Sirois History Section 1

Duplisea Duplessis and Sirois Genealogy by Mark S Duplisea

Sirois History Section 1

Francois Sirois dit Duplessis: Establishment in North America

In 1632 the colonies in Canada and Acadia were returned to France by England in a treaty concluded in St. Germain-en-Laye de Paris, a town on the outskirts of Paris, about a dozen miles from the city center. St. Germain dated back to the twelfth century and grew around an old royal residence near the Palace of Versailles. It was likely in this town, around the 1670's, that Jean Sirois dit Duplessis, the earliest recorded ancestor of the SIROIS DUPLESSIS families of North America, married Marie Thérèse Angèlique Dumont. About 1680 they had a son -- Francois Sirois dit Duplessis.

Meanwhile, far away in New France, on the south side of the St. Lawrence, about 80 miles east and down river from Quebec city, eleven French Roman Catholic families had settled by 1681 in the Seigneurie de la Bouteillerie, an area that became known as Rivière Ouelle. It was here, probably sometime between 1700 and 1710 that Francois Sirois dit Duplessis settled. He likely came as either a farmer "recruit" (engagé) or a fisherman. The engagés were indentured persons, who held a type of contract with free passage but their first obligation, of course, was to work for a period of time to pay off the cost of the trip ^{Bergeron
p157}. There is no evidence that Francois' parents Jean and Marie Thérèse Angèlique accompanied him or in fact ever crossed the Atlantic.

Map showing the location of Rivière Ouelle with current political boundaries and cities

We know little about Francois before he established himself in Rivière Ouelle. We do know he could sign his name, indicating some level of schooling almost surely received in France.

In the year 1713 Queen Anne of Britain emerged victorious over Louis XIV of France, and by the Treaty of Utrecht received full dominion over Newfoundland and all of Acadia. While France retained Quebec, Isle Royal (Cape Breton) and Isle St. Jean (Prince Edward Island), her power in North America was drawing to a close - a development that would in time have severe repercussions on Francois' descendants. Of more immediate import to Francois in the year 1713 was his marriage.

In 1708, Marie Anne Thiboutot, daughter of the late Jacques Thiboutot and Marie Boucher, married Noel Pelletier. Ten months later they were blessed with the birth of a healthy baby girl, Marie Anne Pelletier. The following, taken from the SIROIS DUPLESSIS Family Book^{Certo-Ahearnep8}, indicates that young Marie Anne Thiboutot was soon widowed.

A dolphin fishing society stated in Rivière Ouelle in 1709 among certain colonists. [After the owner of La Pointe de la Rivière Ouelle, Pierre Dancosse, died] the title holders of "La Pointe" began a feud with their competitors for dolphin fishing rights. One of their competitors was Noel Pelletier... who had married Marie Madeleine Mignot [parents of Noel who married Marie Anne Thiboutot] Both father and son died pre 1713 leaving the widow Mignot feuding with the Dancosse heirs and leaving her daughter-in-law, Marie Anne a widow with a young child. For the widow Mignot to sill be active in that fishing society, a document states she needed "un homme capable" to replace her deceased husband and son for fishing rights...

Two widows then, both needing a "capable man", one to hold fishing rights, the other to provide and care for herself and her young daughter. It appears that Francois Sirois dit Duplessis may have been the one to fit the bill. On the 11th of November 1713 a marriage contract was written. It is transcribed and translated below with areas of note hilited.

Marriage contract of FRANCOIS SIROIS and Marie Anne Thiboutot (Written November 11,1713 and recorded by Etienne Janneau, Notary)
Original : French	English translation
Pardevant Etienne Janneau, notaire, etabellion en la Seigneurie de la Boutellerie, Port?Joli, et les Kamouraska et les Rivière du Loup, et témoin ci bas nommé furent présent en leurs: FRANCOIS SIROIS Du Plesy, fils de JEAN SIROIS Du Plesy et de Marie Thérèse Dumont, vivant, demeurant à St. Germain (En Laye), diocèse de Paris, tout deux demeurant...(four words illegible)… esquire; et Francois Autin et Marie Boucher stipullent pour Marianne Thiboutot, leurs fille. A este faite le traite de mariage. C'est a savoir, de la part du SIROIS; Pierre Albert et Pierre Hemon. Et de la part de la ditte Marianne Thiboutot; Francois Hautin, son beau père et Marie Boucher, sa mère. Jacques et Pierre Thiboutot; ses frère, Jean Francois Pelletier; son beau frère, Pierre Roy; son beau frère, Jeanne et Geneviève et Marie Thérèse Hautin; ses sœur.Tout parent et amis commun des dittes partie. Est faite la trete de mariage. C'est a savoir, que le dit FRANCOIS SIROIS et la ditte Marianne Thiboutot se son promis et promettre prende par loi en nom de mariage et juttey faire sallemmenizer en face de Notre Mère Sainte église Catholic et apostollique et Romaine. Le plutot que faire se poura et advises sera entre eux et leurs dit parent pour etre un et comme un en tous bien meuble et en meuble, acquet et conquet ... (illegible) ... et ne seron tenue les dit future epoux et epouse de l'un ou de l'autre, . et seron aquitée du caute ou ils procedron et en faveur et …(illegible)… mariage. La bonne amitié que le dit époux a pour la ditte épouse, la doue de la somme de cinq?cent livres, sur le plus bau et meilleur de ce qui se trouvera …(illegible)….communaute. Se sera auchois de la ditte épouse, ci encas que son époux vien a décèdée avant elle, de partager dans la ditte communaute oudans leuer son douere, quitie? et fran? de toute dept en cas qu'il ny eut point denfens née ou a restre de leur dit mariage. Le epoux s'oblige que, a l'égard de l'enfant provenue du promier mariage de la ditte épouse, de la nourire et entretenir avec eu, jusque..qu'il lui pour veu en mariage. Et aussi, pour la bonne amitié que la ditte épouse a pour son dit epoux, lui donne, cède la part de terre…(damaged)… mariage, son propre a elle, situé dans la Seigneurie de la Boutellerie, provenant de son patrimoine?, et jury a être accord entre les ditte partie. Faite et passé au grand Kamouraska, onze Novembre, mil cept-cent treize, en presence de tout les parent et témoin qui ont declaré ne savoir signer ny écrire, à la revue du epoux et Jacques et Pierre Thiboutot et Pierre Roy qui ont signer avec le dit notaire, à la minute des present. Et la ditte épouse a déclaré ne savoir écrire ny signer.. De ce anquis interprette suivant l'ordonnance...	Before Etienne Janneau, notary, established in the Seigneurie of the Boutellerie., Port?Joli, Kamouraska and Rivière?du-Loup; the undersigned witnesses were present in person: FRANCOIS SIROIS Du Plesy, son of JEAN SIROIS Du Plesy and Marie Thérèse Dumont, alive and living in St. Germain (En Laye), diocese of Paris, both living...(four words illegible)… esquire; and Francois Autin and Marie Boucher, stipulators for Marianne Thiboutot, their daughter. This marriage contract is thus made. Let it be known; the witnesses for SIROIS: Pierre Albert and Pierre Hemon. The witnesses for Marianne Thiboutot: Francois Hautin; her stepfather, and Marie Boucher; her mother. Jacques and Pierre Thiboutot; her brothers, Jean Francois Pelletier; her brother-in-law, Pierre Roy; her brother-in-law, Jeanne and Geneviève, and also Marie Thérèse Hautin; her sisters. All relatives and friends of the said parties. This marriage contract is thus made. Let it be known that the said FRANCOIS SIROIS and the said Marianne Thiboutot have promised by law to take each other in the name of marriage and vow to have their marriage solemnized in the name of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church. The future spouses are advised by their parents to be as one with all their current and future personal property, to not keep things separate one from another, and to remain free of debts as they continue in all favour and …(illegible)… marriage. Out of the kindness that the said groom has for his bride, he will give her a dowry of five? hundred livres and the best..(illegible).that will be found in the said community. It will be the wife's choice, if in case the husband dies before her, to divide or rent her dowry, free and clear of all debts, in case there are no children born or left from their marriage. The groom promises and is bound that, in regards to the child of the bride's first marriage; he will nourish and care for her until she marries. Out of the kindness and affection the bride has for her groom; she gives him that part of land …(damaged)… belonging to her, located in the Seigneurie of the Boutellerie, arising from her inheritance. So the said parties swear and promise. Done and passed in Grand Kamouraska, November 11, 1713, in the presence of all the parents and witnesses who have declared they neither could write or sign, except the groom, Jacques and Pierre Thiboutot and Pierre Roy, who have signed with the said notary. The wife has declared she could not sign… This according to the ordinance...

From this contract we note that:

	As of Nov 11, 1713 Francois' parents Jean and Marie Thérèse were alive and living in France (as far as he knew)
	Francois gave his bride a generous dowry of 500 livres
	Francois received land from his bride from her inheritance
	Francois signed his name

On the 28th of November 1713 Francois and Marie Anne were married in the parish church of Notre Dame de Liesse at Rivière Ouelle. From this document transcribed below we note:

	Francois age is given as 33, placing his date of birth at about 1680
	Francois father Jean is listed as deceased.

In the marriage contract written just two and half weeks earlier Jean Sirois was listed as being alive. Perhaps Francois received word in the interim period that his father had passed away. Had he sent notice to France in the spring or summer of his forthcoming marriage?

EXTRACT FROM THE REGISTRY of baptisms, marriages, and deaths of the parish of Rivière Ouelle for the year One Thousand Seven Hundred Thirteen (1713)
Marriage of FRANCOIS SIROIS and Marie Anne Thiboutot November 28th, 1713 Notre Dame de Liesse Church, Rivière Ouelle, Kamouraska, QC
Original : French	English translation
L'an mil sept cen treize le vingt huitieme Novembre apres la publication des trois bans de mariage fait en l'eglise paroissiale de Notre Dame de Liesse les cinquieme douzieme dixneuvieme jour du couran. Dentre Francois Siroy Duplessy agé de trente trois ans fils de defunct Jean Siroy Duplessy et de Marie Angelique Dumond ses pere et mere d'une part et Marie Anne Thiboutot, agée de vingt neuf ans veuve de defunct Noel Peltier, fille de defunc Jacques Thiboutot et de Marie Boucher ses pere et mere d'autre part, de cette paroisse ne --illegible-- decouvert aucun empèchement legitime.Les Pretre soussigné --illegible-- de cette paroisse ay pris leur mutel et reciproque concentement par parole de present les ay mariées et en--illegible-- donne la benediction nuptiale selon la forme prescritte par l'église en presence de Pierre Boucher et Pierre Dancosse themoins, Guillaume Peltier et Jean Francois Peltier, beau frere de la ditte epouse, Philippe Boucher, oncle maternel de la ditte epouse et Francois Gauvin qui ont declare ne savoit ecrire ny signer de le interpellez?suivant l'odrinance a la --illegible--des themoins du dit epoux et de Guillaume Peltier qui ont signé a la minutte Bernard DeRequeleyne P.e.	The year 1713 on this 28h day of November, after publication of three banns of marriage in this parish church of Notre-Dame de Liesse, the 5 the 12th and the 19th day of this month between FRANCOIS SIROY DUPLESSY, aged 33, son of the late Jean Sirois Duplessy and of Marie Angelique Dumond, his father and mother on one part, and MARIANNE THIBOUTOT, aged 29, widow of the late Noel Peltier and daughter of the late Jacques Thiboutot and of Marie Boucher, her father and mother, on the second part, of this parish, not discovering any impediment, I the undersigned priest and pastor of this parish, did accept their mutual reciprocal consent by word of mouth, did marry, followed by the nuptial blessing according to the form prescribed in the presence of Pierre Boucher and Pierre Dancosse witnesses, of Guillaume Peltier and Jean Francois Peltier, brothers?in?law to the bride, Philippe Boucher, maternal uncle of the bride, Francois Gauvin who declared they did not know how to read or sign their names to the document as required with the exception of Guillaume Peltier and the witnesses, who signed. Signed by Rev. Bernard de Requelyne

Here is a copy of the original:

So as the year 1713 drew to a close the ancestor of the Sirois Duplessis families was established in New France @ Rivière Ouelle, had a wife and owned land and possibly some lucrative dolphin fishing rights.

	Francois Sirois dit Duplessis: Prospering in Rivière Ouelle 1714-1721

	Sirois History: Table of Contents

I hope to continue to assemble and improve upon the accuracy of the information in this site. If you have information which would help please contact me. © Mark Duplisea