Le Messager Volume 1, no 3 – Avril 2007 des descendants de Nicolas Perrot (english version) MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT One year ago, we created the Association of Descendants of Nicolas Perrot at Joliette. During the General Assembly of the founding, the 50 or so members present elected a permanent Board of Directors, adopted the statutes and rules as well as an action plan whose objective was to guide elected members in the (chantiers) to be put in place to achieve the goals established by the Assembly. I am happy to report today that the Board has adopted a logo, created a newsletter, which will be published 3 or 4 times a year, has developed a web site, in operation since the beginning of April, has put in place the financial and administrative structure of the Association, and has, for the first time, taken charge of the organisation of the annual get-together of the descendants of Nicolas Perrot – activity which took place in Saint-Sulpice last September. Since the start of the new year, the Board has been working on organizing the next get-together for 2007, which will take place in Montreal. If you wish to be part of this event, please reserve Sunday, September 16, 2007, on your calendar. Indeed, this area was well known to our ancestor, since it is at Pointe-à-Callières that Nicolas Perrot, at the request of the governor of New France, served as interpreter for the Western tribes who had come to Montreal to sign the Great Peace in 1701. The day will start at 10:30, with a commemorative mass at the chapelle du Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart chapel) of the Notre-Dame-de-Montréal basilica. After the mass, participants will be invited to make their way to the auberge Saint-Gabriel for lunch. During the early part of the afternoon, a General Assembly will be held, followed by a visit to the Pointe-à-Callières museum around 14:30. An event not to be missed. Don't forget ... Annual get-together of the descendants of Nicolas Perrot 2007 September 16, 2007 in Montreal 10:30 Mass 12 noon Lunch (Auberge Saint-Gabriel) 13:30 General Assembly 14:30 Visit to the Pointe-à-Callières museum Contents Message from the president p. 1 In memoriam : Cécile Perreault p. 2 The Raclos sisters pp. 2 et 3 The Chevalier de Lorimier, a descendant of Nicolas Perrot pp. 4 et 5 On the birth of Nicolas Perrot p. 6 A bit of genealogy p. 7 A permanent member card p. 8 You may have received a notice from the Registrar indicating that the time has come to renew your membership. If that is the case, please send in your payment to the Administration office. By return post, you will receive a new, plasticized, membership card which will remain valid as long as you continue renewing your membership each year. President, Claude Perreault 1595, rue Piette Joliette (Québec) J6E 3W3 page 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRIBUTE TO CÉCILE PERREAULT-WEBSTER On Dercember 26 last, a great lady left us. Cécile Perreault-Webster had died after a long illness, at the age of 80 years and 6 months. A kind heart, full of energy and determination, she had spent her life in the service of others. Secretary of the Société de généalogie de Lanaudière for many years, she volunteered her time there until the end of her life. She was greatly interested in Nicolas Perrot's life. One day, i had the privilege to read an article about him. She had touched my heart. Some time later, i was invited, by a mutual friend, Gilles Robillard, to contact her. Close ties were forged over the years. She always honoured us by her presence at the annual gatherings. I would like to take this opportunity to show my gratitude. Mrs Webster, In the name of all descendants of Nicolas Perrot, we would like to express our profound thanks for your devotion. You sowed seeds of love, and now reap the fruit. The Association became a reality in 2006, we now have over a hundred members, we are greatly indebted to you! Lise Perreault-Christin, vice-president Association of Descendants of Nicolas Perrot You will forever be in my heart. Cécile Perreault-Webster was a member of the Association since its founding. THE RACLOS SISTERS The filles du roi (King's daughters) are orphans raised by nuns at his Majesty's expense. They bear no resemblance to the women of joy born of somewhat spicy tales. They are simply young women who must find a husband in the few weeks following their arrival in New France. Thus it was that some 1,200 filles du roi came to the colony, looking for a husband, in the 1660's. In 1671, in particular, some 125 filles du roi left France, of which forty or so were Parisian. Among them were the three Raclos sisters: Françoise, Marie-Madeleine and Marie, respectively aged 18, 17 and 15 years. Wanting to reassure himself as to the worth of his future sons-in-law, their father, Godebon or Ildebon Raclos, accompanied the girls. Marie, the youngest, was the first to find a mate. On October 12, 1671, in front of notary Romain Becquet, she promised to wed René Baudoin, son of Jacques and Madeleine Pichon, originally from Courcival in Maine (Sarthe). The nuptials most likely took place in Champlain, in the days following. Marie brought a dowry of 1000 livres, plus 100 more from the King, which was considerable for the time. Marie-Madeleine, born in 1654, had her marriage contract drawn up next November 11 by notary Guillaume de Larue. The wedding would also likely have been celebrated in the days following in Champlain. page 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is probable that Marie-Madeleine had a dowry analoguous to that of Marie, since we suppose that the three sisters were favoured in equal part. All 3 sisters took part in these events along with their father and the future spouse, Nicolas Perrot. Lastly, Françoise, the eldest, would wed Michel David in the area of Trois-Rivières, in December of 1671. Her two sisters were present at the signing of the act, but the father was not : he was on a ship returning to France. We also know that Colette Raclos of Paris, widow of André d’Hoin, judge at the Parliamentary Court, and Idebon's aunt, bequeathed, in July 1687, to her five nieces (Colette, Françoise, Marie-Madeleine, Marie and Pierrette) the sum of 10,000 livres to be divided equally among them. Such an inheritance was always welcome. However, for Nicolas Perrot and Marie-Madeleine, this presented a serious problem: Nicolas, battered by debt, was at the mercy of his creditors, just waiting to pounce on the lot. Nicolas Perrot accepted that his spouse request a separation of goods, so that she could, without penalty, recover her part of the inheritance, which the priest of Champlain, Hazeur de L’Orme, offered to fetch in Paris. The priest went to Paris and returned with the sum, but insisted on a commission of 50 %. This exhorbitant demand led to a lawsuit. The Sovereign Council forced Hazeur to remit the sum of 5,411 livres to Madeleine. The morning following the death of her husband on August 13, 1717, Madeleine Raclos sank into a state of mental depression. A few times in the past, she had displayed some disquieting symptoms. These got worse: in her foggy memory, there were bits of tales of fabulous voyages recounted by her husband upon his return from faraway countries. Now it was she who would leave on an adventure. In her fragile state of mind, these unknown regions became the seigneury of Saint-Sulpice where most of her children had settled. The day after the death of Nicolas, she charged one of her sons to buy a piece of land in Saint-Sulpice, where she would live. On October 18, 1717, Pierre bought, in the name of his mother, the land of Pierre Gour, neighbour of his brother Jean, for the sum of 2,400 livres. She would never move to that location. On October 12, 1719, her children, with the exception of Pierre who could not leave Saint-Sulpice, get together in Trois-Rivières with their mother and she agrees to sign the transfer of assets document and, the next day, the distribution of property among her children. These holdings are important : a lot of seven arpents frontage by 20 deep in the seigneury of Becancour with house and stable, a concession of two arpents frontage by 21 deep in the Dutort seigneury, on which there is a straw-roofed barn as well as the land bought in Saint-Sulpice in 1717, which was being farmed by her sons. Madeleine agrees to reside permanently in Trois-Rivières with her daughter Françoise. But the mental state of the poor woman eventually becomes even more worrisome. She no longer wishes to stay with her daughter, neither will she go to the hospital of the Ursulines. She wants to settle in those faraway lands that are Becancour and Saint-Sulpice! On June 21, 1720, her children meet in the study of notary Poulin to discuss the situation and take the inevitable decision. They ask Françoise to make the effort to continue to care for their mother and they will compensate her. Madeleine Raclos will survive another four years in total dementia. She dies in July 1724 and is buried in Trois-Rivières, on July 8, at the age of seventy-four. page 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A notorious descendant of Nicolas Perrot… Chevalier de Lorimier De Lorimier family Perrot dit Châteauguay family Guillaume de Lorimier and Jeanne Guilbault Nicolas Perrot and Madeleine Raclos Saint-Leu and Saint-Gilles (Paris) (Cap-de-la-Madeleine, 11-11-1671) | | Guillaume and Marguerite Choret Michel and Jeanne Beaudry (Champlain, 27-01-1695) (Trois-Rivières, 17-10-1712) | | J. Claude Nicolas Guillaume and Louise Lepailleur Joseph and Lise-Geneviève Han-Chaussé (Montréal, 07-01-1730) (Saint-Sulpice, 23-01-1736) | | François-Thomas Guillaume and Joseph and Marie Durand Marguerite de Sabrevois (Montréal, 16-08-1769) (Lanoraie, 09-01-1764) | | Guillaume François Verneuil de Lorimier - Marguerite-Adélaïde Perreault Saint-Cuthbert, 12-03-1795 | François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier FRANÇOIS-MARIE CHEVALIER DE LORIMIER Scion of a noble family, François-Marie Chevalier de Lorimier was born in Saint-Cuthbert, son of Guillaume-Clément Verneuil de Lorimier and Marie-Marguerite-Adélaïde Perreault dit Châteauguay (baptized François-Marie-Thomas, he later received the given name Chevalier, apparently from his uncle and godfather François-Chevalier de Lorimier; he always signed Chevalier de Lorimier). In 1829, he became a notary and established himself in Montréal, marrying, on January 10, 1832, Henriette Cadieux, daughter of notary Jean-Marie Cadieux de Courville. From that union, five children were born (four daughters and one son). At the time of the troubles of 1837, fired with enthousiasm, he abandoned everything, wife, children, clients, to take part in the rebellion. He was one of the most active leaders and worked at organizing an armed resistance. He took charge of the Beauharnois uprising in 1838 and commanded at Odelltown, south of Napierreville, the battle which turned out to be the last armed engagement of the Troubles of 1837-1838. Holding the rank of Brigadier-General of the Patriots, he took part in the revolt in Lacolle under the command of Dr Robert Nelson. Taken prisoner on November 12, 1838, he came before a court-martial in Montreal. Found guilty, he was condemned to death and executed along with 11 other Patriots, at Pied-du-Courant, on February 15, 1839. On the eve of his execution, he wrote his political last will and testament : Montreal Prison, Februay 14, 1839, 11 o'clock in the evening. The public, and in particular my friends, are perhaps waiting for a sincere declaration of my sentiments. At the fatal hour which must separate us from this Earth, opinions are always looked upon and accepted with more impartiality. At this moment, the Christian man strips himself of the veil that obscured many of his actions, in order to allow himself to be seen in the light of day. Interests and passions expire with his mortal remains. As for myself, on the eve of giving up my soul to its Creator, I would like to make known what I feel and what I think. I would not take this step if I did not fear that my sentiments would be misrepresented. We know that the dead no longer talk, and the same reason of State that has me atone for my political conduct on the gallows could well result in fabricated stories about me. I have the time and the desire to prevent such fabrications, and I am doing it in true and solemn fashion, at my final hour, not on the gallows surrounded by a stupid crowd with an insatiable thirst for blood, but in the silence and reflections of solitary confinement. page 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I die without regret, I wanted nothing but good for my country through insurrection and independence, my views and my actions were sincere and were not tarnished by any of the crimes that dishonour humanity, and which are all but too common during the release of unfettered passion. For some 17 to 18 years, I have taken an active part in almost all popular movements, and always with conviction and sincerity. My efforts were for the independence of my compatriots; we have been miserable up to this day. Death has already decimated many of my collaborators. Many tremble in irons, a larger number are exiled, their properties destroyed, their families abandoned without resources to the cold Canadian winter. In spite of so much misfortune, my heart still retains courage and hope for the future, my friends and my children will see better days, they will be free, a feeling of certainty and my untroubled conscience assure me of this. That is what fills me with joy, when everything around me is desolation and pain. My country's wounds will scar over after the troubles of anarchy and bloody revolution. The peaceful Canadian will see happiness and liberty resurface along the Saint-Lawrence; everything leads to that goal, even the executions, the blood and the tears spilled on the altar of liberty today nourrish the roots of the tree which will display the flag emblazoned with the two stars of the Canadas. I leave children whose only inheritance is the memory of my misfortune. Poor orphans, it is you that i feel sorry for, it is you that the bloody and arbitrary hand of martial law strikes by my death. You will not have known the sweetness and the pleasure of embracing your father on days of rejoicing, on Feast days! When the age of reason allows you to reflect, you will see that your father was someone who atoned on the gallows for actions which immortalised other more fortunate men. Your father's crime is in his failure; if success had followed upon his attempts, his actions would have been credited with honorable mention. « The crime, and not the scaffold, is the disgrace.» Men of greater merit than mine have beaten the path which is left for me to follow from the dark prison to the gibbet. Poor children! You will only have a fragile and distressed mother to sustain you; if my death and my sacrifices have left you destitute, plead sometime in my name, i was never insensitive to the misfortunes of my fellow man. As for you, my compatriots, my execution and that of my companions on the scaffold will be useful to you. They will demonstrate what you can expect from the English government!... I only have a few more hours to live, and I wanted to divide these precious moments between my religious duty and my duty to my compatriots; for them, I die on the gibbet the infamous death of a murderer, for them I break with my young children and with my wife, who are left without other support, and for them I die, shouting : «Long live liberty, long live independence.» Chevalier de Lorimier On November 14, 1858, in the Côte-des-Neiges cemetary in Montreal (near the left side entrance), a monument was erected to perpetuate the memory of the 1837-38 patriots. This monument gives us the names of the patriots who died in battle during the insurrection, of those who were exiled to the Bermudas or to Australia, as well as the names of the 12 who were hung at the Pied-du-Courant prison on Notre-Dame street in Montréal, including Chevalier de Lorimier. An important street in Montreal recalls his memory. (for further reading, see: http://www.biographi.ca/EN/index.html and search for LORIMIER) page 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the birth of Nicolas Perrot The following text, concerning the origins of Nicolas Perrot, comes from Dr Dupras. We wish to thank him and reproduce it here : Nicolas Perrot is generally held to have been born in 1643 at Darcey, in the bishopric (évêché) of Autun, Burgundy. He died on August 13, 1717, in Becancour, and was buried the next morning in the parish church. The Darcey parish registers are complete from 1642 to 1660, except for the period between June 25 and December 8, 1647. In fact, subsequent entries lead us to believe that Nicolas and his nearest brother Joseph (born in 1646) were born in Ménétreux. Unfortunately, the parish registers of this period have not survived and we cannot prove it. What we know : Francois, the father of Nicolas, was born in Darcey on January 13, 1616, and is the son of Francois Perrot and Etiennenette Chamereau. In 1641, we find him as lieutenant of justice in Darcey and godfather to a daughter of Laurent Perrot, on April 29, 1641. He disappears from the Darcey registers until 1651. A notarised document of 1646 tells us that François Perrot is living in Ménétreux-le-Pitois at that time. We find a reference to him in Grésigny as godfather at a christening on April 29, 1649. He is said to be a merchant in Ménetreux-le-Pitois. His wife signs as godmother in Darcey on April 18, 1650. She is said to be from Ménetreux-le-Pitois. François Perrot and Marie Sirot had therefore, by all accounts, inhabited Ménétreux between 1646 and 1651. We think that François Perrot and Marie Sirot were married in 1642, probably in Ménétreux. The Sirot family had lived in Ménétreux since at least 1552 : a list of inhabitants mentions a Johan Syrot during that year. We can assume they stayed in Ménetreux up until 1651. The other children of the Perrot and Sirot couple were all born in Darcey. The family of Nicolas Perrot François Perrot, his father, was lieutenant of justice and local inspector (procureur d'office) in Darcey. He died there on January 25, 1707, at the age of 91. His wife, Marie Sirot died in Darcey on December 26, 1670. They had at least 8 children. Nicolas would be the eldest, born around 1643; François died in Darcey, January 3, 1668; Joseph (1646), died in Darcey, February 1, 1668, aged 22; Jean born April 2, 1651 in Darcey; Anne born in Darcey, February 24, 1658. Married there on November 26, 1686, to Charles Pyron; Jean died in Darcey on December 22, 1670, aged 10 (born around 1660); François born July 13, 1664 in Darcey; Mathias born in Darcey, April 25, 1665. His wife, Marie Daubenton, originally from Grésigny-Sainte-Reine, died in Darcey on November 2, 1715. It is possible that Marie Daubenton was of the same family as Louis Daubenton, naturalist, born in 1716 in Montbard, who was a collaborator of Buffon. In the notarised fonds of Laurent Perrot, dated 1646, we learn that his brother François lives in Ménétreux-le-Pitois a few kilometres from Darcey. In 1606, Charles de Soissons, son of François de Longueville, emancipated the village of Darcey and in 1634, his son Louis sold this part of Darcey to Charles de Clugny, who already owned the other part, thus reconstituting the ancient seigneury. The ancient "château-fort", held by the de Clugny family since 1634, was eventually to be destroyed in 1775, immediately after the construction of the modern chateau. Young Nicolas Perrot will then have lived under the jurisdiction of the seigneur de Clugny up until his departure for New France. page 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A bit of genealogy Nicolas Perrot and Madeleine Raclos (Champlain, 11-11-1671) Claude and Marie Goulet Pierre and Marie-Anne Lescarbot (Repentigny, 09-07-1714) (Saint-Sulpice, 26-04-1718) | | Joseph and Madeleine Brem dit Bourdelais Jean-Sébastien and Marie-Anne Laperche (Saint-Sulpice, 15-02-1751) (L’Assomption, 06-02-1747) | | | Benjamin and Marie Pariseau Michel and Thérèse Rivest Bénoni and Angélique (Saint-Sulpice, 06-10-1788) (L’Assomption, 30-01-1781) Christin dit St-Amour | | (L’Assomption, 22-01-1782) | | | | Bénoni and Rosalie | Joseph and Marguerite Prud’Homme Tellier-Lafortune Charles and Félicité Laporte (Saint-Sulpice, 20-01-1823) (L’Assomption, 27-01-1813) (L’Assomption, 05-02-1839) | | | | François and Joséphine | | Christin dit-St-Amour | Pierre and M.-Louise Charland (Saint-Paul, 17-07-1849) François and Azilda Gour (Lavaltrie, 05-02-1861) | (L’Assomption, 21-06-1876) | | | | Onésime and M. Éveline Leblanc | | (Saint-Alexis, 30-01-1883) | Arthur and Arthémise Rivest | Camille and Rosanna Roy (Saint-Sulpice, 04-02-1896) | (Immaculée-Conception, | Albert and Alice Raymond MTL, 22-09-1908) | (Saint-Jean-Baptiste, | Germaine and Gérard-René Dupras MTL, 19-05-1908) | (Saint-Sulpice, 18-08-1928) | Roland and Gabrielle Gascon | | (Pointe-auxTrembles, 18-11-1939) Denise Jules and Jacqueline Normand | Georges (Sainte-Cécile, | Madeleine MTL, 07-09-1942) Nicole and André Laverdure Monique | (Pointe-aux-Trembles, 20-06-1959) Nicole Michel and Denise Desnoyers | (Saint-Vincent-Ferrier, Michel MTL, 12-09-1970) Jean-Marc | André Mélanie Nadine WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS DELMAR, Judith (Florida, US) DELMAR, Robert F (Florida, US) PERREAULT, Alfred (Munster Hamlet, Ontario) page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A permanent membership card A new design for the membership card was adopted at the Board meeting of January 28, 2007. This card, permanent and plasticized, will have as identification on the front, the logo, the name of the Association, the member's name, their membership number, their family reference (branch) if known, and the month and year of their joining the Association. The back of the card will have, as a minimum, the address and telephone number of the Association and finally, a note stating that the card is valid so long as annual dues are paid. Here are images (front-back) of the card >>> (image) FRONT (image) BACK The family reference (branch) is expressed by the following syntax : "ancestor's name" > "child's name". Here are some possible values for descendants of Nicolas Perrot (1643 - 1717) : descent via the children of Nicolas nicolas > claude nicolas > françois nicolas > jean nicolas > michel nicolas > nicolas nicolas > pierre nicolas > françoise nicolas > anne descent via the brothers and sisters of Nicolas : françois > anne françois > jean françois > mathias and, for the descendance of François Perrot, grandfather of Nicolas (including the descendance of Pierre Perrot and Geneviève Poulin), other than via Nicolas Perrot or his father : françois-père > laurent If you are a member, but are not a descendant of Nicolas or of his family, or if the exact lineage is not known, we will leave this space blank. In order that your family reference (branch) be indicated on your membership card, it is important that you send your line of descent, along with your membership renewal, to the administration office of the Association. This information is doubly useful : it will allow us to add to the genealogical dictionary which we are working on and to create a personalised card which shows your ascendance. At the annual get-togethers, this card will facilitate your identification. The Association's web address is : www.nicolasperrot.org and the email address is : info@nicolasperrot.org André Clément Perreault, webmaster page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------