Pierre Jamme dit Carriere – Genevieve Hopkins

The Carriere name first appeared in the late 17^th Century in New France (Canada) connected to our ancestor, Pierre Jamme.

Pierre Jamme was born about 1662 in St. Sylvestre, Lantheuil, Normandy, France to Jean Jamme, a farmer and Marie-Charlotte Hussof. Pierre emigrated to New France as a soldier in a Marine detachment of troops under the command of Captain M. de Crussel. The company departed from La Rochelle, France on 26 April 1687 bound for Quebec, aboard the ship ‘Arc-en-Ciel.’ Pierre was 25 years old.

The soldiers were recruited to protect the lives and interests of French colonisers from the English and Iroquois during what was to be known as the Beaver Wars. Once the soldiers arrived in the colony, they were assigned to the garrison of Fort La Presentation near the village of Lachine.

The custom of the time was to house young soldiers among people in the community. It is quite likely that Pierre was assigned to the home of Pierre Barbary dit Grandmaison, who had retired from military service.

Pierre Barbary dit Grandmaison

Pierre Barbary dit Grandmaison was born about 1646 in Thiviers, Périgueux diocese, Périgord, France to Pierre Barbary and Marguerite Blois. Pierre arrived in New France on 17 August 1665, on the ship “La Paix” as a member of Carignan-Salières Regiment 1665-1668, the Company of Contracoeur.

The Company of Contracoeur helped construct three forts on the Iroquois River (now known as the Richelieu River). They were also involved in a punitive mission against the Five Nations. When the regiment disbanded, Pierre obtained a concession on St. Suplice, which became known as Lachine. He married Marie Lebrun on 24 February 1668.

Marie Lebrun

Marie Lebrun was born in St Jacques, Normandy and emigrated to New France as part of the ‘Filles de Roi’ initiative. The initiative was designed by the French Crown to encourage young women to emigrate to New France. Seven hundred and sixty-eight ‘Filles de Roi’ were recruited between 1663 and 1674.

Under the program, the Crown paid for the transportation of the girls and in addition, each girl received an assortment of practical items in a case:

“A coiffe (hairpiece or wig), bonnet, taffeta handkerchief, pair of stockings, pair of gloves, ribbon, four shoelaces, white thread, 100 needles, 1,000 pins, a comb, pair of scissors, two knives and two livres in cash (about $3,000 in year 2000).”
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lebrun-5

The girls were taught by nuns to cook, sew, knit, make medicine and other wilderness skills to prepare them for life in the colony and improve their chances for marriage. The girls who were recruited for the ‘Fille de Roi’ came from urban settings and as many as two-thirds were orphans from convents or hospitals. The men, on the other hand, came mainly from rural areas.

In France, fathers found husbands for their daughters, who married who they were told to marry. Things were different in New France, since there were more single men than marriageable girls. The government had restrictions on the activities of single men, but provided many benefits to married couples, including financial rewards to families with many children. Single men would sometimes spent a year or more creating a house and home for their new brides.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lebrun-5

When selecting a wife, men were looking for an attractive woman, but also a sturdy woman who could grow crops, bear children and be an active participant in life in the wilderness. But in the end, the woman had to agree to the match.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lebrun-5

Marie agreed to marry Pierre Barbary Grandmaison. They married in Montreal when she was 25 years of age. Their union produced 10 children:

1669 Marie Madeleine I (m. Jean Tillard on 17 Jan 1684 but her husband died eight days later. She remarried on 21 Jun 1688 to André Barbary Danis but both died during the Lachine Massacre in 1689.)
1672 Pierre (died at 1 day old)
1673 Marie Madeleine II (m. Pierre Jamme Carriere)
1675 Marguerite (taken prisoner during Lachine Massacre)
1677 Pierre (m. Marie Francoise Pare),
1679 Philippe (died at 2 years old),
1682 Marie Francoise (taken prisoner during Lachine Massacre)
1684 Anne (died age 4 in an accidental house fire, 28 April 1689)
1682 Jean (died age 2 in an accidental house fire, 28 April 1689)
1689 Marguerite (3 months old, died during Lachine Massacre).

Pierre ‘La Carriere’ Jamme

Pierre Jamme’s company arrived in New France at about the time that Governor-General, the Marquis de Denonville was marching a large Colonial force of 1,200 men from Montreal against the Iroquois ‘Five Nations.’ While Pierre Jamme and the company of de Cruzel were familiarising themselves with their new headquarters, the Intendant, Champigny, lead an advance. They captured about 30 Iroquois and some 90 women and children using under-handed tactics. However:

“The main attack against the Mohawks, one of the Five Nations whose territory was the most easterly and therefore the closest, did not bring substantial results. There were few actual victims: although the native villages, their harvests and food reserves were systematically destroyed.”
The Story of Pierre Jamme and Marie Madeleine Barbary

In response, the Mohawks launched raids against the French soldiers and settlers. The attrition rate during this time was high. Pierre Jamme’s company assigned to ‘La Presentation’ suffered a loss of almost 50% in its first 6 months.

“According to some, the amused incredulity of Pierre Jamme towards his future prospects and the likely short duration of his career brought his comrades-in-arms to nickname him ‘La Carriere.’
The Story of Pierre Jamme and Marie Madeleine Barbary

Marie Madeleine Barbary dit Grandmaison

Marie Madeleine Barbary dit Grandmaison was Pierre Barbary’s third child and was only 15 years old when she caught Pierre Jamme’s eyes. She was born on 1 September 1673 in Montreal to Pierre Barbary dit Grandmaison and Marie Lebrun.

Marriage of Pierre and Marie Madeleine

On 24 October 1688, Pierre and Marie Madeleine signed a marriage contract, which was notarised by the royal notary, Jean-Baptiste Pottier. The contract not only stated their intention to marry but also laid out the terms of the marriage and the dowry to be paid. The record states a dowry of 300 livres was given by Pierre Jamme to his wife and Marie Madeleine’s parent gave the couple one heifer, two pigs, a half dozen hens and a rooster.

Pierre’s comrades-in-arms acted as witnesses and Pierre signed his name, Pierre Jamme dit La Carrière, referencing his nickname.

Pierre and Marie Madeleine married on 21 February 1690.

The Lachine Massacre

Six months later, 1,500 Iroquois attacked the small settlement of Lachine (375 inhabitants), under the cover of a violent hail storm. The Iroquois avoided the forts and took the village by surprise in a pre-dawn raid. Men, women and children were massacred (200 people in total), their homes were plundered and torched (56 of the 76 homes were burned down), and their animals were killed. 120 people were taken prisoner and brought back to Five Nations lands.

50 of the prisoners were tortured and burned. Pierre and Marie Barbary were both taken prisoner but died in captivity. Their 3-month-old baby daughter was killed during the massacre along with their eldest daughter, Marie, and her husband Andre Danis. Marie Madeleine (16 years old), Marguerite (14 years old), Pierre Jnr (12 years old), and Marie Francoise (7 years old), were taken prisoner. Marie Madeleine and Pierre lived in captivity for 11 years until they were released, following the signing of the Great Peace Treaty of Montreal. Marie was 27 years old, and Pierre was 23 years old when they finally returned home.

Marie Francoise and Marguerite were not among the released prisoners, they were never heard from again. They either also perished in captivity or they were integrated into one of the Iroquois tribes. Integration of enemy prisoners into tribal families was a common practice amongst the Iroquois Nations.

With the Iroquois, it was custom to preserve the life of children. Young people, when they were captured, were adopted into their own families and were then regarded as their own. This compensated them for their losses during wartime.
The Story of Pierre Jamme and Marie Madeleine Barbary

A Peaceful End

Pierre and Marie Madeleine inherited Pierre Barbary’s farming concession at Pointe Claire. There they lived and died, in relative peace, with seven children born but only four who went on to marry and carry their line down:

Marie Louise – born 28 Sept 1701, married Michel Brunet dit Letang on 20 Jan 1716 in Pointe-Claire
Louis Pierre – 15 Dec 1703, died on 6 Mar 1723 Pointe-Claire (20 years old)
Marie Anne – born 31 May 1707, married Michel Desbiens on 8 May 1724 in Pointe-Claire
Jean Baptiste – born 2 Mar 1710, died 30 Mar 1710 (3 weeks old)
Jean Baptiste – born 11 Jun 1711, married Marie Josephe Clément on 6 Apr 1728 at Pointe-Claire
Thomas – no birth date recorded, married Marie Angélique Faucher on 26 Nov 1731 at Pointe-Claire
Marie Geneviève – born 20 Sept 1716, died & buried 17 Mar 1718 Pointe-Claire (1 1/2 years old)

Marie Madeleine was not alive by the time Thomas was married but there are no records of her death. Pierre worked until he was 73 years old, at which time he bequeathed his land concession to his son Thomas, who looked after Pierre until he passed away at the age of 77 on 22 November 1740.

For more detailed information please read ‘Histoire de Pierre Jamme et Marie Madeleine Barbary‘ or the translated version ‘The Story of Pierre Jamme and Marie Madeleine Barbary‘ or the