Jeanne-Marguerite Bloys / Beloy

Biography

Jeanne-Marguerite Bloys married remarkably young even in a family where marriages often began early. Baptized in Montréal, in present-day Québec, Canada, on January 14, 1667, she was thirteen when she married Adrien St-Aubin on February 19, 1680. He was about thirty-two and worked for Charles Le Moyne, who attended the wedding. Jeanne-Marguerite’s godfather, Jean Gateau, was also present.

She was the daughter of Julien Bloys and Marguerite Leclerc. The family history records an August 1682 settlement of the three hundred livres connected with her marriage agreement. This provides a concrete link between her new household and her parents’ financial arrangements.

Jeanne-Marguerite and Adrien established their family at Boucherville, on the St. Lawrence’s south shore near Montréal. Their children included Julien, Marguerite, Jeanne, Marie and Charlotte. After Adrien’s death, she married Pierre Émard at Longueuil, also on the south shore opposite Montréal, on February 6, 1702. Children of this second marriage included Marie-Anne, Pierre, Marie-Josephte, Antoine and Vincent.

She was widowed again when Pierre died in September 1732. Jeanne-Marguerite lived until February 12, 1747, dying at Longueuil at eighty. Her long life encompassed two marriages and families bearing different surnames.