Husband Tortured and Killed by Iroquois — Agnes Tessier

B. 23 Mar 1659 in Montreal, New France¹
M. (1) 26 Nov 1675 in Montreal, New France²
Husband: Guillaume Richard
M. 21 Nov 1692 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³
Husband: Claude Duconge
D. 24 Jan 1733 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France⁴

During the early days of Montreal, French settlers lived under the constant threat of violence at the hands of Iroquois. For Agnes Tessier, her life was directly affected in childhood and in her first marriage.

Agnes came from Montreal's founding families. She was born on March 23, 1659 in Montreal to Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne and Marie Archambault,¹ the 7th of their 17 children. This was a time when Montreal was more of a frontier outpost than a city, and settlers were often attacked by raiding Iroquois. Her father Urbain was said to be fearless in defending the community, but when she was a toddler, he was taken captive by the Iroquois for several months.⁵ Luckily, some Jesuits won his release, although he lost a finger to torture.

Like many females in the colony, Agnes was just a teenager when she married her first husband, Guillaume Richard on November 26, 1675.² Guillaume had been born in France, arriving in Montreal as a soldier in a force sent over to defend it from the Iroquois. Soon after Agnes married him, she became pregnant, and she gave birth to a daughter the following August.⁶ They settled outside Montreal in Pointe-aux-Trembles, and seven more children were added to the family by 1690.

This was a time when the danger from Iroquois aggression was at its worst. On July 2, 1690, Guillaume was part of a small military force who became overwhelmed by 100 Iroquois warriors. The terrible result was that Guillaume was captured, tortured and then killed, and it took four years to recover his body for a proper burial.⁷ This was the price Agnes paid for living where she did.

A grieving widow. (AI-generated image)

After her husband’s death, Agnes was left to raise her children alone, so on November 21, 1692, she married another soldier from France named Claude Duconge.³ With him, she had five more children born between 1693 and 1702. Agnes’ second husband Claude died in 1729.⁸ She lived another few years and passed away on January 24, 1733.⁴ She was buried next to her first husband in the church cemetery in Point-aux-Trembles.

Agnes' signature.

Children by Guillaume Richard:
1. Agnes Richard — B. 23 Aug 1676, Montreal, New France;⁶ D. 4 Apr 1757, Repentigny, New France;⁹ M. Jean Moreau Duplessis (~1664-1735), 1 Dec 1703, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France¹⁰

2. Pierre Richard — B. 8 Aug 1678, Montreal, New France;¹¹ D. 12 Jan 1744, L’Assomption, New France;¹² M. Catherine Larrivee (1686-1759), 11 Oct 1706, Boucherville, New France¹³

3. Guillaume Richard — B. 26 Feb 1680, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France¹⁴

4. Jean-Baptiste Richard — B. 19 Mar 1682, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;¹⁵ M. Marie-Anne You, 15 Aug 1718, Montreal, New France¹⁶

5. Claude Richard — B. 30 Jan 1684, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France¹⁷

6. Marie-Anne Richard — B. 10 Apr 1686, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;¹⁸ D. 17 Jul 1710, Contrecoeur, New France;¹⁹ M. Mathieu Coitou (1681-1752), 23 Nov 1705, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France²⁰

7. Marie-Madeleine Richard — B. 14 Mar 1688, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²¹ D. 7 Oct 1726, Varennes, New France;²² M. (1) Pierre Lambeye Larose (1681-1721), 22 Nov 1706, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²³ (2) Pierre Desjardins (~1700-1767), 24 May 1723, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France²⁴

8. Urbain Richard — B. 25 Mar 1690, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²⁵ D. 10 Aug 1760, St-Sulpice, New France;²⁶ M. (1) Marguerite Fleuricourt (1697-1740), 23 Jan 1719, Riviére-des-Prairies, New France;²⁷ (2) Marie-Catherine-Collet (1695-?), 19 May 1749, St-Sulpice, New France²⁸

Children by Claude Duconge:
1. Marie-Barbe Duconge — B. 20 Sep 1693, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;²⁹ D. 7 Sep 1778, L’Assomption, Quebec;³⁰ M. Ignace Goulet (1696-1776), 27 Apr 1722, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³¹

2. Marguerite Duconge — B. 26 Jun 1696, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³² M. (1) François Marie Jean Serran (1694-1731), 3 Jan 1718, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³³ (2) Charles Couvret (1710-1760), 22 Sep 1732, Montreal, New France³⁴

3. Jean-Baptiste Duconge — B. 8 Sep 1698, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³⁵ D. 19 Aug 1700, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³⁶

4. Catherine Duconge — B. 9 Oct 1700, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³⁷ D. 21 Mar 1718, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France³⁸

5. Guillaume Duconge — B. 27 Jun 1702, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France;³⁹ D. 19 Jun 1705, Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France⁴⁰

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Agnes Tessier, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Guillaume Richard and Agnes Tessier, Q., C. P. R.
3    Marriage record of Claude Duconge and Agnes Tessier, Q., C. P. R.
4    Burial record of Agnes Tessier, Q., C. P. R.
5    French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Volume I, No. I, Spring 1968, Rev. Archange Godbout, 1968
6    Baptismal record of Agnes Richard, Q., C. P. R.
7    Burial record of Guillaume Richard, Q., C. P. R.
8    Burial record of Claude Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
9    Burial record of Agnes Richard, Q., C. P. R.
10  Marriage record of Jean Moreau Duplessis and Agnes Richard, Q., C. P. R.
11  Baptismal record of Pierre Richard, Q., C. P. R.
12  Burial record of Pierre Richard, Q., C. P. R.
13  Marriage record of Pierre Richard and Catherine Larrivee, Q., C. P. R.
14  Baptismal record of Guillaume Richard (younger), Q., C. P. R.
15  Baptismal record of Jean Baptiste Richard, Q., C. P. R.
16  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Richard and Marie-Anne You, Q., C. P. R.
17  Baptismal record of Claude Richard, Q., C. P. R.
18  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Richard, Q., C. P. R.
19  Burial record of Marie-Anne Richard, Q., C. P. R.
20  Marriage record of Mathieu Coitou and Marie-Anne Richard, Q., C. P. R.
21  Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
22  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
23  Marriage record of Pierre Lambeye Larose and Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
24  Marriage record of Pierre Desjardins and Marie-Madeleine Richard, Q., C. P. R.
25  Baptismal record of Urbain Richard, Q., C. P. R.
26  Burial record of Urbain Richard, Q., C. P. R.
27  Marriage record of Urbain Richard and Marguerite Fleuricourt, Q., C. P. R.
28  Marriage record of Urbain Richard and Marie-Catherine-Collet, Q., C. P. R.
29  Baptismal record of Marie-Barbe Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
30  Burial record of Marie-Barbe Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
31  Marriage record of Ignace Goulet and Marie-Barbe Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
32  Baptismal record of Marguerite Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
33  Marriage record of François Marie Jean Serran and Marguerite Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
34  Marriage record of Charles Couvret and Marguerite Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
35  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
36  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
37  Baptismal record of Catherine Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
38  Burial record of Catherine Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
39  Baptismal record of Guillaume Duconge, Q., C. P. R.
40  Burial record of Guillaume Duconge, Q., C. P. R.