Jeanne Merrin (Maire/Meré/Mairain/Merin/Mairet/Meray/Meren/Merrain)

Jeanne Merrin was born around 1635 in the parish of Saint-Michel in Poitiers, Poitou, France. She was the daughter of Michel Merrin (also recorded as Maire or Merin) and Catherine Archanges (also recorded as Archambault or Tardif).^[1] According to Jetté, she was 19 years old in 1654, though the source of this information is unknown. Census records state she was 30 years old in 1666, 32 in 1667, and 48 in 1681.^[2]

Jeanne came to Canada aboard the Saint-Nicolas in 1653, arriving in Montreal on November 16 as part of the “Grande Recrue” (Great Recruitment), contracted to be a bride as a “Fille à Marier” (Marriageable Girl).^[3]

First Marriage – Éloi Jarry dit Lahaie

On October 31, 1654, a marriage contract was drawn up before notary Lambert Closse between Éloi Jarry dit Lahaie and Jeanne Merrin.^[4] Another contract had been drawn up on October 30 by notary Basset. Though Jeanne was able to sign these (she signed “Mere”), it is not known if her husband could write.^[5]

On November 9, 1654, the marriage was celebrated at Notre-Dame de Ville-Marie (Montreal). Éloi Jarry, son of Éloi Jarry and Françoise Chevalier from the parish of St-Martin d’Igé, married Jeanne Maire, in the presence of Paul de Chomeday, Lambert Closse, and Gilbert Barbier. The ceremony was performed by priest Claude Pijart.^[6]

Éloi was a carriage maker, baptized on July 8, 1616, in the parish of Saint-Martin in Igé, Perche. His father Éloi Jarry had died before April 22, 1636, and his mother was Françoise Chevalier. His godparents were Jean (illegible) and Jacqueline Gode.^[7]

Children of Éloi and Jeanne:

1. Jean Baptiste Jarry, born and baptized August 13, 1655, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married Louise Paradis on September 24, 1713, in Montreal (Notre-Dame). Jean-Baptiste later became an “engagé Ouest” (contracted worker in the West).^[8]
2. Clémence Jarry, born and baptized February 5, 1657, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married André Rapin on November 25, 1669, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); as a widow of André Rapein, she remarried with Joseph Gautier on August 16, 1699, in Montreal (Notre-Dame).^[9]
3. Henri Jarry, baptized November 1, 1658, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married Agathe Lécuyer on November 25, 1693, in Montreal (Notre-Dame) (Jean La Haye, brother, was present).^[10]

According to Guy Perron, Éloi Jarry and Henry Perrin were business associates, and Henry had donated his property to Éloi in 1656. An inventory conducted in May 1661 by Bénigne Basset was for their business community, with the inventoried assets being in Jeanne Merrin’s possession.^[11]

Éloi Jarry was captured by the Iroquois around 1659 and killed in captivity. Bénigne Basset made an inventory of his possessions and those of Henry Perrin on May 27, 1661, by order of Governor de Maisonneuve.^[12] The fact of his death and its cause were mentioned at Jeanne’s second marriage on September 18, 1661.^[13]

Second Marriage – Henry Perrin

A marriage contract between Henry Perrin and Jeanne Merrin was signed on July 16, 1661, before notary Bénigne Basset.^[14]

Jeanne Merrin and Henry Perrin received a dispensation for their marriage from the Bishop of Petraea (François de Laval), due to the spiritual affinity that existed between them, as Henry had previously been godfather to Henry Jarry.^[15] Part of the dispensation document covers text that reads “namely that the said Perrin having sinned with the said Merrin his godchild, she is found to be pregnant by his doing for nearly eight months, and thus it was a scandal for them.”

The marriage was celebrated by the pastor of Montreal, Gabriel Souart, on July 18, 1661, in the presence of Gilbert Barbier dit Minime, Jacques Beauvais dit St-Jeme, and Louis Chevalier.^[16]

Henry Perrin was born on July 14, 1626, in Louargat (diocese of Tréquier, now in Côtes-d’Armor), Brittany, the son of the late François Perrin and Marguerite Geffroy (or Chefvoye according to Jetté).^[17] He arrived in Montreal in 1650 and received a land grant from Governor Maisonneuve on November 18 of that year. Henry was a farmer and became a member of the 12th squadron of Montreal’s Sainte-Famille militia in 1663.^[18]

Children of Henry and Jeanne:

1. Michelle Perrin, baptized August 24, 1661, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married Jean Gourdon dit Lachasse on November 24, 1676, in Montreal (Notre-Dame).^[19]
2. Marie Delphine Perrin, baptized April 1, 1663, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married Vincent Aly on October 4, 1677, in Montreal (Notre-Dame).^[20]
3. Mathieu Perrin, baptized September 21, 1664, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married Jeanne Pillet on September 5, 1694, in Lachine (Sts-Anges). They had married without clergy between 1689 and 1694, having been captives of the Iroquois.^[21]
4. Barbe Perrin, baptized January 4, 1667, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married René Huguet on October 16, 1680, in Lachine (Sts-Anges).^[22]
5. Gabriel Perrin, baptized January 17, 1669, in Montreal (Notre-Dame); married Marie Jeanne Vaudry on February 12, 1697, in Montreal (Notre-Dame). Gabriel became an “engagé Ouest” (contracted worker in the West).^[23]

Census Records:

Census 1666: MONTREAL Henri Perrin, 43, habitant; Jeanne Menin, 30, his wife, widow of Eloi Jarry; Jean Jarry, 10; Henri Jarry, 9; Michel Jarry, 4; Marie Jarry, 3; Mathieu Perrin, 18 months.^[24] (Note: some of the children are incorrectly named; Michel Jarry is actually Michelle Perrin, and Marie Jarry is actually Marie Delphine Perrin. Clémence Jarry is missing from the list.)

Census 1667: MONTREAL ISLAND OF NEW FRANCE Henry Perrin, 42; Jeanne (Merrin) his wife, 32; Jean-Baptiste, 12; Clémence, 10; Henry, 8; Michelle, 6; Marie, 5; Mathieu, 3; Barbe, 4 months; 5 livestock, 30 arpents under cultivation.^[25]

Henry Perrin was among the inhabitants and notables of Montreal who fixed the tithe for the parish on August 12, 1668.^[26]

Henry Perrin died between the baptism of their son Gabriel in January 1669 and February 24, 1670, when Jeanne was godmother to Marie Hurtebise, daughter of Marin and Étiennette Alton, in Montreal (Notre-Dame), and was cited as his widow.^[27]

On June 17, 1672, Jeanne Meré, widow of Henry Perrin and Eloy Jarry, established an annuity to the Gentlemen of Montreal. Notary Bénigne Basset Vol I pg 213.^[28]

Third Marriage – René Moreau

A marriage contract between René Morreau and Jeanne Meré was drawn up on June 19, 1672, before notary Bénigne Basset.^[29]

Jeanne Merin, widow of Henri Perin and daughter of Michel Merin and Catherine Tardif, remarried on June 20, 1672, at Notre-Dame de Montreal with René Moreau, son of René Moreau sieur du Portal and the late Barbe Villard, from the parish of St-Savin, diocese of Poitiers. René was a soldier in the company of Monsieur Perrot, the governor. The ceremony was performed in the presence of Mr. Chevalier syndic, Pierre Gadois, master gunsmith, “du hou” (likely Jean Descaries dit le houx who had married Michelle Artus, another woman from the Grande Recrue), St-Gemme, and other inhabitants of this country known to the parties. The ceremony was performed by Gilles Perot, pastor of Montreal. Janne Merin, “le hou” and St-Geme declared they did not know how to sign, but the others signed with the priest.^[30]

Children of René and Jeanne:

1. Renée Moreau, baptized February 21, 1673, in Montreal (Notre-Dame).^[31]
2. Jeanne Moreau, baptized September 30, 1674, in Montreal (Notre-Dame).^[32]

On August 1, 1680, there was a transfer of the sum of sixty-seven livres to Jacques Beauvais from the debt of Dame Jeanne Merin, wife of René Moreau, to Pierre Gaignon. Notary Claude Maugue Vol IX pg 47.^[33]

René Moreau, sieur Dubreuil et du Portail, and his two daughters are absent from the 1681 census, where his wife was living at Fief Verdun, in Lachine, with her other children.

Census 1681: Fief Verdun Jeanne Meray 48; children: Jean 26, Henry 23; Mathieu 16, Gabriel 12; 2 guns; 2 horned cattle; 5 arpents under cultivation. Henry Garry (Jarry) 23; 1 gun; 6 arpents under cultivation.^[34]

René Moreau, Sieur Dubreuil et Duportail died at Lachine sometime before the 1681 census. Sadly, before this census, Jeanne also lost her two daughters that she had with René Moreau.

Jeanne Merrin was godmother to several of her grandchildren and others, including Jeanne Gourdon on March 8, 1680, in Lachine; Marie Anne Rapin on May 1, 1682, in Lachine (she is called wife of sieur Moreau du Portail in the record); Jean Chatouteau, son of Mathias and Anne Moufflet, on October 20, 1684, in Lachine (again called wife of René Moreau du Portail); Jean Guillemot, son of François and Madeleine Dupont, on July 18, 1694, in Montreal (Notre-Dame) (she is called widow of sieur Dubreuil in the record). She was present at the marriage of her granddaughter Marie Madeleine Rapein with Jean Gabriel Picard on January 9, 1696, in Lachine (Sts-Anges). This was her last cited presence in the religious registers found before her death.^[35]

On July 27, 1692, there was an obligation of Jean-Bte and Henri Jarry and André Rapin to Jeanne Merrin, widow of Eloi Jarry and Henri Perrin. Notary Antoine Adhémar Vol V pg 162.^[36]

There was a lawsuit between the heirs of Henri Perrin, plaintiffs, and Jacques Coiteux, defendant, for the recovery of land at Pointe-aux-Trembles on March 22, 1701. This civil case file consists of the sentence dictum that maintains Jacques Coiteux in possession of the land he purchased without title, on November 1, 1675, from Jeanne Merrin, formerly wife of Henri Perrin, in a case brought against Coiteux by the Perrin heirs to reclaim possession of the land located at the small fort of Pointe-aux-Trembles.^[37]

Death

Jeanne Merin was buried on December 8, 1711, in Montreal (Notre-Dame), the record giving her about 80 years of age. The named witnesses were Maurice Courtois and Henri Meriel of the Montreal seminary.^[38]

Sources

Additional Sources

• Tanguay, Cyprien, Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes; Montréal, 1887 (7 volumes) Vol 1-J pg 318
• Bapt. Marguerite 30 Aug 1658 IGD
• DGFQ, p. 900-1; DGO, tome 1, p. 86; Fonds Archange Godbout
• Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-françaisee -Volume 35, Numero 2, Cahier 312, été2022 – pp.91-114
• https://www.francogene.com/gfan/gfan/998/fmr.htm (#138)

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1. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec des origines à 1730, René Jetté, with the collaboration of PRDH, 1983, Presses de l’Université de Montréal, pg 594 (membership IGD) ↩︎

2. Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890. Volume: Vol. 4 Sect. 2 : Gli-Jin; Page: 591. ↩︎

3. Many Roads: Filles à Marier list; Roland Auger, La Grande Recrue de 1653. Publications de la Société généalogique canadienne-française (Montreal, 1955). ↩︎

4. Acte de Lambert Closse, Vol I pg 154, 23° Contrat de mariage entre Eloy Jarry et Jeanne Meré (31 octobre 1654). ↩︎

5. BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français, par Pierre Georges Roy et Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 ↩︎

6. Mariage image IGD; Actes d’état civil et registres d’église du Québec (Collection Drouin), 1621 à 1997 – Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection: Institut Généalogique Drouin IGD (membership) ↩︎

7. MASSICOTTE, EDOUARD Z. “Les Colons de Montreal de 1642 a 1667.”, 3rd ser., vol. 7:1 (Section 1, 1913), Page: 23. ↩︎

8. Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 – Drouin IGD ↩︎

9. Ibid. ↩︎

10. Ibid. ↩︎

11. Blogue de Guy Perron # 313: Engagement d’Éloi Jarry pour la Nouvelle-France en 1646 ↩︎

12. Mélanges historiques Benjamin Sulte, Vol 7 pg 29 (27/160) BAnQ; Inventaire des biens meubles de deffunt Eloy Jarry dit LaHaye et Henry Perrin (7 mai 1661). Notaire Bénigne Basset Vol I pg 174; BAnQ: Bénigne Basset dit Deslauriers, Actes, Nos 201 à 400, 5 mai 1661 – 29 septembre 1667 (840 fichiers), pgs 17-22/840 inventaire ↩︎

13. Mariage Perrin-Merrin image IGD ↩︎

14. BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français, par Pierre Georges Roy et Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 ↩︎

15. Dispense de mariage, image IGD ↩︎

16. Mariage 2 image IGD ↩︎

17. Bapt. image Fichier; Fichier Henry Perrin 2017 Fédération québécoise des sociétés de généalogie//Québec Federation of Genealogical Societies ↩︎

18. Bulletin des recherches historiques, juillet 1926, pg 413-4 (29-30/64) # 79 ↩︎

19. Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 – Drouin IGD ↩︎

20. Ibid. ↩︎

21. Ibid. ↩︎

22. Ibid. ↩︎

23. Ibid.; Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec – René Jetté pg 901 ↩︎

24. Recensements de 1666-1667 en Nouvelle-France, référant au chapitre IV du livre Histoire des Canadiens Français de Benjamin Sulte, compilés par Jean-Guy Sénécal le 17 mars 1998 ↩︎

25. Ibid.; Library and Archives Canada, Recensement de la Nouvelle-France en 1667, dans Ile de Montréal, page 162: “Henry Perrin, 42 ; Jeanne (Menin) sa femme, 32, et enfant Jean-Baptiste, 12; Clémence, 10; Henry, 8; Michelle, 6; Marie, 5; Mathieu, 3; Barbe, 4 mois; 5 bestiaux, 30 arpents en valeur.” ↩︎

26. Bulletin des recherches historiques, février 1929, pg 108-9 (44-5/64) ↩︎

27. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec – René Jetté pg 901; Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 – Drouin IGD ↩︎

28. BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français, par Pierre Georges Roy et Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 ↩︎

29. Ibid. ↩︎

30. Mariage 3 image IGD; il s’agirait de Jean Descaries dit le houx qui a épousé Michelle Artus, une autre de la grande recrue, voir Maison St-Gabriel: les femmes de la Grande Recrue ↩︎

31. Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 – Drouin IGD ↩︎

32. Ibid. ↩︎

33. BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français, par Pierre Georges Roy et Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 ↩︎

34. Wikisource Recensement 1681 Census selon Benjamin Sulte ↩︎

35. Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 – Drouin IGD ↩︎

36. BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français, par Pierre Georges Roy et Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 ↩︎

37. BANQ 22 Mar 1701 ↩︎

38. Sépulture-Funeral image IGD; Sépulture – FamilySearch ↩︎