The archives of
Jean-Marie Levasseur (1927-2023)

Our thanks to the estate of Jean-Marie Levasseur for allowing us to spread this information
Research and compilation of documents : Huguette Levasseur
Editing: Jean-Pierre Levasseur
Translation: Pierre Levasseur
Note to the reader: Athough these publications are all in French, you can still find lots
of information, photos and tables that can help you in your research.

Biography

Jean-Marie Levasseur was born on December 8, 1927, in Trois-Rivières. Son of Pierre Levasseur and Léda Rivard, he was the eldest in a family of 5 children. At the age of 14, Jean-Marie was orphaned of his father. He did his classical studies at the Séminaire de Trois-Rivières. Following this, he earned a bachelor’s degree, then a licentiate in theology, at Université Laval in Quebec City. On June 12, 1953, he was ordained a priest at the Trois-Rivières Cathedral. He then went on to further his studies in Rome, earning a doctorate in theology from Angelicum University.

Jean-Marie Levasseur devoted a large part of his career to teaching theology at the Grand Séminaire Saint-Pie-X in Trois-Rivières, then at the Université du Québec in Trois-Rivières as well. In addition to teaching, he was involved in research, the administration of his department and the publication of theological and pastoral papers. In 1993, he quit teaching and agreed to become the priest moderator of St-Gabriel-Archange parish, located in the Cap-de-la-Madeleine sector of Trois-Rivières. He held this position until 2005. Thereafter, he continued to make himself available for various pastoral activities.

Jean-Marie Levasseur was a descendant of the ancestor Pierre. He was interested in the history of his family. He became a member of the Levasseur Association of America when it was founded in 1988, and he took part in several of the gatherings. In the years 2000, Jean-Marie researched the history of his grandfather Aimé, the Levasseurs of Saint-Maurice, and Denis-Joseph, the first Levasseur to arrive in Trois-Rivières. He published this research and gave lectures on these topics. He was a passionate, meticulous and generous researcher who consulted various archives and was interested in the historical context in which our ancestors lived. His document on Denis-Joseph Levasseur, grandson of the ancestor Pierre, sheds some very interesting light on the descendants living in the Maurice and Central Québec regions.

Jean-Marie Levasseur died in Trois-Rivières on February 3, 2023, at the age of 95. The Levasseur Association of America had lost a faithful collaborator.

Several documents concerning the history and genealogy of the Levasseurs, as well as work done by Jean-Marie Levasseur on these subjects, were donated to the Levasseur Association of America. The association gives thanks to the liquidator of his estate and family members for this gesture. A number of writings have been added to the documents that the deceased had donated to the association during his lifetime, documents that will be accessible via the websites: https://jean-marie.levasseur.org and https://www.levasseur.org

The genealogical fan of Jean-Marie Levasseur

Jean-Marie Levasseur’s ancestor, Pierre Levasseur and his brother Jean and sister Jeanne came to New France. Pierre and Jean settled in Quebec City around the middle of the 17th century. Jeanne returned to France. They were the children of Noël Levasseur and Geneviève Gaugé. Their father was a master carpenter. Pierre was baptized around 1627 in the parish of Saint-Leu-et-Saint-Gilles, in Paris. From the marriage of Pierre Levasseur and Jeanne de Chaverlange were born seven children, including four girls and three boys. At the baptism of his second child in 1658, the ancestor was called Pierre Levasseur dit Lespérance. Among his sons, only Pierre will have descendants. The ancestor Pierre Levasseur died on March 12, 1694 at the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, at the age of 67. His wife, Jeanne de Chaverlange, had died earlier, probably between the years 1679 and 1681.

Note: Click on the image on the left to view in full size

Publications et références

Title : Aimé Levasseur (1850-1906).  Trois-Rivières, 2002, 262p.
(online consultation available by clicking on this link)     

The author presents a biography of his paternal grandfather. Volume 1 (164 pages) contains a historical sketch, a historical novel, genealogical data on Aimé and his wife, Clarisse Levasseur, official documents, a bibliography and a detailed table of contents. Aimé Levasseur, born in Bécancour, first experienced military life in his youth, in Canada and Europe. He later became a farmer in St-Maurice, where he served as town councillor and then as chairman of the school board. Volume 2 (pages 165-262) contains additional documents and photos with commentary. (Note: Volume 2 of the paper version follows Volume 1 in the electronic version).

Title:  The Levasseurs of Saint-Maurice. Trois-Rivières. 2 tomes, 2011
(Online consultation available by clicking on this link)     

Volume 1 (114 pages) is entitled “Les personnes” (The Persons). It describes the pioneers of St-Maurice (1831-1851), the succession (1851-1881), consolidation (1881-1901) and modernization in the 20th century. The appendices contain analyses of the various censuses and a photo album. A list of sources and table of contents follow. Volume 2 (158 pages) is entitled “Les Terres” (The Land). It locates the first lands, then describes the pioneers’ beginnings, the transfer and the location of the properties. Working tools include Le censier B-2, 1888-1926, Saint-Maurice, Seigneurie du Cap-de-la-Madeleine, an exceptional compilation by Joceline Levasseur of St-Maurice (2011) (Note: Volume 2 of the paper version follows Volume 1 in the electronic version).

Title:  Denis-Joseph Levasseur (1712-1792) in the Trois-Rivières of the 18th century – Abridged version. Trois-Rivières, 2015, 96 pages  – Trois-Rivières, 2015, 96 p
(online consultation available by clicking on this link)     

Denis-Joseph, grandson of the ancestor Pierre, was the first Levasseur to settle in Trois-Rivières in 1736. He is at the origin of many descendants who first settled in the Mauricie and Central Québec regions. Many later migrated to other regions of Quebec, Canada and the United States. This document presents the life of Denis-Joseph and his children, based on notarized contracts. It also presents the historical context of that period in Trois-Rivières. (Note: The electronic edition of this document was built up from the author’s archives.)

Title:  Denis-Joseph Levasseur (1712-1792) in the Trois-Rivières of the 18th century– Full version. Trois-Rivières, 2015, 432 pages Trois-Rivières, 2015, 432 p
(online consultation available by clicking on this link)     

Denis-Joseph, grandson of the ancestor Pierre, was the first Levasseur to settle in Trois-Rivières in 1736. He is at the origin of many descendants who first settled in the Mauricie and Central Québec regions. Many later migrated to other regions of Quebec, Canada and the United States. This document presents the life of Denis-Joseph and his children, based on notarized contracts. It also presents the historical context of that period in Trois-Rivières. (Note: The electronic edition of this document was built up from the author’s archives.)

Titre : The Levasseurs in Trois-Rivières in the 18th century. Trois-Rivières, 2014, 20 pages.
(online consultation available by clicking on this link)     

This brochure gathers the essence of a lecture given by Jean-Marie Levasseur, in Trois-Rivières, on September 6, 2014, during the Levasseur Gathering. It talks about all the Levasseurs who lived in Trois-Rivières in the 18th century, but especially Denis-Joseph Levasseur (1712-1792), who arrived in Trois-Rivières in 1736 and settled there permanently. The brochure also includes information about the city of Trois-Rivières in the 18th century, Denis-Joseph’s three residences and the orientations of his children. (Note: This document was reconstructed from the author’s archives. (The presentation of the electronic edition differs from the paper version).

Titre : Pierre Levasseur (1894-1941) Léda Rivard (1894-1972). Trois-Rivières, 2020. Volume reconstructed from the archives of Jean-Marie Levasseur. The digital version differs somewhat from the printed version.
(online consultation available by clicking on this link)

The author presents the history of his parents and family.

“In tribute to Pierre Levasseur and his ancestors who paved the way for him in New France. To his wife Léda Rivard, who accompanied him in his life in Trois-Rivières and who courageously pursued their life project”.

Other documents

Title: Pierre Levasseur 1894-1941.  His Ancestors. His descendants. 2019. (This unfinished document is taken from the archives of Jean-Marie Levasseur)

Jean-Marie Levasseur presents his ancestors. Those of the 1st and 2nd generations settled in Quebec City; the 3rd generation, in Trois-Rivières (Denis-Joseph); the 4th, 5th and 6th generation, in Bécancour; the 7th generation (Aimé), in Saint-Maurice; the 8th generation (his father Pierre), in Trois-Rivières and Windigo. Denis-Joseph, Aimé and Pierre occupy a major part of this document. The ancestors of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th generations are briefly presented.
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Title:  The Estate of Pierre Levasseur II (1661-1731) (Note: This document is taken from the archives of Jean-Marie Levasseur)).
(Click here to download this document in PDF format)

In 1735, Pierre Levasseur II’s house stood on Mont-Carmel street, across from the Gouvernors’ Gardens in Quebec City. Today, it is locted on the grounds of the Château Frontenac. After Pierre’s death, the house and the property were divided between his son Pierre-Noël Levasseur, from his first marriage, and Anne Mesnage, his second wife. In a document, architect Maillou draws and explains the architectural plan for the division of the land and the house. Notary Jacques Barbel’s document sheds light on this division.

Articles published in the Levasseur Newsletters (the links will take you to the publication):

Transcripts of notarized contracts reproduced from the archives of Jean-Marie Levasseur.

Pierre Levasseur, son of the ancestor Pierre Levasseur, lived in Quebec City, Mont-Carmel street. He was a master carpenter. He got married twice. His first wife was Madeleine Chapeau; his second wife, Anne Ménage. From his first marriage, a famous sculptor, Pierre-Noël Levasseur was born. The following notarized deeds have been transcribed:

Denis-Joseph Levasseur, son of Pierre and grandson of Pierre Levasseur the ancestor, settled in Trois-Rivières in the 18th century. Jean-Marie Levasseur in his volume Denis-Joseph Levasseur (1712-1792) in the Trois-Rivières of the 18th century  makes the transcription of 58 notarized contracts presented in chronological order. Consult the list of contracts in the table of contents, on pages 339-342.

Minutes transcribed

Minutes transcribed and reproduced from the archives of Jean-Marie Levasseur.

Aimé Levasseur (1850-1906) is the grandfather of Jean-Marie Levasseur. Aimé lived in Saint-Maurice. He was a municipal councillor from 1887 to 1889 and president of the School Board from 1901 to 1902. Jean-Marie Levasseur made a transcript of the minutes of the meetings of that time, thus illustrating the problems addressed by municipal councillors and school commissioners.

Research on this site

A search of our databases is an excellent way to find specific content or topics on the Levasseur and Carmel families.