| Notes |
- Michel was recruited on 20 April 1653 to go to New France for a five year
engagement. At that time the colony was faltering, running out of both
money and human resources. Jeanne Mance and several other residents of
Montreal donated several thousand livres to assist in paying for the
recruitment. Michel's yearly salary was 60 livres.
On 20 June 1653 Michel left France on the "St. Nicolas". They got out
about 300 leagues when they noticed the ship leaking. It returned to St.
Nazaire for repairs.
It resailed shortly after arriving in Quebec on 16 November 1653.
After his five year engagement was up he returned to France for the
winter of 1658-59. He returned to Montreal in the summer of 1659.
He resided in Montreal until his death.
He was a master mason who was assisting in building the Chateau de
Senneville
at Fort Senneville in Montreal. On 3 August 1703. while finishing the
third story Michel fell from the scaffolding. Michel's fellow workers
took his wounded body by canoe from Senneville to Lachine.His obituary
claimes he died enroute "il mourut en chemin" Father Remy, the Parish
priest annointed him in the Last Sacrement. He was buried in Lachine the
following day.
"Ce jourd'hui cinquieme Aoust mil sept cent trois a este inhume dans le
cimetiere de cette eglise le corps de deffunct Michel Bouvier, maistre
masson aage d'environ 63 ans lequel mourut le jour d'hiver d'une chute
qu'il fit d'un echafaud de le maison de Mr. de Senneville qu'il fait
bastir en hault de cette isle ou le dit Bouvier travaillait d'ou il fut
enmene en canot pour le confesser et lui donner les deniers sacrements
mais il mourut en chemin dans le canot. Cette inhumation est faite en
presence de Bouvier, son fils, aussi maistre masson, de Guillaume d"Aoust
et de plasieurs autres."
During the American Revolution Fort Senneville was burned by the American
troops under Benedict Arnold in May of 1776 during the American retreat
from Canada.
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1633 - 1703 (70 years)