Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois

The Soulière Line • Documentary Biography Series

Founding Father • Troupes de la Marine

Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois

c. 1657 – 13 April 1748

From the foothills of the Italian Alps to the shores of the St. Lawrence—the extraordinary journey of New France's Piedmontese soldier

Documentary Biographies › The Soulière Line › Founding Father: Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois

Quick Facts

Origin

Racconigi, Province of Turin, Piedmont (modern-day Italy)

Birth

c. 1657 (age 98 at burial) or c. 1650 (various records)

Parents

Jean Martin Lesage & Catherine Bretel

Military Service

Troupes de la Marine (Compagnies Franches de la Marine)

Arrival

New France, c. 1683–1685

Marriage

8 January 1686, Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) — to Marie Barbe Sylvestre

Children

12 children (5 sons, 7 daughters)

Settlement

Neuville (Seigneurie de Dombourg), then L'Assomption

Death & Burial

13 April 1748 • Buried 15 April 1748, L'Assomption • Age ~91

Descendants

Between 630,000 and 1,050,000 Québécois

Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois was born around 1657 in Racconigi, a small town in the Piedmont region of what is now northern Italy, nestled in the flat agricultural plain south of Turin beneath the western Alps. His parish church was Santa Maria—later rebuilt in the 1720s as the baroque Santa Maria Maggiore that still stands today. His parents, Jean Martin Lesage and Catherine Bretel, gave him a name that was French, though the boy grew up speaking Piedmontese in the shadow of the House of Savoy. How a young man from the Italian foothills came to serve in the French colonial military and settle on the shores of the St. Lawrence is one of the more unusual stories in French-Canadian genealogy.

Racconigi, from the Theatrum Sabaudiae (2nd ed., 1726). This etching by Ioannes Blaeu depicts the town in the Province of Cuneo, known for its castle—residence of the Savoy royal family. First edition published 1682 for the Duchy of Savoy.

Italy in 1700, showing Turin and the Duchy of Savoy in the northwest. Racconigi lies just south of Turin. From The Public Schools Historical Atlas, ed. C. Colbeck, 1905. University of Texas at Austin.

Among the approximately 10,000 founding immigrants who settled in New France before 1760, over 95 percent were French. Italian permanent settlers were extraordinarily rare. Jean Bernardin was one of a tiny handful of "foreign" pioneers to make a permanent life in the colony—and his dit name, Lepiedmontois, meaning "the Piedmontese," would mark his Italian origins for generations. Today, most Lesage families in the Lanaudière region of Quebec trace their roots back to this soldier from Racconigi and his "Champagne" bride.

The Soldier: Troupes de la Marine (c. 1683–1686)

Jean Bernardin arrived in New France not with the famous Carignan-Salières Regiment—which had completed its mission two decades earlier—but with the Troupes de la Marine, the permanent colonial infantry that replaced those temporary regiments. In 1683, facing a resurgence of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) hostilities, Governor La Barre sent an urgent request to France for reinforcements. King Louis XIV responded by dispatching the first Compagnies Franches de la Marine—independent companies under the authority of the Ministry of the Navy rather than the Ministry of War.

Between 1683 and 1688, thirty-five companies were sent to Canada—over 1,400 soldiers to defend a colony of just 10,300 souls. Jean Bernardin was among them. His marriage record of 1686 identifies his origin as the "Paroisse de Sancti-Maria, de la ville de Raconis, Archevêché de Turin, Piémont"—the Parish of Santa Maria, in the town of Racconigi, Archdiocese of Turin, Piedmont. The record also notes the presence of Joseph Caba, described as "Lieutenant de la Compagnie de M. de Muy"—Lieutenant of the Company of Monsieur de Muy—and Xxxxx Demuy, "Capitaine de Compagnie"—Captain of the Company. This places Jean Bernardin in the Company of de Muy, and it was this captain, M. Demuy, who granted him permission to marry.

Unlike the Carignan-Salières soldiers who fought in organized campaigns against the Mohawk, the Troupes de la Marine served as the colony's first permanent standing army. Their duties were continuous: garrisoning forts, patrolling frontier settlements, and standing ready against both Indigenous raids and the growing English threat to the north and south. Jean Bernardin likely participated in the turbulent campaigns of the mid-1680s, including Governor La Barre's unsuccessful 1684 expedition against the Iroquois and possibly the larger Denonville campaign of 1687.

Why an Italian in the French Military?

The Piedmont region in the 17th century was part of the Duchy of Savoy, which maintained close diplomatic and military ties with France. Piedmontese soldiers frequently served in French armies. Because both France and Italy were Catholic Latin cultures, men like Jean Bernardin integrated quickly into colonial society. His dit name "Lepiedmontois" remained the only visible marker of his foreign origin, eventually fading as the family became fully Canadien.

The Meaning of "Lepiedmontois"

In the French military tradition, soldiers were assigned noms de guerre—war names—to distinguish men who shared common surnames. Jean Bernardin's alias identified him by his homeland: le Piedmontois, "the Piedmontese." This was a geographic marker, just as Nicolas Sylvestre dit Champagne bore the name of his French province. In colonial records, Jean Bernardin appears variously as "Lesage Lepiedmontois," "Lesage dit Piedmontois," or simply "Jean Bernardin Le Sage"—the spellings shifting with each priest's ear and pen.

Over generations, the dit name faded from use. His descendants in the Lanaudière region carried forward the surname Lesage alone, and with it the genetic legacy of one of the very few Italian founding fathers of French Canada.

Marriage to Marie Barbe Sylvestre (1686)

On the eighth of January, 1686, at the parish church of Saint-François-de-Sales in Neuville, Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois married Marie Barbe Sylvestre. He was approximately twenty-six years old. She was fourteen—young even by the standards of New France, but not uncommon in a colony that encouraged early marriage to grow the population.

Marie Barbe was the daughter of Nicolas Sylvestre dit Champagne, a veteran of the Carignan-Salières Regiment who had arrived aboard L'Aigle d'Or in 1665, and Barbe Neveu, whose mother Anne Ledet was among the earliest women recruited to populate the colony. The marriage joined two military lineages: the father a Carignan soldier from Champagne, the groom a Marine soldier from Piedmont.

The marriage record is rich with detail. The witnesses included Nicolas Sylvestre Champagne, the bride's father; Gilles Pinelle, the bride's grandfather; Joseph Caba, Lieutenant of the Company of M. de Muy; and the Company Captain himself, M. Demuy, who had formally granted Jean Bernardin permission to marry. The officiating priest was François Durfe. The document records that Jean Bernardin's parents were Jean Martin Lesage and Catherine Bretel, and that he came from the parish of Santa Maria in Racconigi, in the Archdiocese of Turin.

Jean Bernardin signed the register in his own hand—"Jean Bernardin Le Sage"—a significant detail. In an era when most habitants could not write, his literacy suggests some education, possibly received during his military service or before leaving Italy.

Building a Life: Neuville to L'Assomption

After their marriage, Jean Bernardin and Marie Barbe initially settled at Neuville, in the Seigneurie de Dombourg—the same community where her father Nicolas Sylvestre had built his farm two decades earlier. Their first children were born and baptized here, beginning with Marie Françoise in 1690. The baptism records from Neuville consistently name both parents and often include grandparents Nicolas Sylvestre and Barbe Neveu as witnesses, confirming the close family ties that bound these frontier households together.

Église Saint-François-de-Sales, Neuville, overlooking the St. Lawrence River. The parish where Jean Bernardin and Marie Barbe married in 1686, and where their first children were baptized.

Les concessions de la seigneurie de Neuville. The seigneury covered the lands of modern-day Neuville, Pont-Rouge, and parts of Saint-Basile and Cap-Santé. Nicolas Sylvestre's concession was in the first row of lots along the St. Lawrence.

By the early 18th century, Jean Bernardin and Marie Barbe moved westward to L'Assomption, in the Lanaudière region north of Montreal. This move placed them among the earliest families to settle in that area—pioneers carving out new farmland along the Rivière L'Assomption. The 1716 census of Neuville still records Jean Bernardin's household, but by the time of the later children's baptisms and marriages, the family was firmly rooted in L'Assomption.

The move was significant. It established a major branch of the Lesage family in the Lanaudière region, where the surname would proliferate across generations. Their daughter Marie Louise Lesage, born in 1694, would marry Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne in 1716—a union that created the direct ancestral line leading to the Soulière family.

The Lesage Family: Twelve Children

Jean Bernardin and Marie Barbe raised twelve children over a span of twenty-three years, from 1690 to 1713. The family is documented in PRDH records, the Genealogy of French in North America database, and parish registers across Neuville, Quebec City, and L'Assomption:

1. Marie Françoise Lesage (1690–1761) — Born 29 January 1690, baptized 30 January 1690 at Neuville. Married Jean Paul Daveluy dit Larose (son of Paul Daveluy Larose Depicardie and Elisabeth Aquin) at Québec (Notre-Dame), 26 January 1712. Buried at L'Assomption, 12 January 1761.

2. Nicolas Lesage (1692–?) — Born 15 March 1692, baptized 16 March 1692 at Neuville. Married Marie Françoise Paris at Québec, 12 February 1714; second marriage to Marie Thérèse Lamothe at Cap-Santé (Ste-Famille), 8 January 1759. Nicolas's uncle, Nicolas Sylvestre, served as godfather at his baptism.

3. Marie Louise Lesage (1694–1757) — Born 1 January 1694, baptized 2 January 1694 at Neuville. Married Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne at Québec, 14 September 1716. Buried at L'Assomption, 31 January 1757. Our direct ancestor through the Soulière Line.

4. Marie Catherine Lesage (1696–1710) — Born 19 May 1696, baptized 20 May 1696 at Neuville. Godfather: Louis Silvestre (uncle, brother of Marie Barbe). Godmother: Catherine Hardy (daughter of Jean Hardy). Died 20 February 1710, buried at Québec (Hôtel-Dieu). Died at age 13.

5. Jean Baptiste Lesage (1698–?) — Born 2 November 1698, baptized 2 November 1698 at Neuville. Godfather: Jean Delisle. Godmother: Marie Françoise Silvestre (aunt, daughter of Nicolas Sylvestre). Grandfather Nicolas Silvestre also present at the baptism. Married Marguerite Barette at Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, 7 January 1721.

6. Joseph Étienne Lesage (1700–1703) — Born 18 November 1700, baptized 19 November 1700 at Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec). Godfather: Etienne Fontaine. Godmother: Marie Lessart. Buried 14 March 1703 at Québec (Notre-Dame). Died in infancy, age ~2.

7. Jean Baptiste Lesage (1702–1762) — Born 26 February 1702, baptized 26 February 1702 at Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec). Godfather: Pierre Racine. Godmother: Marie Creste. Married Marie Madeleine Allard at L'Assomption, January 1726. Buried at L'Assomption, 17 December 1762.

8. François de Sales Lesage (1704–1705) — Born 24 March 1704, baptized 24 March 1704 at Neuville. Godfather: Nicolas Math (son of Marie Jeanne Silvestre, cousin). Godmother: Marie Jeanne Silvestre (aunt, sister of Marie Barbe). Died 20 June 1705, buried at Québec (Notre-Dame). Died in infancy.

9. Marie Scholastique Lesage (1706–?) — Born 15 June 1706, baptized 15 June 1706 at Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec). Godfather: Nicolas Martin (menuisier/carpenter). Godmother: Marie Cochon (wife of Jacques Chauvin). Curé: F. Dupré. Married Pierre Piché dit Pichet (son of Adrien Lamusette Piché and Elisabeth Isabelle Léveillé) at Cap-Santé (Ste-Famille), 24 July 1724.

10. Jean Baptiste Lesage (1708–1782) — Born 18 July 1708, baptized 18 July 1708 at Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec). Godfather: Jean Baptiste Brassar. Godmother: Marie Françoise Lesage (his eldest sister). Baptized by Nicolas Boucher in the absence of the curé. Maître tailleur (master tailor). Married (1) Marie Madeleine Bougie (daughter of Jean Bougie and Marie Thérèse Parent) at Beauport, 11 July 1729; (2) Marie Jeanne Lamothe (daughter of Jean Lamothe and Anne Bruneau Jolicoeur) at Québec, 8 May 1730; (3) Marie Thérèse Gaudry dit Bourbonnière (daughter of Jacques Gaudry Bourbonnière and Anne Bourdon) at Repentigny, 25 February 1734. Died 19 March 1782, buried 21 March 1782 at L'Assomption.

11. Marie Catherine Lesage (1711–1711) — Born 10 September 1711, baptized 12 September 1711 at Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec). Godfather: Louis Boissy. Godmother: Marie Catherine Lemoine. Curé: J. François Buisson. Died 14 October 1711, buried at Québec (Notre-Dame). Died in infancy, age ~1 month. Father signed "J.B. Le Sage" in the baptism register.

12. Charles Jean Baptiste Lesage (1713–1714) — Born 10 July 1713, baptized 11 July 1713 at Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec). Godfather: Charles Gaillard (son of a Conseiller). Godmother: Jeanne Renaut Daveine Dedesmeloises. Curé: Thiboult (prêtre pénitencier). Died 7 December 1714, buried 8 December 1714 at Québec (Notre-Dame). Died in infancy, age ~17 months.

Marie Louise Lesage: Our Ancestor

Marie Louise Lesage was the third child, born 1 January 1694 and baptized the following day at Neuville (St-François-de-Sales). On 14 September 1716, she married Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne at Notre-Dame-de-Québec. The couple would settle along the Rivière L'Assomption after receiving a 1720 land concession from the Seminary of Montreal, becoming founding pioneers of that community.

Marie Louise and Jean raised twelve children of their own, including Jean Bernardin Sulière—named for his maternal grandfather, our Jean Bernardin Lesage. This grandson was baptized on 21 May 1717 at Québec, with Jean Bernardin Lesage himself serving as godfather. Through Marie Louise, the Italian soldier's blood flowed into the Soulière line, mixing with the Champagne ancestry of Nicolas Sylvestre and the colonial roots of the Sulière family, eventually reaching Janvier Soulière (1806–1899) and beyond.

Marie Louise died at L'Assomption and was buried on 31 January 1757—just nine years after her father's death and two years before her mother's.

The Soulière Line Connection

Marie Louise Lesage connects the Italian soldier to the Soulière family. Her marriage to Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne in 1716 is documented in the Tranchemontagne Documentary Biography Series, which traces each generation from the founding immigrants to the 19th century.

The Final Years

Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois died on 13 April 1748 at L'Assomption and was buried two days later, on 15 April, in the parish cemetery. The burial record notes his age as ninety-eight years—an extraordinary figure, though colonial age estimates were often approximate. Even if inflated by a few years, his longevity was remarkable for the era. The witnesses at his burial included Jean Sulière—his son-in-law, husband of Marie Louise—and Jean Baptiste Lesage, his own son.

Marie Barbe Sylvestre survived her husband by eleven years. She lived to approximately eighty-seven years of age, carrying the distinction of being recorded as "Veuve Lesage"—Widow Lesage—in the final document of her life. She was buried at L'Assomption on 6 April 1759, with Xxxxx Lesage (spouse listed as deceased) named in the record. The burial witnesses included Claude Panneton and François Cochard, with the curé Degeay presiding.

He had crossed the Alps and the Atlantic, traded the Piedmontese plains for the Canadian wilderness, and built a family whose descendants would number in the hundreds of thousands. From Santa Maria in Racconigi to L'Assomption on the St. Lawrence—a journey of five thousand miles and ninety-one years.

Key Dates

c. 1657

Birth

Racconigi, Province of Turin, Piedmont (modern-day Italy). Baptized at Santa Maria parish.

c. 1683–1685

Arrival in New France

Arrives as a soldier in the Troupes de la Marine (Compagnies Franches de la Marine), Company of M. de Muy

8 Jan 1686

Marriage

Married Marie Barbe Sylvestre at Neuville (St-François-de-Sales). Captain Demuy grants permission.

1690–1713

Children

Twelve children born over twenty-three years at Neuville, Québec, and Beauport

30 Jan 1690

First Child Baptized

Marie Françoise Lesage baptized at Neuville. Grandparents Nicolas Sylvestre and Barbe Neveu present.

2 Jan 1694

Birth of Marie Louise

Marie Louise Lesage baptized at Neuville—our direct ancestor through the Soulière Line

1716

Census Record

Household listed in the 1716 Census of Neuville, among the Sylvestre and neighboring families

14 Sep 1716

Daughter Marie Louise Marries

Marie Louise Lesage marries Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne at Notre-Dame-de-Québec

21 May 1717

Godfather to Grandson

Serves as godfather to grandson Jean Bernardin Sulière at Québec—the child named in his honor

c. 1720s–1730s

Move to L'Assomption

Family relocates from Neuville to L'Assomption, establishing a major branch of the Lesage family in Lanaudière

13 Apr 1748

Death of Jean Bernardin

Dies at L'Assomption at approximately 91 years of age. Buried 15 April 1748.

6 Apr 1759

Death of Marie Barbe

Marie Barbe Sylvestre buried at L'Assomption, age approximately 87. Recorded as "Veuve Lesage."

Connection to The Soulière Line

Nicolas Sylvestre dit Champagne c. 1642–1729 • Carignan-Salières Regiment

↓

Marie Barbe Sylvestre 1671–1759 • m. Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois

↓

Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois c. 1657–1748 • Troupes de la Marine

↓

Marie Louise Lesage 1694–1757 • m. Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne

↓

[Sulière–Lesage descendants] to the Soulière Line

↓

Janvier Soulière 1806–1899

Primary Source Documents

Database Records: Jean Bernardin Lesage

Database

PRDH Individual: Jean Bernardin Lesage Lepiedmontois

#49862 • Status: Immigrant • Born c. 1657, Racconigi, Piedmont • Died 13 April 1748

PRDH-IGD

Database

PRDH Family: Jean Martin Lesage & Catherine Bretel

Couple #5638 • Parents of Jean Bernardin • Marriage: Avant 1657

PRDH-IGD

Database Records: Marie Barbe Sylvestre

Database

PRDH Individual: Marie Barbe Sylvestre

#49863 • Born 22 April 1671 • Baptized 25 April 1671, Québec • Buried 6 April 1759, L'Assomption

PRDH-IGD

Marriage Documents (1686)

Marriage

PRDH Marriage Record: Lesage & Sylvestre

#55161 • 8 January 1686 • Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) • Groom age 26, Bride age 15

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Marriage Register: Lesage & Sylvestre

8 January 1686 • Neuville • Signed "Jean Bernardin Le Sage" • Captain Demuy grants permission

Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish Registers

Primary Source

Banns of Marriage

Jean Bernardin Lesage dit Lepiedmontois • Publication of banns prior to the January 1686 ceremony

Neuville Parish Registers

Baptism of Marie Barbe Sylvestre (1671)

Primary Source

Register: Baptism of Marie Barbe Sylvestre

25 April 1671 • Notre-Dame de Québec • "fille de Nicolas Silvestre... habitant de Dombourg"

Notre-Dame de Québec Parish Registers

Children's Baptism Records

Baptism

Marie Louise Lesage (PRDH) • OUR DIRECT ANCESTOR

2 January 1694 • Neuville • Will marry Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

Nicolas Lesage (PRDH)

16 March 1692 • Neuville • Uncle Nicolas Sylvestre as godfather

PRDH-IGD

Database

PRDH Individual: Nicolas Lesage

#49864 • Born 15 March 1692 • Two marriages • Son of Jean Bernardin

PRDH-IGD

Children's Baptism Registers

Primary Source

Register: Baptism of Marie Louise Lesage

1694 • Neuville • "fille de Jean Bernardin Lesage et de Marie Barbe Sylvestre"

Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish Registers

Primary Source

Register: Baptism of Nicolas Lesage

1692 • Neuville • Nicolas Sylvestre listed as uncle and godfather

Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Marie Françoise Lesage

#24629 • Born 29-Jan-1690 • m. Jean Paul Daveluy Larose, 1712 • Buried L'Assomption, 1761

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Marie Françoise Lesage

30 January 1690 • Neuville • First child of Jean Bernardin and Marie Barbe

Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Marie Catherine Lesage

#49866 • Born 19-May-1696 • Died 20-Feb-1710 • Buried Québec (Hôtel-Dieu) • Age 13

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Marie Catherine Lesage

#54030 • 20 May 1696 • Neuville • Godfather: Louis Silvestre (uncle)

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Marie Catherine Lesage

20 May 1696 • Neuville • Louis Silvestre godfather, Catherine Hardy godmother

Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Jean Baptiste Lesage

#49867 • Born 2-Nov-1698 • m. Marguerite Barette, 1721

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Jean Baptiste Lesage

#54093 • 2 November 1698 • Neuville • Grandfather Nicolas Silvestre present

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Jean Baptiste Lesage

2 November 1698 • Neuville • Marie Françoise Silvestre (aunt) as godmother

Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Joseph Étienne Lesage

#49868 • Born 18-Nov-1700 • Buried 14-Mar-1703 Québec • Died in infancy

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Joseph Étienne Lesage

#61923 • 19 November 1700 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Godfather: Etienne Fontaine

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Joseph Étienne Lesage

19 November 1700 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Baptized same day by François Dupré

Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Jean Baptiste Lesage #2

#49869 • Born 26-Feb-1702 • m. Marie Madeleine Allard, 1726 • Buried L'Assomption, 1762

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Jean Baptiste Lesage #2

#62096 • 26 February 1702 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Godfather: Pierre Racine

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Jean Baptiste Lesage #2

26 February 1702 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Second son named Jean Baptiste

Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: François de Sales Lesage

#49871 • Born 24-Mar-1704 • Buried 20-Jun-1705 Québec • Died in infancy

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: François de Sales Lesage

#54283 • 24 March 1704 • Neuville • Godfather: Nicolas Math (cousin)

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: François de Sales Lesage

24 March 1704 • Neuville • Marie Jeanne Silvestre (aunt) as godmother

Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Marie Scholastique Lesage

#49873 • Born 15-Jun-1706 • m. Pierre Piché Pichet, 1724

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Marie Scholastique Lesage

#62597 • 15 June 1706 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Godfather: Nicolas Martin (menuisier)

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Marie Scholastique Lesage

15 June 1706 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • "fille de Jean Bernardin le Sage et Marie Barbe Silvestre"

Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Jean Baptiste Lesage #3

#86674 • Born 18-Jul-1708 • Maître tailleur • Three marriages • Buried L'Assomption, 1782

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Jean Baptiste Lesage #3

#62848 • 18 July 1708 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Sister Marie Françoise as godmother • Baptized by Nicolas Boucher in absence of curé

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Jean Baptiste Lesage #3

18 July 1708 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Third son named Jean Baptiste

Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Marie Catherine Lesage #2

#49876 • Born 10-Sep-1711 • Died 14-Oct-1711 • Buried Québec • Age ~1 month

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Marie Catherine Lesage #2

#63214 • 12 September 1711 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Father signed "J.B. Le Sage"

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Marie Catherine Lesage #2

12 September 1711 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Second daughter named Marie Catherine

Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish Registers

Individual

PRDH Individual: Charles Jean Baptiste Lesage

#49877 • Born 10-Jul-1713 • Died 7-Dec-1714 • Buried Québec • Age ~17 months

PRDH-IGD

Baptism

PRDH Baptism: Charles Jean Baptiste Lesage

#63442 • 11 July 1713 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Godfather: Charles Gaillard (son of Conseiller)

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Baptism Register: Charles Jean Baptiste Lesage

11 July 1713 • Québec (Notre-Dame) • Last child of Jean Bernardin and Marie Barbe

Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish Registers

Family Record

Database

PRDH Couple & Family Record

Couple #5637 • 12 children listed • Marriage 8 January 1686, Neuville

PRDH-IGD

Genealogy of French in North America

Database

Genealogy of French in North America: Jean Bernardin Lesage

[5630] • Couple descends from a soldier (Regiment of Carignan) • 630,000–1,050,000 descendants

Genealogy of French in North America (Denis Beauregard)

Database

Genealogy of French in North America: Marie Louise Lesage

Our ancestor • m. Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne, 1716 • Connection to Soulière Line

Genealogy of French in North America (Denis Beauregard)

Descendant Records

Database

PRDH Individual: Marie Louise Lesage

1694–1757 • Our ancestor • m. Jean Sulière dit Tranchemontagne, 1716

PRDH-IGD

Burial Records

Burial

PRDH Burial: Jean Bernardin Lesage

#129158 • 15 April 1748 • L'Assomption • Age 98 • Death 13 April 1748

PRDH-IGD

Primary Source

Burial Register: Jean Bernardin Lesage

15 April 1748 • L'Assomption • Witnesses: Jean Sulière, Jean Baptiste Lesage

L'Assomption Parish Registers • FamilySearch

Burial

PRDH Burial: Marie Barbe Sylvestre

#287165 • 6 April 1759 • L'Assomption • Age 96 • "Veuve Lesage"

PRDH-IGD

Sources & Citations

Primary Sources

• Marriage Record (1686): Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish, 8 January 1686. "Jean Bernardin Lesage Lepiedmontois... de la Paroisse de Sancti-Maria, de la ville de Raconis, Archevêché de Turin, Piémont."
• Marriage Register (1686): "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," FamilySearch (image 65 of 587), Neuville > Saint-François-de-Sales > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1679-1752. Archives Nationales du Québec.
• Baptism, Marie Barbe Sylvestre (1671): Notre-Dame de Québec Parish, 25 April 1671.
• Baptism, Marie Françoise Lesage (1690): Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish, 30 January 1690.
• Baptism, Nicolas Lesage (1692): Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish, 16 March 1692.
• Baptism, Marie Louise Lesage (1694): Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish, 2 January 1694.
• Baptism, Marie Catherine Lesage (1696): Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish, 20 May 1696. PRDH #54030. Godfather: Louis Silvestre (uncle). Godmother: Catherine Hardy.
• Baptism, Jean Baptiste Lesage (1698): Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish, 2 November 1698. PRDH #54093. Godfather: Jean Delisle. Godmother: Marie Françoise Silvestre (aunt). Grandfather Nicolas Silvestre present.
• Baptism, Joseph Étienne Lesage (1700): Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish, 19 November 1700. PRDH #61923. Godfather: Etienne Fontaine. Godmother: Marie Lessart. Curé: François Dupré.
• Baptism, Jean Baptiste Lesage #2 (1702): Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish, 26 February 1702. PRDH #62096. Godfather: Pierre Racine. Godmother: Marie Creste. Curé: François Dupré.
• Baptism, François de Sales Lesage (1704): Neuville (St-François-de-Sales) Parish, 24 March 1704. PRDH #54283. Godfather: Nicolas Math (cousin, son of Marie Jeanne Silvestre). Godmother: Marie Jeanne Silvestre (aunt). Curé: J. Basset.
• Baptism, Marie Scholastique Lesage (1706): Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish, 15 June 1706. PRDH #62597. Godfather: Nicolas Martin (menuisier). Godmother: Marie Cochon (wife of Jacques Chauvin). Curé: F. Dupré.
• Baptism, Jean Baptiste Lesage #3 (1708): Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish, 18 July 1708. PRDH #62848. Godfather: Jean Baptiste Brassar. Godmother: Marie Françoise Lesage (sister). Baptized by Nicolas Boucher in the absence of the curé.
• Baptism, Marie Catherine Lesage #2 (1711): Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish, 12 September 1711. PRDH #63214. Godfather: Louis Boissy. Godmother: Marie Catherine Lemoine. Curé: J. François Buisson. Father signed "J.B. Le Sage."
• Baptism, Charles Jean Baptiste Lesage (1713): Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec) Parish, 11 July 1713. PRDH #63442. Godfather: Charles Gaillard (son of Conseiller). Godmother: Jeanne Renaut Daveine Dedesmeloises. Curé: Thiboult (prêtre pénitencier).
• Burial, Jean Bernardin Lesage (1748): "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," FamilySearch (image 455 of 539), L'Assomption > L'Assomption > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1724-1756. Archives Nationales du Québec.
• Burial, Marie Barbe Sylvestre (1759): L'Assomption (L'Assomption-de-la-Ste-Vierge) Parish, 6 April 1759. "Veuve Lesage."

Secondary Sources

• Beauregard, Denis. "Genealogy of French in North America." Family Sheet [5630]. © 2005–2026. Between 630,000 and 1,050,000 descendants.
• PRDH-IGD. Individual #49862 (Jean Bernardin), Individual #49863 (Marie Barbe), Couple #5637, Family #5638 (parents). Université de Montréal.
• Jetté, René. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec. Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1983.
• "Santa Maria Maggiore, Racconigi." Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org. Church rebuilt 1725–27 from earlier parish at the site.
• Theatrum Sabaudiae, 2nd edition, 1726. Etching of Racconigi by Ioannes Blaeu. First edition published 1682 for the Duchy of Savoy.
• "Historical Map of Italy in 1700." From The Public Schools Historical Atlas, ed. C. Colbeck, 1905. University of Texas at Austin.
• "Compagnies franches de la marine." Wikipedia. First companies sent to New France 1683; 35 companies by 1688.

Continue Exploring

Nicolas Sylvestre dit Champagne

Marie Barbe's father—the Carignan-Salières soldier from Champagne who settled at Neuville and fathered sixteen children.

Read Biography →

The Tranchemontagne Series

Follow the Soulière line from Jean Sulière's 1716 marriage to Marie Louise Lesage through seven generations.

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Anne Ledet: Barbe's Grandmother

The early immigrant whose bigamy scandal complicated her granddaughter's marriage—coming soon.

Coming Soon →

← Back to The Soulière Line Nicolas Sylvestre dit Champagne →

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