PÉLAGIE CROTEAU
(1771-1811)

           Pélagie Croteau was born April 17, 1771, in Saint-Antoine de Tilly, daughter of Louis-François Croteau and Félicité (Chaine).

           She married Charles on January 17, 1791 in the village of Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly. Their marriage produced twelve children. Of those twelve children, it is only certain that five survived to reach adulthood. Proof of death has been found for four and I have only been able to find baptisms for the other three.

           This was an uncertain time in Québec when the English speaking Loyalists population grew dramatically, causing concern to the French colonists. They feared their culture was being threatened, and it was for this reason Britain separated the colonies into Upper(English) and Lower(French) Canada. This provided each their own government to afford for their political and cultural differences.

      There has always been a bit of a conundrum with the family of Jean-Charles Côté and Pelagie Croteau. I think I have now finally sorted out the family. The major obstacle was the two children François-Xavier and François and their spouses; and later repetition of names of children who died in infancy.

           Their first child was Jean Charles, named in honour of his father, followed by possibly, Jean Baptiste. I have yet to find his baptismal register. In 1793, their third son, François-Xavier was born in St-Antoine-de-Tilly, followed by two girls (M-Angèle “Cécile” and Marie “Flavie”). 

           The next child was François, to be noted as the only one of their children not born in the town where they lived, but St-Nicolas-de-Levi. Many have confused this François and his elder brother François-Xavier, including in the registry of their children. We should note that François-Xavier.

           The next confusion comes when we note that François-Xavier married Louise Angèle Bédard and his younger brother François married her sister Angèlique Bédard. You will find more information on each of the brothers in their own biographies.

           Two other children causing confusion are Julienne born 1803, and Adèläde, born 1811 to Jean-Charles and Pélagie, and Julienne born 1815, and Adèläde, born 1813, born to Jean-Charles and his second wife M-Marion Marotte dit Labonté.

           Pélagie died on February 01, 1811, caused by complications during childbirth. Her set of twins died shortly after her death and one year before the War of 1812. She was just forty years of age. The birth of twins at such a late age and the childbearing of many children had taken its toll. Her interred her remains at the cemetery in Saint-Antoine de Tilly.

           This research has taken some time, but I feel confident as I have found all the citations for the births of the children and many of those who lived full lives have also provided marriages and death documents.