Le Crieur de St-Aimé
The Town Crier of St-Aimé

At the entrance of the church in the village of St-Aimé, now called Massueville, Québec, my mind's eye follows the crowd heading towards the raised platform, in the middle of the village square, upon which the aged Town Crier just climbed for his weekly bargains. I can still hear this elderly gentleman, haranguing the crowd with his strong voice, with his lungs of steel:

Today, there will be a sale by auction at Monsieur Villiard's farm. Here is the detailed list of all the articles, equipment and animals of the farm. Those people on the St-Thomas road are asked to take care of their part of the road and to dig the necessary ditches to avoid floods on our road. There's a young wine-colored bull with a white heart on his chest, which took refuge at the Rivard farm. You are asked to go and claim it.

However, what was most interesting was to hear my great-great-grandfather soliciting bids for the auction of objects, religious and other types, given for the benefit of the souls of purgatory by pious country folk - some of them my third cousins.

Joseph Fourquin-Léveillé lived in an era when one still counted by pounds and centimes according to the old French book-keeping system; by a gold louis, shillings and farthings brought by English domination; by dollars and cents which our United States neighbor finally made us adopt. And the old Crier could count easily in all three ways, offering a product for the souls:

An offer, gentlemen, for my pound of butter, my skein of wool, my goose, my little piglet (oh! he's cute, my little piglet), my spring veal ... Fifteen centimes... four pounds... four pounds fifteen... four and half shillings... a dollar, once, twice .. Sold to you, Monsieur!

My great-great-grandfather Joseph Fourquin Léveillé was that voice at the church entrance of St-Aimé. He was an elder of that parish, dying at the age of 90 years.

Joseph attended the parish school until he was ready to work on his father's farm - a simple farm with a couple of horses, a milking cow, chickens, pigs and a dog or two for sure. There was land for planting wheat and corn and other vegetables to serve as the family's subsistance. He learned how to read and write. He was taught his catechism and his prayers by the nuns and the parish priest. He would also work as a woodcutter.

The farm of his father was located on the Yamaska River but at a distance from the St-Michel church, which was located not very far from another secton of the same river. His family frequently took a boat to the church for Sunday services.

As a baby and toddler growing up in this warm family environment, his care became the duty of his mother and his older sister Marie. From the very earliest years, Joseph was known to be talkative. He learned quickly and thoroughly what was taught to him, and he was able to retell the stories that he heard both at home and at school. This gift would later serve him well as the Town Crier. From age five on, his father and his older brothers took charge of teaching Joseph what a young boy, and eventually a young man, must do around the home, the farm and the forest. His days were filled with work and studies. Before going to the parish school each morning, he helped his father and other brothers to tend to the farm animals. He especially liked to feed the chickens - Joseph talking to them the whole time while in the hen house. His brother Antoine, 15 years older, taught him how to work in the garden and in the fields - skills that Joseph would use when he became an adult. He also went out to the woods with Jacques, his father, and Antoine to learn the skills of a woodcutter, for winter work.

Life for this family was not easy in the early part of the 19th century. There was work in springtime around the the homestead: plowing, harrowing and planting the fields: vegetable and hay. The small orchard near the house contained apple and pear trees which needed pruning and preparation for the growing season. Joseph learned the skills necessary to perform these yearly duties. No son was too young to begin this training. Little Joseph - Ti-Jo - especially like the pruning of the fruit trees; he could climb up and down, making this chore a game.

In the house, Joseph's mother and two daughters, Marie and Marguerite, would put away the heavy winter blankets and clothing, having washed them in a tub of hot water with a strong soap, made of lye made from ashes. The house furniture was scrubbed, as well as the walls, floors and ceilings. Occasionaly, the men and boys were required to move any heavy furniture.

Spring was surely a time of work, for spring cleaning was a preparation for the busy summer months. However, the school work was not neglected as the school year was winding down for the "grandes vacances" - summer break. Church and prayer continued to play an important part in the Léveillée's life. Many of the young people made their First Communion, usually around the age of ten. And in May 1823, Joseph received Jesus for the first time in the Holy Eucharist in the Church of St-Michel d'Yamaska, along with cousins and friends. They had learned all about the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Penance from the nuns who taught in the local catholic school. He received the sacrament of Confirmation around the age of 14. His family celebrated these important events in his spiritual life with a family gathering - grand-parents Fourquin dit Léveillée and St-Germain, as well as aunts and uncles and his many cousins. His future wife, Marie Brouillard, received the sacraments at the same time of Joseph.

Summer was a good time for the young, despite the expectation of much work demanded by the adults. Joseph, his cousins and his friends would go fishing, swimming and boating in the Yamaska River, a stone's throw from the homestead. However, work on the farm took preference over play. There were animals to be cared for, gardens to be tended, work in the fields and hauling the grain to the mill, wood to be cut and stacked for the winter months. Each family was self-sufficient in growing its own food. There were several Mills to grind the various grains grown on each of the family farms. Other jobs involved the cutting and floating of timber down the Yamaska River towards the lumber mills. The young and old hunted for food: rabbits, deer, fox. Joseph, like all his contemporaries, soon learned what was expected of the young males in this rural village.

At the age of 18, Joseph married Marie Brouillard, the daughter of Félix Brouillard and Louise Alexandre, on 18 October 1831 in the parish church of Saint-Michel d'Yamaska. Joseph's father Jacques Fourquin dit Léveillé, Joseph's older brother Antoine, his brother-in-law Félix Brouillard, Pierre Marichand and Jean-Baptiste Brouillard were witnesses at the marriage.

The parish of St-Aimé was formed in 1834, in the seignory of Massueville. The family now would attend mass and receive all sacraments in this new church. The parish square would eventually become Joseph's stage.

     
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Joseph and Marie had sixteen children, of whom six died at birth or at an early age. His second born Antoine Léveillée married Sophie Lambert on 20 July 1852 in the neighboring parish of Saint-David; they were to become the parents of my grandfather, Joseph Léveillée who married Césaire Théroux on 15 January 1889 in the same parish of Saint-David. My grandparents ninth child, Jean-Baptiste Léveillée married Jeannette Bélanger on 5 September 1932 in Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil Church in Phenix, West Warwick, Rhode Island; they were my parents.

When Marie died sometime before 1874, Joseph married a second time to Émilie AUTOT on 13 April 1874. His third marriage was to Luce Cartier on 16 September 1874. There were no children from these two marriages.

Joseph, along with his older brother Antoine and many relatives and villagers, participated in forming the parish of Saint-Aimé, as the Seignory of Massue, in Richelieu County grew in population. He, like his brother, and many of his cousins and friends, was very active in the parish. He served as a church warden in 1867.

Since 1746, on land number 26, at the base of the village, on the west bank of the river, there had been a wayside cross erected and venerated there as Notre-Dame-des-Campagnes - Our Lady of the Countryside. However, in 1862, the wayside cross fell into desrepair and the owner did not appear to be concerned about to reerect it. Everyone was shocked at the disappearance of the cross. Joseph was most affected by this. For 50 years, Joseph Léveillée had always seen the wayside cross as he travelled on this road to the river. The pastor gave Joseph permission to reerect the cross. However, the owner, Jean Besson, insisted on preserving this ancient privilege. The pastor did not want to disappoint either of his parishioners. So, he gave permission to the owner of the land to reerect the wayside cross. He promised something better to Joseph.
Several weeks later, Joseph saw a boat bringing a container with a statue of the Holy Virgin, under the title of the Immaculate Conception. The pastor, Father Leblanc, who had bought and paid for this statue with his own money, gave it to Joseph with the understanding that Joseph would build on his property and on the side of the road, a niche to place within and protect the statue. Joseph accepted the statue and had his son Louis build the niche. The inauguration took place on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in 1862 with a procession from the church to Joseph's property to be placed in the niche built specifically for Our Lady of the Countryside. When Ovide Lapalice wrote about this story in 1930, the shrine was still in the same location. A relative of Joseph, Aimé Léveillé related this story to Mr. Lapalice in 1928. My grandfather remembers that each May, the parishioners both adults and children, carried out the pious rituals of the month of Mary at the feet of the madonna - Notre-Dame-des-Campagnes. According to Mr. Lapalice, the wayside cross had disappeared around 1900. When, in 2000, I visited the village of my ancestors, I saw the land on which both the wayside cross and the niche were built, but there were no relics of these shrines.

From around 1885 until his death in 1902, Joseph Fourquin Léveillée was known as the Town Crier of Saint-Aimé - le Crieur de Saint-Aimé. It was his duty and responsibility to conduct an auction on the Town Commons facing the church. This took place every Sunday morning after the 11 o'clock High Mass. The villages would bring their animals or goods to Joseph who would with a loud but pleasant voice announce that he had in his possession the best of animals, the best of goods for the right price. His performance was one of laughter and joy - the entertainment for Sunday.

My grandfather used to enjoy visiting his grandfather because Joseph was quite a story-teller. He would recount to his grandchildren all the past activities and events that took place in both parishes - Saint-Michel and Saint-Aimé. Life for both of my ancestors was centered around both the church and family. All important events in one's life during this 19th century took place within each of these centers: parish life or family life.

I can relate to my great-great-grandfather because I am sure that my grandfather lived his life just like his grandfather did because he was an interesting and fascinating story-teller who loved to surround himself with his grandchildren and tell them about his life in Saint-Aimé, the birthplace of the Léveillé ancestors in Québec, Canada. I am extremely proud to be a descendant of such great men: Blaise, Pierre, Pierre, Joseph François, Jacques, Joseph, Antoine, Joseph and Jean-Baptiste. This story has been a tribute to these men: