Fur Trader Wife and Farmer Widow — Angélique Clement

B. 18 Nov 1705 in Lachine, New France¹
M. (1) 13 Apr 1722 in Montreal, New France²
Husband: Jacques Bigras dit Fauvel
M. (2) 7 May 1752 in Detroit, New France³
Husband: Antoine (or Jean) Brizard
D. before 23 Aug 1784 in (probably) Detroit, Northwest Territory⁴

The story of Angélique Clement was shaped by the decisions of her husband, which left her in difficult circumstances after he died. Angelique was born in Lachine, New France on November 18, 1705.¹ Her parents were Pierre Clement dit La Rivière and Marie-Catherine Prezeau, and she was the second of nine children. Angélique was one generation removed from the constant threat of Iroquois aggression. Her mother had been orphaned in the Lachine massacre, and it’s believed that her father had been a soldier sent from France in the aftermath to defend New France. Angélique’s early childhood was spent in Lachine, then the family moved to Pointe-Claire, located on the north shore of Lake St-Louis.

Record of Angelique's baptism.

When Angélique was just 16-years-old, she got married. Her husband was Jacques Bigras dit Fauvel; their wedding took place in Montreal on April 13, 1722.² Jacques was a voyageur (a man who paddled canoes), and had already spent several years going on fur trading expeditions to the Great Lakes area. Angélique and Jacques settled in Point-Claire and within a few months, she was pregnant with their first child. The baby was born in February of the following year, but only lived for two days.^5,6 By the time she was 20, Angélique had two more children who also died shortly after birth; one baby was unnamed and likely stillborn.⁷ Finally, on July 2, 1726, a son was born who survived infancy; they named him Jean-Pascal.⁸

Over the next 15 or so years, Jacques went on several expeditions as a voyageur. The routine of a fur trader's wife meant saying goodbye to your husband in spring and not seeing him return until the fall. During her husband’s trips, Angélique had to maintain the farm and see to personal business, as well as take care of the home. By 1741, the family grew with the births of eight more children, making for a very crowded house. The following year, Jacques arranged to bring young Jean-Pascal with him on a trip to the west. They were to travel in the same canoe all the way to Detroit, a place Jacques had been to before.⁹ But not far into the journey, the man in charge of the canoe got mad at Jacques, and pushed him overboard, causing severe injury to his leg, and the canoe had to return to Montreal.¹⁰

Husband and son come home. (AI-generated image)

Angélique must have been surprised to see her husband and son show up at home only a month after they had left. But soon after, the parish records show the burial of Jean-Pascal, who died shortly after they came back.¹¹ The injury to Jacques’ leg seems to have meant the end of his work as a voyageur. He sued the man who pushed him out of the canoe, but was only awarded 24 livres in damages.¹⁰ Meanwhile, Angélique had two more children in 1744¹² and 1749;¹³ the last one died as an infant.¹⁴

The family was financially challenged, and in 1750, they made a drastic move. Authorities in Detroit were seeking to attract settlers to set up farms there, offering free land, along with supplies and food rations on loan.³ Jacques and Angélique arrived with their nine children on August 9th and set themselves up on the south shore of the Detroit River (what is now Windsor, Ontario). But on February 4, 1751, Jacques died,¹⁵ leaving Angélique to manage on her own without her extended family nearby. Although she had sons ages 20, 18 and 16, they were said to have abandoned her within the next year, forcing her to find a new husband. On May 7, 1752, Angélique married a man from France at Ste-Anne-de-Detroit;³ his name was Antoine (or Jean) Brizard, and he agreed to pay off the debts of her first husband.

Angélique had a baby boy born in December 1753 who likely died young,¹⁶ and this was her last child. It's unknown when Angélique passed away, but she was noted as being deceased on the marriage record of her son Jean-Baptiste, dated August 23, 1784.⁴

Children by Jacques Bigras dit Fauvel:
1. Marie-Therese Bigras — B. 16 Feb 1723, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁵ D. 18 Feb 1723, Pointe-Claire, New France⁶

2. Marie-Joseph Bigras — B. 1 Apr 1724, Pointe-Claire, New France;¹⁷ D. 3 Apr 1724, Pointe-Claire, New France¹⁸

3. Baby Girl Bigras — B. 24 May 1725, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁷ D. 24 May 1725, Pointe-Claire, New France⁷

4. Jean-Pascal Bigras — B. 2 Jul 1726, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁸ D. 7 Jul 1742, Pointe-Claire, New France¹¹

5. Louis Bigras — B. 23 Sep 1728, Pointe-Claire, New France;¹⁹ D. 30 Nov 1747, Pointe-Claire, New France²⁰

6. Jacques Phillippe Bigras — B. 4 Dec 1730, Pointe-Claire, New France;²¹ D. 28 Apr 1790, Ste-Genevieve, Pierrefonds, Quebec;²² M. (1) Marie-Angelique _________, 5 Mar 1753, Pointe-Claire, New France;²³ (2) Marguerite Libersan (1746-1814), 21 Feb 1764, Ste-Genevieve, Pierrefonds, Quebec²⁴

7. Joseph-Marie Bigras — B. 1 Aug 1732, Pointe-Claire, New France²⁵

8. Joseph-Amable Bigras — B. 9 Mar 1734, Pointe-Claire, New France;²⁶ M. Charlotte Dufour (1739-?), 18 Apr 1755, Detroit, New France²⁷

9. Marie-Josephte Bigras — B. 22 Apr 1736, Pointe-Claire, New France;²⁸ D. 3 Feb 1766, Detroit, Quebec;²⁹ M. (1) Jacques Tavernier (1736-?), 9 Jan 1751, Detroit, New France;³⁰ (2) François Lebeau, 8 Jan 1752, Detroit, New France³¹

10. Marie-Angelique Bigras — B. 15 Oct 1737, Pointe-Claire, New France;³² M. François Leduc (1737-?), 3 Feb 1754, Detroit, New France³³

11. Marie-Charlotte Bigras — B. 5 Sep 1739, Pointe-Claire, New France;³⁴ M. Jean-Baptiste-Amable Drouillard (1731-1788), 25 Feb 1754, Detroit, New France³⁵

12. Marie-Françoise-Rosalie Bigras — B. 11 Jul 1741, Pointe-Claire, New France;³⁶ M. Jean-Baptiste Ravellette (1711-?), 25 Sep 1758, Detroit, New France³⁷

13. Jean-Baptiste Bigras — B. 19 Jan 1744, Pointe-Claire, New France;¹² D. 13 May 1822, St-Benoît, Quebec;³⁸ M. (1) Marie-Louise Brunet dite Letang (1749-?), 22 Jan 1776, Pointe-Claire, Quebec;³⁹ (2) Madeleine Meloche, 23 Aug 1783, Assumption, Ontario;⁴ (3) Catherine Sansoucy (1772-?), 4 Jun 1810, St-Eustache, Quebec⁴⁰

14. Eustache Bigras — B. 4 May 1749, Pointe-Claire, New France;¹³ D. 11 Jun 1749, Pointe-Claire, New France¹⁴

Children by Jean Brisard:
1. Jean Brisard — B. 4 Dec 1753, Detroit, New France¹⁶

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Angélique Clement, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Jacques Bigras dit Fauvel and Angélique Clement, Registre du fort Pontchartrain de Détroit, 1704-1800, FamilySearch.org
3    “Edward Cicotte Ledger, 1749-1752,” transcribed and annotated by Gail Moreau-DesHarnais, Michigan’s Habitant Heritage, Vol. 29, #3, July 2008
4    Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Favel dit Bigras and Madeleine Meloche, Canada, Ontario Catholic Church Records, 1760-1923, FamilySearch.org
5    Baptismal record of Marie-Therese Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
6    Burial record of Marie-Therese Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
7    Burial record of Baby Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
8    Baptismal record of Jean-Pascal Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
9    Fur trade contract of Jacques Bigras, 5 Jun 1742, Centre du patrimoine (website)  
10  Court record of trial between Jacques Bigras and Joseph Ducharme, 28 Jul 1742 to 5 May 1743, BAnQ  
11  Burial record of Jean-Pascal Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
12  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
13  Baptismal record of Eustache Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
14  Burial record of Eustache Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
15  Jacques Bigras listing on Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française  
16  Birth information comes from WikiTree and doesn’t cite an original source
17  Baptismal record of Marie-Joseph Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
18  Burial record of Marie-Joseph Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
19  Baptismal record of Louis Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
20  Burial record of Louis Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
21  Baptismal record of Jacques-Phillippe Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
22  Burial record of Jacques Phillippe Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
23  Marriage record of Jacques Phillippe Bigras and Marie-Angelique _______, Q.C.P.R.
24  Marriage record of Jacques Phillippe Bigras and Marguerite Libersan, Q.C.P.R.
25  Baptismal record of Joseph-Marie Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
26  Baptismal record of Joseph-Amable Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
27  Joseph-Amable Bigras listing on Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française  
28  Baptismal record of Marie-Josephte Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
29  Death record of Marie-Josephte Bigras, Registre du fort Pontchartrain de Détroit
30  Marie-Josephte Bigras listing on Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française  
31  Marriage record of François Lebeau and Marie-Josephte Bigras, Registre du fort Pontchartrain de Détroit
32  Baptismal record of Marie-Angelique Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
33  Marie-Angelique Bigras listing on Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française  
34  Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
35  Charlotte Bigras listing on Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française  
36  Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise-Rosalie Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
37  “French Soldiers Married in Detroit in 1758,” Gail Moreau-DesHarnais, Michigan’s Habitant Heritage, Vol. 29, #4, Oct 2008
38  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Bigras, Q.C.P.R.
39  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Bigras and Marie-Louise Brunet dite Letang, Q.C.P.R.
40  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Bigras and Catherine Sansoucy, Q.C.P.R.

In the Care of His Uncle — Joseph Turgeon

B. 9 Nov 1696 in St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France¹
M. 12 Feb 1721 in L’Ange Gardien, New France²
Wife: Marguerite Boutillet
D. 19 Mar 1765 in Lauzon, Lévis, Quebec³

When Joseph Turgeon lost both of his parents at a young age, his father's oldest brother became his guardian. Joseph was born on November 9, 1696 at Pointe-de-Lévy, located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Quebec City.¹ His parents were Pierre Turgeon and Marie-Anne Carrier, and he was the oldest of their two sons. The same day Joseph turned 3-years-old, his father died at the hospital in Quebec City.⁴ His mother remarried, and had one son with her second husband, but she passed away when Joseph was age 8.⁵

With both parents gone, Joseph was taken in by his uncle, Jacques Turgeon, who lived in nearby Beaumont.⁶ Turgeon had just gotten married for the first time at age 51, and his house was already crowded with four step-children when Joseph joined them. The family grew even more with the births of three more children (Joseph’s cousins) over the next few years.

The year Joseph turned 21, it was time for him to get out on his own. The legal system in New France considered him a minor until age 25, preventing him from receiving his inheritance.⁷ So he asked for a waiver, and authorities in Quebec City ordered “a meeting of relatives and friends to be convened” to decide if Joseph was “able to manage his property, including cattle and the necessary utensils to the cultivation of [a farm].” The result was that on May 10, 1718, the court ruled that Joseph could be “emancipated” from his uncle’s guardianship.⁶ The document shows how extended families took part in such matters, working together; besides his uncle Jacques, it was signed by two other uncles, Zacharie Turgeon, and Charles Carrier.

Record of meeting regarding Joseph's "emancipation." (Source: BAnQ)

Now that Joseph could establish himself, he looked to get married, and the woman he chose to be his wife was Marguerite Boutillet. Their wedding took place on February 12, 1721 in her home town of L’Ange Gardien, located on the north shore.² You might say that Joseph “married up” because her father Jacques Boutillet was the captain of his seigneury’s militia, a civic office that made him a local leader.² The marriage record was signed by both Marguerite and her father, but not Joseph, who appeared to be illiterate.

Joseph and his wife settled near his birthplace in Pointe-de-Lévy, where they would stay for the rest of their lives. Between 1721⁸ and 1738,⁹ they had ten children. The family lived through the hardships of war with England, who invaded New France in 1759, displacing people who lived in Joseph’s area; they probably had to take shelter somewhere inland for a time. A few years later, on March 19, 1765, Joseph died at Lauzon.³ Marguerite survived him, and passed away in 1783.¹⁰

Children:
1. Marie-Marguerite Turgeon — B. 13 Dec 1721, Lauzon, New France;⁸ D. 6 May 1768, Lauzon, New France;¹¹ M. (1) Pierre Nault (~1717-1748), 12 May 1746, Lauzon, New France;¹² (2) Joseph Poire (~1724-1818), 20 Apr 1751, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France¹³

2. Joseph Turgeon — B. 7 May 1723, Lauzon, New France;¹⁵ M. Marie-Anne Fournier (1731-1807), 7 Apr 1750, Beaumont, New France¹⁵

3. Marie-Josephe Turgeon — B. 12 Jun 1725, Lauzon, New France;¹⁶ D. 28 May 1764, St-Charles, Bellechasse, Quebec;¹⁷ M. Nicolas Gonthier (1726-?), 28 Oct 1749, Lauzon, New France¹⁸

4. Charles Turgeon — B. 6 May 1727, Lauzon, New France¹⁹

5. Marie-Catherine Turgeon — B. 26 Mar 1729, Lauzon, New France;²⁰ D. 18 Nov 1765, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France;²¹ M. Jacques Fournier (1711-1779), 16 Jun 1749, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France²²

6. Marie-Louise Turgeon — B. 6 Apr 1731, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France;²³ D. 13 Sep 1733, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France²⁴

7. Marie-Anne Turgeon — B. 7 Nov 1732, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France;²⁵ D. 8 Sep 1733, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France²⁶

8. Genevieve Turgeon — B. 26 Jul 1734, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France;²⁷ D. 7 Apr 1814, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, Quebec;²⁸ M. Louis Patry (1732-1803), 5 Nov 1754, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France²⁹

9. Jean-Baptiste Turgeon — B. 10 May 1736, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France³⁰

10. Marie-Charlotte Turgeon — B. 24 Aug 1738, St-Joseph-de-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France;⁹ D. 3 Mar 1799, Beaumont, Quebec;³¹ M. Alexandre Fournier (1735-1826), 14 Sep 1761, Lauzon, New France³²

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Joseph Tuergeon, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Joseph Turgeon and Marguerite Boutillet, Q.C.P.R.
3    Burial record of Joseph Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
4    Burial record of Pierre Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
5    Burial record of Marie-Anne Carrier, Q.C.P.R.
6    Legal permission for Joseph Turgeon to manage his own property, 2 May 1718, BAnQ  
7    Custom of Paris in New France (Wikipedia article)  
8    Baptismal record of Marie-Marguerite Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
9    Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
10  Burial record of Marguerite Boutillet, Q.C.P.R.
11  Burial record of Marie-Marguerite Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
12  Marriage record of Pierre Nault and Marie-Marguerite Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
13  Marriage record of Joseph Poire and Marie-Marguerite Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
14  Baptismal record of Joseph Turgeon (younger), Q.C.P.R.
15  Marriage record of Joseph Turgeon (younger) and Marie-Anne Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
16  Baptismal record of Marie-Josephe Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
17  Burial record of Marie-Josephe Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
18  Marriage record of Nicolas Gonthier and Marie-Josephe Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
19  Baptismal record of Charles Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
20  Baptismal record of Marie-Catherine Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
21  Burial record of Marie-Catherine Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
22  Marriage record of Jacques Fournier and Marie-Catherine Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
23  Baptismal record of Marie-Louise Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
24  Burial record of Marie-Louise Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
25  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
26  Burial record of Marie-Anne Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
27  Baptismal record of Genevieve Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
28  Burial record of Genevieve Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
29  Marriage record of Louis Patry and Genevieve Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
30  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
31  Burial record of Marie-Charlotte Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
32  Marriage record of Alexandre Fournier and Marie-Charlotte Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.

Pregnant and Alone in New France — Catherine Vieillot

B. 20 Oct 1642 in Rouen, France¹

M. (1) 18 Oct 1667 in Quebec City, New France²
Husband: Jacques Dubois
M. (2) 19 May 1675 in Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France³
Husband: Pierre Guenet
D. before 7 Feb 1689 in St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France⁴

When Catherine Vieillot boarded a ship to America, she probably had hopes for a better life, with at the very least, a secure future. But sadly, things didn’t work out that way. Catherine was born on October 20, 1642 in Rouen, France to parents François Vieillot and Catherine Blanc.¹ She was baptized at the parish of St-Vivien, a church near the center of the city. Nothing else is known of her family or childhood.

Catherine was 25-years-old when she agreed to a contract to marry a man in New France in exchange for passage and a dowry. On June 10, 1667, she boarded the ship Le St-Louis at Dieppe, along with about 80 other Filles du Roi.⁵ The voyage was a difficult one, with a trip that took over three months; food shortages and sickness took a toll on the women, and many had to be hospitalized after the ship arrived at Quebec on September 25th.¹ Catherine must have survived the ordeal in fairly good shape because in about three weeks time, she got married to a settler named Jacques Dubois. Their wedding took place at Notre-Dame-de Quebec on October 18th.²

Catherine and Jacques moved to Ste-Famille on the Île d’Orleans, a beautiful location, but a harsh place to live. Before any planting could be done on their farm, the trees had to be cleared, and ten years later it was reported that only 8 arpents (6.75 acres) had been done.⁶ Meanwhile they started a family with the birth of a son in November 1668;⁷ Catherine had three more by 1673, one of whom died young. Then something happened to Jacques, and he died in March 1675.⁸

Pregnant and alone on a farm. (AI-generated image)

The death of Jacques must have hit Catherine hard. It was almost time to plant that year’s crops, and to make matters worse, she was pregnant with her fifth child. So the only thing she could do was to find a new husband quickly, and on May 19th, she married a recently-arrived settler named Pierre Guenet,³ a man about ten years younger than she was. In October, Catherine gave birth to a baby boy,⁹ and about 18 months later, had a child with Pierre.¹⁰ With all of the children now in his household, Pierre was overwhelmed, and he decided to hire out Catherine’s oldest son, François, to another farm.¹¹ This didn’t bring any income into the family — it only gave them one less mouth to feed.

In May 1678, Pierre looked to abandon the Ste-Famille farm and move elsewhere. It’s hard to say how much Catherine was involved with the decision, but her cooperation was necessary since the children with her first husband were due to inherit half of the land when they came of age (the other half was hers).⁶ An inventory was taken at that time, but it seems that they didn’t move to another farm until at least a year later. The new place was in another part of the island, St-Laurent. During the period 1679 to 1683, Catherine had three more children; sadly, the last two died at ages 6 and 3.

The two places Catherine lived on Île d'Orleans.

Catherine was in her mid-40s when she passed away. The exact date of her death is unknown because the burial record is missing; sometimes this indicates a drowning. Pierre remarried on February 7, 1689,⁴ so Catherine was gone by that time, most likely within a few months previous.

Children by Jacques Dubois:
1. François Dubois — B. 12 Nov 1668, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;⁷ D. 27 Feb 1714, Quebec City, New France;¹² M. Marie Guay (1674-1747), 18 Jan 1695, New France¹³

2. Clémont Dubois — B. 2 Sep 1670, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁴ D. before 26 Oct 1671¹⁵

3. Clémont Dubois — B. 26 Oct 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁵ D. 15 May 1720, Bécancour, New France;¹⁶ M. (1) Catherine Guay (1676-~1700), 30 Jan 1695, Lauzon, Lévis, New France;¹⁷ (2) Catherine LaBrecque (~1669-1703), 7 Jun 1700, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁸ (3) Marie-Anne Juin (~1679-?), 1 Feb 1706, Beaumont, New France¹⁹

4. Jeanne Dubois — B. 28 Sep 1673, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁰ D. 24 Dec 1705, Bellechasse, New France;²¹ M. Jacques Charest (1664-1725), 15 Sep 1693, Lauzon, Lévis, New France²²

5. Pierre Dubois — B. 7 Oct 1675, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;⁹ D. 26 Nov 1743, Lachine, New France;²³ M. Marie-Anne Mailloux (1682-1735), 3 Nov 1699, Beaumont, New France²⁴

Children by Pierre Guenet:
1. Jacques Guenet — B. 26 Apr 1677, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁰ D. 11 Feb 1730, Quebec City, New France;²⁵ M. Marguerite Boutin (1664-1730), 25 Nov 1704, New France²⁶

2. Thomas Guenet — B. 16 May 1679, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁷ D. 16 Sep 1753, St-Charles, Bellechasse, New France;²⁸ M. Marie-Anne Maheu (~1689-1775), 10 Feb 1705, Beaumont, New France²⁹

3. Marie Guenet — B. 1 May 1681, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France;³⁰ D. 25 Nov 1687, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France³¹

4. Michel Guenet — B. 21 Sep 1683, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France;³² D. 7 Sep 1686, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France³³

Sources:
1    Migrations.fr listing for Catherine Vieillot  
2    Marriage record of Jacques Dubois and Catherine Vieillot, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3    Marriage record of Pierre Guenet and Catherine Vieillot, Q.C.P.R.
4    Marriage record of Pierre Guenet and Élisabeth Paquet, Q.C.P.R.
5    Migrations.fr listing for ship Le St Louis de Dieppe  
6    Property appraisal for the children of Jacques Dubois and Catherine Vieillot, BAnQ  
7    Baptismal record of François Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
8    Burial record of Jacques Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
9    Baptismal record of Pierre Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
10  Baptismal record of Jacques Guenet, Q.C.P.R.
11  Le Pionnier Pierre Ganet (website) 
12  Burial record of François Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
13  Marriage record of François Dubois and Marie Guay, Q.C.P.R.
14  Baptismal record of Clémont Dubois (older), Q.C.P.R.
15  Baptismal record of Clémont Dubois (younger), Q.C.P.R.
16  Burial record of Clémont Dubois (younger), Q.C.P.R.
17  Marriage record of Clémont Dubois and Catherine Guay, Q.C.P.R.
18  Marriage record of Clémont Dubois and Catherine LeBrecque, Q.C.P.R.
19  Marriage record of Clémont Dubois and Marie-Anne Juin, Q.C.P.R.
20  Baptismal record of Jeanne Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
21  Burial record of Jeanne Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
22  Marriage record of Jacques Charest and Jeanne Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
23  Burial record of Pierre Dubois, Q.C.P.R.
24  Marriage record of Pierre Dubois and Marie-Anne Mailloux, Q.C.P.R.
25  Burial record of Jacques Guenet, Q.C.P.R.
26  Marriage record of Jacques Guenet and Marguerite Boutin, Q.C.P.R.
27  Baptismal record of Thomas Guenet, Q.C.P.R.
28  Burial record of Thomas Guenet, Q.C.P.R.
29  Marriage record of Thomas Guenet and Marie-Anne Maheu, Q.C.P.R.
30  Baptismal record of Marie Guenet, Q.C.P.R.
31  Burial record of Marie Guenet, Q.C.P.R.
32  Baptismal record of Michel Guenet, Q.C.P.R.
33  Burial record of Michel Guenet, Q.C.P.R.

Medical Care From the Governor — Jonathan Smith

B. before 4 Oct 1635 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England¹
M. (1) before 13 Jun 1660 in (probably) Connecticut²
Wife: Hannah Adams
M. (2) 1 Jan 1664 in Saybrook, Connecticut³
Wife: Martha Bushnell
D. after 24 Apr 1711 in (probably) Connecticut²

In the early days of the colony of Connecticut, many of the towns around Hartford formed a tight community. And when a person became sick, they just might have gotten treated by the governor. Such was the case with Jonathan Smith during the prime of his life. 

Jonathan was born in the heart of England, in a small village in Leicestershire called Husbands Bosworth. His parents were Richard Smith and Rebecca Buswell, and he was the seventh of their eight children. Jonathan was baptized on October 4, 1635,¹ and was likely born shortly before that date.

Sometime after Jonathan's younger sister was baptized in January 1638,¹ the family migrated to New England. It’s believed that the Smith family arrived in the Connecticut colony in about 1639 or 1640. This was near the end of the Great Migration, a time when Puritans in England sought to create a religious haven in America. By 1646, Jonathan’s parents settled in the town of Wethersfield, right next to Hartford.² This was where he came of age, and where he married a woman named Hannah Adams by June of 1660.²

The governor of Connecticut at this time was John Winthrop, Jr., the son of one of the founders of the Massachusetts colony. Governor Winthrop also served as an unlicensed doctor, and the journal he kept while treating patients has survived. He would travel from town to town with remedies of herbs, powders, and such things as “pulverized toads.”⁴ The population of the colony was about 5,000 people, and it’s been said that Winthrop gave medical care to 500 of them, one of whom was Jonathan. The medical journal showed that he was treated for unknown reasons on four occasions: April 19, 1658, January 13, 1659, June 30, 1660, and February 12, 1667.⁵ The entry for 1660 also included Jonathan’s wife, Hannah, and it was the only time she was mentioned in records; she died by the end of 1663.³

Governor Winthrop arriving to treat a patient. (AI-generated image)

Meanwhile, Jonathan involved himself in issues of the community. On August 17, 1658, his name was on a petition signed by 49 men and women of Wethersfield, including his father and two of his brothers.⁶ Jonathan was among 38 of the signers who were not members of the church (his father was). The petition was about a man named John Hollister who had been excommunicated, and the signers thought he had been treated unfairly. They blamed the minister who had been assigned to Wethersfield, a Reverend John Russell, and asked that they could chose another minister to replace him. The effort was successful, and Reverend Russell was ousted.

In 1662, Jonathan’s father (who was still living) gave him “all his real estate in Wethersfield,” said to be the Smith family homestead.² Not long after this, Jonathan remarried to Martha Bushnell, with the wedding taking place in her hometown of Saybrook on New Year’s Day 1664.³ They settled in Wethersfield, presumably in the home his father had given him. It was here that Jonathan’s first six children were born between 1664 and 1679. They lived for a few years at Middletown, where two more children were born, before finally moving to a place called Naubuc, which became Glastonbury in 1690.

Late in his life, Jonathan played a civic role in Glastonbury, becoming one of 34 men who petitioned for a new meetinghouse.⁶ After the church was established, he served as deacon;² he also put in nine years as deputy on the town council.² As he reached the end of his life, Jonathan followed his father’s example of dividing his land among his children. The last document showing this dispersal was dated April 24, 1711.² It’s likely that Jonathan passed away within a few years of this date. His second wife was thought to have died in about 1705.

Children (all by Martha Bushnell):
1. Jonathan Smith — B. 20 Nov 1664, Wethersfield, Connecticut;² D. 8 Apr 1735, Middletown, Connecticut;² M. Alice Leek (1664-?), 25 Dec 1695, Middletown, Connecticut²

2. Richard Smith — B. 1 Nov 1667, Wethersfield, Connecticut;² D. before 6 Jun 1749, Glastonbury, Connecticut²

3. Joseph Smith — B. 14 Oct 1672, Wethersfield, Connecticut;² M. Sarah House (1675-?), 2 Jan 1696, Glastonbury, Connecticut²

4. Martha Smith — B. 14 Nov 1674, Wethersfield, Connecticut;² D. Connecticut;² M. Joseph Long (1668-?)²

5. Ebenezer Smith — B. 18 Mar 1676, Wethersfield, Connecticut;² D. 10 Feb 1752, Haddam, Massachusetts;² M. Mary²

6. Gershom Smith — B. Nov 1679, Wethersfield, Connecticut;² D. 28 Aug 1747, Glastonbury, Connecticut;² M. Hannah Judd (1681-?), 4 May 1710, Glastonbury, Connecticut²

7. Deborah Smith — B. 23 Sep 1682, Middletown, Connecticut²

8. Francis Smith — B. about 1685, Middletown, Connecticut;² D. after 1749;² M. Hannah Hubbard (1690-?), 8 Feb 1711²

Sources:
1    “Isaac Buswell and Rebecca (Buswell) Smith of Husbands Bosworth, Co. Leicester, and New England,” NEHGR, V.158, Jan 2004 Vital Records of Saybrook, 1647-1834, 1952
2    “Richard Smith of Wethersfield,” Donald Lines Jacobus, The American Genealogist, V. 25, 1949The History of Wethersfield, Connecticut, Sherman W. Adams, 1904
3    “The Doubtful English Ancestry of Richard Smith of Wethersfield, Connecticut,” Gale Ion Harris, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, V. 143, Jul 1989
4    The New England Historical Society (website)  
5    John Winthrop, Jr., Winthrop Medical Journal, (Transcribed from microfilms of the original) 
6    Glastenbury for Two Hundred Years: A Centennial Discourse, Alonzo Bowen Chapin, 1853

In the Company of Soldiers — Pierre Favreau dit Deslauriers

B. about 1636 in France¹
M. about 1668 (probably) near Montreal, New France²
Wife: Marie Benoit
D. 26 May 1708 in Contrecœur, New France³

Soldiers who serve in the same unit often form lasting bonds with each other, and this was true for Pierre Favreau dit Deslauriers. Although we know that Pierre was from France, his birthdate, birthplace and parents are unproven. The 1681 census of New France gave an age that suggested he was born in 1636.¹ (There is a birth record of a Pierre Favreau born in Chatillon-sur-Marne on June 13, 1636 to Nicolas and Claude Favreau, which may or may not be him.)

Many young French men of the 17th century saw opportunity by joining the military. If by chance, their service happened around 1665, they were likely sent to Canada as part of the Carignan-Salières Regiment. Pierre was almost 30-years-old that year, and it isn’t known if he had previous service under his belt, but it’s somewhat likely. Whatever the case, he became part of the force sent to America to protect the colony along the St. Lawrence River from the aggressive activities of the Iroquois.²

The soldiers were organized into companies of 30 to 40 men, and Pierre found himself assigned to one headed by a man almost 70-years-old named Antoine Pécaudy de Contrecœur.² The companies of the regiment were put on ships at La Rochelle; several were needed to transport the over 1,000 men. Pierre’s company, Contrecœur, boarded La Paix along with three other companies.² After landing at Quebec on August 19th, they continued on small boats to the Richelieu River, where they joined others in building forts in raw wilderness.² While some men stayed there, the Contrecœur company traveled to Montreal and set up camp for the winter.² For the next three years, Pierre and his fellow soldiers were said to have participated in “various campaigns,” which likely took them to nearby areas.⁴

Nicknames of the soldiers in Pierre's company. He's the second on the list. 

The assignment of the Contrecœur company to Montreal seems to have shaped the future for many of its members. When the regiment was disbanded in 1668, many of the company leaders returned to France, but Pécaudy de Contrecœur chose to stay by settling on the shore of the St. Lawrence south of Montreal.² Pierre seemed to follow his lead, carving out a farm near Pécaudy de Contrecœur, and getting married at about the same time.² He wasn’t the only man of the Contrecœur company to do so — at least three others made their homes in the same place. In fact, of the 35 or so members of the company, only about three or four returned to France, and most of those who stayed, settled in the Montreal region.² On October 29, 1672, Pécaudy de Contrecœur was granted a seigneury, and the place where Pierre lived was thereafter called Contrecœur.²

Pierre's new wife was Marie Benoit, a woman often credited with being one of the Filles du Roi, although there isn’t any documentation to verify this. There’s no record of their wedding, which likely took place in 1668. The couple’s first child was born in about 1669,⁵ and they had a total of 13 by 1693,⁶ of whom at least three died as infants. In about 1687, Pierre moved a little ways upriver to Boucherville.²

Pierre seems to have had a special relationship with one of the men he served with in the Contrecœur company: Antoine Emery dit Coderre. It’s easy to imagine they had a friendship from the time they sailed over together from France, and continued on as soldiers along the St. Lawrence. Both of them lived in the seigneury of Contrecœur, and they were godfathers at the baptisms of each other’s children;^7,8 Pierre named his son Antoine and this was likely in honor of his friend. Emery dit Coderre also moved to Boucherville, and in June 1688, after his first wife had died, he married Pierre’s 16-year-old daughter Marie-Anne.⁹ Twelve years later, the old soldiers united at an event again when Pierre’s son Mathurin married Emery dit Coderre’s daughter Marie-Madeleine.¹⁰

By the end of his life, Pierre seems to have moved back to Contrecœur, where he died on May 26, 1708;³ curiously, his death record gave his age as 90 when he was actually about 72. His wife Marie survived him by many years, passing away in 1733.¹¹ Today a plaque honors the men who first settled in Contrecœur. Pierre is listed along with his wife, but for some reason his name is written as “Pierre Carrot” instead of Pierre Favreau. He was the ancestor of June Foray, the voice of Rocky the Squirrel.

Plaque honoring pioneers in Contrecœur showing "Pierre Carrot."

Children:
1. Nicolas Favreau — B. about 1669, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;⁵ D. 11 Jan 1731, Boucherville, New France;⁵ M. (1) Catherine Picard (~1679-1699), 18 Oct 1694, Boucherville, New France;¹² (2) Marie Meunier (1683-1742), 20 Apr 1700, Boucherville, New France¹³

2. Pierre Favreau — B. about 1670, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;¹ D. before 21 Mar 1693⁶

3. Marie-Anne Favreau — B. about 1672, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;¹⁴ D. 3 Apr 1737, Contrecœur, New France;¹⁴ M. (1) Antoine Emery dit Coderre (1643-?), 5 Jun 1688, Boucherville, New France;⁹ (2) Joseph Circe (1691-1754), 10 Feb 1716, Contrecoeur, New France¹⁵

4. Antoine Favreau — B. 26 Feb 1675, Contrecœur, New France;⁷ D. 6 Nov 1709, Montreal, New France;¹⁶ M. Anne Meunier (~1678-?), 11 Jan 1700, Boucherville, New France¹⁷

5. Mathurin Favreau — B. 16 Mar 1677, Contrecœur, New France;¹⁸ D. 27 Mar 1752, Boucherville, New France;¹⁹ M. Marie-Madeleine Emery (1678-1760), 11 Jan 1700, Boucherville, New France¹⁰

6. Marie Favreau — B. about 1679, (probably) Contrecœur, 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, (probably) Contrecœur, New France;¹ 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, Contrecoeur, New France;²⁸ D. before 5 Oct 1717, New France;²⁹ M. Gabriel Giard (1675-1753), 21 Jul 1710, Contrecoeur, New France³⁰

11, René Favreau — B. 25 May 1688, Boucherville, New France;³¹ D. 11 Apr 1689, Boucherville, New France³²

12. Jacques Favreau — B. 28 Aug 1690, Boucherville, New France;³³ D. 25 Sep 1690, Boucherville, New France³⁴

13. Pierre Favreau — B. 21 Mar 1693, Boucherville, New France;⁶ M. Marie-Anne Perrault (1692-1730), 28 Jun 1716, Boucherville, New France³⁵

Sources:
1    Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
2    Migrations: Compagnie Contrecœur (website)  
3    Burial record of Pierre Favreau dit Deslauriers, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4    Pécaudy de Contrecœur, Antoine,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography (website)  
5    Burial record of Nicolas Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
6    Baptismal record of Pierre Favreau (younger), Q.C.P.R.
7    Baptismal record of Antoine Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
8    Baptismal record of Antoine Emery (younger), Q.C.P.R.]
9    Marriage record of Antoine Emery dit Coderre and Marie-Anne Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
10  Marriage record of Mathurin Favreau and Marie-Madeleine Emery, Q.C.P.R.
11  Burial record of Marie Benoit, Q.C.P.R.
12  Marriage record of Nicolas Favreau and Catherine Picard, Q.C.P.R.
13  Marriage record of Nicolas Favreau and Marie Meunier, Q.C.P.R.
14  Burial record of Marie-Anne Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
15  Marriage record of Joseph Circe and Marie-Anne Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
16  Burial record of Antoine Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
17  Marriage record of Antoine Favreau and Anne Meunier, Q.C.P.R.
18  Baptismal record of Mathurin Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
19  Burial record of Mathurin Favreau, 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  Baptismal record of René Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
32  Burial record of René Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
33  Baptismal record of Jacques Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
34  Burial record of Jacques Favreau, Q.C.P.R.
35  Marriage record of Pierre Favreau (younger) and Marie-Anne Perrault, Q.C.P.R.

Petitioning For Her Children’s Money — Mary Cheever

B. before 29 Nov 1640 in New Haven, Connecticut¹
M. (1) 22 Nov 1671 in Boston, Massachusetts¹
Husband: William Lewis
M. (2) 3 Jan 1692 in Farmington, Connecticut¹
Husband: Thomas Bull
D. 10 Jul 1728 in Farmington, Connecticut¹

As the daughter of a famous New England school headmaster, Mary Cheever knew how to be forthright. And she made her own personal plea when confronted with a legal issue involving her husband’s estate.

Mary was born in about November 1640 in New Haven, Connecticut, and baptized on the 29th.¹ Her parents were Ezekiel and Mary Cheever, and she was the second of six children. Her mother died when she was about 9-years-old,² and her father remarried in 1652,² giving her five half siblings. When Mary was young, her father had his own school in New Haven, but moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1650 to serve as headmaster of a grammar school.² By 1670, he had gained a reputation that landed him the job of headmaster at the prestigious Boston Latin School. In spite of her father's illustrious career, it doesn't seem that Mary ever received an education because a later document was signed with her mark instead of a signature.³

On November 22, 1671, Mary got married to William Lewis, a man who was about 20 years older than she was.¹ He was a widower with ten children, some who were almost as old as Mary. The wedding took place in Boston, then she moved to his home in Farmington, Connecticut. The house where they lived still survives today in the middle of a condo complex. Over the next ten years, Mary gave birth to six children, of whom three died as infants. Meanwhile, William served as captain of Farmington’s militia, and was directly involved in King Philip’s War.⁴

William passed away on August 18, 1690, leaving Mary alone with several underaged children.¹ Probate began with an inventory on August 28th, followed by other proceedings leading to the distribution of the estate between Mary, her children, and the eight surviving children of his first wife.⁵ But there was an issue that upset Mary — £100 given to her children by her father Ezekiel Cheever was lumped into the rest of the estate. So she wrote to the court, likely by dictating her words to someone who put it on paper:

To the Honored Adjourned Court sitting in Hartford, April 8, 1691:
I understand that in the distribution of my honored husband, Captain William Lewis deed his estate, made by the county court March 8, 1691, your worships have seen [fit] to dispose of my estate or that part viz., the hundred pounds sterling expressed in the jointure made by my honored father Ezekiel Cheever for the only use of me, my heirs and assigns, by which act of distribution I do apprehend that either myself or the three youngest children of the aforesaid Captain William Lewis is, or each of us, wronged. Therefore, having this opportunity, I do see [fit] by my petition to move the honored court to consider the case and to act and do in it according as the rules of equity, law & reason do require. In case my prayer be not considered and my expectation answered herein, I do declare myself justly aggrieved and dissatisfied, and do propose my own intention to make my application to the court of Assistants for relief according as the law do direct.
Your Humble Petitioner, Mary Lewis⁵

Presumably this was all settled favorably for Mary, and on January 3, 1692, she remarried.¹ Her second husband, Thomas Bull, was a widower whose first wife had died in 1691; interestingly, he had been one of the two men that conducted the inventory of William’s estate. Since Mary was already in her 50s, she had no children with Thomas. After he died on May 13, 1708,⁵ he left her a third of his estate, including a house for her use during the rest of her life. Specifically she was also given “the service and command of my negro man named Taylor during her abode in my said house.”³ Slaves were unfortunately common in New England at that time; there had also been several mentioned in William’s inventory who were said to be awarded freedom after he died. 

Receipt showing that Mary had received £30 from her husband's estate.

Mary lived a long life, dying in Farmington at age 87 on July 10, 1728.¹ She had some very important descendants: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, W.K. Kellogg, and Mitt Romney.⁶

Children (all by William Lewis):
1. Elizabeth Lewis — B. 20 Oct 1672, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 1674, Farmington, Connecticut¹

2. Ezekiel Lewis — B. 7 Nov 1674, (probably) Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 14 Aug 1755, Boston, Massachusetts;¹ M. (1) Mary Braden (1669-1703), 18 Mar 1702, Boston, Massachusetts;¹ (2) Abigail ________ (~1678-?), 11 Oct 1704, Boston, Massachusetts¹

3. Nathaniel Lewis – B. 1 Oct 1676, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 24 Feb 1752, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. (1) Abigail Ashley (1681-1727), 25 Nov 1699, Westfield, Massachusetts;¹ (2) Thankful Pomeroy (1679-1773), 4 Jul 1726, Northampton, Massachusetts¹

4. Abigail Lewis — B. 19 Sep 1678, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 24 Jan 1707, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. William Wadsworth (~1671-1751), 10 Dec 1696, Farmington, Connecticut¹

5. Joseph Lewis — B. 15 Mar 1680, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. about 1680, Farmington, Connecticut¹

6. Daniel Lewis — B. 16 Jul 1681, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. Mary Strong (1692-1751), 1 May 1718, (probably) Farmington, Connecticut¹

Sources:
1    Book VXIII of the Genealogy of the Lewis family, William Richard Cutter, 1891
2    Ezekiel Cheever and some of his descendants, John Tyler Hassam, 1879
3    Probate file of Thomas Bull, Farmington, Connecticut, 1708
4    History, Charter and By-laws: List of Officers and Members Together with a Record of the Service Performed by Their Ancestors in the Wars of the Colonies, Society of Colonial Wars, Illinois, 1896
5    Lewisiana, or the Lewis Letter, V. 16-17, 1905
6    FamousKin.com 

Multiple Voyages Across the Atlantic — Pierre Petit

B. about 1621 in Paris, France¹
M. after 21 Mar 1646 in Paris, France²
Wife: Catherine-Françoise Desnaguets
D. before 10 Sep 1691 in (probably) Paris, France³

When people migrated from Europe to one of the American colonies, most had a one-way journey, never again returning to the place they were born. Pierre Petit, who was from 17th-century France, was an exception to this, and he made trips back to his home country multiple times. His ability to travel suggests that he was of a social standing higher than most New France settlers, and other records support this.

Pierre was born in Paris in about 1621 to Pierre Petit (also spelled LePetit) and Denise Frichot.¹ His mother died at some point and his father remarried;² it isn’t known what the elder Pierre did for a living. On March 21, 1646, Pierre signed a marriage contract with Catherine-Françoise Desnaguets, a young woman living at a Paris orphanage. In the document, Pierre is described as a bourgeois resident living in the heart of the city. In spite of being connected to an orphanage,² Catherine-Françoise brought a dowry of 300 livres. It isn’t known when and where the wedding took place, but it was very soon after this date, and then the bride and groom sailed across the Atlantic to New France.

Cutaway view of the type of ship Pierre traveled on. Some voyages at this time took over 3 months.

On May 21st, Pierre was granted a seigneury by the Compagnie des Cent-Associes.⁴ The fief was upriver from Quebec in the newly settled area of Neuville; it was located inland, one of three grants made at the same time to different men. Some have suggested that in order to be awarded a seigneury, Pierre must have been established in New France before 1646, and that he had gone back to France for a visit when he got married. This may be true, but there’s no definitive evidence to verify it. Pierre and his wife didn’t move to the land at Neuville, and may have left it dormant for awhile.⁴ Catherine-Françoise gave birth to their first child, a son, in July 1647 in Quebec City.⁵ Then they settled at Beauport, not far outside of Quebec, and a baby girl was born there in January 1650.⁶

A few months later, tragedy struck the family. On May 13th, Pierre’s Beauport farm was raided by a band of Iroquois. A man working for him was killed, and Pierre’s young son was carried off. The boy was taken far to the south, said to be near Fort Orange (present-day Albany, New York), and there he was murdered.⁴ It’s easy to imagine that this made Pierre and his wife question their decision to live in New France. At first they considered a much smaller property that was closer to other settlers, and Pierre was granted a concession that was just one-half arpent wide (96 feet).⁴ But by the fall of 1651, he and Catherine-Françoise returned to France.⁴ It isn’t known if their daughter was with them, and she had likely died as a baby.

While in France, another girl was born to Pierre and his wife in about 1652;⁴ it’s believed that they lived in Paris at this time. Whatever their circumstances, and perhaps because Pierre still saw opportunity in the colony, they went back to New France. They must have traveled before the end of the year because a document dated June 1653 showed Pierre living in Quebec, and this was before any of that year’s ships from France had arrived.⁴

The June 1653 document was another contract for a concession, this time on Île d’Orleans.⁴ Pierre’s land was at the southwestern tip of the island, and his family become one of the first to settle there. Right next door, was a village of Hurons who had taken refuge after suffering through massacres by the Iroquois on the mainland. Their conflict continued, and in April 1656, an Iroquois raid at the Huron village took the lives of over 70 people.⁴ While the French settlers weren’t victims this time, the event likely rattled Pierre and his wife, and in 1657, they were back living in Quebec City.⁴ Pierre did leave behind his name, which was given to the cove where he lived: Anse à Petit. It’s still on maps today.

 

Pierre had a new house constructed for his family in the Lower Town of Quebec, and the governor officially granted him the property on August 1, 1658.⁴ Two more children, both boys, were born while the Petits lived there.^7,8 During the summer of 1659, a document showed Catherine-Françoise handling an issue with a neighbor, and it says that Pierre would ratify their agreement when he “returned to the country.”⁴ It’s possible that he had made another trip to France, but since the birth of one of their sons happened just eight months later, it may be more likely that he was in another part of New France. The family actually did sell their house and return to France in about July 1660.

Pierre may have come back to the colony in 1665 or 1666 to deal with the seigneury he still held in Neuville, although it isn’t certain that his family joined him. During the summer of 1667, Catherine-Françoise got involved in the interesting mission of escorting a group of Filles du Roi to the colony.⁴ It isn’t known whether or not Pierre was with her when she had signed a contract in Dieppe; it said that he was living in New France at the time, and he was “seigneur of Neuville.”⁴ This detail is confusing because he was missing from both the 1666 and 1667 censuses. Where their children were during this time is also a mystery.

By the spring of 1669, the family together was in New France again. Daughter Anne-Charlotte had reached the age for getting married, and everyone gathered in Beauport for a contract signing, an event held at the home of Paul Chalifour on May 27th.⁴ The wedding took place a few weeks later on June 16th,⁹ and Pierre and Catherine-Françoise were not listed as being present. This would indicate that they had sailed back to France in early June; in fact the marriage record gave their parish as Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, in Paris. It’s likely that this is where they made their home during the many times they had lived in France.

Pierre did return to New France again, but it isn’t known if his wife was with him; she may have died in France. On October 22, 1670, he was living in Quebec City again, and visited Jean Talon to make a contract having his son René work for him.⁴ Talon was one of the most important figures in the colony, in charge of all aspects of life for the settlers. Son René’s arrangement was for a period of four years, and suggests that Pierre was looking for a way to give him a start in life at age 13. Pierre was mentioned just one more time in records, and this was on October 26, 1672 when he signed his youngest son, Louis-Alexandre, to be an apprentice for a carpenter.⁴ The boy was just 11-years-old and the contract would bind him for the next seven years.

After that date, nothing more is known of Pierre. It’s likely that he left the colony for good and spent the rest of his life in France. Of his family, only Anne-Charlotte and Louis-Alexandre went on to produce bloodlines in Canada. Pierre was the ancestor of Ricky Gervais and Matt LeBlanc.

Children:
1. Joseph Petit — B. 12 Jul 1647, Quebec City, New France;⁵ D. (probably) May 1650, Fort Orange, New Netherland⁴

2. Marie-Petit — B. 30 Jan 1650, (probably) Beauport, New France⁶

3. Anne-Charlotte Petit — B. about 1652, (probably) Paris, France;⁴ D. 2 Mar 1736, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, New France;¹⁰ M. (1) Joachim Martin (~1636-1690), 16 Jun 1669, Quebec City New France;⁹ (2) Antoine Juchereau (1640-1699), 10 Sep 1691, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³ (3) Jean-Paul Maheu (1649-1708), 11 Jun 1703, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France¹¹

4. René-Jacques Petit — B. 16 Jan 1657, Quebec City, New France⁷

5. Louis-Alexandre Petit — B. 6 Apr 1660, Quebec City, New France;⁸ D. before 20 Nov 1738, Varennes, New France;¹² M. Marie-Anne Messier (1665-1751), 8 Jan 1721, Varennes, New France¹³

Sources:
1    Estimated age based on known ages of siblings and likely age at marriage, Fichier origine
2    Marriage contract of Pierre Petit and Catherine-Françoise Desnaguets, Fichier origine
3    Marriage record of Antoine Juchereau and Anne-Charlotte Petit, Q.C.P.R.
4    Un Martin en Amérique: Joachim Martin, né à Aytré, 1636-1690, Marcel Martin, 1997
5    Baptismal record of Joseph Petit, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
6    Baptismal record of Marie Petit, Q.C.P.R.
7    Baptismal record of René-Jacques Petit, Q.C.P.R.
8    Baptismal record of Louis-Alexandre Petit, Q.C.P.R.
9    Marriage record of Joachim Martin and Anne-Charlotte Petit, Q.C.P.R.
10  Burial record of Anne-Charlotte Petit, Q.C.P.R.
11  Marriage record of Jean-Paul Maheu and Anne-Charlotte Petit, Q.C.P.R.
12  Burial record of Louis-Alexandre Petit, Q.C.P.R.
13  Marriage record of Louis-Alexandre Petit and Marie-Anne Messier, Q.C.P.R.