Contrat de mariage Gabriel Rouleau dit Sansoucy Mathurine Roux 1652

Mathurine Roux & Gabriel Rouleau dit Sansoucy

Mathurine Roux (1635-1708)

Also known as: Leroux, Le Roux

Early Life and Family

Mathurine Roux was born in France in the early 17th century, during a time when France was expanding its colonial presence in North America. She was the daughter of Antoine Roux, a farmer, and Jeanne Joiry (also spelled Jouary). Her maternal grandparents were Guillaume Joiry and Mathurine Mercier.

She was baptized on March 18, 1635, in Sainte-Marguerite, La Rochelle, in the province of Aunis (now part of Charente-Maritime), France. Her godmother was Mathurine Jouary and her godfather was Charles Bardolot.[1][2]

Migration to New France

Mathurine was among the early French settlers who traveled to New France (present-day Quebec, Canada) in the mid-17th century. She arrived in Quebec in 1652 as a “fille à marier” (marriageable girl), a term used for young women who immigrated to New France to marry and help populate the colony, distinct from the later “filles du roi” (King’s daughters) program.

Her first documented mention in New France was in a marriage contract dated August 5, 1652, when she was in service to Christofle Crevier, Sieur de la Meslée. The contract was drawn up before notary Audouart in Quebec, for her marriage to Gabriel Rouleau dit Sansoucy, who was then living in Trois-Rivières. She likely arrived in Canada the same year as her future husband, possibly on the same ship.[3]

First Marriage

On August 16, 1652, in the notary’s office in Quebec, 17-year-old Mathurine Roux and approximately 34-year-old Gabriel Rouleau dit Sanssoucy signed a marriage contract before notary Guillaume Audouart.[4][5] While the actual marriage record has not been found in historical documents, this contract established their legal union.[6][7][8][9]

Settlement and Family Life

Mathurine and Gabriel first settled in Beauport, then moved to Château-Richer, and finally established themselves on Île d’Orléans. These locations were all within the Quebec colony, an area that was still being developed by French settlers.

The couple experienced both joy and tragedy in their family life. On August 28, 1656, they suffered the devastating loss of two of their children, Jean (age 1) and Louise (age 3), in a fire that destroyed their house in Quebec.

Mathurine was active in the community, serving as godmother to Françoise Rousseau on October 10, 1662, in Château-Richer.

Children of Gabriel Rouleau & Mathurine Roux

During their marriage, Mathurine gave birth to fourteen children:

  1. Louise: Born August 12, baptized August 17, 1653, in Beauport, Quebec; died August 26, buried August 28, 1656 (died in a house fire)
  2. Jean: Born March 4, baptized March 14, 1655, in Quebec; died August 26, buried August 28, 1656 (died in a house fire)
  3. Jean: Born November 21, baptized December 25, 1656, in Quebec; died after the 1667 census
  4. Anne: Born August 12, baptized August 13, 1658, in Quebec; died before the 1666 census
  5. Pierre: Born March 14, baptized April 5, 1661, in Château-Richer
  6. Anne: Born April 27, baptized May 3, 1662, in Château-Richer; married Jean Houde in 1687 (twin)
  7. Guillaume: Born April 27, baptized May 3, 1662, in Château-Richer; married Catherine Dufresne in 1688 (twin)
  8. Catherine: Born March 24, baptized April 3, 1664, in Château-Richer (born on Île d’Orléans); died April 5, buried April 6, 1664
  9. Gabriel: Born on Île d’Orléans, baptized July 15, 1665, in Château-Richer; married Jeanne Dufresne in 1687
  10. Marie: Born June 24, baptized July 1, 1667, in Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans; married Pierre Dussault in 1687
  11. Marguerite: Born 1668
  12. Claude (also called Marguerite): Born February 14, baptized February 16, 1669, in Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans; mentioned in a record dated October 9, 1687, in Quebec
  13. Joseph: Born May 10, baptized May 13, 1672, in Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans; died May 22, buried May 23, 1672
  14. Pierre: Born July 9, baptized July 10, 1673, in Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans; died July 13, buried July 14, 1673

Census Records

The 1666 and 1667 censuses provide snapshots of the family’s composition:

1666 Census: Gabriel Roulleaux, 48, habitant; Mathurine Roux, 30, his wife; Jean, 10; Guillaume and Anne, 4; Gabriel, 6 months. They were living on Île d’Orléans, Canada.[10]

1667 Census: Gabriel Rousseau, 54; Mathurine Le Roux, his wife, 30; Jean, 11; Guillaume, 6; Gabriel, 4; Anne, 2; Marie, 2 months; 7 cattle, 15 arpents of cultivated land. They were living on Île d’Orléans, Canada.[10:1]

It’s worth noting that Mathurine’s age appears to be recorded inconsistently in these censuses. The 1666 census lists her as 30, and the 1667 census still lists her as 30, despite being taken a year later. Additionally, both censuses provide ages that don’t align with her 1635 birth year, suggesting that age reporting in these early colonial records was often approximate.

Widowhood and Second Marriage

After Gabriel’s death (the exact date is not specified in the provided documents), Mathurine remained a widow for some time. On January 20, 1674, she signed a marriage contract with Martin Mercier before notary Paul Vachon.[11]

The marriage took place on February 5, 1674, in Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans, Canada. At the time, Mathurine was 38 years old, while Martin Mercier was 27. Martin was the son of François Mercier and Mathurine Trogeau (also recorded as Frogère or Frogeau). The ceremony was performed by priest B. Duplein and witnessed by Claude D’Arcolière and Jacques Bilodeau.[12]

Children of Mathurine Roux & Martin Mercier

Mathurine and Martin had four children together, all born at Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans. Tragically, all four children died in infancy:

  1. Louise Mercier: Baptized December 29, 1674[13]; buried December 31, 1674, at 2 days old[14]
  2. Martin Mercier: Born and baptized March 30, 1676[15]; buried April 1, 1676, at 1 day old[16]
  3. Jeanne Mercier: Born and baptized December 20, 1677 (twin)[17]; died December 20, buried December 21, 1677, at 1 day old[18]
  4. Marie Mercier: Born and baptized December 20, 1677 (twin)[19]; died and buried December 21, 1677, at 1 day old[20]

Legal Affairs

Several notarial acts recorded by Paul Vachon document Mathurine’s legal affairs during her second marriage:[11:1]

  • Marriage contract between Martin Mercier and Mathurine Leroux, widow of Gabriel Roulleau (January 20, 1674). Vol. II pg. 46
  • Inventory of the property of the late Gabriel Rouleau and Mathurine Leroux, current wife of Martin Mercier (February 15, 1674). Vol. II pg. 46
  • Division of property among the heirs of Gabriel Roulleau and their mother Mathurine Leroux, currently the wife of Martin Mercier (February 16, 1683). Vol. II pg. 66
  • Ratification by Mathurine Leroux, wife of Martin Mercier (January 11, 1694). Vol. II pg. 68 (sic, 1684)
  • Agreement of Martin Mercier for the minors of Gabriel Rouleau and Jean Houde (April 3, 1685). Vol. II pg. 71

1681 Census

The 1681 census provides another glimpse into Mathurine’s household:

Martin Mercier, 35; Mathurine (Roux), his wife, 45; children: Marie, 15, Marguerite, 13; 4 horned beasts; 20 arpents of cultivated land. Nicolas Quatrin, surgeon, 26; Françoise Delauny, his wife, 17; François, their son, 1; 2 horned beasts; 5 arpents of cultivated land. They were living on Île d’Orléans, Canada.[21]

This census shows Mathurine living with her second husband Martin Mercier and two of her children from her first marriage. It also indicates that they shared their household with Nicolas Quatrin, a surgeon, and his family.

Death and Legacy

Mathurine Roux lived to the age of 73, which was a considerable age for the time period, especially for a woman who had given birth to eighteen children. She died on February 1, 1708, after having confessed and received extreme unction. The record notes that she was unable to receive the Holy Viaticum due to continuous vomiting, indicating she may have been suffering from a gastrointestinal illness at the end of her life.

She was buried on February 3, 1708, in Saint-Laurent, Île d’Orléans, Canada. Her body was buried in the northwest corner of the cemetery with the customary ceremonies. The officiating priest was François Poncelet.[22]

Mathurine’s legacy lives on through her descendants. Several of her children from her first marriage survived to adulthood and had families of their own, contributing to the growth of the French-Canadian population. As one of the early “filles à marier,” she played a significant role in the establishment and development of New France.

Sources

Gabriel ROULEAU dit Sanssoucy

Also known as: Sanssoucy, Sansoucy[1:1][2:1][3:1][4:1][5:1] [Carpin #219][6:1][23]

Origins

Gabriel Rouleau was born in France’s ancient Perche province around 1613.[1:2][2:2][4:2][5:2] Although there is no trace of his origins in parish registers in and around Tourouvre,[1:3] he is said to be a native of Tourouvre’s Saint-Aubin parish located in the Chartres diocese.[1:4][2:3][4:3][5:3][3:2][8:1][9:1][24]

Migration to Canada

Gabriel migrated to Canada and is first mentioned there in 1652 when he signed his marriage contract.[1:5][6:2][12:1] It is also possible that he migrated to Canada in 1649.[1:6] In his 1652 marriage contract, he is identified as “Gabriel Ruilleau dit Sanssoucy, inhabitant of Trois Rivières.”

It is further possible that Gabriel Rouleau accompanied Pierre Boucher on his 1649 trans-Atlantic voyage and that he followed Pierre Boucher from Québec to Trois-Rivières to help defend the colony from the Iroquois threat.[13:1] Pierre Boucher was present at the marriage contract signing.

Marriage and Family

Having entered into a marriage contract on August 16, 1652 in Québec before notary Guillaume Audouart,[14:1] he likely soon after married Mathurine Leroux (also written as Roux), aged around 17, daughter of Antoine Leroux and Jeanne Joiry, native of La Rochelle, at an unknown location in Canada.[1:7][15:1] The marriage record itself is lost.

The couple had 13 known children, with 4 known to marry.[16:1]

Life in New France

On January 23, 1656, Robert Giffard, seigneur of Beauport, granted a one-arpent wide by ten-arpent deep land concession at Beauport to Gabriel Rouleau.[13:2]

On March 5, 1656, Gabriel Rouleau contracted an obligation for one hundred and ten livres, five sols, and three deniers owing to the Notre-Dame de Québec Fabrique (parish administration).[11:2][17:1]

On August 29, 1656, during a fire that destroyed their house, two children of Gabriel Rouleau and his wife perished at Beauport:[3:3][13:3]

  • Jean Rouleau, 1 year old
  • Louise Rouleau, 3 years old

On December 1, 1656, Léonard Leblanc rented half a barn to Gabriel Rouleau.[13:4]

1666 Census – Île d’Orléans

  • Gabriel Roulleaux, 48, inhabitant
  • Mathurine Roux, 30, his wife
  • Jean, 10
  • Guillaume & Anne, 4
  • Gabriel, 6 months [18:1]

1667 Census – Île d’Orléans

  • Gabriel Rousseau, 54
  • Mathurine Le Roux, his wife, 30
  • Jean, 11
  • Guillaume, 6
  • Gabriel, 4
  • Anne, 2
  • Marie, 2 months
  • 7 beasts, 15 arpents in value [18:2]

Death

Gabriel died on February 22, 1673, and was buried on February 23 in Île d’Orléans’ Sainte-Famille parish cemetery. Priest Benoît Duplein officiated at the burial. He died in his home on the north side of the island after receiving the sacraments from Benoît Duplein on February 17. The record gives him the approximate age of 60.[19:1][20:1][21:1]

The inventory of his goods was conducted by Paul Vachon on February 15, 1674.[11:3][22:1]

By 1729, Gabriel had 133 descendants.[5:4]

Research Notes

According to Tanguay, he came from Tourouvre in Perche.[3:4] Jetté repeats Tanguay without adding further information. The marriage contract does not name parents for Gabriel, nor does it give a place of origin.[14:2] Research conducted by the PRÉFEN program (University of Caen research program on French emigrations to New France) found no trace of him in Tourouvre.[25] His place of origin is thus marked as uncertain.

Sources

  1. Baptism of Mathurine Roux – Image file (jpg) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Baptism of Mathurine Roux – PDF file ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. PREFEN Fiche 12808, Origines: Titre: Sansoucy Note: Le Prefen n’est plus accessible en ligne, voir PDF sur profil ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. PRDH: Research Programme in Historical Demography (free): Pionnier: 66269 Gabriel Rouleau dit Sansoucy ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. perche-quebec.com ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Tourouvre (INSEE 61491) is now a commune located in Northwest France’s Orne département and Basse-Normandie région. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. Catalogue des immigrants 1632-1662: pgs 262 (Leroux) & 265 (Roulleau); Marcel Trudel, Éd Hurtubise HMH 1983 ISBN 2-89045-579-3 (out of print) ↩︎

  8. Carpin 1999, Annexe D, p. 576 ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. Lesperance 1001 citing Jetté 1983, p. 1011: “ROULEAU, Gabriel (Habitant) departed Tourouvre.” ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. Livre/Book: Bizier, Hélène-Andrée, Lacoursière, Jacques; Nos Racines : chapitre 95 à 105, chap. 104, p. image 212, « Les Rouleau », ISSN 0226-7756 ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. FamilySearch: Guillaume Audouart, Acts, Files 1-837 (Sept. 15, 1634, Feb. 1, 1649 – Nov. 23, 1659); Granite Mountain Record Vault, United States & Canada Film #2371066, Image Group Number (DGS) 8125038, pgs 611-613/2642 marriage contract for Mathurine Roux – Gabriel Rouleau dit Sansoucy, original ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  12. PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (membership): union: 732 Marriage – Mathurine Leroux Roux & Gabriel Rouleau Sansoucy ↩︎ ↩︎

  13. Migrations: Filles à Marier (Leroux / Roux) via Wayback machine ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. Filles à marier – Mathurine Leroux – The French Canadian Genealogist ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  15. Filles à marier – Mathurine Leroux – American-French Genealogical Society ↩︎ ↩︎

  16. BAnQ Notarial acts index Inventaire des greffes des notaires du régime français, par Pierre Georges Roy et Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 Contrat de mariage de Gab. Rouleau dit Sansoucy et Mathurine Roux (LeRoux) (16 août 1652). Vol I pg 47 Notaire Guillaume Audouart ↩︎ ↩︎

  17. BAnQ (PDF): Tanguay, Cyprien, Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu’à nos jours; Montréal, 1887 (7 volumes) Vol 1 pg 529 ↩︎ ↩︎

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

  19. Sépulture-Funeral image Gabriel Rouleau Collection Drouin, IGD (Membership) ↩︎ ↩︎

  20. PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (membership): acte: 32889, Sépulture / funeral ↩︎ ↩︎

  21. La Mémoire du Québec ↩︎ ↩︎

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

  23. Inventaire des biens de feu Gabriel Rouleau et Mathurine Leroux épouse actuelle de Martin Mercier (15 février 1674). Vol II pg 46 Notaire Paul Vachon ↩︎

  24. Marriage of Martin Mercier & Mathurine Roux – FamilySearch ↩︎

  25. Baptism of Louise Mercier – Drouin Collection, IGD (Membership) ↩︎

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