The Familial Connection Between Perette Cavelier and René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle

Perette (or Perrette) Cavelier (10th great-grandmother), often titled "Damoiselle" to denote her noble status as a woman of the minor nobility in 17th-century France, was indeed a cousin of the famous explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643–1687). This connection is rooted in their shared Cavelier family lineage from the Rouen region in Normandy, France, where the Caveliers were a prominent merchant and noble family. Historical and genealogical records, particularly those focused on early French settlers in New France (modern Quebec), document this relationship explicitly.

Key Individuals

• Perette Cavelier (c. 1590–after 1634): Born in Normandy, she married Pierre Godefroy, a Norman nobleman and early settler in New France. They had several children, including Jean Godefroy (b. 1606) and Thomas Godefroy, sieur de Normanville (b. 1608), who became interpreters and fur traders in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Perette's noble title reflects her family's status, and she is noted in settler histories as one of the pioneering women of the colony.
• René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643–1687): The renowned explorer who claimed the Mississippi River basin for France in 1682, naming it Louisiana. He was born in Rouen to Jean Cavelier (a wealthy haberdasher) and Catherine Geest. His family ties extended through the Cavelier network, which included merchants, priests, and nobles.

The Cousin Relationship

Genealogical sources confirm that Perette Cavelier was René-Robert's cousin through the paternal Cavelier line. Specifically:

• Both belonged to extended branches of the Cavelier family originating from Rouen and nearby parishes (e.g., Saint-Herbland and Pitres).
• Perette was from an earlier generation (likely born around 1590), making her a first cousin once removed or similar close collateral relative to René-Robert. This generational gap is common in noble families where "cousin" was used flexibly for any blood relation within a few degrees.
• A direct reference appears in Je Me Souviens (a historical publication of the American-French Genealogical Society, Autumn 2001, p. 66): "Pierre's [Godefroy] wife, Damoiselle (noblewoman) Perrette DE CAVELIER, had a famous cousin, Rene Robert CAVELIER, Lord DE LA SALLE (1643-1687)." This ties her explicitly to the explorer as a familial link in Quebec's founding families.

The Godefroy family's notes (as preserved in colonial records and genealogies) emphasize this connection, portraying René-Robert as the "famous cousin" to highlight the prestige it brought to their lineage. Pierre Godefroy's descendants, active in New France's fur trade, would have maintained correspondence or awareness of Cavelier relatives in France.

Simplified Family Tree

To visualize the connection, here's a basic outline based on documented genealogies (e.g., from Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec by René Jetté and WikiTree records). Note: Exact parentage for Perette is debated in some sources, but her tie to the Rouen Caveliers is consistent.

Generation	Relation to Perette Cavelier	Individual	Notes
Perette's Generation (c. 1590s)	Self	Perette Cavelier (m. Pierre Godefroy)	Noblewoman; emigrated to New France; mother of key settlers.
Perette's Parents (c. 1560s–1630s)	Parents	Unknown Cavelier couple (likely from Rouen merchant line)	Shared paternal ancestry with La Salle's line.
La Salle's Parents (c. 1600s)	Cousins' Parents	Jean Cavelier (father of René-Robert) & siblings	Jean was a prosperous haberdasher; his siblings or uncles link to Perette's branch.
La Salle's Generation (1643)	Cousin	René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle	Explorer; the "famous cousin" referenced in Godefroy notes.

Broader Context

• The Cavelier family was interconnected through marriage and trade in Normandy, producing figures like Colette Cavelier (another relative, mother of Jacques Le Ber, a Montreal merchant and distant cousin to La Salle).
• This cousinship underscores the tight-knit networks of Norman families that fueled French colonization: Perette's sons aided Samuel de Champlain's expeditions, while René-Robert's explorations expanded French claims centuries later.

The above is courtesy of a little help from GROK AI.