The Children of Jean Ducas and Marie Charlotte Vandandaigue dit Gatbois
Pierre I Ducas dit Labrèche
Pierre I was born on the 9 February, 1709 and baptised the next day at Notre Dame de Montreal. His godparents were Pierre Monestier dit Labonté, another soldier in the company of Repentigny and the god mother was Catherine Pillard or Plat dit Charon, wife of Sébastien Brisson dit Laroche.
In 1732 Pierre is cited as a witness in a case of brutality. We learn in this document that at 23 years, Pierre I is a carter for the religious orders. This is probably the only child of the ancestor Jean Ducas who did not become a farmer and the only to spend his life in Quebec City. In the birth records, Pierre declares practicing the trade of carter, carriage maker or carrier. On the 3rd of March 1737 at Notre Dame de Foy, Quebec, Pierre marries Marie Catherine Barbeau, daughter of Pierre Barbeau and Marie Anne Lauzé. In the census of 1744, we find them living on Rue Saint Jean, with a boy, Pierre Labrèche, age 7 years. Pierre I and Catherine Barbeau had 12 children and about 6 made it to adult age. (Pierre, Elisabeth, Jacques, Marie Catherine, Marie Marguerite and Charlotte). Catherine Barbeau died on the 10 April, 1766 in Quebec and we believe Pierre I died around the 10 September, 1786 at St. Joseph de Maskinongé, Quebec. The majority of the descendents of this couple moved into the region of Lanaudière and took the names Dugas and/or Labrèche. Later, many moved to the United States, carrying the same surname.
Pierre II Dugas dit Labrèche
Pierre II was born on the 11 August, 1710 and was baptized on the same day at Notre Dame de Montreal. HIs godfather was Pierre Léger dit Lajeunesse, shoe maker in the company of Repentigny and the godmother was Marguerite Fortier or Forestier dit Lafortune. These godparents married on the 7 January, 1711 in Quebec. Pierre II married 4 times during his life. The first time, on October 17, 1735 at Saint Laurent, he marries Marguerite Verdon. The second time, on the 29 May, 1741 also at Saint Laurent, he marries Marie Charlotte Aubert dit Latouche. The third marriage, also at Saint Laurent, on 31 August 1750, he married Marie Josephe Bibault and finally his fourth marriage at Saint Vincent de Paul, Ile Jesus, Quebec, he married Catherine Label. From the 4 marriages of Pierre II, about 5 children reached an adult age: Pierre, Marie Charlotte, Marie Marguerite, Marie Josephe and Marie Louise. All of the notary contracts that make mention of Pierre II Dugas dit Labreche note he was a habitant of the cote Saint Laurent and Saint Francois, both in the parish of Saint Laurent, Montreal. We know also that Pierre II undertook some home construction contracts but he was essentially a farmer by trade. In the census of 1765, we find Pierre II in Saint Laurent with 28 arpents of land, a house, 9 plantings, a cow, a horse and a kiln. At this time there were also 2 boys and 3 girls under the age of 15 years. One sone of Pierre II, Pierre was a voyageur in the Upper Country "Pays d'en Haut". Unfortunately we do not have a death date for Pierre II. The bulk of his descendents settled around Sault aux Récollets and later in several districts around the south west of Montreal. They all took the names of Dugas dit Labreche then later Dugas.
Charles Dugas dit Labreche
Charles was born on the 26 of July, 1712 in Saint Laurent, Montreal and baptized the next day. HIs godfather was Charles Rameneau(probably dit Tourangeau) and the godmother was Jane Delgueil, the wife of Pierre Billeron. We find Charles for the first time in 1721 as a witness in a dispute between Jean Baptiste Tessier, habitant of Cote Saint Laurent and Joseph Fleury, accused of brutality. Charles married at Saint Joachim de la Pointe Claire on the 11 November 1743 to Marie Charlotte Fortier, the widow of Francois Bourdon. She was the daughter of Louis Fortier and Charlotte Mallet. Charles lived an unstable life. During his 43 years, he passed many notary contracts buying and selling land on the west island of Montreal. Other contracts links him also to different merchants in Montreal. At his death, his children came under the care of Pierre II Dugas dit Labreche. Pierre II also accepted a plot of land in the region of Terrebonne on the 23 August 1762 in the name of the children of his brother Charles. The bulk of his descendents settled in the region of Chateauguay, close to Montreal. Others immigrated to the United States using the name Dugas.
Jean Baptiste Dugas dit Labrèche
Jean Baptiste was baptized on the 16 September 1714 at Notre Dame de Montreal. His godfather was Etienne Veron de Grandménil and the godmother was Anne Picard, the wife of M. D'Ailleboust des Musseaux. Jean Baptiste married on the 9 June 1749 at Sainte Geneviève, Montreal, to Monique Blay, daughter of Louis and Marguerite Blay. As a voyageur, Jean Baptiste, on the 15 May, 1740 took a long journey to the post of Nipigon, Ontario for the account of Lacorne of Saint Luc and Company. Jean Baptiste seems to have had a stable and relatively prosperous life. In the Montreal Census of 1765 in the parish of Sainte Geneviève, we find him in possession of a home with a wife and a child of over 15 years (Although we suspect he was only 10 since records show his son would have been 10 at this time). Jean Baptiste was also in possession of 90 arpents of land, 36 plantings, 4 bulls, 3 cows, 2 kilns, 2 horses and 4 pigs, all of this being not a small sum during this era. The family of Jean Baptiste settled the west side of island of Montreal. Monique Blay, at her death, was buried at Oka on the south west of Montreal. We have not found a date of death for Jean Baptiste. We do know that the majority of his descendents settled in multiple areas around Montreal, but above all the regions around Ottawa, the Laurentians and west of Montreal, into Eastern Ontario and a few far west in British Columbia. These families kept the names Dugas dit Labrèche then later Dugas. From the marriage of Jean Baptiste and Monique Blay, only 2 children made it to adult age; Francois Amable and Marie Charlotte. The son, Francois Amable became the godfather to Francois-Xavier, a natural son on the 26 of September, 1802. Did this son come from an adulterous relationship, a single mother or a first nations mother? At this point we don't know. Many Dugas families today have this Francois Xavier as an ancestor who married Josephte Adélaide Massy on the 11 August 1823 at Saint Benoit, Deux Montagnes, Quebec.
Marie-Louise Dugas dit Labrèche
Marie-Louise Dugas dit Labrèche was born on the 12 of July in Saint Laurent and baptized the next day. Her godfather was Sieur Louis Denys and the godmother was Marie Boyer (probably the wife of Charles Gervais). Marie Louise married Joseph Edeline on the 6 October 1738 at Saint Aintoine de Pade, Longueuil. The parents of Joseph Edeline were Charles and Helene Charon. His maternal grandmother was Catherine Pillard, marraine of Pierre Ducas dit Labreche. We don't have much information on Marie Louise, but Joseph was a shoe maker. Marie Louise died on the 17 March, 1759 and was buried the next day in Longueuil.
Joseph Dugas dit Labrèche
Joseph was born and baptized on the 2 February 1720 at Notre Dame de Montreal. His godfather was Charles Gervais and his godmother Catherine... We are not sure of the surname Catherine but it looks like it could be Leneige or possibly Lemire. Joseph married 2 times, the first to Marie Amable Richer dit Louveteau, the daughter of Jean Baptiste and Marie Henry dit Jarry on the 26 February, 1748 at Saint Joachim, Pointe Claire. The second marriage was to Marie Francoise Cardinal, daughter of Francois and Marie-Josephe Meloche on the 19 November 1753 again at Saint Joachim. From these 2 marriages about 5 children reached adult age: Joseph, Jacques, Joachim, Suzanne and Marie-Joseph. Before marrying, Joseph made at least one trip to the "Pays d'en Haut" to the post of Chouannons. A notary contract aligns him with the merchant, Jean Gareau dit Saint Onge on the 24 August, 1742. To meet the needs of his family, Joseph placed his first son, Joseph as servant more than once. We also see many buy and sell contracts of land on the West Island of Montreal made by Joseph. In the Census of 1765 at Sainte Geneviève, Joseph was in possession of 1 home, 75 aprents of land, 6 plantings, 1 cow, 2 horses and 1 pig. We also note 1 wife and 2 boys and 1 girl under 15 living with them. We do not have the death act of Joseph Dugas. We know that the bulk of his descendents remained in the working class regions of Montreal but also in Chateauguay, south of Montreal. Others, later, emigrated to the United States. These descendents adpoted the name Degon in the United States while the rest kept the name Dugas.