THE DUPUIS FAMILY

JOSEPH-MACE GRAVEL

His first name, Joseph-Mace, is a compound of that of his father, Joseph, and his mother's family name, Mace. According to Father Pierre Gravel, Joseph and Marguerite came from d'Illiers, county of d'Eure-et-Loire, in the diocese of Chartres, France. Our ancestor Gravel, born around 1616, was born according to another source, on the left bank of the Rance, at St. Sauveur de Dinan, Bretagne (Brittany). But it is also certain that Joseph-Mace also lived in the diocese of See in Normandy. Not far from that region, at Perche-a-Morton, the R.P.A. Gadbout, O.F.M., found in the records of 9 September 1625 the name of Anne Gravel godmother of Nicholas Bouncer, son of Gasped (Bouncer). Jean Lefort, who lived in Canada at the same time in the same region as Joseph-Mace, had known Mother Perine Gravel, daughter of Denis (Gravel) of Tourouvre au Perche, France

The founders of Ville-Marie [Montreal] arrived in Quebec in August 1641. There's a strong temptation for those who like notoriety to include our ancestor Gravel in that illustrious group. However, such is not the case. The map of the Cote de Beaupre, drawn up by Jean Bourdon in 1641, indicates that Gravel was already living in Nouvelle-France (Canada). Like Robert Drouin, Francois Belanger and many others, Joseph-Mace Gravel probably came as a result of encouragement's given by Giffard.

THE START OF HIS FAMILY

After having lived in this country for quite a few years, Joseph-Mace Gravel dit Brindilierre or Brindilliere, probably as a result of his being teased because of his "slight physique", married, on the 1st of May 1644, Marguerite Tavernier. His bride, born around 1627 at Ste-Madeleine de la Ventrouze, Randonnay, Perche, France, homeland of the ancestors of Tremblay. She was the daughter of d'Eloi Tavernier and of Marguerite Gagnon, niece of three brothers name Gagnon. Father Georges d'Endemare, S.J., missionary at St.-Anne du Cap Breton in 1630, blessed their union in the chapel of Beauport, in the presence of Messieurs Legardeur de Repentigny, Noel Juchereau des Chatelets and Mathurin Gagnon, uncle of the bride. (Registry of Quebec).

On this date, the couple settled in Cote de Beaupre, about one mile west of the site of the present church at Chateau Richer. Mace had previously built a cabin on this land which fronted on the river. This farm had 6 arpents (acres)of riverfront and stretched back 126 arpents.
He officially obtained title to this land from Olivier Letardif on 19 May 1650. We know with certainty that their firstborn, Pierre, was baptized at Chateau Richer by Father Jean Le Seur, "in the house of Masse Gravel", on 9 February 1647. The godfather was Pierre Gagnon, who gave his first name to his godson, that being the custom. His aunt, Marie Tavernier, was his godmother.

In a contract assigned to Lecoustre on 8 September 1647, Gravel the merchant who lived an "Long Point", that is to say to the west of Chateau Richer, acknowledged owing 100 pounds to Pierre Legardeur, for the sale and delivery of wheat. Mrs. Gravel, on the 15 December 1648, was godmother to Jean Toupin, future Sieur de Belair, at Sault-a-la-Puce, not far from Ste. Anne.

ASSOCIATION WITH GAGNON

The ancestral Gravel, an honest and active man, while managing his farm, continuously looked elsewhere to supplement his income. According to the census of 1667, Joseph-Mace Gravel possessed 52 acres of arable farmland and 36 head of cattle in his barn. A very prosperous man for that time.

At first, Gravel became associated with Gagnon, a prominent businessman. And thus, on 6 October 1653, they were co-owners of a shop and a rooming house, near the harbor of Quebec. This building was 80 feet long. (BRH, 17, 280-281). The property was deeded to them by M. D'Aillebout on 14 August 1651. All of which was rented to Jean Garos, a shopkeeper from LaRochelle, for six months for 90 pounds. On November 8, 1661, M. Gravel sold his house "consisting of one room, an attic and a cellar", for 600 pounds, to be paid in three installments, to Louis Dupouty, Sieur de St. Louis. Thomas Touchet had bought this same house on 7 September the same year and should have made his first installment by 29 September. It seems that Touchet did not honor his contract or rescinded his contract verbally.

A DIARY OF HIS TRANSACTIONS

On 24 May 1655, the anniversary of the death of Joel Juchereau , Mace Gravel and Francois Belanger, long time partners in the clearing of their farmlands from 1645 to 1648, allowed as they had a problem. Gravel, big hearted, had worked for Belanger for 3 years without having received any payment in return. At the rate of 100 pounds per acre, Belanger had agreed to recompense his neighbor the sum of 350 pounds. Gravel acknowledged final payment on 23 March 1660 with his servant, Robert Laberge, as witness. (R.Gariepy, The town of Chateau Richer, 1969, 38).

Two years later, on 13 November 1657, Olivier Letardif, Lord of an estate in Beaupre, granted as a fief to Gravel a site 30 feet long and 20 feet wide, in the village of Chateau Richer, on the condition that he would build a house within two years. Which he did. Mace, on 8 February 1669, resold this property to David Letourneau, his miller since 15 July 1668, for 700 pounds. The property consisted of the land and a house, 24 X 20 feet, with an attic and a cellar. The neighbors were Guillaume Thibault and Barthelemy Verreau.

At this time, Gravel's family was getting larger and provided additional 'hands' for the colony. In January 1668, Mace purchased for his sons, Pierre and Alexis, the farm belonging to Marie Letavernier, his sister-in-law and widow of Giles Bacon.

This farm consisted of a house, barn, and a stable, 9 acres, which had to be worked by pickaxe rather than a plow, and was bordered by farms owned by Michel Roullois and by the Widow of Jean Doyon. This farm was also located in Chateau Richer but more to the west at a site known as Sault-a-la-Puce. Gravel paid 1000 pounds in four installments for this property consisting of 3 acres of frontage. In 1941 a chapel was erected on this site in memory of Gravel.

Father Jean Dudouyet on behalf of Bishop de Laval, on 30 October 1673, sold to "the honorable Masse Gravel" a farm consisting of 6 acres of frontage located between Jean Cochon, son of (?) and Toussaint Toupin. Gravel paid 2000 pounds for this farm. Bishop de Laval recorded this contract in Paris on June 5, 1674.

Gravel sent his daughters to be educated by the Ursulines. This cost him 600 pounds. In 1676, he offered the sisters 200 bushels of wheat in consideration of his debt. The sisters accepted the offer and gave him a release via the notary Becquet o 24 June 1680.

In 1677 Pierre died. Mace became the children's schoolteacher. On 4 July 1678 he had an inventory made. It seems that the farm on which his sons had lived had been sold on December 4th, 1676 to Bishop de Laval, for 1400 pounds. On 30 January 1686, the teacher reacquired the farm for his grandson, Pierre, for the sum of 1,169 pounds, 3 sols and 4 deniers.

And finally, on April 4 in the same year, the elder Gravel bought a farm consisting of 3 and a half acres of frontage near the river Ste-Anne, the Grande River, for his grand-son August. He paid 1,150 pounds for this farm. The seller, Jean El Piracy, a middle-class storekeeper from Quebec, continued to hold on to this farm and paid an annual rent of 57 pounds, 10 sols, and 2 deniers, to the young man.

This is a summary of the recorded transactions of Joseph-Mace Gravel, the ancestor of all the Gravels in America.


THE END OF A DREAM

After more than 46 years of travail in New France, and approaching the age of 70, our forefather Gravel gave up his spirit and entered into the eternal rest. He was buried in the cemetery at Chateau Richer on 28 April 1686. He had done many things for his new homeland. To add to what has already been said, according to the L'Institute Drouin, M. Gravel "was a contractor for masonry and carpentry for the chateau St. Louis, at Quebec, and for the church of this city". Mace Gravel was church warden for his parish from 1660 to 1663. During this time he was confirmed, along with his sons Pierre and Alexis and his servant Robert Laberge, during the first pastoral visit of Monseigneur de Laval, who was then Bishop of Quebec, on February 2, 1660.

Marie Latavernier survived her husband by 10 years. She was buried at Chateau Richer on 12 January 1697. In July of that year, the Gravel estate was divided up between the three surviving sons.

THE DESCENDANTS

The marriage of the Gravels produced 11 children, who all knew how to read and write, a rare accomplishment for this era. Alexis, Joseph and Charles united with families from the Cote de Beaupre area: named Lesot, Belanger and Guyon (Dion) respectively. Pierre, Jean and Claude, who was a twin to Joseph, married three sisters of the neighboring Cloutier family. Marguerite, who was a twin to Elisabeth, married Noel Racine. Elisabeth married Mathieu Cote.

The three remaining daughters became nuns, the three of them, born and baptized in the Cote of Beaupre, joined the Ursulines order. They brought to the Ursulines an excellent spiritual dowry because they were brought up "in the principles of a shining and solid piety".(UQ.1.488).
Marie-Madeleine, Sr. St. Paul, was baptized on 9 June 1656 by R.P. Barthelemi Vimont, S.J., missionary at St. Anne du Cap-Breton in 1629, and celebrant of the first mass at Ville-Marie (the site of present day Montreal). She entered the Ursulines order on 7 February 1674, professed her final vows in 1676, and died in Quebec on 17 March 1722.
As for Francoise, Sr. Ste. Anne, she became a novice at 19 years of age, on 7 February 1678. It appears she was very sad to leave the "grove of pines" near her father's house. She was the first of the Ursulines to reside at Three Rivers in 1697 and the second to die there "victim of her charity and a raging fever" on 9 March 1699 at the age of 40. "Although slight of build and a little delicate, " wrote the historian, "her great courage caused her to conquer all adversity." The reverend mother, Mother Drouet, her superior, wrote at her death "if the voice of the people is the voice of God, there was at the death of this dear sister a striking realization of her blessedness: the whole city regarded her as a saint".
Genevieve Gravel, Sr. de la Visitation, after a fervent novitiate, assumed the veil in 1687. She died of an inflammation of the lungs on 20 January 1691, at only 23 and a half years of age and only 45 months in her religious profession.

Among the descendants of Gravel, we could compile an imposing list of remarkable personalities. We would list the name of Bishop Elphege Gravel (1838-1904), native of St. Antoine du Richelieu, son of Nicholas Gravel and Julie Boiteau, appointed first Bishop titular of Nicolet of Rome, on August 2, 1885. The Nicolets maintain to this day the three remarkable institutions that he founded in his Episcopal diocese: The Brothers of Christian Schools, The Gray Sisters, and the Sisters of the Adoration of the Precious Blood. Equally we recall to mind the name of Mike Gravel whom the viewers of Radio-Canada Television listened to, speaking in French, from 8 September 1977 to 1 March 1978. Maurice-Robert (Mike) Gravel, native of Springfield, Mass., was born on 13 May 1930, son of Alphonse Gravel, a painting contractor, and Marie Bourassa. He married Rita Jeannette Martin. He was the person to whom Brother Edgar Bourque turned to perfect his English pronunciation. This son of Canadian immigrants from the region of Sorel eventually attained the rank of Governor of Alaska. His sister Marguerite is a nun of the Ste. Croix order.

"In their posterity, our ancestors have founded a rich heritage". (Sirac le Sage, 44,11).

Note: This article first appeared in the publication Nos Ancetres, (Our Ancestors), Vol. 3, by Gerard Lebel, 1982, pp. 59-64. Translated here by Raymond Dupuis, 9th generation grandson of Joseph Mace Gravel.

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