Big Pioneer Family in Boucherville — Denis Veronneau

B. about 1641 in Bournezeau, France
M. (1) 6 Jan 1668 in Trois-Rivières, New France
Wife: Marguerite Bertault
M. (2) 20 Jan 1689 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, New France
Wife: Catherine Guertin
D. 30 Oct 1730 in Boucherville, New France

Denis Veronneau was among the earliest settlers of Boucherville, New France, and as the father of sixteen, he did his part to populate it. Denis was born in about 1641 in Bournezeau, France to parents Louis Veronneau and Perrine Baril. His village was a short distance north of La Rochelle, the port city where many ships left for America, and at age 20, he agreed to a contract to migrate there.

The story of how Denis was recruited to move to the colonies started with an explorer and early fur trader named Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers. In 1659, Chouart and another explorer, Pierre-Esprit Radisson, traveled to the interior of North America, further than any Europeans had ever been. They wintered among the Sioux tribe in what is now Minnesota, the first white men to visit there. The following summer, the explorers returned to Montreal with 60 canoes full of pelts. But without having a license to trade, they were in trouble with authorities, and Chouart went to France to defend himself.

Expedition of Des Groseillers and Raddison.

After handling his affairs regarding the illegal fur trading, Chouart decided to make some money by engaging men to go with him to New France as indentured servants. Over the course of a couple of months, he signed up six workers, one of whom was Denis. On June 17, 1661, Denis agreed to work in New France for three years at a salary of 72 livres per year. It’s believed that he traveled on the ship Le Taureau, which sailed out of La Rochelle, and arrived in Quebec City on August 24th.

Chouart was based in Trois-Rivières and Denis ended up working there, although it’s not clear if he directly served under Chouart. When his term of service was over in 1668, Denis looked to get married, and on December 21st, he made a contract with the 12-year-old daughter of a Trois-Rivières settler, a girl named Marguerite Bertault. The wedding is thought to have taken place a few years later in 1673, the same year that Denis moved to Boucherville, a new settlement near Montreal.

The seigneury of Boucherville was one of the earliest settlements on the south shore of that part of the St. Lawrence. The man who founded it was Pierre Boucher, who was said to have brought some of the town’s first settlers from Trois-Rivières, which must have included Denis. The location of Boucherville was challenging at first because the Iroquois lived nearby and they were enemies of the French. The original settlement was within a stockade, and Denis likely lived in one of the houses there.

Denis and Marguerite had their first child in June 1674, and by October 1687, they had five more. Two boys died young, and a month after the youngest was born, Marguerite passed away at the age of 31. On January 20, 1689, Denis married Catherine Guertin, the widow of a man who had been killed by Iroquois. She brought two young children into the marriage, and had ten more with Denis. The last child was born in 1707 when he was about 66-years-old.

Denis lived a long life in Boucherville. After Catherine died on October 2, 1730, his death followed just four weeks later on October 30th. His memory lives on in the community with a suburban street named after him: Rue Denis Veronneau. There’s a tiny park on the street which also bears his name. It’s a neighborhood green space that mostly holds a 21st century playground—appropriate for a man who fathered 16 children.

Children by Marguerite Bertault:
1. Denise Veronneau — B. 5 Jun 1674, Boucherville, New France; D. 27 Mar 1742, Boucherville, New France; M. Adrien Lamoureux (1671-1734), 6 Apr 1693, Boucherville, New France

2. Marguerite Veronneau — B. 14 Jan 1677, Boucherville, New France; D. 30 Sep 1740, Boucherville, New France; M. Jacques Reguindeau (1673-1750), 29 Oct 1696, Boucherville, New France

3. Joseph Veronneau — B. 10 Jun 1679, Boucherville, New France; D. 22 Nov 1725, Boucherville, New France; M. Françoise Rougeau (1692-1731), 20 Jan 1710, Boucherville, New France

4. Pierre Veronneau — B. 10 Oct 1682, Boucherville, New France; D. 20 Apr 1685, Boucherville, New France

5. Marie-Madeleine Veronneau — B. 27 May 1685, Boucherville, New France; D. 8 Sep 1729, Boucherville, New France; M. Charles Langevin (1688-1771), 22 Nov 1711, Boucherville, New France

6. Jean-Baptiste Veronneau — B. 19 Oct 1687, Boucherville, New France; D. 13 Jun 1688, Boucherville, New France

Children by Catherine Guertin:
1. Pierre Veronneau — B. 17 Jul 1689, Boucherville, New France; D. 27 Aug 1689, Boucherville, New France

2. Jean-Baptiste — B. 11 Jul 1690, Boucherville, New France; D. 26 Aug 1690, Boucherville, New France

3. Élisabeth Veronneau — B. 10 Aug 1691, Boucherville, New France; D. 4 Nov 1692, Boucherville, New France

4. Marie-Marguerite Veronneau — B. 17 Sep 1693, Boucherville, New France; D. 25 Sep 1728, Contrecoeur, New France; M. François Deguire (1684-1735), 6 Nov 1713, Boucherville, New France

5. Jean-Baptiste Veronneau — B. 23 Dec 1695, Boucherville, New France

6. Marie-Angelique Veronneau — B. 28 Sep 1697, Boucherville, New France; D. 27 Nov 1765, Boucherville, Quebec; M. (1) Joseph Thomas Ouilem (~1689-1743), 19 Feb 1715, New France; (2) Pierre Gauthier (1684-1761), 3 Aug 1750, Boucherville, New France

7. Rose Denise Veronneau — B. 17 Jun 1700, Boucherville, New France; D. 28 Jan 1735, New France; M. Joseph Levron dit Metayer (~1700-?), 12 Sep 1722, New France

8. Louis Veronneau — B. 30 Mar 1703, Boucherville, New France; D. 24 Jun 1703, Boucherville, New France

9. Pierre Veronneau — B. 11 Aug 1704, Boucherville, New France; D. 15 Aug 1773, Boucherville, Quebec; M. (1) Marie-Josephe Doyon (1713-?), 2 Oct 1730, Boucherville, New France; (2) Marie-Françoise Chevrefils (1711-1794), 13 Jan 1740, Boucherville, New France

10. François Veronneau — B. 27 Jun 1707, Boucherville, New France; D. about 25 Jul 1763, New France; M. (1) Catherine Robin (1708-1751), 25 Feb 1732, Terrebonne, New France; (2) Charlotte-Marie Legros (1713-1767), 26 Apr 1757, Pointe-Claire, New France

Sources:
Généálogie du Québec et d’Amérique française (website)
Les engagés levés par Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers pour Trois-Rivières en 1661 (blog), Guy Perron, 2017 
Boucherville history (website) 
WikiTree

Married Life Interrupted — Catherine Durand

B. about 1649 in Paris, France
M. 25 Nov 1665 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Pierre Piché dit Lamusette
D. 18 Jan 1732 in Saint-Sulpice, New France

Catherine Durand suffered an unusual hardship as a wife to a New France settler when she learned her husband was legally married to someone else. It wasn’t his fault, though, because he was misinformed that his first wife had died.

Catherine was born in about 1649 in the heart of Paris to Pierre Durand and Jacquette Courtois. Nothing else is known of her family, and at age 16, she was recruited to migrate to America as a Fille du Roi. She boarded a crowded ship, the St-Jean-Baptiste, which left from Dieppe. After stopping at La Rochelle to pick up more passengers, the ship headed out across the Atlantic, arriving at Quebec City on October 2, 1665.

Catherine was among about 90 young women competing for husbands, and it took almost two months before she became a bride. On November 25th, she married Pierre Piché dit Lamusette, a man who had come to France three years earlier. He had been married before he left, and intended to bring his wife over when he got settled, but a letter arrived from back home saying that she had passed away.

Marriage record of Catherine and Pierre.

Newlyweds Catherine and Pierre made their home in Quebec City, where he worked as a hat maker. She gave birth to her first child within a year, and by the end of 1670, had two more. But early the following year, Pierre received shocking news from an immigrant who had just arrived: his first wife hadn’t died after all, and was still alive. This voided the marriage he had with Catherine, and meant he needed to return to his first wife.

Catherine was suddenly the mother of three young, illegitimate children, and had no man to support her. It’s unknown how she felt, but it couldn’t have been easy now that she was alone in the colony. Her circumstances changed again, though, because when Pierre tried to return to Quebec with his wife, she died at sea. Catherine and Pierre reunited, and the church officially restored their marriage on September 9, 1673. In addition, it was ruled that their children could be considered legitimate, saving them from problems of inheritance later in life.

Saying goodbye to husband. (AI-generated image)

The family now settled just west of Quebec City in the seigneury of Neuville. Catherine had five more children between 1674 and 1691. In 1701, they relocated to the Montreal area, first in Boucherville, then seven years later in Saint-Sulpice. Pierre died in October of 1713, and Catherine passed away on January 18, 1732. She was the ancestor of Emeril Lagasse.

Children:
1. Jean-Baptiste Piché — B. 24 Oct 1666, Quebec City, New France; M. Marie-Anne Dolbec (1682-1732), 30 Aug 1700, Saint-Augustin, New France

2. Adrien Piché — B. 4 Nov 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. 2 Jul 1739, Cap Santé, Portneuf, New France; M. Élisabeth Léveillé (1676-1738), 22 Nov 1694, Neuville, New France

3. Marie-Madeleine Piché — B. 15 Nov 1670, Quebec City, New France

4. Pierre Pichét — B. 11 Jun 1674, Neuville, New France; D. 12 Aug 1712, Portneuf, New France; M. Marie-Anne Sylvestre (1678-1729), 14 Nov 1697, Neuville, New France

5. Catherine Piché — B. 21 Dec 1677, Neuville, New France; M. Antoine Bordeleau (1673-1758), 5 Mar 1696, Neuville, New France

6. François Piché — B. 1 Oct 1681, Neuville, New France; D. 1 Jul 1706, Boucherville, New France

7. Ignace-Joseph Piché — B. 19 Oct 1685, Neuville, New France; D. 11 Feb 1771, Sainte-Sulpice, Quebec; M. Marie-Anne Émery dite Coderre (1692-1737), 16 Jun 1717, Contrecoeur, New France

8. Louis Piché — B. 12 Sep 1691, Neuville, New France; M. Françoise Gélineau, 11 Jan 1712, Saint-Sulpice, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
Navires venus en Nouvelle-France (website)
WikiTree

His Name on a River and Town — Nicolas Godbout

B. May 1635 in Berneval-le-Grand, France
M. 9 Jan 1662 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie-Marthe Bourgoin
D. 5 Sep 1674 in Quebec City, New France

There is a small river in eastern Quebec called Godbout River that was said to be named for 17th-century immigrant, Nicolas Godbout. And later, the river gave its name to a small settlement nearby.

Nicolas Godbout was born in Berneval-le-Grand, France in May of 1635 to Michel Godbout and Colette Caron; he was one of eight children. The village where he was from was close to the port city of Dieppe, which may have been why he was recruited to move to New France. It’s said that he migrated in 1654, but there’s no documentation of it.

The earliest mention of Nicolas in New France was in a land transaction of Jean Bourdon dated April 15, 1655. It’s thought that Nicolas worked for Bourdon, who had lived in New France for many years as a surveyor and mapmaker. Two years later, Bourdon led an expedition to reach Hudson Bay, a trip that ventured far to the north. It’s possible that Nicolas was one of the 16 men who went with him, but there’s no way to say this definitively.

Jean Bourdon.

Nicolas was known to be a sailor and navigator, a useful skill in a place where boats were the only transportation. A contract in April 1658 identified Nicolas as being hired for an expedition “from Trois-Rivières in a boat of [Jacques Maheu] …to make a journey to Tadoussac and other places coming back.” For this he was to paid 30 livres per month. Among Nicolas’ possessions at the time he died was a “naval chart on parchment with a logbook concerning the voyage that he had taken at sea.” This may have referred to his 1658 trip, or some other voyage not recorded in surviving documents.

At the end of 1661, Nicolas agreed to a marriage contract with Marie-Marthe Bourgoin, a woman who had been brought to Quebec City by Bourdon and his wife after a trip to France. The document signing took place at Bourdon’s home on December 26th and was attended by some of the most important people in the colony, including the governor. Marie-Marthe had connections to the French government through her late father Jean Bourgoin, who once worked for King Louis XIII. The wedding was a couple of weeks later on January 9th at Notre-Dame church in Quebec City.

In August 1662, Nicolas bought land at St-Pierre on Île d’Orleans, but he seems to have kept his residence in Quebec City. Marie-Marthe gave birth to their first child in 1663, and they would have three more children born in Quebec City. Then by the end of 1671, they were living at St-Laurent on Île d’Orleans, where one more child was born.

During his married life, Nicolas may have continued working as a navigator on boats that transported people and goods up and down the St. Lawrence. In a 1670 journal written by a Jesuit missionary was reference to a small river on the north shore, far downriver from Quebec City, called “Godebout River.” It isn’t known how the river became named for Nicolas, but it suggests he visited that remote area at some point in his life.

Nicolas was only 39 when he died at Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec City on February 5, 1674. At the time of his death, he had debts of over 640 livres that his widow Marie-Marthe had a difficult time paying off. She remarried the following year, but died in 1682.

The lasting legacy of Nicolas Godbout is that his name is still on the map today, attached to a tiny fishing village next to the river that he may have only seen in person once.

Children:
1. Marie-Anne Godbout — B. 9 Jun 1663, Quebec City, New France; D. 21 Jun 1668, Quebec City, New France

2. Marie-Jeanne Godbout — B. 11 Aug 1665, Quebec City, New France; D. 7 Jul 1732, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. (1) Jean Baillargeon (1659-1694), 2 Mar 1683, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; (2) René Pelletier (1659-1713), 23 Jul 1703, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France

3. Nicolas Godbout — B. 14 Oct 1667, Quebec City, New France; D. 27 May 1720, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marguerite Angélique Lemelin (1668-1742), 16 Oct 1685, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France

4. Antoine Godbout — B. 16 Nov 1669, Quebec City, New France; D. 23 Apr 1742, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marguerite Labrecque, 26 Feb 1691, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

5. Joseph Godbout — B. 29 Jun 1672, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 16 Jun 1745, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marguerite Manseau, 8 Feb 1700, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990

Godbout, Quebec (Wikipedia article)

Daughter of a 17th Century Lawyer — Catherine Bourgeois

B. Feb 1633 in Rouen, France
M. 19 Oct 1667 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: René Binet
D. 28 Sep 1702 in Beauport, New France

While many of the Filles du Roi came from poor families, Catherine Bourgeois stood out as having a father with a good profession. She was born in February 1633 to Thomas Bourgeois and Marie Petit in Rouen, France, and baptized there on February 17th. Catherine had at least one brother and one sister.

Rouen was a thriving port city in the north of France, and was said to be one of the country’s administrative centers. At the time of Catherine’s birth, her father was a “tabellion in the high justice of St. Gervais,” meaning he worked as a notary in one of the main churches. Later, he became a lawyer in the parliament of Rouen, which was a provincial appellate court. 

St-Gervais in Rouen.

Catherine apparently lived in Rouen until she was in her 30s, and seemed to be unmarried. By 1667, her father had died and perhaps it left her needing to find a secure future. That year, government officials recruited women from Rouen who were willing to move to America. The Filles du Roi program had been going on for the last few years, offering money and passage in exchange for a commitment to marry a New France settler, but many of the women had been uneducated peasants. The man overseeing the effort, Jean Talon, asked for some women from better backgrounds. It’s possible that’s why Catherine was chosen, even though at age 34, she was somewhat old to be a bride.

The ship that brought Catherine to New France was Le St-Louis, which sailed out of Dieppe on June 10, 1667. It was a difficult crossing, with the trip taking over three months. There were about 80 other women onboard, and upon arrival in Quebec on September 25th many of them had become sick. Catherine was courted, engaged and married within a month’s time; her new husband was René Binet, a former indentured servant. The marriage contract was signed on October 9th and the wedding took place on October 19th at Notre-Dame church in Quebec City. Catherine’s dowry was worth about 300 livres.

The couple stayed in Quebec City, and Catherine gave birth to their first child the following year. They had a total five children, with the youngest born in 1680. The size of their family was smaller than most New France settlers, possibly because of her age when they married. In 1673, they moved to the town of Beauport.

Catherine and her husband spent their remaining years in Beauport. He died on June 15, 1699, and she died three years later on September 28, 1702. She was the ancestor of Dan Aykroyd and Ricky Gervais.

Children:
1. Anne Binet — B. 21 Sep 1668, Quebec City, New France; D. Aug 1698, Charlesbourg, New France; M. (1) Pierre Dron, 25 Jun 1685, Quebec City, New France; (2) Jean Bouron, 7 Oct 1686, Beauport, New France

2. Louise Binet — B. 18 Mar 1670, Quebec City, New France; D. 3 Apr 1670, Quebec City, New France

3. Nicolas Binet — B. 11 Feb 1671, Quebec City, New France; D. 29 Jul 1753, Beauport, New France; M. Genevieve Brisson, 12 Nov 1697, L’Ange-Gardien, New France

4. Joseph-François Binet — B. 22 Sep 1673, Beauport, New France; D. 25 Aug 1703, Beauport, New France; M. Marie-Françoise Vachon, Feb 1698, Beauport, New France

5. René Binet — B. 10 Jan 1680, Beauport, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Société de généálogie de l’Outaouais (website)
History of Rouen (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree

Boat Master on the St. Lawrence — Louis Martin

B. 12 Jun 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France
M. 12 Jan 1700 in St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France
Wife: Louise-Angelique Ratté
D. May 1749 in St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

The St. Lawrence River was the life blood of the colony of New France, and many of its men made a living with small boats. One example of this was Louis Martin, who lived for a time at the mouth of the great waterway. 

Louis was born on June 12, 1671 at Ste-Famille on Île d’Orleans, the oldest child of Joachim Martin and Anne-Charlotte Petit. The family grew to have 8 children, then when Louis was 19-years-old, his father died. As the oldest son, it’s likely that he shouldered a lot of responsibility in the family because his only brothers were ages 7 and 3. When Louis’ mother remarried in September of 1691, he was one of the witnesses on the marriage contract.

During the next few years, several of Louis’ younger sisters got married, but he remained a bachelor. Somewhere along the way, he became the owner of a small boat, and turned his interest toward fishing. In July 1695, Louis acquired property at Kamouraska, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, although he didn’t seem to occupy it. 

Fishing on the St. Lawrence. (AI-generated image)

Louis suffered some unknown health issues during the period of November 1695 to June 1698, which brought him to the hospital in Quebec four times. The records don’t indicate if the visits were extended stays, or were for simple treatments such as medicine. In January 1697, Louis got another tract of land in Kamouraska that he turned over to one of his brothers-in-law; it’s possible that his medical condition prevented him from moving there.

By 1699, Louis once again looked to involve himself in a fishing venture, and signed on to join a new settlement at a place called Mont-Louis, located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. His step-father’s death that year may have delayed him from leaving right away. Meanwhile, on January 12, 1700, Louis finally got married; his new wife was Louise-Angelique Ratté, the daughter of a family friend, Jacques Ratté. 

Location of Mont-Louis.

That April, the young couple left for Mont-Louis, joining over 50 families that lived there. The location provided easy access to cod fishing, but it was far away from civilization, and a sandbar prevented large ships from landing there. The fish that were caught had to be transported miles upriver to Quebec City, then put on a bigger ship headed back down the river to France; Louis with his small boat was probably one of the men who went back and forth to Quebec. His time at Mont-Louis was brief, and by the fall of 1700, he moved back to Île d’Orleans. The settlement was totally abandoned two years later.

In November 1700, Louis became a father for the first time with the birth of a son. During the next 20 years, there would be ten more children, with five of them dying young. Through land transactions involving Louis’ mother, in 1702, he left again for the south shore. He made his home at Kamouraska until about 1710, when he returned to Île d’Orleans. By 1720, he was once again on the south shore, living at various times in Cap-St-Ignace, Montmagny, and Port-Joli. In 1725, Louis was said to be living as a farmer at Gaspé, a location out on the gulf of the St. Lawrence; he stayed there until moving back to Port-Joli in about 1729.

At age 63, Louis still engaged in fishing, working on his own boat with one of his nephews. The boat he operated in 1734 measured 30 feet in length and weighed an estimated 300 pounds. Five years later, Louis seems to have retired with his wife Louise at Port-Joli, and he arranged to have his sons Pierre and François take care of them in their old age.

Louis lived another ten years, and died in May of 1749 at St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans. Louise outlived her husband and passed away in February 1760.

Children:
1. Jean-Baptiste Martin — B. 22 Nov 1700, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 1760; M. Marie-Anne Boucher (1702-?), 25 Jul 1737, L’Islet, New France

2. Marie-Anne Martin — B. 26 Dec 1701, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Renee Devin (~1701-?), 16 Jan 1723

3. Pierre Martin — B. about 1703, New France; D. 19 Jan 1773, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Quebec; M. Marie-Françoise Lebel (1697-1780), 13 May 1725, New France

4. Ursule Martin — B. 9 Nov 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Pierre Chouinard, 14 Feb 1724, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France

5. Louis Martin — B. 10 Nov 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 17 Nov 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

6. Louis-Joseph Martin — B. 30 Apr 1708, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 2 Jan 1711, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans

7. Marie-Therese Martin — B. 12 Sep 1710, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 29 Oct 1785, Kamoursaka, Quebec; M. Joseph Vaillancourt, 7 Jan 1733, L’Islet, New France

8. Marie-Charlotte Martin — B. 18 Feb 1713, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. François Urette, 10 Nov 1740, L’Islet, New France

9. Baby Martin — B. 4 Dec 1715, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 4 Dec 1715, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

10. François Martin — B. 25 Jul 1717, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. (probably) young

11. Louis-Philippe Martin — B. 27 Apr 1720, Cap-St-Ignace, New France; D. (probably) young

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990Un Martin en Amérique: Joachim Martin, né à Aytré, 1636-1690, Marcel Martin, 1997
Parks Canada History (website)
WikiTree

Allowed to Remarry After Husband Vanished — Mary Lane

B. 22 Oct 1620 in Cruwys Morchard, England
M. (1) 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: Joseph Long
M. (2) after May 1651 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: Joseph Farnsworth
M. (3) 20 Apr 1660 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: John Wilcox
D. before 7 Sep 1671 in (probably) Middletown, Connecticut

When Mary Long’s husband went on a trip in the mid-17th century, she never heard from him again. And before moving on, she had to prove in court that he was no longer alive.

Mary was born on October 22, 1620 in Cruwys Morchard, England, a village in the heart of Devon. She was the fifth of seven children born to William and Agnes Lane. Devon had a large population of Puritan followers, many of whom migrated to Massachusetts during the Great Migration. Mary and her family were among them, and it's believed that they all arrived in 1635 (possibly not all on the same ship). The family settled in Dorchester, and this was where Mary married Joseph Long in 1638. The couple was known to have had at least children together, both of them boys.

Sometime before about 1650, Mary’s husband Joseph learned that his father had died back in Devon, and that he needed to go there in person to receive an inheritance of £60. In spite of the fact Joseph was “not in good health,” he boarded a ship to England. He was said to have arrived in London and wrote to his family in Massachusetts on the day before he was to deal with the estate. But after he sent the letter, there was no further word of him, and this left Mary alone with two young boys to care for.

Mary’s only option was to find a new husband, but she couldn’t remarry if Joseph Long was possibly still alive. Time passed and finally she turned to the court, petitioning to have her husband declared legally dead. Several people made an effort to locate Joseph in England, and no one was successful. So on May 22, 1651, the court concluded that he must have died, and permission was granted that she could remarry. 

1651 petition of Mary Long.

Around this same time, Mary’s father died and bequeathed her part of his estate, including 24 acres of land, plus some cattle, hay, corn, malt, swine, pewter, brass and bedding. His will also said that she would have use of his house for a period not exceeding six months. Mary found a new husband, a widower named Joseph Farnsworth, and they were married at an unknown date. In about 1656, she gave birth to a third son, but the death of Joseph on January 12, 1659 left her again without a man to take care of her family.

Over a year later, on April 20, 1660, Mary married her third husband, John Wilcox, in Dorchester. Within a couple of years, they moved to Middletown, Connecticut, where John had lived before he met Mary. John brought three children from his earlier wives into the marriage, and his oldest, Sarah, would marry Mary’s son Thomas in about 1668.

Sometime during early 1671, Mary became seriously ill, and she made out her will. Her death date isn’t known, but her husband John was in court on September 7th and stated that he had given his late wife permission to write the will. The details of the document showed that Mary gave personal thought to family members, even those who weren’t blood relatives. In addition to property she gave to her sons, she mentioned her white waistcoat and red “tammy coat” for her step-daughter Mary Wilcox, and a feather bed, bolster, a cloth waistcoat with “great silver lace,” and a petticoat for her step-daughter/daughter-in-law Sarah Wilcox Long.

Children by Joseph Long:
1. Joseph Long — B. 1640s, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. 26 Aug 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts; M. Mary, 3 Dec 1661

2. Thomas Long — B. 1644, Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. Nov 1711, Windsor, Connecticut; M. (1) Sarah Wilcox (1648-1718), (probably) Hartford, Connecticut; (2) Sarah Elmer (1664-1741), before 1688, (probably) Connecticut

Child by Joseph Farnsworth:
1. Samuel Farnsworth — B. 1656, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. 1697, (probably) Connecticut; M. Mary Stoughton, 3 Jun 1677, (probably) Connecticut

Sources:
Fifty Puritan Ancestors, 1628-1660, Elizabeth Todd Nash, 1902
WikiTree

Colonial New England Militia Sergeant — William French

B. 8 Aug 1687 in Billerica, Massachusetts
M. about 1712 in (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Mehitable Patten
D. 28 Feb 1746 in Billerica, Massachusetts

Like many men in 18th century Massachusetts, William French served in his town’s militia. He was born on August 8, 1687 in Billerica, a place where he would spend his entire life. His parents were John French and Mary Littlefield, both of whom had been married before. His father had three daughters from previous marriages, and his mother had five sons. Together they had six more children, with William as the youngest (John French was 52-years-old when William was born). 

William’s father died sometime in 1712, and because he didn’t have a will, the probate process decided how the estate would be passed along. It was ruled that William would get most of his father’s property because his only other brother had already received land, but that he would be required to provide for their mother Mary. There was a long detailed set of instructions saying that William had to make sure she had certain quantities of food supplies for the remainder of her life. She passed away 7 years later.

About the same year of his father’s probate, William married Mehitable Patten, and the following year they had their first child. By 1730, they had seven more children, with one dying young. William was primarily a farmer, but also held the office of selectman in Billerica during 1633 and 1634.

In town histories, William was described as a sergeant of the militia, but details of his service are scarce. His name was on a muster roll dated July to November 1722; the men on the list were thought to have served as scouts or performed guard duty as part of the ongoing “Indian Wars.” William was about 35-years-old, so he probably had previous military experience.

The conflict William was likely involved in was known as Dummer’s War, fought between English colonists and the tribes near Acadia who were allied with the French. Action took place in the area between Acadia and New England, and also along the western border with the French colony that is now Quebec. The war spanned the years 1722 to 1725, with New England winning some territory in what is now Maine. 

William’s wife Mehitable died in 1743, and he only lived three years beyond that, dying in Billerica on February 28, 1746. His probate record showed a list of his debts, including payments to his doctor and to a “French doctor” for medicine, so he was probably sick for some time before his death. The inventory of William’s possessions listed an “old gun and sword,” wearing apparel worth £16, old furniture, various household items, 40 bushels of corn, 14 bushels of rye, 3 bushels of beans, one barrel of pork and seven barrels of cider.

The list of debts in William’s probate file.

The military legacy of William was continued in his descendants. His grandson, also named William French, was said to be the first “martyr” of the American Revolution. At age 22, he was shot by a sheriff’s posse at the Westminster Massacre on March 13, 1775. The event actually preceded the revolution, but the dispute was between the two sides who would soon become opponents in the revolution.

Children:
1. William French – B. 25 Jan 1713, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Tabitha Pierce (1715-?), 22 Apr 1736, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; about 1793

2. Elizabeth French – B. 3 Apr 1716, Billerica, Massachusetts; 30 Nov 1755; M. Ephraim Kidder (1710-1756)

3. Mehitable French – B. 29 Aug 1718, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. John White

4. Nathaniel French — B. 2 Feb 1721, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 8 Jun 1801, Brattleboro, Vermont; M. (1) Elizabeth Frost (1723-1777); (2) Joanna Kingsley (1729-1800), about 1780

5. David French – B. 28 May 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts

6. Jonathan French – B. 28 May 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 20 Jun 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts

7. Sarah French – B. 28 Apr 1728, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1793; M. Daniel Kittredge (1726-?), 17 Mar 1746, Billerica, Massachusetts

8. John French – B. 27 May 1730, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 15 May 1815, Jaffrey, New Hampshire; M. (1) Mary French (1731-?), 9 May 1754; (2) Priscilla Mace (1738-?), 6 Jan 1763, Billerica, Massachusetts

Sources:
The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 44, 1890
Dummer’s War (Wikipedia article)
Westminster massacre (Wikipedia article)
Find A Grave
WikiTree