Month: February 2020

Antoine Marie Leduc and Jeanne Faucheaux

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant5 Comments

In the 17th century, my great grandparents sailed to New France after leaving loved ones behind in their homeland in France. Although the two did not sail together, they eventually met, married, began raising a family, and settled in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade.

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Family Riches

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant2 Comments

You’re not rich until you have something that money can’t buy.

In June 1975, the children were home for summer vacation on the little island of Alameda, California. The salty breezes from the San Francisco Bay kept the air pleasant, even as the temperatures began to rise. Kids rode bikes and Big Wheels up and down the sidewalks, while others dashed through sprinklers, all enjoying a well-earned break from school.

The houses on our block were a mix of styles and sizes. Some were Victorian homes and quaint cottages; others were Craftsman-style bungalows, and one was a Spanish Revival. It was a family-friendly neighborhood, with plenty of kids for everyone to have someone to play with during those summer days.

As summer stretched on, families in the neighborhood chatted about their upcoming vacations. Some planned trips south to Disneyland, and the children eagerly discussed their plans with the other neighborhood kids.

Our family, however, was the largest crew on the block. With five kids, ranging from five to fourteen years old that summer, we were a busy household. But because of our size, we rarely took family vacations. Instead, our parents found creative ways to explore the world with us. We were all involved in scouting—our parents included—and we often had the chance to travel with friends and extended family. One of my brothers, who had Type 1 Diabetes, went to a two-week camp each year for kids with the same condition.

On top of that, we had memorable day trips up and down the Northern California coast. We spent weekends picnicking, visiting beaches, and exploring state parks. Sometimes we’d even go to the local amusement parks. While other families discussed their vacations to far-off places, we never felt left out. Our adventures, though smaller in scale, were full of wonder and fun.

That summer, however, Mom seemed worried. As the talks of trips to Disneyland grew, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that we couldn’t afford such a trip. One afternoon, the youngest of my brothers—Keith and Danny—came inside to ask about the possibility of a family trip to Disneyland.

Keith, with his wide eyes, asked innocently, “How much would it cost for our family to go to Disneyland?”

Mom, glancing at their hopeful faces, sighed and replied, “Well, for our family, it would probably cost around $1,000.” To us, it might as well have been a million dollars.

“Okay!” Keith and Danny chimed together, then ran back outside.

Turning to me, Mom shook her head and said quietly, “I wish we could take you all to Disneyland. It would be so much fun, and it breaks my heart to always have to say no.”

I walked over to her and hugged her. “You worry too much, Mom. You’ve given us a great life already,” I reassured her.

But she didn’t seem convinced. She simply went back to preparing lunch, keeping her feelings to herself.

When lunch was ready, the little ones grabbed their plates and headed outside for an impromptu picnic in the backyard. Mom helped them spread out a blanket and poured some Kool-Aid. Tommy, my older brother, took his lunch to his room to work on a new electronic project, while Dave, another brother, flopped in front of the TV to catch reruns of Gilligan’s Island. I stayed in the kitchen with Mom so we could have lunch together.

Despite her best efforts to hide it, I could tell Mom was still feeling the weight of her disappointment. She wanted to do more for us, to give us experiences like the other kids had, but it just wasn’t possible.

After the boys finished eating, they asked Mom to help clean up their picnic. I followed her outside to lend a hand.

As we gathered up the leftover dishes, Keith had one more question. “How much would it cost to have a new baby?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Mom smiled, taken aback. “Oh, about the same as a trip to Disneyland,” she replied, half-laughing.

Keith turned to Danny, and they exchanged excited grins. “Well,” Keith announced, “since they cost the same, we’ve decided we’d rather have a new baby!”

The words hung in the air for a moment, and then we all burst into laughter. As I glanced at Mom, I saw tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t need a trip to Disneyland. In that moment, she realized that the riches in her life were not measured by money or material things. Her wealth was found in the love and laughter of her children.

Mom’s worries faded, and her heart seemed lighter. She may not have fully understood how much she meant to us, but in that moment, we all knew she was the greatest gift of all. Mama taught us that true riches aren’t about what you can buy; they’re about the people you love and the moments you share together.

Photo by Jorge Martínez, instagram @jmartinezz9 on Unsplash

Claude Damise: A Fille du Roi in Montreal

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant9 Comments

This grandmother also took a lover, and on the 23 Mar 1676, she had a son, Andre-Jean.

Façade of the Catholic Church Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet, built in the 16th-17th centuries. Rue des Bernardins, Paris.
By: Jawstrow

In the year 1643, Claude Damise was born to Etienne Damise and Genevieve Pioche. The family was located in the parish of Saint-Nicholas-du-Chardonnet in the faubourg Saint-Victor section of Paris, France.

After the death of her father, Claude decided to take her king’s offer and sail to the fledgling colonies in New France. If the colonies were to grow, they needed women for the soldiers and settlers that resided in these new lands. Between 1663-1673, King Louis XIV started a program that sent around 800 women to North America. He gave the woman a dowry and supplies to help them start their homes. In time, these women were called the King’s Daughters.

In 1668, at the age of 25 years, the young woman sailed to Canada to find a husband and a new home. When she arrived, she lodged at the Maison Saint-Gabriel in Montreal. On 10 Dec, she married Pierre Perthuis dit Lalime in Montreal. Claude could not sign the marriage contract, but her husband signed the paper. Her cousin, Francoise Guillin that was also a King’s Daughter, attended the wedding and was a witness to the ceremony.

Maison Saint-Gabriel
18 August 2012
By abdallahh

Her husband was born in 1644 in the Saint-Denis district of Amboise, Touraine, in France. Pierre’s parents were Sylvain Perthuis and Matherine Rassicot, and his father was a wood merchant. In 1665, he sailed to Canada, and he became a soldier for the Salieres Company of the Carignan Regiment. In time, he also became a merchant in Montreal, and in 1695, he enlisted as a fur trader.

Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967

The couple had twelve children, Catherine (23 Jan 1670), Jean (7 Feb 1672), Jeanne (13 Dec 1673), Elisabeth (7 Feb 1677), Marie (8 Sep 1678), Genevieve (18 Oct 1680), Marguerite-Francoise (24 Jul 1682), Angelique (1 Jan 1684), Anne-Francoise (26 Jan 1685; buried five days later), Pierre (16 Apr 1686), Francois (10 Jan 1688), and Pierre 2 (22 May 1691). In 1681, their son, Jean, died at the age of nine.

PRDH

This grandmother also took a lover, and on the 23 Mar 1676, she had a son, Andre-Jean. His father was Jean Paradis, and he was the son of Pierre Paradis and Barbe Guyon. Since Andre’s birth was well documented, I do not know if her husband was aware of her infidelity. However, records indicate that Andre was adopted by another couple, Rene Siret dit Lafleur and Anne Fayet, another King’s Daughter. This couple was childless. They did not marry until 8 Sept 1670, so Andre was adopted when he was older.

In 1682, Claude and her husband, Pierre, were involved in a scandal. A cabaret owner, Anne Lamarque dit Folleville, was taken before the courts for her immoral lifestyle. She was accused of having several lovers. In April 1682, Anne was a lodger in the home of Claude and Pierre, and they were called in as witnesses.

The cabaret, owned by Anne and her husband, Charles Testard in Montreal, was quite a popular stop among the men from all ranks of society. Since the men often traveled for their jobs, Montreal was in a central location for these men passing through the area. It also became the hub for merchants and traders, so the cabaret was an infamous hot spot for controversial behavior.

This scandalous business attained notoriety and gained the attention of the church and the civil authorities that wanted to stop the immorality in their town. As complaints began to mount against the couple, a parish priest, Jean Fremont, became involved. He wanted the cabaret closed, for the establishment was troubling; it often included violent fights as prostitutes worked their charms, and husbands cheated on their wives.

On June 17, 1862, Jean Fremont appealed to the local authorities and requested that Anne Lamarque should be stopped, and her business closed. The long trial included many of the neighbors of Anne and her husband. Interesting and sordid details even added witchcraft, for witnesses stated that Anne had a book of spells, written in Greek, Latin, and French. Some claimed she contrived spells that lured men to her place of business. Others acknowledged that the madame of this establishment created love potions that enticed the men and ensured their loyalty to frequent her place of business. Even her husband, Charles, testified that his wife was a magician. Her customers attested to her illicit behaviors and suggested that some of her children were born from these adulterous misdeeds. The couple was accused of debauchery, which also included slights against the religious members of Montreal.

Still, Anne defied the accusations, and with her influential connections in Montreal, she was acquitted, and the cabaret remained in business. Her success was short-lived; however, four years later, in 1686, the businesswoman died at the age of thirty-seven.

After this incident, no more information about Claude was mentioned, except for the fact that she continued to have children with her husband, Pierre.

In 1705, Claude died, and on the 6 Oct, services were held at the Notre Dame Basilica; she was buried in the churchyard.

Her husband, Pierre, remarried. His new wife, Francoise Moisan, was another King’s Daughter, and she was also my 10x great grandmother.

The King’s Daughters

The Damise Family Tree


Cornelius Krieghoff
The Habitant Farm
1856,
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
 

Sources:

“Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current.” Search, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60527.

Edmund West, comp. Family Data Collection – Births, Ancestry.com Operations Ina, 2001, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5769.

Edmund West, comp. Family Data Collection – Marriages, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5774.

Gagné Peter J. King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: the Filles Du Roi, 1663-1673. Quintin Publications, 2003.

Gale Research. U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7486.

Genealogical Research Library, Ontario, Canada. “Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s.” Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7920.

Krieghoff, Cornelius. The Habitant Farm. 1856, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.

Pare, Olivier. “Anne Lamarque, Dite La Folleville.” Mémoires Des Montréalais, Centre D’Histoire De Montreal, 31 July 2018, ville.montreal.qc.ca/memoiresdesmontrealais/anne-lamarque-dite-la-folleville.

PRDH, Drouin Institute, http://www.prdh-igd.com/en/home.

Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1626-1935, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016, anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2016/10/ancestry-adds-quebec-canada-notarial.html.

Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968.” Birth, Marriage and Death Records – Ancestry.ca, Online Publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008., search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=1091.

“Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890.” 1920 Census | 1920 US Federal Census Records | Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2177.

Rheault, Marcel J. Medicine in New France: Montreal Surgeons, 1642-1760, Quebec, September, 2004

Yates Publishing. “U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900.” U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7836.

Web: Netherlands, GenealogieOnline Trees Index, 1000-2015, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9289.