PROVENCHER FAMILY

Other names variations: Provenche; Provancher; Provencha; Villebrun; Provenchere; Provanchère; Beaulorier; Belleville; Béland; Ducharme; Houle dit Provencher; Fleurant;

The First Archibisop of St.Boniface in Manitoba,
was Joseph-Norbert Provencher
who was related to Marie-Jeanne Lefebvre,
daughter of Gabrielle Foucault (sister of Françoise Foucault, dame Jean-Francois Lemire Marsolet), who had married Jean Baptiste Provencher

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SÉBASTIEN PROVENCHER & MARGUERITE MANCHON
The earliest ancestor of the large Provencher family in North America is Sébastien PROVENCHER.

Sebastien was hired by M. Pierre Boucher (sieur de Grosbois) in May 1658 to come live at Cap-la-Madeleine which had been first called Faverell River in 1647, then Cap-des-Trois-Rivières in 1651, and had become Cap-de-la-Madeleine on May 2 1652.
The only requierement Mr. Boucher had made for his success in Canada was that Sebastien should not be lazy.

Recent research seems to indicate that the origins of Sebastien Provencher could be in Pithiviers, France and Marguerite Manchon could be in Arthenay, in the Loiret region in France.

Sébastien PROVENCHER, son of Sébastien Provenchère and Catherine Bretonnet, born in 1634 (Canadian census of 1667) in Pithiviers was baptised in the Catholic Church of Église Saint-Salomon, Orléans, in the Loiret, France.

Sebastian was married on January 22 in 1663 at the Cap-de-la-Madeleine in QUEBEC (their marriage contrat was with Louis Laurant, JANUARY 22 1663, Archives of Trois-Rivières) with Marguerite MANCHON, born in ARTENAY, MARCH 28 1637 and baptised in the Ctholic Church at Eglise Saint-Victor in Orléans, in Le Loiret, France, daughter of NICHOLAS MANCHON and MARIE BARATIN.

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THE SIX CHILDREN OF SEBASTIEN PROVENCHER and MARGUERITE MANCHON:

1. Madeleine (Manchon) PROVENCHER -b. c. 1663;
married Nov.15 1676 (contract marriage was notarized by Antoine Adhémard) to
Aubin MAUDOUS, son of Michel Maudous and Marie ARNAUDE.
Madeleine died on June 19 1731 at Saint-Michel-de-Yamaska.

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2. Marguerite (Manchon) PROVENCHER - Born c. 1665 (1667 CENSUS)
Was married on April 28 1682 in Cap-de-la-Madeleine (Marriage Contract was notarized Jean Cusson) to
Anthoine Cottenoire de Villier, son of de François Cottenoir & Marie Coffin.
Marguerite died on October 27 1739 on l’Ile Dupas.
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3. Louis (Manchon) PROVENCHER - Born c. 1668 (1681 CENSUS)
Married May 14 1691 in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, QUEBEC to
Simone Massé, daughter of Jacques Massé & Marie Catherine Guillet.
LOUIS and SIMONE HAD ten (10) children: 6 boys and 4 daughters.
LOUIS died November 27 1725 at le Cap-de-la-Madeleine.
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4. Sébastien (Manchon) PROVENCHER - Born around 1670 (CENSUS 1681)
Married on August 22nd 1694 (Marriage contract was notarized by Sévérin Ameau) to
Marie-Anne MASSE, daughter of Jacques Massé & Marie-Catherine Guillet.
SEBASTIEN and MARIE-ANNE had nine (9) children: Seven (7) boys and two (2) girls.
Sebastien died in Montréal on FEBRUARY 17 1739
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5. Jean-François (Manchon) PROVENCHER - Born on February lst 1674 at Cap-de-la-Madeleine in QUEBEC.
Married on November 15 1701 in Batiscan
Marguerite Moreau, daughter of Jean Moreau & Anne Guillet.
JEAN-FRANCOIS and MARGUERITE had ten (10) children: Four (4) boys and six (6) girls
Jean Francois died on February 2nd 1734 in Bécancour.
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6. Catherine (Manchon) PROVENCHER - Born on April 23 1678 in Cap-de-la-Madeleine.
Married on August 2nd 1702 (Marriage contract notarized by Jean-Baptiste Pottier) Louis Massé, son of Jacques Massé & Marie-Catherine Guillet.