| 2. | LEVASSEUR Laurent was born about 1646 (son of Le VAVASSEUR Jean and MAHEU Margueritte); died on 25 Dec 1726 in Quebec, PQ, Canada. Notes:
Religion: Catholic
Immigration: Apr 20, 1663, Plaisance, Newfoundland, Canada
Laurent Levasseur
William the Conqueror (1027-1087), son of Richard the Devil and of
Arlete .... was born at Falaise and died at Rouen. It was in honor of
this William, Duke
of Normandy and King of England, that a place in today's suburbs of
Rouen was named Bois-Guillaume. This "William's Woods" was the home
of our
ancestor Laurent Levasseur. On Christmas Eve in 1430, Joan of Arc
passed through Bois-Guillaume, coming from Cailly, by the Rue de la
Haie, on which
the town church is located today.
Bois-Guillaume is a town in the Department of the Seine-Maritime,
District of Rouen, Canton of Darnetal. It dominates the Robec river
and has a thirteenth
century church, dedicated to Sainte-Trinite. Those who would look
for the home of ancestor Laurent Levasseur need only to take route 28
out of Rouen to the
north, which will lead directly to the beautiful Bois-Guillaume.
THE NORMAN
Laurent Levasseur, originally Le Vavasseur, which alludes to
property called an "arriere-fief, " was born at an indeterminate
date. He was the son of Jean Le
Vavasseur (born 5 January 1605) and of Marguerite Maheu, and the
grandson of Thomas Levavasseur and Germaine Legris. We know that his
sister Jeanne
was baptized at Sainte-Trinite on 30 January 1639. There were two
brothers as well, Nicolas and Pierre, who were baptized at the same
church on 17 May
1641 and 16 June 1642, respectively. Their father Jean died before
1669 and mother Marguerite Maheu was buried 24 December 1685, at the
age of 79 years.
However, Alfred Levasseur, author of a, well-prepared presentation
of substantial content entitled "Genealogie et Histoire de Laurent
Levasseur", could not
find the baptismal record of his ancestor nor his contract of
indenture for Canada. He estimated, from various records, that
Laurent was born between 1646
and 1648. Other research indicates as early as 1645.
THE ADOLESCENT
Laurent Levasseur emigrated to Canada at the age of 14 or 15. Was it
a jaunt? An Escapade? Spur of the moment or well considered? We will
never know the
answer.
At La Rochelle on 20 April 1663, two ships, the Flute Royale and
l'Aigle d'Or, were preparing to get underway. These 300-ton
caravelles would attempt
the Atlantic crossing with 300 people packed aboard. The bad
weather, poor hygienic conditions and epidemic sickness transformed
these barks into floating
charnal houses. At least 66 souls were consigned to the deep, having
succumbed enroute; the town of Plaisance in Newfoundland received 75
of the seriously
ill; only 159 passengers reached Quebec. Their arrival was piteous
to see and even more pitiful to hear!
The colony received this flotsam as best it was able. Among the
arrivals were some inexperienced youth and even some school boys who
became charges of
the Sovereign Council, which had some bittersweet words on this
subject in a following letter to the King. To tell the truth,
adolescent Laurent Levasseur was
one of these. He signed a contract (never found) to work for
Guillemette Hebert, the rather fortunate widow of Guillaume Couillard
and daughter of that
original colonist Louis Hebert. The census of 1666 tells USA that
Laurent was working as a domestic in the home of Madame Couillard.
Laurent must have
pleased his mistress because she signed him up for another three
years; until 1669. During those six years he acclimated himself to
the country so well that he
would live for another half century.
THE COUNTRYMAN
On 22 September 1669, Henri Breau de Pominville, inhabitant of
Lauzon, signed a three-year lease with Levasseur for a piece of land
bordered on one side by
the property of Noel Penaut and on the other by that of Jean
Bourassa. The land was leased complete with house and domestic
servant, fishing rights, two
cows, two bulls, and 25 minots of grain in the field, which was to
be harvested and returned. There were some fruit trees in good
condition to be looked after
as well. All of this for the price of 200 livres per year. Both Jean
Huard and Mathieu Amyot, witnesses to the transaction, signed with a
flourish, but Laurent
timidly affirmed that he could not write. Breau had the forethought
to reserve a square arpent along the brook for his own use.
Four years later, on 10 September 1673, we note that Laurent owed
180 livres to Henri. Evidently he was having trouble making his
payments; however, all
must have ended well, because we do know that this land, leased in
1669, later became home for generations of Levasseurs. The homestead
was located at
Saint-David de Lauberiviere. The house, later numbered 698 rue
Commerciale, became the focal point of family life and was kept in
the Levasseur name until
1925.
The property was enlarged on 19 May 1675 when Laurent bought one
adjoining arpent by 40 in depth from Pierre Pouillard for the price
of 27 livres payable
in prime pelts. Jean Guay (Leguay), native of Sainte Gilles de Caen,
Normandy, husband of Marie Briere, became his immediate neighbor.
THE COUNTRYWOMAN
Arriving in Canada from Saint-Martin on the Ile de Re in the Diocese
of La Rochelle, Louis Marchand and his wife Francoise Morineau were
accompanied by
five sons and two daughters. One of the Marchand girls, Marie, born
about 1651 on the Ile de Re, became engaged to Laurent Levasseur on
19 November
1669.
The marriage was not celebrated until the following spring, on 30
April 1670 at Notre-Dame de Quebec, most likely because Laurent
needed the time to chink,
caulk, and furnish his cabin on the south bank. In the meantime,
Marie lived in Quebec, filling her hope chest and waiting to move in.
AT HOME
The census of 1681 tells USA that Laurent Levasseur was the owner of
one rifle, three head of cattle, six arpents under cultivation, one
shotgun, and a pistol.
But most importantly for USA, was the notation there were six living
children in the family.
Since the records of the parish of Saint-Joseph de Lauzon are not
complete, it is difficult to follow the little Levasseurs from cradle
to grave. However, we do
know that there were 13; seven girls and six boys, as follows:
1. Marie-Francoise, born 30 March at Lauzon, baptized at Quebec 4
April 167 1, died and was buried at Lauzon on 13 June 1719.
2. Marie-Claude, born on 3 March 1672 and baptized 17 days later at
Quebec, entered the Ursuline Convent at the age of 19 as a domestic
nun on 7 October
1691. She took the name of "Sister of the Visitation", when she made
her vows on 5 August 1694. She was sent to Trois-Rivieres in August
1699 where
"she was at one and the same time, nurse, cook, laundry woman,
gardener, and keeper of the chicken coop." When she became blind
toward the end of her
days, she still found the means to render service to the community
while not missing a single day without making her devotions to the
Virgin in the Chapel of
the Saints. She died in 1745 at the age of 73.
3. Laurent (2), born 29 May 1674 at Lauzon and baptized the
following day at Quebec, died and was buried at Lauzon on 3 June of
the same year.
4. Laurent (3), born 22 May 1675 at Lauzon and baptized four days
later at Quebec, was mentioned in the register of the Hotel-Dieu of
Quebec on 3 July
1695. After that we lose all trace of him.
5. Genevieve, born 13 March 1677 at Lauzon and baptized the
following day at Quebec, died at Lauzon the 27th and was buried at
Quebec on 30 November
1686.
6. Pierre, born 2 January 1679 at Lauzon and baptized six days later
at Quebec, married Marie-Elisabeth Michaud on 8 May 1703 at Riviere-
Ouelle. They had
four children; all girls.
7. Angelique dite Genevieve, born 20 February at Lauzon and baptized
19 March 1681 at L'Islet, was received into the Ursuline Order as a
novice on 15
October 1705. She took her vows on 21 April 1708 under the name
Sister of Saint-Joseph. She died in November 1749 and was interred in
the crypt of the
convent under the chapel.
8. Jean-Baptiste (1), born 10 June 1682 and baptized eight days
later at Lauzon, left no further trace.
9. Marie, baptized 21 January 1686 at Lauzon, also left no further
trace.
10. Louis, born and baptized 4 September 1687 at Quebec, married
Genevieve Huard on 19 November 1716 at Lauzon. They had seven
children; three boys
and four girls.
11. Claire-Francoise, born 26 November and baptized 2 December 1691
at Lauzon, married Louis Michaud on 22 October 1708. They had one son
named
Andre. She married a second time to Jean-Francois Autin on 31 May
1719 at Kamouraska. They had two children; a boy and a girl.
12. Marie-Renee, baptized 21 February 1694 at Lauzon, left no
further trace.
13. Jean-Baptiste (2), born II May 1695 and baptized the following
day at Quebec, married Charlotte Jourdain on 22 October 1722 at
Lauzon. They had five
children; three girls and two boys. He married a second time to
Madeleine Marchand on 6 August 1748.
THE CITIZEN
Of most importance to Laurent Levasseur and to Marie Marchand was
their home. In order to be well protected from adversity, they had
their work and a
profound faith which allowed them to give two of their daughters to
the Ursulines.
On 4 August 1682, Bastien Pronoveau, neighbor of Pierre Pouillard
and of Martin Guedon, decided to lease his farm for five years to his
second neighbor,
Laurent Levasseur. The latter paid him 12 livres per year in silver,
as well as the "cens et Rentes."
And seven years later, on 20 May 1689, a most powerful man of
affairs, one Charles Aubert de la Chenaye, offered Laurent a piece of
land, complete with
fishing rights, three arpents two perches in frontage, bordering on
the property of the Ursulines and that of Pierre Pouillard. As a
matter of fact, Laurent
already knew this farm very well, because he had been working it for
five years for the owner, none other than Bastien Pronoveau. Laurent
paid 400 livres to
acquire this land, and by now could write his name, which he signed
with a flourish. Five years later we note that Laurent hired Jacques
Bouteville to cut 100
cords of wood on his land for the sum of 22 sols per cord. The
contract did not stipulate if the hired hand was entitled to room and
board or not.
When daughter Marie-Claude, called "Claudine" by Notary Chambalon,
entered the Ursuline Convent, her father was supposed to pay the nuns
a dowry
which he neglected to do. Somewhat embarrassed, the sisters asked
the notary to look into this delicate matter, which he did. Papa paid
up by 4 August 1694.
On 20 April 1700, Marc-Antoine Chapelain, son of Bernard, future
husband of Genevieve Hayet, signed for three months as a domestic
servant in the home
of Laurent Levasseur.
The Norman, Martin Guedon, husband of Marie Briere, who was the
widow of the late Jean Guay, had a falling out with Laurent Levasseur
over certain
boundary lines to their adjoining land. During the summer of 1707,
Bernard de la Riviere, court appointed surveyor, under orders of the
intendant Jacques
Raudot, betook himself to the homes of Guerdon and Levasseur to
resurvey and establish the correct boundary lines. It was found that
Levasseur had
unintentionally cut some of his neighbor's wood, moreover he had
sown grain on the land of his neighbor as well. All was settled
peaceably through the good
offices of the competent surveyor.
Marie-Renee Levasseur was only 14 when her wealthy uncle, Louis
Marchand, willed her, effective 19 June 1707, a piece of land of 240
square arpents at
Beaumont, located between that of Noel and of Pierre Boissel. It was
like a gift from heaven for the Levasseur family! The father of the
minor girl put the
domain up for sale. It was bought by Jean-Baptiste Nadeau for 1,000
livres, "600 of which would be paid in paper money now in
circulation." Later on, the
Church of Sainte-Etienne de Beaumont would be built on this
property. Louis Marchand had himself, on 2 December 1693, given to
Msgr de Saint-Vallier,
"an arpent of frontal land by two arpents in depth" without counting
the right to cut 20 cords of wood a year off the land to heat the
church and rectory.
THE FADEAWAY
Laurent and Marie had lived a good life. She died first, at Saint-
Joseph de Lauzon, sometime between 1710 and 1716. As for Laurent, he
lived to be almost
80. He died at Quebec on Christmas Day 1726. He was buried the next
day in the cemetery of Notre- Dame-de-Quebec. Father Etienne Boullard
presided over
the funeral service. It seems that Laurent must have passed his last
days living in Quebec.
The line of Levasseurs left to follow ancestor Laurent, flourished
in New Brunswick and down into New England. Pierre, husband of Marie-
Elisabeth
Michaud, was one of the pioneers of the Seigneurie of Kamouraska.
FAMILY NAME VARIATIONS
Not all of the descendants kept the original name. The following are
variations adopted: Borgia, Chaverlange, Delord, DeNere, Lavigne,
Lebrun, Lesperance,
Menage, and Vassor.
END NOTES
1) Record of Becquet, 19 November 1669.
2) Records of Bernard de la Riviere, 5 September 1707; 20 July 1708.
3) Records of Chambalon, 4 August 1694; 20 April 1700; 29 April
1710; 29 August 1710.
4) Records of Duquet, 23 September 1669; 15 August 1670; 19 May
1675.
5) Records of Rageot, 29 June 1680; 4 August 1682; 5 July 1687; 7
January 1689; 15 May 1689; 20 May 1689.
6) Jette, Rene., DGFQ (1983), page 729.
7) Levasseur, Alfred., Genealogie et Histoire de Laurent Levasseur
(1980), 290 pages.
8) Roy, P.-G., Histoire de la Seigneurie de Lauzon (1922), Volume 1,
pages 344-345.
9) Sulte, Benjamin., HCF (1882), Volume 4, page 53, col. a; Volume
5, page 76, col. a.
10) Tanguay, Cyprien., DGFC (1871), page 387.
11) JDCSNF (1885), Volume 1, page 828; Volume 3, pages 632, 642-644;
Volume 5, pages 110, 123.
12) Les Ursulines de Quebec (1864), Volume 2, pages 354-355.
13) MSGCF, Volume 27, pages 158-161.
14) SGQ, I'Ancetre, Volume 3, pages 39-43.
Laurent married MARCHAND Marie on 30 Apr 1670 in Notre Dame De Quebec, PQ, Canada. Marie (daughter of MARCHAND Louis and MORNIEAU Francis) was born in 1651 in Ile-De-Re, Diocese La Rochelle, France; died about 1710. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1671 - 1719 (48 years)