Please go HERE for a word on lack of documentation.
So, I recently came across a book written in 1939 by Kathryn DeMonbreun Whitefort titled A Genealogy and History of Jacques Timothe Boucher Sieur De Monbreun and His Ancestors and Descendants. How I have never come across this book before, I don’t know. Anyway, she states in the introduction “There were no individual family genealogical records to help me in my research—just a few scattered dates from here and there, which when pieced together, as my grandmother could piece together odds and ends of cloth, resulting in a beautiful old fashion crazy quilt—so I have a wonderful family genealogy started.” And that’s about where I am at with Timothy Demonbreun. Let’s get to this!
So, I have to go back to the marriage between Timothy and Therese. In the book (which is public domain, so I can freely transcribe huge sections!) there is a transcription of a postnuptial agreement between the bride and groom.
November 26, 1766
Thimothe Boucher Montbrun and Marguerite-Archange Gibault
Were present Mr. Thimothe Boucher, Esquire, Lord of Montbrun, son of Mr. Etienne Boucher, Esquire, and of Marie Racicot, his father and mother, living in Boucherville Manor and stipulating for himself and in his name, party of the first part,
And Miss Marguerite Archange Gibault, daughter of Mr. Etienne Gibault and of Mrs. Dubois, actual wife of Mr. Pierre Reaume, business man, living in Boucherville, party of the second part:
Both parties having said that they have been in love for a long time and the beautiful Gibault (girl) finding opposition to her marriage with Mr. Boucher, who, in order to succeed in it, is about to have recourse to the authority of the gentlemen Justices of the Peace of His Majesty in this city, consequently cannot have the consent of said gentlemen—Mrs. Reaume having had stipulated the articles and conventions that they* wish to have executed, nevertheless said parties finding that they were sufficiently authorized to contract said marriage, despite the lack of consent of Mr. and Mrs. Reaume, have made in presence of Messrs. Pierre Lafrance, Joseph Gauthier, Jacob Letard, and Mr. Du Vigneau, surgeon of Boucherville, the following conventions:
The parties have consented that the wealth (property) that they will acquire together will belong to them and each one will own half on the day of their death (without?) children, except for the following clauses:
It remains absolutely understood between both parties that the wealth, real estate and buildings that they own now will enter into common ownership.
If it should happen that said husband should die before his said wife, with living children from this marriage, said wife will take and will have on all the property of said husband, without deduction of her half, the amount of two hundred pounds of income annually, which will be paid to her beginning the day of his death, as long as she will live, and in this connection will be constituted a fund for the security of said income.
The survivor of the said couple, if there are children, will take at the death of the other his bed in the condition which it will be, together with clothes, linen and jewels to use as he pleases, all independently of his share.
And as the parties wish to give to each other certain proofs of their reciprocal love, they have made and they make each other by this document entire donation, pure and reciprocal, of all of the wealth, buildings and real estate acquired or to be acquired, in such a manner that said wealth be owed to and acquired by the survivor of the two; said survivor is to accept whatever will have belonged to the first deceased, at the day of his death, provided that at said day there are no children or will not be any from said marriage, otherwise the present donation will be nullified, but will again be in force if said children were to die in minority or before being provided by marriage, all in case that said donation take place, to enjoy by said survivor from the benefit of it as his own property and to use as he pleases, as well as (his heir who causes?), for such is the wish of these parties, who, as proof of their own consent to the present agreement despite all opposition and lack of parents of said wife, have signed in Boucherville this twenty-sixth day of November One Thousand Seven Hundred Sixty-six with Mr. Vigneau, witness and us, notaries, undersigned, after reading, Messrs. Lafrance, Gautier and Letard have put their mark.
(signed) Therese Gibault
Timothe Boucher de Montbrun
Vigneau
Pierre La
x france Joseph
x Gautier Jacques
Letard
L. Decourville
Notaire
There are a few things to note about the contract. The first of which is that Therese’s father had died sometime between 1759 and 1761, but I can’t read French and the church records, of course, have the numbers written out. Something else about this contract: it appears that Therese’s mother never gave consent, but they married anyway. Mrs. Whiteford, however, states in her book that her mother did eventually give consent. If she did, I am just not seeing it.
A few items of interest in the book pertaining to Timothy’s childhood (I wish I had found this book before I started this series!):
Timothy was apparently given his first name Jacques after his maternal grandfather, Jacques Racicot.
The above Jacques Racicot was also his godfather.
Pelagie Robin Racicot, his aunt (through marriage of his uncle Charles Racicot) was named his godmother.
The Seven Year’s War happened while Timothy was a child and the word on the street is that as “an old man he would tell of the horrors of this battle, and many seemed to think that he had taken part in this ever memorable battle (to which the author is referring to the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, aka the Battle of Quebec”). According to the Timothy Demonbreun Heritage Society there was a story that Timothy fought in the battle and was wounded, but they do say it is unlikely since at the time Timothy was only twelve (also mentioned in the book).
Anyway, it’s important to keep this postnuptial in mind for later in Timothy’s life.
Comments