Jean  GERVAIS

PRDH INDICATES THIS MARRIAGE TOOK PLACE IN 1654 IN MONTREAL. THE COUPLE HAD NUMEROUS CHILDREN, THE FIRST ONE BAPTISED IN MONTREAL IN 1654.

(JEAN GERVAISE) "WITHIN FOUR MONTHS OF HIS ARRIVAL, ON 3 FEBRUARY 1654, HE MARRIED ANNE ARCHAMBAULT. THEIR CONTRACT OF MARRIAGE IS DATED 25 MARCH OF THE SAME YEAR. ANNE ARCHAMBAULT, DAUGHTER OF JACQUES AND OF FRANCOISE TOURANT, HAD COME TO THE COUNTRY WITH HER PARENTS IN 1646. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, SHE MARRIED MICHEL CHAUVIN, SON OF GABRIEL AND OF MARIE OROUAR. THEY HAD A BABY WHO DIED IN THE CRADLE BUT SOON THEREAFTER ANNE WOULD BE CARRYING ANOTHER. NO SOONER WAS THIS CHILD BORN, LATER NAMED CHARLOTTE, WHEN ANNE LEARNED THAT SHE HAD MARRIED A BIGAMIST WHO HAD A WIFE LIVING IN FRANCE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, GIVEN THE TIMES, CHAUVIN WAS SUMMARILY DEALT WITH AND SENT BACK TO FRANCE, BUT WHAT ABOUT ANNE? MAISONNEUVRE HAD THE MARRIAGE ANNULLED AND THEN HE TOOK SOME EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES TO SEE THAT THE CHILD, TO WHOM HE WAS GODFATHER, AND HER MOTHER, WOULD BE RELIEVED OF THE SOCIAL AND PECUNIARY DIFFICULTIES FACING THEM. IT WAS UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT JEAN AND ANNE WERE MARRIED. ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR MARRIAGE CONTRACT OF 25 MARCH, THE GOVERNOR PERMITTED THE ASSIGNMENT TO ANNE OF THE SAME WAGES FORMERLY PAID TO HER FIRST HUSBAND IN ORDER 'TO RAISE AND TO FEED CHARLOTTE CHAUVIN FOR AS LONG AS SHE IS IN THE SERVICE OF THE SEIGNEURS.'"

THOMAS J. LAFOREST

OUR FRENCH-CANADIAN ANCESTORS : VOLUME II, PAGE 92