Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers – Baptised 400 Years Ago

Today – July 31, 2018 – marks the 400th anniversary of the baptism of Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers.

Médard is my 8x maternal great-grandfather. My mother Jacqueline, née Desgroseilliers, descends from Marie-Antoinette Chouart (1661-1731), youngest daughter of Médard by his second wife Marguerite Hayet.

The future explorer and fur trader was the fourth son of Médard Chouart by his wife Marie Poirier. Infant Médard was baptised on 31 July 1618 in St-Martin parish church in Charly (now Charly-sur-Marne), 81 km (50 miles) east of Paris. [1] Unfortunately, the priest omitted Médard’s date of birth in his baptism record, but the child likely received the Sacrament within a day or two of his birth.

Charly église St-Martin 1280.jpg [2]

I originally wrote about Médard’s baptism two years ago in Church Record Sunday: Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers’ 1618 Baptism Record. At that time, I tried to decipher the Latin text, but couldn’t quite manage it. Since then, I came across an article that included both the Latin and the French texts. [3]

Médard Chouart's baptism record* [Archives Départementales de l’Aisne]

* I circled Médard’s name (seen here as Medardus) in yellow.

The Latin transcription of Médard’s baptism record by author Roland-Yves Gagné [4]:

Ultima die mensis & anni ejusdem baptizatus fuit Medardus filius Medardi Chouart & Maria Poirier coniugis cujus patrinus fuit Anthoinis Cheron maxima autrus Illium Catharina LeRoy

Gagné’s French translation of Médard’s baptism record [5]:

Le dernier jour du même mois et année fut baptisé Médard fils de Médard Chouart et Marie Poirier son épouse le parrain fut Antoine Cheron l’ainé l’autre parrain Catherine LeRoy

Here is my English translation of Gagné’s French text:

The last day of the same month and year was baptised Médard son of Médard Chouart and Marie Poirier his spouse the godfather was Antoine Cheron the elder the other [godparent] Catherine LeRoy

I’m pleased that I found Roland-Yves Gagné’s article. His Latin transcription was just what I needed to understand my ancestor’s baptism record.

Sources:

1. Saint-Martin parish (Charly-sur-Marne, France), Registres paroissiaux et d’état civil, Baptêmes 1600-1645, vue: 126/364, poste: 242; baptême, Medardus Souar [sic], 31 juillet 1618; digital image, Archives Départementales de l’Aisne (www.archives.aisne/fr : accessed 8 September 2012).

2. "File:Charly église St-Martin 1280.jpg", Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Charly_%C3%A9glise_St-Martin_1280.jpg&oldid=223390728 : accessed 29 July 2018).

3. Roland-Yves Gagné, “Charly, Médard Chouart des Groseilliers et Jeanne Godard”, Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française (MSGCF) 57 (été 2006): 109-114, specifically 112; DVD edition (Montreal, QC: SGCF, 2013).

4. Gagné, “Charly, Médard Chouart des Groseilliers et Jeanne Godard”, 112.

5. Gagné, “Charly, Médard Chouart des Groseilliers et Jeanne Godard”, 112.

Copyright © 2018, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Church Record Sunday: Marie-Antoinette Chouart and Her Godchildren

Marie-Antoinette Chouart (1661-1731) was the daughter of the famous explorer and coureur de bois Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers. She acted as godmother on several occasions to local French and Aboriginal children.

The first time was on 1 May 1674 in Trois-Rivières, when Marie-Antoinette was only 12 years old. (She turned 13 three weeks later.) She was godmother nine other times, from 1674 to 1717, when she was 56 years old.

Marie-Antoinette had five godsons and five goddaughters.

All were French, except Louis Ouramanampek, an Aboriginal.

Four of five of Marie-Antoinette’s goddaughters were named after her.

All the godchildren were infants at their baptism. The two exceptions are Marie Antoinette Barabbé in 1674, whose baptism record doesn’t mention her age, although she was likely a newborn or only a few days old. The second exception is Louis Ourmanampek, who was an adult when he received the Sacrament of Baptism in 1674.

Here is the list of Marie-Antoinette’s godchildren:

Marie-Antoinette could write her name. She signed seven of the ten baptism records. In the example below from 1697, we can see her beautiful, easy-to-read, balanced signature (indicated by the red arrow): “Marie antoinette choüard”.

Baptism record of Marie Catherine Jolive [11]

Sources:

Image credit: CCO Public Domain, Pixabay.

1. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Adrien Senegal, Baptême no. 87758.

2. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Marie Antoinette Barabbe, Baptême no. 87762.

3. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Louis Ouramanampek, Baptême no. 87764.

4. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Marie Antoinette Verger, Baptême no. 19435.

5. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Marie Antoinette Lorry, Baptême no. 19451.

6. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Jean Baptiste Delpesche Belair, Baptême no. 19508.

7. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Marie Antoinette Desoye, Baptême no. 19512.

8. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Marie Catherine Jolive, Baptême no. 41812.

9. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Pierre Bouchard, Baptême no. 43009.

10. “Actes”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 14 August 2009), Charles Reaume, Baptême no. 13993.

11. Notre-Dame (Montréal, Quebec), parish register, 1695-1699, no page no., no entry no. (1697), Marie Jolive baptism, 25 September 1697; Notre-Dame parish; digital image, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 17 May 2017).

Copyright © 2017, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Church Record Sunday: Marie-Antoinette Chouart’s 1731 Burial Record

July 5, 2016 marks the 285th anniversary of the death of my 7x maternal great-grandmother, Marie-Antoinette Chouart.

A daughter of intrepid explorer Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers, Marie-Antoinette was born in June 1661 in Trois-Rivières.

In November 1677, Marie-Antoinette entered into a marriage contract with Jean Jalot, originally from Picardie, France, by whom she had eight children. Jean was killed by the Iroquois in July 1690. Five years later, Marie-Antoinette married Jean-Baptiste Bouchard dit Dorval in Montreal on 19 December 1695. The couple had six children, including son Jean-Baptiste (1698-1755), my ancestor.

Marie-Antoinette Chouart's burial record (Généalogie Québec.com)

Marie-Antoinette died on 5 July 1731. The officiating priest, Cheze, recorded that she died at ten or two o’clock (the handwriting is difficult to read) in the morning. She was buried the next day in Montreal’s Notre-Dame cemetery. [1]

Her burial record (above) reads in French:

Le Sixieme Jour du mois de Juillet de L’annee / mil sept cent trente et un a ete inhumée dans le / cimetière [pres de] l’eglise le corps de marie antoinette / chouar agée de soixante et dix ans veuve de Jean / baptiste bouchart dit dorval, decedee le Jour precedent / vers les dix [deux?] heures du matin. ont ete present [?] Deat prêtre et talbot ecclesiatique qui ont Signé / avec nous[signed Deat / Talbot / Cheze]

My English translation:

The Sixth Day of the month of July of the year / one thousand thirty one was buried in the / cemetery [near the] church the body of marie antoinette / chouar aged seventy years widow of Jean / baptiste bouchart dit dorval, died the previous day / about ten [two?] hours of the morning. were present Deat priest and talbot ecclesiastic who have Signed [their names] with us[signed Deat / Talbot / Cheze]

Source:

1. Notre-Dame (Montreal, Quebec), parish register, 1726-1733, p. 133 recto, no entry no. (1731), Marie Antoinette Chouar [sic] burial, 6 July 1731; Notre-Dame parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 18 December 2014).

Copyright © 2016, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Sibling Saturday: The Children of Jean-Baptiste Bouchard (1698-1755)

My 6x maternal great-grandfather Jean-Baptiste Bouchard was the father of ten children: five sons, four daughters, and one child of unknown gender. At least three survived, but only two of them married – my ancestor Joseph Prosper (b. 1743) and his sister Marie-Louise (b. 1752).

Repentigny, fleuve Saint-Laurent

Jean-Baptiste was born on 17 January 1698 in Montreal. [1] He was a younger son of Jean-Baptiste Bouchard and Marie-Antoinette Chouart, daughter of the famed explorer Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers.

When Jean-Baptiste was 36 years old, he married Marie-Josèphe de Chavigny on 26 September 1734 in Beauport. [2] Marie-Josèphe, who was 17 years old when she married, was a younger daughter of François de Chavigny, sieur de La Chevrotière by his second wife Geneviève Guyon.

Jean-Baptiste worked as a commis (agent) at several fur trading posts of the Domaine du roi (King’s Domain), like Mistassini, Ashuapmouchouan and Ilets de Jérémie. [3]

He died on 11 October 1755 [4]. His wife Marie-Josèphe survived him and died on 19 July 1762. [5]

Jean-Baptiste’s surname varied during his lifetime. For example, he was:
• Bouchard at his baptism in 1698,
• Dorval Degroseliers at his marriage in 1734 (he signed J. b: dorval),
• Dorval Des Groselier at a son’s baptism in 1740 (he signed desgroselier),
• Dorval Desgrosellier at a son’s burial in 1741,
• Dorval at a son’s baptism in 1742, 
• Desgroseliers and Desgrozeliers at a son’s baptism and burial in 1746, and
• Desgroseliers at his burial in 1755.

The children of Jean-Baptiste Bouchard and Marie-Josèphe de Chavigny

Note: All locations are in the present-day province of Quebec, Canada. “Quebec” refers to the city of Quebec. The children’s surnames appear in parentheses.

1. (f) – Marie Joseph (Desgroseliers, 1775) [6]
• born about 1736 (age (39) at death)
• died on 25 April 1775
• buried on 27 April 1775 in Repentigny.

2. (m) – Jean Baptiste Ambroise (Dorval, 1739) [7]
• born [not stated in his baptism record]
• baptised on 11 July 1739 in [Ilets de Jérémie] Tadoussac (Postes du Domaine du roi)
• died [unknown].

3. (m) – Joseph Louis (Dorval, 1740, 1741) [8]
• born on 2 September 1740 in Quebec
• baptised on 3 September 1740 in Quebec
• died [not stated in his burial record] (age (four months old) at death)
• buried on 4 January 1741 in Quebec.

4. (f) – Marie-Louise (Dorval, 1742) [9]
• born on 11 May 1742 in Deschambault
• baptised on 12 May 1742 in Deschambault
• died on 7 July 1742 in Deschambault
• buried on 8 July 1742 in Deschambault.

5. (m) – Joseph Prosper (Dorval, 1743; Desgroseliers, 1772, Desgrosier [Desgrosillier], 1795, Desgrosellier, 1800) [10]
• born on 19 May 1743 in Deschambault
• baptised on 19 May 1743 in Deschambault*
• died between 1 February 1795 (he was present at his daughter Léonor’s baptism) and 28 July 1800 (he was described as deceased at his son Ambroise’s marriage)
• married on 17 February 1772 in Châteauguay, Charlotte Nunegand dite Beaurosier, daughter of François Lunégand dit Beaurosier and Marie Louise Ouimet.

* I've transcribed and translated Joseph Prosper's baptism record here.

6. (m) – Joseph Eléonord (Eleonard) (Desgroseliers, 1746, Desgrozeliers, 1746) [11]
• born on 23 May 1746 in Deschambault
• baptised on 23 May 1746 in Deschambault
• died on 20 June 1746 in Deschambault
• buried on 20 June 1746 in Deschambault.

7. (m) – François Eléonord (Eleonard) (Desgroseliers, 1748, Desgrozeliers, 1748) [12]
• born on 12 May 1748 in Deschambault
• baptised on 12 May 1748 in Deschambault
• died on 11 July 1748 in Deschambault
• buried on 12 July 1748 in Deschambault.

8. (f) – Marie Françoise (Desgroseliers, 1750) [13]
• born on 31 July 1750 in Deschambault
• baptised on 31 July 1750 in Deschambault
• died 22 August 1750 in Deschambault
• buried on 23 August 1750 in Deschambault.

9. (f) – Marie Louise (Desgroseliers, 1752 and 1772, Dégroseillier, 1795) [14]
• born on 7 November 1752 in Deschambault
• baptised on 7 November 1752 in Deschambault
• died on 11 April 1795 in St-Paul-de-Lavaltrie
• buried 12 April 1795 in St-Paul-de-Lavaltrie
• married on 2 March 1772 in Repentigny, Pierre Euphrosine Arnaud (Renaud), son of Henri Arnaud (Renaud) and Marie Marguerite de Chavigny and widower of Marie-Josephe Desjardins.

10. [unnamed child of unspecified gender] (Desgrozeliers, 1755) [15]
• born on 13 April 1755 in Deschambault
• died on 13 April 1755 in Deschambault
• buried on 13 April 1755 in Deschambault.

Note: No child named Marguerite, born and baptised on 2 November 1748 in Quebec, appears in the list of children at PRDH. Tanguay is in error when he places Marguerite among the (incomplete) list of Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Josèphe’s children. According to her baptism record, Marguerite was the daughter of Jean Marie Dorceval and Marie Joseph [last name omitted]. [16]

Sources:

Image credit: “Repentigny, fleuve Saint-Laurent”, by George Heriot (1759-1839), Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1989-470-14.

1. Notre-Dame (Montreal, Quebec), parish register, 1695-1699, page no. illegible, no entry no. (1698), Jean Baptiste Bouchard baptism, 18 January 1698; Notre-Dame parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 11 May 2016).

2. Notre-Dame (Beauport, Quebec), parish register, 1720-1778, no page no., no entry no. (1734), Jean Baptiste Dorval de Groselier – Marie Joseph de Chevigny marriage, 26 September 1734; Notre-Dame parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

3. J.-Allan Burgesse, “Les Registres du Postes du Roi”, Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française 3 (juin 1949): 211-216, specifically p. 213; DVD edition (Montreal, QC: SGCF, 2013). According to Jetté, he was a “marchand de fourrures”. (René Jetté, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec (Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983), 134.) According to Tanguay, he was an “agent de la compagnie d’Occident”. (Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes, 7 vols (1871–1890, reprint, Montréal: Editions Elysée, 1991), II: 367, note 4.)

4. St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 56 verso, no entry no. (1755), Jean Baptiste Desgroseliers (written as Jean Baptiste Desgroseliers, indexed as Jean Desgroseliers) burial, 12 October 1755; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 10 October 2015).

5. St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, page no. illegible, no entry no. (1762), Josette Lachevrotieres burial, 20 July 1762; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

6. “Dictionnaire”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 13 January 2012), Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, La-Purification-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie (Repentigny, Quebec), parish register, 1746-1775, p. 264 verso, no entry no. (1775), Marie Joseph Desgroseliers burial, [27] April 1775; Purification de la Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

7. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, Burgesse, “Les Registres du Postes du Roi”, 213.

8. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, Notre-Dame (Quebec, Quebec), parish register, 1738-1743, p. 9 penned recto (p. 109 stamped), no entry no. (1740), Joseph Louis Dorval baptism, 3 September 1740; Notre-Dame parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). And, Notre-Dame (Quebec, Quebec), parish register, 1738-1743, p. 27 penned recto (p. 127 stamped), no entry no. (1741), [first name omitted] Dorval burial, 4 January 1741; Notre-Dame parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

9. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 8 recto, no entry no. (1742), Marie Louise Dorval baptism, 12 May 1742; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 9 verso, no entry no. (1742), Marie Louise Dorval burial, 8 July 1742; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

10. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 10 verso, no entry no. (1743), Joseph Prosper Dorval baptism, 19 May 1743; St-Joseph parish; digital images,  “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967", Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 17 May 2016). And, St-Joachim (Châteauguay, Quebec), parish register, 1768-1775, pp. 36-37, no entry no. (1772), Joseph Prosper Desgroseliers – Charlotte Nunegand marriage, 17 February 1772; St-Joachim parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 30 June 2015).

11. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 20 recto, no entry no. (1746), Joseph Eleonard Desgroseliers baptism, 23 May 1746; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 20 verso, no entry no. (1746), Joseph Eleonard Desgrozeliers burial, 20 June 1746; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

12. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 25 recto, no entry no. (1748), François Eleonord Desgroseliers baptism, 12 May 1748; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1740-1748, p. 26 recto, no entry no. (1748), François Eleonore Desgrozeliers burial, 12 July 1748; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

13. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 34 verso, no entry no. (1750), Marie Françoise Desgroseliers baptism, 31 July 1750; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 35 recto, no entry no. (1750), Marie Françoise Desgroseliers burial, 23 August 1750; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

14. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 44 recto, no entry no. (1752), Marie Louise Desgroseliers baptism, 7 November 1752; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). And, St-Paul (St-Paul-de-Lavaltrie, Quebec), parish register, 1786-1795, page no. illegible, entry no. S.12 (1795), Marie Louise Dégroseillier burial, 12 April 1795; St-Paul parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). And, La-Purification-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie (Repentigny, Quebec), parish register, 1746-1775, p. 232 recto, no entry no. (1772), Pierre Arnaud – Marie Louise Desgroseliers marriage, 2 March 1772; Purification de la Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016). Although Marie Louise and Pierre were first cousins (their mothers were sisters), their marriage record does not mention if they received a dispensation to marry.

15. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, St-Joseph (Deschambault, Quebec), parish register, 1713-1791, p. 54 verso, no entry no. (1755), [unnamed child of unspecified gender] Desgrozeliers burial, 7 November 1752; St-Joseph parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

16. “Dictionnaire”, PRDH, Jean Baptiste Bouchard Dorval Desgroseliers – Marie Josephe Dechavigny Lachevrotieres, Famille no. 19093. And, Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes, 7 vols (1871–1890, reprint, Montréal: Editions Elysée, 1991), II: 367. And, Notre-Dame (Quebec, Quebec), parish register, 1743-1748, p. 70 verso stamped, no entry no. (1748), Marguerite Dorceval baptism, 2 November 1748; Notre-Dame parish; digital images, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 10 May 2016).

Copyright © 2016, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Church Record Sunday: Marie-Antoinette Chouart's 1661 Baptism Record

Baptism record of Marie-Antoinette Chouart [1]

Three hundred and fifty-four years ago – on 7 June 1661 – my 7x maternal great-grandmother, Marie-Antoinette Chouart, was baptised. She was the fourth and youngest child of Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers by his second wife Marguerite Hayet. 

Although Marie-Antoinette’s baptism record doesn’t state when or where she was born, she was presumably born in Trois-Rivières (on the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec), where she and her elder siblings were baptised.[2] 

Marie-Antoinette’s baptism record, seen above, is in Latin. Here is my attempt at a transcription: 

“Anno Domini 1661, / 7 Junii, Ego Clandius / Joannis Allouez Societatis / Jesu vicut agurs paro- / chi baptizavi cinn cae- / umorrais infantum fae- / mirzam, Medardo Chouart / et Margarita Ayer parem- / tibus. Patrinis fuere Autonius LeMaistre et Maria / Crevier. Marian Antoni / an appellani.” 

I’ve translated the Latin text into English: 

“In the year of our Lord 1661, / 7 June, I Claude / Jean Allouez Society [of] / Jesus residing in this parish / baptised [?] [?] female infant, / Medard Chouart and Marguerite Ayer parents. / Godparents were Antoine Le Maistre and Marie Crevier. [Child named] Marie Antoinette.” 

Sources: 

1. Immaculée-Conception, cathédrale l´Assomption (Trois-Rivières, Quebec), parish register, 1634-1677, p. 290, no entry no. (1661), Marie Antoinette Chouar (written as Chouart dite Desgrozeliers, indexed as Chouar) baptism, 7 June 1661; Immaculée-Conception, cathédrale l´Assomption parish; digital image, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 3 June 2015). The baptism, marriage, and burial records that appear in this sacramental register are transcribed copies, according to a note on page 1 of the register. 

2. “Dictionnaire”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca : accessed 6 June 2015), Medard Chouart Desgroseilliers – Marguerite Radisson Ayet [sic], Famille no. 786. 

Copyright © 2015, Yvonne Demoskoff.

52 Ancestors: #51 Marie-Antoinette Chouart

Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small has issued herself and her readers a challenge for 2014. It’s called “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks”, and as Amy explains, the challenge is to “have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor”.

For the 51st week of this challenge, I chose Marie-Antoinette Chouart (1661-1731).

Marie-Antoinette is my maternal 7x great-grandmother and is number 769 in my ancestor list.

The youngest child of famed explorer Médard Chouart, sieur des Groseilliers, Marie-Antoinette Chouart was baptized on 7 June 1661 in Trois-Rivières. [1] Médard married Hélène Martin in 1647, by whom he had two sons; she died about 1651. He then married Marguerite Hayet in 1653 and had one son and four daughters by her, including Marie-Antoinette. [2]

On 13 November 1677, Marie-Antoinette entered into a marriage contract with Jean Jalot, a French immigrant and a surgeon. [3] The couple had eight children, including twin sons. In the summer of 1690, Jean was killed by the Iroquois at coulée Grou, east of Montreal. [4]

Widow Marie-Antoinette married Jean-Baptiste Bouchard dit Dorval on 19 December 1695 (319 years ago today) in Montreal. [5] Both signed the marriage record (see below).

Bouchard – Chouart marriage record (1695) [6]

The Bouchard couple had six children, including Jean-Baptiste (1698-1755), my ancestor.

Marie-Antoinette died on 5 July 1731 and was buried the next day in Montreal. [7]

Sources:

1. René Jetté, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec (Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983), 254.

2. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 254.

3. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 590.

4. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 590.

5. Notre-Dame (Montreal, Quebec), parish register, 1695-1699, no page no., no entry no. (1695), Jean Baptiste Bouchard – Marie Anthoinette Chouard [sic] marriage, 19 December 1695; Notre-Dame parish; digital image, “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 14 January 2012).

6. Notre-Dame, parish register, 1695-1699, Jean Baptiste Bouchard – Marie Anthoinette Chouard [sic] marriage, 19 December 1695.

7. Notre-Dame (Montreal, Quebec), parish register, 1726-1733, page no. 133, no entry no. (1731), Marie Antoinette Chouar [sic] burial, 6 July 1731; Notre-Dame parish; digital image, “Le LAFRANCE”, Généalogie Québec  (http://www.genealogiequebec.com : accessed 18 December 2014).

Copyright (c) 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.