Jeanne Perrin

     Jeanne was born on Tuesday, 26 May 1615 in La Rochelle, Bishopric of La Rochelle, Poitou-Charentes, France. She was the daughter of David Perrin & Jeanne Daniau. The couple married at the Calvinist Temple, La Rochelle on 4 August 1614. She was christened there on 31 May 1615 in the Calvinist Temple.¹ Jeanne married Pierre Duteau in 1638 in La Rochelle.² In 1651, there was a huge explosion that was very near the Duteau family home. The family was not injured, but it left them not feeling safe. In fact, history states that from this point forward, La Rochelle was not safe for any Huguenot. By 1658, Pierre realized his life was all but over and he feared for what his family might face upon his death.
So on 16 April 1658, Pierre Duteau, his wife, Jeanne, and their children went to the office of the Notary Pierre Teuleron onThree Merchants Street of La Rochelle. Two contracts were drawn up and signed that day. The first was to indenture Jeanne and their youngest daughter, 8 year old Madeleine as servants in the household of Jacques de La Poterie, a landowner in Quebec. It was a contract for 5 years, during which the two would be fed and paid 50 livres a year. Also in the contract, Pierre authorizes his wife to engage in the contract. A second contract indentures his son Charles to the same gentleman for a period of three years. Charles was to receive 30 livres at the end of the 3 years. These contracts where signed by Pierre Denys, on behalf of his father-in-law, Jacques de La Poterie. The next morning a third contract was signed, again by the same Pierre Denys and by Marie the older daughter. She was to work as a servant for Pierre Denys for three years.
The effect of these contracts was a means for Pierre, who was ill and did not expect to live, to get his family out of harms way in La Rochelle and give them transport to Quebec.³ On 16 April 1658, she signed a contract whereby she & her daughter, Madeleine [she being only 8 years old], were to work for Jacques de la Poterier for a period of 5 years, receiving 50 livres per year. Her other two children signed separate contracts. Soon after the contracts were written, Jeanne and her three children left France aboard the ship "Le Prince Guillaume" for Quebec.⁴