Lériget Roots.


To Raise.

The earliest records of the Lériget family can be found in Angoumois, France dating to the 15th century. There are indications that a Lériget (relationship unknown) was a notary for King Louis XI in 1506. The name may come from the Latin word "to raise". It is more commonly spelled “Lérige” or “Lériger” in Canada.

The information on this page is presented without benefit of this researcher's access to primary records, but is offered here due to the wide use of the data on the internet. The reader is cautioned that there is some discrepancy in parentage, dates of birth, etc. in the various sites.

There is some suggestion the Leriget family members were Huguenots making it entirely possible records were destroyed in the Wars of Religion that tore France apart between 1562 and 1598.

An interesting analysis of the Leriget line was done by Jean-Marie Ovrard.

Jean Lériget.

Jean Lériget was born before 1485 and died before his daughter's wedding on 30 April 1544. He was a procureur et praticien at the seat of the sénéchaussée of Angoulême. A procureur was in charge of seeing to the interests of a third party, a practicien was notary. Notaries were used for almost any transaction between individuals such as drawing up contracts for marriage, work to be done or perhaps a sale of property. Both positions required training in law, usually through an apprenticeship.

He was married to Catherine Demousse. According to some sources they had at least four children: Jean (about 1510), Françoise who married Leonard Albert, Catherine who married Jean Leveque around 30 April 1544, and finally, some sites attach him to our ancestor Simon Lériget.

Simon Lériget.

Estimates for Simon's date of birth range between 1515 and 1530. The latter date seems late based on the ages and marriage dates of his children.

He too married an Albert, Leonard's sister Jeanne Albert de La Marvalière. This occurred about 1543 in Gourville. Researchers agree that Jeanne is the mother of our ancestor Pierre, but his father is most often represented as N... Leriget, that is, his first name is unknown.

It is not uncommon for sets of siblings to marry within families so perhaps the connection of the Albert siblings, Jeanne and Leonard, has led researchers to conclude the relationship between Simon and Jean, above, as his father.

It is agreed Simon (or N...), Jeanne Albert's husband, was a member of the middle class, the bourgeoisie, and they resided within the town of La Rochefoucauld. The château pictured above was a prominent feature of that town, built by the La Rochefoucauld family.



The Children of
Simon (or N...) LÉriget and Jeanne Albert
  • Jeanne ...married Pierre Thinon who was a judge in Montignac.
  • Jean L. Lériget, sieur des Ménardières, de Rocheberthier et de L'Archier
    ...married Jacquette de la Combe by 1579. The couple had six children
  • Pierre, our ancestor ...married Louise Thuet
  • Louise ...married de Villemandy

Some researchers will attach several other children to this couple: Leonard, Daniel, Marie and Anne.