Civil War Soldier’s Wife — Elizabeth C. Sutherlin

B. about 1844 in Missouri¹
M. (1) 24 Dec 1863 in Ray County, Missouri²
Husband: Simon C. Carey
M. (2) 13 Aug 1868 in Allen County, Kansas³
Husband: James Hiram Hampton
D. about 1869 in (probably) Kansas⁴

Elizabeth Sutherlin lived only about 25 years, but in that short time, she experienced a hardscrabble existence which included war and widowhood. 

Elizabeth was born in about 1844 to Jackson Sutherlin and Mary Fleming,¹ the second oldest of their seven children. The Sutherlins had come from Indiana to settle in Missouri. When Elizabeth was 6-years-old, they were living on a farm in Holt County.¹ The census showed that the value of their estate was much smaller than the families around them, and they likely didn't own their land. Elizabeth’s father was deaf,⁴ and this may have affected the family’s circumstances.

Ten years later, Elizabeth was listed twice in the census, maybe an indication that the family had moved. On July 13th, they were enumerated in Anderson County, Kansas,⁵ and on July 25th, in Lafayette County, Missouri.⁶ It was also recorded that at age 16, Elizabeth had attended school that year.

The area where Elizabeth lived was under siege by pro- and anti-slavery forces. During the late 1850s, the border region between Kansas and Missouri was a tense battleground, with one side performing atrocities against the other and vice-versa. It only got worse when the Confederacy was formed in 1861, which sparked the Civil War. Officially, Missouri was in the Union, but many Confederate sympathizers lived there, and bands of young men took recourse by terrorizing those not on their side.

On December 24, 1863, Elizabeth married an Irish immigrant, Simon Carey, in Ray County, Missouri.² It’s believed that neither bride nor groom were yet 20-years-old. Her choice of husband was unusual because his background was so different from hers. Simon had already done a stint in the Union army from April 1862 to May 1863,⁷ and he was settling down to become a farmer.

Elizabeth almost immediately became pregnant, but Simon didn’t remain at home. On August 15, 1864, he volunteered for service again in the Union army, likely enlisting for the $100 bounty⁷ — an enormous amount of money at that time. Although they lived in Ray County, Elizabeth gave birth on October 7th in the town of Gardner, Kansas,⁸ possibly where her parents lived. Her baby boy was named Thomas Michael.

When the Civil War ended, Simon remained in the service until being discharged in September of 1865.⁷ He may have suffered an injury while in the army, because soon after, he died of an “abscess in his side.”⁹ This left Elizabeth as a widow with a small child. She moved to Kansas where she married another former Civil War soldier, James Hampton, on August 13, 1868.³

Unfortunately, Elizabeth passed away just a short while later, probably in 1869. There is a family story that she died in childbirth along with a baby girl.¹⁰ After her death, her young son Thomas was raised by her parents;⁴ his success and offspring became Elizabeth’s only legacy.

Children:
1. Thomas Michael Carey — B. 7 Oct 1864, Gardner, Kansas;⁸ D. 5 Feb 1937, Coffeyville, Kansas;⁸ M. Bertha Gertrude Kightlinger (1875-1946), 21 Oct 1895, Burlington, Kansas¹¹

Sources:
1    1850 U.S. census, Holt County, Missouri
2    Marriage record of Simon Carey and Elizabeth Sutherlin, Missouri, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1851-1900, Ancestry.com
3    Marriage record of James Hampton and Elizabeth Sutherlin, Kansas, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1811-1911, Ancestry.com
4    1870 U.S. census, Jackson County, Missouri
5    1860 U.S. census, Anderson County, Kansas
6    1860 U.S. census, Lafayette County, Missouri
7    Civil War military records of Simon C. Carey, Fold3.com
8    “Tom Carey is Dead After Brief Illness,” Coffeyville Daily Journal, February 6, 1937
9    RootsWeb.com message from Simon Carey’s great-granddaughter, 22 Apr 2001
10  Email to me from Elizabeth Sutherlin’s great-great-granddaughter telling family story, 23 Aug 2024
11  Marriage record of Thomas Carey and Bertha Kightlinger, K., U.S., C. M. R.

Disappeared and Drowned — Nicolas Baillargeon

B. 12 Sep 1713 in Montmorency, New France¹
M. about 1737 in (probably) Montmagny, New France²
Wife: Marie-Madeleine Proulx
D. 10 May 1740 in Riviére-du-Sud, New France³

In the colony of New France, the rivers were vital for its people, providing irrigation for their farms and transportation between settlements. But sometimes a river could also end a life, and such was the case for Nicolas Baillargeon.

Nicolas was born on September 12, 1713 to Nicolas Baillargeon and Marguerite Leclerc in Montmorency, New France,¹ which was near Quebec City. Not much else is known about his early life. After he came of age, he crossed the St. Lawrence River to an area that was just being settled on the southern shore. In about 1737, he married Marie-Madeleine Proulx, probably in Montmagny where she was from.² They had a daughter born in August 1738,⁴ and a son born in March 1740.⁵

By 1740, Nicolas was living in St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, a community on the Riviére-du-Sud (South River) upstream from Montmagny. The Riviére-du-Sud ran parallel to the St. Lawrence, about 3 miles inland; it had many twists and turns before jutting north and emptying into the larger river. The village of St-Pierre was clustered near the river, with ribbon farms pushing to the north and south. Evidence of this can still be seen from overhead views today.

2022 satellite view of St-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud. (Source: Google Maps)

On the night of May 10th, Nicolas tried to cross the Riviére-du-Sud, but for some reason, he didn’t make it, and he drowned.³ The details of what happened are sketchy, but based on the geography of the area and the time of the year, it’s possible to speculate that snow melt-off may have caused the water level to be higher than usual. Strong currents may have also been a factor when Nicolas was swept away. His body wasn’t found until 18 days later.³

Nicolas was buried in the parish cemetery of Saint-Thomas in Montmagny on May 30, 1740.³ His wife, Madeleine, remarried in 1745,⁶ and she died about 1753.⁷

Burial record of Nicolas Baillargeon.

Children:
1. Madeleine Baillargeon — B. 24 Aug 1738, Montmagny, New France;⁴ D. 8 Sep 1819, St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France;⁸ M. Charles-Alexander Joncas (1730-?), 23 Feb 1756, Montmagny, New France⁹

2. Nicolas Baillargeon — B. 24 Mar 1740, St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France;⁵ D. 6 May 1803, Vincennes, Indiana Territory;¹⁰ M. Françoise Plichon (~1759-1837), 24 Jul 1778, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory¹¹

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Nicolas Baillargeon, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Marie-Madeleine Proulx, Q., C. P. R.
3    Burial record of Nicolas Baillargeon, Q., C. P. R.
4    Baptismal record of Madeleine Baillargeon, Q., C. P. R.
5    Baptismal record of Nicolas Baillargeon (younger), Q., C. P. R.
6    Marriage record of Ignace Dessaint and Marie-Madeleine Proulx, Q., C. P. R.
7    Marriage record of Ignace Dessaint and Madeleine Morin, Q., C. P. R.
8    Burial record of Madeleine Baillargeon, Q., C. P. R.
9    Marriage record of Charles-Alexander Joncas and Madeleine Baillargeon, Q., C. P. R.
10  Burial record of Nicolas Baillargeon (younger), Q., C. P. R.
11  Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Françoise Plichon, Q., C. P. R.

The Mother of Emigrants — Marie-Charlotte Dubois

B. 29 Jun 1797 in St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec¹
M. 19 Oct 1812 in St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec²
Husband: Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie
D. between 1847 and 1864 in Quebec^3,4

The early 19th century was a time of transition in the Côte-du-Sud region of Quebec. Fifty years after the English takeover of Canada, many French-Canadian farmers were finding it harder and harder to scrape out a living. For Marie-Charlotte Dubois, this meant that most of her own children would leave their homeland for a better life in the United States.

Charlotte was born on June 29, 1797 to Michel Dubois and Marie-Josephe Fournier in St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec,⁵ the oldest of 8 children. Her father was a farmer who died when she was 12-years old.¹ Charlotte got married just a couple of years later. Her husband, Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie, was about 14 years older than she was, and the wedding took place at St-Joseph-de-la -Pointe-de-Lévy on October 19, 1812.² It was a double wedding because her widowed mother got married the same day;⁶ it’s notable that her mother’s new husband was actually younger than hers. Both mother and daughter were pregnant the following year and gave birth to sons about six weeks apart.

As was common in French-Canadian families, Charlotte had a large number of children. By the late 1830s, she and her husband had ten children, with two of them being twins. Sadly, she lost her oldest, Joseph, when he died at age 7.⁷ In October of 1838, she had her eleventh and final child, Marie-Heloise,⁸ who seems to have died young. By then, the family had moved to St-Chrysostome;⁹ later they were in St-Sylvestre,¹⁰ and then St-Norbert d’Arthabaska.¹¹ Census records suggest that the LaBrie farm wasn’t thriving, and the fact they relocated several times is an indicator of their financial struggle.

After Joseph passed away on July 15, 1846,¹¹ little is known about Charlotte’s life. She was living at the time of her daughter Marie-Marguerite’s wedding on January 12, 1847,³ but had died by her son Benjamin’s wedding on November 3, 1864.⁴ One-by-one, Charlotte’s children migrated south to the United States, starting with François in about 1848.¹² Most of them settled in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but Adelaide went all the way to northern California.¹³ Youngest son Edouard moved to the U.S. for a time,¹⁴ but did migrate to Alberta, Canada during the 1890s.¹⁵ Only Henriette and Benjamin seem to have stayed in Quebec;^16,17 sadly, Benjamin was in a mental institution when he died.¹⁷

Charlotte’s daughter Adelaide LeMay with her children Paul and Mary in Siskiyou County, California.  

Children:
1. Joseph LaBrie – B. 19 Sep 1813, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;¹⁸ D. 19 Dec 1820, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec⁷

2. Genevieve LaBrie – B. 5 Feb 1816, Quebec;¹⁹ D. 15 Mar 1881, West St. Paul, Minnesota;²⁰ M. Flavien Roberge (1813-1894), 8 Nov 1834, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec²¹

3. Louis LaBrie – B. 8 Nov 1818, Quebec;²² D. 22 Feb 1903, Minneapolis, Minnesota;²³ M. Julie Fortier (1821-1904), 14 Sep 1841, St-Sylvestre, Quebec¹⁰

4. Henriette LaBrie – B. 9 Sep 1822, Arthabaska, Quebec;²⁴ C. 25 Feb 1901, St-Christophe, Arthabaska, Quebec;¹⁶ M. Jean-Baptiste Boucher dit Morency (1819-1873), 27 Apr 1841, St-Sylvestre, Quebec²⁵

5. Jean-Baptiste LaBrie – B. 9 Sep 1822, Arthabaska, Quebec;²⁶ D. 13 Jun 1905, Barron County, Wisconsin;²⁷ M. Perpetue Demers (1827-1899), 27 Feb 1843, Blandford, Quebec²⁸

6. Marie-Marguerite LaBrie – B. about 8 Mar 1826, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;²⁹ M. Olivier Demers (~1822-?), 12 Jan 1847, Arthabaska, Quebec³

7. Francis A. LaBrie – B. 15 Jan 1828, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;³⁰ D. 27 Dec 1909, Minneapolis, Minnesota;³¹ M. Eliza Furlong (1830-1912), 23 Jan 1854, St. Paul, Minnesota³²

8. Benjamin LaBrie – B. (possibly) 1831, Quebec;³³ D. 19 Feb 1907, Arthabaska, Quebec;¹⁷ M. Marie Vachon (~1833-~1896), 3 Nov 1864, Tlingwick, Quebec⁴

9. Marie-Adelaide LaBrie – B. 15 May 1832, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec;⁹ D. 24 Apr 1915, Yreka, California;³⁴ M. François Dassisi LeMay (1820-1880), 7 Feb 1853, Ramsey County, Minnesota³⁵

10. Edouard LaBrie – B. about 18 Jul 1834, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec;³⁶ M. (1) Catherine Couture, 24 Sep 1860, Tlingwick, Quebec;³⁷ (2) Josephine¹⁵

11. Marie-Heloise LaBrie – B. about 16 Oct 1838, St-Jean Chrysostome, Quebec⁸

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte Dubois, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Joseph Mignaultt dit LaBrie and Marie-Charlotte Dubois, Q., C. P. R.
3    Marriage record of Olivier Demers and Marie-Marguerite LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
4    Marriage record of Benjamin LaBrie and Marie Vachon, Q., C. P. R.
5    Burial record of Michel Dubois, Q., C. P. R.
6    Marriage record of Laurent Gosselin and Marie-Josephe Fournier, Q., C. P. R.
7    Burial record of Joseph LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
8    Baptismal record of Marie-Heloise LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
9    Baptismal record of Marie-Adelaide LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
10  Marriage record of Louis LaBrie and Julie Fortier, Q., C. P. R.
11  Burial record of Joseph Mignault dit LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
12  1900 U.S. Census, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
13  1860 U.S. Census, Siskiyou County, California
14  1870 U.S. Census, Barron County, Wisconsin
15  1891 Canada Census, Alberta
16  Burial record of Henriette LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
17  Burial record of Benjamin Mignot dit LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
18  Baptismal record of Joseph LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
19  Baptismal record of Genevieve LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
20  Find-a-Grave listing of Genevieve (LaBrie) Roberge
21  Marriage record of Flavien Roberge and Genevieve LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
22  1900 U.S. Census, Minneapolis, Minnesota
23  Death record of Louis LaBrie, Minnesota Birth and Death Records, 1866-1916, FamilySearch.org
24  Baptismal record of Henriette LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
25  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Boucher dit Morency and Henriette LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
26  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
27  Find-a-Grave listing of Jean-Baptiste “John” LaBrie
28  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste LaBrie and Perpetue Demers, Q., C. P. R.
29  Baptismal record of Marie-Marguerite LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
30  Baptismal record of François LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
31  Marriage record of François LaBrie and Eliza Furlong, Minnesota, Marriages, 1849-1950, FamilySearch.org

32  Death record of Francis Labree, Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002, FamilySearch.org
33  1871 Canada Census, Arthabaska, Quebec
34  Find-A-Grave listing of Ida Adeline (Mignot dit LeBrie) LeMay
35  Marriage record of Francis Lemay and Adelaide LaBrie, M., M.
36  Baptismal record of Edouard LaBrie, Q., C. P. R.
37  Marriage record of Edouard LaBrie and Catherine Couture, Q., C. P. R.

Under Contract to Marry at Age 7 — Marie Brunet

B. 23 Oct 1677, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, New France¹
M. 31 Aug 1693 in Montreal, New France²
Husband: François Bigras dit Fauvel
D. 12 Jan 1756 in Ste-Genevieve, New France³

While it was typical for a girl in New France to have her adult life determined by her parents in an arranged marriage, few had their husbands chosen when they were still young children. That’s what makes Marie Brunet’s marriage contract so unusual.

Marie was born in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, New France on October 23 1677 to Mathieu Brunet dit LeTang and Marie Blanchard,¹ the sixth of their ten children. Cap-de-la-Madeleine was located in the vicinity of Trois-Rivières, where Marie’s father became involved with fur trading.⁴ It was sometimes a rugged lifestyle outside of society’s norms, and Mathieu Brunet spent much time away from the family on expeditions out west. In his business dealings, he formed acquaintances and friendships with other men, and one of them was a 20-year-old named François Bigras dit Fauvel.

François was originally from La Rochelle and had signed a contract to become a servant in New France at age 17 in 1682.⁵ After the man he was assigned to work for passed away, François moved to Trois-Rivières,⁶ and this is where he came into contact with the Brunet family. His labor contract would have ended in 1685, and he probably then looked to settle down in the area. We can speculate that at this time, he asked Mathieu Brunet if he could take one of his daughters as a bride. Apparently he wasn’t in a rush to start a family; the document that was written up and recorded on August 25th was a promise to marry Marie,⁷ who at the time was two months shy of her eighth birthday. 

A child promised as a bride in 17th-century Canada. (AI-generated image)

Because she was obviously too young to perform the duties of a wife, Marie continued to live in her parents’ household for 8 more years. The actual wedding happened on August 31, 1693 at the Notre-Dame Church in Montreal,² and afterwards, the couple settled in Lachine, a town just west of Montreal. Marie gave birth to her first child, Marie-Louise, the following year.⁸ She had another 12 children, with the youngest born in 1719, the only child who died young.^9,10

Marie's 1693 marriage record.

François worked in the fur trade,¹¹ which sometimes would mean traveling out west, but in his case seems to refer to his role as a Montreal merchant. Their sons François and Alexis did go on expeditions after they came of age.¹¹ In about 1713, the family relocated to Pointe-Claire,¹² a place on the western part of the island of Montreal.

On July 25, 1731, François died in Montreal.¹³ Marie eventually moved to another newly-settled community, Ste-Genevieve, located on the north side of the island. She passed away there on January 12, 1756.

Incorrect Fact About Marie
In his book Phantoms of the French Fur Trade, Timothy Kent wrote that Marie had a child born out-of-wedlock in September 1691 (she would have been 13-years-old at the time).⁴ There is a Montreal baptismal record for an infant named Jean Piron dated September 18, 1691.¹⁴ The father of the child was Jean Piron and the mother was “Marie de Letang.” Since Marie had a sister Marie-Ann who married in 1689 to a man named Antoine Pilon, and the record doesn’t seem to indicate illegitimacy, this child seems to be of that marriage. It seems likely that the scribe mangled the father’s first name by repeating the baby’s name. Also, there was no family in New France named Piron, only the descendants of Antoine Pilon. With all of these facts, it would seem that the claim Marie gave birth to a son in 1691 is incorrect.

Children:
1. Marie-Louise Bigras — B. 28 Oct 1694, Lachine, New France;⁸ D. 19 Jun 1772, Pointe-Claire, Quebec;¹⁵ M. André Franche-Laframboise (~1664-1750), 16 Oct 1713, Pointe-claire, New France¹⁶

2. Jacques Bigras — B. 14 Sep 1696, Lachine, New France;¹⁷ D. 4 Feb 1751, Detroit, New France;¹⁸ M. Angélique Clement (~1670-1725), 13 Apr 1722, Pointe-Claire, New France¹⁹

3. Marie-Françoise Bigras — B. 4 May 1698, Lachine, New France;²⁰ M. René Aubin (~1686-1766), 15 Jun 1716, Pointe-Claire, New France²¹

4. François Bigras — B. 19 Feb 1700, Lachine, New France;²² D. 16 Jun 1781, St-Martin, Quebec;²³ M. (1) Marie-Thérese Devoyau-Laframboise (1707-1734), 31 Jul 1724, St-Laurent, New France;²⁴ (2) Marie-Thérese Bautron-Major (1709-1798), 31 May 1734, St-Laurent, New France²⁵

5. Marguerite Bigras — B. 26 Nov 1701, Lachine, New France;²⁶ D. 22 Aug 1778, Montreal, Quebec;²⁷ M. René Venet (1690-1776), 11 Aug 1722, Pointe-Claire, New France²⁸

6. Marie-Angelique Bigras — B. 20 Aug 1703, Lachine, New France;²⁹ M. François Calvé (1692-?), 30 Aug 1733, Pointe-Claire, New France³⁰

7. Alexis Bigras — B. 27 Jun 1705, Lachine, New France;³¹ D. 12 Feb 1791, Pointe-Claire, Quebec;³² M, (1) Marie-Catherine Prézeau (1679-1763), 3 Feb 1728, Pointe-Claire, New France;³³ (2) Marie-Anne Meloche (1710-1773), 13 Feb 1764, Ste-Genevieve, Quebec;³⁴ (3) Marie Benoit (1721-1791), 26 Feb 1781, Ste-Genevieve, Quebec³⁵

8. Joseph Bigras — B. 27 Mar 1707, Lachine, New France;³⁶ M. Marie-Charlotte Goujon, 10 Jan 1729, Montreal, New France³⁷

9. Judith Bigras — B. 11 Feb 1709, Lachine, New France;³⁸ D. 15 Jul 1755, Ste-Genevieve-de-Pierrefonds, New France;³⁹ M. (1) Michel Desmoulins dit Lagiroflée (1692-1750), 15 Feb 1729, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁴⁰ (2) Jean-Baptiste Gauthier (1707-?), 3 Nov 1751, Pointe-Claire, New France⁴¹

10. Marie-Anne Bigras — B. 12 Jul 1711, Lachine, New France;⁴² M. (1) Nicolas Briquet-Beque (~1706-1762, 4 Nov 1731, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁴³ (2) Etienne Groulx dit St-Marcel (~1714-?), 1 May 1764, St-Genevieve-de-Pierrefonds⁴⁴

11. Antoine Bigras — B. about 1711;⁴⁵ M. Jeanne Cantureau (~1714-?), 14 Oct 1734, Quebec City, New France⁴⁶

12. Genevieve Bigras — B. 29 Apr 1714, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁴⁷ M. (1) Jean Bernet-Larose (1693-1758), 1 Mar 1734, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁴⁸ (2) Jean Spaure (~1714-?), 7 Jan 1761, Montreal, New France⁴⁹

13. Marie-Madeleine Bigras — B. 1 Dec 1719, Pointe-Claire, New France;⁹ D. 26 May 1722, Pointe-Claire, New France¹⁰

Sources:
1    Burial record of Marie Brunet, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of François Bigras dit Fauvel and Marie Brunet Quebec, Q., C. P. R.
3    Burial record of Marie Brunet, Q., C. P. R.
4    Phantoms of the French Fur Trade: Twenty Men Who Worked in the Trade Between 1618 and 1758, Vol. 2, Timothy J. Kent, 2015
5    1682, Engagement, Bigras, François, l’ancêtre (website)
6    François Bigras (Wikipedia article)
7    Marriage contract of François Bigras and Marie Brunet
8    Baptismal record of Marie-Louise Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
9    Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
10  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
11  Online Database of Voyageur Contracts
12  Baptismal record of Genevieve Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
13  Burial record of François Bigras dit Fauvel, Q., C. P. R.
14  Baptismal record of Jean Piron, Q., C. P. R.
15  Burial record of Marie-Louise Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
16  Marriage record of André Franche-Laframboise and Marie-Louise Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
17  Baptismal record of Jacques Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
18  Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Jacques Bigras
19  Marriage record of Jacques Bigras and Angelique Clement, Q., C. P. R.
20  Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
21  Marriage record of René Aubin and Marie-Françoise Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
22  Baptismal record of François Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
23  Burial record of François Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
24  Marriage record of François Bigras and Marie-Thérese Devoyau-Laframboise, Q., C. P. R.
25  Marriage record of François Bigras and Marie-Thérese Bautron-Major, Q., C. P. R.
26  Baptismal record of Marguerite Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
27  Burial record of Marguerite Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
28  Marriage record of René Venet and Marguerite Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
29  Baptismal record of Marie-Angelique Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
30  Marriage record of François Calvé and Marie-Angelique Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
31  Baptismal record of Alexis Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
32  Burial record of Alexis Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
33  Marriage record of Alexis Bigras and Marie-Catherine Prézeau, Q., C. P. R.
34  Marriage record of Alexis Bigras and Marie-Anne Meloche, Q., C. P. R.
35  Marriage record of Alexis Bigras and Marie Benoit, Q., C. P. R.
36  Baptismal record of Joseph Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
37  Marriage record of Joseph Bigras and Marie-Charlotte Goujon, Q., C. P. R.
38  Baptismal record of Judith Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
39  Burial record of Judith Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
40  Marriage record of Michel Desmoulins dit Lagiroflée and Judith Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
41  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Gauthier and Judith Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
42  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
43  Marriage record of Nicolas Briquet-Beque and Marie-Anne Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
44  Marriage record of Etienne Groulx dit St-Marcel and Marie-Anne Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
45  Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Antoine Bigras
46  Marriage record of Antoine Bigras and Jeanne Cantureau, Q., C. P. R.
47  Baptismal record of Genevieve Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
48  Marriage record of Jean Bernet-Larose and Genevieve Bigras, Q., C. P. R.
49  Marriage record of Jean Spaure and Genevieve Bigras, Q., C. P. R.

On the Remote Frontier Of Indiana — Louis Godere

B. 14 May 1739 in Fort Ouiatenon, New France¹
M. 8 Feb 1770 in Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory²
Wife: Barbe-Elizabeth Levron
D. 14 Jun 1794 in Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹

During the 18th century, present-day Indiana was populated with a few scattered outposts of French families, and villages of Indigenous tribes, which made for a culture mixed with elements of each group. This is where Louis Godere spent his life.

Louis was born on May 14, 1739 to François Godere and Agnes Richard at Ouiatenon,¹ a small garrison and village on the Wabash River. Louis was one of about ten children; his father was involved in the fur trade, and his mother was the daughter of an interpreter of Native American languages. The name Godere appeared in records spelled many different ways — Godere, Gaudere, Gauder, Codere, Coder. Most people in the region were illiterate, and Louis couldn’t sign his name on documents,³ suggesting he had little or no education.

It’s easy to imagine Louis as a young child playing outside his home among fur traders, frontier soldiers, and Indigenous people. Ouiatenon was a French outpost next to an existing village of the Wea people, a sub-group of the Miamis tribe (Louis’ great-grandmother was a Wea). The location was said to be favorable because it was near the head of navigable water that fed into the Mississippi River system.⁴ Inside Ouiatenon's stockade were a double row of ten houses, a chapel, and a blacksmith’s shop.⁴ There may have been as many as 90 dwellings outside the stockade walls housing a mixture of French and Wea, and during the years 1720 to 1760, the population was as much as 3,000.⁴

Fort Ouiatenon in 1752.

The date when the Godere family moved downriver to Vincennes isn’t known, but it was likely sometime around 1750.⁵ Louis’ father died within a couple of years, and his mother remarried in Vincennes in 1756.⁶ The outpost of Vincennes was down the Wabash River, also with a garrison surrounded by French settlers, but differed from Ouiatenon in that grants of land were awarded to them. During the late 1750s, the Goderes were among about 60 families living there.⁷ People worked on farms in long ribbon-shaped lots along the river, while living in log cabins clustered together in a village near the fort.

France controlled Vincennes until the British defeated them in the French and Indian War in 1763. This was around the time that Louis came of age. Just before the British takeover, he received a grant of farmland.⁸ But when the French authorities vacated the town, their church was left without a priest, and there was no one to perform marriages. Louis sought to make Barbe-Elizabeth Levron his wife, so the couple declared their intentions in front of witnesses, and proceeded to live as a married couple.⁹ Their first three children were born before a priest visited Vincennes and made their marriage legal on November 8, 1770.² They went on to have eight more children.

The British authorities weren’t much of presence in Vincennes until they sent a military regiment to man the fort during the American Revolution. The French people carried on as best they could, but when they had their chance, they aligned with the Americans by signing an oath of allegiance on July 20, 1778, and Louis was one of the men who put his mark on the document.³ The following year, George Rogers Clark led a force that was a mixture of Americans and French; it’s not known if Louis played any part in the action. The wife of Louis’ brother François is believed to be the woman known as Madame Godere, who was credited with making a flag for the Americans.⁷ It’s likely that Louis was one of the many Vincennes people who assisted in the fight as well. 

Louis' mark on the oath of allegiance.

After the war, with former French outposts under the control of the newly formed United States, the culture Louis had known gradually died out. Vincennes continued on with an influx of American settlers from places like Kentucky and Virginia, but Ouiatenon was wiped off the map by order of President Washington in 1791 — a military force burned the largely now Indigenous settlement to the ground.⁴ Louis continued to live and farm in Vincennes until he passed away on June 14, 1794.¹ His wife lived only a few more years and died on September 11, 1798.¹⁰

Children:
1. Françoise-Agnes Godere — B. before 4 Nov 1766, Fort Vincennes, New France;¹¹ D. about 1835;¹² M. Louis-Favel Ravellette (~1758-1835), 2 Aug 1784, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹³

2. Marie-Josephe Godere — B. 16 May 1768, Fort Vincennes, New France;¹⁴ D. 12 Jul 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁵ M. Honore Denis, before 19 October 1785, (probably) Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹⁶

3. Louis Godere — B. 8 Feb 1770, Fort Vincennes, New France;⁹ D. 11 Jan 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹⁷

4. Felicité Godere — B. 20 Nov 1773, Fort Vincennes, New France;¹⁸ D. before 22 Feb 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁹ M. Alexander Vallé, 23 May 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁰

5. Pierre Godere — B. before 6 Nov 1775, Fort Vincennes, New France²¹

6. Jean-Baptiste Godere — B. 1 Aug 1777, Fort Vincennes, New France;²² D. 19 October 1820, Vincennes, Indiana²²

7. François Godere — B. before 13 Sep 1779, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²³ D. 24 Feb 1837, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁴ M. (1) Marie Boneau (1786-1831), 30 Jan 1804, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁵ (2) Genevieve Carie (1789-1855), 27 Dec 1832, Vincennes, Indiana²⁶

8. Elizabeth Godere — B. before 9 Sep 1781, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁷

9. Marie-Louise Godere — B. before 21 Dec 1783, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁸ D. Oct 1820, Lawrence County, Illinois;²⁹ M. François Cadoret (~1780-?), 28 Jan 1802, Vincennes, Indiana³⁰

10. Joseph Godere — B. 22 May 1786, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;³¹ D. 16 Sep 1787, Vincennes, Northwest Territory³¹

11. Françoise Godere — B. 31 Mar 1788, Vincennes, Northwest Territory³²

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Louis Godere
2    Marriage record of Louis Codere and Elizabeth Levron, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
3    “The Oath of Vincennes,” The American Catholic Historical Researches, Vol. 7, 1911, p. 400
4    “Fort Ouiatenon and Feast of the Hunters’ Moon School Guide,” Tippecanoe County Historical Association, TippecanoeHistory.org
5    Baptismal record of Agnes Godere (Louis’ sister), Vincennes, 17 Oct 1750, Indiana, Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
6    Marriage record of John Baptist Vaudry and Agnes Richard, I. M.
7    Creole Pioneers at Old Post Vincennes, Indiana State University Library, 1930s
8    Documents relating to the French Settlements on the Wabash, Jacob Piatt Dunn, 1894, p. 425
9    “Records of the Parish of St. Francis Xavier,” Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 12, 1901
10  Death record of Barbe Levron, Indiana, Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993, FamilySearch.org
11  Baptismal record of Agnes Codere, I., B & C.
12  Ravellette’s from Indiana Roys, Griffith, etc, Orval L. Ravellette, genealogy.com
13  Marriage record of Louis Ravallet and Agnes Codere, I. M.
14  Baptismal record of Marie Josephe Renault Coder, I., B & C.
15  Death record of Marie Godere, widow of Honore Dany, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, collected and compiled by Mrs. Alta Amsler, 1975, p. 302
16  Baptismal record of Honore Denis, I., B & C.
17  Death record of Louis Gaudere, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, p. 300
18  Baptismal record of Felicité Coder, I., B & C.
19  Burial record of Felicite Gaudere, I., D. & B.
20  Marriage record of Alexander Valeix and Felicite Coder, I. M.
21  Baptismal record of Pierre Coder, I., B & C.
22  Baptismal record of Jean Baptist Coder, I., B & C.
23  Baptismal record of François Godere, I., B & C.
24  WikiTree listing of Pierre François Godere
25  Marriage record of François Godere and Marie Boneau, I. M.
26  Marriage record of François Godere and Genevieve Carie, I. M.
27  Baptismal record of Elizabeth Godere, I., B & C.
28  Baptismal record of Marie Louise Coder, I., B & C.
29  Burial record of Marie Louise Godere, I., D. & B.
30  Marriage record of François Cadoret and Marie Louise Godere, I. M.
31  Baptismal record of Joseph Codere, I., B & C.
32  Baptismal record of Françoise Codere, I., B & C.

He Gave A Mountain Its Name — Leonard Chester

B. 15 Jul 1610 in Blaby, England¹
M. about 1631 in England²
Wife: Mary ______
D. 11 Dec 1648 in Wethersfield, Connecticut³

As the original Puritan settlers of New England pushed inland, they often needed to carve communities out of raw wilderness. Leonard Chester was such a settler, and one trek into the woods made him a local legend. He was born in Blaby, England, a village in Leicestershire, on July 15, 1610.¹ His parents were John Chester and Dorothy Hooker, and he was their only surviving child. Leonard’s father died in 1628.⁴

During the early 1630s, Leonard married a woman named Mary.² Her maiden name is uncertain; it’s given as Wade, Sharpe and Neville in different sources. It isn’t certain if they married in England or in America, but by 1633, Leonard arrived in Massachusetts.² He first lived in Watertown, where in 1635, Mary gave birth to their oldest child, John.⁵ Leonard’s mother was the sister of Reverend Thomas Hooker, who in 1635 helped lead a migration of people that founded Hartford, Connecticut. Leonard wasn’t part of that group, but his mother was,² and within a year, Leonard and his family moved to another new settlement nearby called Wethersfield.⁶

One day in September 1636, Leonard was seeking a location to build a grist mill, and he followed a stream hoping to find an appropriate spot. He went too far and couldn’t find his way back before it got dark, so he was forced to spend the night alone in the woods. Instead of camping out, he continued to wander in the dark, straying completely off track. He was said to have become afraid, hearing wolves and other strange sounds that made him imagine he was in great danger. 

Lost in the woods. (AI-generated image)

Leonard's adventure went on a second day and night, and at dawn of the third day, he found himself at the foot of a mountain. Climbing to the top, he could hear sounds that traveled several miles — the people in his town were beating kettles and shooting off muskets to get his attention. He descended again and was able to follow the sounds back to civilization. The people in town had “lamented” that he was lost, and when he returned, he told the story of the mountain that saved him, which is known to this day as Lamentation Mountain.⁷

Lamentation Mountain is now a state park in Connecticut.

Besides the story of getting lost in the wilderness, Leonard was known as one of the early leaders of Wethersfield and a man of some wealth.⁶ He wrote his first will in 1637 while still in his 20s;⁷ this was likely because he owned property in England and he wanted to make sure his family would hold title to it in case something happened to him. Also that year, he built the grist mill that had caused him to wander into the woods.⁶ It survived for many years.

In addition to their oldest son, Leonard and his wife Mary had six more children, all born in Wethersfield. Unfortunately, Leonard didn’t live to see any of them grow to adulthood — he died on December 11, 1648.³ His grave is said to be the third oldest tombstone in Connecticut;³ it’s a large slab of red sandstone with the coat of arms of the Chester Family carved into it. His wife Mary remarried and lived until about 1689.⁶

Leonard’s descendants include Calvin Coolidge and Bette Davis.⁸

Children:
1. John Chester — B. 3 Aug 1635, Watertown, Massachusetts;⁵ D. 23 Feb 1698, Wethersfield, Connecticut;⁵ M. Sarah Welles, 2 Feb 1654, Wethersfield, Connecticut⁹

2. Dorcas Chester — B. 1 Nov 1637, Wethersfield, Connecticut;¹⁰ D. 15 Feb 1712, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Samuel Whiting (1633-1713), 12 Nov 1656, Wethersfield, Connecticut¹²

3. Stephen Chester — B. 3 Mar 1640, Wethersfield, Connecticut;¹ D. 23 Apr 1705, Wethersfield, Connecticut²

4. Mary Chester — B. 15 Jan 1641, Wethersfield, Connecticut;¹⁴ D. 15 Sep 1669¹⁵

5. Prudence Chester — B. 16 Feb 1643, Wethersfield, Connecticut;¹⁶ D. 21 Oct 1678, Charlestown, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. Thomas Russell (1641-1676), 30 Dec 1669¹⁸

6. Eunice Chester — B. 15 Jan 1645, Wethersfield, Connecticut;¹⁹ D. 27 May 1676, Charlestown, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. Richard Sprague, 25 Feb 1673, Charlestown, Massachusetts²¹

7. Mercy Chester — B. 14 Feb 1647, Wethersfield, Connecticut;²² D. 15 Dec 1669, Charlestown, Massachusetts²³

Sources:
1    Birth record of Leonard Chester, England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991, FamilySearch.org
2    The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Leonard Chester
4    Probate record of John Chester
5    Find-a-Grave listing of John Chester (younger)
6    Families of Ancient Wethersfield Connecticut, Henry R. Stiles, 1859
7    Wethersfield and her daughters: Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, Newington, from 1634 to 1934, Frances Wells Fox and Jared Butler Standish, 1934, pp. 12-13
8    FamousKin.com listing of Leonard Chester
9    Marriage record of John Chester and Sarah Welles, Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
10  Birth record of Dorcas Chester, C., V. R., P. to 1850
11  Find-a-Grave listing of Dorcas (Chester) Whiting
12  Marriage record of Samuel Whiting and Dorcas Chester, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
13  Birth record of Stephen Chester, Connecticut, Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, FamilySearch.org
14  Birth record of Mary Chester, C., B. & C.
15  WikiTree listing of Mary Chester
16  Birth record of Prudence Chester, C., B. & C.
17  WikiTree listing of Prudence (Chester) Russell
18  Marriage record of Thomas Russell and Prudence Chester, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Birth record of Eunice Chester, C., B. & C.
20  Death record of Eunice Sprague, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Marriage record of Richard Sprague and Eunice Chester, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Birth record of Mercy Chester, C., B. & C.
23  Death record of Mercy Chester, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

In the Footsteps of His Puritan Father — Samuel Whiting

B. 25 Mar 1633 in Skirbeck, Lincolnshire, England¹
M. 12 Nov 1656 in Wethersfield, Connecticut²
Wife: Dorcas Chester
D. 28 Feb 1713 in Billerica, Massachusetts¹

In a couple of ways, Samuel Whiting was born to become a Puritan minister in a newly founded town. Firstly, he came from in East Anglia, which supplied more than half of the religious elite to the Massachusetts colony. And secondly, his father became the first minister of the town of Lynn, so Samuel followed the same path.

Samuel was born on March 25, 1633 to Samuel Whiting and Elizabeth St. John in the town of Skirbeck, Lincolnshire, England,¹ where his father was the parish pastor. He was one of four children, and also had a half-sister from his father’s first marriage. Samuel Whiting Sr. was forced out of his church because of his “non-conformist” views,³ and when young Samuel was three-years-old, the family migrated to New England. They arrived in Boston on May 26, 1636.³ Later that year, they relocated to the town of Saugus,³ later renamed Lynn, and this is where Samuel grew up.

When Samuel came of age, he set his sights on becoming a minister like his father. In about 1649, he entered Harvard College, earning a degree in 1653.³ In the early days of Harvard, the school was primarily for training young men to enter the clergy. The handful of graduates each year supplied the surrounding towns with ministers. After graduating, Samuel continued at Harvard for another year and began his career in 1656.³ That same year, he got married. His wife was Dorcas Chester, a 19-year-old woman from Wethersfield, Connecticut, where the wedding took place on November 12th.² Between 1660 and 1682, Samuel and Dorcas had eleven children, but the youngest four died as infants.

In about 1658, Samuel moved his family to Billerica, Massachusetts,³ likely because the new community had a need for a minister. The town had no meetinghouse yet, but they agreed to pay him £40 for per year for his services.⁴ The deal also came with a house on 10 acres of land “comfortably finished with the accommodations belonging to it.” If he stayed in Billerica for the rest of his life, his heirs would inherit the property. His salary increased to £50 the third year, and eventually to £70. 

Plaque at the site of Billerica's first meetinghouse.

On 11 Nov 1663, when Billerica’s church was properly established, Samuel was ordained as its first minister.³ He remained in that role for almost 50 years. The first meetinghouse was built in 1660, and was 30’ by 40’ with a thatched roof.⁴ A larger one was constructed in 1694.⁴ As a member of the clergy, Samuel gained respect amongst his peers in Massachusetts. Cotton Mather once said he was “a reverend, holy, and faithful minister of the gospel.”³

Cotton Mather

During the late 1660s, Samuel became one of 17 ministers in New England who opposed the appointment of Reverend John Davenport to be the leader of the First Church in Boston.³ Davenport was an advocate of strict requirements for membership into the church. Ministers like Samuel saw the need to loosen up the rules so that congregations kept a strong influence in the colony.

Samuel served his community in other ways. During King Philip’s War, his house was used as a garrison, and was considered the most important of the 12 garrisons in Billerica.⁴ And town records show that in 1675, it was ordered that every child age 8 and older would be given religious lessons by Samuel.

Two records give clear indication that Samuel owned a slave, a fairly common practice in parts of colonial New England. The man was called Simon Negro, and he was Simon’s “servant” from the age of 9 until he was 40.⁵ To his credit, Simon did grant him his freedom on October 30, 1693, but the former slave would not have any resources or place to go. Sixteen years later, Simon gave him 17 acres of land, but shortly thereafter, the man died, and he willed the land to the children of Simon “in consideration of the respect I have and do bear to my Master’s family.” While this does suggest Simon treated his slave decently, there is also the sad fact that being enslaved and isolated for most of his life left the man with no one else to leave his estate.

Samuel continued in his duties into his old age, but in 1703, a young minister was appointed to help him.⁴ Another minister was formally assigned to work side-by-side with him in 1707,⁴ and presumably, Samuel cut back his work around that time. His wife Dorcas died just 13 days before he did (they had been married 57 years).⁶ Samuel was said to have died “an hour before sunset” on February 28, 1713.⁴ Samuel’s descendants include Calvin Coolidge and Bette Davis.⁷

Samuel's death record.

Children:
1. Elizabeth Whiting — B. 6 Oct 1660, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Thomas Clark (1652-1704), 15 Dec 1700, Lexington, Massachusetts⁹

2. Samuel Whiting – B. 19 Jan 1663, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 8 Mar 1715, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Elizabeth Patten, 27 Jan 1687, Woburn, Massachusetts¹²

3. John Whiting – B. 1 Aug 1664, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹³ D. 11 Sep 1697, Hartford, Connecticut;⁴ M. Alice Cooke (1674-1714)¹⁴

4. Oliver Whiting — B. 8 Nov 1665, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁵ D. 22 Dec 1736, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁶ M. Anna Danforth (1667-1737), 22 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁷

5. Mary Whiting — B. 28 Apr 1667, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ D. 13 Nov 1740, Lexington, Massachusetts;¹⁹ M. John Henry Burchstead (1657-1721)²⁰

6. Dorothy Whiting — B. 23 Aug 1668, Billerica, Massachusetts;²¹ D. 10 Jan 1740, Billerica, Massachusetts²²

7. Joseph Whiting — B. 7 Feb 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts;²³ D. 6 Aug 1701, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁴

8. James Whiting — B. 1671, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁵ D. 1 Sep 1671, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁶

9. Eunice Whiting — B. 6 Sep 1672, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁷ D. 20 Sep 1672, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁸

10. Benjamin Whiting — B. 26 Sep 1675, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁹ D. before 5 Nov 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts³⁰

11. Benjamin Whiting — B. 5 Nov 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts;³¹ D. 20 Nov 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts³²

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Samuel Whiting
2    Marriage record of Samuel Whiting and Dorcas Chester, Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, Ancestry.com
3    Memoir of Rev. Samuel Whiting, D.D., and of his wife Elizabeth St. John, William Whiting, 1873
4    Biographical Sketches of Graduates of Harvard University, Volume 1, Charles William Sever, 1873
5    “The Lost History of Slaves and Slave Owners in Billerica,” Christopher M. Spraker, Historical Journal of Massachusetts Volume 42, No. 1, 2014
6    Find-a-Grave listing of Dorcas (Chester) Whiting
7    FamousKin.com listing of Samuel Whiting
8    Birth record of Elizabeth Whiting, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
9    WikiTree listing of Elizabeth (Whiting) Clark
10  Birth record of Samuel Whiting (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Death record of Samuel Whiting (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12  Marriage record of Samuel Whiting and Elizabeth Reed, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Birth record of John Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  WikiTree listing of John Whiting
15  Birth record of Oliver Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Death record of Oliver Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Marriage record of Oliver Whiting and Anna Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18  Birth record of Mary Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Death record of Mary Burchstead, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Whiting) Burchsted
21  Birth record of Dorothy Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Death record of Dorothy Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Birth record of Joseph Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24  Death record of Joseph Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  Birth record of James Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26  Death record of James Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
27  Birth record of Eunice Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
28  Death record of Eunice Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
29  Birth record of Benjamin Whiting (older), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
30  Death record of Benjamin Whiting (older), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
31  Birth record of Benjamin Whiting (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
32  Death record of Benjamin Whiting (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.