South after serving under George Washington in the French and Indian War.⁴ Burke County was located in the far western part of North Carolina and the family almost certainly lived in a log cabin. Growing up, Polly was likely close with her older sister Jemima and younger sister Lydia as the three girls learned the domestic skills they would need to live on the frontier.

When Polly was still a teen, she married William Sutherland,² a young man from Burke County. They started a family right away with their oldest son born before 1790.^2,5 They would have at least ten children, although not all of their names are known. Polly and William were a couple of years into married life when Polly’s sister Lydia married William’s older brother Fendall.² Had Polly been a matchmaker? Perhaps, but we have no way of knowing. It’s just as likely that in a tight community in such a rural area, everyone knew everyone else socially. With few ways to get around, available mates had to be chosen from those nearby.

A log cabin during the early 1800s.

Through the 1790s, Polly and William remained in Burke County and were enumerated there in the 1800 census.⁶ But shortly thereafter, they picked up and moved across the Appalachians into Kentucky. This was seemingly generated by Polly’s father-in-law, who had served in the American Revolution and appears to have been awarded bounty land.² Of Polly’s family, only Lydia joined this westward migration by virtue of being married to Fendall Sutherland; the rest of the Franklins stayed in North Carolina for another generation or two.⁷

For the first couple of years in Kentucky, Polly and William lived next to Fendall and Lydia, as well as William and Fendall’s parents.⁸ Their father passed away in 1803,² and this seems to have split the Sutherland couples apart somewhat. While Lydia’s husband remained on the tax lists in Lincoln County, Polly’s family wasn’t named, and they next turned up in 1808 in Adair County.⁹ Polly and William were said to have taken in his widowed mother for a time,¹⁰ then a few years later, perhaps around 1815, both of the Sutherland couples left for a place further west: Indiana.²

There’s evidence that the families of Polly and Lydia remained closely tied; both of their husbands appeared on a voters list in August 1819 in Orange County, Indiana.¹¹ This was a newly settled area mostly populated with people who took the same migration route as the Sutherlands. Around this time, Polly’s father died back in North Carolina, and in his will, he left her the sum of two dollars and fifty cents.¹² This was a typical inheritance for daughters in large Southern families because the sons were usually the ones given their father’s land.

Polly’s youngest child was born in about 1815,^13,14 likely in Orange County, but unfortunately, she would not live to see him grow up because she passed away between the 1820 and 1830 censuses.^13,14 The family moved to another county, Putnam, but it isn’t certain if Polly died before or after the move. William was last known to be alive on the 1830 census,¹⁴ and died sometime during that decade. As for Polly's sister Lydia, she lived to the ripe old age of 95, dying in Putnam County on September 18, 1869.²

Children (all except Ervin and Jackson are uncertain):
1. Isaac Sutherland — B. about 1788, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina^2,5

2. Ann Sutherland — B. about 1795, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina;¹⁵ D. before 8 May 1823, (probably) Adair County, Kentucky;¹⁶ M. John H. Boyer (1795-1868), 4 Apr 1815, Adair County, Kentucky¹⁷

3. William Sutherland — B. about 1797, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina^2,6

4. Ervin Sutherland — B. about 1798, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina;¹⁸ D. 10 Dec 1878, (probably) Aldrich county, Missouri;¹⁸ M. Susannah Keith (~1806-?), 27 Nov 1821, Orange County, Indiana¹⁹

5. Jordan Sutherland — B. about 1799, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina;²⁰ D. after 21 Dec 1850, (probably) Vermillion County, Illinois;²⁰ M. Martha Patsy Bailey, 24 Aug 1831, Adair County, Kentucky²¹

6. John Sutherland — B. about 1802, (probably) Lincoln County, Kentucky^2,13

7. Mary Sutherland — B. 28 Jan 1803, (probably) Lincoln County, Kentucky;²² D. 24 Feb 1879, Morgan County, Illinois;²² M. John H. Boyer (1795-1868), 8 May 1823, Adair County, Kentucky¹⁶

7. Jesse R. Sutherland — B. about 1805, (probably) Lincoln County, Kentucky;²³ D. before 1860, (probably) Polk County, Missouri;²⁴ M. Tabitha Wilson (~1805-?),18 Sep 1826, Putnam County, Indiana²⁵

8. [UNKNOWN FEMALE] Sutherlin — B. between 1810 and 1815, (probably) Adair County, Kentucky¹⁴

9. [UNKNOWN FEMALE] Sutherlin — B. between 1810 and 1820, (probably) Adair County, Kentucky¹⁵

10. Jackson Sutherlin — B. about 1815, (probably) Orange County, Indiana;¹⁴ D. before 22 Apr 1878, Merriam, Kansas;²⁶ M. Mary Fleming (1819-1907), 17 Jan 1838, Parke County, Indiana²⁷

Sources:
1    Polly Franklin’s estimated birth year based on date of her marriage
2    Sutherlands and Their Tangled Branches, Robert J. Walsh, 1985, p. 23-31
3    William Sutherland’s household in the 1820 U.S. census had a woman of Polly’s age, but the 1830 U.S. Census did not.
4    John Franklin: An American Hero And His Progeny, Dorsey Wayne Franklin, 1987
5    1790 U.S. Census, Burke County, North Carolina
6    1800 U.S. Census, Burke County, North Carolina
7    “A Mystery Story: The Case of the Origins of John Franklin, Sr. (1729-1819) of Burke County, North Carolina,” Mary Sue Mathys and Dorsey W. Franklin, Franklin Family Researchers United, Vol. 6, April 1993
8    Lincoln County, Kentucky, Tax books, 1787-1875, FamilySearch.org
9    Adair County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1802-1878, FamilySearch.org
10  “Pioneer Life of Fendel Sutherlin,” Anne Sutherlin Waite, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 31. No. 4, 1930, P. 372
11  History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties, Indiana, Higginson Book Company, 1884, p. 383
12  John Franklin’s will, North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, FamilySearch.org
13  1820 U.S. Census, Orange County, Indiana
14  1830 U.S Census, Putnam County, Indiana
15  Ann Sutherland’s estimated birth year based on date of her marriage
16  Marriage record of John Boyer and Polly Sutherland, Kentucky, Marriages, 1785-1979, FamilySearch.org
17  Marriage record of John Boyer and Ann Sutherland, K., M.
18  Find-a-Grave listing of Ervin Sutherland 
19  Marriage record of Ervin Sutherland and Susannah Keith, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1806-1861, Ancestry.com
20  1850 U.S. Census, Vermillion County, Illinois
21  Marriage record of Jordan Sutherland and Mary Patsy Bailey, K., M.
22  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary Boyer  
23  1850 U.S. Census, Polk County, Missouri
24  1860 U.S. Census, Polk County, Missouri showing Tabitha Sutherland as a widow
25  Marriage record of Jesse Sutherland and Tabitha Wilson, I., U.S., M. I.
26  “Death on the Rail: A Deaf Man Killed While Walking on a Railroad Track,” The Kansas Star, 11 Apr 1878
27  Marriage record of Jackson Sutherlin and Mary Fleming, Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007, FamilySearch.org