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- Soldat de la compagnie de la Groye
http://www.nosorigines.qc.ca/GenealogieQuebec.aspx?genealogie=Francoise_Dessureau&pid=54386&lng=fr&partID=54385
Text submitted by George Buteau : Several genealogy websites identify Pierre Genereux’ parents as Pierre Genereux and Anna Plaza/Plasa. These references point to a single Genereux researcher who I contacted by email asking for his source. He said that he had obtained that information years ago from someone in either Quebec or Trois Rivieres who showed him an archive entry with these parental names. He did not document the source at the time and has since been unable to verify it. Jim Simon, another Genereux genealogist, also contacted the same person and was told essentially the same as I was told. Simon contends “there is no such document that names the parents of Pierre Genereux. And if there were it certainly would have been discovered by and mentioned in the genealogy works of Jette, Drouin and the PRDH.†In addition, Jim Simon believes that Pierre’s surname is actually unknown, that Genereux was Pierre's "Nom de Guerre", a “dit nameâ€, or "also known as" name given to him when he became a soldier since every soldier received a dit name as a recruit. Simon believes that Pierre continued to use the dit name of Genereux throughout his life. Simon goes on to say: “Without Pierre's surname, his parents’ names, and a specific place of birth, I do not believe it is possible to trace his heritage back to France.â€
The following is adapted from Jim Simon’s website “House of Genereuxâ€: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jimsimon&id=I95
Pierre Genereux was a soldier of de Groye. Louis Joseph LeGoues had the title of De Groye dit de Preaux. On April 4, 1687, he was commissioned captain of a company of the Franche-Marines. The 50 men of his company, including Pierre Genereux, were among the 150 recruits who had sailed from France aboard the vessel "Saint-Francois-Xavier" arriving in Quebec September 22, 1686. When Pierre Genereux was recruited, he would have been between the ages of 16 and 25, which would place his birth between the years of 1661 and 1670.
De Groye was assigned to patrol and protect the inhabitants in the area of La Prairie from Indian attack. At least two major campaigns by these soldiers against the Iroquois have been recorded historically, one in 1690 and the other in 1696, the latter having taken place near present-day Oswego, NY. During the years of 1698 and 1699 the size of the companies of marines was to be reduced by order of the King of France and early discharge with one year's pay was to be granted to any soldier willing to marry and settle in Canada. Pierre Genereux along with over 100 other soldiers took advantage of this offer and married in 1699.
A notarized act by the notary Normandin dated November 25, 1709, conceded to Pierre Genereux, one area of land situated in the fief of Berthier. It was the north shore of the North Channel of the St. Lawrence River. The eastern boundary of the land was adjacent to the Lord of Berthier’s land. The eastern border was also adjacent to where the future Sainte-Genevieve church was to be built, in the town later to become Berthierville.
Genereux families first settled in Berthier County, QC and later migrated to Joliette County. These two counties contain the highest concentrations of families with this surname. Genereux families have spread across Canada and into the continental United States. Most have retained the Genereux spelling but other spellings have been adopted such as Genereaux, Jenereux, Jeneroux, Jenero, and Genry. The surname has also been anglicized to Generous.
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