François Sauveur Guay

The records and researched proposed conclusions of this family are very confused. It is clear that a François Sauveur Guay was married to Dorothee Grenon (on 17 Nov 1778 at Baie-St-Paul, QC) and to Marie-Josephte Alaire (on 8 Oct 1782 at L'Isle aux Coudres, QC.

The leading question was whether they were 2 different people or the same person. Various record and researchers have attributed both of them to the same parents, and each have very slightly differing birthdates, and it isn't consistent which has which date. The dates are 27 Mar 1754 and 2 Apr 1754, in the same location (Baie St Paul). I find these to be suspiciously close enough to actually a date of birth and a baptismal date. That is logically confirming as the proposed birth date occurred on a Monday, and the proposed baptismal date on the following Sunday. I don't know how far the family had to travel to their church, but waiting for the next Sunday, to travel there as usual, especially if it was a difficult birth and mother and child both needed a chance to recover.

So the question comes down to two logical alternatives. (1) They are twin siblings; or (2) They are one person who married two wives in different towns in different Catholic Churches, and subsequently raised separate families with each. "François Sauveur" and "Sauveur François", are not an uncommon way to name twins. But the presence of the birth/baptismal dates do not seem to have indicated that the babies were a multiple birth.

If we're dealing with multiple marriages of the same husband, the fact that he fathered children with each of them prior to marriage, and the intention shown by marrying each of them in a different town and Catholic church, suggests that they started as a secret, but the long string of children with both wives suggests that it didn't stay that way!

I thought I might be going out on a limb supporting the two wives theory, but I accidentally stumbled on another piece of evidence. In going through many different online references, I came upon a family record (RootsWeb) within the Ärthur Vermette Family put together by Kathleen Sears. There, I saw a note indicating that the marriage to Marie-Josephte Alaire on 8 Oct 1782 was designated at a "sealing spouse". Thanks to Google, I found out that was a Mormon religious term, and it was bestowed on the 2nd wife and her children. I really never thought that Mormonism had been around that early, but further investigation changed my mind.

François' 1st wife died in 1818, which was after all his children by both wives were grown and living their own lives. By this point, the records don't hint at where François & Marie-Josephte were living, and in fact we don't know where he or she died. In 1830, down in New York state, Joseph Smith began his formal public life as a leader of the Mormons. François would have been 76 at the time, and he and his wife (if she was still alive) could very well have become very early followers, and devout Mormons, for the remainder of their lives. I have no idea when the concept of "Sealing" came into the Mormon ritual and theology, but a requirement is devout involvement of both parties and their children. Even if it was not part of Mormonism in the 1830's, Sealing eternal marriages can also performed vicariously for the deceased by faithful descendants.

GEDCOM Source

@R803001135@ Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,2177::0

GEDCOM Source

Volume: Vol. 4 Sect. 2 : Gli-Jin; Page: 389 1,2177::233417

GEDCOM Source

@R803001135@ Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,2177::0

GEDCOM Source

Volume: Vol. 4 Sect. 2 : Gli-Jin; Page: 389 1,2177::233417

GEDCOM Source

@R803001135@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=150701480&pi...