| Notes |
- Immigration: 13 May 1665, Quebec, New France Age: 18
Occupation: Soldier In Grandfontain's Company, Carignan Regiment Of
New France; Farmer
Religion: Catholic
Jean Soucy dit Lavigne
Picardy was the province of origin of the ancestor of all the Soucy
families in America. Normandy, Artois, Flanders, Champagne and the
Ile-de-France surround this territory, which is subdivided into three
departments: the Aisne, the Oise and the Somme.
At Quebec on 9 October 1669, before notary Romain Becquet, Jean
Lavigne stated that he was originally from Saint-Vulfran in
Abbeville, diocese of Amiens. In the department of the Somme,
Abbeville, known to the Romans as abbatis villa, or "city of the
abbey", is one of the oldest inhabited sites in France.
Archaeological research has revealed that at this place primitive man
used sharpened flint as a tool.
The history of Abbeville is steeped in religion. Before the French
Revolution this city was host to 16 parishes, 7 monasteries and 8
convents. Of the 4 remaining parishes, the most venerable and the
largest is Saint-Vulfran. The mortal remains of this saint were
brought to Abbeville in 1058. In 1121 a collegiate church was
founded. Vulfran, archbishop of Sens in the seventh century, then
apostle of the Frisons (the Dutch), for centuries after his death was
invoked against the dangers of the sea. The present church which is
dedicated to him was begun in 1488 and was therefore the one attended
by Jean Soucy, son of Claude and of Francoise de Vaime of Cevainne.
No researcher has yet located the baptismal record of this father of
numerous descendants, Jean Soucy dit Lavigne.
LA VIGNE FROM THE REGIMENT
Jean Soucy arrived in New France as a soldier of his Majesty in the
famous Carignan Regiment; composed of 20 companies of 50 soldiers or
1,000 men. Four other companies from the Navarre regiment increased
the royal military strength-to 1,200 effectives. Up until that time,
never had a colony in the New World seen so many troops debark in a
single year.
Nearly all of these regular army soldiers had a double last name.
Here are a few examples selected at random: 12 Laverdure, 7 Lafleur,
6 Laviolette, 2 Laforest one each of Laramee, Laplante, Latulippe,
Latreille, Larose, Bellerose, and 2 dit Lavigne: Jean Soucy and Andre
Poutre.
Soucy dit Lavigne was part of Grandfontaine's company, as was Jean
Bergevin, Louis Bolduc, Rene Dumas, Pierre Hudon and Pierre Lacroix.
Before coming to Canada, had Soucy fought under the French flag
against Austria? Quite possibly but unprovable.
Let's summarize the verified facts. The last preparations before the
dispatch of the regiment to Canada were carried out in the winter of
1665. On 11 April, Colbert de Terron went to La Rochelle where 4
companies were quartered. The 16 others, including Jean Soucy's, were
billeted not far away, on the Ile de Oleron. On 4 May, Jean Talon
ascertained that there were only 200 mattresses for all the soldiers
so he quickly ordered 500 additional straw pallets. The seas were
high and the barometer was low. The weather was cold, rainy and raw,
hence the departure was delayed. On 13 May, the ship named L'Aigle
d'Or with a 400 ton capacity, a veritable old worm-eaten hulk of the
seas left the port of La Rochelle with 200 soldiers in 4 companies:
Salieries, La Frediere, La Motte and Grandfontaine. The crossing took
more than 3 months, with progress at the mercy of the wind and seas.
Captain Villepars successfully reached the Gaspe with his ship, which
had sprung a leak on the high seas. The anchor was dropped a few
leagues downstream from the Saguenay River. Lieutenant Sertine went
ashore to find an experienced pilot. Finally, on the evening of 17
August, Jean Soucy glimpsed Quebec in the semi-darkness. The next
morning, on Tuesday, 18 August 1665, our happy ancestor stepped on
the soil of his new homeland.
L'Aigle d'Or sailed from Quebec on 13 September. On 6 November she
berthed at La Rochelle. Colbert said upon seeing the ship that it was
no longer seaworthy. Mission accomplished! As a last gasp the old
ship served in a naval action as a giant fireship.
MILITARY ACTIVITIES
After the debarkation at Quebec, it is difficult to say where the
soldiers (and jean Soucy) were billeted at that time. Perhaps the
L'Aigle d'Or served as temporary sleeping quarters. There were only
70 houses it "pierrotees " on top of the old rock, reported the
Ursulines.
On 19 August, the soldiers passed in parade. Solemnly, the Marquis
de Tracy reviewed his 8 companies, all of whom appeared to be in good
condition. The population rejoiced. The religious authorities took
advantage of this to organize a type of retreat preliminary to
receiving the sacrament of confirmation on 21 and 22 August. The
retreat master was Father Claude Dablon, S.J. Jean Soucy was not on
the list of those confirmed. What a shame, because then we would know
his age.
"During the course of the last week of August, numerous soldiers
received the scapular of Mont-Carmel." The list of candidates
included jean Soucy dit Lavigne and Pierre Feuvrier, both from the
Grandfontaine company. "There were indeed five hundred soldiers who
took the scapular of the Virgin saint," wrote Marie de l'Incarnation.
The recitation of the rosary in common was an almost daily practice.
It wasn't war they wanted, but a crusade in favor of peace.
Already summer was slipping away; September was bringing shorter and
cooler days. There still remained a campaign for which to prepare. It
was necessary to busy the non-commissioned officers and the enlisted
men with a useful and necessary project before the onset of winter.
The scope of the strategy went like this: to put obstacles in the way
of Mohawk movement on the Richelieu River, from Lake Champlain to the
Saint-Lawrence. On 2 September, Jean Soucy's company and several
others made their way towards the river of the Iroquois. On 22
October, after they had built Fort Sainte-Therese , they received the
mission from Governor de Courcelle to build a passable road linking
Fort Sainte-Therese to Fort Saint-Louis (Chambly).
Jean Soucy then returned to Quebec where he wintered over. In 1666,
under his company commander, Hector d'Andigne de Grandfontaine, he
took part in the expedition against the Mohawks, beyond Lake
Champlain. On 17 October 1666, the army took possession of the
invaded territory. And history tells USA that the soldiers gave a
rousing three cheers "Vive le Roy!" Certainly Jean Soucy was among
them. The agenda for the years 1667 and 1668 is notable for its
absence. There was general demobilization with voluntary return of
the soldiers to France. Jean Soucy was among those who decided to
adopt this new country.
FAILED MARRIAGE PLANS
Jean Soucy traded his gun for the axe and the plow. In the autumn of
1669, his heart was full of love. On 6 October in the home office of
notary Romain Becquet at Quebec, he committed himself to take as his
legitimate wife, one Madeleine Marechal, daughter of Jean and of the
late Catherine Frenost. He signed his own name "Jean Lavigne." This
daughter of the King was a native of Amiens, a renowned city in
Picardy, also the homeland of her future husband.
This orphan girl brought property valued at 200 livres in addition
to the "sum of fifty livres which His Majesty gave her in
Consideration of her marriage." However, it seems that Madeleine had
previously married Pierre Poupardeau, origin unknown, also known by
the last name of Le Vagabond. Therefore it was necessary for Jean to
annul the marriage contract which was done on 13 October, just seven
days later. Madeleine and her vagabond eventually had 3 children:
Jean, Isabelle and Louis, however, on 3 July 1684, Madeleine was run
out of Montreal for bad conduct.
JEAN SOUCY FINDS A RARE PEARL
Jean Soucy patiently waited to find a kindred spirit and eventually
he did. However, nothing- has been discovered, not even a notary
contract, to help in fixing the approximate date of his marriage. As
his first child was born on 5 September 1671, it is reasonable to
assume that Jean took a wife in the autumn of 1670. Rene Jette even
believes that the religious ceremony took place on the Ile d'Orleans.
Who, therefore, was this incomparable wife? Her name was Jeanne
Sauvenier or Savonet, the 23 year old daughter of Jacques and of
Antoinette Babillotte from the city of Paris. She was a courageous
woman of good sense, which is just what Jean Soucy wanted.
ON THE ISLANDS OF THE SNOW GEESE
The non- commissioned officers of the famous regiment, those who
decided to settle in Canada, obtained fiefs and seigneuries in return
for their service to the crown. They also were able to marry girls of
good families. Thus, Paul Dupuy de Lisloye, husband of Jeanne
Couillard, became the owner of half of the Ile-aux-Oies and the Ile-
aux-Grues, in the Saint-Lawrence River, not far from the Ile
d'Orleans. Pierre Becart de Grandville, an officer in Grandfontaine's
company, husband of Anne Macard, daughter of Nicolas and Marguerite
Couillard, obtained from seigneur Louis Couillard de Lespinay on 16
October 1668, the other halves of the islands. On 17 October 1671,
the two seigneurs, Dupuy and Becart, agreed to redivide their
properties. Paul owned the large Ile-aux-Oies, and Pierre the small
Ile-aux-Oies and the Ile-aux-Grues. Here are the historical facts to
help USA understand the hidden history of Jean Soucy.
Pierre Becart had earned decorations and done deeds which,
nevertheless, left him unfulfilled. Rather early in life he retired
to his islands and requested the help of Jean Soucy, an old military
acquaintance. From 1669, Jean Soucy worked hard to build the simple
manor house of his seigneur. In 1670, he married and continued his
activities as protege of Pierre Becart. The latter ceded to him,
perhaps verbally, a piece of land on the Ile-aux-Grues. There, Jean
built his house which he occupied about 1674. In fact, on 17 July
1674, Pierre Michaud, who obtained a concession on the Ile-aux-Grues,
was a neighbor to Jean Soucy.
Such are the approximate facts concerning the settlement by Jean
Soucy on the small islands of the great white geese.
FOUR CHILDREN
The registries list 4 Soucy children: Anne, Pierre, Marie-Anne and
Guillaume, all born on the islands, all baptized by Abbot Thomas
Morel, missionary on the South Coast and the first priest of Saint-
Anne-de-Beaupre.
Anne, born on the Ile-aux-Oies on 5 September 1671, was baptized at
Cap-Saint-Ignace on the 15th of the same month. The act was recorded
at Sainte-Famille. The seigneuresse Anne Macard, accompanied by
seigneur Paul Dupuy, stood up for her at the font. Anne Soucy married
Jean Lebel, son of our ancestor Nicolas, on 16 August 1689 at Riviere-
Ouelle. They had 5 children. Jean Lebel was buried in the same place
on 6 October 1699. Anne was also the mother of a child born out of
wedlock. Marie-Therese, baptized on 6 October 1703 at Riviere-Ouelle.
The latter married Louis Morais, of unknown origin, at La Pocatiere
about 1729. On 24 November 1704, widow Anne Soucy was married to
Jacques Bois, who had arrived in the country about 1698. The. new
couple saw the birth of 8 Bois children. As a result, the descendants
of Anne Soucy have been most numerous.
On 13 April 1673, Pierre, the eldest of the Soucy boys was born. On
the 16th of the same month, Seigneur Pierre Becart served as his
godparent along with Jeanne Couillard, wife of Paul Dupuy. The
baptism was recorded in the registry of Notre-Dame de Quebec. Msgr de
Laval conferred the sacrament of confirmation on this child at
Montmagny on 31 July 1681. Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquerau, daughter of
Urbain and of Jeanne Rossignol, captured Pierre's heart and married
him at Riviere-Ouelle on 13 January 1699. Twelve children were the
jewels in the crown of this beautiful union. Pierre was a farmer and
also fished for porpoise. He died at an advanced age.
Marie-Anne, the first child born on the Ile-aux-Grues on 15 February
1675, was baptized on 26 April before her godfather Pierre Michaud.
At the age of 21, on 24 November 1701 at Riviere-Ouelle, Marie-Anne
became the bride of Charles Pelletier, son of Noel. Charles died on 7
October 1713. They had only one son, Joseph, who was a seminarian
when he died at the Hotel Dieu in Quebec on 21 April 1723. Marie-Anne
then became the wife of Robert Gaulin, widower of Elisabeth
Latourneau, father of 14 children, at Sainte-Famille, on 15 April
1716. Marie-Anne has no descendants.
There remains the youngest to present. Guillaume, the godson of
Guillaume Lemieux and Marie-Anne Langlois, was born on 5 April 1677
and baptized on the first of May. This Guillaume does not seem to
have married. However, he had a natural son by Marguerite Bouchard,
wife of Fran is Dutartre. This unheralded child was named Jean
Baptiste dit Guillaume. He went to the Montreal region as a young
man, where he married the widow of Jean Laroche, one Catherine
Demers, on 18 June 1726 at Laprairie. To her 6 Laroche children,
Catherine Demers added 3 Soucy children: Jean-Baptiste, Marie-
Angelique and Louis.
Such is the brief account of the first harvest of Soucy offspring in
America.
SAUVENIER-BERUBE-MIVILLE
One inevitable day ancestor jean Soucy died; we know neither how nor
why. During her mourning Jeanne Sauvenier met ancestor Damien Berube
and married him on 22 August 1679. Proof appears in the registry of
l'Islet. To the Berube history, previously featured in this series,
let USA add that in the census of 1681, the 4 Soucy children remained
well protected in the home of Damien Berube at Riviere-Ouelle. There,
they knew 6 Berube half-brothers and sisters and, later, a half-
sister, Marie-Francoise Miville, the daughter of Francois and of
Jeanne Sauvenier, their mother.
The Soucy family has spread out and is most numerous in both Canada
and in the United States. We find them in all trades and professions.
Let it suffice to recall the memory of a family of Soucy sculptors:
Elzear, Cleophas and Donat. For three generations they lived at Saint-
Onesime in Kamouraska. In 1924, Elzear Soucy sculpted a Pierre
Lemoyne d'Iberville "which truly has style." This work may be admired
in an exterior niche of the parliament of Quebec.
FAMILY NAME VARIATIONS
Soucy: Coussi, Enouille, Lavigne, Sansouci, Soucey, Souci, Soucis,
Soucisse, Souisix, Sousis, Sousix, and Suprenant.
Lavigne: Bernard, Bidault, Bideau, Boursier, Bourtier, Brisetout,
Brodeur, Colin, Dextra, Doutre, Fily, Fydy, Gour, Graps, Lachaise,
Lacheze, Lamy, Langire, Lavaigne, Lavene, Lavigny, Lavine, Lavyne,
Levasseur, Levine, Nadeau, Poudre, Poutre, Rivard, Saviot, Sigu,
Soucy, Tessier and Texier.
END NOTES
Record of Becquet, 6 October 1669.
Record of Lecomte, 16 October 1668.
Du Broc de Segauge, Les Saints Patrons des Corporations et
Protecteurs (1887), Vol. I, pp. 200-201.
Dumas, Silvio., LFRNF (1972), pp. 292-293, 332-333.
Jette, Rene'., DGFQ (1983), p. 942.
Lafontaine, Andre'., RANF 1681 (1981), p. 198.
Roy, Regis & Malchelosse, Gerard., Le Regiment de Carignan (1925),
p. 92.
Talbot, Eloi-Gerard., Genealogie des Familles originaires des comtes
de Montmagny, l'Islet, Bellechasse, Vol. 15, p. 108.
Annuaire Catholique de France (1981-1982), p. 75.
BRH, Vol. 13, pp. 350-351; Vol. 52, pp. 143-145.
DBC, Vol. 1, pp. 62-64; Vol. 2, pp. 220-222.
JDCS (1888), Vol. 4, pp. 135-136.
La Grande Encyclopedie, (Tours - Imprimerie de E. Arrault et Cie.
sans date), Vol. 1, pp. 44-46.
Nos racines, 22nd issue, pp. 436-437.
PRDH, Vol. 7, Index words Soucy, Soussy; Vol. 18, pp. 436-437.
Revue de l'Universite-d'Ottawa, Vol. 35, pp. 11-34.
SGQ, I'Ancetre, Vol. 3, p. 14; Vol. 6, p. 176.
Jean Soucy dit Lavigne #2838
!OCCUPATION: Soldier with the Regiment de Carignan, Company of Mr.
Grandfontaine. Arrived in Canada on Aug. 17, 1665.
!MARRIAGE: First marriage annuled. Was married with Madeleine
Marechal, with a contract in front of Notary Becquet on Oct. 6, 1669.
She later married Pierre Pompardeau.
!RESIDENCE: Noted as living in Notre-Dame de Liesse, Quebec, Canada,
on daughter Marie-Madeleine's mariage contract with Charles Peltier.
Birth record of his son Pierre mentions Cap Saint-Ignace as
residence. Birth record of daughter Marie Anne (2/15/1675) mentions
Ile-aux-Grues, Quebec, as residence. Birth record of daughter Anne
(9/5/1671) mentions Cap Saint-Ignace as residence.32
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1647 - Bef 1679 (< 32 years)
d. 12 Mar 1721, Riviere Quelle, Kamouraska, PQ, Canada