Quarterly

The French Canadian/Acadian Genealogists of Wisconsin Quarterly features articles on French Canadian/Acadian research, historical as well as cultural information, published genealogies, and news about many current genealogical events. The annually published surname list consists of major surnames being researched by members.

Volume 15 Number 2, Winter 2001

Articles

"Recruit of 1653" by Joyce Banachowski

The Founding of Villemarie--Montreal

"The Societe de Notre-Dame de Montreal chose the site for the colony of Villemarie to be at the Isle de Montreal. It was ideal in that Montreal was located at the junction of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. Thirty year old Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuvre, who had seen military action in Holland during the Thirty Years War, was chosen to lead the group to establish Villemarie. Before leaving France, Maisonneuvre met Jeanne Mance who was to be a devout religious worker and his major supporter."

The author tells the story of these two and the recruits who came to Montreal as engages. In the Recruit of 1653 details of the voyage from France as well as the problems faced by these brave people are related. The author has listed all 103 recruits, 15 women, and four other passengers. The listing includes the names, place or origin, contract, pay, amount of advancement, and a miscellaneous category. The list also includes the engages who never made the trip.

A detailed bibliography accompanies the article.

The following articles can also be found in this Quarterly: "Time line -- Montreal", "Cartier and Montreal" and "New Books."

Purchase this volume of the Quarterly