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François Vincent and Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne

François Vincent and Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne

Building a Future: Life and Land in Longueuil  

Cliquez ici pour la version en français

 François Vincent and Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne

Building a Future: Life and Land in Longueuil  

 

Location of Villard-Saint-Sauveur (Mapcarta)

François Vincent, son of Pierre François Vincent and Catherine Clément, was born on January 22, 1714. He was baptized Claude François the same day in the parish of Saint-Antoine in Villard-Saint-Sauveur, in Jura, France. His godparents were Claude François Boucan and Marie Clémend [Clément]. Located just 20 kilometres west of the French-Swiss border, Villard-Saint-Sauveur is a small commune with a population of about 600 residents. [François’s mother is called Marie Françoise on his baptism record, and Catherine on his marriage contract and marriage record. Researchers have theorized that she used both given names; Françoise being her mother’s name and Catherine being her godmother’s name.]

1714 Baptism of François Vincent (Archives du Jura)

The 18th-century church of Saint-Antoine, where François Vincent was baptized (Sebleouf, Wikimedia Commons)

View of Villard-Saint-Sauveur (Naudinsylvain, Wikimedia Commons)

The exact details of François’s arrival in Canada are unknown. He is mentioned in the public record for the first time in 1737, when he acquired his first land concessions.

That year, François obtained plots of land on “le ruisseau Saint-Antoine” (the Saint-Antoine brook) in the seigneurie of Longueuil.

Two records were drawn up by notary François Simonnet:

  • September 21, 1737: sale of land situated on the côte de Dadoncourt by Joseph Monet and Marie Boismier, his wife, and Adrien Monet dit Boismenu, to François Vincent, for 92 livres. The land portions measured two-fifths of an arpent of land, stretching from the brook to Chambly road.

  • October 28, 1737: sale of land located on the côte de Dadoncour by Nicolas Monet to François Vincent for 250 livres. The land measured one arpent wide by the entire depth from the brook to Chambly road.

Map of Longueuil in 1723 (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

[Though this map was drawn up before François’s arrival, we know that his land was located somewhere along the ruisseau Saint-Antoine, shown on the map flowing into the St. Lawrence River in a north-south direction. The land he acquired was likely at the northern end of the brook, which no longer exists today.]

Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne, daughter of Jean Baptiste Tessier dit Lavigne and Élisabeth Renaud dite Dumoulin, was born on November 13, 1716. She was baptized the same day in the parish of Notre-Dame in Montréal. Her godparents were Pierre Bouchard, son of blacksmith René Bouchard, and Marguerite Hubert, daughter of Louis Hubert. Only the godmother knew how to sign.

1716 Baptism of Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne (Généalogie Québec)

Marriage

Extract of François and Marguerite’s marriage contract (FamilySearch)

On the afternoon of September 14, 1738, François Vincent and Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne had their marriage contract drawn up by notary François Simonnet. François’s witnesses included his cousin Joseph Clément, Charles Lemoine (baron of Longueuil and major of Montréal), Pierre François Cherrier (merchant of Longueuil) and François Bouteiller. Marguerite’s witness was her mother, Élisabeth Renaud dite Dumoulin.  

The contract followed the norms of the Coutume de Paris (the Custom of Paris). François endowed his future wife with a customary dower of 300 livres. The preciput was set at 150 livres. [The preciput, under the regime of community of property between spouses, was an advantage conferred by the marriage contract on one of the spouses, generally on the survivor, and consisting in the right to levy, upon dissolution of the community, on the common mass and before any partition thereof, some of which specified property or a sum of money.]

François stipulated that he had recently acquired a land concession by the Saint-Antoine brook in the seigneurie of Longueuil. Though the concession was not yet fully paid for, and the land had not yet considerably been improved (i.e. cleared) and included no house or buildings, François asked for it to be included in the future community of the spouses.

The bride and groom were unable to sign their names on the contract.

 

Marriage Contracts

In the 18th century, marriage contracts were a common practice, with over 60% of marriages involving such agreements, which were signed before a notary. These contracts were typically finalized several days or weeks prior to the wedding ceremony, with an average timeframe of three weeks. This period aligned with the customary publication of three marriage bans on three consecutive Sundays, ensuring that the community was aware of the impending union.

The signing of the marriage contract was a significant social event, often attended by a large number of family members, friends, and sometimes high-ranking members of society. To maintain social harmony, the notary meticulously arranged the order of signatures (or marks for those unable to sign) to reflect the social hierarchy of the attendees.

Legally, marriage created a new family unit governed by the Coutume de Paris (Custom of Paris). This legal framework generally imposed the “communauté des biens” regime (community of property), under which all movable and immovable property of both spouses, whether acquired before or during the marriage, was pooled into the marital community. The husband had exclusive administrative rights over this communal property.

These marriage contracts not only outlined the division and management of property but also included provisions for dowries, inheritances, and other financial arrangements. They served as a vital tool for protecting the interests of both families involved, ensuring that wealth and assets were managed and transferred according to agreed terms.

François and Marguerite were married the following day on September 15, 1738, in the parish of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue in Longueuil. He was 24 years old; she was 21. Most of the witnesses who attended the contract signing were also present at the wedding ceremony.

The church of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue in Longueuil, built in 1811. A new church replaced it in 1884. (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

François and Marguerite had at least eleven children:

  1. Marie Catherine (1740-1819)

  2. Marguerite (1742-1820)

  3. Marie Geneviève Anne (1744-1783)

  4. François (1745-1820)

  5. Antoine (1747-1748)

  6. Louis (1748-1815)

  7. Joseph Marie (1751-1820)

  8. Amable (1751-1828)

  9. Jean Baptiste (1753-?)

  10. Pierre (1756-1836)

  11. Michel (1758-1828)

An Accumulation of Land

Over the next two decades, François and Marguerite were involved in several land transactions in Longueuil:

  • September 21, 1742 & October 8, 1742: Sale of portions of land located on the côte de Dadoncour by Nicolas Monet and Marie-Louise Monet, wife of Jacques Tessier dit Lavigne [Marguerite’s brother], to François Vincent of Longueuil for 116 livres. The land portions measured two-fifths of an arpent of land, stretching from the brook of Saint-Antoine to Chambly road.  

  • May 30, 1745: Sale and constitution of an annual and perpetual annuity on land situated on côte Dadoncour or côte Saint-Antoine in the barony of Longueuil by Augustin Clément to François Vincent, of côte Dadoncour. The land measured three arpents of frontage by 25 arpents deep. The rente was set at 100 livres per year.

  • October 20, 1747: Sale of land located on côte Dadoncour by Jeanne Monet dite Boismenu to François Vincent, resident of côte Dadoncour in the barony of Longueuil, for 60 livres. The land measured 36 feet of frontage by 18 arpents deep, from the brook of Saint-Antoine to Chambly road, adjoining land that François already owned.

  • May 3, 1750: Sale of land situated in Longueil at côte Dadoncour by Nicolas Tessié [Tessier] [Marguerite’s brother] and Marie-Charlotte Richard, his wife, to François Vincent and Marguerite Tessié [Tessier], his wife, for 5,000 livres. The land was bordered by “the land of Joseph Rouillé, up until the second ditch on the southeast corner, the Saint-Antoine brook and at the other end in depth until Chambly road.” The sale included all buildings on the land. The sum of 5,000 livres was to be paid as follows: 1,000 livres worth of wheat and 4,000 livres in cash, to be paid within 3 years.

  • May 18, 1750: Sale of land located at côte Dadoncourt by François Vincent and Marguerite Tessier, his wife, of Longueuil, to Charles Brais dit Labonté for 2,500 livres. The land measured two arpents of frontage by a depth stretching from the brook of Saint-Antoine to Chambly road. The sale included all buildings and fields under cultivation on the land.

  • March 16, 1753: Sale of land located in Longueuil by François Vincent and Marguerite Texier [Tessier], his wife, of Longueuil, to Joseph Viau for 450 livres. The land measured three arpents of frontage by a depth stretching from the brook of Saint-Antoine to the Chambly road.

On May 18, 1770, François and Marguerite asked notary Simonnet to draw up an act of donation to their daughters Catherine, Marie and Marguerite (and their spouses). [The quality of the document is poor and bleed-through ink makes it difficult to decipher the handwriting and understand the details of the donation.]

In the 1770s and 80s, François and Marguerite are involved in two more land transactions:

  • November 20, 1772: Sale of land located on Chambly Road in the seigneurie of Longueuil by André Lamare and Marguerite Vincent, his wife, to François Vincent, of Gentilly, appearing and being stipulated by François Vincent, of Gentilly, his eldest son, for 350 livres. The land measured three arpents of frontage by about 20 arpents deep.

  • June 23, 1781: Sale of land located in the barony of Longueuil by François Vincent and Marguerite Texier [Tessier], of the barony of Longueuil, to François Reguindau dit Joachim and Marie Daragon, his wife, for 50 livres. The land measured three arpents of frontage by 44 arpents and 3 perches deep.

Transfer of Land and Responsibilities

Now aged in their mid- to late-sixties, François and Marguerite were preparing for their future and that of their children. On May 18, 1782, they transferred their land located in Longueuil to their son Michel for 5,000 livres. The couple did so “considering their age” and not “being able to make the most of their assets consisting of land in Longueuil.” The transfer also included all the buildings, animals, and agricultural tools on the property. Michel would be responsible for paying all cens and rentes going forward. François and Marguerite’s other children agreed to the transaction. “And to show the affection, love and respect that the aforementioned children owe their father and mother,” sons François, Louis, Joseph, Pierre, Amable and Michel each promised to provide and deliver to their parents 12 minots of wheat, two minots of hay, three cords of wood, one lean pig, 100 bales of hay and 150 bales of straw per year starting the following year on the day of Saint-Michel. François and Marguerite held back one cow for their personal use, which would be replaced by their sons in case of death. The Vincent sons also promised to bury their parents when they died and have 100 Requiem masses said for the repose of their souls.  

Artificial intelligence image generated by Dall-E

On January 1, 1786, Marguerite transferred the title of a site located in the village of Longueuil to her son Amable. She had been given permission to do so by François, who was ill and could not travel to the notary’s office. The site measured 74½ feet of frontage and included a log home with a stone fireplace and a 30-foot shed. Amable would be responsible for paying all cens and rentes going forward. In return for the property, Amable agreed to care for his parents, in sickness and in health, until their deaths.

 

Donations

In New France, the practice of making donations "entre vifs" (between living persons) was quite common, especially as individuals aged or experienced a decline in health. This type of donation involved transferring control of one's possessions to another person, typically one of their children, who would then take on the responsibility of caring for them. 

The donation process was formalized through a notary, who documented the agreement in detail. This notarized document specified the rights and responsibilities of both parties, outlining exactly what the parent was giving to the child and what the child was expected to provide in return.

The assets included in these donations often comprised land, a house or farm, and livestock. In exchange for receiving these assets, the child might be required to pay off any outstanding debts and ensure that the parent was properly housed, fed, clothed, and otherwise cared for until their death.

Deaths of Marguerite and François

Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne died at the age of 72 on June 16, 1789. She was buried the next day in the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue parish cemetery of Longueuil.

1789 Burial of Marguerite Tessier dite Lavigne (Généalogie Québec)

François Vincent died at the age of 83 on October 16, 1797. He was buried the next day in the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue parish cemetery of Longueuil.

1797 Burial of François Vincent (Généalogie Québec)

 
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