Joseph
TESSIER dit MAJOR
Born
29 March 1744
,
Sorel, Canada, New France
Died
6 December 1806
,
Sorel, Lower Canada
Parents & Family of Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR
Explore parents, grandparents, spouses, children, and the family connections surrounding Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR.
Born: 29 March 1744 in Sorel, Canada, New France
Father:
Pierre TESSIER
Maternal grandparents:
Jean-Charles VACHER dit LACERTE
, Marie-Claire BERGERON
Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):
Joseph married Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET 28 September 1767 in Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada . The couple had (at least) 13 children.
Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET was born 4 May 1750 in Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre). Marie-Catherine died 14 May 1831 in Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre). Marie-Catherine was the child of Jean-Baptiste HUS COURNOYER MILLET and Marie-Geneviève PELLETIER dite ANTAYA.
Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR died 6 December 1806 in Sorel, Lower Canada .
Stepson of Jean Bourdais dit Lebourdais
Details of the family tree of Joseph appear below.
WORK & OCCUPATION
Occupation
Recorded occupation: Soldier in 1760 Company of Sorel Militia
Québec Généalogie - Over time, Québec has gone through a series of name changesFrom its inception in the early 1600s until 1760, it was called Canada, New France.
1760 to 1763, it was simply Canada
1763 to 1791 - Province of Québec
1791 to 1867 - Lower Canada
1867 to present - Québec, Canada.
Thanks to Micheline Gadbois MacDonald for providing this information.
Québec Généalogie - What is a 'dit/dite' name?
When the first settlers came to Québec from France it was a custom to add a 'dit' nickname to the surname. The English translation of 'dit' is 'said'. The Colonists of Nouvelle France added 'dit' names as distinguishers. A settler might have wanted to differentiate their family from their siblings by taking a 'dit' name that described the locale to which they had relocated.
The acquiring of a 'dit' name might also be the result of a casual adoption, whereby the person wanted to honor the family who had raised them. Another reason was also to distinguish themselves by taking as a 'dit' name the town or village in France from which they originated. This custom ended around 1900 when people began using only one name, either the 'dit' nickname or their original surname.
Source: American-French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, Rhode Island (www.afgs.org/ditnames/index1.html)
Spouse & Children of Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR
Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR married 
Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET
Marriage date: 28 September 1767
Marriage place: Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
See marriage record for Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR and Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET
Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET was the child of Jean-Baptiste HUS COURNOYER MILLET and Marie-Geneviève PELLETIER dite ANTAYA
So Many Children! French-Canadian Family Size in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries
Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLETMarriage date: 28 September 1767
Marriage place: Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
See marriage record for Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR and Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLETMarie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET was the child of Jean-Baptiste HUS COURNOYER MILLET and Marie-Geneviève PELLETIER dite ANTAYA
Marriage notes:
St-Pierre de Sorel
Tessier Jos, son of Pierre and Marie Laserte
line with the wife's info is cut off -- unable to read
So Many Children! French-Canadian Family Size in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries
Children of Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR and Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET
Marie-Catherine TESSIERBorn: 8 October 1768, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 2 April 1840, Saint-Jude, Lower Canada
Died: 2 April 1840, Saint-Jude, Lower Canada
Married: Jean-Baptiste BERGEVIN dit LANGEVIN 16 August 1790 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Married: François FONTAINE 30 July 1810 Place: Saint-Ours, Québec, Canada (Immaculée-Conception)
Joseph TESSIERMarried: Marie-Thérèse ÉTHIER 23 October 1797 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Marie TESSIERMarried: Jean-Baptiste BERGERON 3 February 1794 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Marie-Josephe TESSIERBorn: 23 August 1774, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 8 June 1776 , Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 8 June 1776 , Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Geneviève TESSIERMarried: François PELOQUIN dit FELIX CREDY 9 February 1795 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Married: Jean-Baptiste GENEST dit LABARRE 20 January 1818 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Pierre TESSIERBorn: 22 May 1779, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: ,
Died: ,
Married: Judith-Julie HUS COURNOYER 23 January 1804 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Jean-Baptiste TESSIERMarried: Marguerite HUS COURNOYER 9 November 1807 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Marie-Charlotte TESSIERMarried: André PELOQUIN dit FÉLIX 23 January 1804 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Antoine TESSIERBorn: May 1784, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 3 June 1784, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 3 June 1784, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Ignace TESSIERBorn: 30 May 1785, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 25 October 1862, Sainte-Victoire-de-Sorel, Canada East
Died: 25 October 1862, Sainte-Victoire-de-Sorel, Canada East
Married: Antoinette PELOQUIN 1 March 1813 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Marie-Marguerite TESSIERMarried: Pierre ÉTHIER 13 February 1804 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Married: Louis RAJOTTE 22 February 1830 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Ambroise TESSIERBorn: 24 July 1789, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 14 August 1789, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Died: 14 August 1789, Sorel, Province of Québec, Canada
Veronique TESSIERMarried: Antoine HUS COURNOYER 5 November 1810 Place: Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Add Life Event
Have another record or photo?
Add a life event, census record, military record, obituary, achievement, or photograph for Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR.
Add a life event, census record, military record, obituary, achievement, or photograph for Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR.
Life & Records
Photos, life events, and historical records for Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR.
How to read this timeline
Records about Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR and family appear alongside historical events from the same years. Each item is labeled so you can quickly tell family records from historical context.
Records about Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR and family appear alongside historical events from the same years. Each item is labeled so you can quickly tell family records from historical context.
Birth — 174429 March 1744
Sorel, Canada, New France
1744 Baptism. St-Pierre-de-Sorel, Quebec.
Familysearch.org. Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) (Mormon Genealogy Records).
The French In North America: 1500-1783
1760
7 Years War with England 1760 Province Québec, Canada -
Member of 'Company of Sorel' militia'
Joseph Tessier, 16
The roll of the Company of Sorel (Compagnie de Sorel), microfilm reel C-15684, the Archives Nationales du Canada
7 Years War with England 1760 Province Québec, Canada -
Member of 'Company of Sorel' militia'
Joseph Tessier, 16
The roll of the Company of Sorel (Compagnie de Sorel), microfilm reel C-15684, the Archives Nationales du Canada
1763 - France cedes its North American posessions to Britain by the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years War (French and Indian War). Quebec City French-speaking Catholics were now under the rule of Protestant Britain under King George III.
1767 Marriage / PartnerJoseph TESSIER dit MAJOR and Marie-Catherine HUS COURNOYER MILLET 28 September 1767, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
He was 23 years old.
1767 marriage
Familysearch.org. Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) (Mormon Genealogy Records).
The French In North America: 1500-1783
1768 Birth of ChildMarie-Catherine TESSIER was born 8 October 1768, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 24 years old.
1771 Birth of ChildJoseph TESSIER was born 23 January 1771, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 26 years old.
1772 Birth of ChildMarie TESSIER was born 10 September 1772, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 28 years old.
1774 Birth of ChildMarie-Josephe TESSIER was born 23 August 1774, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 30 years old.
1775 - The Battle of Québec was fought on December 31 between the American Continental Army and British defenders of Québec City. It was the first major defeat for the Americans in the Revolutionary War.1776 Birth of ChildGeneviève TESSIER was born 26 April 1776, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 32 years old.
1776 Death of ChildMarie-Josephe TESSIER died 8 June 1776 , Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 32 years old.
1779 Birth of ChildPierre TESSIER was born 22 May 1779, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 35 years old.
1781 Birth of ChildJean-Baptiste TESSIER was born 20 May 1781, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 37 years old.
1783 Birth of ChildMarie-Charlotte TESSIER was born 21 February 1783, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 38 years old.
1784 - The bifocal lens is invented (Benjamin Franklin, United States)The oil lamp is invented (Aimé Argand, Switzerland)
1784 Birth of ChildAntoine TESSIER was born May 1784, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 40 years old.
1785 Birth of ChildIgnace TESSIER was born 30 May 1785, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 41 years old.
1787 Birth of ChildMarie-Marguerite TESSIER was born 11 May 1787, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 43 years old.
1789 Birth of ChildAmbroise TESSIER was born 24 July 1789, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 45 years old.
1790 Marriage of ChildMarie-Catherine TESSIER married 16 August 1790, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre) to Jean-Baptiste BERGEVIN dit LANGEVIN
1791 - The Constitutional Act divides Québec into Upper and Lower Canada1791 Birth of ChildVeronique TESSIER was born 23 September 1791, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre)
Joseph was 47 years old.
1794 Marriage of ChildMarie TESSIER married 3 February 1794, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre) to Jean-Baptiste BERGERON
1795 Marriage of ChildGeneviève TESSIER married 9 February 1795, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre) to François PELOQUIN dit FELIX CREDY
1797 Marriage of ChildJoseph TESSIER married 23 October 1797, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre) to Marie-Thérèse ÉTHIER
1804 Marriage of ChildMarie-Charlotte TESSIER married 23 January 1804, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre) to André PELOQUIN dit FÉLIX
1804 Marriage of ChildPierre TESSIER married 23 January 1804, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre) to Judith-Julie HUS COURNOYER
1804 Marriage of ChildMarie-Marguerite TESSIER married 13 February 1804, Sorel, Québec, Canada (Saint-Pierre) to Pierre ÉTHIER
1806 Death. St-Pierre-de-Sorel, Richelieu, Quebec.
Familysearch.org. Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) (Mormon Genealogy Records).
The French In North America: 1500-1783
Death — 18066 December 1806
Sorel, Lower Canada
He died at the age of 62.
RECORD HISTORY
Record added:
Last updated: 7/13/2025 5:49:30 PM
MORE WAYS TO EXPLORE
Explore Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR's Family & History
View charts and other tools for this ancestor and family.
BIRTHPLACE
Explore Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR's Birthplace
Explore the birthplace and related genealogy.
KEEP SEARCHING
Not the ancestor you were looking for?
Search for another person or explore genealogy by place.
Search for a Person by Name
Enter as much of the name as you know.
Search by Place
RESEARCH ON OTHER SITES
Continue Researching Joseph Tessier Dit Major
Search other genealogy websites using this ancestor's known name, dates, and places.
Continue your research with free genealogy links
Sign in to open targeted searches for this ancestor on Find a Grave, FamilySearch, and other collections.
New to GreenerPasture? Joining is free.GENEALOGY GIFTS & RESOURCES
Gifts & Resources Related to Sorel, Québec, Canada
Explore local-history books, genealogy resources, and gifts connected with this ancestor's birthplace and family-history research.
GREENERPASTURE GENEALOGY SHOP
Genealogy Gifts from Our Shop
Browse a few family-history favorites, or visit the shop to see the full collection.
Grandma's Memories Hardcover Journal
Genealogy Humor Coffee Mug
Ask Me About My Ancestors Luggage Tag
Genealogy Definition Car Magnet
More places to shop
Questions, Corrections & New Information
Ask a question or share a correction, source, or new detail about Joseph TESSIER dit MAJOR.
When possible, include names, dates, places, and sources so the information is easier to verify.