Félicité (Vandal) Pontbriand (1801 - 1848)

Born 4 Jun 1801 in Sorel, Bas-Canada

Ancestors

Wife of François Eustache (Briand) Pontbriand — married 11 Jan 1820 in Saint-Pierre de Sorel, Bas-Canada

Descendants

Died 4 Apr 1848 at age 46 in Sciota, Clinton, New York, USA

Félicité (Vandal) Pontbriand has French origins.

Biography

Félicite was born on the 4 Jun 1801 and baptized on the 5th at St. Pierre de Sorel. ^[1]

She was married at the age of 19, on the 11th of January 1820 to François-Eustache Pontbriand the son of Jean Eustache Pontbriand and Marie Therese Perron. ^[2] Felicite was born in 1801 in Canada, in the area of William Henry. She was the great great-granddaughter of the well known 'Coureur de bois,' Francois Vandal and a descendant of Marin Boucher one of the first settlers of New France. To learn more about these ancestors read, Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Vols. 4 & 15 by Thomas J. Laforest.

They were married at St. Pierre de Saurel, and the marriage record reads: "The 11th of January 1820, after the publication of three banns of marriage at High Mass at the parish of Saurel, between Eustache Pont Briand, son, of age, of Jean-Baptiste Pont Briand and Therese Peron, of this parish, of the first part and Felicite Vandal, daughter, of age, of Jean Vandal and Marguerite St. Martin, of this parish, of the second part. Without opposition to the marriage, I, the undersigned priest and curate, as is customary with their mutual consent and knowledge of the benediction nuptials and according to the form prescribed by our mother the sacred Roman Church, and in the presence of Jean Pont Briand brother of the groom, of Antoine Peron uncle of the bride, of Paul Ausang brother-in-law, of Jean Vandal father of the bride, Joseph Desault brother-in-law, of Antoine Mathe brother-in-law, and several others of the bride who did not sign." M. Cusson, Ptre. ^[3]

Felicite gave birth to fifteen children, nine of which were born in Canada. Marie was born and baptized nine months after the marriage at St. Pierre de Saurel in 1820. Felicite Louise celebrated her birthday on Christmas Day, but was probably born on the 23rd in 1821. Joseph-Eustache in 1823, Francois in 1826, Narcisse in 1828, Edouard in 1829, Maxime in 1831, Marie-Marcelline in 1833, David in 1835 and Emilie in 1836. Both Marceline and David were baptized at Contrecoeur and Emilie at St. Ours. Why these last three were not baptized at Saurel, I do not know. Perhaps the strain of a growing family had already forced Eustache to look for work elsewhere. All seven of the living children immigrated with their parents to the United States some time between August 1836 (the birth of Emilie) and the winter of 1838-39. According to his son Joseph's naturalization papers he came to the North Country in 1839. Pierre was the first to be born in the US in 1839. The twins Julliette and Julianne were born in April 1841 and Moise in 1842 or 43. There are no baptismal records in Coopersville prior to 1844; the area was served by missionary priests who came through on an irregular basis, therefore, their birth dates come from various records. The last to be born was Thomas in 1845. His baptismal record can be found at St. Joseph's de Corbeau in Coopersville, New York (a small hamlet in the town of Champlain).

Felicite died on the fourth of April 1848, at the age of forty-seven, and is buried at St. Louis de France Cemetery Sciota, New York. Since Felicite is buried in Sciota and Eustache didn't purchase land there until 1849 it may be safe to say that the family was probably renting at this time.

Sources

1. ↑ "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99Q-Q7QX?cc=1321742&wc=HCL5-MNL%3A22381401%2C22381402%2C22945501 : 16 July 2014), Saint-Pierre-de-Sorel > Saint-Pierre-de-Sorel > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1749-1802 > image 568 of 583; Archives Nationales du Quebec (National Archives of Quebec), Montreal.
2. ↑ "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99Q-Q496?cc=1321742&wc=HCY1-GP8%3A22381401%2C22381402%2C23238501 : 16 July 2014), Saint-Pierre-de-Sorel > Saint-Pierre-de-Sorel > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1802-1827 > image 437 of 722; Archives Nationales du Quebec (National Archives of Quebec), Montreal.
3. ↑ "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99Q-Q496?cc=1321742&wc=HCY1-GP8%3A22381401%2C22381402%2C23238501 : 16 July 2014), Saint-Pierre-de-Sorel > Saint-Pierre-de-Sorel > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1802-1827 > image 437 of 722; Archives Nationales du Quebec (National Archives of Quebec), Montreal.

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBS-D2Z : 7 September 2017), Eustache Bombreau, Champlain, Clinton, New York, United States; citing p. 235, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 276; FHL microfilm 17,184.
• PRDH/ Repertoire des Actes de Bapteme, Mariage, et Sepulture, et des Recensements de Quebec Ancien XVIIe Siecle, Jacques Legare & Hubert Charbonneau, Les Presses de Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, (PRDH-IGD Family, Couples, Baptism, Individual and Marriage Records)
• Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968, St-Pierre-De-Saurel Baptism, 4 Jun 1801
• St-Joseph-du-Corbeau Coopersville, NY Burial Record
• McClelland Cemetery Index- St. Louis-de-France
• Find A Grave: Memorial #54181469
• Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française