Dropping Her Crepe — Marie-Madeleine Bordeleau

B. 23 Oct 1761 in Post Vincennes, New France¹
M. 9 Jul 1779 in Vincennes, Virginia Territory²
Husband: Jean-Baptiste Renaud dit Deslauriers
D. 21 Feb 1819 in Vincennes, Indiana³

Marie-Madeleine Bordeleau lived during an era when Creole culture dominated her community, and she was mentioned in a folk story handed down over the generations.

Marie-Madeleine was born in the French fur trading outpost at Fort Vincennes on October 23, 1761.¹ Her parents were Antoine Bordeleau and Marie-Catherine Caron, and she was one of ten children, only four of whom are known to have survived to adulthood.

Vincennes was a lively place when Marie-Madeleine was a girl, and the people there often gathered for traditional celebrations centered around holidays. As in New Orleans, the Tuesday before Lent was a time for wild behavior, and one of the events was a competition between marriageable girls that involved cooking skills. It was a contest to see who could flip the most crepes without dropping one, and the winner would have the honor of choosing which man she would like to marry.

The story was told to a writer who was compiling a book about Vincennes culture in the 1930s, and it was prefaced that it may not be “historically accurate,” but it was said that at the crepe-flipping contest in 1778, the girl who won beat out her “pretty” rival, Marie Bordeleau. Supposedly a woman who was a friend of the winning girl distracted Marie-Madeleine with conversation until she dropped one of her crepes, causing her to lose.⁴

Flipping a crepe. (AI-generated image)

Whether or not the story is true, Marie-Madeleine did find a husband the following year. It was an eventful time in Vincennes because the Americans under George Rogers Clark had attacked the fort in February, freeing the French settlers from British rule. Later that year, on July 9th, Marie-Madeleine married Jean-Baptiste Renaud dit Deslauriers at St. Francis Xavier Parish.² Attending the service were her parents, her godfather, two uncles, and presumably many of the people in town. The wedding was conducted by Father Gibault, who served as priest for the entire Illinois Territory at that time. The priest hadn't visited Vincennes in many months, so it was the very first American wedding to be held there.

The date of Marie-Madeleine’s marriage and birth of her first child suggests that she was pregnant before she got married. Her first child, Genevieve, was born October 11, 1779,⁵ and was followed by eleven more, the youngest born in 1803.

Marie-Madeleine died on February 21, 1819 in Vincennes.³ Her husband survived her, and he died in 1834.

Children:
1. Genevieve Deslauriers — B. 11 Oct 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁵ D. before Feb 1819, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;⁷ M. Joseph Marion Edeline (1774-1819), 18 Feb 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory⁸

2. Marie Desanges Deslauriers — B. 11 Jan 1782, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁹ M. Guillaume Tougas (1779-?), 6 Jul 1801, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁰

3. Archange Deslauriers — B. 22 Apr 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹¹ D. Feb 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹²

4. Jean-Baptiste Deslauriers — B. Feb 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹³ D. Jul 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹⁴

5. Pierre Deslauriers — B. 13 Sep 1787, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁵ D. 2 Mar 1860, Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁶ M. Marie-Theotiste Ravellette (1795-?), 12 Nov 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁷

6. Barbe Deslauriers — B. 2 Oct 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹⁸

7. Victoire Deslauriers — B. 11 Jul 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁹ D. Feb 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁰

8. Marie Anne Deslauriers — B. 1 Feb 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²¹ M. François Mallet (1790-?), 14 Aug 1818, Vincennes, Indiana²²

9. Françoise Deslauriers — B. 1 Feb 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²³ D. Jun 1835, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁴ M. Louis Lacoste dit Languedoc (1790-1838), 11 May 1816, Vincennes, Indiana²⁵

10. François Xavier Deslauriers — B. 13 Feb 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁶ D. 8 May 1837, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁷ M. Cecile Racine, 7 Aug 1820, Vincennes, Indiana²⁸

11. Adélaide Deslauriers — B. 20 Jan 1800, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁹ M. François Racine, 26 Jul 1824, Vincennes, Indiana³⁰

12. Catherine Deslauriers — B. 22 Jul 1803, Vincennes, Indiana Territory;³¹ D. 2 Mar 1865, Vincennes, Indiana;³² M. Joseph Cardinal (1799-?), 14 Jul 1823, Vincennes, Indiana³³

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Crepeau, “Records of the Parish of St. Francis Xavier,” Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 12, 1901
2    Marriage record of Jean Baptiste Renault Deslauriers and Marie Magdaleine Bordeleau, R. of the P. of S.F.X.
3    Death record of Madeleine Renaud, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, collected and compiled by Mrs. Alta Amsler Bernice Mutchmore, and Paul R. King, 1930s
4    Creole (French) Pioneers at Old Post Vincennes, Joyce Doyle, Loy Followell, Elizabeth Kargacos, Bernice Mutchmore, and Paul R. King, 1930s
5    Baptismal record of Genevieve Renaud Deslauriers, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church records: Baptisms, 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
6    Death record of Jean-Baptiste Renaud Deslauriers, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church records: Marriages and Deaths, 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
7    Marriage record of Joseph Edline and Cecile Delisle, I.M.
8    Marriage record of Joseph Edeline and Genevieve Renaud, I.M.
9    Baptismal record of Marie-Desanges Renauld, R. of the P. of S.F.X.
10  Marriage record of Guillaume Tougas and Desanges Deslorier, I.M.
11  Baptismal record of Archange Renault, S.F.X.C.C.R.
12  Burial record of Archange Renaud, A.C.S. of C.R., K.C., I.
13  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Deslauriers (younger), S.F.X.C.C.R.
14  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Deslauriers (younger), A.C.S. of C.R., K.C., I.
15  Baptismal record of Pierre Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
16  Geni listing of Pierre Deslaurier
17  Marriage record of Pierre Deslauriers and Marie-Theotiste Ravellette, I.M.
18  Baptismal record of Barbe Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
19  Baptismal record of Victoire Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
20  Burial record of Victoire Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
21  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
22  Marriage record of François Mallet and Marianne Deslorier, I.M.
23  Baptismal record of Françoise Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
24  Vital records of Françoise Deslaurier, Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
25  Marriage record of Louis Languedoc and Françoise Deslaurier, I.M.
26  Baptismal record of François Xavier Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
27  Geni listing of François Xavier Renaud dit Deslauriers
28  Marriage record of François Xavier Deslauriers and Cecile Racine, I.M.
29  Birth record of Adelaide Desloriez, I.B. & C.
30  Marriage record of François Racine and Adelaide Delorier, I.M.
31  Birth record of Catherine Deslaurier, I.B. & C.
32  Geni listing of Catherine Cardinal
33  Marriage record of Joseph Cardinal and Catherine Delaurier, I.M.

Maid Servant in Colonial Massachusetts — Mary Blott

B. before 24 Dec 1609 in Harrold, Bedfordshire, England¹
M. 4 Mar 1635 in Roxbury, Massachusetts²
Husband: Thomas Woodford
D. before 27 May 1662 in (probably) Hartford, Connecticut³

During the Great Migration of the 1630s, thousands of Puritans left England to make a new life in the Massachusetts colony. Most of these people came as families, or were men traveling alone. But a few were single women, and such was the case with Mary Blott.

Mary came from the heart of England, baptized in the village of Harrold in Bedfordshire on December 24, 1609.¹ Her parents were Robert Blott and Susanna Selbee, and she was the oldest of their ten known children. The three who were boys all died young,⁴ so it was a female-dominated household. Mary’s youngest sister was still a baby when she left home.

Mary belonged to a Puritan family during a time when many were migrating to America. Most traveled over together, but Mary preceded her parents by a couple of years.³ We know this because her name turned up in the early records of Roxbury, Massachusetts as the “63rd member” of the church.³ She was described as “a maid servant,”³ which means she must have signed a contract committing to a length of service in the colony. Typically these contracts were for three years, which perfectly fits the timeline for when she arrived until she got married. While male servants would often receive land at the end of their service, women were only given food, clothing and lodging for the time they were servants. 

Working as a servant. (AI-generated image)

Mary’s new husband was Thomas Woodford, and their marriage took place on March 4, 1635 in Roxbury.² Thomas had also come over from England in 1632,⁴ and perhaps they were on the same ship. Mary’s parents and siblings migrated to the colony in about 1634,³ but while they stayed in the Boston area, Mary and her husband moved away to Hartford, Connecticut sometime before 1639.³ Mary gave birth to three known children, all daughters.

The Woodford family moved up the Connecticut River to Northampton, Massachusetts in about 1656,³ but it isn’t certain that Mary was still living. She was never mentioned in Northampton records or her husband’s will dated May 27, 1662,³ and it’s thought that she died in Hartford during the 1650s. Mary had some very notable descendants, including Princess Diana, Prince William, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan, Bess Truman, Humphrey Bogart, John Lithgow, Glenn Close, Katharine Hepburn, Helen Hunt, Matt Damon, Ethan Allen, Nathan Hale and J.P Morgan.⁵

Children:
1. Mary Woodford — B. about 1636, Roxbury, Massachusetts;⁴ D. 17 Apr 1684, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁶ M. Isaac Sheldon (1629-1708), about 1653, Hartford, Connecticut⁷

2. Hannah Woodford — B. about 1642, Hartford, Connecticut;⁴ M. Samuel Allen (1634-1719), 29 Nov 1659, Northampton, Massachusetts⁴

3. Sarah Woodford — B. before 2 Sep 1649, Hartford, Connecticut;⁴ M.(1) Nehemiah Allen (~1636-1684), 21 Sept 1664, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁴ (2) Richard Burke (1649-1689), 1 Sep 1687, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁸ (3) Judah Wright (1642-1725), 11 Jul 1706, Northampton, Massachusetts⁹

Sources:
1    Christening record of Mary Blott, England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Thomas Woodford and Mary Blott, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
3    Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
4    The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
5    FamousKin.com listing of Thomas Woodford
6    Sheldons in America (website)
7    “Isaac Sheldon of Windsor, Conn.,” NEHGR, V. 117, Charlotte Alling Hunt, Apr 1963
8    Marriage record of Richard Burke and Sarah Allen, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
9    Marriage record of Judah Wright and Sarah Burke, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

Mariner in Early 18th Century Boston — David Franklin

B. 6 May 1692 in Haverhill, Massachusetts¹
M. 18 Jun 1713 in Boston Massachusetts²
Wife: Elizabeth Ayers
D. before 11 Sep 1739 in (probably) Boston, Massachusetts³

During the first few decades of the 18th century, Boston was one of the most important ports in the English colonies. And its location made it a base of supplies for military efforts against the French in and around Maine, as well as an entry point to New England for goods in general. For David Franklin, this was an opportunity to make a living for himself and his family.

David was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on May 6, 1692 to Jonathan and Sarah Franklin,¹ the youngest of three sons. Haverhill was on the border with New Hampshire, then considered a frontier, and sometimes a dangerous place. When David was a baby, an Indian raid took the life of his father.⁴ His mother remarried a year later on August 30, 1694 to a man named John Field of Boston.⁵ From there, the records don’t say if the family remained in Haverhill or moved south to the Boston area, but it seems likely they relocated to the safer location, and David did end up in Boston as an adult.

A document dated June 8, 1708 reveals a few details of David’s circumstances at age 16.⁶ It’s a letter of guardianship, signed by David saying that he chose his “honored uncle, John Smith of Roxbury” as the person who would look after him until he reached a legal age. Roxbury was just south of Boston, so this places David at least in the area. And the fact this was a guardianship meant that his mother was deceased. 

Document showing John Smith of Roxbury as David's uncle.

But who was John Smith? Besides having the most common name in Anglo-America, he was also living in a densely populated area. It’s been assumed that he was the brother of David’s mother Sarah (making her last name Smith), but this is far from a proven fact. John Smith of Roxbury did write a will dated November 21, 1728 which names David and his brothers as heirs.⁷ This might mean he was indeed the brother of their mother, and in looking at family records, we find that he had a sister named Sarah.⁸ But at the time of John and Sarah’s father’s will in 1695, she was clearly not married to anyone named Franklin,⁸ so the mystery remains

What is certain is that on June 18, 1713, David got married.² His bride was Elizabeth Ayers of Boston, and the wedding was officiated by Reverend Benjamin Colman. Reverend Colman was a prominent minister in Boston, said to be greatly influenced by “Cotton Mather and Ezekiel Cheever.”⁹ He was associated with the Brattle Street Church at the time David got married, so this may be where the wedding took place. We know that David later had a pew at the Old South Meeting House,³ and one source says that “in 1711, when the Old South Church meeting-house was destroyed in the Great Fire of Boston, it was with Brattle Street Church that they gathered for worship until May 1713.”¹⁰ The church was a “plain unpainted meeting-house” at the time David and Elizabeth would have been married there.

Where did David live during this time? Several sources say he was a sailor from Hull,¹¹ a small town located at the tip of a narrow peninsula marking the entrance to Boston Harbor. The main reason for anyone to live there was to use it as a place for boats to land, and people made a living by fishing, transporting goods, and repairing ships. David’s connection to this place makes a lot of sense — it would seem he may have lived here (or kept his boat here) until he could acquire property in Boston. Meanwhile, he and Elizabeth started a family in 1714, with a total of 8 children born to them by 1735. All were recorded as being born in Boston, so perhaps he kept his boat in Hull and had a house in Boston at the same time. 

Operating a shipping boat in Boston. (AI-generated image)

During these years, Boston harbor was a busy place, and one of the main activities was to run supplies up the coast for English military forces dealing with the French.¹² A series of wars took place in the first couple of decades of the 18th century, with French using Indian allies to harass and raid any English settlers they felt were encroaching on their territory. The English in turn felt the French were making false claims on Maine, which was then part of Massachusetts. The conflict flared up from 1722 to 1725 in what became known as “Dummer’s War,” named for the governor of Massachusetts. As troops from England and New England carried out military activities in Maine, small ships based in Boston delivered basic supplies to the men — food, ammunition, and other goods.

David was known to have been a part of this effort. A record dated November 15, 1725 showed that he was the captain of a sloop called George, and commanded four seamen who worked for him.¹³ A sloop was a single-masted sailboat, generally with one sail in front of the mast and one behind. The simple design meant that it took fewer sailors to handle, but the size was limited, and David’s sloop weighed 60 tons. George was also said to be was armed with four guns;¹³ whether or not this was used during David’s ownership isn’t known, though he was sailing into a war zone. 

Around this time, David had both his home and boat in Boston. On June 26, 1726, he purchased property on the waterfront that included “beach and flats,” plus a small wharf that was shared with someone else.¹⁴ The lot was described as being on “Sea Street,” which is an archaic designation believed to be Federal Street. The exact location is today no longer at water’s edge because Boston’s coastline has been completely transformed by landfill over the years. The records also show he deeded the property to another man less than two years later,¹⁴ but later records show him with the same or similar property.¹⁴

Boston newspapers offer a glimpse into David’s travels as a mariner. Each day the paper would report on the comings and goings in the Boston customs house, and David was mentioned at least 19 times.¹⁵ Between the years 1729 and 1733, he took his ship to such places as North Carolina, Virginia, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland; there was even a trip to Antigua in the Caribbean. In 1734, David seems to also have acquired a license to operate a tavern.¹⁴ Whether he put this to use or not isn’t known. It’s easy to imagine that he used the location of his residence to start this sort of business. 

Map showing places David traveled.

One of the dangers of raising a family on a busy waterfront was shown on May 11, 1739 when one of David’s children died in the harbor. The May 14th edition of the Boston Post reported it this way, “Last Friday, a little boy, son of Capt. David Franklin, was drowned near a wharf at the South End.”¹⁶ It isn’t certain if this was one of David’s known children, which would have to be William age 12. The death notice seems to suggest it was a much younger child; perhaps it’s one that’s missing from records.

David didn’t live very long after that event. Sometime before September 11th, he passed away of an unknown cause.³ He died intestate and this produced an extensive probate file. His estate inventory included his pew at Old South Meeting House valued at £12, as well as “a house, land, old wharf and barn.”³ David’s wife Elizabeth remarried in 1742.¹⁴ Information about David’s children is incomplete. We do know that his son John followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a mariner. By virtue of working on ships, he would wind up in Virginia and North Carolina,¹¹ bringing a massive amount of descendants into a different part of the American story.

Children:
1. Elizabeth Franklin — B. 15 Jun 1714, Boston Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. Samuel Wiswell (1700-?), 17 Oct 1733, Dorchester, Massachusetts¹⁸

2. Anna Franklin — B. 18 Sep 1715, Boston Massachusetts;¹⁹ M. Benjamin Hart (1715-?), 18 Sep 1735, Boston, Massachusetts²⁰

3. David Franklin — B. 24 May 1719, Boston Massachusetts²¹

4. Jonathan Franklin — B. 21 Jan 1721, Boston Massachusetts;²² D. before 24 Oct 1734, (probably) Boston Massachusetts²³

5. John Franklin — B. 6 May 1725, Boston Massachusetts;²⁴ D. before 2 Jun 1729, (probably) Boston Massachusetts²⁶

6. William Franklin — B. 7 Feb 1727, Boston Massachusetts¹¹

7. John Franklin — B. 2 Jun 1729, Boston Massachusetts;²⁵ D. about 1818, Burke County, North Carolina;¹¹ M. Phoebe ______ (~1735-1820), about 1759, (probably) Hardy County, (West) Virginia¹¹

8. Jonathan Franklin — B. 24 Oct 1734, Boston Massachusetts²³

Sources:
1    Birth record of David Franklin, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of David Franklin and Elizabeth Ayers, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    Probate file of David Franklin, Massachusetts, Probate Records, 1636-1899, FamilySearch.org
4    The History of Haverhill From Its First Settlement in 1640 To The Year 1860, George Wingate Chase, 1861, p. 165
5    Marriage record of John Field and Sarah Franklin, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
6    David Franklin guardian bond, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Probate and Family Court Records, FamilySearch.org
7    Probate file of John Smith of Roxbury, M., P. R.
8    WikiTree listing of John Smith (bef. 1623 - bef. 1695)
9    Benjamin Colman Papers, 1641-1806, Massachusetts Historical Society
10  “This House which I have built: The Foundation of the Brattle Street Church in Boston and Transformations in Colonial Congregationalism,” Cara Elliot, The Gettysburg Historical Journal, V. 10, 2011
11  “A Mystery Story: The Case Of the Origins of John Franklin, Sr. (1729-1819) of Burke County, North Carolina,” Franklin Family Researchers, V. 6, 1993, p. 18
12  “Genealogical: Published Every Monday and Wednesday,” Boston Evening Transcript, 5 Jun 1905
13  Muster roll of ship George, Massachusetts Archive, V. 91, pp.199-200
14  Inhabitants and estates of the town of Boston, 1630-1800, Annie Haven Thwing, 2001
15  Various editions of The Boston Gazette and The Boston Weekly Newsletter, 1729-1733
16  Death notice in The Boston Post, 14 May 1739
17  Birth record of Elizabeth Franklin, M., B. & C.
18  Marriage record of Samuel Wiswell and Elizabeth Franklin, Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850, Ancestry.com
19  Birth record of Anna Franklin, M., B. & C.
20  Marriage record of Benjamin Hart and Anna Franklin, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Birth record of David Franklin (younger), M., B. & C.
22  Birth record of Jonathan Franklin (older), M., B. & C.
23  Birth record of Jonathan Franklin (younger), M., B. & C.
24  Birth record of John Franklin (older), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  Birth record of John Franklin (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.

Husband Number Three — Urbain Fouquereau

B. about 1653 in Continvoir, Saumurois, Anjou, France¹
M. 28 Dec 1676 in Neuville, New France²
Wife: Jeanne Rossignol
D. about 24 Feb 1700 in Neuville, New France³

For Fille du Roi Jeanne Rossignol, the third time was the charm. After being widowed twice, she married Urbain Fouquereau, and he became father to eight of her children.

Urbain was born in about 1653 in the village of Continvoir, France, which is in the Anjou region east of Angers.¹ His parents were Jean Fouquereau (alternate spellings: Foucreau, Fouquereaux, Foucrault) and Renée Bataille. Nothing at all is known of his family and childhood beyond these facts; neither he nor his parents are listed in Continvoir parish records.

The first place Urbain does appear is in a baptism in New France where he was the godfather. The date was February 20, 1676, and it was for a child born in Sillery, just outside of Quebec City.⁴ The fact he played such a role suggests that he didn’t just step off a boat from France; indeed it was the dead of winter, so the latest he could have arrived was the previous fall. What motivated him to migrate isn’t known. This was well after the period of recruitment of French citizens to populate the colony, and there’s no evidence that Urbain could have been part of the military. 

Baptism showing Urbain as godfather.

Later that same year, on December 28th, Urbain married a widow named Jeanne Rossignol.² She had been married twice before, but both husbands died. Jeanne brought three young sons into the marriage, and became pregnant again almost immediately, delivering Urbain’s first son about 8 1/2 months later.⁵ They would go on to have seven more, with the last child born in 1696.⁶

When Urbain got married, his wife had three sons. (AI-generated image)

While his wife Jeanne appeared in court records, Urbain had no such presence of his own. The case involving Jeanne described her as being a woman “who couldn’t stay out of other people’s business,” and she was forced to make a public apology to others in the community.⁷ This happened a couple years before Urbain was in the picture, but it suggests that she had a lively personality.

As for Urbain, he was only mentioned in a couple of records. On March 27, 1685, he sold property to Guillaume Cartier, with a receipt was issued on the 29th, and Jeanne “ratified “ the sale on April 4th.⁸ Then in 1693, the two of them arranged to hire out their oldest daughter, age 14, to a couple in Quebec City.⁹ This would seem to indicate that the family needed the money.

Urbain’s life came to an end in February 1700,³ and he was buried on the 24th. Jeanne married yet again to her fourth husband.¹⁰ She passed away in 1712.¹¹ Urbain was the ancestor of Chloë Sevigny.

Children:
1. Pierre Fouquereau — B. before 10 Aug 1677, Neuville, New France;⁵ D. before 1681¹²

2. Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau — B. 22 Aug 1679, Neuville, New France;¹³ D. 31 Dec 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;¹⁴ M. Pierre Soucy (1673-1760), 13 Jan 1699, Riviere Ouelle, New France¹⁵

3. Michel Fouquereau — B. 5 Oct 1681, Neuville, New France¹⁶

4. André Fouquereau — B. 20 Dec 1683, Neuville, New France;¹⁷ D. before 16 Nov 1722, New France;¹⁸ M. Françoise Aupry (1702-1776), 15 Apr 1720, Laprairie, New France¹⁹

5. Madeleine Fouquereau — B. 10 Jul 1686, Neuville, New France;²⁰ M. (1) Jacques Richaume (1661-1713), 25 Feb 1710, Repentigny, New France;²¹ (2) Louis Cailloneau (1685-?), 8 Jan 1714, Repentigny, New France²²

6. Guillaume Fouquereau dit Urbain — B. 23 Mar 1690, Neuville, New France;²³ D. 22 Apr 1769, Repentigny, Quebec;²⁴ M. Marie Anne Riviere (1699-1785), 20 Mar 1719, Repentigny, New France²⁵

7. Marie-Anne Fouquereau — B. 3 Jul 1693, Neuville, New France;²⁶ D. 7 Feb 1767, Pierrefonds, Quebec;²⁷ M. Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers (1693-1772), 29 Nov 1719, Repentigny, New France²⁸

8. Marie-Helene Fouquereau — B. 14 Feb 1696, Neuville, New France;⁶ D. 12 Dec 1736, St-Sulpice, New France;²⁹ M. Michel Rivet (1689-1753), 18 Jan 1718, Repentigny, New France³⁰

Sources:
1    Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Urbain Fouquereau
2    Marriage record of Urbain Fouquereau and Jeanne Rossignol, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3    Burial record of Urbain Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
4    Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Petitclerc, Q., C. P. R.
5    Baptismal record of Pierre Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
6    Baptismal record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
7    King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001
8    Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 4, Pierre-Georges Roy
9    Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 18, Pierre-Georges Roy, p. 36
10  Marriage record of François Huard dit Laliberteand Jeanne Rossignol, Q., C. P. R.
11  Burial record of Jeanne Rossignol, Q., C. P. R.
12  Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
13  Baptismal record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
14  Burial record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
15  Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
16  Baptismal record of Michel Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
17  Baptismal record of André Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
18  Burial record of André Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
19  Marriage record of André Fouquereau and Françoise Aupry, Q., C. P. R.
20  Baptismal record of Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
21  Marriage record of Jacques Richaume and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
22  Marriage record of Louis Cailloneau and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
23  Baptismal record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
24  Burial record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
25  Marriage record of Guillaume Fouquereau and Marie Anne Riviere, Q., C. P. R.
26  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
27  Burial record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
28  Marriage record of Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers and Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
29  Burial record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
30  Marriage record of Michel Rivet and Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.

A Rose Among Thorns — Francis Thorndike

B. 6 Jan 1570 in (probably) Lincolnshire, England¹
M. (1) before 4 Sep 1589 in (probably) Great Waldington, Suffolk, England²
Wife: Alice Coleman
M. (2) 9 Feb 1633 in Greenfield, Lincolnshire, England²
Wife: Elizabeth _______
D. before 10 Mar 1645 in (probably) Scamblesby, Lincolnshire, England²

Just one generation before the Puritan Great Migration to New England was a man in England named Francis Thorndike, who was of enough wealth and status to register for a coat of arms.

Francis was from Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, and he was born on January 6, 1570 to Nicholas Thorndike and Margaret Sotheby.¹ This was after a period of turmoil in England with the children of Henry VIII taking turns on the throne, and now Elizabeth presided over a time of peace. Nicholas Thorndike was a yeoman, and had gentry status in his community of Aby.² He was able to put Francis into Trinity College at Cambridge in 1581.²

At Trinity College. (AI-generated image)

On November 16, 1586, Francis was admitted to Gray’s Inn, a professional association for lawyers based in London.² In order to practice law in England, a man had to be a member of Gray’s Inn or one the three other “Inns.”³ Gray’s Inn was fairly prestigious in Francis’ day, with Francis Bacon as one of its members.³ Its hall was said to have introduced one of Shakespeare’s first plays, A Comedy of Errors.³

Another indicator of the family’s wealth was Francis’ father’s will.² As a second son, strict protocol dictated that his older brother would inherit all of the land. But Francis was bequeathed by his father “my best silver cup, my best silver goblet, three of my best silver spoons, three of my second silver spoons, and in money forty pounds.”² These were not the possessions of peasants.

Francis married got married in the late 1580s, sometime before the baptism of his oldest son on September 4, 1589.² His wife was Alice Coleman, and they were known to have four sons born between 1589 and 1611. One son went on to become a noted theologian and prebendary at Westminster Abbey,² and another son was a Puritan who settled in Massachusetts.² Alice passed away at the end of 1622, and Francis didn’t take another wife until February 9, 1633, when he married a widow, Elizabeth Prigion.

When Francis was in his old age, he and his brother Herbert “signed the pedigree for the first visitation of Heralds recorded in the family in the year 1634.”⁴ The visitation was a process of authenticating a coat of arms. This English ritual began during the reign of Henry VIII in order to verify claims of nobility or gentry class status. The Thorndike coat of arms was a design that included a rose at the top and a shield with six thorns in a triangle. The family motto was, Rosae inter spinas nascumtur. Translation: A rose among thorns.⁵

Thorndike coat of arms.

Francis died in 1645, and was buried on March 10th at the village of Scamblesby in Lincolnshire.² Because of his son John’s migration to America, Francis is the ancestor of John Kerry and John Lithgow.⁶

Children:
1. Francis Thorndike — B. before 4 Sep 1589, (probably) Great Waldington, Suffolk, England;² D. (probably) Nov 1656, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;² M. (1) Margaret Copinger (1592-1629), before 25 Mar 1620, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;² (2) Anne²

2. Herbert Thorndike — B. about 1598, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;⁷ D. 11 Jul 1672, Chiswick, Middlesex, England²

3. Paul Thorndike — D. before 12 Dec 1639, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;² M. Elizabeth Brooke²

4. John Thorndike — B. before 23 Feb 1611, Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, England;⁸ D. Nov 1668, London, England;² M. Elizabeth Stratton (~1614-1668), before 25 Dec 1637, Salem Massachusetts²

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Francis Thorndike
2    “The Thorndikes of Aby in Greenfield, Lincolnshire and Essex County, Massachusetts,” Scott C. Steward, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, V. 154, Oct 2000
3    Gray’s Inn (Wikipedia article)
4    The Founders of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Sarah Sprague Saunders Smith, 1897, p. 165
5    House of Names (website)
6    FamousKin.com listing of Francis Thorndike
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Herbert Thorndike
8    Find-a-Grave listing of John Thorndike

Uncertain Status as Fille du Roi — Andrée Remondière

B. about 1651 in La Rochelle, France¹
M. after 31 Oct 1666 in Île d’Orleans, New France²
Husband: Thomas Rondeau
D. 21 Nov 1702 in St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³

During the 1660s, when French women were recruited to become the brides of settlers in Canada, they usually said goodbye to their families forever. But Andrée Remondière arrived in different circumstances — her mother either accompanied her or was already there.

Andrée came from a part of France which supplied many of the Filles du Roi: the port city of La Rochelle. Her parents were Jacques Remondière and Renée Rivière, who were likely married around 1650 in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Cogne.⁴ Andrée is believed to have been born in about 1651,¹ but may have been an only child because no other offspring are attached to her parents. Her father died sometime before 1666,⁴ presenting two scenarios for her childhood — one is in a two-parent household until she was an adolescent, and the other with her widowed mother struggling alone to raise her child from infancy. No records exist that can determine the circumstances of how Andrée grew up.

The lives of Andrée and Renée changed dramatically when a decision was made to move to Canada. This happened in about 1666, and the details are unfortunately lacking, but we can speculate that the mother as well as the daughter needed to find husbands, and somehow it made sense that both of them migrate. While Renée seems to have married a man she connected with on her own, Andrée is believed to have been part of the Fille du Roi program which gave small dowries in return for being courted by the men who desired wives in New France. There is no actual confirmation that mother and daughter traveled together, nor that either of them were Filles du Roi.

The record of Andrée’s marriage survives in the form of a contract with her new husband, Thomas Rondeau. Because of the date of the contract, October 31, 1666,² it’s possible that Andrée and her mother were on that year’s ship of prospective brides. Renée is noted on the document as the wife of Mathurin Croiset, who served as stepfather to Andrée; both couples would settle on Île d’Orleans, although there are no marriage records for either one. 

Signing a marriage contract. (AI-generated image)

In spite of seeming to be an only child herself, Andrée gave birth to 15 children. The oldest was born in 1668,⁵ and the youngest in 1694.⁶ It was common for New France mothers to have such a big family because the authorities offered money to families with 10 living children. The pregnancies may have taken a toll, though, because Andrée didn’t live to a ripe old age; she passed away on November 21, 1702 at the age of about 51.³ Her husband Thomas never remarried and died in 1721.⁷ They were both ancestors of Bridget Fonda and Emeril Lagasse.⁸

Children:
1. Mathurin Rondeau — B. 7 Feb 1668, (probably) Île d’Orleans, New France;⁵ D. before 1681, New France⁹

2. Thomas Rondeau — B. 22 Dec 1668, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁰ D. 13 Nov 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France¹¹

3. Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau — B. 19 Oct 1670, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹² D. 8 Nov 1746, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹³ M. Pierre Leclerc (1659-1736), 7 Feb 1690, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France¹⁴

4. Marie Rondeau — B. 16 Dec 1672, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁵ D. 30 May 1751, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁶ M. Philippe Nöel (1670-1736), 5 Nov 1692, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France¹⁷

5. Françoise Rondeau — B. 25 Aug 1674, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁸ D. 12 Oct 1699, St-Jean, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁹ M. Charles Dumas (1671-1734), 12 Aug 1694, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France²⁰

6. Ursule Rondeau — B. 5 Aug 1676, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;²¹ D. 17 Jan 1746, Quebec City, New France;²² M. Jean Bussiere (1673-1735), 21 Apr 1694, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France²³

7. François Rondeau — B. 7 Apr 1678, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁴ D. 27 Oct 1748, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, New France;²⁵ M. (1) Marie-Anne Decaux (1678-1723), 21 Jul 1705, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁶ (2) Marie-Madeleine Denevers (1686-1725), 1724, Ste-Croix, New France;²⁷ (3) Marie-Anne Denevers (~1704-1729), 7 Jan 1728, Ste-Croix, New France²⁸

8. Marie-Madeleine Rondeau — B. 28 Dec 1679, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁹ D. 9 Sep 1712, St-Nicolas, New France;³⁰ M. Jacques Côte (1686-1734), 8 Feb 1706, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³¹

9. Fabien Rondeau — B. 23 Oct 1681, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³² D. 14 May 1712, Quebec City, New France;³³ M. Marie Denevers (~1684-1712), about 1705, New France³⁴

10. Baby Rondeau — B. 28 Oct 1683, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³⁵ D. 28 Oct 1683, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³⁵

11. Marie-Charlotte Rondeau — B. 25 Dec 1684, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³⁶ M. Pierre Côte (1679-1715), 27 Apr 1707, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³⁷

12. Jean-Baptiste Rondeau — B. 24 Mar 1688, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³⁸ D. 23 Jan 1709, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³⁹

13. Claire Rondeau — B. 12 Jul 1690, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;⁴⁰ D. 18 Jul 1690, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France⁴¹

14. Thomas Rondeau — B. 18 Nov 1692, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;⁴² D. 26 Mar 1734, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, New France;⁴³ M. Marie-Catherine Bourgouin (1700-?), 25 Oct 1717, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, New France⁴⁴

15. Anne Rondeau — B. 4 Nov 1694, Saint-Pierre, Île d’Orlèans, New France;⁶ M. (1) Julien Rapoché (1707-1731), 19 Aug 1725, Quebec City, New France;⁴⁵ (2) Philippe Desmarais (1702-?), 21 Nov 1735, Quebec City, New France⁴⁶

Sources:
1    Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Andrée Remondière
2    Marriage contract of Thomas Rondeau and Andrée Remondière
3    Burial record of Andrée Remondière, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4    Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Jacques Remondière
5    Baptismal record of Mathurin Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
6    Baptismal record of Anne Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
7    Burial record of Thomas Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
8    FamousKin.com listing of Thomas Rondeau
9    Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
10  Baptismal record of Thomas Rondeau (older child), Q.C.P.R.
11  Burial record of Thomas Rondeau (older child), Q.C.P.R.
12  Baptismal record of Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
13  Burial record of Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
14  Marriage record of Pierre Leclerc and Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
15  Baptismal record of Marie Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
16  Burial record of Marie Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
17  Marriage record of Philippe Noël and Marie Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
18  Baptismal record of Françoise Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
19  Burial record of Françoise Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
20  Marriage record of Charles Dumas and Françoise Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
21  Baptismal record of Ursule Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
22  Burial record of Ursule Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
23  Marriage record of Jean Bussiere and Ursule Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
24  Baptismal record of François Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
25  Burial record of François Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
26  Marriage record of Françoise Rondeau and Marie-Anne Decaux, Q.C.P.R.
27  Marriage record of Françoise Rondeau and Marie-Madeleine Denevers, Q.C.P.R.
28  Marriage record of Françoise Rondeau and Marie-Anne Denevers, Q.C.P.R.
29  Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
30  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
31  Marriage record of Jacques Côte and Marie-Madeleine Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
32  Baptismal record of Fabien Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
33  Burial record of Fabien Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
34  Marriage record of Fabien Rondeau and Marie Denevers, Q.C.P.R.
35  Burial record of Baby Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
36  Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
37  Marriage record of Pierre Côte and Marie-Charlotte Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
38  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
39  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
40  Baptismal record of Claire Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
41  Burial record of Claire Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
42  Baptismal record of Thomas Rondeau (younger child), Q.C.P.R.
43  Burial record of Thomas Rondeau (younger child), Q.C.P.R.
44  Marriage record of Thomas Rondeau and Marie-Catherine Bourgouin, Q.C.P.R.
45  Marriage record of Julien Rapoché and Anne Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
46  Marriage record of Philippe Desmarais and Anne Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.

The Path to East Hampton — Stephen Hand

B. about 1635 in (probably) Tunbridge, Kent, England¹
M. (1) 1660 in (probably) Long Island²
Wife: Sarah Stratton
M. (2) before 17 May 1688 in East Hampton, New York¹
Wife: Rebecca ________
D. 15 Apr 1693 in South Hampton, New York¹

Stephen Hand left his legacy all over the region where he lived on Long Island with a road that bears his name in a somewhat unique style.

Stephen’s family was from Kent, England, where he was likely born in about 1635.¹ This isn’t certain because that is also the year his parents John Hand and Alice Gransden migrated to New England,³ and some researchers believe he was born after his parents left. Whatever the case, Stephen earliest memories were in the town of Lynn, Massachusetts, the second child in a family of at least nine children.

Lynn is located on the coast of New England north of Boston, and many men, including Stephen’s father, were involved in the whaling industry. This was what brought the family to settle on eastern Long Island in about 1644 in a new settlement called Southampton. In about 1660, Stephen married Sarah Stratton,² the daughter of John Stratton, who was one of the founders of East Hampton. Eventually they settled at a place at the head of a creek which would be called “Hand’s Creek,” in the present-day community of Wainscott.⁴ Sarah passed away before 1684,³ and Stephen remarried to a woman named Rebecca.¹ Stephen had at least eight children, but it’s uncertain if they were from different wives. 

Settling at a creek in East Hampton. (AI-generated image)

As a Puritan settlement, East Hampton men were expected to perform civic duties, and Stephen served as town constable in 1674 and again in 1680.⁴ He was one of a handful of men assigned to choose who would represent them in the first Colonial Assembly in 1683 in Albany.⁴ And his name is listed on the official patent for East Hampton issued in 1686.⁴

Stephen’s claim to fame comes from a document dated November 3, 1668 establishing the location of a new road.³ When English colonial settlements were formed up and down the East Coast, they usually started out as patchworks of farms, with no plan for how people traveled between places. So roads were an afterthought, and some landowners were asked to sacrifice a bit of their property for the good of all. The order regarding Stephen’s land was as follows:

“Stephen Hand hath grant that the town shall have a highway for one cart to go through his lot in the woods lying on the west side of George Miller’s lot by the mill plain. The highway is to be 12 feet in breadth and the length of the lot, and it is only to drive carts and oxen in the yoke, and to ride or lead a horse through, and not to drive cattle out of the yoke. And for that highway the town doth grant that Stephen Hand shall have one acre of land, which acre it was said lay by John Osborne’s land at the end of Thomas Osborne Sr.’s addition which Stephen should have.” ³

As a result, Stephen gained immortality, at least for future residents of Long Island. The road was designated “Stephen Hand’s Path,” and the name remains to this day.



Stephen passed away on April 15, 1693 at South Hampton.¹ He is the direct ancestor of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt and all of his illustrious descendants.³

Children of Sarah Stratton:
1. Stephen Hand — B. about 1661, (probably) East Hampton, Long Island;⁵ D. 13 Nov 1740, Wainscott, New York;⁵ M. Esther Osborn (1666-1738), about 1686⁵

2. Joseph Hand — B. about 1664, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁶ D. 26 Jan 1713, New Jersey⁶

Children of an unidentified mother:
1. (probably) Sarah Hand — B. about 1666, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ D. 1735; M. Thomas Howell⁷

2. (probably) Alice Hand — B. about 1670, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ M. William Shipman, 1690⁷

3. Samuel Hand — B. about 1672, (probably) East Hampton, New York; D. 1735, (probably) East Hampton, New York; M. Elizabeth ______

4. (probably) Esther Hand — B. about 1674, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ M. Samuel Mulford⁷

5. (probably) Abigail Hand — B. about 1676, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ M. Jacob Griswold (1675-?), 30 Nov 1696⁷

6. (probably) Elizabeth Hand — B. about 1678, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ D. 1711; M. Daniel Osborn⁷

Sources:

1    Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen Hand
2    Marriage record of Stephen Hand and Sarah Stratton, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, Ancestry.com
3    Genealogy of the Hand-Bradley-Churchill and Related Families, B.G. Richmond, 1982
4    Longhouse Reserve (website)
5    Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen Hand (younger)
6    “Records of Marriages, Baptisms, and Deaths in Easthampton, L.I., from 1696 to 1746,” recorded by Rev. Nathaniel Hunting, New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, V. 34, p. 143
7    Hand, Sisson and Scott: More Yeoman Ancestors, Carol Clark Johnson, 1981