The Ulric Livingston Family PART TWO:

Francois LIBERSAN LAVIOLETTE and Marie Angelique Amable Demers Dumais 1757

to Ulric's Parents 1873



Map of the "Isle of Montreal and surrounding environment" 1744 from National Library and Archives Canada

Francois Libersan Laviolette and Marie Angelique Amable Demers Dumais married on 3 May 1757 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), QC [see left-hand bottom corner on the map]. Based on the PRDH database, they had the following children:

1. Francois Savier born 29 September 1758 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), and wed Marie Madeleine Gauthier on 17 April 1780  in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds).
2. Marie Angelique born 27 July 1760  in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds) and wed Joseph Amable Lauzon on 31 January 1780 at the same parish.
3. Marie Josephe born 6 July 1762  in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds) and died one month later on 7 August 1762.
4. Michel born 16 June 1764  in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), wed Marie Anne Meilleur on 6 February 1787 in St. Eustache and died 28 February 1792 in St. Eustache.
5. Eustache born 24 September 1766  in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), wed Marie Charles Charlotte Choret on 22 April 1789, and died 3 December 1796 in St. Eustache.
6. Marie Marguerite born 30 November 1768  in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds) and died six days later.

To put this generation in the proper historical context, these ancestors may have feared the repurcussions of the Seven Years War between the French and British soldiers over the sovereign lands of New France.

Remember the Battle on the Plains of Abraham described in the April 4, 2012 posting entitled "War in New France 1756-63"? It was briefly explained how 4,500 British troops invaded the Plains of Abraham outside the walls of Quebec City and overcame the 4,400 French defenders on September 13,1759 in a battle which only lasted 20 minutes.

Following the battle, the French army, under the direction of the Governor General of New France Pierre Francois de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal, retreated to Montreal to regroup while the British Navy withdrew from the St. Lawrence River before the winter conditions froze their fleet in solid ice and the British army settled in for the winter.

Before the return of the British navy, a French army of 7,000 troops organized another attack near the city of Quebec led by Commander Francis de Gagnon, Chevalier de Levis on April 28, 1760. The British troops were weakened as they were ill-prepared for the cold winter during this battle, the Battle of Sainte Foy. Nevertheless, the British managed to retreat behind the fortified walls of Quebec City until their navy arrived in mid-May. The French were overwhelmed and without reinforcements from France, they were unable to retake Quebec City. Both sides sustained heavy casualties: 1100 British and 800 French and the French were forced to retreat to Montreal again.

The Battle of Sainte Foy - National Archives Canada

Less than five months later, the French formally capitulated on 8 September 1760, and the British took possession of Montreal. Through the Treaty of Paris, the French turned over all claims to its North American territory and the Proclamation of 1763 established New France as a British colony and British institutions were imposed.


I only retell this story as our ancestors from Ulric Livingston's side of the family had resided in the city of Old  Montreal for many decades. The majority of Ulric's ancestors lived in the north in Pointe-aux-Trembles, and in the west in Ste. Genevieve and St. Laurent (please refer to the map below).

Old Montreal - bold line indicates its fortified wall 

It would be safe to assume that Ulric's ancestors felt great fear due to the close proximity of the war, and tremendous relief and uncertainty when the battles ceased.

Returning to Ulric's direct ancestors, Michel Libersan Laviolette was born 16 June 1764  in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), and wed Marie Anne Meilleur in St. Eustache, east of Montreal.  Michel was a farmer according to Doreen (Livingston) Moore's notes. Here are the details regarding their children:

1. Marie Josephe born 19 March 1788 and baptized the following day in St. Eustache.


2. Joseph born 4 April 1789 and baptized the following day in St. Eustache. He wed Marie Angelique Cardinal on 24 October 1808 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds). Joseph died at age 54 on 16 August 1843 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds).


3. Antoine born 5 February 1790 in St. Eustache and baptized the following day. He wed Clemence Quevillon 10 August 1812 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds). Antoine died 26 April 1840 and he was buried two days later in Laval, QC.

Sadly, Michel and Marie Anne did not have more children as Michel died at the age of 28 (I am searching for the cause of his death) on 28 February 1792 in St. Eustache, QC. Marie later remarried.

Below is the marital record of Joseph Libercan/Libersan (his surname was blurred during the scanning process carried out by the document owner and not by yours truly, and thus, it is not clearly legible and I am only taking an educated guess at its suggested spelling in the original document) and Marie Angelique Cardinal of 24 October 1808 as kept by the Ste. Genevieve parish registry.

Please focus your attention to the top left hand corner of the document below. It is noted in their marital record that Joseph is the son of Michel Libersan, a "cultivateur" and Marie Angelique is the daughter of Jean Baptiste Cardinal.

 

Joseph and Marie Angelique Cardinal had 3 children as confirmed by the Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection):

1. Joseph Luversant born ____; wed Marie Rose Lefebvre on 14 November 1836 at Ste. Madeleine parish in Rigaud, QC. This is the first occurrence of "Luversant" in parish records and this record also stated that Joseph resided in Hawkesbury, ON.[Marie Rose Lefebvre was born 2 April 1805 to Pierre Lefebvre and Ursule Ranger, which was Pierre's second marriage; his first marriage was to Louis Audet as noted by Doreen (Livingston) Moore.] 


2. Arsene Libersan born ____; married Anastasia Chauret on 4 November 1830 at Ste. Genevieve, Montreal, QC.; and married again, Marguerite Bourgeois dit Gregoire, in 1833 at the same parish where his name is recorded as "Arcene Libertant" and his father in attendance was noted as "Joseph Libersant".


3. Marie Adelaide Libersan Laviolette born August 1820 at Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), QC; wed 20 July 1836 and was interred at St. Philippe d'Argenteuil Cemetary, QC on 21 January 1899.

Joseph Luversant and Marie Rose Lefebvre had 2 children:

1. Joseph born 3 July 1837 at Hawkesbury, ON. Joseph married Albina Robillard 24 February 1873 at St. Louis-de-Gonzague County, Beauharnois, QC; and died 5 August 1892 in Bay City, Michigan.[The marital record states Joseph's name as "Joseph Jacques Liversans" and his father as "Jacques Liversans." I find it very odd that Marie Rose's name is not mentioned.]
2. Edesse born 28 March 1839 at Hawkesbury, ON. [I am attempting locate more data about this child]

Further investigation into Ulric Livingston's parents, Joseph Jacques Liversans and Albina Robillard, will be investigated in the next posting.

Next posting: The Ulric Livingston Family PART THREE - Ulric's Upbringing and Family