A Weakness for Alcohol — Lawrence McGuire

B. about 1810 in (probably) County Mayo, Ireland
M. before 1834 in (probably) County Mayo, Ireland
Wife: Julia _______
D. after 1880 in (probably) Sullivan County, New York

Many 19th-century immigrants to America triumphed over difficult circumstances, rising from poverty to offer a better future for their children. But Lawrence McGuire didn’t have such a story. He was a man with a drinking problem, which seemed to have kept him from making much of himself in life.

Lawrence was very likely born in County Mayo, Ireland, and based on later records, his birth was in about 1810. He had no education and it can be assumed that his peasant roots went back for generations. As a young man, he married a County Mayo woman known only by the first name Julia; their marriage probably happened during the early 1830s.

Lawrence and Julia had at least four children born between about 1834 and 1850. Like most of the men in Catholic Ireland, he was a tenant farmer who struggled on a barely subsistent income, and was wiped out during the years 1846 to 1848 when the potato crop failed. Lawrence had no choice but to leave his homeland. The family boarded a ship in around 1851 or 1852 and migrated to America; the record of their crossing has not been found.

By 1852, Lawrence found a place to live in upstate New York, establishing a small farm in the town of Thompson, located in Sullivan County. Census records showed that in 1855, his frame house was valued at $50. In 1860, Lawrence owned a farm worth $300, though it was a lot less valuable than his neighbors. His three older children left the household during the late 1850s, and the youngest daughter was gone before 1875; probably they all got married. None of the children were noted as attending school, even though other children did who lived nearby.

Plat map of Sullivan County showing location of Lawrence’s farm.

The most detailed documents of Lawrence’s life were in 1875, where the New York State Census described the condition of his farm. His main achievement was that he became a U.S. citizen, but everything else points to a life of poverty. Most of the farmers in the area had much more land and wealth than he did; Lawrence’s property was worth only $300 while others typically had values in the thousands. Neighboring farms grew several crops such as oats, rye, corn and apples, he only grew a quarter-acre of potatoes; his 20 bushels of product was dwarfed by the production of farms around him. And he was the only one not to have a single animal on his farm, not even a chicken.

One more record from 1875 gave a sad reason why Lawrence was a failure as a farmer. In November of that year, his wife Julia was admitted to the county poorhouse. The form filled out by the administrators told that she had become destitute and could no longer work, and the reason given was that “due to the intemperate habits of her husband, they could not accumulate any property, and they have parted.” From this, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where she had been doing the work on the farm while he drank heavily, until she reached an age where she couldn’t go on.

Old man alone on a farm. (AI-generated image)

Lawrence appeared in one more census in 1880. While he lived alone on whatever was left of the farm, Julia still resided in the poorhouse, now described as “insane.” They each likely died within a few years.

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

3. Michael McGuire — B. about 1842, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland

4. Catherine McGuire — B. about 1850, (probably) County Mayo, Ireland

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

A Lady of Means From Paris — Marie-Marthe Bourgoin

B. about 1638 in Paris, France
M. (1) 9 Jan 1662 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Nicolas Godbout
M. 11 Jul 1675 in Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France
Husband: Antoine Mercereau
D. 19 Dec 1682 in Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France

Among the women who migrated to New France as prospective brides, Marie-Marthe Bourgoin came from a higher social standing than most. She was born in the Notre-Dame parish of Paris to Jean Bourgoin and Marie Lefebvre. It’s thought she was the youngest in her family. Little is known of her mother and siblings, but her father Jean had an important position in the French government, noted as being a Secretary of the Chamber of the King in 1628. He was also known to have authored many booklets presenting political support for King Louis XIII.

The earliest record of Marie-Marthe was her marriage contract in Quebec dated December 26, 1661. The man she was marrying was Nicolas Godbout, a sailor who had worked for Jean Bourdon, an important man in the colony. Bourdon and his wife Anne Gasnier had returned from France earlier that year, and were said to have recruited Marie-Marthe to come with them. The circumstances suggest that Marie-Marthe needed to secure her future, and likely her parents had both died by that time.

The contract signing took place at Bourdon’s home and Marie-Marthe’s clear signature showed that she was an educated woman. Witnesses to the contract included the governor of New France, Pierre Dubois Davaugour, and his lieutenant, Augustin Descartes. Both men had arrived in Quebec on August 31st, and it’s likely that Bourdon, Anne Gasnier, and Marie-Marthe were aboard the same ship. Also noted on the contract was that Marie-Marthe had brought with her 300 livres worth of clothes. 

Going to America. (AI-generated image)

The wedding took place at Notre-Dame in Quebec City on January 9, 1662. Later that year, Marie-Marthe’s husband Nicolas bought land on Île d’Orleans, but it doesn’t seem that the couple moved there right away. Their first child was baptized at Quebec City in June 1663, and by the end of the decade, they had three more also baptized at Quebec. Only Marie-Marthe’s fifth child seems to have been born at a farm on Île d’Orleans, which happened in 1672. This was on a second property that Nicolas acquired, having sold the first one to another settler, Jean Leclerc.

Nicolas died at the hospital in Quebec City on September 5, 1674, leaving Marie-Marthe with four young children. It was a challenging winter for the family. The inventory of her husband's possessions showed a storage of food that included 2 bushels of wheat, 19 bushels of peas and 8 bushels of corn, along with a cow, a bull and 4 pigs. But she also was left her husband’s debts, owing money to several men which amounted to more than 640 livres. It was said that Marie-Marthe struggled for the next five years to pay the men off.

Marie-Marthe found a new husband by the following summer, and on July 11, 1675, she married Antoine Mercereau at Ste-Famille on Île d’Orleans; they had no children together. Marie-Marthe died on December 19, 1682 at about the age of 44. Antoine survived her by about 20 years, dying in 1702.

Children (all by Nicolas Godbout):
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) Renee 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:
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
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990

Probably Soldier of the Revolutionary War — John Ross

B. about 1732 in (probably) New Jersey
M. (probably) Somerset County, New Jersey
Wife: Martha Anderson
D. 5 Jan 1810 in (probably) Piscataway, New Jersey

There is strong evidence to suggest that John Ross served in the American Revolution during the 1770s, but because of his common name it can’t be entirely proven. Only sketchy details exist about John’s life. He was of Scots-Irish descent, born in about 1732, probably in New Jersey. Around 1760, he married Martha Anderson, said to be daughter of William and Martha Anderson, another Scots-Irish family who lived in colonial New Jersey. The couple had six known children.

During his life, John was identified as living in the towns of Bound Brook, Middlebrook and Piscataway, and these places were in close proximity of each other. This was a center of activity during the American Revolution, with Washington’s army being camped at Middlebrook for part of 1777 and for the winter of 1778-1779. On April 13, 1777, a battle took place at Bound Brook, when the British tried to corner the Americans, who were outnumbered 4,000 to 500. The colonial force lost the garrison, but was able to retreat.

Plaque at Bound Brook.

Did John take part in any of this action? There was strong sentiment among the people of central New Jersey to support the American cause. Somerset County had its own militia headed by Captain Jacob Ten Eyck, and a list of his men survives that includes the name “John Ross.” But there’s no date on the list other than the length of the war: 1775 to 1781. John’s son who was also named John was age 17 in 1781, but given that the fighting in New Jersey took place much earlier, it seems much more likely that the older John was the soldier.

John died on January 5, 1810, likely at his home in Piscataway. His will left most of his estate to his wife, Martha, who survived him by little more than a month, dying on February 17th. Both were buried in the Old Presbyterian Graveyard in Bound Brook.

Children:
1. John Ross — B. 5 Feb 1764, New Jersey; D. 2 Mar 1808, Somerset County, New Jersey; M. Martha Van Tuyl (1768-1853), 7 Sep 1788

2. Joseph Ross — B. New Jersey; D. after 1810

3. William Ross — B. New Jersey; D. after 1810; M. Elizabeth

4. (unknown female) Ross — B. New Jersey; D. before 1810; M. James Coddington

5. Martha Ross — B. New Jersey; D. before 1810; M. Mr. Limberg

6. Hester Ross — B. 11 Feb 1767, New Jersey; D. 7 Oct 1851, Springdale, Ohio; M. Jacob Field (1768-1842), 25 Dec 1790, New Jersey

Sources:
Revolutionary War New Jersey (website)
The Ross Family of New Jersey, Bob Ross, 1990
The Will of John Ross, Piscataway, New Jersey, 1810
Middlebrook Encampment (Wikipedia article)

Married to a Cheating Wife — Thomas Long

B. 1644 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
M. (1) before 28 Jan 1668 in (probably) Hartford, Connecticut
Wife: Sarah Wilcox
M: (2) before 1688 in (probably) Connecticut
Wife: Sarah Elmer
D. Nov 1711 in Windsor, Connecticut

We don’t usually think of people in Puritan New England having marital problems that would lead to a divorce. But Thomas Long found himself married to a woman who brazenly took up with another man, and he eventually took that drastic step.

Thomas was born in 1644 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Joseph Long and Mary Lane; his only known sibling was an older brother. His father returned to England in order to settle the estate of his own father, and the family never heard from him again. Thomas’ mother was awarded permission to remarry in 1651 when the court in Massachusetts presumed her husband was dead. 

Thomas’ mother remarried, but her new husband died in 1659. When she married a third husband, John Wilcox, the following year, the family moved to Hartford, Connecticut. Wilcox brought several children into the household, and one of them, Sarah, must have caught Thomas’ eye. The step-siblings were joined in marriage in about 1667, likely in Hartford, although the record of their wedding is missing.

During the next ten or so years, Thomas and Sarah settled into married life with the birth of at least five children. But around the time the youngest was born, Sarah started keeping company with a married man named David Ensign. They were known to have had sex on several occasions, which was a punishable offense in Puritan Connecticut. Sarah and her lover were arrested on September 4, 1679, and the two were charged for their crime. Thomas likely wanted to avoid further public scandal, and two weeks later offered his property as bond for the release of his wife from jail.

A divorce like Thomas and Sarah’s was a rare thing. (AI-generated image)

Unfortunately, Sarah chose to continue her affair with Ensign. By 1681, Thomas had reached a point where he needed to take drastic action, so he filed for divorce. He had a clear case against Sarah for her infidelity, and on December 15th, the divorce was granted at a “Special Court of Assistants” in Hartford. Ensign was divorced by his wife the following year, and Sarah married him. As for Thomas, he found a second wife in Sarah Elmer, a woman 20 years younger than he was. They had one daughter born in 1696.

Presumably, Thomas’ second marriage was a happier one. He died in Windsor, Connecticut in November of 1711. His second wife Sarah survived him by many years, dying in 1741.

Children by Sarah Wilcox:
1. Joseph Long — B. 28 Jan 1668, Hartford, Connecticut; D. after May 1713, (probably) Coventry, Connecticut; M. Martha Smith (1674-?), before 1694, (probably) Connecticut

2. William Long — B. 4 Feb 1671, Hartford, Connecticut; D. Jul 1740, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Mary Henbury (1672-1759), 1701, Hartford, Connecticut

3. Jerusha Long — B. 1672, Hartford, Connecticut; D. 11 Jan 1723, Hartford, Connecticut

4. Mary Long — B. 1676, Hartford, Connecticut; M. Ephraim Bushnell, 9 Nov 1697, Saybrook, Connecticut

5. Hannah Long — B. 26 Feb 1679, Saybrook, Connecticut; M. Simon Large (~1670-~1702), 24 Jun 1700, Saybrook, Connecticut; (2) Jonathan Moore (1679-1770), 9 Jan 1705

Child by Sarah Elmer:
1. Elizabeth Long — B. 1696, East Windsor, Connecticut; D. 3 Nov 1759, East Windsor, Connecticut; M. Benjamin Cheney (1698-1760)

Sources:
New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, William Richard Cutter, 1913
Women Before the Bar; Gender, Law and Society in Connecticut, 1639-1789, Cornelia Hughes Dayton, 2012
Find-A-Grave
WikiTree

Wife of Three Colonists in New France — Jeanne Savonnet

B. about 1648 in Paris, France
M. (1) about 1670 in (probably) Île d'Orléans, New France
Husband: Jean Soucy dit Lavigne
M. (2) 22 Aug 1679 in L’Islet, New France
Husband: Damien Bérubé
M. (3) 7 Nov 1692 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France
Husband: François Miville
D. 12 Mar 1721 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France

Jeanne Savonnet married three husbands in the rugged early days of French Canada, and she outlived them all. She was born in Paris in about 1648 to Jacques Savonnet and Antoinette Babilette. When Jeanne was a young woman of about 22, she was recruited to be a Fille du Roi, agreeing to marry a man in New France in return for passage and a dowry.

Jeanne arrived in Quebec City during the summer of 1670, competing with 120 other prospective brides of that year. She successfully found a husband, Jean Soucy dit Lavigne, who had come to New France as a Carignan-Salières Regiment soldier and decided to settle there. Their marriage record is lost, but the event is thought to have happened in Île d’Orleans. Then they moved to a farm on the remote Île-aux-Oies. The small, narrow island was sparsely populated, and life must have been challenging for a woman from Paris. She gave birth to four children there, with one dying young. Then in 1678, Jean died; it’s been speculated that he may have drowned since there was no burial record.

On Île-aux Oies. (AI-generated image)

Getting a new husband meant moving to the mainland, and on August 22, 1679, Jeanne married Damien Bérubé in L’Islet, located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. It was the very first marriage recorded at that parish. Damien was a mason by trade and they settled in Rivière-Ouelle, where Jeanne gave birth to five more children. She was pregnant with their sixth when an epidemic seems to have hit the area, and within a few days in March 1688, two baby girls and her husband were dead. Her last child with Damien, a boy, was born that October.

Jeanne was on her own for the next few years, and most likely her oldest son, Pierre, helped to support the family. In 1690, Rivière-Ouelle was threatened by a direct attack when a force from New England sailed up the St. Lawrence to invade Quebec. When the ships tried to land at their small settlement, everyone in the community banded together, and led by the village priest, they bravely fought off the English. It’s not known how Jeanne participated in the battle, but she certainly experienced the fear and anticipation of being invaded.

Plaque at Rivière-Ouelle regarding action in 1690.

On November 7, 1692, Jeanne married a third time to François Miville, the son of an immigrant from Switzerland. François had at one time been a seigneur, but he had given it up by the time he married Jeanne and made a living as a carpenter. Together they had one daughter, Jeanne’s last child, born in 1694.

Jeanne’s third husband passed away on November 23, 1711, and she died almost ten years later on March 12, 1721. Her descendants include Alex Trebek, Chloë Sevigny and Dan Aykroyd.

Children by Jean Soucy dit Lavigne:
1. Anne Soucy — B. 5 Sep 1671, Île-aux-Oies, New France; M. (1) Jean Lebel (?-1699), 16 Aug 1689, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; (2) Jacques Bois, 24 Nov 1704

2. Pierre Soucy — B. 13 Apr 1673, Île-aux-Oies, New France; D. 7 Jan 1760, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau (1679-1758), 13 Jan 1699, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

3. Marie-Anne Soucy — B. 15 Feb 1675, Île-aux-Grues, New France; M. (1) Charles Pelletier (?-1713), 24 Nov 1701, Riviere Ouelle, New France; (2) Robert Gaulin, 15 Apr 1716, Ste-Famille, New France

4. Guillaume Soucy — B.  5 Apr 1677, Île-aux-Grues, New France

Children by Damien Bérubé:
1. Jeanne-Marguerite Bérubé – B. 27 Oct 1680, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 24 Feb 1709, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. René Plourde (1667-1708), 26 Aug 1697, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

2. Pierre Bérubé — B. 4 Jan 1682, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 5 Oct 1736, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Genevieve Dancosse (1687-1745), 8 Jan 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

3. Ignace Bérubé — B. about 1683; D. 7 Mar 1709, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Angélique Marguerite Ouellet (1690-1756), 16 Aug 1707, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

4. Marie-Josephe Bérubé — B. 28 Oct 1684, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. Mar 1688, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

5. Thérèse Bérubé — B. about 1686, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 7 Mar 1688, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

6. Mathurlin Bérubé — B. 17 Oct 1688, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 20 Nov 1741, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Angélique-Marie Miville (1697-1769), 6 Apr 1712, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

Child by François Miville:
1. Marie-Françoise Miville – B. 18 Jan 1694, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 17 Jun 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Prisque Boucher (1689-1768), 6 Apr 1712, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
King's daughters and founding mothers: the filles du roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001
1690: Qui sont les héros et les héroïnes de la bataille de Rivière-Ouelle? (blog) Robert Bérubé, 2017
WikiTree

Tokens of Her Love — Mary Brooks

B. about 1623 in (probably) Manchester, England
M. about 1655 in Concord, Massachusetts
Husband: Timothy Wheeler
D. 4 Oct 1693 in Concord, Massachusetts

Sometimes a hint of personality can come through in an official document. This was true for Mary Brooks, who wrote a quite detailed will, leaving precious items to various family members. 

Mary was born in England in about 1623 to Thomas Brooks and Grace Cunliffe, one of at least four children. Her parents had married in Manchester Cathedral in 1618, and it’s believed the family lived in or near Manchester, although no church records show the baptisms of Mary or her siblings. It’s possible that because of their Puritan beliefs, they avoided association with the Church of England.

The Brooks family moved to Massachusetts sometime during the 1630s. Mary’s father was granted land in Watertown in 1636, and became part of the community, but seems to have moved to Concord by 1638, and this is where Mary would spend the rest of her life. In about 1655, she married Timothy Wheeler, a man in his 50s who had been widowed twice. The couple had three daughters born between 1657 and about 1666, one of whom died as a child. Timothy developed a close relationship with Mary’s father and together they bought 400 acres at Medford, Massachusetts. This property eventually passed to Mary’s brothers and was owned by the Brooks Family for generations.

During the summer of 1687, Timothy died, leaving Mary as the matriarch of her small family. On April 20, 1691, she had her will prepared and presumably dictated the language in it. She described that she was “stricken in years,” likely an indication that her health was declining. 

Surrounded by grandchildren. (AI-generated image)

The first bequest she made was to Ebenezer Prout, the husband of her deceased daughter Elizabeth, whom she left 5 shillings as “a token of my love.” To her grandson, also named Ebenezer Prout, she gave a silver cup engraved with the initials “EW” (presumably it had belonged to the boy’s mother), and also some bedding, furniture and £5. Mary's only surviving daughter, Rebecca, received another silver cup (without initials), a “standing cup,” and a bible with silver clasps. And to Rebecca’s husband, James Minot, she repeated the same sentiment as she wrote for her other son-in-law: 5 shillings as “a token of my love.”

Excerpt of Mary’s will showing “token of my love” language.

After Mary listed bequests to her other grandchildren, she named gifts for several individuals, including her brother Caleb, a “kinswoman” who once lived in her house, and various other acquaintances. The phrase “a token of my love” followed many of the items. The will was signed off with Mary’s mark, but instead of an “X” it was a crescent moon between two blots of ink. Mary died on October 4, 1693 at Concord. She was laid to rest with her husband in the Old Burying Ground.

Children:
1. Mary Wheeler — B. 3 Oct 1657, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 7 Oct 1660, Concord, Massachusetts

2. Elizabeth Wheeler — B. 6 Oct 1661, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 11 Oct 1683, Concord, Massachusetts; M. Ebenezer Prout, 28 May 1678

3. Rebecca Wheeler — B. about 1666; D. 23 Sep 1734, Concord, Massachusetts; M. James Minot (1653-1735), about 1684

Sources:
The genealogical and encyclopedic history of the Wheeler family in America, Albert Gallatin Wheeler, 1914
A History of the Town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Lemuel Shattuck, 1835
The History of Concord, Massachusetts, Vol. 1, Alfred Sereno Hudson, 1904
Tributaries (defunct website)
WikiTree

On the Shores of the River — Pierre Boucher dit Pitoche

B. 13 Feb 1639 in Quebec City, New France
M. 4 Apr 1663 in Château-Richer, New France
Wife: Marie Saint-Denys
D. 13 May 1707 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France

During the 17th century, Pierre Boucher dit Pitoche lived on both the north and south coasts of the St. Lawrence River, as well as a major island in between.

Pierre started out life in Quebec City, born there to Marin Boucher and Perrine Mallet on February 13, 1639. The Boucher family had migrated among the first wave of colonists after the French took Quebec back from the English. Pierre grew up with six siblings, plus a half-brother from his father’s earlier marriage (there were several half-sisters who had remained in France). The first few years of Pierre’s life were spent in the Beauport section of Quebec before his father acquired land in Château-Richer in 1648.

The Bouchers lived in Château-Richer on a large tract with 8 arpents of river frontage. It was said that their home was used by the community for religious functions before the church was built in about 1661. On April 4, 1663, Pierre got married in the new church; his bride was Marie Saint-Denys, who had arrived from France with her parents in 1659.

At some point, the nickname “Pitoche” was added to Pierre’s name. This was likely because there was a famous Pierre Boucher who was the governor of Trois-Rivières. Pierre had more humble pursuits—he was a farmer who supplemented his income building carts. Pitoche means “vase,” and it isn’t known why this nickname was applied to Pierre.

Pierre and his wife spent the first couple years of their marriage in Château-Richer where their first two children were born, then by 1666, they moved to Île d’Orleans. He acquired land with 3 arpents of frontage in Ste-Famille, the oldest settlement on the island. The family grew to include five more children, then in 1679, he moved back to Château-Richer where they had five more. His widowed mother lived nearby, and some time after she died in 1687, Pierre moved again, this time to the southern shore of the St. Lawrence.

The places where Pierre lived.

The place Pierre settled was Rivière-Ouelle; his older brother Galleran was already living there, and so was his daughter Marie-Sainte and her husband. Rivière-Ouelle was downriver towards the Atlantic, far enough so that ocean fish were within reach. It was said that Pierre had land at a location that was ideally suited for fishing, but it isn’t certain whether he made a living that way.

Pierre’s wife died in January 1705, and he passed away two year later on May 13, 1707. Many of Pierre’s descendants remained in the Rivière-Ouelle area for generations. Three of his great-grandsons served in the Rivière-Ouelle militia against the Americans during the Revolutionary War.

Pierre was a direct ancestor of Madonna, Dan Aykroyd and Chloë Sevigny.

Children:
1. Barbe Boucher — B. 13 Dec 1663, Château-Richer, New France; D. 20 Mar 1724, Pointe-de-Lévy, Lauzon, New France; (1) René Meheu, 16 Nov 1682, Château-Richer, New France; M. (2) Georges Cadoret, 22 Apr 1686, Château-Richer, New France; (3) Louis Jourdain, 8 Feb 1712, Pointe-de-Lévy, Lauzon, New France

2. Pierre Boucher — B. 1 Jan 1666, Château-Richer, New France; D. 17 Jun 1666, Montmorency, New France

3. Jacques Boucher — B. 4 Jan 1667, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 6 Jan 1667, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France

4. Marie-Sainte Boucher — B. 11 Aug 1668;, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France D. 15 Jul 1717, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Jean Mignault dit LaBrie, 7 Nov 1689, Château-Richer, New France

5. Jean Boucher — B. 14 Jan 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marie-Angelique Guay, 16 Oct 1696, Levis, New France

6. Pierre Boucher — B. 4 May 1673, (probably) Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 17 Jun 1714, Montmorency, New France; M. Madeleine Dancosse, 4 Feb 1697, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

7. Angelique Boucher — B. 27 Oct 1676, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 2 Mar 1717, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Louis Dubé, 28 Jan 1697, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

8. Charles Boucher — B. 7 Sep 1679, Château-Richer, New France; D. 4 May 1709, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; M. Marie-Anne Ouellet, 18 Nov 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

9. Marie-Therese Boucher — B. 9 Jan 1683, Château-Richer, New France; D. 15 Jul 1743, Montreal, New France; M. Pierre Dubé, 7 Jan 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

10. Genevieve Boucher — B. 12 sep 1685, Château-Richer, New France; D. 23 Jun 1769, St-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Quebec; M. Laurent Dubé, 7 Jan 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

11. Prisque Boucher — B. 22 Apr 1689, Château-Richer, New France; D. 9 May 1768, Pointe-de-Lévy, Lauzon, Quebec; M. Marie-Françoise Miville, 6 Apr 1712, Rivière-Ouelle, New France

12. Marguerite Boucher — B. 12 May 1692, Montmorency, New France; D. 13 Mar 1747, St-Roch-des-Aulnaies, New France

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

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

Marin Boucher (Wikipedia article) 
WikiTree