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Jean Gaudreau & Marie Jeanne Leroy

As a child, she endured unimaginable hardships. As a young girl, she had to rebuild her life. Meanwhile, a young man left France behind, venturing into the unknown in search of a new future. Together, they built a family, faced the challenges of colonial life, and left a lasting legacy.

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Jean Gaudreau & Marie Jeanne Leroy

Warning:  this story includes content that some readers might find disturbing, including a crime against a child. Discretion is advised.

 

As a child, she endured unimaginable hardships. As a young girl, she had to rebuild her life. Meanwhile, a young man left France behind, venturing into the unknown in search of a new future. Together, they built a family, faced the challenges of colonial life, and left a lasting legacy.

 

Jean Gaudreau, son of Jehan Gautereau and Marie Rouet, was baptized on August 4, 1649, in the parish of Sainte-Catherine in La Flotte on Île-de-Ré, Aunis, in France. His godparents were Guillaume Barain and Catherine Proust. Jean’s surname appears in various spellings in historical records, including Gautereau, Gotreau, and other phonetic variations.

1649 Baptism of Jean Gaudreau (Archives de la Charente-Maritime)

Location of La Flotte in France (Mapcarta)

La Flotte, also known as La Flotte-en-Ré, is a small town on the north coast of Île de Ré, approximately 12 kilometres from La Rochelle on the French mainland. Today, it is part of the department of Charente-Maritime. As of 2022, its population was around 3,000, with residents known as Flottais.

The Church of Sainte-Catherine, where Jean was baptized, has a rich history dating back centuries. Originally, it was likely a chapel adjoining the Château des Mauléons, as evidenced by its Gothic south gate. Over time, the church underwent significant modifications, including changes to its façade, stained glass windows, and the raising of its bell tower. A notable event occurred in 1632 when Cardinal de Richelieu gifted a bell to the parish, which remains in the building today.

Location of La Flotte on Île-de-Ré in France (Mapcarta)

La Flotte-en-Ré

Church of Sainte-Catherine in La Flotte (©2023 photo by The French-Canadian Genealogist)

Church of Sainte-Catherine in La Flotte (©2023 photo by The French-Canadian Genealogist)

Interior of the Church of Sainte-Catherine in La Flotte (©2023 photo by The French-Canadian Genealogist)

 

Plaques dedicated to La Flotte emigrants to Canada, including Jean and Gilles Gaudreau, in the Church of Sainte-Catherine (©2023 photo by The French-Canadian Genealogist)

 

Postcard of the port of La Flotte, likely between 1920 and 1930 (Geneanet)

The port of La Flotte (©2023 photo by The French-Canadian Genealogist)

Emigration to New France

Jean grew up in La Flotte with his five siblings: Gilles, Marie, Anne, Françoise, and Gilles (the second of that name). In March 1665, his older brother Gilles (baptized in 1644) signed a three-year work contract in La Rochelle to travel to New France. He set sail later that year and arrived in Québec during the summer of 1665.

Following his brother’s path, Jean also left France, but the exact year of his arrival in Canada remains uncertain, as no work contract has been found for him. He was not listed in the censuses of 1666 or 1667. A “Jean Goudrau” was confirmed at Québec on August 24, 1667, but this man was from Olonne, a town not far from La Flotte-en-Ré but not an exact match. Additionally, Jean was not recorded as a witness at his brother Gilles’s wedding on October 15, 1671.

Land Concessions

The first confirmed record of Jean Gaudreau in Canada appears on August 22, 1673. On this date, Guillaume Fournier, seigneur of Saint-Joseph-du-Sud, and his wife Françoise Hébert granted Jean a land concession in their seigneurie. The plot measured 120 arpents, with three arpents facing the St. Lawrence River and extending 40 arpents deep. In exchange, Jean agreed to pay his seigneur an annual rente of six livres in cash, two live capons, and one sol in cens.

A little over a year later, on November 20, 1674, Guillaume Fournier granted Jean another three arpents of land in Saint-Joseph-du-Sud. For this second plot, Jean agreed to pay an annual cens of 12 deniers and three live capons (or 25 sols each). It is unclear whether Jean ever lived on this land. 

On June 4, 1675, Jean received a third land concession, this time from Geneviève de Chavigny, widow of Charles Amyot and dame of the seigneurie of Vincelot. By this point, Jean was already a resident of Vincelot. This concession also consisted of 120 arpents, with three arpents facing the St. Lawrence River and extending 40 arpents deep. In return, Jean agreed to pay his seigneuresse with six livres in cash and three live capons in annual rente, plus one sol in cens.

Jean was unable to sign his name on any of the concession agreements.

Marie Jeanne Leroy, daughter of Nicolas Leroy and Jeanne Lelièvre, was born on August 15, 1664. She was baptized two days later in the parish of Notre-Dame in Québec. Her godparents were Jean Baptiste Peuvret, sieur de Mesnu, and Michelle Thérèse Nau. [In most genealogical records, Marie Jeanne is simply referred to as Marie.]

1664 baptism of Marie Jeanne Leroy (Généalogie Québec)

Marie Jeanne spent her early years on the seigneurie of Beaupré, where her father built a cabin on a land concession he received the same year she was born. The property was located east of Montmorency Falls and west of L'Ange-Gardien, in what is now Boischatel.

In 1669, the Leroy family experienced a traumatic event when Marie Jeanne was attacked and assaulted by a neighbour, Jacques Nourry. Seeking justice for their daughter, her parents brought the case to court.

On August 19, a verdict was delivered:

 

“The Sovereign Council has declared that the said Jacques Nourry is duly convicted of having raped the said Marie Leroy, and in reparation does condemn him to be hanged and strangled on a gallows, then his body dragged through the street after his head has been severed and placed on a post, plus three hundred livres in civil reparations to the said Marie Roy, to have her treated and help her get married, plus one hundred livres in damages – one third to go to the hospital and the other two thirds to the needs of the Council and to the costs of the trial, the remainder of his property to be acquired and confiscated to the high justice seigneur of Beaupré.”

 

Nourry was executed the same day at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

1669 sentence of Jacques Nourry (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

Marriage

Despite the hardships she had endured, Marie Jeanne was able to rebuild her life. On July 25, 1679, she signed a marriage contract with 29-year-old Jean Gaudreau before notary Gilles Rageot. Jean was recorded as a habitant of Vincelot, while Marie Jeanne was a resident of La Durantaye. As she was only 14 years old, her parents were present and gave their formal consent. Olivier Morel, the seigneur of La Durantaye, also acted as a witness for her. Representing Jean, his brother Gilles Gaudreau was a witness, along with his seigneuresse, Geneviève de Chavigny.

 

Marriage Contracts

In the 17th and 18th century New France, marriage contracts were a common practice. These contracts, signed before a notary, 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.

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

Jean and Marie Jeanne were married on July 31, 1679, in the parish of Notre-Dame in Québec. The witnesses included Nicolas Leroy (Marie Jeanne’s father), Gilles Gaudreau (Jean’s brother), and Olivier Morel (seigneur of La Durantaye). Neither the bride nor groom was able to sign the marriage record.

 

Legal Age to Marry and Age of Majority

In New France, the legal minimum age for marriage was 14 for boys and 12 for girls. These requirements remained unchanged during the eras of Lower Canada and Canada-East. In 1917, the Catholic Church revised its code of canon law, setting the minimum marriage age at 16 for men and 14 for women. The Code civil du Québec later raised this age to 18 for both sexes in 1980. Throughout these periods, minors required parental consent to marry.

The age of majority has also evolved over time. In New France, the age of legal majority was 25, following the Coutume de Paris (Custom of Paris). This was reduced to 21 under the British Regime. Since 1972, the age of majority in Canada has been set at 18 years old, although this age can vary slightly between provinces.

 

The marriage (artificial intelligence image created by the author with Dall-E, April 2024)

 

Jean and Marie Jeanne had three children:

  1. Charles (1681-1756)

  2. Jean Baptiste (1682-before 1723)

  3. Marie Anne (1684-?)

Work contract in Batiscan

Just a few months after his marriage, Jean left his home in the seigneurie of Vincelot. On December 22, 1679, he signed a one-year work contract with Jacques Lemarchand of Batiscan. The agreement, recorded by notary Antoine Adhémar, stated that Jean would perform “anything the Sieur Le Marchand commands him to” in exchange for 120 livres and a new pair of shoes. In addition, he would receive food, lodging, and laundry service. Jean had already been living in Batiscan since November 6, according to the contract. However, there was no mention of Marie Jeanne, suggesting she may have returned to live with her parents during that period.

In the 1681 census of New France, Jean “Gottereau” was recorded as a resident of the seigneurie of Bellechasse, which likely included Vincelot, where he and Marie Jeanne lived. Strangely, Marie Jeanne and their son Charles were omitted from the census. At the time, Jean owned one gun and six arpents of cleared land.

Death of Jean Gaudreau

Jean Gaudreau died in his thirties, sometime between the 1681 census and April 28, 1685. On that date, Marie Jeanne was named the godmother of Marie Richard in Cap-Saint-Ignace and was referred to as the “widow of Jean Goutreau.”

Commemorative tombstone in the Cap-Saint-Ignace cemetery (2015 photo by Juliette Goudreau, used with permission)

Godparent Roles and Second Marriage

Following her husband’s death, Marie Jeanne continued to play an active role in her community, serving as a godmother multiple times. In 1686, she was recorded as godmother in two baptisms in Cap-Saint-Ignace:

  • February 17, 1686 — Godmother to Angélique Thibault; the godfather was her brother-in-law, Gilles Gaudreau.

  • July 9, 1686 — Godmother to Marie Anne Guimont.

Sometime between July 9, 1686 (when she was still referred to as the widow of Jean Gaudreau) and December 1688 (the birthdate of her first child with Jean Fournier), Marie Jeanne remarried. Her second husband was Jean Fournier, but no marriage record has been found.

The couple had at least ten children: Françoise, Nicolas, Jean Baptiste, Marie, Ambroise, Cécile, Marie Anne, Joseph, Augustin, and Charles.

Marie Jeanne continued to act as godmother in the years following her second marriage, including for several of her grandchildren:

  • August 11, 1692 — Godmother to Marie Françoise Richard.

  • April 14, 1701— Godmother to Claude Caouette.

  • January 29, 1711— Godmother to Marie Geneviève Caron.

  • July 18, 1711— Godmother to Jean Baptiste Gaudreau, her grandson.

  • August 22, 1716— Godmother to Pierre Gamache.

  • January 18, 1727— Godmother to Simon Fournier, her grandson.

  • February 16, 1731— Godmother to Jean Chrysostome Fournier, her grandson.

  • September 15, 1731— Godmother to Marie Fournier, her granddaughter.

The Inventory

On June 25, 1701, notary Charles Rageot de Saint-Luc compiled an inventory of the possessions of Marie Jeanne and her late husband, Jean Gaudreau. The document listed their possessions, including household items, tools, furniture, as well as stores of wheat and flour.

Notably, the inventory revealed one of Jean’s occupations: he had been a clogmaker. Among the listed items were 50 pairs of sabots (wooden clogs) and various clog-making tools.

Artificial intelligence image created by the author with Dall-E (January 2025)

Jean also owned a plot of land in the seigneurie of Vincelot, measuring three arpents wide by 40 arpents deep. Of this, he had farmed six arpents and 60 perches, and had cleared an additional ten arpents and 20 perches, though some tree stumps remained. The couple’s home, described as a maison de madrier encoulissée (a house made of grooved planks), measured 22 feet long by 18 feet wide and was covered with straw. The original earthen chimney had “fallen into ruin” and had since been replaced by a stone chimney, constructed by Marie Jeanne’s second husband.  

Other structures on the property included a barn, measuring 42 feet long by 22 feet wide, also covered with straw, as well as an old stone stable. The inventory also recorded their livestock, which included two brown-haired oxen, five red-haired cows, two small bulls, three calves, a sow with eight piglets, and four other medium-sized pigs.    

Marie Jeanne declared that she had settled a 200-livre debt owed by her first husband, Jean Gaudreau, to Jean Le Picard. Jean Gaudreau had left no outstanding debts.  

 

The After-Death Inventory

The Coutume de Paris (custom of Paris) governed the transmission of family property in New France. When a couple married, with or without a contract, they were subject to the “community of goods.” All property acquired during the union by the spouses was part of this community. After the death of the parents (assuming the couple had children), the property of the community was divided in equal parts between all the children, sons and daughters. When the community was dissolved by the death of one of the spouses, the survivor was entitled to his or her half, the other half being divided equally between the children. When the survivor died, the children divided their share of the community. Inventories were drawn up after a death in order to itemize all the goods within a community.

 

Extract of the 1701 inventory (FamilySearch)

 

Beyond her role as a godmother, Marie Jeanne appears in the public record only twice more before her death:

  • February 11, 1727 — She and her husband, Jean Fournier, incurred a debt (obligation) to François Morneau, as recorded in a notarial act by Abel Michon.

  • August 8, 1734 — Their sons, Jean and Charles Fournier, exchanged lands in the seigneurie of Vincelot with their parents’ authorization, as documented in a notarial act by François Rageot de Beaurivage.   

Death of Marie Jeanne Leroy

Marie Jeanne Leroy passed away at the age of 86. She was buried on April 26, 1751, in the parish cemetery of Saint-Ignace-de-Loyola in Cap-Saint-Ignace. Her exact date of death was omitted from the burial record.

1751 burial of Marie Jeanne Leroy (Généalogie Québec)

 
 
Jean Gaudreau & Marie Jeanne Leroy (article in PDF format)
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