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Tanguay's Dictionairre Vol. 1, Page 546 and Vol. 7. Page 161.
Marriage Notes for Nicolas Senecal and Marie Gertrude PETIT-340489
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Marie died at about 6 years of age.
Alexis died at 22 years of age.
Suzanne died as an infant of 3 months.
This first Joseph died as an infant of 3 days,
Joseph died as an infant of 4 days.
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Tanguay's Dictionairre Vol. 1, Page 546, Vol. 7, Page 161.*************************************************************************************
Fr: Shirley Beesley
("Fireworks", by Handel)
(Image)The story of the pioneer, Adrien Senecal
Adrien Senecal was born about 1619. He originates from the north of Normandie, France. He is first mentioned at Benouville. He married first to Guillemette Rolleville about 1640. The couple had at least 4 children, all of them at that place: Marie in 1642, Genevieve in 1647, Catherine about 1649 and Nicolas in 1653. Following the death of his first wife, Adrien married on 11 October 1666 to Jeanne LeComte in Harfleur. He was then living in the Ingouville parish (now a district of Le Havre). His witness was Francois Senecal.
We do not know the faith of his first 2 daughters, Marie & Genevieve. Between 1668 and 1670, Adrien Senecal, his wife Jeanne, and children Catherine & Nicolas, chose to take part in the great adventure of the colonization of New France. Most sources confirm that they arrived near the end of summer 1670. If that is true, they would have been part of a group recruited and supervised bt the Bishop of Rouen. They would have left the port of Dieppe with a group of 40 or 50 families and 165 Fille du Roi (Daughters of the King") from Rouen and environs. Only one or two boats per year sailed from the port, and this indicates that they would likely have made their voyage on the same ship with Jean Talon, the new intendant of New France, and would have arrived 18 August 1670.
A little history
Ten years before, Dollard Des Ormeaux and sixteen brave men had given their lives at Long-Sault to save New France. Responding to the pleas of Pierre Boucher and Colbert, Louis XIV had sent a regiment of Carignan-Salieres to take again the control of Canada. The war with the Iroquois had ended two years earlier. (1668).
The soldiers, released of their engagement, were strongly encouraged to settle in the new country.
Talon was named Intendant. Mgr. de Laval was still in Canada, but returned to France alone the next year. In 1670, the smallpox epidemic devastated the Amerinds' population. As a misfortune never arrives alone, an exceptionally cold winter also awaited.
At that time, no ship went up the river higher than Quebec for fear of running aground on the shallows. Adrien Senecal's family thus continued its journey in a smaller boat towards Cap-de-la-Madeleine. We know little of their activities upon their arrival.
Sources suggest that Adrien and possibly his son, Nicilas, were engaged in the fur trade. If this is so, then he would have been away from civilization for some time. The fact that no documents concerning them have been found during the period from 1670 to 1673 tends to give weight to this theory. Indeed, it seems at this time Adrien met Louis LeDoux, identified by researchers as having been heavily involved in the fur trade during this period. Moreover, it is acknowledged, that this was the surest way (as well as the riskiest) at that time to pile up a small fortune quickly. Whatever, Adrien, who was nearly penniless upon his arrival in Canada, had enough money in three years to buy land with a house.
Following this assumption, Senecal and LeDoux may have accompanied the famous Couriers de Bois Chouart-Desgroseillers and Radisson on voyages in and around Hudson Bay.
Adrien Senecal was 50 years old, his wife Jeanne was 32 years old and his son, Nicolas, 15. His daughter, Catherine, 21 years old, married Jean de LaFond in Cap-de-la-Madeleine on 12 October 1670, before Adrien's departure for his first voyage. Jean was the son of Sieur Etienne de Lafond and Marie Boucher, former owners of the Grosbois seigniory, which was at the mouth of the Yamachiche river.
It seems that this wedding was quite unusual. It was held in front of two notaries, Ameau Cusson. Also, there were many more notable citizens present than one would normally expect to see.
The guest list of the marriage of Jean de LaFond and Catherine Senecal, officiated by Ameau and Cusson, notaries:
On behalf of the de LaFond family:
*Rene Gaultier, Esquire, Sieur de Varennes, Governor of Trois-Rivieres and Marie Boucher, his wife, cousin of the groom.
*Pierre Boucher, Sieur de Grosbois and Jeanne Crevier, his wife.
*Pierre Mouet, Esquire of Mora, ensign of the Regiment de Carignan
and Bailli and Marie Toupin, his wife, cousin of the groom.
*The Distinguished Jacques Le Neuf, Sieur de la Poterie and Marguerite Legardeur, his wife.
*Urbain Beaudry dit La Marche, master toolmaker, and Magdelaine Boucher, his wife.
*Francoise de LaFond, sister of the groom.
*Jean Trottier and Genevieve de LaFond, his wife.On behalf of the Senecal family:
*Quentin Moral, Sieur de St. Quentin, Judge Provost of de-la-Magdelaine.
*Rene Besnard, Sieur de Boisjoly, captain et merchant of Trois Rivieres.
*Louis Fafard, Sieur de Longtal.
*Felix Thunaye, Sieur de Fresne, master surgeon, and Elizabeth LeFebvre, his wife, sister of Jacques LeFebvre.
*Jacques LeFebvre and Marie Beaudry, his wife, (who signed their marriage contract the same day).
*Denis Brousseau, master (unreadable).Life in the colony was hard then, which is probably why Marie Boucher, Jean's mother, offered to give the couple food and shelter for two years, time enough for them to acquire and settle their own concession in Batiscan.
Marie Boucher remained in Cap-de-la-Madeleine. At the time it was mostly a Jesuit trading post, where recent disturbances related to "l'eau-de-vie" (alcoholic spirits) had occurred. The jesuits had lost the management of the post to the Recollets later that year. Jean de LaFond was of "petite noblesse" ("minor nobility"), having recently inherited the Seigniory of St. Etienne from his mother.
On her marriage contract, Catherine declared that her mother, Guillemette Rolleville, was dead. She indicated neither the date nor place.
We find the first real mention of Adrien and his wife, Jeanne LeComte, in New France in this marriage contract. (Ameau: Jean de LaFond and Catherine Senecal, 12 October 1670)
We will never know what motivated the ancestor to decide to emigrate to Canada at the age of 50. Surely he must have intended to live an easier life. Some claim that he was accompanying his daughter, Catherine, who emigrated as a Fille de Roi, an interesting assumption. Pragmatically, he would have had the benefit of free passage, paid by the King and a gift of 50 livres.
This would also confirm their date of arrival as 18 August 1670. Indeed the Fille de Roi generally married a few weeks or at most, a few months after their arrival in New France, and Catherine's marriage contract was dated 12 October 1670.
Adrien seemed somewhat poor at the time. Studying the marriage contract of his daughter, Catherine, we find that the de LaFond family took complete responsibility for the cost of the wedding. On the other hand, again, according to the samr contract, he seems to have had influential friends and a certain amount of education. He could sign his name and based upon the style of the signature, also probably write. His relative in France, Francois, could also sign his name.
According to the calculation of the date of birth from the census of 1681, Adrien and Jeanne's first child, Henry, would have been born in 1670. Jeanne would thus have to arrive pregnant or with Henry in her arms.
Etienne came into the world about 1672. My family descends from him. Adrien Senecal fils was born on 30 April 1674. His baptism certificate has been preserved, and was signed by Jean Claude Moireau, Recollet, priest of Trois Rivieres on the following day. His godmother was Marie Antoinette Chouart-Desgroseilliers (13 years old), daughter of Medard. His godfather was no other than Louis LeDoux (35 years old), a great friend of his father.
As stated earlier, Adrien had amassed a small fortune in the fur trade. On 19 October 1673, he decided to settle comfortably, especially since Jeanne was six months pregnant with Adrien fils. He bought a parcel of land, 3 x 20 arpents, with a house, in Trois Rivieres. It was even equipped with a warf on the St. Laurent river. He settled with Marie Boucher in two payments.
Access to the river presented a significant advantage, because what roads that did exist were very poor, and the best means of communication as well as transport was the waterway. Adrien could settle and cultivate his land, and still have close access to his friends and acquaintances. His neighbor to the southwest was Pierre de LaFond, son of Marie Boucher, and to the northeast, Jacques de LaBadie, a former sergeant of the Carignan Regiment, whose company was stationed at Trois Rivieres.
Rene Gaultier, Sieur of Varennes, had obtained a seigniory that he wanted to develop. He surely must have made an appealing offer to Adrien to make him change his plans after only 10 months occupancy in Trois Rivieres. He and his friend, Louis LaDoux, each obtained their concessions on 22 August 1674. The lands, 2 arpents wide and 30 arpents deep, were located approximately 30 toises ( approximately 60 meters) from the Fort.
One can suppose that Adrien proceeded by stages in the following way: Initially he would have left Jeanne at the home in Trois Rivieres with the children, Henry, Etienne and baby Adrien fils (six months old by then).
He would have worked on his concession with help from his son, Nicolas, until extreme cold set in. He would have returned there in spring 1675 and worked there all summer. On 26 July, having decided to remain there through the winter, he started the farm by renting three cows from Pierre Chapon of Boucherville.
Jeanne sold the land at Trois Rivieres on 6 March 1676 for 96 livres to Jacques
LeFebvre, a friend who had been a guest at the wedding of Catherine Senecal. With nothing holding her then to Trois Rivieres, Jeanne moved with the children to their new dwelling.Adrien Senecal and Jeanne LaComte were among the 26 original pioneers to take root in Varennes and were honored at its tricentennial celebration in 1972.
A monument, "Honneur aux Ponniers" ("Honor to the Pioneers"), bearing their names, was dedicated in Varennes.At the time of Adrien and Jeanne's settlement, Varennes had officially existed for three years. All of the initial settlements were "unofficial" until 1667, as the territory still belonged to la Compagne des Cent-Associes (the hundred associates).
Jeanne brought a daughter, Francoise, into the world on 11 July 1677. Unfortunately, this child was buried on the 17th of the same month.
On the census of 1681, Adrien was 62 years old, and Jeanne was 44. He was by then well established, having cultivated 6 arpents and owning one rifle. There were three children still living with them, Henry, Etienne and Adrien fils.
Adrien's daughter, Catherine, (age 32) was living with Jean LaFond, still at Cap-de-la-Madeleine or in Batiscan.
His son, Nicolas, owned land of his own close to his father's. He was 26 years old, owned a rifle and two arpents of developed land. He was married to Marie Gertrude Petitdit LaPree, two years later, on 8 November 1683. (This is our line).
Adrien Senecal died peacefully, having received the Last Rites in his home in Cap-de-Varennes on 10 August 1688, at the age of 69. He was buried in Boucherville the next day. He had successfully rebuilt his life after immigrating to Canada. Arriving with next to nothing, his assetts at his death, amounted to approximately 1700 livres, a significant sum for the time.
Adrien's sons perpetuated his spirit of adventure, particularly the youngest son, Adrien fils, who was employed by Sieur Le Gardeur de Courtmanche on 13 September 1694, as a courier de bois, the first occupation his father took upon his arrival in the country.
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Note: Louis LeDoux, friend of the Senecal family
*He probably traveled with Adrien, Desgroseillers, and Radisson between 1670 and 1674 in the fur trade.
*He was the godfather at the baptism of Adrien Senecal fils on 1 May 1674.
*Louis and Adrien obtained concessions together in Varennes on 22 August 1674.
*Adrien was a witness at Louis' marriage on 19 February 1679.
*He and Henry Senecal, son of Adrien, signed a contract on 3 March 1690.
*He was a witness at the marriage of Adrien's son, Etienne Senecal, 22 April 1694.
*Adrien fil was the executor for the inventory of his estate after his death on 22 March 1713.The orthography of Adrien Senecal's signature.
Several variations inthe patronym "Senecal" have appeared among the descendants of our ancestor. One today can find the surname "Laframboise", a name that was once the "dit name" of Senecal. There are aso the variations "Senechal", "Senechal", and "Senecal". It is interesting to note that to most of
the descendants, the original spelling of the surname (Senecal) was preserved.That is the case for our family. It could be that the spelling was transmitted orally from generation to generationto a great extent. Indeed, I remember the observation of my father, who dictated the spelling of the patronym to me when I was young, saying to me that it was in this way that his father had taught him.
A strange mark is noted at the end of Adrien Senecal's signature (see Figure). According to the magazine "La Revue Genealogique Normandie", it is abreviation of the Latin expression "SUSCRIPS" abreviated by 3 Ses, often mistaken by 5s or 9s. This is an approbation of signature that can be often found in registries for this period.
Adrien Senecal's socia; ties.
His social links provoke questions. Arriving in New France with next to nothing, he nevertheless seems to have been accepted by the middle-class men and gentlmen. One could hypothesize that these ties were established before he arrived in New France. Could this indicate that after having once been in the good graces of the elite of French society, he was later rejected and ostracized by them?
Adrien Senecal's final resting place.
The remains of Adrien Senecal now rest in a common grave in the Saint-Famille parish of Boucheville. In 1901, all the remains of the old cemetery contiguous to the church, were transferred in a common grave in the new cemetery, on Montbrun Street.
Copyright: Jean-Guy Senecal, January 1998
(With help from: J. Andre Senecal, Jean-Claude Senecal, Rheal Senecal and Florence Charles Leprovost)Translation by: Patrick Rock
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Marriage Notes for Adrien Senecal and Quillemette ROLLEVILLE-340058
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