Anne Le Moyne & Michel Messier

Anne Le Moyne (variation: Lemoine) was the daughter of Pierre Le Moyne and Judith Duchesne. She was baptized on July 26, 1638, in Dieppe (St-Jacques), in Normandy (Seine-Maritime). Her godmother was Anne Lefebvre, and her godfather was Jean Le Moyne. ^{1, 2}

In 1657, she joined her brother Charles Le Moyne in the colony, along with her brother Jacques and her sister Jeanne. It is unknown on which ship they arrived. ³ The first mention of Anne found in the colony’s records is at the baptism of Françoise Janot on January 21, 1658, in Montreal (ND), where she was the godmother. ⁴

Marriage

Anne Lemoyne and Michel Messier made a marriage contract on February 18, 1658, in Montreal before the notary Bénigne Basset. ⁵ Most of the witnesses at the wedding were also witnesses to the contract. ⁶

The marriage of Michel Messier, son of David Messier and Marguerite Bar from the country of Normandy, and Anne Le Moyne, daughter of the late Pierre Le Moyne and Judith du Chesne, both currently of this parish, was performed and solemnized on February 25, 1658, in Montreal. The three banns having been published beforehand without opposition.

The marriage took place in the presence of Sir Paul de Chaumedey, Squire, Lord of Maisonneuve, Governor of the Island of Montreal, Jacques Messier uncle of the said, Jacques and Charles and Jeanne Le Moyne, brothers and sister of the said, Jacques Le Ber brother-in-law of the said, Catherine Primot her sister-in-law, Damoiselle Jeanne Mance administrator of the hospital of the said place, Sir Lambert Closse sergeant major of the garrison, and several other friends of the parties.

Anne Le Moyne and Jacques Messier declared that they did not know how to write or sign. There were multiple signatures, including that of Gabriel Souart, officiating priest acting as parish priest. ⁷

Children of the Marriage (Notre-Dame de Montréal = Mtl)

Catherine Messier, baptized July 11, 1659, Mtl; married Étienne Gentes November 28, 1678, Mtl. ⁸
Jeanne Messier, baptized June 18, 1661, Mtl; married Ignace Hébert dit Deslauriers January 31, 1679, Boucherville. ⁹
Marie Anne Messier, baptized August 2, 1665, Mtl; Marie Anne Le Messier married Jean Brodeur dit Lavigne January 31, 1679, Boucherville.
Anne Messier, baptized November 12, 1667, Mtl; buried January 1, 1668, Mtl at 6 weeks.
Anne Messier, baptized December 12, 1668, Mtl; buried January 29, 1669, Mtl at 5 weeks.
Anne Messier, baptized February 5, 1670, Mtl; Anne Marie Messier married Gabriel Lambert Selle dit Duclos August 26, 1687, Boucherville.
Gabrielle Messier, baptized May 2, 1672, Mtl; Marie Gabrielle died June 5, 1682, Cap St-Michel de Varennes, buried Boucherville.
Jean Michel Messier, born May 31, 1674, baptized July 9 at home (recorded in Boucherville); engaged west in 1702 according to Jetté.
Marguerite Messier, baptized May 24, 1676, Mtl; married Pierre Lesueur March 29, 1690, Boucherville.
Anonymous St-Michel, child of undetermined sex, baptized and buried August 22, 1678, Mtl at 2 days, taken to the hospital.
François Michel Messier, born around 1679, (2 years old in the 1681 census); married Marie Anne Amiot February 6, 1706, Varennes; remarried October 8, 1725, Contrecoeur with Marie Jeanne Duval; remarried June 8, 1744, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue with Angélique Poirier.
René Messier, born April 20, 1681, baptized 21 at home (recorded in Boucherville); married Catherine Bissonet January 18, 1706, Varennes.

At the baptism of Jeanne in 1661, it is noted about Michel “taken by the Iroquois on March 24 last, and it is not known if he is dead or alive”. ⁹

1666 Census: Montreal Michel Messier, 24, habitant; Anne Lemoine, 22, his wife; Catherine, 5; Jeanne, 4; Marie, 5 months; Jacques Messier, 59, uncle of the said Michel; Jacques Messier, 17, brother of the said Michel; Julien Talien, 23, domestic servant; Maurice Averti, 28, servant. ¹⁰

1667 Census: Island of Montreal in New France Michel Messier, 26; Anne Lemoyne, his wife, 25; Catherine, 8; Jeanne, 6; Marie, 18 months; Jacques Messier, uncle of the said, 61; Jacques Messiers, his nephew, 17; Maurice Averty, boarder, 23; a servant, 30; 7 cattle, 30 acres in value. ¹⁰

1681 Census: Seigneury of Varennes Michel Messier 41; Anne Lemoyne, his wife, 41; children: Anne 12, Gabriel 9 (sic, Gabrielle), Jean 7, Marguerite 5, François 2, René 1; 4 guns; 8 horned beasts; 30 acres in value. ¹¹

Power of attorney by Michel Messier to Anne Lemoyne his wife (May 2, 1692). Notary Bénigne Basset Vol I pg 299. ⁵

Death

Demoiselle Anne Lemoine died on July 15, 1725, and was buried on the 16th in the church of Sainte-Anne de Varennes, the record giving her 90 years. Those present were Christophe Luissier and Pierre Bousquet. ¹²

Death

Sir Michel Messier was buried in the cemetery of Varennes on November 3, 1725, having died the day before after a long illness. ^{20, 21}

Notes

Original File

LEMOYNE, Anne 242484 Baptism Date: 26-07-1638 Place of Origin: Dieppe (St-Jacques) (Seine-Maritime) 76217 Current Location: Dieppe Parents: Pierre LEMOYNE and Judith Duchesne Father’s Occupation: Innkeeper First mention in the country: 1657 Occupation upon arrival: Migrant came to join her brother Charles Marriage Date: 25-02-1658 Marriage Place: Montréal (Notre-Dame) Spouse: Michel Messier dit St-Michel Death or burial: Varennes, 15-07-1725 Remarks: Three brothers and two sisters were baptized in Dieppe (St-Rémi): Marie, on 28-01-1619, buried on 10-04-1621; François, on 23-02-1621, buried on 02-11-1621; Jacques, b. 25-08-1622 (migrant d. 21-11-1701 in LaPrairie); Charles, on 02-08-1626 and Jeanne, on 24-04-1630. Two brothers were baptized in Dieppe (St-Jacques): David, on 06-06-1634 and Léonard, on 06-01-1642, buried on 18-01-1642. ^{13, 14}

Michel Messier dit et sieur de St-Michel

Lieutenant of the militia, lord, trader, Michel Le Messier was born around 1642 in Vascoeuil (St-Martial) in Normandy (Eure), son of David Le Messier and Marguerite Bar (or Barc) (24 years old in 1666, 26 in 1667, 41 in 1681 in the censuses). ^{8, 15, 16, 17}

Michel’s first presence in the colony’s records is on August 12, 1651, when he was the godfather of a 7-year-old Amerindian boy, baptized Michel Sachitih8ichitch in Montreal. He must have arrived with his uncle and aunt, Antoine Primot and Martine Messier, and his cousin Catherine Thierry dite Primot. ^{17, 18, 19}

Marriage

Anne Lemoyne and Michel Messier made a marriage contract on February 18, 1658, in Montreal before the notary Bénigne Basset. ⁵ Most of the witnesses at the marriage were also witnesses to the contract. ⁶

At the baptism of Jeanne in 1661, it is noted about Michel “taken by the Iroquois on March 24 last, and it is not known if he is dead or alive”. ⁹

Power of attorney by Michel Messier to Anne Lemoyne his wife (May 2, 1692). Notary Bénigne Basset Vol I pg 299. ⁵

Death

Sir Michel Messier was buried in the cemetery of Varennes on November 3, 1725, having died the day before after a long illness. ^{20, 21}

Notes

Original File

MESSIER (LE) / ST-MICHEL, Michel 242897 Birth Date: Around 1642 Place of Origin: Vascoeuil (St-Martial) (Eure) 27672 Current Location: Vascoeuil Parents: David LE MESSIER and Marguerite Barc Father’s Occupation: Day Labourer First mention in the country: 1651 Occupation upon arrival: Migrant Marriage Date: 25-02-1658 Marriage Place: Montréal (Notre-Dame) Spouse: Anne Lemoyne Death or burial: Varennes, 02-11-1725 Remarks: He was an employer of travelers, then a traveler in the fur trade. His origin is known by an obligation of 20-03-1643 greffe Allyne de Rey, between Jacques Messier and David Messier towards Guillaume Thierry. His brother Jacques Messier (pioneer). Two sisters publish banns in St-Denis-le-Thiboult (St-Denis): Magdeleinne LeMessier, born around 1652 in Vascoeuil, m. 24-07-1672 with Pierre Thyerry (Pierre and Margueritte+ Paseleup); Marie LeMessier, born around 1654 in Vascoeuil, m. 02-06-1674 ^{13, 14}

Notarial Notes:

Contract of marriage of Michel Messier and Anne Lemoyne (February 18, 1658). Vol I pg 162 ⁵
BAnQ: acts of Bénigne Basset Oct 1657-April 1661 (702 files) pg 87-88/702 original contract ⁶
Power of attorney by Michel Messier to Anne Lemoyne his wife (May 2, 1692). Notary Bénigne Basset Vol I pg 299. ⁵

Sources

Bapt. image File
Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec des origines à 1730, René Jetté, with the collaboration of the PRDH, 1983, Presses de l’Université de Montréal, pg 710 (Lemoine or Lemoyne) (membership IGD)
Ships of New France, other immigrants 1657
Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 – Drouin IGD
BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français , by Pierre Georges Roy and Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 Contract of marriage of Michel Messier and Anne Lemoyne (February 18, 1658). Vol I pg 162
BAnQ: acts of Bénigne Basset Oct 1657-April 1661 (702 files) pg 87-88/702 original contract
Marriage image IGD image on profile-sur profil
Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec des origines à 1730, René Jetté, with the collaboration of the PRDH, 1983, Presses de l’Université de Montréal, pg 802 (Messier) (membership IGD)
Bapt. Jeanne 1661 image IGD
Wikisource: Recensements 1666-1667 Censuses according to Benjamin Sulte Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 4, chap. 4
Wikisource Recensement 1681 Census selon Benjamin Sulte Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 5, chap. 4
Sépulture-Funeral image IGD
DGFQ, p. 710 (Jetté); OFC, p. 66-67 (Godbout)
File Anne Lemoyne 2020 Fédération québécoise des sociétés de généalogie//Québec Federation of Genealogical Societies
BAnQ: Tanguay, Cyprien, Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu’à nos jours ; Montréal, 1887 (7 volumes) Vol 1 pg 427
Fichier Michel Le Messier 2015 Fédération québécoise des sociétés de généalogie//Québec Federation of Genealogical Societies
Bapt. Michel Sachitih8ichitch IGD
Brodeur, 1981, p. 37
Brodeur, 1981, p. 41
DGFQ, p. 802 (Jetté); DBC, vol. 2, p. 489-490 (Biographi.ca)
Claude Perrault, « MESSIER, Saint-Michel, MICHEL », dans Dictionnaire biographique du Canada, vol. 2, Université Laval/University of Toronto, 2003– , consulté le 17 févr. 2021