Susan Pombrio
My ancestor, Jean-Baptiste Briand Dit Sansregret, was born over 300 years ago in France, circa 1691, the son of Jean-Baptiste Briand and Marie-Anne Baudoin Dit Lafranche. I do not know the year that he arrived in New France, since there is no record of ship passengers during that time period. However, it is believed that he disembarked around 1720 in Montreal. After the war (1701-1714) of the Spanish Succession many peasants rioted in the streets, "the value of gold went up, that of agricultural and manufacturing products down, incomes shrank, commerce slowed and poverty worsened" (Bernier 32). The life of a peasant in France was hard. Some looked to New France for a better life. Jean-Baptiste most likely set sail in the early spring from the port of La Rochelle. He was originally from the parish of Nanteuil, diocese of Angouleme, France; which today is noted for salt marshes and the production of mussels and oysters. Prior to the war, only a few vessels visited Quebec per year, but these were prosperous times for the colony, and by the early 1700s as many as twenty-five ships arrived (Zoltvany 174). According to his marriage contract Jean-Baptiste was a cobbler by trade, but it is unclear if he continued in New France. One might conclude that he came from an urban center, since his maternal grandfather, Jean Beaudoin, was a pastry chef, but nothing is known about his paternal grandparents. His decision to move to New France was most likely influenced by his uncle, Jean Baudoin, who lived in Point-Aux-Trembles de Montreal until his death in 1713. It was his son Jean, and grandsons Pierre and Guillaume who lived in Repentigny at that time. Jean-Baptiste was a soldier of Jean-Baptiste Rene Le Gardeur, Lord of Repentigny, and was probably recruited by him, to defend against Indian attacks (Charbonneau Vol. 14, p474).
During this time period, an immigrant from France had to sign a three year contract "who like the indentured servant in Virginia, were bound to several years of service in exchange for their Atlantic passage" (Harris 159). That is, he signed a document before a notary to work exclusively for an individual for a specified time period. However, unlike the indentured servants, if their contracts were sold they did not begin three more years of service; it was a more civilized agreement. Many of these document still exist, with most of the contracts providing for passage to New France. Routinely the engage (1) received half his wages in advanced to buy clothes and tools before embarking on the trip to New France. To ensure a safe return well before winter, the immigrants usually set sail at Easter time. "While many surely dreamed of a better life in New France, the passage on board the ship took its toll on everyone. Often passengers waited in port for weeks before setting sail. Once underway, the voyage usually lasted about two months, as no passenger ships existed...the colonists slept with the animals in tight, confined space where sickness such as dysentery, yellow fever, scurvy and sea sickness plagued them" (Dow 50).
The engages were not allowed to marry before their contracts were up. The act of marriage specifies that Jean-Baptiste was married with the approval of Monsieur de Vaudreuil (2). It is clear that his contract was not yet served, since he needed permission to marry. He would have been recruited in France by a landlord with the obligation of taking up arms if necessary. The habitants' "role in defense was shown by the establishment of military seigneuries (3) along the Richelieu, as a barrier to the Iroquois, where the tenants...still owed military service" (Carless, Vol. 2, p2). In the militia it was a tradition to give a surname, or dit name, to any companion. Jean-Baptiste's dit name, Sanregret, means "without regret."
Under his contract he would have been obligated to clear his land, build roads, a home, and make his property a profitable enterprise for the landlord. This "system of land holding established definite social distinctions. Land was held according to the seigneurs, who rented it in smaller holdings to the habitant farmers. The habitants paid their seigneur various forms of rent and performed certain services for him. The result was to create two groups on the land: the seigneurs, who were landlords with special privileges and authority, and the habitants, tenant farmers, who owed not only rent and services, but honor and respect as well. The habitant was no down trodden peasant, but a self-sufficient, self-respecting farmer" (Careless Vols. 1 and 2, p3). The seigneuries were divided up in long strips with a portion on a water source. The landlord had to develop his land or be under the threat of losing it.
Settling and building a life in New France was extremely difficult. "The cycle of life in rural Quebec was tied to the need to produce essential goods on the farm and in the home. The daily routine varied according to the season, but the long hours and backbreaking labor never ceased. The typical habitant owned a minuscule piece of land under fifty acres- about ten cows, a dozen hens, a sow, a pair of oxen, a horse, a dog, [and] a cat. Some farmers also kept ducks, goats, rabbits, or sheep' (Brault 14). "The farmer generally built most of his furniture and all wooden structures, beginning with his own house and barns" (15).
The typical homestead had at least a house and a barn. Many styles developed. A popular one was a clapboard house with a raised porch. Some homes were made of field stone, while others might have been log cabins, but they all seemed to have one thing in common, steep roofs to prevent snow build-up. most houses had two or three dormer windows, and the shutters and doors would be painted a bright color (Brault 10-11). A lot of the homes especially along the St. Lawrence River, had bright colored roofs as well. On a visit to Quebec City I observed as we drove along the highway up the Beaupre Coast, that one could see the dramatic effect these roofs must have had. They would have been easy to spot through fog or a snowstorm.
Schooling was sparse, but what education there was, "was not popular with rural French Canadians. Many farmers considered it a luxury and insisted that their children were needed at home. Absenteeism at school was high during planting and harvesting seasons. A large number of pupils were allowed and even encouraged by their parents to drop out after four or five years" (33). "The transition from childhood to maturity was relatively short, vocational choices limited, and youthful activities prescribed by custom. Girls participated fully in housework; boys farmed, began serving an apprenticeship, or found some form of gainful employment. In the winter, many youths went off to lumbering camps. Card playing, [and] moderate drinking...were considered appropriate behavior for persons in their mid teens" (34).
On the afternoon of the 25th of July 1722, the priest Le Sueur, drew up a simple marriage contract that the notary Nicolas Senet initialed the following 9th of October in his study at Point-Aux-Trombles. The couple called themselves Jean-Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret, and Marie-Anne Baillargeon, the daughter of Nicolas Baillargeon dit Bocage and the late Marie-Therese Harel dit Janrel (Pontbriand letter, dated Nov. 7, 1982). it was often customary for the engagement to be "formalized with a small ceremony in the woman's home during which the pastor blessed the ring" (Brault 36).. We glean from the missionary records of the "settlements, promises, and agreements" of future marriages, the husband gains from his wife the sum of 300 livres (4). Which was "a considerable amount of wealth for the time, as skilled artisans and craftsmen could count on an annual income of 100 livres" (Potaski 38). It is all announced in front of relatives, first Nicolas Baillargeon father of the bride, followed by three cousins and several friends of the couple. Pierre Lescarbot lived in Cote-St. ulpice and was married the preceeding year. Guillaume Beaudoin, still was a bachelor, he married in 1726. The third cousin, Jean Beaudoin was godfather to their first son, Jean-Baptiste, in 1724. The witnesses were Dr. Henri Belisle, and Laurent Archambault, who signed, the spouses did not. The bride's parents left Sorel in about one years time, to live in the parish of Champlain, New France (Pontbriand letter, Nov. 7, 1982). They seem to have returned some time later, for they are both buried at Sorel. The nuptial rites performed on July 27th would have been a simple ceremony, witnessed by a small number of relatives and friends at the church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of Repentigny. A large reception usually followed, beginning at the bride's home and the revelry would have continued for days, often moving to other relatives' and friends' homes.
I know very little about the bride, except that she was the great-granddaughter of Thomas Baillargeon of Angoumois, France. It was his son, Mathurin, who was the first Baillargeon to come to New France. He married in 1650 at Trois-Rivieres, to Marie MeTayer. It is their son Nicolas, born in 1662, who was Marie-Anne's father. Seventy-two years passed from the date of Mathurin's marriage, to the 1722 marriage, of the Briand-Baillargeon couple.
I do not know when or where Marie-Anne was born, but I could guess that she was a young bride, possibly born in the early 1700s. Nicolas and Marie-Therese baptized a daughter named Marie on July 18, 1707 at Vercheres, but it is impossible to know if this is my ancestor. Marie-Anne gave birth to the first of eleven children in May of 1723. Three months later tragedy struck, their beautiful girl was dead. Despite their loss the home soon began to fill with children. Jean-Baptiste was born in 1724 followed by Marie-Josephe in 1725, Marie-Anne in 1727, Luc in 1728, and the twins in 1731. She gave birth four more times, the last being born in 1738. For the first fourteen years of their union the family is known to have lived in Repentigny. At the marriage of their son Jean-Baptiste in 1746 they were living in St. Ours. I next find mention of this couple in Contrecoeur at the 1752 wedding of Augustin Pelletier dit Antya and Genevieve Jodouin, sister of Marie-Francois who married my ancestor Jean-Baptiste in 1746. The marriage record of their son Jean-Baptiste Gerard in 1760, lists them as still living in St. Ours.
Jean-Baptiste died on the 4th of July 1761, and he was buried on the 5th of July in Contrecoeur, New France. The witnesses were Luc Briand (his son) and Francois Chaye. By the time of his death, his descendants were spread throughout the Saint Lawrence River Valley might history in their own right. Marie-Anne died some time after the death of her husband.
Children of Jean-Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret and Marie-Anne Baillargeon
1) Marie-Anne baptized May 26, 1723 Repentigny and died August 16, 1723 Repentigny
2) Jean-Baptiste born April 14/baptized April 17, 1724 Repentigny died May 16/buried May 17, 1780 Repentigny married November 3, 1746 Sorel, Francoise Jodoin
3) Marie-Josephte baptized May 6, 1725 Repentigny died April 4, 1793 Yamaska married June 2, 1760 Lanoraie, Guillaume Girard
4) Marie-Anne baptized August 29, 1727 St. Sulpice married July 20, 1761 Bertherville, Jean-Pierre Drappii (?)
5) Luc born October 17/baptized October 18, 1728 Repentigny married 1/October 21, 1754 Sorel Marie Vandat, daughter of Pierre Vandat/Madeline Holie, married 2/ M. Magdeline Poturin
6) Unnamed Female born/died May 15, 1731 Repentigny (twins)
7) Jean-Baptiste Girard born May 15, 1731 Repentigny (twins) died/buried Sorel married/1 July 26, 1760 Sorel, Jeanne Venne daughter of Louis Venne and Jeanne Cabassier, married/2 March 15, 1779 Yamaska, Genevieve Cantara daughter of Pierre Cantara and Marie Robert
8) Joseph baptized August 1, 1733 St. Sulpice died November 6, 1733 St. Sulpician
9) Thomas baptized March 12, 1735 St. Sulpice died January 27, 1756 Contrecoeur
10) Charlotte baptized September 13, 1736 Repentigny married October 21, 1755 Contrecoeur, Francois Vandet, son of Michel Vandet and M. Madeline Godon
11) Louis baptized September 4, 1738 Lanoraie
"The name Pontbriand appears after 1805 to replace Briand and Sansregret. This family was well known in the Contrecoeur, Sorel and Yamaska, Quebec regions. The migration [to the United States started] after 1836 and continued until well after the US Civil War" (Pontbriand, Lifelines 63). In referring to the spelling of his name, my great-great-grandfather Joseph P. Pombrio said, "you'll notice that we spell our name Pombrio. The name has changed several times, because the older people could neither read nor write. ....when we went to school the teacher would ask us our name and we had to let her spell it the best she could from the pronunciation. So it has been written: Pontbriand, DesPonbriand, Pombrah, Pombria, Bombrah etc." (Hazen 133-134). The name Pombrio first appears in 1851, often changing to Pembrio or Pombria. By the 1920s, the name Pombrio was in constant use.
According to the Forgotten Filiation by Roger Cyr, "among the former Louisbourg soldiers...[is] the Briand family who later settled on the Magdalen Island before expanding in the lower St. Lawrence region" (42). In a letter received from the American-Canadian Genealogical Society, it was stated that, many of the descendants of Jean-Baptiste Briand were Louisbourg soldiers (December 14, 1982). I have not yet been able to substantiate this. Could this perhaps be the Pierre-Francois Briand family who established themselves in Acadia in 1730?
Among the major genealogical sources, there is disagreement on the origins of this family. Msgr. Tangauy listed the name Briand as Brien, and he indicated the parents of Jean-Baptiste were Louis Brien dit Desroucher and Suzanne Bouvier. Charbonneau and Legare do not mention any parents but they do mention the marriage contract. The late publisher and researcher Benoit Pontbriand believed that the parents were Jean-Baptiste Briand and Marie-Anne Baudoin. The other major sources are in agreement with Pontbriand but disagree as to the spelling of the family name, such as the Loiselle Marriage records have the name as Briault and Rene Jette referred to Jean-Baptiste's surname as Briand dit Sansregret, as it is written in the marriage contract. The editors of the Druin Institute list the couples marriage under the name Brien, but indicate that Briand and Sansregret were dit names used. All this confusion makes for a very nice puzzle to solve. I think that the reader will find that the solution to the problems presented are sound and based on meticulous research.
Second Generation
Jean-Baptiste Briand (Bobriunt), eldest son of Jean-Baptiste Briand and Marie-Anne Baillargeon dit Bocage, was born on the 16th of April 1724 and baptized on the 17th at Repentigny, New France. The godparents were, Jean-Baptiste Beaudoin (his father's cousin) and Marie-Josephe Magneon.
I know very little about this ancestor, since he did not leave much of a paper trail. It is known that he was married at the age of twenty-two, on the 3rd of November 1756 at St. Pierre de Sorel, New France to Marie-Francoise Jodoin. At the time of this marriage the groom's parents resided at St. Ours, New France. They were married by Antoine Hervieux, a missionary priest. The witnesses to the nuptials were Pierre Letendre and Pierre Laroche. Marie-Francoise was the daughter of the late Claude Jodoin (Jodouin) and his third wife Marie-Louise Renault dit Locat and the granddaughter of Claude Jodoin and Anne Thomas of Montreal. She was baptized on the 6th of July 1727, at St. Pierre de Sorel. The years 1740-1760 were one of economic depression with the British effectively blockading the St. Lawrence River. So in order to support his wife and start their own homestead, Jean-Baptiste became a "Coureur du Bois" (5), a runner of the woods. Thus for several months he was obligated to go far away from their home. He would have been given supplies needed for the journey and in return he would reimburse his creditors with "good" beaver skin. On the 7th of June 1754 and the 30th of January 1755, a contract between Jean-Baptiste Billerant (Briand) dit Sans Regret and Charles Rheaume was signed to travel to Detroit (Archives de Quebec 1931-32, p290, 296). In 1755 family friend Antoine Lepine also signed on. In the book America's French Heritage, the authors described the voyageur as having a love of danger, courage, endurance, imagination and bring resourceful (Casanova 116). These were characteristics needed to survive the harsh life of a voyageur. Jean-Baptiste would have worn the typical clothing of the day, a red tuque, a coarse cloth shirt, homespun pants, moccasins, deerskin leggings, and "ceinture flechee," a bright woven sash (116). These were dangerous times, for the year 1754 saw the beginning of the French and Indian War. The fight to control the western fur trade was fierce, since it was essential to the Quebec and European economies. To establish new trading posts along the upper Great Lakes region, the French attempted to change the Indian trade patterns and alliances. They traded all types of goods in exchange for furs, including guns and brandy. Alcohol was the main reason that the Indians dealt with the French traders. Consequently, drunken Indians fought amongst themselves and some attacked white settlements, many of which were English. Seeking an end to the western trade, the British commanders were able to convince the Iroquois Confederacy to fight against the French. In November 1760 the French Fort Pontchartrain at Detroit fell to the British and three months later, on February 14, 1761 the British captured Fort Michilimackinac (6). After the fall of the forts the English spread smallpox infected blankets among the Indians. Thus, the French fur trade was severely disrupted and the Indians were for the time being disabled (500 Nations). This gave the English plenty of time to get firm control over the fur trade.
After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763; all of Canada was under English rule. Many "Canadians lost a great portion of their savings to English dealers in bills of exchange and warrants left by the former government. Paper money left in Canadian hands after the war was cut to half or even a quarter of its face value" (Buskey 44).
How these events effected the lives of this family We may never know. It is conceivable that Jean-Baptiste may have traded under British occupation or he may have started farming by that time period. One thing is clear that trading was in his blood and that his sons' Jean-Eustache and Joseph would follow in his footsteps.
What must it have been like to be a young bride left home alone? Did she live with her family or his? Both Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Francoise had family in Contrecoeur. I would only be guessing where she lived, but it is quite certain that she would have stayed with family. She most likely acted in the appropriate manner of other young wives left behind. She would have helped out wherever needed, cooking, cleaning, and farm chores would have been expected. Her solace would come from praying the Rosary. It was the custom to pray it everyday and to ask that their men be kept safe. One might envision a scene such as this, written by Louis Hemon in the late 1880s "when it was evening and the tasks of the day were done, she could resume her seat by the window where the feeble light of the lamp did not invade the darkness, look forth upon the fields hidden beneath their icy cloak, take out the rosary once more in her hands and throw her heart into the prayer" (131).
Their union saw the birth of five known children, three of which, lived onto adulthood. The first Marie-Francoise was born four years after the marriage in 1750, and died a mere three years later. Marie-Angelique was born in May 1753, but her baptismal record listed her in mortal danger. I know nothing else about her, and can only guess that she didn't survive. What a sad year 1753 must have been. Marie-Josephte was born ten years after the marriage, and married in 1776 to Jean-Baptiste Houle. Of the three surviving siblings I am interested in Jean-Baptiste Eustache whom I will discuss later on. Joseph was born in 1763, and little is known about him, except that in 1795 he signed a contract to travel to the north, for McTavish, Frobisher@ Co. Of Montreal. His baptismal record indicated that there was a disagreement with longtime family friend Nicolas Rondeau. It was noted that the event was spoiled by this statement, "Je ne veux plus servir ces gens," I no longer have any use for these people (Charbonneau Vol. 33, p123).
Sometime between 1763-1776 Jean-Baptiste moved his family to the parish of Sorel. This would have been a homecoming for Marie-Francoise grew up in Sorel. The family settled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. This was prime property by this time in history and was very hard to come by.
Jean-Baptiste died on the 16th of May 1780, at the age of fifty-six, and was buried at Sorel, on the 17th. Although I do not know when she died, Marie-Francoise out lived her husband. She was present at the 1794 wedding of Jean-Baptise-Eustache.
Children of Jean-Baptiste Briand and Francoise Jodoin
1) Marie-Francoise born August 30, 1750 Contrecoeur died November 18, 1753
2) Marie-Angelique baptized May 22, 1753 Contrecoeur
3) M. Josephte baptized July 18, 1756 Contrecoeur married September 19, 1776 Sorel, Jean-Baptiste Houle, son of Baptiste Houle and Marie Vaillancourt
Children: Joseph, present at his uncles wedding in 1794
4) Jean-Baptiste Eustache baptized August 29, 1760 Contrecoeur died 14th/buried 16th November 1839 Contrecoeur married September 29, 1794 Contrecoeur, Marie-Therese Perron
5) Joseph baptized November 26, 1763 Contrecoeur
Third Generation
Jean-Baptiste Euctache Brilland eldest son of Jean-Baptiste Briand and Marie-Francoise Jodoin was born on the 28th of August 1760 and baptized at Contrecoeur, New France. His godparents were Joseph St. Laurent and Josette Sanssoucy.
Referred to as Jean-Eustache, he did not marry until 1794. What did he do as a young man? Did he follow in his father's footsteps? Most likely, since seasonal labor in the fur trade fit into a rural family's economy that relied on an outside cash flow. The area of Sorel was sandy and often an inadequate farm surplus forced families to obtain cash by having a male member in the fur trade. By "the 1790s, one-third of the adult males in Sorel served as voyageurs" (Dickinson 76). With some certainty, there are several contracts that appear to be his. The first in 1783, Jean-Baptiste Sans Regret signed to go to Fort Michilimackinac, the chief outfitting center of the trade, at the same time his brother Joseph Sansregret signed up as well. In 1784 there are two contracts with Jean-Baptiste Sansregret, one to go to Grand Portage, Manitoba; and the other to go to Fort Michilimackinac. They would have journeyed by way of the Ottawa, Mattawa, and French Rivers which could be easily travelled. Swift navigation was essential for south bound furs needed to catch the last ships to London before winter. The Mackinac Trading Company operated almost entirely in the U.S. Territories. Jean-Eustache and Joseph might have traveled as far away as Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, or even Minnesota. Good camping spots were plentiful along the river banks. At dusk the flotilla of canoes would pull upon shore. "After unloading the canoes, the voyageurs lifted them carefully onto the beach, over-turned them, and repaired the days damage. Meanwhile, the cook hung a huge black kettle over a fire of driftwood and boiled pemican (7) into rubaboo. Stomachs filled, the men collapsed under the shelter of oil cloth and canoe into a sound sleep that seldom was allowed to last until dawn" (Lavender 226). Among the voyageurs who traveled on the expedition to Grand Portage were Augustin and Antoine Vandal.
Again, in 1786 Jean Sans Regret signed to go to Fort Michilimackinac. There are two additional contracts that appear to belong to Jean-Eustache and Joseph. Though not signed on the same day both contracts were signed to travel to Fort Michilimackinac in January 1808 between Messrs. de La Cie of Michilimackinac, Jean-Baptise Sansregret (Sansregrais) of Sorel and Joseph Sansregret of Laprairie. Accompanying my ancestor were Pierre Lepine and Jean Giasson, who also signed on. The Lepine and Giasson families will become important to this family in future generations. This was a dangerous task, since following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Canadians were no longer allowed to trade west of the Mississippi river. At that time in history the Americans were confiscating the goods of the Canadian fur traders. In four short years war would break out again.
On the 23rd of September 1794 in front of notary Louis Bonnet a traditional marriage contract was signed, between Jean-Eustache and Marie-Therese Perron dit Simard. He brought to the marriage three arpens (8) of land situated on the south side of the Saint Lawrence River in the seigneurie of Sorel, of which was twenty arpens deep. He also, brought his weapon, clothes, linen, pick ax, and 150 livres. Marie-Therese gave as her dowry, 300 livres. At the time of the marriage, Jean-Eustache was listed as a farmer.
On the 29th of September 1794 at the church of Saint Trinity in Contrecoeur, Lower Canada Jean-Eustache married Marie-Therese Perron-Simard the daughter of Eustache Perron and Therese Arpin-Potvin. They were married by Father Lauren Aubry and the witnesses were, Joseph Brilland brother of the groom, Jean-Baptiste Houle his brother-in-law, Joseph Houle his nephew, Joseph Duval and Francois Vadnais friends of the groom. also, present were Eustache Perron father of the bride, Eustache Perron brother of the bride, Pierre Perron her paternal uncle and Helenne Burque his wife, Rene Arpin her maternal uncle, and many others who did not sign the document. My transcript of the marriage record indicates that Jean Pombriand (or Brillan) received a war pension of 40 livres per year; this information was noted as obtained orally. The Sorel area was a known gathering place for loyalists. One of his loyalist ties was with the Young family, who later settled in West Chazy, New York (Ducharme letter, Feb. 2, 1997). Clearly additional research is needed in this area, since a search of the archives has so far turned up nothing.
Their union saw the birth of sixteen children. The first, Jean-Baptiste, was baptized in 1795 and will marry Genevieve Vandal in 1815. Her sister, Felicite, will marry in 1821 to Francois-Eustache, who was baptized at St. Pierre de Sorel in 1798. The Vandal sisters were descendants of Francois Vandal, a well known "Coureur de Bois," and Marin Boucher, one of the first settlers of New France. For further information on these two ancestors read, Our French-Canadian Ancestors Vols. 4 & 15 by Thomas J. Laforest. Next to be born was Antoine in 1799, Marie-Therese in 1801, Theodore in 1803, Jacques on 1804, Francois in 1806, Marie-Amable in 1808, Nazaire in 1810, Emmanuel in 1811 and Andre in 1812. Of the three remaining siblings, Eustache was born in 1796 and died in 1798. Pierre was born in 1816 and he married in 1836. The last to be born into this large family was Joseph Arthur in 1819, and he married in 1842. Supporting this large family must have been a very difficult task. My ancestor Francois-Eustache being the third born of this family, could not expect to inherit any property from his parents. With land becoming scarce along the St. Lawrence River, he would have had to establish his family on his own. It is likely that he began to raise his family in Sorel, and as it kept growing he moved them elsewhere. The fate of Francois-Eustache is well documented in the United States, but what I do not know are his reasons for leaving his homeland (This was discussed in the article, "A Genealogy of the Pombrio Family in the United States" by Susan L. Pombrio). When he moved his family to New York they were already fairly established in Quebec.
On the 14th of November 1839 Jean-Eustache expired at the age of seventy-nine. He was buried on the sixteenth at the church of St. Pierre de Sorel, in William Henry (9), Quebec Territory.
For further information on these ancestors refer to the work, "Briand dit Sansregret (Pontbriand)," which was published in Lifelines, in 1992.
Children of Jean-Baptiste Eustache Brilland and Marie-Therese Perron
1) Jean-Baptiste baptized 18 October 1795 St. Pierre de Sorel married 16 Jan 1815 Sorel, Genevieve Vandal, daughter of Jean Vandal and Marie St. Martin
2) Eustache baptized 19 November 1796 St. Pierre de Sorel died 18 June 1798 Sorel
3) Francois-Eustache baptized 11 February 1798 St. Pierre de Sorel died 30 April 1878 Sciota, NY married/1 11 January 1820 Sorel, Felicite Vandal, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Vandal and Marguerite St. Martin, married/2 22 September 1848 St. Joseph's Coopersville, New York Marie Chauvin, daughter of Jean Chauvin and Marianne LaRouche
4) Antoine born 6 June 1799 St. Pierre de Sorel, buried St. Joseph's de Sorel 1888 married 14 February 1825 Sorel, Marie Matte, daughter of Antoine Matte and Marie Vandal
5) Marie-Therese baptized 10 August 1801 St. Pierre de Sorel died 15 September 1824 Sorel
6) Theodore baptized 7 May 1803 St. Pierre de Sorel died 15 September 1824 Sorel
7) Jacques (Jean) baptized 5 July 1804 St. Pierre de Sorel died ca 1873 married 10 February 1834 Contrecoeur, Roasalie Payan dit St. Onge, daughter of Antoine Payan dit St. Onge and Josephte Laprade
8) Francois baptized 20 September 1806 St. Pierre de Sorel, died ca 1866 married 22 November 1836 Sorel, Sophie Gauthier, daughter of Michel Gauthier and Marguerite Dumas
9) Marie-Amable baptized 3 August 1808 St. Pierre de Sorel died 30 September 1866 Sorel
10) Nazaire baptized 30 April 1810 St. Pierre de Sorel died 20 August 1839 Sorel
11) Emmanuel baptized 28 May 1811 St. Pierre de Sorel died 20 August 1839 Sorel
12) Andre baptized 27 September 1812 St. Pierre de Sorel died 1884 St. David, married 15 February 1831 St. Ours, Louise Matte, daughter of Alexis Matte and Josephte Chapdelaine
13) Louise baptized 26 August 1814 St. Pierre de Sorel died 24 February 1816 Sorel
14) Pierre baptized 17 September 1816 St. Pierre de Sorel died 23 January 1875 Sorel married 20 January 1836 Lanoraie, Emelie Beaugrand-Champagne
15) Joseph baptized 16 January 1818 St. Pierre de Sorel died 21 February 1819 Sorel
16) Joseph Arthur baptized 9 August 1819 St. Pierre de Sorel married 11 October 1842 Sorel, Marie Laprade, daughter of Pierre Laprade and Catherine Vandal
Footnotes
1) An engage is similar to an indentured servant.
2) Governor of New France, 1703-25, Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil
3) A seigneury is a large estate originally granted by the king of France.
4) "Although it is very difficult to equate money in the pre-industrial era with our own, the best possible equivalence would be about $4.50 to the livre" (Bernier 32).
5) A "coureur de bois" traded for furs, often without a license. By this time in history the terms coureur de bois and voyageur were being used to mean the same thing, though there is a difference. A voyageur signed a contract with a company under specific terms, and they did not need to hunt for their food since the merchants had regular supply depots.
6) Fort Michilimackinac was located near present day Mackinaw City, Michigan and in 1781 the British moved the fort to Mackinac Island, where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet.
7) Pemmican is a Native American food prepared from lean dried strips of meat pounded into a paste, mixed with fat and berries, and pressed into small cakes.
8) an arpen equals 192 feet
9) Between 1787-1845 the town of Sorel was called William Henry
Works Cited
A.C.G.S. Letter. Dec. 14, 1982.
Archives de Quebec. Rapport de L'Archiviste de La Province de Quebec, 1931-1932:290, 296.
Jean-Baptiste Billerant dit Sans Regret.
---. ---. 1942-1943:343. Joseph Pombriant.
Bernier, Olivier. Louis the Beloved: The Life of Louis XV. Garden City, New York:Doubleday @
Company Inc., 1984.
Brault, Gerard J. The French Canadian Heritage in New England. Kingston/Montreal:McGill-Queen's
University Press, 1986.
Buskey, Edna. ' A Quebecois in "Congress' Own" and The New York Refugee Tract.' The Genealogist
Vol. IX No. 2, Fall 83:44-48.
Careless, James M.S. "Life in New France, 1663-1760" Our French-Canadian Ancestors Vol. 1.
Ed. Thomas J. Laforest. Palm Harbor, Florida:LISI Press, 1984.
---. ---. ---. Vol. 2. Ed. Thomas J. Laforest. Palm Harbor, Florida:LISI Press, 1984.
Casanova, Jacques-Donat and Armour Landry. America's French Heritage. La Documentation
Francaise and the Quebec Official Publishers, 1976.
Charbonneau, Hubert and Jacques Legare. Repertoire des Actes de Bapteme, Mariage, Sepulture,
et des Recensements du Quebec Ancien. Vol 14 (1700-1729). Montreal:Les Presses de
L'Universite de Montreal, 1981.
---. ---. Vol. 15 (1700-1729). Montreal:Les Presses de L'Universite de Montreal, 1981.
---. ---. Vol. 26 (1729-1749). Montreal:Les Presses de L'Universite de Montreal, 1984.
---. ---. Vol. 41 (1750-1765). Montreal:Les Presses de L'Universite de Montreal, 1988.
Cyr, Roger. "the Forgotten Filiation." The Genealogist. Aug. 1981, 31-47.
Dicinson, John a. and Brian Young. A Short History of Quebec. Toronto:Copp Clark Pitman, 1993.
Dow, Lynnette M. "Brault-The Journey." Lifelines. Spring 1995:49-61.
Ducharme, Richard. Letter. Feb. 2, 1997.
Harris, Richard C. The Seigneurial System in Early Canada. Quebec Les Presses de L'Universite
Laval, 1968.
Hazen, Celeste P. John Pember, A History of the Pember Family in America. np, 1939.
Hemon, Louis. Maria Chapdelaine. Toronto:MacMillan Co. of Canada, 1923.
Institut Genealogique Drouin. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens-Francais. 1608-1760. Three Vols.
Montreal:Institut Genealogique Drouin. 1965; rev. ed, 1975.
Jette, Rene. Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles du Quebec. Montreal:Les Presses de
L'Universite de Montreal, 1983.
Lamonday, Gladys. Letter. nd.
Lavender, David. Winner Take All:The Trans-Canada Canoe Trail. New York:McGraw-Hill Book Co,
1977.
"Loiselle Marriage Records." Microfilm
Mongeau, Antonio. Mariages de St. Pierre-de Sorel 1675-1865. Ed. Benoit Pontbriand. Sillery, Que:
Pontbriand, 1967.
Pontbriand, Benoit. Letter. Nov. 7, 1982.
---. Letter. nd.
---. "Briand dit Sansregret (Pontbriand)." Lifelines. Spring 1992:63-86.
Potaski, Michael R. "Garrand's in New York." Lifelines. Spring 1995:37-41
Senior, Elinor K. Redcoats and Patriotes: The Rebellions in Lower Canada 1837-1838. Stitsville,
Ontario:Canada Wings, 1985.
Stacey, C.P. "Military History." Canadiana. Vol. 7. Toronto: Grolier of Canada Limited, 1970 ed.
Tanquay, Cyprien MSGR. Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles Canadiennes. Vols. 1-7.
Pawtucket, R.I.:Quintin-Rock Publication, 1982.
"Town of Champlain." Plattsburgh Republican. Jan. 20, 1838. 1:1.
Zoltvany, Yves F. Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil: Governor of New France 1703-1725.
Toronto:McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1974.
"500 Nations." CBS Television. New York:CBS
My Ancestry
Jean-Baptiste Briand (1658-?) and Anne Larande
Jean-Baptiste Briand-Sansregret (1681-1761) and Marie-Anne Baillargeon
Jean-Baptiste Briand-Sansregret (1724-1780) and Marie-Francoise Jodoin-Larose
Jean-Baptiste Eustache Brilland (1760-1839) and Marie-Therese Perron
Francois-Eustache Pontbriand (1798-1878) and Felicite Vandal
Joseph-Eustache Pontbriand (1823-1886) and Angeline Lepine
Joseph P. Pombrio (1853-1940) and Matilde Bruso
David Pombrio (1874-1918) and Addie Neddo
Oral David Pombrio (1901-1981) and Blanche Albain Elizabeth Neomian Laravie
David Joseph Pombrio (1934---) and Marian Patricia Baker
Susan Lee Pombrio (1958---)
Facebook page for Pontbriand (Pombrio) family research:
CHECKOUT: www.facebook.com/Pombriofamilyhistory
During this time period, an immigrant from France had to sign a three year contract "who like the indentured servant in Virginia, were bound to several years of service in exchange for their Atlantic passage" (Harris 159). That is, he signed a document before a notary to work exclusively for an individual for a specified time period. However, unlike the indentured servants, if their contracts were sold they did not begin three more years of service; it was a more civilized agreement. Many of these document still exist, with most of the contracts providing for passage to New France. Routinely the engage (1) received half his wages in advanced to buy clothes and tools before embarking on the trip to New France. To ensure a safe return well before winter, the immigrants usually set sail at Easter time. "While many surely dreamed of a better life in New France, the passage on board the ship took its toll on everyone. Often passengers waited in port for weeks before setting sail. Once underway, the voyage usually lasted about two months, as no passenger ships existed...the colonists slept with the animals in tight, confined space where sickness such as dysentery, yellow fever, scurvy and sea sickness plagued them" (Dow 50).
The engages were not allowed to marry before their contracts were up. The act of marriage specifies that Jean-Baptiste was married with the approval of Monsieur de Vaudreuil (2). It is clear that his contract was not yet served, since he needed permission to marry. He would have been recruited in France by a landlord with the obligation of taking up arms if necessary. The habitants' "role in defense was shown by the establishment of military seigneuries (3) along the Richelieu, as a barrier to the Iroquois, where the tenants...still owed military service" (Carless, Vol. 2, p2). In the militia it was a tradition to give a surname, or dit name, to any companion. Jean-Baptiste's dit name, Sanregret, means "without regret."
Under his contract he would have been obligated to clear his land, build roads, a home, and make his property a profitable enterprise for the landlord. This "system of land holding established definite social distinctions. Land was held according to the seigneurs, who rented it in smaller holdings to the habitant farmers. The habitants paid their seigneur various forms of rent and performed certain services for him. The result was to create two groups on the land: the seigneurs, who were landlords with special privileges and authority, and the habitants, tenant farmers, who owed not only rent and services, but honor and respect as well. The habitant was no down trodden peasant, but a self-sufficient, self-respecting farmer" (Careless Vols. 1 and 2, p3). The seigneuries were divided up in long strips with a portion on a water source. The landlord had to develop his land or be under the threat of losing it.
Settling and building a life in New France was extremely difficult. "The cycle of life in rural Quebec was tied to the need to produce essential goods on the farm and in the home. The daily routine varied according to the season, but the long hours and backbreaking labor never ceased. The typical habitant owned a minuscule piece of land under fifty acres- about ten cows, a dozen hens, a sow, a pair of oxen, a horse, a dog, [and] a cat. Some farmers also kept ducks, goats, rabbits, or sheep' (Brault 14). "The farmer generally built most of his furniture and all wooden structures, beginning with his own house and barns" (15).
The typical homestead had at least a house and a barn. Many styles developed. A popular one was a clapboard house with a raised porch. Some homes were made of field stone, while others might have been log cabins, but they all seemed to have one thing in common, steep roofs to prevent snow build-up. most houses had two or three dormer windows, and the shutters and doors would be painted a bright color (Brault 10-11). A lot of the homes especially along the St. Lawrence River, had bright colored roofs as well. On a visit to Quebec City I observed as we drove along the highway up the Beaupre Coast, that one could see the dramatic effect these roofs must have had. They would have been easy to spot through fog or a snowstorm.
Schooling was sparse, but what education there was, "was not popular with rural French Canadians. Many farmers considered it a luxury and insisted that their children were needed at home. Absenteeism at school was high during planting and harvesting seasons. A large number of pupils were allowed and even encouraged by their parents to drop out after four or five years" (33). "The transition from childhood to maturity was relatively short, vocational choices limited, and youthful activities prescribed by custom. Girls participated fully in housework; boys farmed, began serving an apprenticeship, or found some form of gainful employment. In the winter, many youths went off to lumbering camps. Card playing, [and] moderate drinking...were considered appropriate behavior for persons in their mid teens" (34).
On the afternoon of the 25th of July 1722, the priest Le Sueur, drew up a simple marriage contract that the notary Nicolas Senet initialed the following 9th of October in his study at Point-Aux-Trombles. The couple called themselves Jean-Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret, and Marie-Anne Baillargeon, the daughter of Nicolas Baillargeon dit Bocage and the late Marie-Therese Harel dit Janrel (Pontbriand letter, dated Nov. 7, 1982). it was often customary for the engagement to be "formalized with a small ceremony in the woman's home during which the pastor blessed the ring" (Brault 36).. We glean from the missionary records of the "settlements, promises, and agreements" of future marriages, the husband gains from his wife the sum of 300 livres (4). Which was "a considerable amount of wealth for the time, as skilled artisans and craftsmen could count on an annual income of 100 livres" (Potaski 38). It is all announced in front of relatives, first Nicolas Baillargeon father of the bride, followed by three cousins and several friends of the couple. Pierre Lescarbot lived in Cote-St. ulpice and was married the preceeding year. Guillaume Beaudoin, still was a bachelor, he married in 1726. The third cousin, Jean Beaudoin was godfather to their first son, Jean-Baptiste, in 1724. The witnesses were Dr. Henri Belisle, and Laurent Archambault, who signed, the spouses did not. The bride's parents left Sorel in about one years time, to live in the parish of Champlain, New France (Pontbriand letter, Nov. 7, 1982). They seem to have returned some time later, for they are both buried at Sorel. The nuptial rites performed on July 27th would have been a simple ceremony, witnessed by a small number of relatives and friends at the church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of Repentigny. A large reception usually followed, beginning at the bride's home and the revelry would have continued for days, often moving to other relatives' and friends' homes.
I know very little about the bride, except that she was the great-granddaughter of Thomas Baillargeon of Angoumois, France. It was his son, Mathurin, who was the first Baillargeon to come to New France. He married in 1650 at Trois-Rivieres, to Marie MeTayer. It is their son Nicolas, born in 1662, who was Marie-Anne's father. Seventy-two years passed from the date of Mathurin's marriage, to the 1722 marriage, of the Briand-Baillargeon couple.
I do not know when or where Marie-Anne was born, but I could guess that she was a young bride, possibly born in the early 1700s. Nicolas and Marie-Therese baptized a daughter named Marie on July 18, 1707 at Vercheres, but it is impossible to know if this is my ancestor. Marie-Anne gave birth to the first of eleven children in May of 1723. Three months later tragedy struck, their beautiful girl was dead. Despite their loss the home soon began to fill with children. Jean-Baptiste was born in 1724 followed by Marie-Josephe in 1725, Marie-Anne in 1727, Luc in 1728, and the twins in 1731. She gave birth four more times, the last being born in 1738. For the first fourteen years of their union the family is known to have lived in Repentigny. At the marriage of their son Jean-Baptiste in 1746 they were living in St. Ours. I next find mention of this couple in Contrecoeur at the 1752 wedding of Augustin Pelletier dit Antya and Genevieve Jodouin, sister of Marie-Francois who married my ancestor Jean-Baptiste in 1746. The marriage record of their son Jean-Baptiste Gerard in 1760, lists them as still living in St. Ours.
Jean-Baptiste died on the 4th of July 1761, and he was buried on the 5th of July in Contrecoeur, New France. The witnesses were Luc Briand (his son) and Francois Chaye. By the time of his death, his descendants were spread throughout the Saint Lawrence River Valley might history in their own right. Marie-Anne died some time after the death of her husband.
Children of Jean-Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret and Marie-Anne Baillargeon
1) Marie-Anne baptized May 26, 1723 Repentigny and died August 16, 1723 Repentigny
2) Jean-Baptiste born April 14/baptized April 17, 1724 Repentigny died May 16/buried May 17, 1780 Repentigny married November 3, 1746 Sorel, Francoise Jodoin
3) Marie-Josephte baptized May 6, 1725 Repentigny died April 4, 1793 Yamaska married June 2, 1760 Lanoraie, Guillaume Girard
4) Marie-Anne baptized August 29, 1727 St. Sulpice married July 20, 1761 Bertherville, Jean-Pierre Drappii (?)
5) Luc born October 17/baptized October 18, 1728 Repentigny married 1/October 21, 1754 Sorel Marie Vandat, daughter of Pierre Vandat/Madeline Holie, married 2/ M. Magdeline Poturin
6) Unnamed Female born/died May 15, 1731 Repentigny (twins)
7) Jean-Baptiste Girard born May 15, 1731 Repentigny (twins) died/buried Sorel married/1 July 26, 1760 Sorel, Jeanne Venne daughter of Louis Venne and Jeanne Cabassier, married/2 March 15, 1779 Yamaska, Genevieve Cantara daughter of Pierre Cantara and Marie Robert
8) Joseph baptized August 1, 1733 St. Sulpice died November 6, 1733 St. Sulpician
9) Thomas baptized March 12, 1735 St. Sulpice died January 27, 1756 Contrecoeur
10) Charlotte baptized September 13, 1736 Repentigny married October 21, 1755 Contrecoeur, Francois Vandet, son of Michel Vandet and M. Madeline Godon
11) Louis baptized September 4, 1738 Lanoraie
"The name Pontbriand appears after 1805 to replace Briand and Sansregret. This family was well known in the Contrecoeur, Sorel and Yamaska, Quebec regions. The migration [to the United States started] after 1836 and continued until well after the US Civil War" (Pontbriand, Lifelines 63). In referring to the spelling of his name, my great-great-grandfather Joseph P. Pombrio said, "you'll notice that we spell our name Pombrio. The name has changed several times, because the older people could neither read nor write. ....when we went to school the teacher would ask us our name and we had to let her spell it the best she could from the pronunciation. So it has been written: Pontbriand, DesPonbriand, Pombrah, Pombria, Bombrah etc." (Hazen 133-134). The name Pombrio first appears in 1851, often changing to Pembrio or Pombria. By the 1920s, the name Pombrio was in constant use.
According to the Forgotten Filiation by Roger Cyr, "among the former Louisbourg soldiers...[is] the Briand family who later settled on the Magdalen Island before expanding in the lower St. Lawrence region" (42). In a letter received from the American-Canadian Genealogical Society, it was stated that, many of the descendants of Jean-Baptiste Briand were Louisbourg soldiers (December 14, 1982). I have not yet been able to substantiate this. Could this perhaps be the Pierre-Francois Briand family who established themselves in Acadia in 1730?
Among the major genealogical sources, there is disagreement on the origins of this family. Msgr. Tangauy listed the name Briand as Brien, and he indicated the parents of Jean-Baptiste were Louis Brien dit Desroucher and Suzanne Bouvier. Charbonneau and Legare do not mention any parents but they do mention the marriage contract. The late publisher and researcher Benoit Pontbriand believed that the parents were Jean-Baptiste Briand and Marie-Anne Baudoin. The other major sources are in agreement with Pontbriand but disagree as to the spelling of the family name, such as the Loiselle Marriage records have the name as Briault and Rene Jette referred to Jean-Baptiste's surname as Briand dit Sansregret, as it is written in the marriage contract. The editors of the Druin Institute list the couples marriage under the name Brien, but indicate that Briand and Sansregret were dit names used. All this confusion makes for a very nice puzzle to solve. I think that the reader will find that the solution to the problems presented are sound and based on meticulous research.
Second Generation
Jean-Baptiste Briand (Bobriunt), eldest son of Jean-Baptiste Briand and Marie-Anne Baillargeon dit Bocage, was born on the 16th of April 1724 and baptized on the 17th at Repentigny, New France. The godparents were, Jean-Baptiste Beaudoin (his father's cousin) and Marie-Josephe Magneon.
I know very little about this ancestor, since he did not leave much of a paper trail. It is known that he was married at the age of twenty-two, on the 3rd of November 1756 at St. Pierre de Sorel, New France to Marie-Francoise Jodoin. At the time of this marriage the groom's parents resided at St. Ours, New France. They were married by Antoine Hervieux, a missionary priest. The witnesses to the nuptials were Pierre Letendre and Pierre Laroche. Marie-Francoise was the daughter of the late Claude Jodoin (Jodouin) and his third wife Marie-Louise Renault dit Locat and the granddaughter of Claude Jodoin and Anne Thomas of Montreal. She was baptized on the 6th of July 1727, at St. Pierre de Sorel. The years 1740-1760 were one of economic depression with the British effectively blockading the St. Lawrence River. So in order to support his wife and start their own homestead, Jean-Baptiste became a "Coureur du Bois" (5), a runner of the woods. Thus for several months he was obligated to go far away from their home. He would have been given supplies needed for the journey and in return he would reimburse his creditors with "good" beaver skin. On the 7th of June 1754 and the 30th of January 1755, a contract between Jean-Baptiste Billerant (Briand) dit Sans Regret and Charles Rheaume was signed to travel to Detroit (Archives de Quebec 1931-32, p290, 296). In 1755 family friend Antoine Lepine also signed on. In the book America's French Heritage, the authors described the voyageur as having a love of danger, courage, endurance, imagination and bring resourceful (Casanova 116). These were characteristics needed to survive the harsh life of a voyageur. Jean-Baptiste would have worn the typical clothing of the day, a red tuque, a coarse cloth shirt, homespun pants, moccasins, deerskin leggings, and "ceinture flechee," a bright woven sash (116). These were dangerous times, for the year 1754 saw the beginning of the French and Indian War. The fight to control the western fur trade was fierce, since it was essential to the Quebec and European economies. To establish new trading posts along the upper Great Lakes region, the French attempted to change the Indian trade patterns and alliances. They traded all types of goods in exchange for furs, including guns and brandy. Alcohol was the main reason that the Indians dealt with the French traders. Consequently, drunken Indians fought amongst themselves and some attacked white settlements, many of which were English. Seeking an end to the western trade, the British commanders were able to convince the Iroquois Confederacy to fight against the French. In November 1760 the French Fort Pontchartrain at Detroit fell to the British and three months later, on February 14, 1761 the British captured Fort Michilimackinac (6). After the fall of the forts the English spread smallpox infected blankets among the Indians. Thus, the French fur trade was severely disrupted and the Indians were for the time being disabled (500 Nations). This gave the English plenty of time to get firm control over the fur trade.
After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763; all of Canada was under English rule. Many "Canadians lost a great portion of their savings to English dealers in bills of exchange and warrants left by the former government. Paper money left in Canadian hands after the war was cut to half or even a quarter of its face value" (Buskey 44).
How these events effected the lives of this family We may never know. It is conceivable that Jean-Baptiste may have traded under British occupation or he may have started farming by that time period. One thing is clear that trading was in his blood and that his sons' Jean-Eustache and Joseph would follow in his footsteps.
What must it have been like to be a young bride left home alone? Did she live with her family or his? Both Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Francoise had family in Contrecoeur. I would only be guessing where she lived, but it is quite certain that she would have stayed with family. She most likely acted in the appropriate manner of other young wives left behind. She would have helped out wherever needed, cooking, cleaning, and farm chores would have been expected. Her solace would come from praying the Rosary. It was the custom to pray it everyday and to ask that their men be kept safe. One might envision a scene such as this, written by Louis Hemon in the late 1880s "when it was evening and the tasks of the day were done, she could resume her seat by the window where the feeble light of the lamp did not invade the darkness, look forth upon the fields hidden beneath their icy cloak, take out the rosary once more in her hands and throw her heart into the prayer" (131).
Their union saw the birth of five known children, three of which, lived onto adulthood. The first Marie-Francoise was born four years after the marriage in 1750, and died a mere three years later. Marie-Angelique was born in May 1753, but her baptismal record listed her in mortal danger. I know nothing else about her, and can only guess that she didn't survive. What a sad year 1753 must have been. Marie-Josephte was born ten years after the marriage, and married in 1776 to Jean-Baptiste Houle. Of the three surviving siblings I am interested in Jean-Baptiste Eustache whom I will discuss later on. Joseph was born in 1763, and little is known about him, except that in 1795 he signed a contract to travel to the north, for McTavish, Frobisher@ Co. Of Montreal. His baptismal record indicated that there was a disagreement with longtime family friend Nicolas Rondeau. It was noted that the event was spoiled by this statement, "Je ne veux plus servir ces gens," I no longer have any use for these people (Charbonneau Vol. 33, p123).
Sometime between 1763-1776 Jean-Baptiste moved his family to the parish of Sorel. This would have been a homecoming for Marie-Francoise grew up in Sorel. The family settled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. This was prime property by this time in history and was very hard to come by.
Jean-Baptiste died on the 16th of May 1780, at the age of fifty-six, and was buried at Sorel, on the 17th. Although I do not know when she died, Marie-Francoise out lived her husband. She was present at the 1794 wedding of Jean-Baptise-Eustache.
Children of Jean-Baptiste Briand and Francoise Jodoin
1) Marie-Francoise born August 30, 1750 Contrecoeur died November 18, 1753
2) Marie-Angelique baptized May 22, 1753 Contrecoeur
3) M. Josephte baptized July 18, 1756 Contrecoeur married September 19, 1776 Sorel, Jean-Baptiste Houle, son of Baptiste Houle and Marie Vaillancourt
Children: Joseph, present at his uncles wedding in 1794
4) Jean-Baptiste Eustache baptized August 29, 1760 Contrecoeur died 14th/buried 16th November 1839 Contrecoeur married September 29, 1794 Contrecoeur, Marie-Therese Perron
5) Joseph baptized November 26, 1763 Contrecoeur
Third Generation
Jean-Baptiste Euctache Brilland eldest son of Jean-Baptiste Briand and Marie-Francoise Jodoin was born on the 28th of August 1760 and baptized at Contrecoeur, New France. His godparents were Joseph St. Laurent and Josette Sanssoucy.
Referred to as Jean-Eustache, he did not marry until 1794. What did he do as a young man? Did he follow in his father's footsteps? Most likely, since seasonal labor in the fur trade fit into a rural family's economy that relied on an outside cash flow. The area of Sorel was sandy and often an inadequate farm surplus forced families to obtain cash by having a male member in the fur trade. By "the 1790s, one-third of the adult males in Sorel served as voyageurs" (Dickinson 76). With some certainty, there are several contracts that appear to be his. The first in 1783, Jean-Baptiste Sans Regret signed to go to Fort Michilimackinac, the chief outfitting center of the trade, at the same time his brother Joseph Sansregret signed up as well. In 1784 there are two contracts with Jean-Baptiste Sansregret, one to go to Grand Portage, Manitoba; and the other to go to Fort Michilimackinac. They would have journeyed by way of the Ottawa, Mattawa, and French Rivers which could be easily travelled. Swift navigation was essential for south bound furs needed to catch the last ships to London before winter. The Mackinac Trading Company operated almost entirely in the U.S. Territories. Jean-Eustache and Joseph might have traveled as far away as Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, or even Minnesota. Good camping spots were plentiful along the river banks. At dusk the flotilla of canoes would pull upon shore. "After unloading the canoes, the voyageurs lifted them carefully onto the beach, over-turned them, and repaired the days damage. Meanwhile, the cook hung a huge black kettle over a fire of driftwood and boiled pemican (7) into rubaboo. Stomachs filled, the men collapsed under the shelter of oil cloth and canoe into a sound sleep that seldom was allowed to last until dawn" (Lavender 226). Among the voyageurs who traveled on the expedition to Grand Portage were Augustin and Antoine Vandal.
Again, in 1786 Jean Sans Regret signed to go to Fort Michilimackinac. There are two additional contracts that appear to belong to Jean-Eustache and Joseph. Though not signed on the same day both contracts were signed to travel to Fort Michilimackinac in January 1808 between Messrs. de La Cie of Michilimackinac, Jean-Baptise Sansregret (Sansregrais) of Sorel and Joseph Sansregret of Laprairie. Accompanying my ancestor were Pierre Lepine and Jean Giasson, who also signed on. The Lepine and Giasson families will become important to this family in future generations. This was a dangerous task, since following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Canadians were no longer allowed to trade west of the Mississippi river. At that time in history the Americans were confiscating the goods of the Canadian fur traders. In four short years war would break out again.
On the 23rd of September 1794 in front of notary Louis Bonnet a traditional marriage contract was signed, between Jean-Eustache and Marie-Therese Perron dit Simard. He brought to the marriage three arpens (8) of land situated on the south side of the Saint Lawrence River in the seigneurie of Sorel, of which was twenty arpens deep. He also, brought his weapon, clothes, linen, pick ax, and 150 livres. Marie-Therese gave as her dowry, 300 livres. At the time of the marriage, Jean-Eustache was listed as a farmer.
On the 29th of September 1794 at the church of Saint Trinity in Contrecoeur, Lower Canada Jean-Eustache married Marie-Therese Perron-Simard the daughter of Eustache Perron and Therese Arpin-Potvin. They were married by Father Lauren Aubry and the witnesses were, Joseph Brilland brother of the groom, Jean-Baptiste Houle his brother-in-law, Joseph Houle his nephew, Joseph Duval and Francois Vadnais friends of the groom. also, present were Eustache Perron father of the bride, Eustache Perron brother of the bride, Pierre Perron her paternal uncle and Helenne Burque his wife, Rene Arpin her maternal uncle, and many others who did not sign the document. My transcript of the marriage record indicates that Jean Pombriand (or Brillan) received a war pension of 40 livres per year; this information was noted as obtained orally. The Sorel area was a known gathering place for loyalists. One of his loyalist ties was with the Young family, who later settled in West Chazy, New York (Ducharme letter, Feb. 2, 1997). Clearly additional research is needed in this area, since a search of the archives has so far turned up nothing.
Their union saw the birth of sixteen children. The first, Jean-Baptiste, was baptized in 1795 and will marry Genevieve Vandal in 1815. Her sister, Felicite, will marry in 1821 to Francois-Eustache, who was baptized at St. Pierre de Sorel in 1798. The Vandal sisters were descendants of Francois Vandal, a well known "Coureur de Bois," and Marin Boucher, one of the first settlers of New France. For further information on these two ancestors read, Our French-Canadian Ancestors Vols. 4 & 15 by Thomas J. Laforest. Next to be born was Antoine in 1799, Marie-Therese in 1801, Theodore in 1803, Jacques on 1804, Francois in 1806, Marie-Amable in 1808, Nazaire in 1810, Emmanuel in 1811 and Andre in 1812. Of the three remaining siblings, Eustache was born in 1796 and died in 1798. Pierre was born in 1816 and he married in 1836. The last to be born into this large family was Joseph Arthur in 1819, and he married in 1842. Supporting this large family must have been a very difficult task. My ancestor Francois-Eustache being the third born of this family, could not expect to inherit any property from his parents. With land becoming scarce along the St. Lawrence River, he would have had to establish his family on his own. It is likely that he began to raise his family in Sorel, and as it kept growing he moved them elsewhere. The fate of Francois-Eustache is well documented in the United States, but what I do not know are his reasons for leaving his homeland (This was discussed in the article, "A Genealogy of the Pombrio Family in the United States" by Susan L. Pombrio). When he moved his family to New York they were already fairly established in Quebec.
On the 14th of November 1839 Jean-Eustache expired at the age of seventy-nine. He was buried on the sixteenth at the church of St. Pierre de Sorel, in William Henry (9), Quebec Territory.
For further information on these ancestors refer to the work, "Briand dit Sansregret (Pontbriand)," which was published in Lifelines, in 1992.
Children of Jean-Baptiste Eustache Brilland and Marie-Therese Perron
1) Jean-Baptiste baptized 18 October 1795 St. Pierre de Sorel married 16 Jan 1815 Sorel, Genevieve Vandal, daughter of Jean Vandal and Marie St. Martin
2) Eustache baptized 19 November 1796 St. Pierre de Sorel died 18 June 1798 Sorel
3) Francois-Eustache baptized 11 February 1798 St. Pierre de Sorel died 30 April 1878 Sciota, NY married/1 11 January 1820 Sorel, Felicite Vandal, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Vandal and Marguerite St. Martin, married/2 22 September 1848 St. Joseph's Coopersville, New York Marie Chauvin, daughter of Jean Chauvin and Marianne LaRouche
4) Antoine born 6 June 1799 St. Pierre de Sorel, buried St. Joseph's de Sorel 1888 married 14 February 1825 Sorel, Marie Matte, daughter of Antoine Matte and Marie Vandal
5) Marie-Therese baptized 10 August 1801 St. Pierre de Sorel died 15 September 1824 Sorel
6) Theodore baptized 7 May 1803 St. Pierre de Sorel died 15 September 1824 Sorel
7) Jacques (Jean) baptized 5 July 1804 St. Pierre de Sorel died ca 1873 married 10 February 1834 Contrecoeur, Roasalie Payan dit St. Onge, daughter of Antoine Payan dit St. Onge and Josephte Laprade
8) Francois baptized 20 September 1806 St. Pierre de Sorel, died ca 1866 married 22 November 1836 Sorel, Sophie Gauthier, daughter of Michel Gauthier and Marguerite Dumas
9) Marie-Amable baptized 3 August 1808 St. Pierre de Sorel died 30 September 1866 Sorel
10) Nazaire baptized 30 April 1810 St. Pierre de Sorel died 20 August 1839 Sorel
11) Emmanuel baptized 28 May 1811 St. Pierre de Sorel died 20 August 1839 Sorel
12) Andre baptized 27 September 1812 St. Pierre de Sorel died 1884 St. David, married 15 February 1831 St. Ours, Louise Matte, daughter of Alexis Matte and Josephte Chapdelaine
13) Louise baptized 26 August 1814 St. Pierre de Sorel died 24 February 1816 Sorel
14) Pierre baptized 17 September 1816 St. Pierre de Sorel died 23 January 1875 Sorel married 20 January 1836 Lanoraie, Emelie Beaugrand-Champagne
15) Joseph baptized 16 January 1818 St. Pierre de Sorel died 21 February 1819 Sorel
16) Joseph Arthur baptized 9 August 1819 St. Pierre de Sorel married 11 October 1842 Sorel, Marie Laprade, daughter of Pierre Laprade and Catherine Vandal
Footnotes
1) An engage is similar to an indentured servant.
2) Governor of New France, 1703-25, Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil
3) A seigneury is a large estate originally granted by the king of France.
4) "Although it is very difficult to equate money in the pre-industrial era with our own, the best possible equivalence would be about $4.50 to the livre" (Bernier 32).
5) A "coureur de bois" traded for furs, often without a license. By this time in history the terms coureur de bois and voyageur were being used to mean the same thing, though there is a difference. A voyageur signed a contract with a company under specific terms, and they did not need to hunt for their food since the merchants had regular supply depots.
6) Fort Michilimackinac was located near present day Mackinaw City, Michigan and in 1781 the British moved the fort to Mackinac Island, where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet.
7) Pemmican is a Native American food prepared from lean dried strips of meat pounded into a paste, mixed with fat and berries, and pressed into small cakes.
8) an arpen equals 192 feet
9) Between 1787-1845 the town of Sorel was called William Henry
Works Cited
A.C.G.S. Letter. Dec. 14, 1982.
Archives de Quebec. Rapport de L'Archiviste de La Province de Quebec, 1931-1932:290, 296.
Jean-Baptiste Billerant dit Sans Regret.
---. ---. 1942-1943:343. Joseph Pombriant.
Bernier, Olivier. Louis the Beloved: The Life of Louis XV. Garden City, New York:Doubleday @
Company Inc., 1984.
Brault, Gerard J. The French Canadian Heritage in New England. Kingston/Montreal:McGill-Queen's
University Press, 1986.
Buskey, Edna. ' A Quebecois in "Congress' Own" and The New York Refugee Tract.' The Genealogist
Vol. IX No. 2, Fall 83:44-48.
Careless, James M.S. "Life in New France, 1663-1760" Our French-Canadian Ancestors Vol. 1.
Ed. Thomas J. Laforest. Palm Harbor, Florida:LISI Press, 1984.
---. ---. ---. Vol. 2. Ed. Thomas J. Laforest. Palm Harbor, Florida:LISI Press, 1984.
Casanova, Jacques-Donat and Armour Landry. America's French Heritage. La Documentation
Francaise and the Quebec Official Publishers, 1976.
Charbonneau, Hubert and Jacques Legare. Repertoire des Actes de Bapteme, Mariage, Sepulture,
et des Recensements du Quebec Ancien. Vol 14 (1700-1729). Montreal:Les Presses de
L'Universite de Montreal, 1981.
---. ---. Vol. 15 (1700-1729). Montreal:Les Presses de L'Universite de Montreal, 1981.
---. ---. Vol. 26 (1729-1749). Montreal:Les Presses de L'Universite de Montreal, 1984.
---. ---. Vol. 41 (1750-1765). Montreal:Les Presses de L'Universite de Montreal, 1988.
Cyr, Roger. "the Forgotten Filiation." The Genealogist. Aug. 1981, 31-47.
Dicinson, John a. and Brian Young. A Short History of Quebec. Toronto:Copp Clark Pitman, 1993.
Dow, Lynnette M. "Brault-The Journey." Lifelines. Spring 1995:49-61.
Ducharme, Richard. Letter. Feb. 2, 1997.
Harris, Richard C. The Seigneurial System in Early Canada. Quebec Les Presses de L'Universite
Laval, 1968.
Hazen, Celeste P. John Pember, A History of the Pember Family in America. np, 1939.
Hemon, Louis. Maria Chapdelaine. Toronto:MacMillan Co. of Canada, 1923.
Institut Genealogique Drouin. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens-Francais. 1608-1760. Three Vols.
Montreal:Institut Genealogique Drouin. 1965; rev. ed, 1975.
Jette, Rene. Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles du Quebec. Montreal:Les Presses de
L'Universite de Montreal, 1983.
Lamonday, Gladys. Letter. nd.
Lavender, David. Winner Take All:The Trans-Canada Canoe Trail. New York:McGraw-Hill Book Co,
1977.
"Loiselle Marriage Records." Microfilm
Mongeau, Antonio. Mariages de St. Pierre-de Sorel 1675-1865. Ed. Benoit Pontbriand. Sillery, Que:
Pontbriand, 1967.
Pontbriand, Benoit. Letter. Nov. 7, 1982.
---. Letter. nd.
---. "Briand dit Sansregret (Pontbriand)." Lifelines. Spring 1992:63-86.
Potaski, Michael R. "Garrand's in New York." Lifelines. Spring 1995:37-41
Senior, Elinor K. Redcoats and Patriotes: The Rebellions in Lower Canada 1837-1838. Stitsville,
Ontario:Canada Wings, 1985.
Stacey, C.P. "Military History." Canadiana. Vol. 7. Toronto: Grolier of Canada Limited, 1970 ed.
Tanquay, Cyprien MSGR. Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles Canadiennes. Vols. 1-7.
Pawtucket, R.I.:Quintin-Rock Publication, 1982.
"Town of Champlain." Plattsburgh Republican. Jan. 20, 1838. 1:1.
Zoltvany, Yves F. Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil: Governor of New France 1703-1725.
Toronto:McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1974.
"500 Nations." CBS Television. New York:CBS
My Ancestry
Jean-Baptiste Briand (1658-?) and Anne Larande
Jean-Baptiste Briand-Sansregret (1681-1761) and Marie-Anne Baillargeon
Jean-Baptiste Briand-Sansregret (1724-1780) and Marie-Francoise Jodoin-Larose
Jean-Baptiste Eustache Brilland (1760-1839) and Marie-Therese Perron
Francois-Eustache Pontbriand (1798-1878) and Felicite Vandal
Joseph-Eustache Pontbriand (1823-1886) and Angeline Lepine
Joseph P. Pombrio (1853-1940) and Matilde Bruso
David Pombrio (1874-1918) and Addie Neddo
Oral David Pombrio (1901-1981) and Blanche Albain Elizabeth Neomian Laravie
David Joseph Pombrio (1934---) and Marian Patricia Baker
Susan Lee Pombrio (1958---)
Facebook page for Pontbriand (Pombrio) family research:
CHECKOUT: www.facebook.com/Pombriofamilyhistory
