Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE

(b. 24 September 1720 , Longueuil, Canada, New France d. 29 December 1779 , La Prairie, Province of Québec, Canada )

Am I Your Ancestor?
VIAU dit LESPERANCE Family Tree – Connecting the Past to the Present!

What started out as our family is now your’s too!

Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE was born 24 September 1720 in Longueuil, Canada, New France

Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE was the child of Michel VIAU and Helene CHARLES LAJEUNESSE and the grandchild of: (paternal) Jacques VIAU dit LESPÉRANCE and Marie-Madeleine PLOUARD (PLOUART) (maternal) Étienne CHARLES dit LAJEUNESSE and Madeleine NIEL

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Pierre married Marie MENARD dite BELLEROSE 16 January 1747 in Longueuil, Canada, New France . The couple had (at least) 1 child.
Marie MENARD dite BELLEROSE was born 11 November 1722 in Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville). Marie died 12 September 1791 in La Prairie, Québec, Canada (St-Philippe) (St-Jean-François-Régis) (La Nativité). Marie was the child of Louis MÉNARD dit BELLEROSE and Marie-Madeleine BRIEN.

Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE died 29 December 1779 in La Prairie, Province of Québec, Canada .
Details of the family tree of Pierre appear below.

Québec Généalogie - Over time, Québec has gone through a series of name changes
From its inception in the early 1600s until 1760, it was called Canada, New France.
1760 to 1763, it was simply Canada
1763 to 1791 - Province of Québec
1791 to 1867 - Lower Canada
1867 to present - Québec, Canada.

Thanks to Micheline Gadbois MacDonald for providing this information.

Québec Généalogie - What is a 'dit/dite' name? When the first settlers came to Québec from France it was a custom to add a 'dit' nickname to the surname. The English translation of 'dit' is 'said'. The Colonists of Nouvelle France added 'dit' names as distinguishers. A settler might have wanted to differentiate their family from their siblings by taking a 'dit' name that described the locale to which they had relocated. The acquiring of a 'dit' name might also be the result of a casual adoption, whereby the person wanted to honor the family who had raised them. Another reason was also to distinguish themselves by taking as a 'dit' name the town or village in France from which they originated. This custom ended around 1900 when people began using only one name, either the 'dit' nickname or their original surname.

Source: American-French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, Rhode Island (www.afgs.org/ditnames/index1.html)

A Glimpse into Everyday Life: The Average Man in 18th Century Quebec

The Definitive Guide for Researching Your French-Canadian Ancestors in 2025

Family and Children of Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE

[Hide/Show]

Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE married

Marie MENARD dite BELLEROSE-- Date: 16 January 1747 Place: Longueuil, Canada, New France
Marie MENARD dite BELLEROSE was the child of Louis MÉNARD dit BELLEROSE and Marie-Madeleine BRIEN

Children of Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE and Marie MENARD dite BELLEROSE:

Marie-Suzanne VIAU dite LESPÉRANCE (b.22 August 1748, La Prairie, Canada, New France d. 16 December 1807, Saint-Constant, Lower Canada)
m. Joseph ROY 30 January 1769 in Saint-Constant, Québec, Canada

Share the History, Life Events, and Stories of Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE
(Add details like birth, baptism, census records, military service, obituary, personal achievements, and more.)

[Hide/Show]

Discovering the Ancestry of Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE: Events, Photos & Historical Records

1720 Birth
24 September 1720
Longueuil, Canada, New France

1747 Marriage / Partner
Pierre VIAU dit LESPERANCE and Marie MENARD dite BELLEROSE 16 January 1747, Longueuil, Québec, Canada (Saint-Antoine-de-Longueuil)

He was 26 years old.

1748 Birth of Child
Marie-Suzanne VIAU dite LESPÉRANCE was born 22 August 1748, La Prairie, Québec, Canada (St-Philippe) (St-Jean-François-Régis) (La Nativité)

Pierre was 27 years old.

1753 - The lightning rod is invented (Benjamin Franklin, United States)

1763 - France cedes its North American posessions to Britain by the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years War (French and Indian War). Quebec City French-speaking Catholics were now under the rule of Protestant Britain under King George III.

1769 Marriage of Child
Marie-Suzanne VIAU dite LESPÉRANCE married 30 January 1769, Saint-Constant, Québec, Canada to Joseph ROY

1775 - The Battle of Québec was fought on December 31 between the American Continental Army and British defenders of Québec City. It was the first major defeat for the Americans in the Revolutionary War.