Etienne Charles- Madeleine Neil Marriage 1667

Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse & Madeleine Neil

Introduction

This document presents a historical genealogy of Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse, a soldier in the Contrecoeur company, and his wife Madeleine Neil. The genealogy includes information about their origins, marriage, children, and significant life events based on available historical records.

Origins and Early Life

Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse

Étienne Charles was born around 1642 in France, likely in the parish of Saint-Médard in Paris according to some records, though this information requires further verification.[1] The surname “dit Lajeunesse” (literally “called The Youth”) was a common type of nickname in New France, often used to distinguish soldiers or to indicate a person’s relative youth compared to others with the same name.[2]

He served as a soldier in the Contrecoeur company, which was part of the Carignan-Salières Regiment. This regiment was sent by King Louis XIV to New France in 1665 to defend the colony against Iroquois attacks.[3] After his military service, like many other soldiers of the regiment, Étienne chose to remain in New France rather than return to France.

Madeleine Neil

Madeleine Neil (also spelled Niel or O’Neil in some records) was born around 1651.[4] She was one of the Filles du Roi (“King’s Daughters”), women who immigrated to New France between 1663 and 1673 as part of a program sponsored by King Louis XIV to promote population growth in the colony.[5] These women were often of modest backgrounds and were provided with a dowry by the king to encourage marriage to male colonists and soldiers.

Marriage and Family

Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse and Madeleine Neil were married on October 19, 1671, at Notre-Dame-de-Québec.[6] Their marriage contract was drawn up by notary Romain Becquet on October 12, 1671.[7]

Children

The couple had several children, including:

  1. Marie-Madeleine Charles dit Lajeunesse – Born on August 22, 1672, in Québec. She married Jean-Baptiste Bouchard dit Dorval on November 14, 1689.[8]

  2. Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse (fils) – Born on February 14, 1674, in Québec. He married Marie-Anne Bouchard dit Dorval on July 8, 1699.[9]

  3. Antoine Charles dit Lajeunesse – Born on September 15, 1676, in Québec.[10]

  4. Jean-Baptiste Charles dit Lajeunesse – Born on June 17, 1679, in Québec.[11]

  5. Marie-Thérèse Charles dit Lajeunesse – Born on August 12, 1681, in Québec.[12]

  6. Joseph Charles dit Lajeunesse – Born on September 8, 1683, in Québec.[13]

Land Ownership and Settlement

Following his military service, Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse settled in the Québec region. Records indicate that he was granted land in the seigneury of Beauport.[14] Like many former soldiers, he became a habitant (farmer) and contributed to the development of the colony.

The family lived in Beauport, which was initially settled in 1634 and was one of the first seigneuries in New France.[15] The area was known for its agricultural productivity and proximity to Québec City.

Later Life and Death

Details about the later lives and deaths of Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse and Madeleine Neil are somewhat limited in available records. However, the parish records of Beauport and Québec may contain burial information that could provide these details.

A burial record for an Étienne Charles (potentially our subject) indicates a death date of March 3, 1690, in Québec.[16] However, this requires further verification to confirm it is the same individual.

Madeleine Neil’s death date is not definitively established in the consulted records, though further research in parish records might yield this information.

Legacy

The descendants of Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse and Madeleine Neil spread throughout New France and later Québec. The “dit Lajeunesse” name continued to be used by many of their descendants, sometimes becoming the primary surname for certain branches of the family.

Their marriage and settlement in New France exemplify the pattern of early French colonization in North America, particularly the integration of military personnel and the Filles du Roi into the developing colonial society.

Conclusion

Étienne Charles dit Lajeunesse and Madeleine Neil were part of the early French settlement of North America. Their lives were shaped by the policies of the French crown, military service, and the challenging conditions of colonial life. Their descendants contributed to the growth and development of French Canadian society in the generations that followed.

References

  1. Jetté, René. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec, des origines à 1730. Montréal: Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983, p. 238. ↩︎

  2. Fournier, Marcel. Origines des familles pionnières du Québec ancien. Québec: Septentrion, 2001, p. 42. ↩︎

  3. Verney, Jack. The Good Regiment: The Carignan-Salières Regiment in Canada, 1665-1668. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1991, p. 68. ↩︎

  4. Landry, Yves. Orphelines en France, pionnières au Canada: Les Filles du roi au XVIIe siècle. Montréal: Leméac, 1992, p. 278. ↩︎

  5. Dumas, Silvio. Les Filles du Roi en Nouvelle-France. Québec: La Société historique de Québec, 1972, p. 124. ↩︎

  6. Tanguay, Cyprien. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu’à nos jours. Vol. 1. Montréal: Eusèbe Senécal, 1871, p. 114. ↩︎

  7. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), Greffes des notaires du Régime français, Romain Becquet, October 12, 1671. ↩︎

  8. Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), Université de Montréal, Individual Record #48736. ↩︎

  9. PRDH, Individual Record #49142. ↩︎

  10. PRDH, Individual Record #49587. ↩︎

  11. PRDH, Individual Record #50029. ↩︎

  12. PRDH, Individual Record #50487. ↩︎

  13. PRDH, Individual Record #51098. ↩︎

  14. Trudel, Marcel. Le Terrier du Saint-Laurent en 1674. Montréal: Éditions du Méridien, 1998, p. 342. ↩︎

  15. Dechêne, Louise. Habitants et marchands de Montréal au XVIIe siècle. Paris: Plon, 1974, p. 245. ↩︎

  16. Registre de la paroisse Notre-Dame-de-Québec, March 3, 1690. ↩︎

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