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- Pierre Lefebvre, born around 1627 in Villers-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, was the son of Nicolas Lefebvre and Marie Vauverin. A master carpenter by trade, Pierre arrived in New France around 1652, settling in the village of Fargy in Beauport.
Marie Chataigne, born about 1622 in Bournevaux (or Bournezeau), Aunis, France, was the daughter of Nicolas Chataigne and Catherine Sionnel (or Lionelle). Marie likely came to New France as a fille à marier, one of the young women sent to the colony to help establish families.
On August 17, 1656, Pierre and Marie were married at Notre-Dame de Québec. Their union produced three children: Marie (baptized June 20, 1657, but died two days later), Jean-Baptiste (baptized June 24, 1658), and a second Marie (baptized July 6, 1664). The 1667 census shows the family living in Fargy, with Pierre listed as a 45-year-old carpenter.
Tragedy struck the family on August 30, 1687, when Pierre Lefebvre was found dead in his barn at Beauport. The circumstances of his death led to a complex legal battle that sheds light on the harsh realities of colonial justice.
Initially, Pierre was quickly buried. However, on September 26, 1687, the sénéchal of Beauport declared Pierre's death a suicide resulting from madness. This ruling had severe consequences. The sénéchal ordered that Pierre's body be exhumed, dragged through the town twice, and then hung by the feet on a scaffold in front of his barn. Furthermore, all of Pierre's property was to be confiscated by the seigneur of Beauport, Joseph Giffard. Marie was accused of covering up the suicide and was to lose her rights to their communal property and pay a fine of 20 livres.
The family, led by Pierre's son-in-law Jean Clouet (husband of their daughter Marie), appealed this harsh sentence to the Conseil Souverain on October 13, 1687. In a strategic move, they requested that several council members recuse themselves due to their connections with the seigneur of Beauport.
On October 20, 1687, the Conseil Souverain overturned the lower court's ruling. They ordered that Marie be absolved of liability for court costs, that the confiscated property and fines be returned to her, and granted permission for Pierre's body to be exhumed and reburied in consecrated ground. Pierre Lefebvre was finally laid to rest with dignity on October 25, 1687, in the cemetery of Beauport.
This incident highlights the complexities of colonial law and the harsh treatment of suicide in 17th-century New France. It also demonstrates the resilience of Marie Chataigne and her family in fighting for justice and dignity in the face of tragedy.
After these tumultuous events, Marie continued to manage her affairs. She made her will before notary Charles Rageot on January 22, 1699. Marie Chataigne passed away in Québec City at the home of her daughter Marie and son-in-law Jean Clouet on Rue Sault-au-Matelot. She was buried on February 21, 1699, in Québec City, bringing to a close a life marked by both hardship and perseverance in the challenging environment of early New France.
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1627 - 1687 (60 years)
Set As Default Person 
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