Quebec 1700

Jeanne Testard & François Leber

Jeanne Testard (1642-1723)

Jeanne Testard was born on September 27, 1642, and baptized on October 12 at the Protestant temple in Lintot, Normandy (Seine-Maritime), France. She was the daughter of Jean Testard and Anne Godefroy.[1][2] Jeanne likely renounced her Protestant faith before arriving in Canada, as there is no record of her abjuration in the colony. Her marriage contract indicates she was from the parish of Saint-Vincent in Rouen, which marks her first documented presence in the colony.

Family Background

According to records, Jeanne’s father Jean Testard was baptized on March 11, 1607, in Lintot. He first married Anne Massier on December 19, 1627, at the Protestant temple in Lintot, and they had a son named Jean, born in Lintot on February 25, 1629. Jean Testard later married Anne Godefroy on February 3, 1630, in Lintot.[3]

Jeanne had several siblings, most of whom were baptized at the Protestant temple in Lintot:

  • Jacques (pioneer in New France), born January 25, 1631, baptized February 9, 1631
  • Pierre, born January 24, 1633, baptized February 8, 1633
  • Perrette, baptized October 29, 1634, married Salomon Lormier on December 21, 1677, at the Protestant temple in Le Grand-Quevilly
  • Charles (pioneer in New France), born May 9, 1636, baptized May 22, 1636
  • Jean, born March 22, 1640, baptized April 1, 1640
  • Marie, born August 31, 1645, married Jean Cantais on March 31, 1669, at the Protestant temple in Le Grand-Quevilly; died at age 35 on December 26, 1680, and was buried in Le Grand-Quevilly
  • Anne, born October 15, 1647, baptized October 27, 1647, married Daniel Cantais on November 11, 1670, at the Protestant temple in Le Grand-Quevilly

Her paternal grandparents were Jean Tetard and Judic Manoury.[3:1]

Migration to New France

Jeanne first appears in New France records in 1662. She is believed to have migrated to join her brothers Jacques and Charles, who had already established themselves in the colony.[3:2]

François Leber (c.1626-1694)

François Leber was born around 1626 in Pitres, Normandy (Eure), France. He was the son of Robert Leber and Colette Cavelier.[4] According to various censuses, he was 40 years old in 1666 and 1667, and 54 in 1681.

The earliest record of François in New France shows that he and his brother Jacques were both confirmed by the Bishop of Petrea on August 24, 1660, in Montreal.[5]

Previous Marriages

François Leber was married three times:

  1. His first marriage was in France to Françoise Lefrançois,[6] with whom he had one known child, Anne Leber, born around 1656 (based on her age in the 1666 and 1667 censuses). Anne accompanied her father to the colony and later married there.

  2. His second marriage was in France to Marguerite Lesueur.[6:1] Little is known about her, as she does not appear in colony records. She either died in France before François’s departure or during the sea voyage.

Marriage of François and Jeanne

On November 23, 1662, a marriage contract was drawn up by notary Bénigne Basset in Montreal between François Le Ber, widower of both Françoise Lefrançois and Marguerite Lesueur, and Jeanne Testard, daughter of Jean Testard and Anne Godefroy from the parish of St. Vincent in Rouen. Many witnesses were present and signed with the couple, including Jeanne’s brothers Jacques and Charles Testard, her sister-in-law Marie Pournin, Gabriel Souart, Jean Gervaise, Paul de Chomedey, Jacques Le Ber, Charles d’Ailleboust des Musseaux, Catherine Gauchet, Marie Moyen, and many others.[6:2]

The marriage ceremony took place on December 2, 1662, at Notre-Dame de Montréal. François Le Bert, widower of Marguerite Leseur, from the parish of Notre-Dame de Pitre in the diocese of Rouen, married Jeanne Testard, daughter of Jean Testard and Anne Godefroy from St. Vincent parish in Rouen. Witnesses included Jacques Le Bert (François’s brother and church warden), Paul de Chomedey (governor of the island), Zacharie Dupuy (garrison major), Jacques and Charles Testard (Jeanne’s brothers), Charles Le Moyne (church warden), Jean Gervaise (resident), and many other mutual friends. Jeanne could not sign her name, but various witnesses signed along with the groom and priest Gabriel Souart.[7]

Children of François and Jeanne

François and Jeanne had six children, four of whom survived to adulthood:[8][9]

  1. Joachim Jacques Lebert, baptized June 10, 1664, in Montreal (Notre-Dame). His godfather was Zacharie Dupuy and his godmother Marie Pournin.[10] Joachim married Jeanne Cusson on January 28, 1692, in La Prairie.[11]

  2. Marie Lebert, baptized December 6, 1666, in Montreal (Notre-Dame). Her godfather was Mathurin Josset and her godmother Marie Lebert (her aunt).[12] Marie married three times:

    • First to Charles Robert on January 9, 1681, in Contrecoeur[13]
    • Then to François Bourrassa on July 4, 1684, at Fort Saint-Louis de Chambly (registered in Contrecoeur)[14]
    • Finally to Pierre Hervé on April 22, 1714, in La Prairie[15]

  3. Jeanne Leber, born around 1671 (aged 10 in the 1681 census). She married Jean Baptiste Tessier on November 21, 1686, in La Prairie.[16]

  4. Jacques Leber, born and baptized on July 20, 1672, with supplementary baptism on July 21 in La Prairie. His godfather was Gabriel Testard and his godmother Madeleine de Varennes.[17] Jacques died in M. Lamarque’s house on July 21, 1672, and was buried on July 22 in La Prairie.[18]

  5. François Leber, born October 10, 1673, baptized October 11 in La Prairie. His godfather was Lamarque and his godmother Catherine Daubugeon.[19] François married Marie Anne Magnan on October 29, 1698, in Montreal (Notre-Dame).[20]

  6. Claude Leber, born and baptized on September 14, 1675, in La Prairie. His godfather was Claude Caron and his godmother Louise Bouchard.[21] Claude died in mid-October 1675 in La Prairie.[22]

Census Records

1666 Census: Montreal

  • François Leber, 40, habitant
  • Jeanne Testard, 24, his wife
  • Anne, 10
  • Joachim, 19 months[23]

1667 Census: Island of Montreal

  • François le Ber, 40
  • Jeanne Testart, his wife, 23
  • Joachin, 3
  • Marie, 5 months
  • Anne, 11
  • 1 head of cattle, 23 arpents under cultivation[23:1]

1681 Census: Prairie de la Magdelaine

  • François Leber, 54
  • Jeanne Testard, his wife, 40
  • Children: Joachim 17, Jeanne 10, François 7
  • 1 musket, 2 pistols, 4 horned animals, 6 arpents under cultivation[24]

Deaths

François Leber died on May 19, 1694, and was buried the following day in La Prairie. His burial record indicates he was approximately 72 years old.[25]

Jeanne Testard, referred to as “the good woman Lebert,” died on January 18, 1723, aged about 85 years. She was buried the same day in La Prairie.[26]

Additional Notes

On February 17, 1698, a guardianship proceeding was held for the minor children of the late François Leber and Jeanne Testard. The judicial administration file includes minutes of the assembly of relatives and friends for the election of a guardian for the minor children, and the approval of this document. Those present included Jacques Testard, Sieur de Montigny, lieutenant; Jean Tessier dit Lavigne, brother-in-law; and François Ardouin, husband of Marie Anne Barrois.[27]

The archives of Pitres (Eure) available online are incomplete for the period in question. What is available online can be summarized as: BMD (Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths) (1546-1686); 8 Mi 3098, 1546-1686, Pîtres (Eure, France); Baptisms, marriages (1546-1587), baptisms, marriages, burials (1668-1686). Liard-1.[28]

Sources and References

  1. Departmental Archives of Seine-Maritime online. Parish and civil registers, reference 4E 03383 Lintot (Protestants), Baptisms 01-01-1638 to 12-31-1651, image 162/407 at the top. ↩︎

  2. Fichier Origine, baptism image, AD-76. ↩︎

  3. Fichier Origine 243907 Jeanne Testard 2020 Quebec Federation of Genealogical Societies. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Note: We only know the names of his parents through his brother Jacques’ marriage, as they are not named in François’s 1662 marriage record since he was already a widower. ↩︎

  5. Diocese of Quebec, Register of confirmations, folio 17, image d1p_31400674.jpg IGD. ↩︎

  6. BAnQ: Bénigne Basset dit Deslauriers, Acts, Nos 201 to 400, May 5, 1661 – September 29, 1667 (840 files), pgs 233-235/840 original Le Ber-Testard contract. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. Marriage Le Bert – Testard image IGD. ↩︎

  8. Genealogical Dictionary of Quebec Families from the Origins to 1730, René Jetté, in collaboration with PRDH, 1983, University of Montreal Press, pg 670 (Leber or Lebert) (IGD membership). ↩︎

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

  10. Baptism of Joachim Jacques IGD. ↩︎

  11. Marriage Leber-Cusson IGD. ↩︎

  12. Baptism of Marie 1666 IGD. ↩︎

  13. Marriage Leber-Robert IGD. ↩︎

  14. Marriage Lebert-Bourrassa IGD. ↩︎

  15. Marriage Leber-Hervé IGD. ↩︎

  16. Marriage Leber-Tessier IGD. ↩︎

  17. Baptism of Jacques 1672 IGD. ↩︎

  18. Burial-Funeral of Jacques 1672 IGD. ↩︎

  19. Baptism of François 1673 IGD. ↩︎

  20. Marriage Leber-Magnan IGD. ↩︎

  21. Baptism of Claude IGD. ↩︎

  22. Burial-Funeral of Claude IGD. ↩︎

  23. Wikisource: 1666-1667 Censuses according to Benjamin Sulte Histoire des Canadiens-français, Volume 4, chap. 4. ↩︎ ↩︎

  24. Wikisource 1681 Census according to Benjamin Sulte Histoire des Canadiens-français, Volume 5, chap. 4. ↩︎

  25. Burial-Funeral of François Leber image IGD. ↩︎

  26. Burial-Funeral image IGD. ↩︎

  27. February 17, 1698 Reference: TL4,S1,D264 Royal Jurisdiction of Montreal Collection – BAnQ Vieux-Montréal Id 697395. ↩︎

  28. The archives of Pitres (Eure) available online are incomplete for the relevant period. ↩︎

ManyRoads