The following was copied from notes on the following site:
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/l/a/c/Frances-Lachance/FILE/0002text.txt
Toussaint Hunault is the progenitor of a family with many derivations, plus a dit name. The many spellings of Hunault include, Hainault; Henau, Henaud, Heneaux, Haineault, Hunaut. In certain cases, the surname will change to Deschamps and this includes variations such as: Deschant, Dishaw, Deshaw, and others.
The parents of Toussaint were Nicolas Hunault and Marie Benoist, residents of the small area of Saint-Pierre-es-Champs; today a small territorial division in the district of Le Courdray-Saint-Germer, main subdivision of Beauvais in the l'Oise Department, territory of the ancient Picardie. We assume the surname Deschamps comes from es-Champs or des Champs. Toussaint was born around 1625 but no one has found his baptismal registration. He had at least 2 brothers, and one sister.
Montreal was ten years old and in drastic need for new recruits. One of the founders, Paul de Chomeday, took on this large challenge. Due to the sometimes hostile Iroquois Nation, this would be a risky situation for recruits to come into. In the fall of 1651, Seiur de Maisonneuve left for France.
The best sailing time was in the spring of 1653. Out of 154 men recruited with Toussaint Hunault, only 120 honoured their commitment. Toussaint presented himself as a pioneer and received a salary of 75 pounds a year for a period of five years. In order to defray his expenses, he was advanced 120 pounds. On 18 April 1653, he was hired at Hotel-Dieu de LaFleche. Jerome Le Royer de La Dauversiere witnessed this before the Notary, Lafausse.
On the following June 20, Toussaint was at Saint-Nazaire, Nantes, on the mouth of the Loire. Hunault and his fellow travellers embarked on the Saint Nicolas, a worm eaten and rotten ship. After 350 Leagues, they had to turn back from the open sea. Sister Marguerite Bourgeois wrote that everyone would have died without the help of the coastal people. On July 20, the Saint Nicolas was replaced by the Saint Marguerite and on September 22, 1653, after a long and tedious journey the ship landed in Quebec.
Eleven passengers died while at sea. At the capitol's church, they sang the Te Deum (To God). Many of those hired were sick during the voyage. Some spent time in the hospital before continuing their journey to Montreal. Toussaint was strong and triumphed over all these difficulties; along with Urbain Jette, Jean Gervais, Paul Benoit dit Nivernois, and others.
On 16 November 1653, Toussaint and his friends set foot at Ville Marie, welcomed in joy by the whole population. The newcomers were lodged with welcoming families or in the fort. We don't know where Toussaint served his apprenticeship during the winter bit he probably occupied himself with cutting wood for heating.
We know that on 24 July 1654, Toussaint received from Maisonneuve, a piece of land, 30 acres deep by one acre wide on the hillside of Saint-Louis: today Iberville Street at Saint-Laurent Boulevard. His neighbours were Jean Lemarche dit Laroche and Pierre Chauvin.
Toussaint has barely received his land grant than he decided to build a home. His fiancee one was not quite a stranger because she, like him, made the crossing on the Sainte Marguerite. Fifteen-year old Marie Lorgueil was under the protection of Sister Marguerite Bourgeois. Daughter of Pierre Lorgueil and Marie Bruyere from the city of Cognac in Saint Onge; today the chief town of Charente, located 25 kilometers east of the diocesee of Saintes.
The Jesuit missionary, Father Claude Pijart, who had been living in this country since 1637, blessed Toussaint and Marie's marriage at the city fort on Monday, 23 November 1654, in the presence of witness Paul de Chomeday, Governor, and Gilbert Barbier, Chief Carpenter.
This young woman of sixteen years, Marie Lorgueil, would become the pride of a multitude of generations.
Toussaint and Marie got to work clearing the land they had received from Paul de Chomeday. Like all settlers, they had to move the forest back, hoe the ground, sow wheat and vegetables between stumps, feed domestic animals and live on the isolated land.
On 16 September 1665, the Hunaults sold their farm to Pierre Chauvin, a miller and neighbour.
In the census the following year, the Hunaults lived in Montreal with their six children. The neighbours of 1667 were Jean Baptiste Migion, Tax Collector, and Robert Perroy. The Hunaults owned three horned beasts (oxen?), four acres of cultivated land. At the beginning of 1669, Toussaint lived on the slope of Saint-Francois-de-la-Longue-Pointe.
The lives of the Hunaults continued its normal course with its joys and troubles, their departures and arrivals. On 19 October 1680, Catherine Hurault, wife of Jean Lemarch‚ died at the age of forty years. The last two daughter of Hurault-Lamarch‚: Catherine, five years old, and Marie Madeleine, three years old, were in desperate need of a protective home. They were received with open arms at the Hunault residence. Catherine married in Quebec on 26 October 1695 to Nicolas Dautour. Marie Madeleine was killed by a shot-gun wound by a soldier. She was buried in Montreal on 5 September 1691. Obviously, violence is not new.
At the census of 1681 signed by Duchesneau, Toussaint Hunault, fifty-six years old, Marie Lorgueil, forty-five years old and their four children still at home, own 19 acres of undeveloped land, four horned beasts and four guns. Their immediate neighbours were Robert Perroy and Jacques Thillier. The Lemarche children were no longer living with the Hunaults.
In 1683, the church of Notre Dame of Montrel was built. The Hunaults, like everyone else, probably made their donation for the construction of this building.
On 15 November 1683, a Notary recor that Toussaint owed his son, Andre, the amount of 370 pounds. On 22 February 1684, the noblemen of Montreal, that is, the "Sulpiciens," the proprietors of the island since March 9, 1663, granted a piece of land - four acres frontage, on the slope of Saint-Francois, to Toussaint Hunault.
In 1687, things happened quickly. On April 5, Toussaint sells 30-acres at St. Francois to his son, Andre. Two days later, he buys from Claude Tardy, a merchant in town, 80-acres at Saint Dominique along the Riviere des Prairies. On that occasion, the Notary Cabaiz‚ also testifies that Toussaint Hunault is a resident of that town.
The next day, April 8, 1687, the Sulpiciens granted a continuation of the 80-acre claim granted the night before. Furthermore, the well-known Montreal merchant, Pierre Leroux (who was killed by Iroquois on 26 May 1691 at Lachenale) gave up a 60-acre concession on the slopes of Saint Dominque in favour of Hunault.
On 30 May 1688, he again deposited money on a piece of land belonging to Nicolas Desroches, widower of Anne Archambeault, a small 28-acre piece of land.
The many ventures at the notaries continued. On May 30, 1688, four contracts were conducted in the presence of Antoine Adhemar, one establishing the settlement of funds to the creditor Charles de Couagne, Merchant and Lender. Finally, on June 25, 1689, Toussaint sold to Michel Desrosiers, the land that he had obtained from Claude Tardy, two years previously.
The greatest gift to life are children. Toussaint and Marie being strong and healthy, saw a reflection of themselves in different ways through their children: Thecle, Andre, Jeanne, Pierre, Marie-Therese, Mathurin, Francoise, Toussaint, Toussaint and Charles. They were all born in Montreal between September 1655 and 25 July 1676. They were all baptized and registered at Notre-Dame Church.
Mathurin Hunault, born on December 24, 1664, God-child of Mathurin Langevin, was buried June 25, 1671, before the age of seven. This was the first loss for the Hunaults. Another son, Toussaint, baptised 11 May 1671, died before his second birthday. The youngest of the family, Charles, godchild of Charles Barbier, died on May 29, 1695 in Montreal at age 18.
Thecle Hunault was baptized by Claude Pijart, Jesuit. Her godparents were Charles Lemoyne and Jeanne Mance. At the age of fourteen, she gave her heart to Thomas Chartrand, January 29, 1669 and she became the mother of Thomas, who in turn became the head of his family, and Toussaint who died in his crib a few days after birth. Thecle left her husband, son and parents on March 12, 1674 at the age of nineteen years.
The oldest of Hunault's sons inherited the first name of his godfather, Andre Charly of St. Ange, baker. On 23 December 1683, Andre received a land grant of 2 acres frontage on the slopes of Saint-Francois. It was situated at the end of his father Toussaint's land. In November 1686, Andre was ready to establish his own home with Marguerite Langlois, daughter of Honore and Marie Pontonnier, a couple living at Pointe-aux-Trembles. Thirteen witnesses were named at their wedding of which Sidrac Dugue, Sieur of Boisbriant, Sieur of Ile Saint-Therese. Andre and Marguerite had ten offsprings. Andre died at age fifty and was buried July 6, 1707, at Varennes.
Jeanne Hunault was sponsored at baptism by Jeanne Rousselier on November 2, 1658. She was less that fourteen years old when she married the Norman, Adrien Quevillon; They were had seven children. After Adrien's death, Jeanne married a second time on an unknown date to Jacques Corval and gave him one son; Louis- Augustin. After the sudden death of her second husband, on May 7, 1699, at Montreal, Jeanne married Pierre Taillefer, Norman solider of de LaGrois Company. Their only son, Pierre, founded a family. Thus, Jeanne and her nine children earned the enviable title of ancestors of the Quevillon, Courval and Taillerfer families. We do not know when Jenne died but we know that she was not alive on December 2, 1713, at Riviere des Prairies.
God-child of the miller, Pierre Chauvin, Pierre was baptized on November 1660, Pierre married Catherine Beauchamp, daughter of Jacques Beauchamp and Marie Dardenne on December 7, 1686, at Pointe-aux-Trembles, Montreal. On May 13, 1695, Pierre and his brother, Toussaint, promised to go west for a common merchant, Pierre Perthuis dit Lalimeand were noted in Detroit in 1707. Pierre and Marie left ten children to society.
Baptized on February 12, 1663, Marie-Therese married Guilliaume LeClerc on November 24, 1676. Among her seven children quite a few founded their own families. Tragically, she was cruelly killed by the Iroquois in their barn at Lachenale. She was buried on August 17, 1689, the year of the Lachine massacre.
Nicolas Joly, native of Bosc-Guerard-Saint-Adrien near Rouen, married 14-year old Francoise, in December 1681. Widowed and mother of four children, she married a second time to Jean Charpentier at Riviere des Prairies on 22 April 1691 and became the mother of eleven more. Francoise broke the record for longevity of the Hunaults. She was buried at Lachenaie on May 2, 1748 at eighty-one.
The son, Toussaint, married for the first time on July 2, 1691 at Quebec, Etiennette Paquet, daughter of Etienne Paquet and Henreitte Rousseau. They had ten children before Etiennette died. On May 24, 1717, he married a second time to Elisabeth Baudreau dit Graveline at Riviere des Prairies but she died before any children were born. He married a third time to Marie-Francoise Auger and they had five children. Toussaint was the last of the Hunault children to marry.
The tragic death of Marie-Therese on August 17, 1689, was not the only one for the family. A year later, on September 13, 1690 Toussaint Hunault (Sr) was cowardly murdered by Sieur Dumont de Blaignac, Lieutenant of a marine company detachment who mortally wounded him with a sword thrust in his body and immediately after took flight.
Gabriel Dumont, Baron de Blaignac, had signed in Quebec on February 1685, a matrimonial agreement with Catherine Nolan, child of Artillery Commissioner, Pierre Nolan and Catherine Houart. This was annulled on the April 5 1685.
In October 1690, the humiliated Hunault family tried to obtain justice by conceding all their civil rights to Charles de Couage, so they could sue and obtain compensation. In return, Couage cancelled all of Toussaint Hunault's debts against him. I am trying to obtain the court documents to see if there ever was a trial in abstenia. We beleive there was never any compensation paid to anyone nor do we know the reason for the murder.
Marie Lorgueil! The ancestor hidden, but not undeserving, died on Monday, November 29, 1700. The Priest, Claude Volant de Saint Claude, presided at her funeral the following day at Varennes in front of witness, Louis Petit and Jean Gaultier. She was seventy years old.
