The Battle for Quebec City, with The Plains of Abraham, just inshore above the Citadel.
This is the story of the LESPERANCES on my maternal grandmother's
side of the family. I will start with the first LESPERANCE in North
America. Almost all research in this era was done by Gerald LESPERANCE,
Grandson of
Oliver who can be found on Oliver's
Page. He is willing to provide family members with the latest information
on his Lesperance research. Contact Jerry Lesperance.
E-mail lesperanj001@hawaii.rr.com .
Visit the Lesperance Bulletin Board
, for email from others doing research.
Jean married Marie-Suzanne BRIEN-DESROCHERS on 2 May 1759 in L'Assomption, Montreal,PQ. L'Assomption is to the northeast of Montreal, but now may be part of it. Marie- Suzanne's parents were Louis BRIEN-DESROCHERS and Marie-Catherine DESROCHES. Very similar spelling but not related except by their marriage. We don't know how many children they had but they had at least one son named Jean-Baptiste LESPERANCE.
(2) Jean-Baptiste LESPERANCE married Angelique GAUTHIER-dit-LANDREVILLE, daughter of Jean GAUTHIER-dit-LANDREVILLE and Josette ARCHAMBAULT. There is little other information except they were married on 11 Jan 1791, also at L'Assomption. They had at least one son named Narcisse LESPERANCE.
(3) Narcisse LESPERANCE married Sophie BARNABE on 19 Oct 1830 at St-Esprit,Quebec about 20 miles north of Montreal. She was the daughter of Cyprien BARNABE-dit-MARTIN and Judith ROCHELEAU-dit-LAPERCE. (Sophie's father Cyprien, was the son of Pierre BARNABE-dit-MARTIN and Marie FOREST. They came from Acadia, now called Nova Scotia, and married on 7 Feb 1763 at Repentigny, a suburb of Montreal. They appear to have left Acadia during the forceful expulsion of Acadians by the British in 1755.) Narcisse LESPERANCE and Sophie BARNABE moved to Keeseville, Clinton co, NY in the 1830's.
Narcisse and Sophie had 5 sons and probably 1 daughter Marie they were all born in NY.
1. Narcisse (Nelson) LESPERANCE, born circa 1832?, married Marie LANDRY circa 1850? and had at least 11 children: Marie, Marie Julie, Melie, Narcisse John, Julie, Marie Josephine, Sophie Delia (who died at age 10 months), Marie Henriette, David, William, and Gertrude Emma. They were all baptized at St John the Baptist Church between 1853 and 1880. There was also an Armenie LESPERANCE baptized in 1872. Her parents are listed as Nelson LESPERANCE and Marie LANDRY which lends one to believe that Nelson and Narcisse are the same.
2. Joseph LESPERANCE, my great-great grandfather , born 10 Feb 1839 in NY, married 1 Nov 1863 in Keeseville to Emilie LATOURELLE. She was born 10 Mar 1848 in Keeseville. (Daughter of Henri and Emilie (VASSEUR) LATOURELLE. Henri born 18 Aug 1834 and died 17 Mar 1914, Keeseville. Emilie (VASSEUR) born circa 1830, NY and died 15 Sept 1908, Keeseville. I have a picture of her and their gravesite.) Joseph died 3 July 1913 Keeseville, and Emilie his wife died 26 Mar 1936 also Keeseville. I also have pictures of them as well as their gravesite.
3. Eugene LESPERANCE, born circa 1840?, married Marie FLEURY circa 1870? And had at least 5 children: Peter, Rose de Lime, Eugene, Ludger and Philomene, all baptized at St. John the Baptist between 1875 and 1880.
4. Charles LESPERANCE, born circa 1840?, married Henriette BRIEN or BRION circa 1870?, and had 4 children: Charles, Peter, Marguerite, and William Oliver, all baptized at St. John's between 1874 and 1879.
5. Medard (Medore) LESPERANCE, born circa 1845?, married Clemence CHAPUT circa 1860?, and had at least 5 children: Marie Elizabeth, Medard, Oliver, Theophile, and Frederick, all baptized at St. John's between 1864 and 1880.
6. Marie LESPERANCE, born ?. Not much known but shows up as a godmother for several children.
This is a picture of 5 LATOURELLES. In the front Row, left is Emilie LATOURELLE, wife of Joseph LESPERANCE and daughter of Henri and Emilie (VASSEUR) LATOURELLE, who is right front. In the back, left is Elizabeth (LESPERANCE) FLEURY, and to the right is her daughter Louise (FLEURY) ROCK, holding her daughter Laura (ROCK) YOUNG.
rodbigelow@netzero.net 
