M. 18 Feb 1754 in St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France
Husband: Jean-François Chouinard
D. 18 Sep 1816 in Kamouraska, Quebec
War touches more than the soldiers who engage in it — at times, it invades the lives of civilians. This was true for Marie-Marguerite Morin in the 1759 English takeover of French Canada. The story of her generation is one that needs to be remembered.
Marguerite was born in St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, a community near the St. Lawrence River. Her parents were Antoine Morin and Marguerite Daniau and she was the oldest of their 15 children. Her baptism is missing from parish registers, but by the age on her burial record, we can say it was about 1735. It was on February 18, 1754 that Marguerite got married to Jean-François Chouinard; the wedding took place at her family’s parish.
Over the next five years, Marguerite gave birth to three or four children in their home somewhere on the Côte-du-Sud (the south shore of the St. Lawrence). As to exactly where the family lived, that is in question because the baptismal records of her children are missing. The villages where she and her husband were born (St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud and L’Islet) each have complete records, but a village nearby, St-Jean-Port-Joli, doesn’t have surviving parish registers before 1767. There is a strong possibility that this was where Marguerite and her family lived.
As Marguerite was raising her young children, the colony of her birth was dying. New France was overpowered and outnumbered by the English to the south, which was enough of a threat, but when England and France found themselves at war in the mid-1750s, it was almost inevitable that the British would take Canada. The first few years of the war caused terrible hardship to people like Marguerite with food shortages and limited access to other goods. The men were leaving their farms to take up arms in a desperate attempt to save their homeland, which made the food supply even more scant.
In the late spring of 1759, the British Navy arrived by ship to the St. Lawrence River. As they headed up the coast of the river to make campsites, they sailed along the Côte-du-Sud, and perhaps Marguerite saw them from her farm. People along the south shore knew they had to find shelter inland, and during this time, Jean-François and Marguerite likely packed up their family and moved to safer ground. This meant abandoning their farm during the planting season.
There’s no specific details of what Marguerite’s family experienced. What we know is that when they were gone, the English came in and destroyed many villages. A force of 800 men landed at Kamouraska and marched through the towns along the river, one-by-one. The methodically visited each farm, killed the livestock, and set fire to the houses and outbuildings. This happened at virtually the same time as the battle on the Plains of Abraham.
Many communities, including L’Islet and St-Jean-Port-Joli, suffered near total destruction, and it's likely that Marguerite and her husband had nothing to return to except bare, scorched land. As with other residents of Côte-du-Sud, they resettled there and resumed their lives. On March 11, 1761, the baptism of her son, Louis-Marie was recorded at L’Islet; then followed two more children with missing baptisms until we see a daughter Marie-Françoise baptized on May 6, 1768 at St-Jean-Port-Joli. The family would grow to include five more children baptized at St-Jean-Port-Joli, with the youngest born in 1778 when she was about age 43.
Eventually Marguerite and Jean-François moved downriver to St-Louis-de-Kamouraska. Jean-François passed away in 1807, and Marguerite lived until September 18, 1816. Today the terrible events of 1759 are recognized in St-Jean-Port-Joli with a monument to those who lived through it. The French words on the monument translate as, “We remember you – We salute the courage and determination that cured the South Coasters following the devastating invasion of 1759.”
Children:
1. Jean-Marie Chouinard — B. about 1755, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 8 May 1836, St-Louis, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. (1) Genevieve Miville (1760-1788), 17 Aug 1778, St-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Quebec; (2) Catherine Roy (1768-1791), 1 Feb 1790, Kamouraska, Quebec; (3) Marie-Antoinette Pinet (1772-1813), St-Andre, Quebec; (4) Euphrosine Tardif (1773-1856), 21 Jan 1817, Kamouraska, Quebec
2. (possibly) Marguerite Chouinard — B. 7 Oct 1758, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 7 Oct 1758, Côte-du Sud, New France
3. Marguerite Chouinard — B. about 1759, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 2 Dec 1828, Bellechasse, Quebec; M. (1) François-Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie (1743-1805), 12 Jan 1779, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; (2) Joseph Lacasse (1754-1829), 26 Jan 1807, Lauzon, Quebec
4. Charlemagne Chouinard — B. about 1760, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 7 Apr 1852, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Perpetue Mignault (~1780-1849), 23 Nov 1801, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
5. Louis-Marie Chouinard — B. 11 Mar 1761, L’Islet, New France; D. 16 Feb 1821, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Marie-Josephe Levasseur (~1771-1821), 7 Nov 1785, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
6. Genevieve Chouinard — B. about 1763, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 19 Apr 1851, St-Denis, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Jean-François Lavoie (1762-1820), 28 Jul 1783, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
7. Jean-Chrysostome Chouinard — B. about 1765, Côte-du Sud, Quebec; D. 1 Nov 1835, St-Ours, Quebec; M. (1) Marguerite Michaud (~1742-1827), 3 Nov 1801, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Quebec; (2) Josephte Beaunoyer (~1790-?), 4 May 1829, St-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
8. Marie-Françoise Chouinard — B. about 6 May 1768, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; M. Joseph Blouin (~1755-?), 18 Jun 1787, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
9. Marie-Reine Chouinard — B. 13 Feb 1771, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; D. 3 Sep 1851, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Joseph-Marie Roy (1764-1856), 10 Feb 1792, Kamouraska, Quebec
10. Marie-Therese Chouinard — B. 18 Sep 1772, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec
11. Amable Chouinard — B. 19 Jun 1774, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec
12. Marie-Veronique Chouinard — B. 23 Sep 1776, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; D. 11 Jan 1781, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec
13. Archange Chouinard — B. 2 Nov 1778, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; D. 31 Oct 1860, St-Frederic, Drummondville, Quebec; M. Benjamin Pinet (1768-?), 21 Jul 1794, Kamouraska, Quebec
Sources:
As Marguerite was raising her young children, the colony of her birth was dying. New France was overpowered and outnumbered by the English to the south, which was enough of a threat, but when England and France found themselves at war in the mid-1750s, it was almost inevitable that the British would take Canada. The first few years of the war caused terrible hardship to people like Marguerite with food shortages and limited access to other goods. The men were leaving their farms to take up arms in a desperate attempt to save their homeland, which made the food supply even more scant.
In the late spring of 1759, the British Navy arrived by ship to the St. Lawrence River. As they headed up the coast of the river to make campsites, they sailed along the Côte-du-Sud, and perhaps Marguerite saw them from her farm. People along the south shore knew they had to find shelter inland, and during this time, Jean-François and Marguerite likely packed up their family and moved to safer ground. This meant abandoning their farm during the planting season.
There’s no specific details of what Marguerite’s family experienced. What we know is that when they were gone, the English came in and destroyed many villages. A force of 800 men landed at Kamouraska and marched through the towns along the river, one-by-one. The methodically visited each farm, killed the livestock, and set fire to the houses and outbuildings. This happened at virtually the same time as the battle on the Plains of Abraham.
Many communities, including L’Islet and St-Jean-Port-Joli, suffered near total destruction, and it's likely that Marguerite and her husband had nothing to return to except bare, scorched land. As with other residents of Côte-du-Sud, they resettled there and resumed their lives. On March 11, 1761, the baptism of her son, Louis-Marie was recorded at L’Islet; then followed two more children with missing baptisms until we see a daughter Marie-Françoise baptized on May 6, 1768 at St-Jean-Port-Joli. The family would grow to include five more children baptized at St-Jean-Port-Joli, with the youngest born in 1778 when she was about age 43.
Eventually Marguerite and Jean-François moved downriver to St-Louis-de-Kamouraska. Jean-François passed away in 1807, and Marguerite lived until September 18, 1816. Today the terrible events of 1759 are recognized in St-Jean-Port-Joli with a monument to those who lived through it. The French words on the monument translate as, “We remember you – We salute the courage and determination that cured the South Coasters following the devastating invasion of 1759.”
Children:
1. Jean-Marie Chouinard — B. about 1755, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 8 May 1836, St-Louis, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. (1) Genevieve Miville (1760-1788), 17 Aug 1778, St-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Quebec; (2) Catherine Roy (1768-1791), 1 Feb 1790, Kamouraska, Quebec; (3) Marie-Antoinette Pinet (1772-1813), St-Andre, Quebec; (4) Euphrosine Tardif (1773-1856), 21 Jan 1817, Kamouraska, Quebec
2. (possibly) Marguerite Chouinard — B. 7 Oct 1758, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 7 Oct 1758, Côte-du Sud, New France
3. Marguerite Chouinard — B. about 1759, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 2 Dec 1828, Bellechasse, Quebec; M. (1) François-Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie (1743-1805), 12 Jan 1779, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; (2) Joseph Lacasse (1754-1829), 26 Jan 1807, Lauzon, Quebec
4. Charlemagne Chouinard — B. about 1760, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 7 Apr 1852, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Perpetue Mignault (~1780-1849), 23 Nov 1801, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
5. Louis-Marie Chouinard — B. 11 Mar 1761, L’Islet, New France; D. 16 Feb 1821, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Marie-Josephe Levasseur (~1771-1821), 7 Nov 1785, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
6. Genevieve Chouinard — B. about 1763, Côte-du Sud, New France; D. 19 Apr 1851, St-Denis, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Jean-François Lavoie (1762-1820), 28 Jul 1783, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
7. Jean-Chrysostome Chouinard — B. about 1765, Côte-du Sud, Quebec; D. 1 Nov 1835, St-Ours, Quebec; M. (1) Marguerite Michaud (~1742-1827), 3 Nov 1801, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Quebec; (2) Josephte Beaunoyer (~1790-?), 4 May 1829, St-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
8. Marie-Françoise Chouinard — B. about 6 May 1768, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; M. Joseph Blouin (~1755-?), 18 Jun 1787, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec
9. Marie-Reine Chouinard — B. 13 Feb 1771, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; D. 3 Sep 1851, St-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Joseph-Marie Roy (1764-1856), 10 Feb 1792, Kamouraska, Quebec
10. Marie-Therese Chouinard — B. 18 Sep 1772, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec
11. Amable Chouinard — B. 19 Jun 1774, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec
12. Marie-Veronique Chouinard — B. 23 Sep 1776, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; D. 11 Jan 1781, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec
13. Archange Chouinard — B. 2 Nov 1778, St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec; D. 31 Oct 1860, St-Frederic, Drummondville, Quebec; M. Benjamin Pinet (1768-?), 21 Jul 1794, Kamouraska, Quebec
Sources: