Jacques Ménard dit La Fontaine
and Catherine Forestier.

To Québec.

The son of Jean Ménard and Anne Savinelle of Mervant, Poitou, Jacques Ménard dit La Fontaine trained to become a charron or wheelwright. Tradesmen were recruited to provide needed services in Québec and his building skills were prized. He sailed to Trois-Rivières in the New World and may have been in the beleaguered community in 1651 when it was attacked by the Iroquois. In the ensuing battle the food supplies were destroyed and many of the settlers were killed.

In 1657 a 17 year-old woman, Catherine Forestier, made the journey from La Rochelle as a Fille à marier (marriageable woman). An adventurous spirit, coupled with few options for her future in France, may have spurred her on to gamble on the frontier. They wed on 19 November 1657 and made their home in Trois-Rivières, neighbors of our ancestors Jean-Baptiste Bourgery and Marie Gendre, Jean Lanctôt and Marie Vien, and her mother Marie Denot.

Ten months after their marriage, they had their first child, and would go on to have 12 more.

Habitant.

In 1666, Jacques Ménard, 38 and his family had a well-established home in Trois-Rivières. Two domestiques, Simon Caillouet, 35, and Hierosme Langlois, 64, a locksmith, worked for him. His wife Catherine Forestier, 29 and children Marie, 6; Jean, 4; Louis, 2 and the 2 day old infant Maurice were also named.

The census taken the following year adjusts their ages a bit (Jacques La Fontaine 35, Catherine Fortier, 35). Caillouet was still employed and it is learned that they had 4 arpens of land cultivated and 2 head of cattle.

Our ancestor, their daughter Marguerite, was born on 22 January 1668.

Carpentry.

Jacques' carpentry skills were not confined to making wheels for carts. Pierre Boucher had obtained land closer to Montréal and actively sought skilled workers to develop the property. Jean Lussier headed to Boucherville and in 1670 contracted with our ancestor Ménard to build a 20 x 16 home with four windows and a fireplace for 60 livres. It was agreed Lussier would provide building materials. The home was completed before February 1671. The Ménards made the move upriver to Boucherville themselves by April of that year.

New Home.

By 1681 Jacques, 52 had seven arpens of land farmed. He was still a charron and owned 2 fusils and 5 bêtes à cornes. His 45 year old wife and their ten children lived on the land: Jean 22, Louis 19, Maurice 18, Jean 16, Marguerite 14 (our ancestor), Jeanne 12, Anne 9, Catherine 6, Therese, 5, Jacques 3 . Marguerite was to marry that year.

Catherine Forestier passed away at the age of 54 on 31 March 1694 and was buried the next day in Boucherville. Jacques died at age 83 on 14 January 1707.