Jean Letellier & Renée Lorion

Jean Letellier

Variations: Le Tellier, Tellier, dit Lafortune

Parents: Son of Nicolas Le Tellier and Élisabeth de Lespine, Jean was born around 1643 in La Lande-d’Airou, Normandy, in the diocese of Coutances (Manche 50262).¹²³

He arrived in New France as a soldier of the La Fouille Company of the Carignan-Salières Regiment⁴⁵ (a company sent to Trois-Rivières).⁶

In early 1665, the La Fouille Company was stationed at La Mothe Saint-Héray (Poitou). They embarked on the ship Saint-Sébastien on May 24, 1665, and arrived in Quebec on September 12, 1665, after a 117-day journey, including the boarding period. According to a letter from Jean Talon to the King, the ship made a stop near Tadoussac to pick up pilots, and it was only after this stop that illness struck the ship. Jean Talon reported up to 80 sick individuals, while the Jesuit fathers counted 100, including those on the Justice.⁷ It is likely that the company was divided, with some soldiers boarding the Justice.⁶

Jean Le Tellier, aged 22, from the diocese of Coutances, was confirmed on September 21, 1665, in Quebec by Bishop François de Laval.⁸⁹

On May 7, 1674, before the notary Romain Becquet, Anne Gasnier, widow of Jean Bourdon, granted Jean Letellier dit Lafontaine (sic) a concession of 80 arpents, equivalent to 2 arpents of frontage on the Saint Lawrence River by 40 arpents in depth, in her seigneury of Autray. (The act was executed in the manor of this seigneury).¹⁰¹¹

It appears that he did not retain this land, as no deed of sale has been found for it. By 1677, at the time of his marriage, he was a resident of Repentigny.¹¹

First Marriage

On April 28, 1677, in Boucherville (Sainte-Famille), Jean Le Telier, a resident of Repentigny, son of Nicolas Le Telier and Élisabeth de Lespine, married Marie Grassiot, daughter of Jacques Grassiot and Magdeleine Michelande, residents of Repentigny. The ceremony was attended by Jean Baptiste Legardeur, seigneur of Repentigny, and his wife Marguerite Nicolet.¹²

Children of the First Marriage

1. Marie Anne Letelier, born March 7, 1678, in Repentigny, baptized April 5, 1678, in Boucherville.¹⁴ She married Jean Lorion on January 26, 1697, in Varennes (Sainte-Anne).¹⁵
2. Catherine Letelier, born March 24, 1680, baptized March 25, 1680, in Repentigny.¹⁶ She died on October 30, 1687, and was buried the following day in Repentigny at the age of 4.¹⁷
3. Marie Madeleine Tellier, born October 16, 1682, baptized October 25, 1682, in Repentigny.¹⁸ She died on October 29, 1687, and was buried the following day in Repentigny at the age of 6.¹⁹
4. Jean Baptiste Letellier, born October 26, 1687, baptized October 27, 1687, in Repentigny.²⁰ He died on December 24, 1687, and was buried the following day in Repentigny at the age of 6 weeks.²¹

1681 Census: Seigneury of Repentigny

Jean Letellier, 33; Marie Grassiot, his wife, 19; children: Marie, 3½; Catherine, 1½; 1 gun; 3 horned cattle; 6 arpents of cultivated land.²²

Marie Grassiot, wife of Jean Baptiste Letellier, died on November 1, 1687, and was buried the following day in Repentigny. The death record gives her age as 24.²³ She likely died from complications following her last childbirth a few days earlier or from illness, as three of her children died within a short period.

Second Marriage

On December 1, 1688, at Saint-Enfant-Jésus de la Pointe-aux-Trembles in Montreal, Jean Telié, a widower and resident of Repentigny, married Anne Chénié, daughter of Jean Chénié and the late Françoise Guilot (recorded as Jacqueline Sédillot). (Her mother was mistakenly recorded as Françoise Guillot in the register; no couple named Chenier-Guillot existed at that time).²⁴

No children were born from this marriage.¹³³

Anne Chénier died between March 19, 1690, and July 9, 1691, in Repentigny, according to Jetté.³ The last record mentioning her presence is from January 8, 1690, when she served as godmother to Anne Thérèse Couzin, daughter of Jean and his wife, in Repentigny.²⁵ She is not mentioned in the subsequent marriage record.

Third Marriage

On July 8, 1691, before the notary Pierre Cabazié, a marriage contract was drawn up between Jean Letellier dit Lafortune of Repentigny, son of Nicolas Letellier and Elisabeth Delespine, widower of Marie Gratiot, and Renée Lorion, widow of Jean Delpué, daughter of the late Mathurin Lorion and Jeanne Bisette, residing at Côte St-Jean.²⁶

On July 9, 1691, at Saint-Enfant-Jésus de la Pointe-aux-Trembles in Montreal, Jean Letelié, a resident of Repentigny, married Renée Lorion, widow of Jean Delpué dit Parisot. Several witnesses were present.²⁷

Children of the Third Marriage

1. Marie Thérèse Letelier, baptized April 6, 1692, in Pointe-aux-Trembles (PAT).²⁸ She married Luc Latouche on April 16, 1714, in Varennes (Sainte-Anne).²⁹
2. Geneviève Letellier, born January 28, 1694, baptized February 6, 1694, in Repentigny.³⁰ She died on February 15, 1694, and was buried on February 17, 1694, in Varennes (Sainte-Anne) at the age of 7 days.³¹
3. Jean Baptiste Tellier, born September 26, 1696, baptized September 26, 1696, in Île Sainte-Thérèse.³² He was engaged in the west from May 9, 1717, to August 30, 1724, according to Jetté. He was present at his brother Joseph’s wedding in 1723 (recorded as Joseph Tellier in the act, with “Baptiste” added by the priest).
4. Marie Tellier, birth date unknown. She married François Belec on February 25, 1721, in Varennes (Sainte-Anne).³³
5. Joseph Letellier, born August 30, 1700, baptized September 2, 1700, in Varennes.³⁴ He married Madeleine Loiseau on April 6, 1723, in Boucherville (Sainte-Famille).³⁵

Death

Jean Baptiste Letellier died on November 9, 1704, and was buried the following day in Varennes (Sainte-Anne). The death record gives his age as approximately 60.³⁶

Renée Lorion remarried on February 8, 1706, in Varennes, to Jean Tifroy.¹³³

By 1729, Jean Tellier dit Lafortune had 47 descendants.³⁷

Renée Lorion

Renée Lorion was baptized on February 17, 1658, in Ste-Marguerite de La Rochelle, daughter of Mathurin Lorion and Jeanne Bizet. Her godfather was Hilayre Mitet, and her godmother was René Bastard.³⁸³⁹

She migrated to New France with her parents, who were first mentioned in the colony in 1658, at the marriage of her half-sister Marie.

1666 Census: Montreal

Mathurin Lorion, 62, farmer; Jeanne Bisette, 45, his wife; Renée, 9; Jean, 7.⁴⁰

1667 Census: Île de Montréal, New France

Mathurin Lorin (Lorion), 69; Jeanne Bizette, his wife, 44; René, 10; Jean, 5; 20 arpents of cultivated land.⁴⁰

First Marriage

On November 19, 1674, at Notre-Dame de Montréal, Jean Delpuer, son of Jean Delpuer and Marguerite Delnat from the diocese of Rodez, married Renée Lorion, daughter of Mathurin Lorion and Jeanne Bizet. The ceremony was attended by Philippe de Carion sieur de Fresnois, lieutenant of the L’Estrade Regiment, Paul Morelle, ensign of the L’Estrade Regiment, Pierre Cabazié, bailiff, Gilles Marin, Jean Raynaud, and Guillaume Gournée, with Gilles Perot officiating.⁴¹ No marriage contract is known.

Children of the First Marriage

1. Jeanne Delpué: Born at the lower end of the island, baptized September 29, 1675, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁴² She married Jean Quintin on January 17, 1695, in Varennes.⁴³
2. François Delpué: Baptized February 8, 1677, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁴⁴ He married Marie Hayet on August 20, 1699, in Varennes.⁴⁵
3. Jean Delpué: Born March 28, 1679, baptized March 29, 1679, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁴⁶ He died on March 13, 1701, and was buried the following day in Varennes at the age of 22.⁴⁷
4. Nicolas Delpué: Born February 11, 1681, baptized February 15, 1681, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁴⁸ He drowned in August 1691 (exact date omitted).⁴⁹
5. Marie Anne Delpué: Baptized February 11, 1683, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁵⁰ She was buried on September 26, 1690, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁵¹
6. Marie Delpué: Baptized November 19, 1684, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁵² She likely died in infancy, as no further records of her exist.
7. Catherine Delpué: Baptized November 3, 1686, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁵³ She married Michel Legardeur on January 19, 1705, in Varennes.⁵⁴
8. Pierre Delpué: Baptized December 12, 1688, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal.⁵⁵ He married Suzanne Garau on October 5, 1716, in Boucherville.⁵⁶

1681 Census: Residents of Montreal

Jean Delpie, 33; Renée Lorion, his wife, 23; children: Jeanne, 6; François, 5; Jean, 3; Nicolas, 1; 1 gun; 1 cow; 3 arpents of cultivated land.⁵⁷⁵⁸

Second Marriage

After signing a marriage contract on July 8, 1691, before the notary Pierre Cabazié, on July 9, 1691, at Pointe-aux-Trembles in Montreal, after dispensation of two banns by Mgr Dolier, grand-vicar, Renée Loriot (sic), widow of Jean Delpué dit Parisot, remarried Jean Letelier. The ceremony was attended by Gratiot, Richome, Jean Bricau, Desautels, Jean Lorion, Nicolas Millet, and other relatives or friends, with Father Séguenot officiating.⁵⁹

Children of the Second Marriage

1. Marie Thérèse Letelier, baptized April 6, 1692, in Pointe-aux-Trembles (PAT).⁶⁰ She married Luc Latouche on April 16, 1714, in Varennes (Sainte-Anne).⁶¹
2. Geneviève Letellier, born January 28, 1694, baptized February 6, 1694, in Repentigny.⁶² She died on February 15, 1694, and was buried on February 17, 1694, in Varennes (Sainte-Anne) at the age of 7 days.⁶³
3. Jean Baptiste Tellier, born September 26, 1696, baptized September 26, 1696, in Île Sainte-Thérèse.⁶⁴ He was engaged in the west from May 9, 1717, to August 30, 1724, according to Jetté. He was present at his brother Joseph’s wedding in 1723 (recorded as Joseph Tellier in the act, with “Baptiste” added by the priest).
4. Marie Tellier, birth date unknown. She married François Belec on February 25, 1721, in Varennes (Sainte-Anne).⁶⁵
5. Joseph Letellier, born August 30, 1700, baptized September 2, 1700, in Varennes.⁶⁶ He married Madeleine Loiseau on April 6, 1723, in Boucherville (Sainte-Famille).⁶⁷

Third Marriage

On February 8, 1706, before the notary Jacques Bourdon, Renée signed a marriage contract with Jean Tifray. On the same day, at Île Ste-Thérèse in the parish of Varennes, Renée Lorion, widow of Jean Baptiste Letellier, married Jean Tifroy, son of Louis Tifroy and Suzanne Béliles, from the parish of Cran, diocese of La Rochelle. The ceremony was attended by Pierre Renard, François Delpué, and Charles Volant, with the priest of St-Claude officiating. Only Charles Volant signed with the priest.⁶⁸

No children were born from this marriage.⁶⁹

Death

Renée died on November 20, 1742, and was buried on November 23 in L’Assomption. The death record names her as Marie René, wife of Jean Baptiste Desmarets, and gives her age as 90. Those present at the funeral included Joseph Tellier, Pierre Parissot, and Michel Legardeur.⁷⁰

By 1729, she had 76 descendants.⁷¹

Notes

Notarial Acts

• Notary Bénigne Basset, Vol I⁷²: Obligation of Jean LeTellier dit Lafortune to Sr. Charles De Couagne (March 28, 1687). Page 274.
• Notary Romain Becquet, Vol III⁷²: Concession by Anne Gasnier, widow of Jean Bourdon, to Jean Letellier (May 7, 1674). Page 120.
• Notary Antoine Adhémar, Vol V & VI⁷²: Sale by Jean Letellier dit Lafortune to Arpin (January 19, 1671). Vol V, page 5. Transport by Sieur de St-Romain on Le Tellier dit Lafortune to Sieur Jalot (January 16, 1681). (Missing) Page 46. Quittance by Jean Letellier dit Lafortune and Renée Lorion, his wife, formerly widow of Jean Delpué dit Parisot, to Jean Charbonneau (November 3, 1691). Page 148. Inventory of the goods of Jean Letellier and Renée Lorion, his wife, and widow in her first marriage to Jean Delpué dit Parisot (January 25, 1697). Page 263. Concession to Sr. J. Letellier, in Repentigny (Deposited February 4, 1697). Page 264. Quittance by Jean Lorion to Jean Letellier dit Lafortune (February 11, 1702). Vol VI, page 81. Obligation of Jean Letellier dit Lafortune and his wife to Pierre Perthuis (February 11, 1702). Page 81.
• Notary Pierre Cabazié, Vol X⁷²: Marriage contract of Jean Letellier dit Lafortune of Repentigny, son of Nicolas Letellier and Elisabeth Delespine, widower of Marie Gratiot, and Renée Lorion, widow of Jean Delpué, daughter of the late Mathurin Lorion and Jeanne Bisette, residing at Côte St-Jean (July 8, 1691). Page 26.
• Notary Jacques Bourdon, Vol X⁷²: Marriage contract of Jean Tifray, son of Louis Tifray and Suzanne Boly of the parish of La Rochelle, and Renée Lorion, widow of Jean Bte Letellier, residing in Varennes (February 8, 1706). Page 74.

Sources