Lemieux Family
Gabriel Lemieux (1626-1700) (9th great-grandfather)
son of Louis Lemieux (1600-1665) and Marie Luguan (1600-1669)
Birth 10 APR 1626 • Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France
Death 2 DEC 1700 • Québec, Quebec, Canada
Marriage 1658 to Marguerite Leboeuf (1636-1671)
• 1690, Voyageur and courier de bois to Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie.
Gabriel Lemieux (1663-1739) (8th great-grandfather)
son of Gabriel Lemieux (1626-1700) and Marguerite Leboeuf (1636-1671)
Birth 4 SEP 1663 • La Prairie, La Prairie, Quebec, Canada
Death 18 SEP 1739 • La Prairie, Quebec, Canada
Marriage 1690 to Jeanne Robidoux (1673-1736)
• 1690, Voyageur and courier de bois to Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie.
• 1692, Aug 9, Engagement by Joachim Germano, Notary Antoine Adhemar dit Saint-Martin.
• more from: Michigan’s Habitant Heritage (MHH), Vol. 35, #2, April 2014 - 17th Century Engagé Contracts to the Great Lakes and Beyond - 15 June 1690 to 23 May 1695 - Part 2:
Above: "19 August 1692, Joachim Germaneau hired Gabriel Lemieux and Laurent Glory dit LaBrière to make a voyage to the 8ta8ois (Ottawa Indians) specifically to Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie [Antoine Adhémar"
• 1734, May 28, Engagement from Gabriel Lemieux, St-Lambert prairie, to Eustache Gamclin and associates, to make a journey to the West Sea, to bring a canoe of merchandise to winter there, and to descend it again next year in charge of pelts. Notary Lepailleur de LaFerté)
• 1737, May 6, Engagement de Gabriel Lemieux à Charles Ruet Dauteuil pour faire le voyage au Détroit. Notary Lepallieur.
Marguerite Leboeuf (1636-1671) (9th great-grandmother)
daughter of Guillaume Leboeuf (_-1727) and Marguerite Milot de Troye (1612-1694)
Birth 15 MAR 1636 • Troyes, Aube, Champagne, France
Death 23 NOV 1671 • Québec, Quebec, Canada
Marriage 1658 to Gabriel Lemieux (1626-1700)
• Filles a Marier on a Passenger and Immigration List for 1658 to Quebec.
• 1665, ran a cabaret in Quebec, and was accused of adultery and of keeping a "maison close."
Marguerite Leboeuf Ran the Best Little "Maison Close" in Quebec, 1667-1671
Every family has a few black sheep, and our French-Canadian ancestors were no exception...
My 9th great-grandparents, Marguerite Leboeuf and her husband Gabriel Lemieux ran a cabaret in Quebec.
In April 1665, they were accused by habitants of selling wine above the fixed price. The Sovereign Council found them guilty and fined them 10 écus for this infraction of the city ordinances.
More trouble in 1667 -- Marguerite Leboeuf was accused of adultery and of keeping a "maison close"
The Sovereign Council investigated new allegations that Marguerite kept "women and girls for the purpose of committing the crime of lewdness,"leaving the question of adultery between Marguerite and Gabriel.
On 26 April 1667, Gabriel appeared before the Sovereign Council, and testified that Marguerite had been a good and blameless wife since they were married. He claimed the accusations against her were false and nothing more than an attempt by their enemies to "disturb their peace."
He demanded that those making the accusations be named, and that the Council charge said persons with slander and award Gabriel and Marguerite appropriate damages.
Gabriel stated the whole matter was probably just the machinations of overzealous creditors. Marguerite appeared before the Council, asking for three years to pay off all her debts. She needed the time to raise the money, for Gabriel had gone to France the previous year with merchandise in the amount of 2,400 livres to sell.
However, his ship was captured by the English while going from La Rochelle to Rouen, all the merchandise was confiscated and Gabriel even had to borrow money to return to Québec.
This situation left the family in such an impoverished state that they were hounded by creditors who threatened to sell their furniture and put the family on the street, "thus depriving of the means to support her family."
It appears Marguerite actually did run a "maison close" (brothel in English) under the guise as a Cabaret, but we may never know the truth of the matter as it is not mentioned further in the records of the Sovereign Council.
From the THE LIFE OF NEW FRANCE 1663-1760: Crime and Punishment -- "Marguerite Leboeuf, wife of Gabriel Lemieux, accused of adultery and of inducing other women and girls to engage in lewd activities, 1667. No disposition was mentioned."
Sources:
• Canada the Good: A Short History of Vice since 1500, by Marcel Martel
• Timeline of Quebec, Jean Provencher AND People's History of Quebec, by Jacques Lacoursière
• THE LIFE OF NEW FRANCE 1663-1760, by David H. Bergeron
Gabriel Lemieux (8th great-grandfather) was a Voyageur on the Ottawa River
We know from early notary records in the archives of Quebec that Gabriel Lemieux -- my 8th great-grandfather -- made two legal trips as a voyageur. It's a safe bet that he made other trips as a coureur de bois, a term used to describe unlicensed fur traders and canoemen.
8 May 1690, Jean Baptiste Migeon, sieur de Bransat, hired Gabriel Lemieux for a voyage to the Ootawas (Ottawa Indians). Notary Antoine Adhémar.
From: Michigan’s Habitant Heritage (MHH), Vol. 35, #1, January 2014 - 17th Century Engagé Contracts to the Great Lakes and Beyond - 20 May 1682 to 15 May 1690 - Part 1
19 August 1692, Joachim Germaneau hired Gabriel Lemieux and Laurent Glory dit LaBrière to make a voyage to the 8ta8ois (Ottawa Indians) specifically to Michilimackinac and Sault Ste. Marie [2 contracts]. Notary Antoine Adhémar.
Source: Michigan’s Habitant Heritage (MHH), Vol. 35, #2, April 2014 - 17th Century Engagé Contracts to the Great Lakes and Beyond - 15 June 1690 to 23 May 1695 - Part 2.
NEXT: Migner dit Lagacé Family... http://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-from-la-prairie-voyageur-canoes_63.html
Return to beginning of book… http://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-introduction-contents-and.html
Index - Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes
Just a note that a birth record has been found in Rouen that shows that Gabriel Lemieux was born Apr. 10, 1630. His father was in fact Thomas Lemieux (not Louis). See http://familles-lemieux.org/en/genealogy-and-history/pierre-and-gabriel/ (it's pretty interesting).
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information. Is a copy of the record available online?
DeleteGabriel and Marguerite are my direct ancestors. Thanks for the information. This will give me some interesting stories to tell.
ReplyDelete