Jean VALIQUET dit LAVERDURE (VALIQUETTE)
Biography

Jean VALIQUETTE — (1632 - 1696) — Pioneer, Militiaman, Exile

French-Canadian pioneer Jean Valiquette dit Laverdure was laid to rest on August 20th, 1696, at Québec.

Jean had arrived in New France as part of La Grande Recrue of 1653, a militiaman and armorer. He was selected as one of twenty squadron leaders in the militia drawn up by Maisonneuve in 1663 to protect Montreal.

At the end of his five-year contract Jean married Renée Loppé, with whom he had eight children.

Gérard Lebel reports that after Renée passed away, Jean's behavior became abusive—to such an extent that the legal authorities sentenced him to be executed for his crimes. But after an appeal he was released on the condition that he leave Montreal permanently: "He is forbidden from going closer than thirty leagues to the Island of Montreal." Jean spent at least ten years in exile but did return for a time to Montréal.

The details of his offenses can be found in the references below.

Jean and Renée have many notable descendants including Hillary Clinton, the late Alex Trebek, and Alex's third cousin, actor Jim Carrey.

[Sources: PRDH; Fichier-Origine (ID #244025); Les anciennes familles du Québec, Brasserie Labatt limitée, La Brasserie, Québec, p. 69; "Jean Valiquet dit Laverdure", Our French-Canadian Ancestors (vol.26, pp.241-250), Gérard Lebel (Thomas J. Laforest (tr.)), Palm Harbor, Florida, 1998]

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