ELEVENTH GENERATION

1970. Jean LECLERC @ was born in 1635. He was baptised on 24 Aug 1635 in Saint-Remi, Dieppe, Rouen, France. He died about 1680. <From "Our French Canadian-Ancestors" by Thomas J. Laforest. vol.2 pg.130-135>

During the 17th century, in the parish of Sainte-Famille on the Island of Orleans, there were two Jean Leclercs in residence. The one married to Marie Couet arrived in Canada in 1669. They had but one daughter, named Genevieve, married to Thomas Asselin. It was this Jean who was known as "Le Bouteleau." To prove this, we need only to note the wording of the contract, dated 20 March 1697, made in the home of Notary Etienne Jacob, which states: "A conveyance by Jean Leclerc dit Le Bouteleau to Thomas Asselin his son-inlaw."

It is the second Jean Leclerc living on the Island who is the subject of this article. He was originally from Normandy and had a large family. According to recent research carried out by Jean Leclerc D'Orleac of Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Lot-en-Garonne, France, Jean was the third child of Jean Leclerc and of Perette Brunet (or Brunel), of the parish of Saint-Remi, town of Dieppe, diocese of Rouen. He was baptized there on 24 August 1635 and his godparents were Nicolas Forlhomme and Marguerite Le Comte.

Jean and his wife Marie Blanquet departed from Dieppe to arrive in New France in 1662. It was on 10 August of that same year, before Notary Paul Vachon, that Jean Leclerc obtained his land grant on the Ile of Orleans from Mgr de Laval. The concession was located in the fief of La Chevallerie; four arpents on the riverfront, to a depth of aobut 33 arpents. By this contract, Jean agreed to pay the ground rent once each year on the Feastday of Saint Etienne, as well as to have his grain ground in the seigneurial mill, as soon as he had a crop.

The census of 1666, tells us that Jean was a cotton weaver. At this time there were fifteen other weavers in the colony. At a time when the population did not exceed two thousand people, fifteen weavers seemed like an ample number. By 1680 he was a master bootmaker.

In 1673, doubtlessly thinking of his sons who would be dreaming about establishing homes of their own, Jean acquired another land grant. On 4 March 1673, before Notary Paul Vachon, Louis Juchereau, a habitant of the Ile of Orleans, sold to Jean Leclerc, a plot of 3 arpents in river frontage, located on the south pass of said Ile, in the seigneurie of Dargentenay: Eleven livres were put down by the buyer as the first payment.

An air of mystery surrounds the place of demise of Jean Leclerc. When his daughter Anne was married in 1680, Jean was declared as "being absent in France." The year following the census of 1681 stated: "Marie Blanquet, widow of Jean Leclerc." Did he die in France? Did he die at sea? These questions remain unanswered. What is certain, however, is that his burial record has never been found in Canada.

He was married to Marie BLANQUET @ about 1657 in Dieppe, Rouen, Normandie, France.

1971. Marie BLANQUET @ was born between 1630 and 1632. She died on 10 Sep 1709 in St-Pierre, Ile-d'Orleans, P.Quebec, Canada. She was buried on 11 Sep 1709 in St-Pierre, Ile-d'Orleans, P.Quebec, Canada. Children were:

985 i. Marguerite LECLERC @.