♀Jeanne Rouzeau

Jeanne Rouzeau (buried 24 June 1674) was a woman of Ars, on the Île de Ré off La Rochelle, whose son Jacques left the island for New France in 1665. She was the tenth great-grandmother of Nancy Jane Blanchard (1929–2006), through her son Jacques Arrivee (died 1673).

No record of her parents has been found. She married Pierre Arrivee, son of another Pierre Arrivee of Ars; the marriage index of the genealogical society of Aunis, drawn from the parish registers, and a register of French emigrants to Canada both date the wedding at Ars on 7 May 1635. Their daughter Anne was born about 1636 and married Pierre Rouzeau, son of Pierre Rouzeau and Marguerite Chevalier, at Ars on 7 November 1650; the records do not say whether the groom was related to Jeanne. Their son Jacques was baptised in the church of Saint-Étienne at Ars on 26 October 1639. His godmother was an Anne Rouziau or Rouriau - the name is hard to read, and may be a form of Jeanne’s own family name.

Jacques married Renee Delaporte at Ars in 1663, sailed with her for New France in 1665, and died at Québec between October 1671 and August 1673. Pierre was buried at Ars on 26 April 1673. Jeanne was buried there on 24 June 1674, by which time both her husband and her emigrant son were dead.

Notes

The marriage does not appear in the surviving marriage register of Ars, which has no entries between 5 November 1634 and 22 May 1635, when a new book was begun; the date given for the wedding falls in that gap. Her surname is indexed as Rouzeau at her own marriage, and as Rousier or Rosier at the marriages of her children. The marriage index names no parents for her, the register of French emigrants holds no entry for her family, and the published dictionaries of Québec families begin this line with her son.