Catherine  BESNARD

"THERE WAS A HAPPY HOME IN THE PARISH OF THE HOLY FAMILY ON THE ISLAND OF ORLEANS, THAT OF JACQUES DE LAUNAY AND HIS WIFE, CATHERINE BESNARD, WITH THEIR TWO CHILDREN. HOWEVER, DEATH PAID A VISIT TO THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD IN FEBRUARY 1670. ON THE 16TH OF THE FOLLOWING JULY, WE FIND PIERRE LABBE SIGNING A PROMISE OF MARRIAGE WITH THE WIDOW CATHERINE. HE AGREED TO FOREGO HIS RIGHT TO HER PROPERTY IN FAVOR OF HER TWO CHILDREN, UNTIL THEY WERE FIFTEEN YEARS OLD, IN RETURN FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED A PART OF THE ALREADY PRODUCTIVE FARM - 15 ARPENTS UNDER CULTIVATION. LOUIS HOUDE AND FRANCOIS GAULIN WERE WITNESS TO THE AGREEMENT. THE MARRIAGE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOLEMNIZED 'AS SOON AS IT WAS POSSIBLE'. HOWEVER, IT WAS DONE TWO YEARS LATER, ON 31 JULY 1672. THE REASON FOR THE DELAY HAS NEVER BEEN EXPLAINED. A FULL 84 DAYS AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE, THE BELL TOLLED IN THE LABBE HOUSEHOLD. ON 23 OCTOBER, CATHERINE DIED AT HOME AT THE AGE OF ABOUT 43 YEARS. SHE LEFT THE TWO ORPHANS, JACQUES AND CATHERINE DE LAUNAY, 10 AND 8 YEARS OLD, AND A BEREAVED HUSBAND."

THOMAS J. LAFOREST

OUR FRENCH-CANADIAN ANCESTORS : VOLUME II, PAGE 109