Build It and They Will Come

The Grand Recruitment

By 1650, Montreal and Ville Marie were in serious trouble.  They were under constant attack by the Iroquois and since there were only a few dozen Frenchmen left to defend the colony (many more had returned to France), the few settlers often sought refuge at the fort. Finally in desperation, Maisonneuve told Jeanne Mance that he was going back to France, and if he couldn't return with at least 100 new recruits, he wouldn't return at all.  He then set sail on November 5, 1651; and would be away for two years.   Before he left, Jeanne gave him the name of her secret benafactress, and after meeting with her, he managed to obtain an additonal 20,000 livres, without revealing that he knew her secret.  Jeanne had already given him 22,000 livres from her hospital fund, and the members of the Société de Notre-Dame-de-Montréal, were able to raise an additonal 75,000 livres.  So now with the necessary funds,  De Maisonneuve and De la Dauversière, began to scour the country for brave souls willing to emigrate.

Besides soldiers and labourers, the settlement needed medical staff, teachers and spiritual instructors, and when visiting his family in Troyes, the name of Marguerite Bourgeoys was presented to Maissoneuve as a good candidate to head up the educational system.  His sister, Louise de Chomedy, (Louise de Sainte-Marie) was a nun with the Congregation of Notre-Dame, and she arranged a meeting for her brother.  It would mark the beginning of a long career for Marguerite in Montreal, and her contributions to the fledging colony were numerous.

De Maisonneuve must have been impressed with her from the beginning, since he left her to oversee the loading of merchandise, while he took care of some personal business.  Finally, the Saint-Nicolas-de-Nantes, under Captain Pierre le Besson, left the port of Saint-Nazaire, a town located about 60 km from Nantes, on June 20, 1653;  with 122 passengers on board, including the crew.  Most on board were men, but there were also a few nuns and "marriagable young girls.

In Montreal, Jeanne Mance was becoming anxious, having not heard a word from Maisonneuve.  In his absence,  Charles-Joseph d’Ailleboust des Muceaux was responsible for defending Montreal and though the Iroquois continued to launch raids, he had managed to keep everyone fairly safe, with the help of Sergeant-Major Lambert Closse, and his famous dog, Pilote. Unfortunately, the Saint-Nicolas had experienced many difficulties, and finally had to be abandoned, and the passengers delayed several weeks on a nearby island until a replacement vessel could be found.  When they finally landed at Cape Diamond on September 22, 1653, all were glad to be standing on dry land; shaken but still alive.  The ship did not fare so well, and according to Marguerite Bourgeoys, was in such terrible condition that it was set on fire and "the recruits watched as the ship that had brought them to New France was destroyed in the middle of the river!"  I'm sure their cheers could be heard for miles.

The Fourteen Brave Women

ARTUS, Michelle - Noyen-sur-Sarthe BOURGEOYS, Marguerite - Troyes (Aube / Champagne-Ardenne) DUMESNIL, Marie - La Flèche (Sarthe / Pays de la Loire) HURAULT, Catherine - La Flèche (Sarthe / Pays de la Loire) LORGUEIL, Marie - Cognac (Charente / Région Poitou-Charentes) LORION, Catherine - Saint-Soulle (Charente-Maritime / Poitou-Charentes) MERRIN, Jeanne - Poitiers (Vienne / Poitou-Charentes) MEUNIER, Perrine - Nantes (Loire-Atlantique / Pays de la Loire) PINSON, Marie-Marthe - La Flèche (Sarthe - Pays de la Loire) RENAUD, Marie - Orléans (Loiret - Région Centre) RENAUDIN, Marie - Nantes (Loire-Atlantique / Pays de la Loire) ROUSSELIER, Jeanne - Moëze (Charente-Maritime / Poitou-Charentes) SOLDÉ, Jeanne - La Flèche (Sarthe / Pays de la Loire) VOIDY, Jeanne - Saint-Germain-du-Val (Sarthe / Pays de la Loire)

The Recruits

AUDRU, Jacques - Paris (Seine) - Land-clearer AUGER dit LE BARON, Jean - Chemiré-en-Charnie (Sarthe) - Land-clearer AVERTY dit LÉGER, Maurice - La Flèche (Sarthe) - Land-clearer BAREAU dit LAGOGUE, Pierre - La Flèche (Sarthe) - Land-clearer BASTARD, Yves - Land-clearer BAUDREAU dit GRAVELINE, Urbain - Clermont-Créans (Sarthe) - Land-clearer BAUDRY dit L'ÉPINETTE, Antoine - Chemiré-en-Charnie - Land-clearer and nail-maker BEAUDOUIN, Olivier - Land-clearer BÉLIOT, Charles-Jean - St-Jean-de-Lamothe (Sarthe) - Land-clearer BENOIT dit LIVERNOIS, Paul - Châtillon-en-Bazois (Nièvre) - Carpenter BENARD dit BOURJOLI, René - Villiers-au-Bouin (Indre-et-Loire) Land-clearer BITEAU dit ST-LAURENT, Louis - Clermont-Créans (Sarthe) - Land-clearer BOIVIN dit PANSE, Jacques - Jarzé (Maine-et-Loire) - Land-clearer BONDY, René - Dijon (Côte-d-Or) - Carpenter BOUCHARD, Étienne - Paris (Seine) - Surgeon BOUVIER, Michel - La Flèche (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and mason BOUZÉ, Pierre - Sablé-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) - Land-clearer BRASSIER, Jacques - Unknown BROSSARD, Urbain - La Flèche (Sarthe) - Mason and land-clearer CADET, René - St-Germain-d=Arcé (Sarthe) - Land-clearer CADIEUX, Jean - Pringé-sur-Loir (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and locksmith CHARTIER dit ROBERT, Guillaume - La Flèche (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and tailor CHARTIER, Louis - Surgeon CHAUDRONNIER, Jean - Bailleul (Sarthe) - Land-clearer CHAUVIN dit le Grand-Pierre, Pierre - Vion (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and miller CHEVALIER, Louis - Caen (Calvados) - Land-clearer and cobbler CHEVASSET, Antoine - Land-clearer CRUSSON dit PILOTE, François - Land-clearer DANIS dit TOURANGEAU, Honoré - Montlouis (Indre-et-Loire) - Carpenter DAUBIGEON, Julien - Clisson (Loire-Atlantique) - Land-clearer and labourer DAVOUST, Jean - Clermont-Créans (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and hatmaker DENIAU, Jean - Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) - Land-clearer and top sawer DENIAU dit DESTAILLIS, Marin - Luché-Pringé (Sarthe) - Land-clearer DESAUTELS dit LAPOINTE, Pierre - Malicorne-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) - Land- clearer DESORSON, Zacharie - Carpenter and top sawer DESPRÉS dit BERRI, Simon - Blois (Loire-et-Cher) - Land-clearer DOGUET, Louis - Luché-Pringé (Sarthe) - Land-clearer DOUSSIN, René - Top sawer DUCHARME dit LAFONTAINE, Fiacre - Paris (Seine) - Carpenter DUVAL, Nicolas - Forges-en-Brie (Seine-et-Marne) - Land-clearer FONTAINE dit Le Petit Louis, Louis - Top sawer FRESNOT, Jean - Ruillé-en-Champagne (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and roofer FRUITIER, Jean - Land-clearer GAILLARD dit LEPRIEUR, Christophe - Verron (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and gardener GALBRUN, Simon - Verron (Sarthe) - Land-clearer GASTEAU, Jean - Clermont-Créans (Sarthe) - Land-clearer GAUDIN dit CHASTILLON, Pierre - Chatillon-sur-Seine (Côte d=Or) - Carpenter GENDRON dit LA ROLANDIÈRE, Guillaume - Blain (Loire-Atlantique) - Butcher and roofer GERVAIS, Jean - Souvigné (Indre-et-Loire) - Land-clearer and baker GRÉGOIRE, Louis - Land-clearer GUERTIN dit LE SABOTIER, Louis - Daumeray (Maine-et-Loire) - Land-clearer and clog-maker GUYOT, Jean - Villiers-au-Bouin (Indre-et-Loire) - Land-clearer HARDY, Pierre - Bailleul (Sarthe) - Labourer and land-clearer HOURAY dit GRANDMONT, René - Azay-le-Rideau (Indre-et-Loire) - Land-clearer HUDIN, François - La Flèche (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and baker HUNAULT dit DESCHAMPS, Toussaint - St-Pierre-ès-Champs (Oise) - Land-clearer HURTEBISE (or HURTIBISE), André - Rouessé-Vassé (Sarthe) - Land-clearer HURTEBISE (or HURTIBISE), Marin - Rouessé-Vassé (Sarthe) - Land-clearer JANNEAU (ou JANNOT) dit LACHAPELLE, Marin - La Chapelle-Monthodon (Aisne) -Carpenter JETTÉ, Urbain - Saint-Germain-le-Val (Sarthe) - Top sawer, mason and land- clearer JOUANNEAU, Mathurin - Aubigné-Racan (Sarthe) - Land-clearer JOUSSELIN (ou JOSSELIN), Nicolas - Solesmes (Sarthe) - Land-clearer JOUSSET dit LALOIRE, Mathurin - Saint-Germain-d=Arcé (Sarthe) - Land-clearer LAIRT (ou LERT), Étienne - Villaines-sous-Malicorne (Sarthe) - Land-clearer LANGEVIN dit LACROIX, Mathurin - Le Lude (Sarthe) - Land-clearer LA SOUDRAYE, Louis - Land-clearer LAUZON, Gilles - Caen (Calvados) - Land-clearer and kettle-maker LECOMTE, Jean - Chemiré-en-Charnie (Sarthe) - Land-clearer LECOMTE, Michel - Chemiré-en-Charnie (Sarthe) - Land-clearer LEFEBVRE dit LAPIERRE, Pierre - Paris (Seine) - Land-clearer LEMERCHER dit LAROCHE, Jean - Paris (Sarthe) - Carpenter LEPALLIER, Joachim - Clermont-Créans (Sarthe) - Land-clearer LEROY (ROY), Simon - Ligron (Sarthe) - Land-clearer LOUVARD dit DESJARDINS, Michel - Parcé, Mayenne -Miller and land-clearer MARTIN dit LAMONTAGNE, Olivier - Auray (Morbihan) - Land-clearer and mason MARTIN dit LARIVIÈRE, Pierre - Sainte-Colombe (Sarthe) - Land-clearer MILLET dit LE BEAUCERON, Nicolas - Neuville-aux-Bois (Loiret) - Carpenter and top sawer MILLOT (or MILHAUT) dit LAVAL, Jacques - Crouzille (Mayenne) - Land-clearer MOTAIN (or MOTAIS), Guy - Meslay-du-Maine (Mayenne) - Land-clearer MOULIÈRES, Pierre - Mareuil (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and toolmaker MOUSSEAU dit LAVIOLETTE, Jacques - Azay-le-Rideau (Indre-et-Loire) - Land-clearer NAIL, Jacques - Solesmes (Sarthe) - Land-clearer NOCHER, François - Chemiré-en-Charnie (Sarthe) - Land-clearer OLIVIER dit LE PETIT BRETON, Jean - Chemiré-en-Charnie (Sarthe) - Land-clearer PAPIN, Pierre - Sablé-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) - Land-clearer PICARD dit LAFORTUNE, Hugues - Pont-James (Loire-Atlantique) - Land-clearer & top sawer PICHARD, Jean - Rouez (Sarthe) - Land-clearer PIRON dit LAVALLÉE, François - La Suze (Sarthe) - Locksmith and land-clearer PIRON, Pierre - Malicorne-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) - Digger and surgeon PRESTROT dit LAVIOLETTE, Jean - Parcé-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and miller RAGUIDEAU dit ST-GERMAIN, Pierre - La Flèche (Sarthe) - Land-clearer RENNES dit PACHANE, Bertrand de - Land-clearer ROBIN dit DESFORGES, Étienne - Land-clearer ROBUTEL DE ST-ANDRÉ, Claude - Frencq (Pas-de-Calais) RODAILLER, René- - Land-clearer ROGER, Christophe - Clermont-Créans (Sarthe) - Land-clearer ROINAY, François - Sablé-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) - Land-clearer TAVERNIER dit LAFORÊT, Jean - Roëzé-sur-Sarthe (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and weapon maker THÉODORE dit GILLES, Michel - Tours (Indre-et-Loire) - Land-clearer and digger VACHER dit ST-JULIEN, Sylvestre - St-Julien-sur-Cher (Loire-et-Cher) - Carpenter VALLETS (or VALLAYS), Jean - Teillé (Sarthe) - Land-clearer VALIQUET dit LAVERDURE, Jean - Le Lude (Sarthe) - Land-clearer and locksmith

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