A Soldier in Illinois in 1692 — Jacques Boutillet

B. 18 May 1668 in Bordeaux, France
M. 12 Jan 1699 in Château-Richer, New France
Wife: Marguerite Verreau
D. 28 Oct 1749 in L’Ange-Gardien, New France

Jacques Boutillet was a late 17th-century Frenchman sent to America as a soldier, and his service took him deep into the continent. He was born in Bordeaux on May 18, 1668 to Jean Boutillet and Anne Ficton. Nothing is known of Jacques’ childhood, or of his years as an adult in France.

Jacques first turned up in records in 1691 as a member of the troupes de la Marine. The troupes de la Marine were a military force sent to New France to help defend against the Iroquois and the English. Beginning in 1683, young men were recruited primarily in port cities like Bordeaux and shipped across the Atlantic. On August 1, 1691, Jacques signed up for a one-year term under Francois de la Forest, to serve at a location in the remote Illinois country. Help was needed to rebuild Fort Saint-Louis, which had recently been destroyed. De la Forest was said to have arrived in the spring of 1692 with laborers and soldiers who would complete what others had started, and Jacques must have been part of this group.

Location of Fort Saint-Louis in present-day Illinois.

It isn’t known what Jacques did during the years after his service contract was up. It’s likely he continued to serve as a soldier, maybe at the fort he helped construct. Eventually he wound up in the St. Lawrence River area at Château-Richer, and decided to make a new life there. On January 12, 1699, Jacques married Marguerite Verreau, the daughter of a blacksmith. Later that year, they had a son who died as an infant. Between 1702 and 1719, they had ten more children, all of whom lived to adulthood; nine of the ten were girls, so only one son would carry on his name.

In about 1708, Jacques and his family relocated to L’Ange Gardien. In addition to being a farmer, he played an active role in his local militia; it’s likely Jacques’ experience when he was younger made him a prime candidate for serving his community in this way. In 1721, he was given the rank of lieutenant, and in 1724, he was appointed as captain. The captain of a militia would organize and train the men in his town on orders from a central authority; they also sometimes served as police officers and did other civic duty, especially during times of peace. Jacques was in his 50s when he took on this leadership position.

Jacques spent the rest of his life in L’Ange Gardien. He died there on October 28, 1749. His wife Marguerite survived hm by only about a month.

Children:
1. Jacques Boutillet — B. 1699, Château-Richer, New France; D. 1699, Château-Richer, New France

2. Marguerite Boutillet — B. about 31 Jul 1702, Château-Richer, New France; D. 8 Apr 1783, Pointe-de-Lévy, Lauzon, Quebec; M. Joseph Turgeon (1696-1765), 12 Feb 1721, L’Ange-Gardien, New France

3. Agnes Boutillet — B. about 14 Jan 1704, Château-Richer, New France; D. before 28 Jan 1727, Château-Richer, New France; M. Claude Gravel (1694-1757), 6 Nov 1724, L’Ange Gardien, New France

4. Jacques Boutillet — B. about 11 Mar 1705, Château-Richer, New France; D. 17 Mar 1754, Quebec City, New France; M. Marie Cordeau dite Deslauriers (1711-1761), 29 Jan 1731, Château-Richer, New France

5. Marie-Madeleine Boutillet — B. 24 Jul 1708, Château-Richer, New France; D. 14 Feb 1786, St-François-de-la-Riviere-du-Sud, Quebec; M. Jean-Baptiste Gagnon (1707-1775), 17 Apr 1739, L’Ange Gardien, New France

6. Marie-Françoise Boutillet — B. 24 Jul 1708, Château-Richer, New France; D. (probably) young

7. Marie-Jeanne Boutillet — B. 20 Jun 1709, L’Ange Gardien, New France; D. 6 Sep 1787, Château-Richer, Quebec; M. Guillaume Gosselin (1696-1765), 27 Jul 1742, L’Ange Gardien, New France

8. Marie-Genevieve Boutillet — B. 19 Jun 1710, L’Ange Gardien, New France; D. 30 Oct 1781, Quebec; M. Antoine Richoux (~1720-?), 11 Nov 1754, L’Ange Gardien, New France

9. Marie-Josephte Boutillet — B. 17 Jan 1712, L’Ange Gardien, New France; D. 21 Aug 1762, New France; M. (1) Pierre-François Paris (1708-1744), 25 Jan 1734, Quebec City, New France; (2) Louis Choret (1713-1767), 22 Feb 1745, Charlesbourg, New France

10. Marie-Therese Boutillet — B. about 6 Jun 1713, L’Ange Gardien, New France; D. 29 Jan 1792, Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec; M. Louis Huot (1715-1792), 29 Oct 1736, L’Ange Gardien, New France

11. Marie-Louise Boutillet — B. about 9 May 1719, L’Ange Gardien, New France; D. 20 Dec 1802, Montmorency, Quebec; M. (1) Louis Turgeon, 20 Oct 1749, Château-Richer, New France; (2) Guillaume Plante, 26 Oct 1750, Château-Richer, New France; (3) Pierre Poulin (?-1759), 21 Jul 1756, Château-Richer, New France; (4) Paul Bolduc (?-1790), 9 Jan 1764, Montmorency, Quebec

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

Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org

Compagnies Franches de la Marine (Wikipedia article)
Henri de Tonti – the Founder of Peoria (website)
Captains of the Militia (website)
WikiTree

16th Century Druggist in Paris — Nicolas Hébert

B. about 24 Oct 1547 in Paris, France
M. (1) 1564 in Paris, France
Wife: Jacqueline Pajot
M. (2) about 1580 in Paris, France
Wife: Marie Auvry
M. (3) about 1590 in Paris, France
Wife: Renee Savoreau
D. after 8 Jan 1600 in (probably) Paris, France

Nicolas Hébert lived and worked in the heart of Paris during a time of great political and religious turmoil. For a time, he was the apothecary for the most powerful woman in France, Catherine de’ Medici. And his son Louis went on to become one of the first Europeans in Canada.

The origins of Nicolas are sketchy, but it’s known that he was born in 1547 and baptized at Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris on October 24th of that year. At age 16 or 17, he married Jacqueline Pajot, a Paris widow with three children. The couple would have four children together, born between 1564 and 1577. When Jacqueline’s mother died in 1672, Nicolas was the executor of her estate, including a house and vineyard in Sainte-Mande, just outside of Paris. Nicolas and Jacqueline inherited the property, but had to settle a challenge against them brought by other family members.

Nicolas also owned three buildings which he had purchased on Rue Saint-Honore, a short distance away from the royal palace (now the Louvre). He made his home in one of them; it was called Mortier d’or, which translates as “the golden mortar.” The building had three stories, with the ground floor used for his drug and spice shop and the upper two floors as his living quarters. The structure still exists today, although it’s been added onto over the years. 

129 Rue Saint-Honore, where Nicolas lived.

Perhaps it was his proximity to the palace that brought his most famous client. Catherine de’ Medici had been Queen of France from 1547 to 1559, and after her husband died, she was the mother of the three kings who succeeded him. Two of them inherited the throne as minors, putting her in a position of great power, and for a time she had a huge amount of influence in running the country. Towards the end of her life, she lost her status, and died in 1589 at age 69. It isn’t known what years Nicolas may have provided her medicine, but most likely it was during the 1570s and 1580s.

Nicolas’ wife Jacqueline died in about 1580 and he remarried to a widow named Marie Auvry. By this time, he experienced financial trouble, and had to sell some of his property on Rue Saint-Honore. Things were also complicated by the finances of Marie’s children, and Nicolas had to solve that as well. He became in debt, and by 1589, sold the last of his property.

Second wife Marie died, and in about 1590, Nicolas married a third woman, Renee Savoreau. That same year, religious war had broken out in France affecting the wealth of many people, including Nicolas. As a result, he borrowed a large sum of money which he couldn’t repay. So he was sent to prison for two years, and it was said that his health was ruined in the process.

It isn’t known when and where Nicolas died. The last document with his name was a transaction dated January 8, 1600; it involved property belonging to his third wife where his signature was said to be “shaky.” He likely died not long after that date. Among his descendants are Hillary Clinton, Celine Dion, Jane Krakowski, Jack Kerouac, Jim Carrey, Alex Trebek, Ricky Gervais, Chloë Sevigny, and Bridget Fonda.

Children (all by Jacqueline Pajot):
1. Charlotte Hébert — B. about 1564, Paris, France; M. Nicolas Maheu (~1560-?), 27 Oct 1583, Paris, France

2. Jacques Hébert — B. about 1568, Paris France

3. Louis Hébert — B. 1575, Paris France; D. 23 Jan 1627, Quebec City, New France; M. Marie Rollet (~1580-1649), 19 Feb 1601, Saint-Sulpice, Paris, France

4. Marie Hébert — B. 1577, Paris, France; M. Thomas de La Ruelle, Jun 1602

Sources:
“New Findings on Louis Hébert and His Family Before His Departure for New France,” Madame M. Jurgens, French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Vol. V, Nos. 1-2, 1975
Catherine de’ Medici (Wikipedia article)
WikiTree

Thinking of Her Grandchildren — Joyce Baker

B.about 30 May 1602 in Ashford, England
M. 22 Jan 1624 in Ashford, England
Husband: Nicholas Butler
D. about Oct 1680 in Edgartown, Massachusetts

When Joyce Baker was near the end of her life, she made out a will with her grandchildren in mind. Joyce was born in the spring of 1602, and baptized on May 30th, in Ashford, England, a village located in Kent. Her parents were Richard Baker and Margaret Merry; her father was a miller whose family had “resided in Kent for many generations.” Joyce was thought to have at least one brother and two sisters.

Joyce married her husband, Nicholas Butler, on January 22, 1624; some sources say the wedding took place in Ashford and others say Appledore. They became the parents of at least four children born between 1625 and 1631; the youngest died as an infant. Joyce and Nicholas were Puritans, and in 1637, they boarded a ship called Hercules bound for America. Along with the family were four servants, which suggested the family had some wealth. They landed at Massachusetts and settled in Dorchester.

In 1649, Joyce was one of 21 women who signed a petition in Dorchester in support of Alice Tilly, a midwife accused of causing the deaths of several women and children. A total of 217 women in Boston and Dorchester signed in support of Tilly on six petitions that were circulated. It’s thought to be the earliest example of women taking a “collective political action” in America without the involvement of men. 

Joyce’s signature on the petition.

Joyce and Nicholas, along with their son John and his family, moved to a new settlement on Martha’s Vineyard in about 1652, and this is where they spent the rest of her lives. The family lived in Edgartown on property that bordered the water, and also owned land in other locations on the island. Joyce was widowed in 1671 when Nicholas died. All her children were also gone by this time, with one having moved back to England and the other two having died. The family around Joyce were mostly her grandchildren, and when she grew old, she focused on them.

Note about Joyce in her husband’s probate records.

Joyce’s will was dated March 13, 1680, and she was very specific about which possession each grandchild would receive. She named such things as individual kitchen utensils, iron pots, blankets, pillows, pieces of furniture and each farm animal. One lucky grandson received “my dwelling house” with the land it was built on. An inventory was taken on October 28, 1680, so she must have died before that date. The entire estate was valued at about £165; today her land is worth millions.

Joyce was an ancestor of Wild Bill Hickock, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

Children:
1. John Butler — B. 2 Jan 1625, Ashford, England; D. 1658, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; M. Mary Lynde (1630-~1693), 1648, Massachusetts

2. Henry Butler — B. before 7 Sep 1626, Ashford, England; D. before 28 Apr 1696, Witham, England; M. Anne Bishop, 9 Mar 1655, Dorchester, Massachusetts

3. Lydia Butler — B. 23 Feb 1629, Ashford, England; D. 25 Jan 1667, Dorchester, Massachusetts; M. John Minot (1626-1669), 19 May 1647, Dorchester, Massachusetts

4. Thomas Butler — B. 28 Aug 1631, Ashford, England; D. 24 Sep 1631, Ashford, England

Sources:
The History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II & III, Charles E. Banks, 1911
Glover Memorials and Genealogies, Anna Glover, 1867
The Ancestry of Blanche Butler Ames and Adelbert Ames, Pauline Ames Plimpton, 1977
WikiTree
Famous Kin (website)

On a Bend in the River — John Wilcox

B. about 1595 in England
M. about 1615 in England
Wife: Mary ______
D. before 1 Oct 1651 in Hartford, Connecticut

When John Wilcox became one of the first settlers of Hartford, Connecticut in 1636, the lot he was granted was at the bend in a small river that ran through the settlement. And though the river is no longer there, John’s land is a significant site today.

John was born somewhere in England in about 1595, but nothing else is proven about his origins. In about 1615, he married a woman named Mary, whose last name is unknown, but may have been Wilshire. They had at least three children together born between about 1616 and 1620; if there were other children, it’s likely they didn’t survive. John was said to make a living as a pail maker. He was also a Puritan, and during the early 1630s, his family joined the Great Migration to New England.

It’s likely that John and his family settled in Massachusetts before becoming part of a group that split off to form a new settlement on the Connecticut River. In 1636, 100 people led by Reverend Thomas Hooker trekked across the wilderness to find their new home; they chose a place where a smaller river (called Little River) curved west near an abandoned Dutch fort. This became the town of Hartford.

The people who arrived in 1636 were considered proprietors who were each entitled to tracts of land in the new settlement, and by 1640 early Hartford was laid out. There were about 150 houses organized on several roads with a bridge that crossed Little River, which bisected the town. John’s home lot was on a bend in the river. His land bordered the river on the west, and beyond it were fields and wilderness. In 1643 and 1644, John was named as a surveyor of highways, which meant that he helped to maintain the roads in town.

Map of Hartford showing location of John's property.

John was only about 56-years-old when he made out his will, which was dated July 24, 1651. He likely was in failing health and he left detailed instructions for the distribution of his possessions. From this it’s possible to imagine how he was living at the time. He mentioned his “old house” and a new one, with a “closet” in between; likely his original home had been expanded with a better house next door, and some sort of structure connected them. He bequeathed the old section to his wife Mary and the newer one to his son John. He ordered that crops harvested from his farm be used to support Mary, listing amounts of wheat, rye and corn to be left to her. His farm also contained two fruit orchards, along with cows, hogs, poultry, and bee hives. Two servants, a man and a woman, worked for him at the time.

The exact date of John’s death is unknown, but he likely passed away in about September 1651. The inventory of his estate was made on October 1st, so he was certainly deceased by that date. His wife Mary survived until 1668.

As an original settler of Hartford, John’s name is listed on the Founder’s Monument which stands today in the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford. His land on the bend in the river transitioned to other usage over the years as the city of Hartford grew around it. During the mid-19th century, the land was absorbed into a public green space known as Bushnell Park, said to be the oldest publicly funded park in the United States. The Little River remained a feature next to the park until floods during the 1930s and 40s caused the Army Corps of Engineers to re-channel it underground. The section of the park where John’s home once stood now holds an outdoor stage, where summer concerts often attract large crowds.

1909 map showing the approximate location of John's property.

Children:
1. Ann Wilcox — B. about 1616, England; D. 20 Jul 1673, Middletown, Connecticut; M. John Hall (?-1699), 1641, Hartford, Connecticut

2. Sarah Wilcox — B. about 1618, England; D. 15 Jun 1690, Hartford, Connecticut; M. John Bidwell (1614-1687), 1641, Hartford, Connecticut

3. John Wilcox — B. about 1620, England; D. 24 May 1676, Middletown, Connecticut; M. (1) Sarah Wadsworth (1626-1648), 17 Sep 1646, Hartford, Connecticut; (2) Katherine Stoughton (1622-1660), 18 Jan 1650, Hartford, Connecticut; (3) Mary Lane (1620-1671), 20 Apr 1660, Dorchester, Massachusetts; (4) Esther Cornwell (1650-1733), before 1672, Middletown, Connecticut

Sources:
The Memorial History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, James Hammond Trumbull, 1886
WikiTree
Bushnell Park Foundation (website)

Committed to the Poorhouse — Julia ______

B. about 1810 in County Mayo, Ireland
M. before 1834 in (probably) County Mayo, Ireland
Husband: Lawrence McGuire
D. after 1880 in (probably) Sullivan County, New York

Julia McGuire was a victim of the times in which she lived and the drinking of her husband. She was born in County Mayo, Ireland in about 1810 to a very poor family whose name is unknown. Her father was a farmer and likely an alcoholic; her mother was said to be intemperate. She had no education, and reportedly, no siblings.

During the early 1830s, Julia married Lawrence McGuire, a peasant farmer. On Christmas Day of 1834, she gave birth to a son, and by 1850, had three more children. With large gaps in their ages, it’s possible that she had other babies who didn’t survive. County Mayo was one of the hardest hit areas of Ireland during the potato famine; it was estimated that about 90% of the people there depended on the potato crop for their food and livelihood. By 1851, Julia and her family were unable to continue living there, and like many others around them, fled to the United States. The record of their immigration hasn’t been found.

Julia’s family settled in the town of Thompson, in Sullivan County, New York. There they acquired a small farm, which was valued at $300 in 1860. One-by-one, the children moved out, until by 1875, it was just Julia and Lawrence living there alone. Their income that year was almost non-existent; the farm only produced about 20 bushels of potatoes, and they didn’t own any farm animals.

There was evidence that Lawrence was a major cause of their poverty due to his addiction to alcohol. Julia reached a point at age 65 where she could no longer work, and the decision was made to move out on Lawrence. She refused to impose on any of her married children, saying that they barely had enough money to live on themselves. With nobody else to support her, she had no choice but to go into the county poorhouse where she was admitted on November 11, 1875; it was a place she had previously stayed for one month at an unknown time. 

Record of Julia’s admission to Sullivan County Poorhouse.

One of the buildings of the Sullivan County Poorhouse.

The Sullivan County Poorhouse was an institution that was part shelter for the poor and part insane asylum. It had an adjoining farm where inmates who were physically able worked to harvest hay, wheat and other products to help pay the expenses of the facility. During the years Julia lived in the poorhouse, it held roughly 100 residents. Needless to say, the accommodations were rough; in January 1879, it was reported that one of the residents froze to death for lack of heat.

Julia spent at least five years at the poorhouse. The 1880 census showed that her time there had taken a toll because she had become one of the people described as “insane.” Given her age, she probably suffered from some form of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, Lawrence continued to live alone on his farm. Both of them likely died within a few years of that date.

Children:
1. Patrick McGuire — B. 25 Dec 1834, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; D. 1 Apr 1882, Washington Lake, Minnesota; M. (1) Bridget Tuffy, before 1857, (probably) Sullivan County, New York; (2) Mary Toole (1846-1904), 7 Jan 1867, Henderson, Minnesota

2. Bridget McGuire — B. about 1836, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; after 11 Nov 1875

3. Michael McGuire — B. about 1842, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; after 11 Nov 1875

4. Catherine McGuire — B. about 1850, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland; after 11 Nov 1875

Sources:
1860, 1870, and 1880 U.S. Censuses in New York
1855 New York State census
1875 Sullivan County, New York poorhouse records
Marriage certificate of Patrick McGuire and Mary Toole, Henderson, Minnesota, 7 Jan 1867
Death certificate of Patrick McGuire, Washington Lake, Minnesota, 1 Apr 1882
Port Jervis Evening Gazette, January 25, 1879 and September 26, 1884

Working From the Age of Eight — François Dubois

B. 12 Nov 1668 in Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France
M. 18 Jan 1695 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie Guay
D. 27 Feb 1714 in Quebec City, New France

When François Dubois was still a young child, his step-father sent him to live with a neighbor as his servant. François was born on November 12, 1668 in Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, the oldest son of Jacques Dubois and Catherine Vieillot. His father was a Carignan-Saliéres Regiment soldier and his mother was a Fille du Roi. The couple saw the birth of three more children, one of whom died as an infant. Then in March 1675, Jacques died suddenly. François’ mother, who was pregnant, remarried almost immediately; her child was born that October.

View towards Quebec City on Île d’Orleans.

Young François now fell under the care of his new step-father, Pierre Guenet, who also had the responsibility of supporting the three younger children. Guenet was a recent immigrant who was about 10 years younger than François’ mother; he worked as a mason and fisherman, as well as a farmer, but still struggled financially. So in 1677, he found a way to relieve a small part of his burden by hiring out François to another Île d’Orleans farmer named Gilles Gautreau. The contract dated January 24th stated that “for a period of five years beginning on February 1, 1677 François will be taken care of and treated humanely for the work ordered by Gilles, and his salary will be his clothing at the end of the five-year contract.”

François was just 8-years old when his contract began. Presumably he performed chores on a farm, but the details aren’t documented. The man he worked for, Gautreau, had two young children at the time of the contract with a third along the way. The following year, he moved his family to Cap-St-Ignace on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, and this seems to have terminated the contract. So François step-father found a new arrangement for him working for Gabriel Gosselin, one of the largest landowners on Île d’Orleans. François served Gosselin for about the next three years, enumerated among his household in the 1681 census.

A few years later at age 15, François was again hired out as a servant, this time to a doctor in Quebec City named Timothée Roussel. The doctor worked at Hôtel-Dieu, and he was described as often being “sharp-tempered.” One source stated that François had been “suffering from a great pain in his right leg for two years,” which suggests an injury of some sort. Perhaps treatment he received for his leg led to the service contract with the doctor.

By 1687, François’ was living among his family again, and for a time, he joined his step-father to work as a mason. On July 20th, they contracted for a project working for two men, presumably to help construct a building. The job paid them 78 livres, with François getting 28 livres as his share.

In July 1693, François was a few months from his 25th birthday, an age when he was due to get some land that his father left him in his will. But another man was using the land as part of his farm (his step-father had made that arrangement back in 1680), so François sued to get the man to vacate it. He won his case and took possession of the property. Eighteen months later, he married Marie Guay, a 20-year-old woman from Lauzon; the wedding took place on January 18, 1695 at Notre-Dame in Quebec City. 

1693 court document showing François being declared of legal age.

Little is known about François’ married life. He and his wife had nine children born between 1696 and 1712, with at least five who died young. François died at Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec City on February 27, 1714; why he was in the hospital is a mystery. Wife Marie outlived him by many years, dying in 1747.

Children:
1. François Dubois — B. 10 May 1696, St-Pierre, Île d'Orleans, New France; D. 7 Jun 1696, St-Pierre, Île d'Orleans, New France

2.  Jacques Dubois — B. 14 Jun 1697, Beaumont, New France; D. 22 Mar 1781, Quebec; M. (1) Marie-Madeleine Desevre (1699-?), 8 Aug 1717, New France; (2) Marie-Thérèse Migneron (1697-1742), 11 Nov 1720, St-Foy, New France; (3) Marie-Marguerite Menard (1718-1788), 30 Jun 1744, Beauport, New France

2. François Dubois — B. 1698, New France; D. about 1 May 1732, Rivière-aux-Etchemins, New France; M. Marie-Angélique Cadoret (1701-?), 27 Jul 1723, Pointe-de-Lévy, New France

4. Pierre Dubois — B. 26 May 1699, Beaumont, New France; D. 6 Feb 1703, Beaumont, New France

5. Jaen Dubois — B. 24 Jun 1701, Beaumont, New France; D. 19 Feb 1703, Beaumont, New France

6. Marie-Anne Dubois — B. 1705, New France; D. 20 Jul 1733, Levis, New France; M. François Boulet (1707-?), 29 Oct 1732, Levis, New France

7. Marie-Catherine Dubois — B. 15 Jun 1708, Lauzon, New France; D. 12 Aug 1711, Lauzon, New France

8. Joseph Dubois — B. 16 Jun 1710, Beaumont, New France; D. 12 Aug 1711, Beaumont, New France

9. Louis Dubois — B. 25 Apr 1712, Lauzon, New France

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

Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours, Cyprien Tanguay, 1890

Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997
King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
Dictionary of Canadian Biography (website)
WikiTree

Farmer in Early Montreal — Pierre Mallet

B. 1 Jul 1629 in Saint Coulomb, France
M. 23 Oct 1662 in Montreal, New France
Wife: Marie-Anne Hardy
D. before 8 Feb 1710 in Montreal, New France

Although he lived in a place centered around the fur trade, Pierre Mallet chose to make a living by farming. Pierre was born on July 1, 1629 in the village of Saint Coulomb, France, located in Brittany. His parents were Jean Mallet and Guillemette Ruellan. Records showed that Pierre had three older brothers and two older sisters, but none are known to have migrated to America.

Saint-Colomban church in Saint-Coulomb. (source: Rundvald, via Wikimedia Commons)

Sometime during the 1650s, Pierre decided to move to New France, settling in Montreal, which at that time was a frontier settlement. He first appeared there as a witness to a wedding on March 6, 1660, so it’s likely that he had arrived at least several months earlier. While Montreal was the hub of the fur trade, Pierre chose to make a living in agriculture. He may have been a farmer before he left France, but this is speculation.

In the summer of 1662, Pierre signed a contract to marry Marie-Anne Hardy, a woman who had been recruited in France as a prospective bride for a Montreal settler. The contract was dated July, but the wedding didn’t take place until October 26th. In the meantime, Pierre acquired a lot with a house in Montreal, as well as a small farm that had 1 arpent of river frontage. The following year, the couple had their first child, and by 1676, they had five more.

During the prime of his life, Pierre bought and sold several tracts of farmland in the Montreal area. Some of the property was quite large, including 100 arpents of land which he sold at Lake Sainte-Louis in December 1676. He seemed to have success as a farmer and in 1681 he was recorded on the census as having 10 cattle and 10 arpents under cultivation. Pierre was 52-years-old at the time.

By the mid-1690s, Pierre’s wife Marie-Anne was said to have “taken over the business,” likely meaning she was handing family transactions as his health declined. All four of their sons became involved in the fur trade making expeditions out west; one of them, Jean, was hired as a voyageur in 1694 and was not listed in any records after that date.

It isn’t known when Pierre died. Marie-Anne was named on a legal document dated February 8, 1710 in regards to his funeral expenses, so he must have passed away before that. She survived him by many years and died in 1726.

Children:
1. Geneviève Mallet — B. 2 Oct 1663, Montreal, New France; D. 9 Apr 1703, Montreal, New France; M. Jean Legras (1656-1715), 8 Nov 1677, Montreal, New France

2. Anne-Marie Mallet — B. 20 Feb 1666, Montreal, New France; D. 22 May 1759, Montreal, New France; M. (1) Louis Ducharme (1660-1691), 27 Nov 1681, Montreal, New France; (2) Louis Prejean (?-1727), 18 Jan 1697, Montreal, New France

3. René Mallet — B. 24 Feb 1668, Montreal, New France; D. 24 Oct 1716, Montreal, New France; M. Marie Lecuyer (1671-1755), 17 Oct 1689, Montreal, New France

4. Jean Mallet — B. 16 Apr 1670, Montreal, New France

5. Louis Mallet — B. 8 Feb 1673, Montreal, New France; D. 18 Jul 1717, Detroit, New France; M. Marie-Jeanne Brunet (1677-1761), 29 Oct 1697, Lachine, New France

6. Pierre Mallet — B. 16 Feb 1676, Montreal, New France; D. about Feb 1738, Detroit, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Thunay (~1673-1738), 9 Jan 1698, Montreal, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
WikiTree