- The life of our ancestors is often idealized as harsh but bucolic, a more “natural” way of living.
- Two centuries ago, the French Canadian population lived with both high fertility and high mortality.
- Joseph Landry and Josephe Coron Dauphinais, married in Sorel in 1778, had 25 children in 27 years.
- Only five of their children made it to adulthood, while the twenty others died before the age of two.
- The PRDH lists Catholics who lived in Quebec from 1621 to 1849 and links their records into family files.
Throughout History, idealizing the past has been a common theme. The life of our ancestors is often perceived as having been harsh, but also bucolic and charming, a more “natural” way of living.
But one must know that the French Canadian population of two centuries ago lived under a demographic profile characterized by high fertility as well as high mortality. In the absence of contraception, a couple’s fertility was expressed fully. Let’s look at the case of Joseph Landry and Josephe Coron Dauphinais, married on the 13th of February 1778 in Sorel.
Born in March 1761, Josephe Coron was 16 years old on the day of her marriage; she was already pregnant, as she gave birth in May 1778. Twenty four more births followed, the last one in April 1805, 27 years after the first. Josephe had just celebrated her 44th anniversary. This remarkable woman died in 1842 at the age of 81.
Twenty five children in 27 years, with only five making it to adulthood; the twenty others dying before the age of two. Who would exchange today’s living conditions for the ones provided by Nature?
You can learn more about your ancestor’s fertility with a subscription to the PRDH, where you will find all of the Catholic individuals who lived in Quebec between 1621 and 1849. These individuals are listed through their baptism, marriage and burial records, which are linked through individual and family files. These files, such as the one used in this article, give you a detailed overview of the fertility and living conditions of your ancestors.
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Bertrand and François Desjardins
September 2017
Frequently asked questions
A great many. Joseph Landry and Josephe Coron Dauphinais, married in Sorel on February 13, 1778, had 25 children in 27 years. The first was born in May 1778 and the last in April 1805, when Josephe had just turned 44.
In the Landry family, only five of the 25 children made it to adulthood, and the twenty others died before the age of two. This reflects the demographic profile of the time, marked by both high fertility and high mortality.
Born in March 1761, Josephe Coron was 16 years old on the day of her marriage in 1778, and already pregnant. After giving birth 25 times over 27 years, the last time in April 1805, she lived until 1842 and died at the age of 81.
The PRDH lists all the Catholic individuals who lived in Quebec between 1621 and 1849 through their baptism, marriage and burial records. These records are linked through individual and family files that give a detailed overview of a couple’s fertility.
