Jacques Branchereau, the father of Francois and Charles Branchereau, lived in the
Village of Bouchereau, France, with his wife, Antoinette Vincent. Bouchereau is located
near the commune of Macqueville, France
Macqueville is a small, very old French community located almost due east of Rochefort.
It was a town when France was part of the Roman Empire. A reference book published in
the 1870’s stated that it was noted for the water, and an old Roman Church with
sculptured portals. There were 627 inhabitants at the time the book was published.
Jacques apparently followed the custom of that time, and used the first part of the family
name “BRANCH” and appended the last part of the village name “EREAU” to it.
There are presently 20 or more variations of the family name. They include the
following:
Brancheau, Branchaud, Branchereau dit Lacombe, Brancherault, Brancereau,
Branchau, Branchaud dit Laforest, Branchault, Branchaut, Branchaux, Bancheaud,
Brancheault, Brancho, Broncheau, Branchot, Branchot dit Lacombe, Branchou, Branshom,
Branshaw, and Bracheau. Other variations might include Branchu, Le Branchu,
and Brancher.
Any individual whose surname is shown above, and who is of French-Canadian descent
can probably trace his roots back to Charles Branchereau, our first immigrant ancestor.
Charles was baptized by LeRoyer, the Cure of Macqueville, France on September 10,
1662. His godparents were Charles des Montils, Escuyer, Sieur de la Samsormerie, and
the Daymoselle Jeannette Vinet, Dame de la Courade. Charles’ older brother Francis had
been baptized on May 26, 1654.
Francois and Charles Branchereau left France for North America at the same time,
probably accompanying Frontenac who was a Canadian hero.
Charles was a soldier, serving under the command of Pierre Payen du Noyan. One
reference called him “Charles Branchereau, Soldat de la Marine, Compagnie de M. Pierre
Payen du Noyan”.
Du Noyon once fought a duel with Deloranger. It caused quite a scandal. The matter was
brought to the attention of the King, and may have been the reason for du Noyon’s being
sent to Canada.
Another reference states that Charles was stationed at the Marine encampment located in
LaPrairie, Quebec in the year 1687. Records show that Charles was at Quebec City in
1689, but there is no mention of his older brother Francois at all.
Du Noyon and his men helped defend the city of Quebec in 1690. There is a list on
display at the Citadel of Quebec showing the name of those who fought in that battle. One
of the names on that list is “Charles Branchereau, Soldat du Noyon”.
Sometime after serving in the defense of Quebec, Du Noyon and his men returned to
LaPrairie, Quebec.
On January 10, 1694, while still serving under Du Noyon, Charles signed a contract
prepared by a Notary Royale named Charles Chalons at Quebec. This document, called a
“Contract du Chalons”, called for Charles to marry a woman named Anne-Marie Faye.
The Faye’s , or Failly, as their family name was also spelled, were one of the better
families in France.
For reasons unknown, this contract was never carried out. Exactly forty three days later,
on February 22, 1694, Charles married Marie-Marthe Garant at Ste. Famille parish on
the Isle de Orleans. This is a large island in the St. Lawrence River adjacent to Quebec
City.
Marie-Marthe was born at Ste. Famille parish on September 18, 1675. Her parents were
Pierre Garant and Renee Chamfrin.
Charles and Marie-Marthe had six sons. The first two sons were born at LaPrairie and
baptized with the surname “Branchault. They were Charles, born on March 2, 1695, and
Jacques, born on May 2, 1696.
The first son Charles died shortly after birth on or about March 5, 1695. He was buried on
this date at LaPrairie. The second son Jacques, was buried on April 3, 1715 at Beaumont,
Quebec, where his mother and step-father were living.
Charles Sr. had left military service before October 5, 1701. He was living in the parish
of Ste. Famille on Isle de Orleans, Quebec when another son was born. This son was
baptized Joseph Brancheau. This is the first recorded example of the surname
“Brancheau”.
Charles had been given a plot of land at Montmagny, Quebec as a reward for his long and
faithful military service. By November 27, 1702, he and his family were living in the parish
of St. Thomas, at Montmagny as their son Joseph was buried there on that date.
Three other sons were born to Charles and Marie-Marthe at Montmagny. They were
Charles, April 4, 1704; Michel, September 25, 1707; and Joseph, June 1, 1709.
Charles Sr. died at Montmagny, Quebec, about December 11, 1711. He was buried from
the church of St. Thomas in that community on December 14, 1711.
On July 18, 1712, Marie-Marthe Garant , Charles’ widow, married Charles Dumas at
Beaumont, Quebec. Marie-Marthe Dumas was buried at Trois-Rivieres on 7 July 1724 at age 55.
The three youngest sons born to Charles and Marie-Marthe all married, but Charles Jr.
seems to be the only one to have had any sons to carry on the family line. So we will start
with the marriage and family of the youngest, and work back to Charles.
Joseph Branchaud married Catherine-Genevieve Albert, the daughter of Rene Albert
dit Beauleau and Genevieve Arnault, at Lauzon, Levis, Quebec on February 24, 1731. On
December 15, of that year, Catherine gave birth to a son, Joseph Branchaud, Jr.. He was
buried at Levis on December 31, 1731.
Joseph Branchaud Sr. was drowned in the Etchimen River, near Levis, on May 1, 1732.
His body was recovered on June 2, and buried at Levis that same day.
On October 29, 1732, Joseph’s widow, Catherine-Genevieve, married Pierre Boule at
Levis. The following January 20, she gave birth to a son who was baptized Joseph Boule
Branchaud. He was buried at Levis on May 12, 1732. This ended this family line.
Michel Brancheau, the fifth son born to Charles Branchereau and Marie-Marthe Garant,
was married at Contrecour, Quebec, on January 7, 1733, to Marie-Jeanne Leclerc, the
daughter of Jean Leclerc dit Lefrenay and Genevieve St. Michel-Circe.
Michel and Marie-Jeanne had four children, one son and three daughters. They were
Marie-Anne, born October 22, 1733; Francois, born April 3, 1735 and died two months
after birth; Marie-Jeanne, born December 3, 1736; and Genevieve, born July 7, 1738.
Marie-Anne and Marie-Jeanne were both buried at St. Ours on September 28, 1757. What
could have happened to cause those two women of different ages to die at the same time?
Marie-Anne was about 24 years old and Marie-Jeanne, 21 years old. At this time in
history, the French and English were fighting for control of Canada, and their Indian allies
were raiding and terrorizing the countryside. These two women may have been killed in an
Indian raid. They might also have been victims of one of the many smallpox epidemics that
ravaged the population on a fairly consistent basis.
Genevieve, the youngest child born to Michel and Marie-Jeanne, married Francois Oulette,
the son of Louis Oulette and Josephte Carre Lacasse, at St. Ours, Quebec, on July 7,
1760. The church records indicate that neither of her parents were present, and one of her
brothers gave her hand in marriage. She remarried on January 19, 1778, to Louis Dumas,
the son of Pierre Dumas and Charlotte Boutin.
Michel Brancheau drowned in the St. Lawrence River near Cap de Verennes, Quebec.
His body was buried at Varennes on June 10, 1739. There is no information regarding his
widow, but it can be assumed that she remarried .
Charles Branchaud Jr., the fourth son of Charles Branchereau and Marie-Marthe
Garant, was seven years old when his father died. He must have inherited from his
father’s estate because on February 7, 1726, when he was almost 22 years old, and living
at Three Rivers, Quebec, he purchased a concession for a tract of land from the Ursuline
Nuns. The Ursuline’s owned the rights to the land at St. Antoine de la Rivierie du Loup,
Quebec.
This plot of land was four acres wide and thirty acres long. The contract was a long and
involved document, detailing the rights and responsibilities of all parties to it. It provided
Charles with the right to hunt and fish on all lands belonging to the Urseline’s which
abutted his concession.
Charles Branchaud Jr. married Agathe Banhiac dit Lamontagne, the daughter of
Antoine Banhiac dit Lamontagne and Angelique Pelitier, at St. Antoine de la Riviere du
Loup, on September 30, 1726. The banns of marriage had been announced at Three
Rivers. Agathe had just come of legal age and had inherited from her father’s estate.
The name of the parish St. Antoine de la Riviere du Loup was changed in the 1860’s-
1870’s to St. Antoine at Louiseville, Quebec.
Charles Branchaud and Agathe Banhiac had eleven children, all born at Louiseville.
Marie-Anne, was born on March 19, 1727, and buried on September 19, 1727.
Charles was born on December 5, 1728, and buried that same month.
Antoine was born on December 5, 1730. There is a question as to his date of death. One
source gives May, 1734, while another source states that he married about 1750 and died
shortly thereafter.
Agathe was born on October 24, 1732. She married Augustin Charpentier on July 1, 1760.
Charles was born on April 17, 1734 and died the following month.
Francois was born about 1737. He married Marie-Anne Desrosiers and fathered eight
children.
Marie-Anne was born on February 17, 1738. She married Jean-Baptiste Desrosiers, the
brother of Francois’ wife.
Marie-Madeleine was born about 1740. She married Pierre Plante.
Joseph was born on May 25, 1743. He married Marguerite Lambert.
Marie-Angele was born about 1745. She married Francois Lupien.
Pierre was born on April 22, 1748. He married Veronique Gelinas. Their descendants
consititute the largest of the three main family groups.
Charles Branchaud Jr. died at Louiseville on November 25, 1770. His widow, Agathe,
died there on April 6, 1778.
It was about this time that the Branchaud/Brancheau family started to migrate, starting
with the marriages of the children born to Francois, Joseph, and Pierre.
Francois, the son of Charles Jr. and Agathe Banhiac, married Marie-Anne Desrosiers,
the daughter of Jean Baptiste Desrossiers and Anne Lesage, at Louiseville, Quebec, on
May 31, 1761. Their children were all born at Louiseville.
Marie-Anne was born in 1763.
Marie-Angelique was born on March 9, 1766.
Antoine was born on February 23,1768.
Marie-Josephte was born in 1740.
Francois was born on July 4, 1774.
Louis was born on April 27, 1776.
Michel was born on October 3, 1778.
Pierre was born on October 3, 1785.
Joseph, the son of Charles Jr. and Agathe Banhiac, married Marguerite Lambert, at
Louiseville on February 10, 1766. Marguerite was the daughter of Jean Lambert and
Josephte Biron. They had nine children, all born at Louiseville.
Marguerite was born on February 25, 1767 and buried on March 12, that same year.
Joseph was born on March 26, 1768 and buried on April 14, that same year.
Marie-Marguerite was born on June 22, 1769.
Joseph was born on April 27, 1771.
Marie-Madeleine was born on July 12, 1773.
Rosalie was born on August 30, 1775.
Eustache was born on January 21, 1780.
Ambroise was born on September 9, 1783.
Albert was born on July 17, 1786.
Pierre, the youngest son of Charles Jr. and Agathe Banhiac, married Veronique Gelinas
at Yamachiche, Quebec, on February 12, 1771. Veronique was the daughter of Antoine
Gelinas and Marie-Louise Lesieur dit Desaulniers. Their first three children were born at
Yamachiche.
Pierre Jr. was born on October 29, 1772.
Francois-Noel was born on October 26, 1774.
Charles was born on October 10, 1776.
It was during this time that Pierre Sr. and Pierre Jr. adopted the surname
Brancheau. Charles kept the surname Branchereau.
Sometime after the birth of these three children, Pierre Sr. , a weaver by trade, was
appointed to the post of “Tisserand du Lieu”, weaver for the district of Beauharnois,
Quebec. Beauharnois is located on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, near
Montreal. Because his job required Pierre to travel frequently, the dates of the birth of
three of his other four children are not known.
Veronique was born about 1778.
Joseph was born on January 24, 1782.
Theresa was born about 1783.
Jean Baptiste was born about 1784 at Chateauguay, Quebec.
Pierre Sr.’ wife, Veronique Gelinas died and was buried at Chateauguay on March 26,
1795.
Francois-Noel, the second child of Pierre and Veronique, married Felicite Marois, the
daughter of Jean-Baptiste Marois and Marie-Anne Picard. They were married at St.
Clement’s in Beauharnois, Quebec, on January 9, 1797.
On or about May 5, 1798, Pierre Brancheau (his wife Veronique Gelinas had died in
March, 1795) and his oldest son Pierre Jr., along with Francois X. Leroux and his wife,
Veronique Brancheau (daughter of Pierre Sr. and Veronique Gelinas); Ambroise Reau and
spouse; Joseph Bonneau and spouse; Antoine Deneau and spouse; and Jean Baptiste
Tremblay (no spouse) along with thirteen children started up the St. Lawrence River
headed for New York. They arrived there in September, 1798 at a point of land near
Cornwall, Ontario. They named this location Messena, New York for LeRoux’s former
home at Messena, France. The group remained there for the remainder of 1798 and 1799.
Dissatisfied with this location, they moved on and during the summer of 1800 arrived in
Monroe County, Michigan in an area later to be called Frenchtown. Here they settled
down, clearing the land, cutting the trees to build their houses, and settling into a life of
farming, hunting, and fishing. Their families were born and raised here and they prospered
in their own way. There were no schools or churches when they arrived. A church, St.
Charles Borromeo, was built in 1838, in Frenchtown (later Newport) on a piece of land
donated by Jean Baptiste Trembley.
Pierre Sr. died after 1810 in Monroe County. Pierre Jr. met and married Margaret Rau
of Monroe in 1808 and they had 16 children. Among them were Pierre III, Antoine, Jean
Baptiste, David, and Isadore Gilbert. This was the start of the Brancheau family in
Michigan.
Well, that was a recitation from the past. Now let's hear about what's happening
with the family now.