Charles Patenaude
and François Séguin.

Longueuil.

After his father's death in 1679, Charles moved to Longueuil. He is found on the farm of Louis Boucher in the 1681 census, age 25. His brother Pierre and our ancestors Jean Ronceray and François Lanctôt and their families lived in Longueuil as well.

Charles married Françoise Séguin at age 38, a 20-year old Canadienne. In accordance with the coustume de Paris the dowry of 200 livres was paid. The wedding took place on 8 February 1694 in Montréal. As shown in the image, Charles signed his last name as "Patenotre" in their marriage record.

It was two years before their first child was born, for Charles signed an engagé and departed to the west on 19 September 1694 to trade for furs. It would keep him away in the wilderness for many months. Even so, the couple raised ten healthy children.

Homestead.

Le Moyne, seigneur de Longueuil, granted a sizeable concession of 60 arpens of farm land to Patenaude. This was on 12 October 1696. Our ancestor Étienne was born there a year later on 9 October 1697.

Charles was obliged to have his grain ground in the seigneur's mill and would pay him with three "good and living" capons and one sol per arpen of land due on the Fête de Saint-Martin (November 11th). Further, a pathway was to be cleared for the public to use. Oak trees were to be cleared for use in the construction of ships.

The 1723 census reveals his prime parcel in Longueuil was 5 arpents wide by 20 deep, a bit wider than that of his neighbors. In the first rang, it was bordered by the Saint-Lawrence River. He had carved a small one acre parcel out along the river for his daughter Marie-Marguerite and her husband Daniel Gélineau. Sons Charles and François had farms in the village as well.

Charles Patenaude died 16 Feb 1724 at the age of 67. His estate, including his lands and household posessions, was inventoried by the notaire Rambeau on 4 May 1730 who cautioned the family against hiding any valuables. The detailed list includes housewares:

• a medium bed containing a very old blanket
• a pair of old cotton sheets
• another small bed containing a straw mattress
• a cattail bed covered with an old cloth
• a Bourdeaux blanket and another in blue wool
• a sideboard of pinewood with two drawers, with the hardware
• a small pinewood buffet with two scarves, no hardware
• old pewter plates, dishes, a bowl and a spoon
• an oval folding table
• four straw chairs
• a tin lantern
• a half-worn spinning wheel

The farm was equipped with two sickles, a ploughshare, some oats and wheat, and axes, a rifle, and boxes of nails. Two oxen, aged six and seven, and two mature cows, six sheep, a ram and a brood mare, as well as pigs and a dozen hens and a rooster were included in the assessment.

His widow would be cared for and was allowed to cut whatever wood she needed for the purposes of heating and cooking. Their minor children would be looked after by a tuteur who would protect their interests because Françoise "... told us not to have accepted the tutelage of her said children because of the embarrassment it would cause her due to her age ... being very disabled and unable to act in the administration." Son Étienne, now married with children of his own, was designated as tuteur, or guardian for the minor children, with François Hachim as substitute.

Françoise Séguin lived another 24 years. She died in Longueuil 19 May 1751 at the age of 76.