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Marie Crevet & Robert Caron

Marie Crevet: Early Female Settler in New France (1621-1695)

Biography

Marie Crevet (also known as Marie Crevel or Crenel) was born around 1621[1] in Bénouville (near Caen, diocese of Bayeux), Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Pierre Crevet and Marie Le Mercier, who were married on July 18, 1613, in Bénouville.[2]

At the young age of 15, Marie signed a marriage contract to become one of the Filles à Marier or “marriageable girls” – the first single women to set foot in New France since its return from English control in 1632. These pioneering women arrived before the better-known group of single women called the King’s Daughters (Filles du Roi).[3]

First Marriage to Robert Caron

Marie’s intended husband was Robert Caron, an indentured tradesman who worked for Robert Giffard, the Seigneur of Beauport. It is believed that Giffard sponsored Marie’s voyage to New France.[4]

Upon her arrival in Quebec, Marie met Robert Caron and they were married on October 25, 1637, at Notre-Dame-de-Recouvrance Church in Quebec City. The ceremony was witnessed by Jasmin Bourguignon, Noël Langlois, and Robert Giffard, and was performed by Father Charles Lallemant.[5] The church records from this period were later destroyed in a fire in 1640, so these marriage details were reconstructed from memory by the clergy of the time.[6]

About Robert Caron

Robert Caron was born around 1613, possibly in La Rochelle, France. He was the son of René-Édouard Caron, though his mother’s name remains unknown.[7] He arrived in New France on June 11, 1636, aboard the ship of Sieur Courpon, along with several other families who came to expand the colony.[8]

Upon arrival, Robert was granted land by Pierre LeGardeur de Repentigny, seigneur of part of the Beaupré coast, and settled near the Montmorency Falls. In 1642, he sold his Beaupré land to Guillaume Couillard for 150 livres. By 1643, Robert was clearing land at Coteau Sainte-Geneviève, and in 1649, he received official title to his 40-arpent concession from the Company of One Hundred Associates. Governor D’Ailleboust added twenty more arpents to his holdings in 1651.[9]

In 1654, Robert sold his property at Coteau Sainte-Geneviève and established himself on the Beaupré coast on land purchased from Robert Fortin, located about a mile from the present-day Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.[10]

Children of Marie Crevet and Robert Caron

Marie and Robert had seven children before Robert’s death on July 8, 1656, at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Quebec City.[11] Their children were:

  1. Marie Caron (c. 1638 – June 9, 1660) – Born in Quebec City
  2. Jean-Baptiste Caron (July 10, 1641 – December 28, 1706) – Born in Quebec City, died in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
  3. Robert Caron (February 10, 1647 – April 29, 1714) – Born in Quebec City, died in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
  4. Catherine Caron (November 23, 1649 – June 14, 1725) – Born in Quebec City, died in Baie-Saint-Paul
  5. Joseph Caron (March 19, 1652 – May 6, 1711) – Born in Quebec City, died in Cap-Saint-Ignace
  6. Pierre Caron (July 11, 1654 – c. 1720) – Born in Quebec City
  7. Aimée Caron (c. 1656 – October 4, 1685) – Born in Quebec City

Life as a Widow

After Robert’s death, Marie moved to Château-Richer and remained a widow for ten years. During this period, there are several notarial records indicating her financial activities:

  • Obligation of Robert Drouin to Marie Crevet, widow of Robert Caron (July 27, 1656)[12]
  • Transfer from Robert Drouin to Marie Crevet, widow of Robert Caron (August 17, 1657)[13]
  • Receipt from Julien Fortin and Geneviève Gamache to Marie Crevet, widow of Robert Caron (January 18, 1659)[14]

In 1661, there is a record of a certificate and declaration by Olivier Letardif and Julien Fortin dit Bellefontaine in favor of several families on the Beaupré coast who were ruined by Iroquois incursions, including the widow Caron and others.[15]

Second Marriage to Noël Langlois

On July 7, 1666, Marie signed a marriage contract with Noël Langlois (who had been a witness at her first wedding) before notary Claude Auber. The marriage took place on July 27, 1666, at La-Visitation-de-Notre-Dame parish in Château-Richer.[16] Noël was the widower of Françoise Garnier/Grenier and was about 61 years old at the time, while Marie was about 51.

Marie did not have any children with Noël Langlois. Interestingly, Marie’s daughter Aimée Caron later married Noël Langlois Jr., the son of her second husband.[17]

Census Records

Marie appears in several census records:

1666 Census

Marie Crevel, 45, widow of Robert Caron; with children Robert, 18; Joseph, 14; Pierre, 12; Eymée, 10. They lived in Beaupré, Canada.[18]

1667 Census

Noël Langlois, 60; Marie Crevel, his wife, 50; Jean, 19; Noël, 17; Aimée Carron, 11; Michel Acau, 21; Abraham Albert, 19; 8 livestock, 60 arpents in cultivation. They lived on the coasts of Beauport, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, Canada.[19]

1681 Census

Noël Larglois 78; Marie Crevet (widow of Robert Caron), his wife, 71. They lived in the seigneury of Beauport, Canada.[20]

Death

Marie Crevet died on November 22, 1695, at approximately 80 years of age (though her death record states she was about 92). She was buried the following day at Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Church in Baie-Saint-Paul, Canada.[21]

Children of Noël Langlois and Françoise Garnier/Grenier

Marie’s second husband, Noël Langlois, had several children from his previous marriage to Françoise Garnier/Grenier:

  1. Robert Langlois (July 18, 1635 – June 19, 1654) – Born in Notre Dame de Québec City, died in Côte de la Montagne Cemetery, Québec City
  2. Marie Langlois (August 19, 1636) – Born in Québec City
  3. Anne Langlois (September 2, 1637 – March 16, 1704) – Born in Notre Dame de Québec City, died in Rivière Ouelle. She married Jean Pelletier on November 9, 1649, in the Chapel of Seigneur Giffard, Québec City.
  4. Marguerite Langlois (September 3, 1639 – September 24, 1697) – Born in Québec City, died in La Nativité de Notre Dame, Beauport. She married Paul Vachon on October 22, 1653, in Québec City.
  5. Jean Langlois (February 24, 1641 – August 25, 1687) – Born in Québec City. He married Marie-Charlotte Bélanger on October 19, 1665, in La Visitation Notre Dame, Château Richer.
  6. Jeanne Langlois (January 1, 1643 – after July 13, 1687) – Born in Notre Dame de Québec City. She married René Chevalier on January 9, 1656, in Notre Dame de Québec City.
  7. Elizabeth-Isabelle Langlois (February 21, 1645 – November 15, 1696) – Born in Québec City, died in Cap St. Ignace. She married Louis Côté on November 6, 1662, and later Guillaume Lemieux on December 15, 1669.
  8. Marie Langlois (September 30, 1646 – August 14, 1687) – Born in Québec City. She married François Miville-dit-LeSuisse on August 10, 1660.
  9. Jean Langlois-dit-St.Jean (December 19, 1648 – October 21, 1690) – Born in Québec City, died in Hôtel Dieu de Québec City. He married Marie Courville-dit-Cadieux on December 5, 1675.
  10. Noël Langlois-dit-Traversy (December 7, 1651 – October 8, 1693) – Born in Québec City, died in Beauport. He married Aimée Caron (Marie’s daughter) around 1672, and later Geneviève Parent on December 2, 1686.

Legacy

The seven Caron heirs (3 daughters and 4 sons) left more than forty descendants. Through marriage, the Caron daughters (Marie, Catherine, Aimée) allied themselves with widespread family names and increased the ranks of the Lessard, Paré, Bolduc, Bernier, and Simard families.

As for the 4 Caron sons (Jean-Baptiste, Robert, Joseph, and Pierre), a total of 12 of their sons married and thus continued their father Robert’s lineage, mainly in the regions of Beaupré and Cap-Saint-Ignace.[22]

Sources and Notes

  1. Some sources indicate she was born around 1615 or 1617. ↩︎

  2. “Filles à Marier,” page 96. ↩︎

  3. “Filles à Marier,” page 96. ↩︎

  4. This is speculation based on the relationship between Robert Caron and Robert Giffard. ↩︎

  5. Marriage of Robert Caron and Marie Crevet, FamilySearch (reconstruction). Note: Notre-Dame-de-Recouvrance burned in 1640 and various marriages, baptisms, etc. were reconstructed from memory by the clergy of the time. ↩︎

  6. See note about reconstruction of records after the 1640 fire. ↩︎

  7. Some sources suggest his mother might have been Marguerite Gagnon or Catherine Fortin, but this is unconfirmed. ↩︎

  8. “La Relation des Jésuites” describes their arrival on June 11, 1636. ↩︎

  9. According to records from the L’Association des Familles Caron. ↩︎

  10. Based on land records and transactions. ↩︎

  11. Burial record for Robert Caron, FamilySearch. ↩︎

  12. Notarial act by Guillaume Audouart, Vol I pg 65. ↩︎

  13. Notarial act by Claude Auber, Vol I pg 118. ↩︎

  14. Notarial act by Claude Auber, Vol I pg 119. ↩︎

  15. Notarial act by Guillaume Audouart, Vol I pg 101-102 (missing). ↩︎

  16. Marriage of Noël Langlois and Marie Crevet, FamilySearch. ↩︎

  17. As noted in several family records. ↩︎

  18. Wikisource: 1666-1667 Census according to Benjamin Sulte, Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 4, chap. 4. ↩︎

  19. Wikisource: 1666-1667 Census according to Benjamin Sulte, Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 4, chap. 4. ↩︎

  20. Wikisource: 1681 Census according to Benjamin Sulte, Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 5, chap. 4. ↩︎

  21. Burial of Marie Crevet, FamilySearch. ↩︎

  22. Translated from the L’Association des Familles Caron. ↩︎

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