Jean Baptiste Richer (abt. 1859 - 1915)

Born about Dec 1859 in Fort Covington, Franklin, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Marie Guildé Brien — married 15 Jun 1885 in Nativité de la Sainte-Vierge, Hochelaga, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Died 10 Nov 1915 at about age 55 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Terrebonne, Québec, Canada

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Biography

Jean Baptiste was born in 1859. He was the son of François Xavier Richer and Anastasie Toupin. He passed away in 1915. ^[1]

Jean-Baptiste Richer dit Laflèche was born in 1859 in Fort Covington, Franklin, New York, a town near the Quebec border. He was the son of François Xavier Richer dit LaFlèche and Anastasie Toupin. The family appears to have used both the surname Richer and the dit name Laflèche.

We find John at the age of 6 months listed with his family in Fort Covington in the 1860 census under the surname LaFlesh, an anglicization of LaFlèche. The census was taken on June 18, 1860, so he would have to have been born about December 1859. We find his father Xavier, a day laborer, with his wife (here listed as Betsey instead of Anastasie) along with siblings Joseph (9), Rosana (7) and Alfred (4) ^[2] All of these children have their birthplaces listed as New York and while birth records have yet to be located, this is likey accurate, as there are no baptism records for them in Quebec or nearby Ontario. Xavier and Anastasie had one child born in Quebec in May 1850, but he only lived a few days.^[3]

At the time of the 1881 census, we find 20-year-old Jean living with his parents Francois X. and Anastasie Richer and his 7 siblings in the St-Gabriel de Ferland ward of Montreal. ^[4] HIs siblings were: Joseph (28), Rosalie (25) Alfred (22), Emma (18), Clarinda (15), Celina (12), Louis (7). His father's occupation is charretier, which means carter, which refers to someone who drives delivery carts.

Jean-Baptiste married Mathilda Desrochers on 15 Jun 1885 in Nativite-de-la-Sainte-Vierge Church in Montreal, Québec, Canada.^[5]

In the 1891 census John was 30 years old, working as a butcher and living with his wife Mathilde in the St. Gabriel Ward of Montreal, Quebec. The couple had three sons at this time: Arthur (3), John (2) and Albert (1) ^[6]

In the 1911 census Jean Baptiste, age 51, was with his wife Mathilde farming at lot 26 in the sevcenth range in Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Terrebonne, Quebec. The couple had 6 children at this time: Jean (23), Alderic (20), Berta (17), Melvina (13), Juliette (8) and Armandine (5). ^[7] . A map of the area can be found in the Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec. ^[8]

Jean Baptiste was buried on 13 November 1915 in Ste Agathe Des Monts, Terrebonne, Québec.^[9] His death date is hard to decipher, but looks like "dix du courant", which means, tenth of the current month.

Research Notes

I have yet to find Jean Baptiste in either the 1870 US census or the 1871 Canadian census. There are a number of Laflesh families living in Fort Covington, New York in 1870, just none that match Jean or his parents.

A clue may lie in the 1872 marriage of his older brother Joseph, which took place in Montreal, in which his parents Xavier Richer and Anastasie Toupin are listed as residents of Ste Anne de Montreal. ^[10] As Jean-Baptiste would have been only 12 at the time, it is likely he was living there with them.

There is also an Xavier Richer listed in the Montreal directory in 1870-71, working as a labourer and living on St-Charles Borromée.^[11]

In the 1871-72 ^[12] and 1872-73 ^[13] directories, there is an Xavier living at 153 Centre, working as a carter. This could indicate this the the right family, as Jean-Baptiste's father Francois Xavier Richer was listed as a carter in the 1881 census, Patterson-15268 00:11, 19 March 2023 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/3918961?docref=mk6d1xHWpLUwmPckkqaMEw
2. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
   citing Page: 21; Affiliate Publication Number: M653;
   FamilySearch Record: MCHT-GGJ (accessed 13 March 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GBS7-J4S
   John Laflesh in Fort Covington, Franklin, New York, United States. Born in New York.
3. ↑ Baptism of brother "Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979"
   Catalog: Registres paroissiaux Registres 1825-1827, 1832-1862
   Image path: Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979 > Saint-Anicet > Saint-Anicet > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1825-1827, 1832-1862 > image 349 of 534, baptim and burial of Francois Xavier Richer, 1850
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L993-W5W7 (accessed 13 March 2023)
4. ↑ 1881 Census: "Canada Census, 1881"
   citing Francois H. Richer, citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
   FamilySearch Record: MVJY-JDT (accessed 12 March 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6F7S-2B9 Image number 00614
   Jean Richer (20) in Saint-Gabriel-de-Ferland, Quebec, Canada. Born in Quebec.
5. ↑ Marriage: "Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979" Institut Généalogique Drouin; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Drouin Collection; Author: Gabriel Drouin, Comp.
   Image path: Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979 > Montréal > Nativité-de-la-Sainte-Vierge > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1882-1890 > image 184 of 592
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-8999-19JW (accessed 12 March 2023)
   J Bte Richer marriage to Mathilde Desrochers on 15 Juin 1885 in Nativite, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
6. ↑ 1891 Census, 1891 census of Canada, St. Gabriel Ward, Hochelaga, Quebec, entry for John Richer; database with images, Library and Archives Canada (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1891/Pages/results.aspx?k=cnsSurname%3a%22richer%22+AND+cnsGivenName%3a%22john%22+AND+cnsAge%3a%2230%22 : accessed 12 March 2023);. Citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. RG31 - Statistics Canada. Microfilm Roll T-6396, page 28-29, family number 158 item number3677755.
   John Richer (30), married, Butcher, head of household in St Gabriel Ward, Hochelaga, Quebec, Canada. Born in Quebec.
7. ↑ 1911 Census, 1911 census of Canada, Ste. Agathe, Terrebonne, Quebec, entry for Jean Baptiste Richer; database with images, Library and Archives Canada (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1911/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=9397276 : accessed 17 Mar 201);. Citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. RG31 - Statistics Canada. Microfilm Roll T-20448, page 6, family number 49 item number9397276.
8. ↑ Map “Official Plan of the Parish of Ste-Agathe des Monts, Township of Beresford, County of Terrebonne” CH Leclerc, [18-?], scale: 40 Chains: 1" reproduction number 266009, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Fonds Ministère des Terres et Forêts , Publications et archives gouvernementales, accession number: E21S555SS1SSS1PB_9B, Map online.
9. ↑ Burial: "Fonds Cour supérieure. District judiciaire de Terrebonne. État civil", Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Index des registres de Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, microfilm reels #508, 1554. image at BaNQ(accessed 18 March 2023
   Jean Baptiste Richer burial (died on 10 Nov 1915) on 13 Nov 1915 in Ste Agathe Des Monts, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Québec, Canada.
10. ↑ Marriage of brother: "Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979"
    Image path: Canada, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979 > Montréal > Saint-Henri > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1868-1876 > image 430 of 922
    FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G993-4XSG (accessed 13 March 2023)
11. ↑ Directory entries. Canada. Montreal. Richer, Xavier. 1870-71 Montreal Directory. Montreal, Quebec: Lovell, John. p.418. image online
12. ↑ Directory entries. Canada. Montreal. Richer, Frs. X. 1871-72 Montreal Directory. Montreal, Quebec: Lovell, John. p.454. image online
13. ↑ Directory entries. Canada. Montreal. Richer, Frs. X. 1872-73. Montreal Directory. Montreal, Quebec: Lovell, John. 492. image online.

• Marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8999-19JW?i=183&wc=HCLP-BZ9%3A16470801%2C22548201%2C22723601&cc=1321742
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/81165787/person/44490447360/facts

Acknowledgements

Unsourced family tree handed down to Jean-Pierre Plouffe.