The Parentage of Nora Williams
I learned a new word today: the word was gallimaufry, and it means “a confused jumble or medley of things.” That word will accurately describe my investigation into the parentage of Nora!
Vincent Croteau and Jeanne Godequin
Here’s a story of a man named Vincent, and a maiden named Jeanne, and how they, on 22 Sep 1669, inside the home of Lady Bourdon in the city of Quebec, came together to sign a contract of marriage in front of the Notary Romain Bequet. This couple’s legacy is largely seen in the progression of notary agreements over the life of Vincent Croteau.
Grandma’s Grandma was an Indian
Grandma’s Grandma was an Indian. Or was it Grandma’s Great-Grandma? That is the legend that was passed down to me from my father, and to him by his mother. While the tribe and details changed depending on who I talked to in the family – some had grandma’s grandma as a full-blood, one cousin claimed we descended from Choctaw Indians – the general theme rang true, our recent family believed and passed down that an ancestor of Della Phyllis Grenier, my grandmother, was an Indian.
Louis Hébert, the first European settler of Quebec
In Quebec City, the Louis Hébert Monument stands in the corner of the garden of the Hôtel-de-Ville. The work of Canadian sculptor, Alfred Laliberté, the statue represents Louis Hébert, the first European settler of Canada, standing on the plinth, offering to God the first sheaf of wheat harvested on Canadian soil. At the base of …
Louis Hébert, the first European settler of Quebec Read More »
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Certified genealogist, Amy Johnson Crow, created a program by which she encourages genealogists to write about 52 ancestors each week over the whole year. Since I was making a renewed effort to actually put down on paper all the stories my 40 years + research has accumulated, I thought in 2021 that I would take on her tasks. Why, since I was already planning to write anyway? I am hoping for ideas that trigger themes for me to adapt each week. I likely will write many more than the 52 articles on 52 ancestors needed to complete the year.
The First White Marriage in Montreal
On 3 November 1647, less than one month after Françoise Fafard arrived in Ville-Marie (Montreal) from France, she was married to Mathurin Meunier at the Basilique Notre Dame. To us, this probably sounds like a hurried marriage, and it was, but not for the reason you may think. In 1647, men outnumbered women 6 to …
The First White Child Born in Montreal
Since my 10th great-grandparents Mathurin Meunier and Françoise Fafard were the first European couple to have been married in Montreal, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they also had the first European child born and baptized in Montreal! The birth of their first child, Barbe, must have brought great hope to the leaders of …
La Grande Recrue de 1653
In the autumn of 1651, after Mathurin LeMeunier had finished assisting Chomedey sieur de Maisonneuve in building the societies mission on the the Isle of Montreal, Sieur de Maisonneuve left for France to engage at least 100 new men to protect the colony and mission of Ville-Marie. This year in particular had seen an increase …
Mathurin Meunier and Francoise Fafard
My 10th great grandparents were Mathurin Meunier and Françoise Fafard. This is their story. Mathurin Meunier was born to Rene Lemonnier and Marie Leroux in St-Lambert de Clermont, France. He was baptized at the parish church, St-Lambert de Clermont, on 22 Apr 1619. It is likely his baptism occurred within days of his birth, if not the day of. He married Françoise Fafar, daughter of Jean Fafar and Elisabeth Thibout of Argences, France, on 3 Nov 1647, in the first recorded marriage of Europeans at the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Montréal, New France. Mathurin died between 9 Oct 1676, the day his grandson, Jacques Labbe was baptized, and 27 Jul 1679, the day his children sold their portion of his land to their brothers. Françoise died 13 Jan 1702 in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, New France. The family resided at Montreal, Quebec, Trois Rivieres, Chateau Richer, and Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, New France.
A Cluster of Williams’
I noticed today that I had not recorded the 1860 census for Eunice (Crane) Williams. I found her in the 1860 census, but while looking at the census page I realized that there was a cluster of Williams’ families in Roxbury. Of the 15 families numbered #763-777, six of them are named Williams. I am …