April 19, 1781, the Marriage Ceremony was solemnized between Thomas Stone and Margaret Paterson, daughter to Geo. Paterson, soldier in the 8th Regiment, by their mutual consent and before the undersigned witnesses. In testimony whereof the said Parties have also affixed their names – the Ceremony performed by Patrick Sinclair Esq., Governor of the Post. 1
Tho Stone
Witnesses: John Coates, Notary Public.
July 20, 1786, I, the undersigned priest, having granted dispensation of bans between Sieur Charles Viarville dit Gauthier son of Sieur Claude Germain Viarville and of Therese Villeneuve, his father and mother, of this parish, of the one part; and Magdelaine Paschal Chevalier, daughter of Sieur Louis Paschal Chevalier and of the late Magdeleine Reaume, her father and mother, residing in the same place, of the other part – administered the sacrament of matrimony to the said consorts after receiving their mutual consent which they had already pledged before witnesses pending an opportunity of having their marriage confirmed and ratified by an approved priest and before several witnesses according to the usage and custom of and as prescribed by our mother the holy church and as testified below by the signatures of Messieurs Carignan, Notary public and honeill Trader, who have signed below with the interested parties.
Payet, priest Missn.
L. Carignan; Joseph Oneille; C. Gauthier.
July 20, 1786, I, the undersigned Priest, having granted dispensation of bans between Daniel Bourassa, son of René Bourassa and madame Anne Chevalier, of this parish, of the one part; and Marguerite Bertrand, daughter of Laurent Bertrand and of the late Marie Therese Dulignon, her father and mother, of this parish, of the other part – administered the sacrament of Matrimony to the said consorts, after receiving the mutual consent which they had already pledged in the presence of witnesses, pending an opportunity of having their Marriage confirmed and ratified by an approved priest * * * and as testified below by the signatures of Messieurs Carignan, Notary public, and honeill, Trader, who have signed with u^s and the interested parties.
Payet, Missn. priest.
Joseph Oneille; L. Carignan; Dl. Bourassa.
July 23, 1786, after invoking the enlightenment of the Holy Ghost, we the undersigned, elected by a majority of votes, as Church – wardens of the church of Ste Anne de Michilimakina, messieurs Jean baptiste Barthe and Louis Carignan who formally promised and undertook to care for the interests of the said Church as their own and on their soul and conscience. 2
In testimony whereof they have signed with us. Payet, Missionary priest. 3
L. Carigan; J. B. Barthe; Ene Campion; G. Coti; C. Thierry; C. Langlade, fils; J. Sanguinet; C. Gautier; Bte Labeau; Dl. Bourassa; J. Bte Laframboise; Pr. Grignon; Marchenau; Jean Reive; Luc Chevalier.
August 8, 1787 I the undersigned priest – having granted dispensation of bans between Pierre Grignon, son of Sieur Pierre Grignon and of Marguerite Chevalier, his father and mother, of the Parish of Grondines in the government of Quebec, of the one part; and Louise Domitille Langlade, daughter of Charles Langlade and of Charlotte Bourassa, her father and mother, of this parish, of the other part – administered the sacrament of matrimony to them, after receiving the mutual consent which they had already pledged in the presence of witnesses pending an opportunity of having their union ratified by an approved priest and before several witnesses according to the custom of and as prescribed by our mother the holy church and as testified below by the signatures of messieurs Gabriel Cotté and Jacques Louis Mingui, traders, who have signed with us as have also the parties interested.
Payet, Miss. priest.
Jos. L Mainguy; Pierre Grignon; G. Cotté; Domitille Langlade.
August 20, 1787, after granting dispensation of bans between Louis Hamelin, son of Sieur Charles Hamelin and of the late Awaci, a Sauteux savage, his father and mother, of the government of Montreal, of the one part; and Josette Le Sable, a savage of the Sauteux nation, residing at the old fort of Michilimakina, of the other part – I, the undersigned priest, administered the sacrament of matrimony to them, after receiving the mutual consent they had already pledged one an other many years ago in the hope of having their marriage ratified by an approved priest and before several witnesses, also according to the ordinances of our mother the holy church and as testified below by the signatures of messieurs J. Be Nolen; L. Carignan, Notary public, witnesses, who Signed with us, as did also the husband; the wife declared that she could not sign her name.
Payet, Missn. priest
L. Hamelin.
Citations:
- This is, so far as we know, the first civil service performed at Mackinac by an officer; possibly it was the first marriage ceremony performed on Mackinac Island. The original entry is in English.[↩]
- Marginal note in the original: ”Monsieur Coté being domiciled at this post, will always give the blessed bread at Ste. Anne’s feast.”[↩]
- Louis Payet was born at Montreal in 1749, ordained to the priest hood in 1774, and in 1781 went to Detroit where he was appointed parish priest the following year. He made several trips to the outlying missions, notably to Vincennes (1784), Cahokia, and Kaskaskia. He resigned in 1786; but the next document would seem to prove that he did not return to Canada until after the summer of 1787.[↩]