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 Marriage in Montreal Read More »
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
The First White Child Born in Montreal Read More »
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
La Grande Recrue de 1653 Read More »
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.
Mathurin Meunier and Francoise Fafard Read More »
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
A Cluster of Williams’ Read More »
My 4th great-grandparents were William Williams and Eunice B. Crane This is their Life Story William Williams and Eunice B. Crane are my second gr-grandparents on my father’s side. William Williams parentage remains one of my few remaining brick walls. WILLIAM WILLIAMS1-6 was born in 1791 (Based on age of William on headstone. Conflicting evidence
The Family of William Williams and Eunice B. Crane Read More »
Philip Durrell, the progenitor of the Durrell family of Maine and New Hampshire, immigrated from Guernsey, according to family tradition, and first appears in New England records on 20 Feb 1689/90, when his mark was affixed to a New Hampshire province petition. While his original settlement was in Exeter, Philip would remove to Porpoise cape in 1700. Philip remained but a short time at Cape Porpoise. The French and their Native allies attacked the settlements of present day Maine over a six day period starting on August 10, 1703. “Cape Porpoise, being inhabitated by a few unshielded fisherman, was wholly laid desolate.”
The Durrell Family of Cape Porpoise Read More »
Sally (Susan) Fisher was probably born between 1805 and 1815 in the sleepy little town of Lyndon Vermont. Little is known of her childhood, but she was able to read and write in her adult years, so she probably attended local schools in her early life. Lyndon Vermont is a “child town” of Rhode Island, and many of the early settlers of Lyndon came to clear land in the township in exchange for some of that land. Perhaps that is what brought her unconfirmed parents to Lyndon.
Sally Fisher of Lyndon Vermont Read More »
In the first part of this series I explained how I was making an effort to further my chances of matches through Ancestry DNA by expanding my Grénier lines downward from siblings of my Grénier ancestors. In conducting this research I came across an interesting marriage record between Francois Henn and Marguerite Illégitime Anonime. In the first post I provided the information I currently have on Marguerite and developed a plan of researching for the identification of an illegitimate child in French-Canadian parish records. This second part of the series will now identify any illegitimate Marguerite’s listed in the parish records of Ste-Marguerite-de-Blairfindie. I’ve stayed within the parish records in my search. Broadening my search outward to any illegitimate Marguerite in Canada at this time would be an unreasonable search in my opinion.
Marguerite, Illégitime, “Anonime” – Who Is She??? – Part 2 Read More »
In an effort to further my chance of making matches through Ancestry DNA, over the past week I have been expanding my Grénier lines downward from siblings of my Grénier ancestors. In conducting this research I came across an interesting marriage record between Francois Henn and Marguerite Illégitime Anonime. This post provides the information I currently have on Marguerite and develops a plan of researching for identification of an illegitimate child in French-Canadian parish records.
Marguerite, Illégitime, “Anonime” – Who Is She??? – Part 1 Read More »