From “Our French Canadian Ancestors, Vol. XVII” one of “Les Premiers Concessionnaires de la Pocatiere”

Vol 23 OFCA

1666 Census of New France, Beauport PAGE 58:

Jean Mignot .................................38 tailleur d'habits habittant
Louise Cloustier ............................33 sa femme
Jean Mignot .................................16 fils
Xainte Mignot ...............................12 fille
Marie Magdelaine Mignot......................11 fille
Jeanne Mignot ................................7 fille
Charles Mignot ...............................6 fils
Louis Mignot ................................3 fils
paul Foucault ...............................21 Tisseran domestique Engaigé

https://robertberubeblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/...r-en-nouvelle-france/

1647: The Soldier and the Amerindian Girl: A Love Story in Nouvelle-France?

I am always suspicious of people who do historical research in order to only find royal ancestors, or kinship ties with individuals who have reached a high degree of celebrity. I find that all my ancestors deserve special attention and because of this personal philosophy, I have discovered very interesting ancestors who lived through all kinds of adventures, some are sad, others are comical.

My choice of text this week is to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the month of love! Looking at my ancestors, we find several stories of love, however, I decided to tell the story of a lover. What is more interesting than weaving a story worthy of being produced in a Disney movie? Or maybe not! After all, it’s not everyone who can tell the story of an ancestor who is a French soldier in love with a young Native American.

Our soldier is named Jean Mignault dit Châtillon and he was baptized on April 20, 1622, in Châtillon-sous-Bagneux (Haut-de-Seine) Paris France. He is the son of Nicolas Mignault and Madeleine de Brie. According to PRDH, on April 1, 1643 at the age of 20, this soldier commits himself in La Rochelle to Antoine Cheffault de la Renardière to come to New France for three years. His profession is soldier, his place of origin is Châtillon near Paris. Antoine Cheffault is a director of the « Compagnie de la Nouvelle France ». It is said that Jean Mignault is committed to three years at 60 « livres »a year of which 33 and five were given to him in advance.

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During the year 1646, Jean now 24 years old meets Barbe, a young resident at the Convent of the Ursulines in Québec City. In January, 1647, he became passionate with this young Amerindian girl and he wanted to marry her! The Jesuit Journal of February 1647 recounts: “Barbe, a seminarian of the Ursulines, after having been four years in the convent and having left it, was strongly and powerfully sought after by a Frenchman named Châtillon, who desired the Mothers to keep her until the time (of arrival) of the ships. He gave assurance of his will, putting into the hands of the nuns a rescript of so many “livres”, (pounds) of which he consented that 100 should be applied for the benefit of the girl, in case he lacked in his word! ”

It is evident that our young soldier desires this young woman! So much so that the Ursulines and the Jesuits spoke of it in their papers.

Alas!

The Journal of the Jesuits also states that “she did not want him and preferred an Amerindian man”. It would seem that she also followed the advice of her parents. So our lover found himself without his sweetheart!

Some claim that Barbe was Barbe Kakesigoukoue and her spouse was François Kouekoueibabougouch. I was not able to confirm those statements. I was not able to find any more information about this couple.

Was it to console himself? That on May 4, 1647, our Jean Mignault dit Châtillon left Sillery with other Frenchmen and Hurons to go to war against the Iroquois near Ville-Marie?(Montréal).

Later, on January 1, 1648, four Frenchmen, including Jean, had gone to a lake near Montréal and had been taken by the Iroquois. Only Jean had escaped! The next day, however, the three others returned safely.

On January 11, 1648, our adventurer returned with seven Hurons to Trois-Rivières because he wanted to go to Huronia in the spring. On April 24, 1648, Jean accompanied by two Amerindians went to the Georgian Bay area. He came back in September.

We cannot determine when Jean met the young widow, Louise Cloutier however, the two established a marriage contract on September 23, 1648.

Louise Cloutier daughter of Zacharie Cloutier and Sainte Dupont was baptized on March 18, 1632 in St-Jean-de-Mortagne in Perche, France. As a little girl, she arrived in New France around 1634 with her family. At the age of 13, on October 26, 1632, Louise married François Marguerie, aged 33, a “coureur de bois”, an adventurer, and an interpreter, and the couple moved to Trois-Rivières. An extraordinary and historic figure in the beginnings of New France, Francois had traveled extensively in the Amerindian territories of North America.

In addition, he had been captured and released by the Iroquois. Poor Louise, for she becomes a widow at the age of 17 because François Marguerie drowned with Jean Amiot while trying to cross the river in an old bark canoe on May 23 1648 near Trois-Rivières. His body was found in Québec, 18 days later and his burial took place, June 10, 1648 in Québec City. Widowed and childless, she returned to live in Québec. Four months later she married Jean Mignault on November 10, 1648. Louise was 16 years old and Jean 26 years old.

To find out more information regarding François Marguerie, please check this site out:

http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/marguerie_de_la_haye_francois_1E.html

Throughout the years, Jean and Louise became parents of 13 children: Jean-Aubin, Thérèse, Sainte, Madeleine, Françoise, Jeanne, Charles, Louis, Nicolas, Jean-Baptiste, Marie, Charlotte 1, Charlotte 2.

Only six of these children married: Jean Aubin (Anne Dugas), Thérèse (Nicolas Lebel) and (René Ouellet), Sainte (Jean Grondin), Madeleine (Noël Pelletier), Jeanne (Antoine Gadoury), and Charlotte 2 (Jean Dionne).

We are descendants of the following children: Thérèse (Nicolas Lebel) and (René Ouellet), Sainte (Jean Grondin) and Charlotte Mignault (Jean Dionne).

My grandfather Alexandre Bérubé is a descendant of Sainte, of Charlotte and of Thérèse Mignault.

My paternal grandmother, Lucienda Fréchette is twice a descendant of Charlotte Mignault, through two of children Marie and. Jean-Baptiste Dionne.

My maternal grandmother Maria Fortin is a descendant of Thérèse Mignault through four of her children on five occasions. Her children being Angélique Lebel (2), Marie Ouellette, Angélique Ouellette and Françoise Ouellette.

Only the Marions (Cyriac) and Chenette’s do not have him as an ancestor.

On October 27, 1661, the Jesuits reported that the Mignault house burned down with a five-year-old inside. The child was Françoise Mignault.

In the census of 1666 in Beauport, Jean is described as an “habitant”, a healer and a tailor of clothes. The couple then had six children.

Jean was the agent in charge on the estate of his father-in-law Zacharie Cloutier in 1667 in Côtes-de-Beauport, Notre-Dame-des-Anges and other places. He also owned an empty home located in Beauport on 16 “arpents” (acres) of valued land.

We can not find his death certificate but we can determine that he died before the 1681 census in Beauport.

On February 3, 1684, Louise married Jean Mateau widower of Gabrielle Gagnon and father of three children at Château-Richer. Louise died on June 22, 1699 at Château-Richer.

When we talk about love, what is the best? A youthful adventure or a relationship that has lasted nearly 33 years? I wish you all a good Valentine’s Day!