Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Confirmation on a French Ancestor's Arrival and Member of Les Filles du Roi ( King's Daughters)



In 2012 with the start of the bicentennial commemoration of Louisiana Statehood, on 30 April 1812 and also the Commemoration of the bicentennial of the start of the War of 1812  on 18 Jun 1812,  which will continue for the next three years ending with the Bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans that took place Jan 8, 1815, in 2015.  I decided to mark these two events by documenting one of my ancestors who was born on 27 Dec1795 in New Orleans.  He was only eight years old when Louisiana was Purchase in 1803 and seventeen years old in 1812 when Louisiana became a state and who two years later just shy of his 20th birthday, he would volunteer on Dec 16, 1814, after hearing the call sent out by General Andrew Jackson at the start of New Orleans’ involvement at the Battle of New Orleans. 

I was born in New Orleans and have served in the military.  This interesting part of Louisiana's connection to the battle of New Orleans via an ancestor would give me a chance to learn more about his involvement and contribution.  My Louisiana Creole Patriot Ancestor named in that conflict was Louis Innocent Mathieu.

I love ancestral research challenges like these using documentation.  So once again, I wanted to trace back a little further and see if whether or not I could document anyone of my other known ancestral lines (starting with me through either my maternal or paternal lines)  to the furthest known settlement or settlers who arrived in what is known today as North American. 

Another interesting challenge would be to find and link this ancestor to the commemoration of a particular event happening in 2013.   Just my luck, I did find such an event.  The American-French Genealogical Society in Woonsocket, Rhode Island USA is commemorating the arrival of the King Daughters and the  350th Anniversary of their arrival in Quebec, Ca.   See more here: http://www.afgs.org/Kings_Daughters_Anniversary.html   The question for me was to determine if any of my ancestors ended up being part of this group of women known as Les Filles du Roi or the King Daughters and I could prove this through finding documents such as birth or baptism, marriage, and death records to my ancestral lineage.   

I created a pedigree chart (see below) that would list the particular ancestral bloodline that I knew would get me back that far.  The challenge once again would be to locate the various documents that would link me as a native of  New Orleans, Louisiana backs the New France, Quebec, and Canada.    I had already started the process have discovered one of my ancestors, a French Canadian named Francois Noel DUPONT.  He is my 6th generation great grandfather and first known ancestors said to have been born in Quebec, Canada.


Noel- Francois Dupont Record of  Baptism

The document that confirmed that fact was a baptism record found in the Canadian Archive which also listed his birth date.  This one document opened the door for me to locate his parents and later would assist me with finding his grandparents and great-grandparents. 

Francois Noel DUPONT was of particular interest because I also wanted to document his service as a member of the German Coast Militia (1776 - 1783 record of service).   I tried to seek approval to have him recognized as a Louisiana Patriot of the American Revolution under the command of General Bernardo de Galvez.   That application is under review and awaiting approval by the National Society Sons of the American Revolution of which I am a member.

Having located the ancestral line that would get me back to an ancestor which I believe would meet the requirements for this 350th anniversary and commemoration.  I found such in one Ancestor named Jeanne Hardy. 

This painting by Eleanor Brickdale presents a very elegant picture of the arrival of French brides.

Jeanne Hardy, Le Filles du Roi (daughter of King) departed Dieppe, France aboard the La Nouvelle France (the new France) sometime in 1668 and arrived in Quebec, New France on Jul 3, 1668.  She was the daughter of Pierre Hardy and Mary Daviau or Daniau of the parish of Saint John the Perrot, diocese of La Rochelle Aunis (Charente-Maritime).  Jeanne Hardy would marry Francois Trottain dit St SURIN on August 16, 1668, in Quebec City,  Francois Trottain dit St SURIN was the son of Francois Trottain and Jeanne Gripon of the Parish of St Severin of the Village of Saint Seurin-d’Uzet. Now Chenac Saint Seurin d'Uzet, 17120, near Mortagne-sur-Gironde , 17120, Charente Maritime,. Poitou Charentes (Saintonge).  


Francois Trottain dit St Surin
Naurois Company of the Carignan Regiment

Francois Trottain dit St Surin was in the Naurois Company of the Carignan Regiment. They departed La Rochelle, France aboard the Justice on May 24, 1665, and arrived in Québec City on Sept 14, 1665,  according to Viateur Boulet / Bosher /.

So here is a straight line chart from me to Jeanne HARDY  my 9th great Grandmother a Le Filles du Roi (King's Daughter) showing only the documented date of marriage for each generation of ancestors.

Michael Nolden HENDERSON  to  JEANNE HARDY

Albert Ambrose HENDERSON  m.  Frances Jane PHILLIPS
25 Jul 1953, New Orleans, La

Thomas Olman PHILLIPS   m.   Nellie MATHIEU
29 Dec 1918, New Orleans, La

Charles Gratin MATHIEU  m. Georgiana LEGAUX
25 Jul 1895, St John the Baptiste Parish, La      (See Note 1)

Francois Maturin LEGAUX  m.  Rosette Catherine LAPORTE
24 Jan 1893, St John the Baptiste Parish, La.    (See Note 2)

Francois LEGO  m. Marie Magdelaine MADERE
19 Nov 1835, St John the Baptiste Parish, LA

Maturin LEGOUT  m.  Marie Barbara DUPONT
16 Dec 1788, St John the Baptiste Parish, LA

Francois Noel DUPONT  m. Magdelaine MICHEL
Circa: 1766, St John the Baptist Parish, La.   

Noel Marie DUPONT  m. Marie Angelique MORNEAU
06 Feb 1737,  Notre Dame de Bonsecour L’islet, Quebec, Canada

Guillaume DUPONT  m. Anne TROTTAIN
08 Sep 1704, St Francis Xavier, Bastiscan, Champlain, PQ Canada

Francois TROTTAIN dit St SURIN  m. Jeanne HARDY
16 Aug 1668, Notre Dame Quebec, Canada

Pierre HARDY  m. Marie DANIAU
AUNIS , LaRochelle, France

Note: 1:  The marriage date of Charles Gratin Mathieu and Georgianna Legaux is correct even though according to.

Note: 2   Georgianna's parent's marriage records show them marrying just two years prior.  It appears her parents maintained a long-term common-law relationship well beyond the birth of their children, yet still decided to marry later in life as recorded by their marriage record of 1893.


   I submitted an application with the appropriate documentation to the American French Genealogical Society requesting a review of my Ancestral Lineage to Jeanne Hardy, Le Filles du Roi (daughter of the King) who departed Dieppe, France aboard  La Nouvelle France ( the New France) sometime in 1668 and arrived in Quebec, New France on July 3, 1668. 

 I am happy to report that my ancestral lineage was confirmed and certified by the American French Genealogical Society on Jun 3, 2013.   See the certificate below:



Return back to the previous blog: Earliest Known French Ancestor discovered in Quebec, Canada.