LAPLANTE ROOTS 1685-1665

Clement Lerige, Sieur de La Plante, the Canadian ancestor of the families Leriget, Deriger, de La Plante, La Plante and Laplante-Courville arrived in the country in 1685 with Monsieur de Denonville, in his capacity as ensign with shoulder lanyard in the Troupes de la Marine. These troops were called this because, in the colonies, they came under the Minister of the Navy.

On the day following the massacre at Lachine, the morning of the 6^th of August 1689, La Plante found himself at Fort Remy, near the old church.

[See 2011 genealogical research in Montreal and LaPrairie at: Genealogy Research]

Documentation from Inconnu Leriget to Paul Lerige-LaPlante (1713-1763) and maps at:

http://www.thenavarres.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I333&tree=NavarreAndrus

Documentation from Paul Lerige-LaPlante to Joseph LaPlante (1803-1861) Roots Web:

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:a17279&id=I12070

Documentation from Joseph LaPlante (1803-1861) to the present on Ancestry.com

Additional documentation at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/leriger-laplante/ See file there for: Leriger-LaPlante Genealogy in MS Word format as of 15 Jan 2002.

On the nights of August 4-5, 1689, fifteen hundred Iroquois landed at Lachine. At the signal, the massacre began. Two hundred people died and one hundred and twenty others were taken captives.

Monsieur de Vaudreuil, entrenched at Fort Roland near the dock of Lachine, gave the order to the garrison at Fort Remy to join him. As these troops marched down the main road the Iroquois surprised them. Nearly all of the savages who took part were killed. Lieutenant La Rabeyre, La Plante and Villedonne were taken prisoner. Only the future baron of Longueuil, having a broken limb escaped on his own thanks to some friendly savages who carried him on their shoulders.

The unfortunate captives, transported beyond Lake St-Louis, suffered all the rage of the cruel victors. Many of them suffered torture and were burned. The others were carried to Onnontague where they were made to walk for a long time on a bed of live coals.

However, La Plante and Villedonne were spared. The enemy judged them more useful alive than sacrificed; enslaved-servants and porters in the combat expeditions of the Indians--this is what became of the two young officers.

For the ancestor this servitude lasted more than two years. Of necessity he adapted himself to this new life and familiarized himself with the Indian languages.

A French party commanded by Monsieur de Beaucourt freed him in an attack on the Iroquois near the island of Tonihata in February 1692.

Charlevoix who reported the incident wrote that “not having been recognized at first sight in his Indian clothes, (La Plante) we thought to have him killed as an Iroquois”.

The same year, Frontenac made him an infantry ensign. This nomination was confirmed by Louis XIV in an order dated the 1^st of March 1693.

On 25 July 1700 Clement Lerige, in garrison at the fort at St-Lambert, acquired 150 acres of land from Pierre Bourdeau in an area situated “in the locality of La Tortue” (The Turtle) in the seigneury of la Paririe de la Magdeleine.

From then on he dreamed of settling down, because a few weeks later, on 8 September (1700) La Plante married Marie Roy, daughter of Pierre Roy and Catherine Ducharme, inhabitants of St-Lambert. Catherine Ducharme was a Fille du Roi (King’s daughter). The simple and discreet ceremony – remember that the king’s orders forbade officers from marrying a young lady without a dowry – took place in the chapel of Ste-Vierge at St. Lambert.

“The year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred, the eight of September. I, the undersigned, Louis de LaFaye, curate of the parish of St. Francois-Xavier at La Prairie de la Magdeleine, certify having given the benediction of marriage after having received from Monsieur Dolier, grand-vicar of the diocese, a written dispensation of all banns to Clement Lerige, officer of a detachments of marines, known also as Laplante, and to Marie Roy, in the Chapel of Ste-Vierge at St. Lambert, in the presence of Pierre Roy, inhabitant of St, Lambert, Andre Babeu and Claude Chartier who stated that they did not know how to sign. The said Clement Lerige signed a draft copy, the Register being unavailable, which I affirm to be true, and in faith of which I have signed this day, the ninth of September in the present year, one thousand seven hundred. Louis de LaFaye, Year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred.”

Marie Roy was only 19 at the time of the marriage: the husband was well into his thirties. When the military authorities got wind of the affair, they informed Versailles. The king stripped La Plante but restored him in rank a short time later. (1702-1703)

During the years that followed, the ancestor, established at Laprairie, raised his large family. Children of Clemet Leriger and Marie Roy: Louis Leriger-Laplante, Marie Catherine Leriger, Pierre Leriger-Laplante, Clement Leriger-Laplante, Rene Clement Leriger, Charlotte Leriger-Laplante, Francois Michel Leriger, Paul Leriger Ecuyler Si LaPlante, Jean Baptiste Leriger-Laplante, Antoine Leriger, Rene Leriger-Laplante, Joseph Marie Leriger-Laplante.

Clement Lerige received three concessions of land from the Jesuits, seigneurs of La Prairie de la Magdeleine. The first, on 4 February 1714, of an area of 60 acres; the second, on 9 June 1721, and area of 90 acres; the last and the more important, on 29 March 1727, of an area of about 250 acres.

One notes the presence of the officer in several civil documents in Canada, whether he appears as a godfather or as a witness. Thus, on 20 April 1705 at Laprairie, we see him at the marriage of his brother-in-law, Pierre Roy, with Angelique Faye. And at the marriage of Rene Bourassa with Agnes Gagne on 23 October 1710 at Laprairie.

He would know the joy of holding at the baptismal font his grandson, Rene-Clement, child of Catherine, and his granddaughter, Elizabeth, child of Pierre. The ancestor will also be the godfather of numerous children of the area colonists, to whom he will sometimes give his name: Clement Lafontaine, son of Jean and Madeleine Roy, baptised on 30 August 1711; Clement Hardy, son of Michel and Judith Laverdure on 15 May 1723.

After more than fifty years in the service of his king and for the glory of France in this distant colony, the first Leriger in Canada gently passed away in the peace of the Lord in December 1742. Surrounded by children of his children, in this immense and rich country of America, he could only foresee a future filled with promises. This venerable patriarch bequeathed to his descendants a heritage of faith, of honor and of culture.

“The year one thousand seven hundred and forty two, the seventh day of December, I the undersigned priest have buried in the cemetery of this parish the body of Clement Lerige, Squire, Sieur de la Plante, former Lieutenant of troops, deceased the evening before, at the age of eighty or thereabouts in Communion with our Holy Mother Church and furnished with the sacraments; in the presence of Etienne Bariteau and Andre Banlier who declared that they could not sign their names to this inquiry.” Jacques Desligneris Priest”.

The companion of his life, Marie Roy, lived on for numerous years. She was buried on 2 January 1758 at Laprairie, also at the age of 80 years.

Clement Lerige de La Plante, the first Canadian ancestor of this family, married Marie Roy, 8 September 1700 at Laprairie. From this union were born thirteen children; eleven sons and two daughters. Here are a few notes on this second generation.

He was born 13 August 1701 and baptized the same day at Laprairie. In 1728, he was self-employed as an explorer in the high country. Two years later he was in the service of sieur Jean Lemire-Marsolet in more advantageous conditions.

After the marriage of his sister Charlotte to Charles Rupalley de Gonneville in 1731, he, the elder son, sold to his brother Gilbert a piece of land acquired from their father and mother, and formed a partnership with his new brother-in-law, Charles, in order to trade furs at Michillimakinac. This business seems to have been beneficial for him. Having already acknowledged a debt to their son of 3393 livres (pounds), Clement Lerige and Marie Roy in 1741 ceded to him against the account of the aforesaid sum, the paternal land which Clement had purchased from Pierre Bourdeau in 1700.

Louis, like his father, took up the profession of arms and joined the Troupes de la Marine. It was thus that in his marriage contract, which was placed before Barette, the 21^st day of December 1744, he is called “an officer in the royal troops of this colony”. Several weeks previously he had acquired a concession of 90 acres at Cote Ste. Catherine. At Laprairie, the 7^th of January 1745, he married Suzanne, the daughter of Jacques Hubert-Lacroix and of Marie Cardinal.

The Report of Messrs. De Beauharnios and Hocquart mentions on the date 7 May 1747:

“We have learned from a messenger arriving from Montreal, that in the last days of April, a party of Anies ( Mohawks) and English fell upon 21 French explorers near Fort St Frederic of which they killed five of our men and scalped them; the officer Sr. Laplante was badly treated, having been wounded by seven fire arms blasts; this unhappy event happened because of the over confidence of the French who were taken by surprise”.

Louis obtained his promotion to the rank of Ensign with full pay in February 1748.

We are led to believe that the officer left on a war expedition a few days after his promotion, because the record of his wife’s burial on 31 March does not mention his presence.

Suzanne Hubert-Lacroix bore him three sons, the second, Joseph Clement, died a few days after his birth. After Suzanne’s death, Louis paid a pension to his mother, Marie Roy, widow of Clement Lerige, for the support of the two children, Louis and Nicolas. The later left descendants.

From the Report of Messrs. De la Galissonniere et Hocquart of 5 July1748, we learn of the return of the officer to Montreal:

“The three different war parties commanded by Sieurs Duplessis Fabert, Simblin and Laplante have returned to Montreal, these parties, having joined forces, made an attack close to Norfield, took six English prisoners and five scalps”.

The following year, before his departure for the high country “by order of his Majesty”, the officer placed his affairs in the hands of his brother-in-law, Pierre Hubert-Lacroix. The latter has drawn up, on 25 July 1753, before Lalanne, an inventory of the possessions of the absent Louis. There is not enough space here to reproduce this interesting document.

“The Journal of M. de Bougainville” contains a reproduction of a PAINTING OF SAVAGES IN THE ARMY OF THE MARQUIS DE MONTCALM, 28 JULY 1757. At the head of about 160 Sauteux (People of the rapids. The Ojibwa residing at Sault Ste. Marie) from Chagoamigon, Castor, Caoschimagan, la Carpe, and from Kakibonoke, we can see La Plante and Lorimier, officers attached to these savages.

In the following days these troops attacked and captured for William-Henry, situated at the southern point of Lake George, thirty miles from Carillon.

Let us summarize the main actions of this campaign. The 1^st of August: Transport of troops etc.; the 7^th and 8^th : violent attacks were delivered against the fort; the 9^th: the English officers surrendered; the 10^th: the Indians massacred about 50 of the English prisoners; the 15^th: the fort was nothing but a mass of ruins.

La Plante, at the head of his Sauteux, knew therefore the most intense part of the action and collected along, with his companions in arms, the laurels of victory.

In a letter dated 9 November 1759, Vaudreuil mentions that La Plante, due to his disabilities, is not in a state to render much service.

In July 1760, we see him as the commandant of the fort of Laprairie, and in July of the following year, in a legal record, this son of Clement is called the captain of the Troupes de la Marine.

He died 28 July 1762 and his body was buried the next day in the church of Laprairie. On the 31^st, the notary Lalanne, at the request of Andre Roy, guardian of the captain’s minor children, prepared an inventory of his goods.

Born and baptized the 25^th of November 1702 at Laprairie. On 28 September 1721, at the same place, she married Rene Bourassa, the widower of Agnes Gagnier, and son of Francois Bourassa and Marie LeBer. The latter was the cousin of Jeanne LeBer, the celebrated recluse of Ville-Marie. In the marriage contract 28 September 1721 drawn up by the notary Guillaume Barette, a clause provides for the upkeep of the three children from the first marriage.

According to Tanguay, five children blessed the union of Catherine with Bourassa. In 1754 at Michillimakinac, one of the daughters, Charlotte-Ambrosisine, became the wife of Charles Moras sieur de Langlade, who was to be the most remarkable commander of the Indian troops in the Seven Years War.

The merchant-explorer, Rene Bourassa had many slaves of both sexes. In about 1742, he settled at Michillimakinac with his family.

Nevertheless, it was at Montreal that Catherine Lerige died on 29 August 1770. She was buried two days later, 31 August, in the Chapel Ste-Anne, as is attested by the record of burial in the register of Notre-Dame.

Catherine’s husband survived her by more than eight years. He was buried on the 7^th of September 1778, in Montreal, age 89 years and 9 months.

Born in 1703. We have not been able to locate the record of his baptism. There are numerous gaps in the registers of Laprairie for this period.

He was godfather to Marie-Louise, the daughter of his brother Pierre and of Louise Hubert-Lacroix, on the 4^th of September 1729 at Laprairie. He was named in the record as: “Gilbert Courville Sr. de la Plante”.

He died a bachelor. The burial record states that he was buried the 30^th of May 1736 at Laprairie at the age of 33 years.

‘The year one thousand seven hundred and four the twenty fifth of October was born the son of Clement Leriger, officer, and of Marie Roy, his father and mother, who had him legitimately baptised by Lord Michel Villermaula priest because of the danger of death, or he appeared to be dying, and on 28 September of the year 1708, the said infant having been brought to the church, I the undersigned performed the customary ceremonies in the baptism. His godfather was Pierre Roy and the godmother Angelique Faye, the wife of Pierre Roy. Also present was Pierre Brion who stated that he did not know how to sign that which followed. The child was named Pierre. Gascher, p.m.’

At Laprairie, 15 July 1728, he married Louise, the daughter of the late Jacques Hubert-Lacroix and the late Marie Berthelot-Du Vau. (She was the aunt of Suzanne Hubert-Lacroix, the wife of Louis Leriger.) A marriage contract was signed the same day before the notary Barette. Apart from various parents and friends, also witnessing the two acts, were the knight of St-Ours, captain, commander of the fort of Laprairie, also Lalanne, surgeon, and Jean-Baptiste Lootman.

Pierre was the first of the ancestor’s sons to take a wife. Louise Hubert-Lacroix bore him a large family: six girls and five boys.

In the office of Barette, one can find a number of records (sales of land, etc.) in which Pierre and his wife appear.

Louise Hubert-Lacroix, baptized 2 January 1702 at Montreal, was buried 15 February 1772 in the church of Laprairie.

Baptized 25 September 1709 at Laprairie. Buried in the same place, the 21^st of December 1709.

Her marriage with Henri-Charles de Rupalley, sieur de Gonneville, took place at Laprairie 13 May 1731. Her husband was the son of Marc-Antoine de Rupalley, sieur des Jardins, an ensign in the Troupes de la Marine, and Anne de Gonneville, had lived in Madry, a diocese of Bayeux.

In the register of Leaves, one notices many permissions accorded to sieur Charles de Rupalley-Gonnerville to go and bring the provisions and necessary items to the posts at Riviere St-Joseph and Michillimakinac.

To our Knowledge, this couple left no descendants. A son, born in 1740, died the same year.

On 17 October 1771, before the notaries Sanguinet and Panet, Charlotte, then a widow and living at the General Hospital in Montreal, left all her belongings to the said hospital. She lived there until her death, and her body was buried in the cemetery of that institution on the 1^st of March 1782.

Information on Paul below since he is the descendent from Clement for our family line.

Baptized 28 May 1717 at Laprairie. In the church of his birth parish, he received the sacrament of confirmation on 9 March 1731.

Jean-Baptiste contracted a marriage, 14 November 1740, at Laprairie with Marie-Catherine Rougier-Lafrance, daughter of Antoine and of Marie-Jeanne Faye-Lafayette. The notary Barette had drawn up the contract two days beforehand, that being the 12^th of November.

Of the six children which issued from this marriage, only one, Jean-Louis, perpetuated the name.

Jean-Baptiste Lerige died in 1752 at the age of 35. His body was buried in the church of Laprairie on 16 September.

Catherine Rougier, who was baptized at Laprairie, 28 July 1715, wad buried in the same place, 25 November 1760.

Baptized 18 August 1719 at Laprairie; he was buried in this place on 13 February 1720.

The record of Rene’s baptism is consigned in the register of Laprairie and is dated 8 March 1721.

He was confirmed with his brothers, Jean-Baptiste and Joseph-Marie, by the Bishop of Quebec, 9 March 1731, in the church of Laprairie.

In his notes, Mr. J.B.R. Laplante tells us that Rene was still living in 1738. The date of his death is unknown.

It was at Laprairie that the last child saw the light of day, and was baptised there on the 18^th of March 1723.

He married at Montreal, 14 February 1752. His wife, Marie-Josephte Lemire-Marsolet, was the widow of Paul Leduc, and the daughter of Jean Lemire-Marsolet and of Elizabeth Bareau. In the marriage contract, 12 February 1752, the notary Jean-Baptiste Adhemar named the future ‘Joseph de Lerige squire sieur Dernon’. “Dernon” is probably a deformation of “De Renom”, the name of a family in France connected with the Lerige or Leriget family.

Michel-Joseph is the one who carried on the lineage. The three other children of this union died at an early age.

Joseph-Marie was deceased at the time of his son’s marriage in September 1776.

Marie-Josephte Lemire-Marsolet, who was baptized on 15 June 1772 at Montreal, was buried on 4 March 1803 at Laprairie.

Paul Lerige the 9^th child of Clement Lerige was born 3 March 1714, he was baptized the same day in the church at Laprairie.

At the age of 19 Paul married Barbe Dupuis (Marie Barbe Dupuis), daughter of Moise Dupuis and of Marie-Anne Christiansen, on 17 November 1733 at Laprairie. The couple had signed a (marriage) contract the previous day before the notary Le Pallieur. They had 11 children: Charles-Clement, Jacques, Marie Catherine, Rosalie, Marie Catherine, Hilaire Basile, Francois, Pierre, Anne, Clement and Jean Baptiste.

Barbe Dupuy, who was born at Laprairie on 12 June 1715, died in the same place on 20 January 1750.

Paul Lerige married for a second time, 24 January 1752, at Laprairie to Agathe Saint-Yves, daughter of Joseph and of Suzanne Boutin. (Marriage contract before Souste, dated 17 January 1752). They had nine children.

This son of Clement was buried 18 June 1763, in the parish cemetery at St-Philippe.

His widow, Agathe Saint-Yves married Pierre Lemieux in October 1764. She died in April 1777. The record of her burial is also in the register of St-Philippe.

Charles Clement, the first child of Paul Leriger-LaPlante and Marie Barbe Dupuis, was born on March 13, 1734.

He married Marie Veronique St-Agne (some sources St. Yves) on October 6, 1760 in Laprairie, Quebec. She was baptized on October 16, 1742 in Laprairie. They had thirteen children: Louis Leriger-LaPlante, Veronique Leriger, Alexis Leriger, Jeremie Leriger, Charles Leriger, Veronique Leriger, Jean Baptiste Leriger, Marie Charlotte Leriger, Marie Louise Madeleine Leriger, Rose Leriger, Marguerite Leriger, Antoine LaPlante, and Suzanne Laplante.

He married Marie Josephte Madran-Laventure on May 22, 1809 in Laprairie. They had one child, Theophile Leriger.

Jean Baptiste L’Erige was born in 1773 in St Constant, Lapraire, Quebec, Canada. He was the second son of Francois and Marie L’Erige. He married Marie Desmarais and then later Josette Dupuis. The children of Jean Baptiste L’Erige and Josette Dupuis are: Ester L’Erige, Medard L’Erige, Neiger L’Erige, Olive L’Erige, Zoe L’Erige, Charles Julien L’Erige, Joseph Leriger De LaPlante, Celestin L’Erige, Nazaire L’Erige, Eusebe L’Erige, Vital L’Erige.

Josette Dupuis died July 30, 1837 at St. Constant, Lapraire Quebec, Canada. Other spouses of Jean Baptiste was Josephte Robideux.

Joseph Leriger De LaPlante was the 7^th child of Jean and Josette L’Erige. He was born in 1803 in St Constant, Laprairie, Quebec Canada.

On February 3, 1823 he married Marguerite Cardinal. She was the daughter of Constant Cardinal and Catherine Gagne.

Joseph and Marguerite had 12 children: Adelaide Leriger De Le Plante, Elmire Leriger De Le Plante, Marguerite Leriger De Le Plante, Felix Leriger De Le Plante, Marie Alise Leriger De Le Plante, Marie Adeline Leriger De Le Plante, Joseph Noel Leriger De Le Plante, Medesir Leriger De Le Plante, Gedeon La Plant, Marie Amelie Lertiger De Le Plante, Joseph Emerie Leriger De Le Plante, Joseph, Zolique Leriger De Le Plante.

Gedeon La Plant was born on March 3, 1839 in St Constant, Laprairie, Quebec, Canada.

Gedeon married Denise Metras on April 11, 1860. Denise was born in April 1841 in Canada Fr. They had 6 children: Marie Louise La Plant, Denise La Plant, Archie La Plant, Joseph Domino La Plante, Delmer La Plant, Mary (Marie) La Plant. The family moved to Michigan circa 1865. Marie and Denise were born in Canada. The rest of the children were born in Michigan.