[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Françoise-Elisabeth Renaud was born January 17, 1675 in Sillery, Quebec. She was the third child of Pierre-André Renaud dit Locat and Françoise Desportes.
Sillery, Quebec
La pointe de Sillery et le St-Laurent, Québec as seen from the Plains of Abraham (painting by Léonce Cuvelier, courtesy Library and Archives Canada).
Located just west of old Quebec City, Sillery was the first reserve created by Europeans for Aboriginal peoples in what is now Canada. It was established in 1637 near Québec City. It was funded by a French nobleman, Noël Brûlart de Sillery, in response to an advertisement placed by Father Paul Le Jeune in the Jesuit Relations. Le Jeune was looking for a suitable place to attempt to convert Aboriginal people to Catholicism.
His aim was to instill an agricultural lifestyle in the semi-nomadic Algonquin and Innu people of the area in order to more easily evangelize them. The land was granted as a seigneury to Christian Aboriginal people under Jesuit supervision. By the 1670s, alcoholism, epidemics and the difficulties of adapting to a sedentary lifestyle had depopulated the settlement until a number of Abenaki refugees from New England sought shelter there.
By the time Françoise-Élisabeth was born, the last of the Aboriginal peoples had left, driven away by epidemics and unproductive agricultural lands. (www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com)
While her family lived in the low populated region of Sillery, Quebec City had rapidly grown to 1,300 inhabitants by 1681. The whole population of New France around 1675 was 8,000.
Military and Warfare
Françoise-Élisabeths father Pierre Renaud was a military man that traveled to the new world in 1665 under the leadership of Lieutienant-General de Tracy. The main reason 4 companies of regular troops were sent over was to suppress the Iroqoius. This in no doubt why they lived near the Indian reservation and not in the city – crowd control. As she grew up, she and her family endured more conflicts. Less from the Native Americans and more from the British.
Beginning of King William’s War in America
King William’s War began when Françoise-Élisabeth was 14.In America, the British and the French were already having issues as frontier settlements fought for territorial claims and trading rights. When news of war reached America, fighting broke out in earnest in 1690. The war was referred to as King William’s War on the North American continent.
At the time that the war started, Louis de Buade Count Frontenac was the Governor General of Canada. King Louis XIV ordered Frontenac to take New York in order to have access to the Hudson River. Quebec, the capital of New France, froze over in the winter, and this would allow them to continue to trade throughout the winter months. The Indians joined with the French in their attack. They began to attack New York settlements in 1690, burning down Schenectady, Salmon Falls, and Fort Loyal.
New York and the colonies of New England joined together after meeting in New York City in May 1690 to attack the French in return. They attacked in Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Quebec. The English were stopped in Acadia by the French and their Indian allies.
Port Royal was taken in 1690 by Sir William Phips, the commander of the New England fleet. This was the capital of French Acadia and basically surrendered without much of a fight. Nevertheless, the English plundered the town. However, it was retaken by the French in 1691. Even after the war, this event was a factor in the deteriorating frontier relations between the English and the French colonists.
Attack on Quebec
Phips sailed to Quebec from Boston with around thirty ships. He sent word to Frontenac asking him to surrender the city. Frontenac responded in part: “I will answer your general only by the mouths of my cannon, that he may learn that a man like me is not to be summoned after this fashion.” With this response, Phips led his fleet in an attempt to take Quebec. His attack was made from land as a thousand men disembarked to set up cannons while Phips had four warships attack Quebec itself. Quebec was well defended both by its military strength and natural advantages. Further, smallpox was rampant, and the fleet ran out of ammunition. In the end, Phips was forced to retreat. Frontenac used this attack to shore up the fortifications around Quebec.
After these failed attempts, the war continued for seven more years. However, most of the action seen in America was in the form of border raids and skirmishes.
The war ended in 1697 with the Treaty of Ryswick. The effects of this treaty on the colonies was to return things to the status quo before the war. The borders of the territories previously claimed by New France, New England, and New York were to stay as they were before hostilities began. However, confrontations continued to plague the frontier after the war. Open hostilities would begin again in a few years with the beginning of Queen Anne’s War in 1701. (Source:
Francis Parkman, France and England in North America, Vol. 2: Count Frontenac and New France Under Louis XIV: A Half-Century of Conflict, Montcalm and Wolfe (New York, Library of America, 1983), p. 196.,americanhistory.about.com/)
Jean Joubin
Françoise-Élisabeth Renaud, age 19, married Jean Joubin, age 33 on May 2nd, 1694, in the parish of Grondines.
Life in Grondines
Jean and Françoise-Elisabeth and Jean were married in May, a month later, their first child was born. A daughter, named Françoise-Isabelle was born, but did not survive. On January 29th, 1696, a son arrived; they called him Jean-Baptiste. When another son, François, was born on May 10th, 1698, his godfather was seigneur François Hamelin, co-seigneur of Grondines, indicating that there were close ties between the two families.
Apart from the baptismal records of their children, there are few notarial documents to give us details of the life of Jean Joubin dit Boisvert. On June 11th, 1700, notary Michel Roy de Chatellerault recorded the sale by Jean Joubin of a two-arpent lot in the seigneurie of Saint-Charles-des-Roches Grondines to a fellow parishioner, Jean Trotier.
In a 1709 document prepared by Gédéon de Catalogne it is recorded that Jean Joubin dit Boisvert occupied land between that of Jean Trotier and Antoine Lécuillé. The 1700 document confirmed that his land was separate from that of Trotier.
Around 1702, another son was born, and baptized Joseph Jobin dit Boisvert. On July 8th, 1704, Alexis Joubin dit Boisvert was born, followed by three girls, Marie-Françoise on February 22nd, 1707, Marie-Josette on January 31st, 1710; and Françoise, on May 8th, 1713. The last son, Charles, was born on May 23rd, 1716.
On April 12th, 1728, when Jean Joubin was sixty-seven, he and his wife Françoise appeared before notary François Trotain to make a living will in favour of their son Jean-Baptiste.
Jean Joubin and his wife give to their oldest son Jean-Baptiste, living with them, a homestead two arpents wide by 40 deep, detached from another portion 4 arpents wide. The land fronts on the St. Lawrence river, and on either side are the homestead of the widow of Jean Trotier, and the detached portion of their land.
This gift was made on the condition that Jean-Baptiste look after his parents in their home, providing their upkeep, clothing and food. This gift was made in recognition of the good and loyal service their son has provided and continued to provide to his parents. He must also look after and feed his four brothers and sisters who have not yet reached the age of maturity.
On September 8th, 1729, Marie-Françoise died, at the age of twenty-one. Joseph died on April 14th, 1734, aged thirty-two. He had married Marie-Josephte Lecuyer in 1729; this marriage became a source of confusion to later generations of Boisverts, who assumed that they were descendants of Jean Joubin, because of an involuntary error on the part of Monseigneur Cyprien Tanguay in the preparation of his dictionary of Quebec families.
On August 31st, 1734, Jean-Baptiste died, a few years after his (second) marriage to Marguerite Chevalier. With son Jean-Baptiste gone, Jean Joubin and his wife had no-one to look after them. On June 2nd of 1735, when Jean was seventy-four, the Joubins made a second gift, this time to their son Alexis. Here is an extract from the act:
…being of advanced age which did not permit them to work and earn their living, and their assets not being sufficient to feed them and supply the necessities to maintain them in sickness and in health, and for this service having given half of their possessions to their deceased son Jean…but the spouses Joubin and François Renaud having more need than ever of special assistance: Given their actions, being deprived of everything because of the death of the aforementioned son Jean, of monies they were responsible for, and have decided – wishing as well to acknowledge the special care their son Alexis has taken of them…
They entrusted themselves to the care of Alexis and his wife Charlotte Hamelin in return for two of the four arpents they still owned, and for half of all the buildings thereon, and half of their livestock, furniture and household articles. Alexis and Charlotte were to take care of them in their home, and feed and care for them there, and, for the repose of their souls, have ten low requiem Masses said for each of them. This contract was prepared by notary Arnould-Baltazar Pollet, and signed in the Joubin home.
The document was filed and registered by the “Prévost” of Quebec, on June 10th, 1735, and signed by the registrar of the lieutenant general of the “Prévosté”.
After Jean’s Death
On April 14th, 1738, at the request of Françoise Renaud, his widow and their son Charles, who was then about twenty-two years old, an inventory and description was made of all their furniture, utensils, clothing, linens, livestock, coin and notes, letters, deeds, papers, information and all other effects of Jean Joubin.
Through this inventory we may learn something of the life of the Joubin family. On April 14th the first inventory showed:
In the Kitchen
• one pine table
• 6 new straw chairs
• 8 worn-out chairs
• one bench
• one pine bin with cover
• one faulty mixing spoon
• one small kettle
• one wooden shovel
• 2 small tubs
• one small old barrel
• several green pitchers
• one cracked bean pot
• one tin funnel and one tin cup
• one tin lantern
• one large clay plate
• one pair of flatirons
• one tin strainer
• 15 pewter forks
• 16 pewter spoons
• one pewter cup and one pewter goblet
• one frying pan
• one grill
• one tin chandelier
• one pine salt shaker
• 18 pewter plates
• one pewter salt shaker
On April 15th they inventoried:
The Bedroom
• one pine chest
• one pine wardrobe with two doors
• one bed with down mattress, two small sheets and one blanket
• one large homespun sheet
• 2 tablecloths – 5 napkins
• one pair of linen drapes
• one fur blanket
The Attic
• 6 bags of stale grain
• one pine chest
• 2 scythes
• one pot-hook
• 2 medium-size axes
• one saw
• 2 picks
• one tallow boiler
• 2 gimlets
• one square gouge
• one plane stand
• one barrel stave
• one compass
• one plow
• one cart with wheels
• one iron-based sleigh
•150 bundles of hay
The Animals
• 4 pigs
• 10 sheep
• 7 lambs
• one pair of 10-year-old oxen
• one 11-year-old cow
• 3 six-year-old cows
• one pair of 3-year-old oxen
• 2 three-year-old cows
• one 5-year-old cow
• 4 heifers, 3 of them 2 years old
• 4 bulls
• one rooster
• 10 hens
• another cow
• 2 other oxen
From this inventory, it is apparent that the Joubin family did not live in luxury. Their home had two rooms, one being the parents’ bedroom, with an attic upstairs for storing items needed in winter. No other mattresses were listed; when the children were young, they must have slept on the floor on mattresses which could be stored during the day. The livestock were probably the family’s source of cash for living expenses.
At the first meeting, it was recorded that, among those present were: Charles Joubin, the minor son; Françoise Lecuyer, the widow of François Joubin, a resident of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade and guardian of a minor child; assisted by Jacques Renaud, acting in the interests of the minor daughter of Pierre Limousin dit Beaufort, the second husband of Josephte Lecuyer, the widow of Joseph Jobin and guardian of three minor children.
Since Alexis had already been given two arpents, there were only two arpents remaining of their parents’ four-arpent property. It was agreed that one arpent would go to the widow, with the heirs sharing the remaining arpent.
This decision was recorded, and another contract on the same date stipulated that the widow for the relief of her conscience after her death, and to settle any arguments that might arise among her children, has said and declared that because of her wish to remain with her son Alexis as long as he wishes her to do so, as she has in the past.
Therefore, as a sign of her warm feelings for her sons Charles and François Joubin, for her son-in-law François Ricard, for her daughter-in-law, Françoise Lecuyer, and for Pierre Limousin, also her son-in-law, does surrender to them all her furniture on condition that after her death they will not make claims on the said Alexis Boisvert, to which the above mentioned children have agreed.
Françoise-Elisabeth did her best to ensure that Alexis would not be bothered by the kind of quarrelling which so frequently occurs after a death in the family.
Another contract was made between Alexis and his young brother Charles. Alexis and Charlotte Hamelin agreed to give Charles, when he reached his majority, a parcel of land three arpents by forty, including a small house.
Charles accepted the offer and renounced all rights to the estate of his father Jean Joubin, except for the furniture which his mother had kindly offered him in the preceding contract. The next day, April 17th, the family members met to sign the legal documents, and Françoise gave the heirs the furniture that she had promised.
Death of Françoise-Élisabeth
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The children of Jean and Françoise-Élisabeth
Françoise-Isabelle Joubin
Born June 5, 1694. There is no record of this girl. Monseigneur Tanguay mentions that she probably would have been deceased to the cradle.
Jean-Baptiste Jobin dit Boisvert
Born January 29, 1696 in Grondines. Godparents were John Trotier and Marie- Madeleine Aubert. He married Thérèse Chèné dit Lagrave. This is his first marriage, but the place and the date, are unknown. Nevertheless, we have the certainty of this marriage since their son Charles, marries Marre Agathe Arcand Deschambault, daughter of Joseph Arcand and Marie-Renée Chartier on August 7, 1752.
On July 29 1733, Jean-Bapitiste marries a second time in Quebec city to Margurite Chevalier, daughter of Etienne Chevalier and Maguerite Lessard. On August 3, 1734, the register at Grondines confirms Jean-Bapitistes death and states his ages as “around 40 years”.
Francois Jobin dit Boisvert
Born March 4,1698 and baptized on March 10, 1998 in Grondines. At the age of 29 years, he marries Françoise Lecuyer, daughter of Antoine Lecuyer and Marguerite Gaillou. On January 18 1731, they went with the notary named Trotain in order to sign their marriage convention.
As his brother Jean-Baptiste, François died young. On September 26 he dies at the age of 30. François, his spouse, will give birth some weeks later to a girl named Marie-Anne.
On December 22 1739, Françoise will go to rejoin her husband. One can wonder what happened to the children of the couple? To who were they entrusted? Impossible for the moment to reply to this question. There are no records to help us track their passage
Joseph Jobin dit Boisvert:
Born about 1702 in Grondines. Joseph receives a concession on Pierre St-Ours sieur de L’echaillon on January 13 1723. The land is four acres of wide and forty deep in the seigneurie of Deshaillons, on the in front of by the Saint Lawrence River, between Jean- Baptist Leboeuf and non granted land. On November 7, 1729, he marries Marie-Josephte Lecuyer., the sister of Françoise Lecuyer in Grondines
Joseph and Marie- Josephte have, met the notary, Trotain, the day before their marriage to establish their convention. April 14 1734, while Marie- Josephte awaits their third child, Joseph dies. Josephs daughter, Marguerite was born the 28th of May 1734. He was 32 years at death. Marie-Josephte raised the three girls herself.
Marie-Francoise Jobin dit Boisvert
She was born February 22 1707 in Grondines and died at the age of twenty-two in Grondines.
Josette Jobin
Born January 3, 1710 at Grondines. Alexis Joubin dit Boisvert and Charlotte Hamelin will be given all rights to land and buildings on the succession of Jean Joubin and the sum that they received of 340 Livres.
Francoise Joubin dit Boisvert
She was born on May 8, 1713 at Grondines and baptized July 2, 1713 at Deschambault. On November 9, 1739, she marries Bonaventure Savageau, son of Alexis Savageau and Marguerite Martin of Grondines. Francoise dies very young. Funeral was on February 12, 1742.
Charles Joubin dit Boisvert
He was born on May 23,1716 and baptized the 7th of June in Sainte-Anne-de-le-Pérade.He marries Marie-Anne Ripau dit Rollet, daughter of Jacques Ripau and Marie-Françoise Delorme of Grondines, on April 15, 1749.
Alexis Joubin dit Boisvert (Direct Ancestor)
Alexis (our direct ancestor) was born July 8th, 1704 in Grondines. He was the son of Jean Joubin and Francois-Elisabeth Renaud of Grondines, Quebec.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]