THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed. The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather, indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was published.

The St. Joseph Baptismal Register

(1727-1731)

Par, Rev. George and Quaife, Milo M., eds. in:
The Mississippi Valley Historical Review,
vol. 18, pp. 201-239.

pp. 211, 212, 213.

(page 211)

of jesus and missionary at the french fort of the river St. joseph baptized Susanne daughter of Gabriel Bolon soldier¹⁷ in a company of the marine detachment and of susanne menard married in the eyes of the church, born the preceeding day the 29th of the same month. the godfather was Mr nicolas coulon de villiers at present commanding for the king in this post and the godmother marguerite faucher wife of Sieur collet who declared she could not sign

	C M Mesaiger
Coulon de Villiers

__________________________

In the year 1727 this 9th of may because of evil reports spread by people coming from the illinois country that marie catherine sagatchioua who is married here to jean baptiste baron is not baptized, I rebaptized her conditionally and named her as above marie catherine

C M Mesaiger missionary of the society of

Jesus river St joseph

__________________________

In the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty seven I the under signed priest of the society of jesus and missionary at the river St joseph performed the usual ceremonies of baptism over marie catherine ouekdoukoue called heretofore sagatchioua on this 8th of june of the said year the godfather was Sieur jacques barton rochelous and the godmother marguerite faucher wife of Sieur collet who declared she could not sign

	C M Mesaiger priest miss. of the soc. of
Barton	jesus at the river St joseph

__________________________

In the year 1727 about the 29th of september I baptized 3 dying children, one a daughter of ( ) an illinois who died, a child of ouistouia's wife dit ( ) and a child of megouik¹⁸

__________________________

In the year 1728 (I baptized) the son of a woman ( ) ( ) ( ) baptized St andrew's day and named andre
( ) the 9th of april a son of abjicjak named vincent ferrer. he died

__________________________

In the year 1728 this 23 of april I, CM Mesaiger Priest of the society of jesus and missionary of the river St joseph, baptized marie Louise daughter of Gabriel Bolon soldier in a company of the marine detach- (page 212) ment and of Susanne menard married in the eyes of the church, born the day before the 22 of the same month. the godfather was Sieur Louis de la plante cadet in the marine detachment and the godmother Catherine ouekioukoue wife of jean baptiste baron voyageur from the parish of boucherville and at present settled in this post who declared she could not sign

	C M Mesaiger m of the S. of jesus
Laplante

__________________________

In the year 1729 the 7th of March I J. bap. Chardon¹⁹ priest and missionary of the society of Jesus at the river St. Joseph baptized Joseph son of Jean baptiste Baron voyageur from the parish of boucherville at present settled in this post and of Marie Catherine 8ekioukoue Married in the eye of the church, baptized the 8th of March the day following his birth. the godfather was Mr. Louis-coulon de Villiers junior²⁰ and the Godmother Marie Rheaume daughter of Sieur Jean baptiste Rheaume interpreter and of Simphorose ouaouagoukoue married in the eyes of the church.

	J. B. Chardon M. of the soc. of Jesus
Louis de villier
	marie reaume

__________________________

item the 21st Sept. a daughter of (a person named) ouistouia or ( ) from the potawatami village whom I named marie
(page 213)
the 23 of Sept I baptized a child of the chikabe family named ( ) from the Saki village. he died
the 25th of Sept I baptized a child of the ( ) family named fremin
the 3rd of october I baptized a daughter of nenaoussika a potawatami and of namouetam an ottawa woman and named her angelique
In the year 1730 1 baptized a dying child of the white cat²¹ and named him pierre, the 29th of June. He died the next day
The 14th of July I baptized an illinois girl in the lodge of the same white cat and named her marie marte

__________________________

In the year 1730 the 1st of ( ) I, C M Mesaiger priest and missionary of the society of jesus at the river St joseph, baptized ( ) son of gabriel bolon ( ) of the marine detachment and of (Susanne Menard married together in the eyes) of the church. (The godfather was) Sieur jacques ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) the godmother (Charlotte Chevallier) wife of Sieur des haitres blacksmith of this post

	C M Mesaiger miss. of the society of jesus
charlotte chevalier

__________________________

In the year 1730 the 25th of november I, C M Mesaiger priest and missionary of the society of jesus at the river St joseph, baptized Susanne daughter of Jean baptiste baron resident at the River St joseph and of marie Catherine ouekeoukoue of the illinois nation married in the eyes of the church, born the night before The godfather was Mr. coulon de villiers esquire seigneur of verchere and commanding for the king in this post. The godmother Susanne menard wife of Gabriel Bolon belonging to the garrison of this post who declared (she could not sign)

	C M Mesaiger J miss of the soc. of Jesus
Coulon de Villiers

__________________________

In the year 1731 the 13th of January I, C M Mesaiger priest and missionary of the society of jesus at the river St joseph, baptized marie catherine daughter of augustin larchevesque of quebec settled here and of marie rheaume married in the eyes of the church, born (the night be fore) the 12th. The godfather was (Nico)las coulon de villiers command-
____________________________

¹⁷Gabriel Bolon seems subsequently to have left the army and engaged in the Indian trade, with headquarters at Mackinac. See record of baptism of a daughter at Mackinac in 1745, in Wis. Hist. Colls., XIX, 14.

¹⁸This entry and the one which follows are in the handwriting of Father Mesaiger. George Par.

¹⁹Jean Baptiste Chardon was born at Bordeaux, April 27, 1651, and entered the Jesuit order in September, 1687. He came to Canada in 1699, and two years later joined the western mission with headquarters at Mackinac, although he traveled widely. He was at Green Bay for some time, and in 1705 was stationed among the Miami at St. Joseph. He was at Green Bay again in 1721, and in 1722 replaced Father Marest as Superior at Mackinac. In 1733 he was back at Montreal, and from 1735 to 1743 was registered as infirme et senex at Quebec. Here he died, April 11, 1743. He was held in high esteem by Bishop de Pontbriand, who came to his deathbed to seek his blessing.

²⁰Louis Coulon de Villiers was born August 10, 1710. In later life he was known as "Le Grand Villiers." He was with his father at Fort St. Joseph, as the present entry shows, and was probably, although not certainly, with him at Green Bay in 1733. He accompanied Longeuil on the Chickasaw expedition in 1739, and was with his brother, Nicolas Antoine, on the Acadian expedition of 1746-47. From 1750-53 he was commandant at Fort Miami. He returned to Montreal, where he married in December, 1753, and the next year was on the upper Ohio, where he "avenged" the death of his brother, Joseph, at the hands of George Washington by forcing that officer to surrender Fort Necessity. He commanded Fort Niagara in 1755, and distinguished himself in the capture of Oswego in 1756 and the campaign of Fort William Henry in 1757. He died of smallpox, Nov. 2, 1757, and was buried in the Cathedral at Quebec. See Gosselin, op. cit.

²¹The White Cat was a noted Sauk chief who resided, in this period, at St. Joseph. In 1724 he had been utilized as an agent by the French commandant (Villedonn) in an effort to establish peace between the Foxes and the Illinois. In 1735, at the time of De Noyelles' expedition against the Foxes, he seems again to have essayed the role of peacemaker. In 1736 he was living somewhere on the upper Mississippi, and was still endeavoring to bring about a peace between the French and the Foxes. On documents printed in Wis. Hist. Colls., XVI and XVII, passim.

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