The Primary Sources
24+ Documents That Reconstructed Marie Chapelier's Story
[Marriage Contract Image - November 26, 1649]
Document 1 of 15
Marriage Contract, November 26, 1649. Marie Chapelier signed her name in clear script while Robert Drouin made his mark with an X. This literacy advantage would prove crucial 47 years later when Marie defended her rights through the highest courts of New France. Notarized by Guillaume Audouart, the first official notary of New France.
[PRDH Database Screenshot]
Document 2 of 15
PRDH Individual Record. Every genealogical investigation begins with the basics. The PRDH (Programme de recherche en démographie historique) database provided Marie's vital statistics: born c. 1626, married 1649, died March 18, 1697. But it couldn't answer our central question: What was the 1693-1697 lawsuit about?
[Land Sale Contract - September 12, 1655]
Document 3 of 15
The 500 Livres Transaction, September 12, 1655. Marie and Robert sold their Notre-Dame-des-Anges property for the equivalent of 2-5 years of typical income. Payment could be made in cash, beaver pelts, or merchandise—showing sophisticated understanding of colonial economics. This wasn't subsistence farming; this was wealth building.
[Land Survey - September 11, 1675]
Document 4 of 15
Land Survey, September 11, 1675. Generational wealth planning in action. Robert and Marie hired surveyor Jean Guyon to establish formal boundaries for their 23-year-old son Nicolas's property. This professional survey prevented future disputes and showed systematic estate management during the parents' lifetimes.
[1666 Census Record]
Document 5 of 15
1666 Census. Family dynamics revealed: The census shows Geneviève (age 23) and Jeanne (age 20)—Robert's daughters from his first marriage—living with Robert, Marie, and their six children. Notably, Geneviève had been married to Romain Trépagny for 10 years but still resided in the household. Context for later conflicts.
[May 2, 1695 - Document Disclosure Order]
Document 6 of 15
May 2, 1695 - Document Disclosure Order. The legal battle escalates to the highest court. The Sovereign Council orders Romain Trépagny to share his documentary evidence with Marie Chapelier and with Maître Henri de Bernières, ecclesiastical official. Note the involvement of a church official—indicating this case had moral as well as legal dimensions.
[July 11, 1695 - Appeal Set Aside & Fine]
Document 7 of 15
July 11, 1695 - Crushing Defeat for Trépagny. The Sovereign Council doesn't just reject his appeal—they declare it "MIS À NÉANT" (reduced to nothing/void) and fine him and Geneviève 60 sols for frivolous litigation. The church official sided with Marie. This was Marie's first major victory at the highest court level.
[August 22, 1695 - Default Notice]
Document 8 of 15
August 22, 1695 - Default. Trépagny fails to provide required appeal grievances following the August 8 judgment. The court issues a default notice. Marie wins on procedure as well as substance. Despite multiple losses, Trépagny continues to appeal—a pattern that would frustrate the courts for over a year.
[August 29, 1695 - Extension Granted]
Document 9 of 15
August 29, 1695 - Extension Granted. Judicial patience: Despite defaulting, the court grants Trépagny one more month to provide grounds for appeal. This demonstrates the Sovereign Council's commitment to procedural fairness—even for litigants who were clearly losing. Trépagny would waste this opportunity.
[February 13, 1696 - THE BREAKTHROUGH]
Document 10 of 15
February 13, 1696 - THE BREAKTHROUGH. Hidden in the metadata was the phrase that solved the 330-year-old mystery: "THE DONATION MADE BY THE SAID TREPAGNY AND HIS WIFE TO THE SAID ROBERT DROUIN AND TO THE SAID CHAPELIER." They had GIVEN a gift. Now they wanted it BACK. But donations are irrevocable under French law.
[November 12, 1696 - Postponement]
Document 11 of 15
November 12, 1696 - Eight Days. That's all the time left before final judgment. After three years, multiple court levels, repeated losses, and mounting costs, Trépagny gets one final postponement. The Sovereign Council would render its last decision on December 4, 1696.
[December 4, 1696 - Final Victory]
Document 12 of 15
December 4, 1696 - Complete and Final Victory. "Appeal dismissed by Étienne Drouin and Marie Chapelier, widow of Robert Drouin, against Romain Trépagny, and the appellant ordered to pay costs." Note that Marie's son Étienne joined as co-plaintiff—choosing his mother over his half-sister. Marie won all 9 judgments. She died victorious three months later.
[Robert & Anne Marriage Contract - 1636]
Document 13 of 15
Context: Robert's First Marriage, July 27, 1636. This contract between Robert Drouin and Anne Cloutier is believed to be THE OLDEST MARRIAGE CONTRACT IN CANADA. It established community property and dower rights that would affect inheritance when Anne died c. 1649. The donation Geneviève made in 1656 likely settled her claims from this first marriage.
[Family Tree Diagram]
Document 14 of 15
The Players in the Dispute, Visualized. Robert Drouin married twice: to Anne Cloutier (1636), producing Geneviève who married Romain Trépagny; then to Marie Chapelier (1649), producing Étienne and seven other children. The lawsuit pitted Robert's daughter from his first marriage against his widow from his second marriage. His son Étienne sided with his mother.
[Complete Timeline Graphic]
Document 15 of 15
The Four-Year Legal Battle at a Glance. April 27, 1693 (Bailiff rules for Marie) → January 16, 1694 (Provost Court confirms) → May-August 1695 (Sovereign Council, multiple rulings) → February 13, 1696 (Appeal dismissed again) → December 4, 1696 (Final victory). FIVE judicial levels. NINE judgments. ZERO losses. Marie Chapelier: 9, Trépagny: 0.