Biography of Mathurin Villeneuve & Marguerite Lemarche dite Laroche
Discover the story of a French cooper and a “fille canadienne”, ancestral couple to most of Canada’s 30,000 Villeneuves.
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Mathurin Villeneuve & Marguerite Lemarché dite Laroche
Mathurin Villeneuve, the son of Mathieu Villeneuve and Jeanne Chauché (or Chauchet or Chaussé), was baptized on 17 Dec 1645 in the parish of Ste-Marie on Île-de-Ré, Charente-Maritime, France. Today, the community is known as Sainte-Marie-de-Ré and has approximately 3,400 inhabitants.
1627 map of the shores of Poitou, Aunis and La Rochelle, and of the St-Louis fort, as well as Ile-de-Ré. Sainte-Marie is at the southern tip of the island (Bibliothèque nationale de France).
1645 baptism of Mathurin Villeneuve (Archives de la Charente Maritime)
Location of Sainte-Marie-de-Ré (Google Maps)
On 31 Mar 1665, Mathurin signed an indenture contract in La Rochelle, France, before notary Pierre Teuleron. He agreed to go to New France for three years and work as a "tonnelier", or cooper, in the employ of Pierre Gaigneur for 75 livres per year. He received an advance of 33 livres on his first year of work. Mathurin boarded the ship Le Cat de Hollande and arrived in Québec on 18 Jun 1665.
Page 1 of Mathurin’s Indenture Contract (Archives de la Charente Maritime)
"Un Tonnelier" (Bibliothèque nationale de France)
The cooper manufactured barrels (large wooden receptacles generally used for storing liquids) from timber that was usually heated or steamed to make it pliable. Barrels had to be made of quality wood, free of defects and vermin. They also had to respect official gauges and be able to contain the quantity of wine, beer or brandy expected. Coopers were frequently linked, by blood or marriage, with brewers, taverns and wine merchants.
The cooper’s occupation required him to make barrels on demand and deliver them to his clients. From the 17th to the 19th century, many industries relied on barrels for the transportation of their goods, so the cooper’s role in society was important. During the fur trade years, some coopers went west to practice their trade. Others sold their barrels to fish, flour and wheat salesmen, brewers, and biscuit and cookie makers, many of whom transported their goods by boat. Some merchants hired on coopers to work full-time in their businesses.
Even on a personal level, residents needed barrels. Wells were rare in New France, so water was collected from rivers and other sources using barrels.
1666 Census of Canada
In 1666, a year after his arrival, Mathurin Villeneuve was recorded in the New France census living at the Seigneury of Beauport. He was working as a cooper (a “thonnelier”) for Simon Denis, Sieur de la Trinité.
A year later in 1667, he was still living with Simon Denis in Beauport.
On 19 Aug 1668, Mathurin signed a 1-year employment contract with Jean Lemarché, his future father-in-law, before notary Gilles Rageot.
Marguerite Lemarché dite Laroche, the daughter of Jean Lemarché dit Laroche and Catherine Hurault, was baptized on 30 Sep 1657 in the parish church of Notre-Dame in Montréal, Canada, New France. Her father Jean was a "menuisier", or joiner. Her mother Catherine was a "Fille à marier", who came to Montréal as part of La Grande Recrue in 1653.
Marguerite’s 1657 baptism record
11-Year-Old Marguerite is betrothed
On 21 Jul 1669, Mathurin and Marguerite signed a five-page marriage contract before notary Paul Vachon in Québec [city]. Mathurin was 23 years old; Marguerite was only 11.
Signature page of Mathurin and Marguerite’s 1669 marriage contract
The marriage contract stated that for the marriage, Marguerite would receive part of her inheritance in advance. This included furniture, land and other goods. The contract also stipulated that Mathurin and Marguerite would live with her parents for the next three years.
Mathurin and Marguerite were married on 26 Nov 1669 in the parish church of Notre-Dame in Québec [city]. Marguerite was now 12 years old, of legal age to marry in New France. Her parents were residents of Charlesbourg.
The 1678 enumeration of Mathurin Villeneuve's land
A Home in Charlesbourg
In 1672, the Jesuits granted Mathurin 40 arpents of land in Petite Auvergne in the seigneury of Notre-Dame-des-Anges [present-day Charlesbourg]. He agreed to mill his grain at the seigneury mill and to pay the seignorial taxes on time.
Six years later, an enumeration of the seigneury was ordered by the Intendant of New France, including the names of all landowners and where their lands were located. Mathurin's land measured about 60 arpents.
1681 census for Mathurin and Marguerite
In 1681, the Villeneuve family appeared in the New France census living in Charlesbourg. Mathurin had ten arpents of cleared land, five heads of cattle and one gun.
“Deux habitants”, undated watercolour attributed to sir George Gipps (Library and Archives Canada)
Just three years later, another much larger concession was granted to Mathurin at the Trait-Carré of Charlesbourg.
The "Trait-Carré" of Charlesbourg drawn in 1779. Charlesbourg is said to be the only star-shaped village in Canada (BAnQ numérique).
In 1691, Mathurin bought half of his neighbour's land, owned by his father-in-law.
As churchwarden of the parish of Charlesbourg, founded in 1693, he would have taken part in decisions relating to the construction of the first church.
1711 death of Marguerite Lemarché dite Laroche
Marguerite Lemarché dite Laroche died at the age of 53 on 9 Apr 1711 at the Hôtel-Dieu in Québec. Her death was recorded in the parish register of Charlesbourg.
On 22 Nov 1711, Mathurin appeared before notary Chambalon in Québec to register a donation to his son Jacques, with whom he was living. In exchange for the donation of all his goods, moveable and immovable, Jacques had to house, feed and care for his father until the day of his death. Jacques was also required to organize his father's burial according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church and to have fifty low Requiem masses celebrated for the repose of his soul and ten others for his mother.
Donations
In New France, donations "entre vifs" (between living persons) were common. Once a person got older, or their health declined, they would normally give control of their possessions over to the person who was going to take care of them, normally one of their children. This "donation" was recorded by a notary, and outlined the rights and responsibilities of each party, specifically what the parent was giving the child and what they asked for in return. This normally included land, a house and/or farm and animals. In return, the child may have to pay outstanding debts, and ensure their parent was housed, fed, clothed and otherwise taken care of until their death.
Mathurin Villeneuve died at the age of 69 on 10 Jul 1715 in Charlesbourg, New France. He was buried the following day in the parish cemetery.
1715 burial of Mathurin Villeneuve
Mathurin and Marguerite had at least 12 children:
Jean François Villeneuve
Marie Anne Villeneuve
(anonymous) Villeneuve
Marie Marguerite Villeneuve
Etienne Villeneuve
Jean Baptiste Villeneuve
Marie Villeneuve
Marie Jeanne Villeneuve
Pierre Villeneuve
Pierre Villeneuve
Charles Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Villeneuve Legacy
Though Mathurin and Marguerite had 12 children, only four of them lived to adulthood and married. Two of their sons, Jacques and Charles, would have children of their own, ensuring the Villeneuve name would be carried by thousands of descendants. It is estimated that 30,000 Quebeckers have the surname Villeneuve. Mathurin was one of two Villeneuve pioneers who came to New France (the other being André Villeneuve dit Arnould).
In 1935, Mathurin Villeneuve Street was inaugurated in Ste-Marie-de-Ré during the visit of Cardinal Jean-Marie-Rodrigue Villeneuve, in honour of his ancestor.
Mathurin-Villeneuve Street, as seen in November 2020 (Google)
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Sources:
Fédération québécoise des sociétés de généalogie, Fichier Origine online database (https://www.fichierorigine.com/recherche?numero=244089), entry for Mathurin Villeneuve (person #244089), updated on 11 Dec 2019.
"Le Tonnelier / The Cooper", The French-Canadian Genealogist (https://www.tfcg.ca/old-occupation-cooper)
"Recensement du Canada, 1666", Library and Archives Canada (https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/), entry for Mathurin Villeneufve, 1666, Beauport, Québec, page 60 of 163, Finding aid no. MSS0446, MIKAN no. 2318856; citing original data: Centre des archives d'outre-mer (France) vol. 460.
"Recensement du Canada, 1667", Library and Archives Canada (https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/), entry for Mathurin Villeneufve, 1667, Beauport (Notre-Dame-des-Anges), Québec, Finding aid no. MSS0446, Item ID number: 2318857; citing original data: Centre des archives d'outre-mer (France) vol. 460.
"Greffe de notaire Gilles Rageot, 1666-1691", Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/4083918?docref=LZdqrU7k8fm9HVXqpLZYPQ), engagement contract between Mathurin Villeneuve and Jean Lemarcher, 19 Aug 1668. Originals held at BAnQ Québec.
"Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968", digital images, Ancestry.ca (https://www.ancestry.ca/), baptism of Marguerite Le Merché, 30 Sep 1657, Montréal (Notre-Dame); citing original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin.
"Greffe de notaire Paul Vachon, 1655-1693", Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/4215635?docref=xPO6bLt3o0dmNDOCQoUt4A), marriage contract between Mathurin Villeneuve and Marguerite Lemarcher, 21 Jul 1669. Originals held at BAnQ Québec.
"Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968", digital images, Ancestry.ca (https://www.ancestry.ca/), marriage of Mathurin Villeneuve and Marguerite Merché dit la Roche, 26 Nov 1669, Québec; citing original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin.
"Villeneuve", toponymy entry, Ville de Québec (https://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/citoyens/patrimoine/toponymie/fiche.aspx?IdFiche=8964).
"Aveu et dénombrement de la seigneurie Notre-Dame-des-Anges suivant l'ordonnance de Jacques Duchesneau de la Doussinière et d'Ambault, intendant de la Nouvelle-France, comprenant les noms des censitaires et l'emplacement des terres concédées, compilé par Romain Becquet, notaire du roi, devant Claude Dablon, Jésuite", Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/archives/52327/3149942?docref=Gq5_1Wx8db-_lIHutilMtA), enumeration of Mathurin Villeneuve's land in the seigneury of Notre-Dame-des-Anges 15 Oct 1678. Originals held at BAnQ Québec.
"Recensement du Canada fait par l'intendant Du Chesneau", Library and Archives Canada (https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/), entry for Mathurin Villeneuve, 14 Nov 1681, Québec, Finding aid no. MSS0446, MIKAN no. 2318858; citing original data: Centre des archives d'outre-mer (France) vol. 460.
"Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968", digital images, Ancestry.ca (https://www.ancestry.ca/), death of Marguerite La Roche [dit Marche?], 9 Apr 1711, Charlesbourg; citing original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin.
"Donation de tous ses biens meubles et immeubles par Mathurin Villeneuve, habitant demeurant à Charlesbourg, âgé de 73 ans; à Jacques Villeneuve, son fils, demeurant avec lui audit lieu de Charlesbourg; ladite donation est passée pardevant maître Chambalon, notaire royal en la Prévôté de Québec", Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (https://advitam.banq.qc.ca/notice/81845), donation of Mathurin Villeneuve to Jacques Villeneuve, Québec, notary Chambalon, 22 Nov 1711, Cote : CR301,P715 ; citing original data: Fonds Cour supérieure. District judiciaire de Québec. Insinuations - BAnQ Québec.
André Lachance, Vivre, aimer et mourir en Nouvelle-France; Juger et punir en Nouvelle-France: la vie quotidienne aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles (Montréal, Québec: Éditions Libre Expression, 2004), 167-172.
"Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968", digital images, Ancestry.ca (https://www.ancestry.ca/), burial of Mathurin Villeneuve, 11 Jul 1715, Charlesbourg; citing original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin.
Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), Université de Montréal (https://www.prdh-igd.com : accessed 17 Mar 2021), dictionary entry for Mathurin Villeneuve and Marie Marguerite Lemarche Laroche, couple #3082.
"Rue Mathurin Villeneuve", Inventaire des lieux de mémoire de la Nouvelle-France, Université Laval (https://decouverte.inventaire.poitou-charentes.fr/decouverte/sur-les-traces-de-la-nouvelle-france/decouvrir/departements/17/sainte_marie_de_re/rue_mathurin_villeneuve/f17_229_rue_mathurin_villeneuve.pdf).