Michel: Soldier of the Marine
Michel Jubinville became a soldier instead of pursuing his father's career as a printer in Paris. Although the reasons for this choice remain unknown, they fit into the intense military context of the 17th century.
Unlike the famous Carignan-Salières Regiment (1665), Michel belonged to the Troupes de la Marine (Marine Troops), sent by Louis XIV to protect the colony after 1667.
To learn more (French): Le soldat des troupes de la marine (1683-1715), par André Sévigny.
From Paris to Ville-Marie: The First Traces
The absence of departure and arrival registers for these Marine soldiers makes the exact date of his arrival uncertain. Here are the reference points available to us:
- The silence of the archives: According to historian Louise Dechêne, there are no systematic registers for the departures and arrivals of these soldiers. His name does not appear in any service contract (such as the fur trade) before his marriage.
- The official record: The first specific mention of Michel is his marriage certificate, celebrated in the parish of Notre-Dame (Ville-Marie) on June 7, 1706, by the Sulpician priest François Vachon de Belmont. The marriage was preceded by a mariage contract signed the same day before Michel LePailleur de LaFerté, royal notary, but I have been unable to find a copy of this document.
- The riddle of his age: Michel stated he was 35 years old at his marriage (born around 1671). If he had married immediately after his discharge from an 8-year military service, he would have set foot in New France around 1698 at the late age of 27.
- The Captain's hypothesis: On the other hand, we know that the captain of his company arrived in New France in 1689. According to Drouin, it is highly probable that Michel arrived with him; he would have been 18 years old at the time, which better matches the recruitment criteria of the era. Under this hypothesis, he might have experienced a very long military service in New France.
- An open conclusion: While awaiting the discovery of new references to our ancestor, the date of his arrival remains a mystery where several scenarios are plausible.
Movements of the Duplessis-Faber Company
- 1687: Arrival in Canada. The company lands and immediately takes up quarters on the Richelieu frontier.
- 1687 – 1689: Fort Chambly (Quebec). The company defends the fort and controls the Richelieu River against Iroquois incursions.
- 1689: Champlain (Quebec). After a sword altercation with another officer (Des Bergères), Duplessis-Faber senior relinquishes command of Chambly and temporarily withdraws to Champlain, where he marries.
- 1690 – 1700: Montreal Garrison. The company participates in defense operations in the Montreal region and escorts fur convoys during the French and Iroquois War.
- 1700 – 1712: Montreal. Captain Duplessis-Faber becomes an adjutant (aide-major) in Montreal, permanently stabilizing his company there until his death in 1712.
In the Shadow of Captain Duplessis-Faber
Michel's captain, mentioned at his wedding, was a colorful character. Settled at Fort St-Louis de Chambly in 1689, the archives of the period are not kind to him: a 1692 report notes that he is "fond of wine, is no good for the country."
History chiefly remembers his duel against Captain Raymond Blaise des Bergères de Rigauville in July 1689:
"After an altercation, the two captains fought a duel and Monsieur des Bergères was slightly wounded. The duelists were immediately arrested and imprisoned... Sieur Duplessis was ordered to pay 600 livres to Des Bergères."
— Dictionary of Canadian Biography
Furthermore, several brothers-in-arms accompanied Michel as witnesses at his wedding: "Jean Quevillon dit Ladéroute, soldier of the said Duplessis Company; Pierre Roche dit Lafleur, soldier of the said Company; Jean Jean dit St-Jean, soldier of the said Company." This leads me to believe that Michel had freshly left the ranks with a small sum of money to get married and become a settler (habitant).
Life as an "Habitant"
After his military career, Michel settled on the island of Montreal and turned his hand to farming. He married Marguerite Barbeau, and together they had seven children - four sons and three daughters - all baptized at Notre-Dame Parish.
- Father Boufendeau, Notre-Dame Parish Record
Michel died on December 15, 1718. He was approximately 47 years old. He was laid to rest in a cemetery near what is now Pointe-à-Callière in Old Montréal - a site that has since been reclaimed by the modern city.
A clue in Québec City hospital records?
An intriguing mention appears in the book "Registre journalier des malades de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec" , compiled by Marcel Fournier and Gisèle Monarque (translation: a daily record of patients of the Hôtel-Dieu of Québec). It records a patient identified as Jubinville dit St-Michel, originally from Paris.
Interestingly, the register records his age as 19 years old. If this is indeed our ancestor, this age seems highly improbable given the other chronological milestones of his life, suggesting a possible transcription error or a clerical mistake made at the time.
A slip of the pen, a mere coincidence, is this our ancestor or was there another Jubinville? It is impossible to say for sure.