The Family of Barbe Ménard.


Barbe's paternal grandparents were Pierre Ménard, a carpenter, and Louise Trinelle of Rompsay. Their son René (Barbe's father) was born on 23 February 1612 and baptized at Sainte-Marguerite in La Rochelle. René was a tailor. On 9 July 1636 he married the widow Judith Veillon (Barbe's mother).

Judith's family was Protestant. Her parents were Pierre Veillon and Renée Girard who married on 29 May 1610 in the Reformed Church. Judging from those they chose as godparents for their children, they had some connections to the king's court. Pierre and Renée's children included:

temple
Grand Temple of LaRochelle
  • Judith, our ancestor, who was born on 3 January 1613. Her godparents were Michel Berne, an advisor to the king, and Judith Thevenin. Judith was baptized in the Protestant church. She had a child who died; Jean Pinard, was buried at Saint-Saveur 4 October 1635.
  • Jacques, born 3 February 1617 and baptized at the Temple Calviniste. His godfather was Jacques Constant, the king's attorney on matters relating to treaties.
  • Louis was born 2 March 1620 and baptized five days later. Louis Benoist was an attorney to the king's court and stood as his godfather.

Converting to Protestantism was as much about breaking away from royal control as about religious fervor. The influence and fortunes of the réformees grew until about 1627. By that time, their political and military strength was such that Cardinal Richelieu led a siege against the city to assert the absolute rule of the French monarch, King Louis XIII. The population of the town was vanquished by the time of their unconditional surrender 14 months later. Religious rights were granted for a time, but soon that too was stripped away.

René Ménard and Judith Veillon survived the siege and were married 9 July 1636 in the Catholic chapelle Sainte-Marguerite. They were in Saint-Martin-de-Ré on Île de Ré when Barbe was born in 1653. They had been married 17 years by then and likely had a number of other children for which they had to provide. Since both parents had passed before 1669, Barbe's chance of a good marriage were slim. So she took a chance. Once her parish priest signed off, she was among les filles du roi who were young women sponsored by the king to move to Canada, marry, and start a family. She began her journey on le Saint Jean-Baptiste which arrived in Québec on 30 June 1669. Among her shipmates were our ancestors Marie Angelier and Marie Richard. The first mention of her in New France was at her marriage in 1669 at the age of 16.