Marie Debure & Jean Bernard dit Anse

This document details the life and two marriages of Marie Debure, a Fille du Roi who settled in New France.

Marie Debure (c.1646 - 1700)

Origins and Immigration

Marie Debure was born around 1646 in Rouen, Normandy, France, the daughter of Vincent Debure and Suzanne Golin.[^1][^2]

• Immigration: After her father's death, Marie emigrated to New France in 1665 at approximately 19 years old.
• Vessel: She arrived at Quebec City on June 18, 1665, aboard "Le St-Jean-Baptiste" from Dieppe, traveling with her sister Suzanne Debure and brother-in-law Louis Lefebvre dit Batanville.[^4]
• Status: She was one of the King's Daughters (Filles du Roi), sponsored by King Louis XIV to populate the colony. Records indicate she was unable to sign her name.[^1]

First Marriage (A Short-Lived Union)

Marie first married Gilles Enard (c.1636 - 1666), who had arrived in Canada in 1646 to serve the Jesuits.[^6]

• Contract: July 23, 1665 (Notary Michel Fillion).
• Marriage Date: October 6, 1665, at Notre-Dame de Quebec.[^5]
• Residence: Charlesbourg.
• Child: They had one child, Marie Enard (b. Aug 19, 1666, d. before 1667 census).[^8]
• Gilles's Death: Gilles Enard died sometime between making his will on September 12, 1666, and Marie's remarriage on December 27, 1666.[^10]

Census Information

Death

Marie Debure was admitted to the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec on October 11, 1700, and died the same day. The burial record refers to her as "the wife of Ance, residing in Quebec," aged 69 years.[^15][^16][^17]

Jean Bernard dit Anse (c.1643 - 1698)

Origins

Jean Bernard dit Anse (variants: Hanse, Hinse) was the son of Jean Bernard and Catherine Fauden. He was born around 1643 in Thionville, Lorraine, with some records suggesting he was from Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany.[^11]

• Arrival: His first documented presence in the colony was a land concession in August 1664.[^4]
• Confirmation: He was confirmed on May 1, 1666, at Quebec City, where he was identified as German.[^4]

Marriage to Marie Debure

Jean Bernard married the widowed Marie Debure on December 27, 1666, at Notre-Dame de Quebec.

• Contract: December 3, 1666 (Notary Pierre Duquet).
• Witnesses: Prominent figures included Daniel de Rémy (Governor of New France) and Jean Bourdon (King's Attorney General).[^5]
• Residence: They settled in the village of Saint-Bernard in the parish of Charlesbourg.

Death

Jean Bernard dit Anse died after being found half-frozen on Lac Saint-Pierre. He was buried at Champlain on February 15, 1698, recorded simply as "Anse" and estimated to be about 60 years old.[^14]

Children of Marie Debure and Jean Bernard dit Anse

Marie and Jean had nine children:[^7][^11]

Note on Daughter Name Variations

Historical records show persistent confusion regarding the identities of the daughters who married:

• Jeanne (b. 1685) is believed by Jetté to be the daughter who married Pierre Brosseau, though her marriage records list her as Marie Thérèse.
• Marie Anne (b. 1683) is believed by Jetté to be the daughter who married Jacques Brunel, though her marriage and death records refer to her as Jeanne or Marie Jeanne.
• The daughter who married François Millet and later Robert Vermet is generally identified as Marie Madeleine (b. 1680), despite inconsistent ages and first names (Marie, Marie Anne) in her marriage records.

Credits and Licensing

Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.

All materials licensed: CC BY-ND 4.0 by eirenicon llc.

Sources

[^1]: Landry, Yves. Orphelines en France, pionnières au Canada: Les Filles du roi au XVIIe siècle. (2013) pg 91. [^2]: Jetté, René. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec. pg 405. [^3]: Tanguay, Cyprien. Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes. Vol 1 pg 224. [^4]: Migrations: navire St-Jean-Baptiste 1665. [^5]: BAnQ Notarial acts index (marriage contract, loans, etc.). [^6]: Family Search: “Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979.” [^7]: Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 - Drouin IGD. [^8]: Marriage image IGD. [^9]: Recensements de 1666-1667 en Nouvelle-France, compilés by Jean-Guy Sénécal. [^10]: Inventaire des testaments, donations et inventaires du régime français... Québec 1941 Vol 1 pg 195 (Gilles Enard will). [^11]: Jetté, René. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec. pg 89. [^12]: Mariage 2 IGD. [^13]: Wikisource Recensement 1681 Census selon Benjamin Sulte. [^14]: Sépulture-Funeral Anse image IGD. [^15]: Sépulture-Funeral IGD. [^16]: PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (Famille: 1844). [^17]: Registre Hôtel-Dieu de Québec pg 479. [^18]: Tanguay, Cyprien. Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes. Vol 1 pg 44. [^19]: Langlois, Michel. Dictionnaire biographique des ancêtres québécois (1608-1700) T. II, p. 46 (disproven claim regarding Marie's death).

Additional References:

• PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique
• Actes d’état civil et registres d’église du Québec (Collection Drouin)
• "Canada Marriages, 1661-1949," FamilySearch