M. before 1671 in New France2
Husband: Martin Massé
D. 19 Dec 1727 in Montreal, New France3
Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc was a woman of early Montreal who had sketchy beginnings in France. She was born in about 1649,1 but her parents and place of birth are unknown.
It’s believed that Jeanne arrived in New France at the age of 17 on a ship of Filles du Roi, a fact that can’t be confirmed because no record of her marriage survives. In the 1667 census, she was said to be living at the Congregation of Notre-Dame of Montreal, with her name listed as "Jeanne de Carts."4 This was a place that had begun in 1653 as a “women’s religious order dedicated to education.” During the 1660s, it was also used to house young women arriving from France as prospective brides, which may have been the reason Jeanne was there, if she is the woman listed on the census.
1667 census listing for Congregation of Notre-Dame in Montreal.
The earliest known parish record identifying Jeanne was the baptism of a baby girl at Sorel, New France in March 1673.5 Jeanne was the mother of the child and the father was Martin Massé; since they were later shown to have an older child, their marriage must have taken place before about 1671.2 Sorel was a remote seigneury on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, located between Trois-Rivières and Montreal. Within a few years, Jeanne and Martin had moved back to Montreal, where he made a living as an edge tool maker, a sort of blacksmith.1 Jeanne gave birth to six more children between 1676 and 1687; of her eight children, four of them died young.
By virtue of living in Montreal, three of her four surviving children had connections with the fur trade in the Great Lakes area, with several descendants ending up in Detroit.6 Oldest son Michel was married in Detroit in 1705 when he worked as a voyageur,7 but later made his home in Montreal.8 Jeanne became a widow when husband Martin passed away in May 1714.9 She lived several more years, and died on December 19, 1727.3
Jeanne has one very well-known descendant: Hillary Rodham Clinton.10 In fact, she was her direct female line ancestor, which gave Jeanne a bit of fame many years after her death. She was also the ancestor of Ricky Gervais.
Children:
1. Michel Massé — B. about 1671, New France;1 D. 21 Jun 1730, Montreal, New France;8 M. Marguerite Couc dite LaFleur (1664-?), 1705, Detroit, New France7
2. Marie Massé — B. 19 Mar 1673, Sorel, New France;5 D. 18 Feb 1736, Montreal, New France;11 M. Jean-Baptiste Pothier (1671-1732), 24 Sep 1696, Montreal, New France12
3. André Massé — B. 30 May 1676, Montreal, New France;13 D. before 168114
4. Marie-Jeanne Massé — B. 25 Apr 1677, Montreal, New France;15 D. 5 Sep 1764, Detroit, New France;16 M. Michel Campeau (1667-1737), 7 Jan 1696, Montreal, New France17
5. Martin Massé — B. 26 Jun 1679, Montreal, New France;18 D. 7 Oct 1692, Montreal, New France19
6. Marie-Françoise Massé — B. 2 Aug 1682, Montreal, New France;20 D. 4 Aug 1682, Montreal, New France21
7. Marie-Anne Massé — B. 7 Dec 1684, Montreal, New France;22 D. 23 Sep 1721, Montreal, New France;23 M. (1) Guillaume Maillot (1680-1718), 16 Jan 1704, Montreal, New France;24 (2) Pierre Courault (1696-1779), 26 Sep 1718, Montreal, New France25
8. Catherine Massé — B. 16 Dec 1687, Montreal, New France;26 D. 11 Jun 1699, Montreal, New France27
Sources:
1 King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
2 Estimated marriage year based on estimated birth year of oldest child, Michel Massé
3 Burial record of Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4 Recensement de 1667 en Nouvelle-France
5 Baptismal record of Marie Massé, Q.C.P.R.
6 Migrations.com listing for Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc
7 Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique français listing for Michel Massé
8 Burial record of Michel Massé, Q.C.P.R.
9 Burial record of Martin Massé, Q.C.P.R.
10 FamousKin.com
11 Burial record of Marie Massé, Q.C.P.R.
12 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Pothier and Marie Massé, Q.C.P.R.
13 Baptismal record of André Massé, Q.C.P.R.
14 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
15 Baptismal record of Marie-Jeanne Massé, Q.C.P.R.
16 Find-A-Grave listing of Marie Jeanne Masse Campeau
17 Marriage record of Michel Campeau and Marie-Jeanne Massé, Q.C.P.R.
18 Baptismal record of Martin Massé (younger), Q.C.P.R.
19 Burial record of Martin Massé (younger), Q.C.P.R.
20 Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Massé, Q.C.P.R.
21 Burial record of Marie-Françoise Massé, Q.C.P.R.
22 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Massé, Q.C.P.R.
23 Burial record of Marie-AnneMassé, Q.C.P.R.
24 Marriage record of Guillaume Maillot and Marie-Anne Massé, Q.C.P.R
25 Marriage record of Pierre Courault and Marie-Anne Massé, Q.C.P.R
26 Baptismal record of Catherine Massé, Q.C.P.R.
27 Burial record of Catherine Massé, Q.C.P.R.
