Our Théroux Family

Name and/or spelling variations include: Laferte, Plessis, Plassy, Tereau, Terou, Thereaux, Theraux, Therault, Theriault, Theriot, Therou, Théroux, Théry, Thiéry, Thiérry, Thierrard, Thireaux, Thiriet, Thirez, Thiriot, Thiron, Thireau, Thiraux, Thirault, Thirouard, Tirox, Tiroux, Tiron and many more.

I saw one source that claimed the Théroux family originated in the Picardy area which is in northern France where it was a prominent family for centuries and was seated with lands and manor. This is not our origins however, as our Théroux family definately were not of the upper class as that family was. Our Théroux family comes from Verdun-sur-Garonne, Toulouse, Languedoc  which is in the southern part of France.

It is believed that all Théroux families in North America are descended from Antoine Théroux who came to Canada with the French Marines in 1693 and served in Detroit as well as various places in Quebec. He retired from the military in 1708. He moved his family quite often, buying and selling property until he settled in Yamaska in the 1730's where they would remain for well over a hundred years. Most of the family births, marriages and deaths are recorded in St. Michel's d'Yamaska which oddly enough was the same name as the parish in France where the family was located.


Verdun sur Garonne


Some noteworthy people with the name Théroux - Note: Some did not spell their name "Théroux" but I have standardized the last names here.


Our Théroux Ancestors


Pierre Théroux * Abt. 1600-10 Jan 1648 
Wife: Jeanne Delmas *
*On Antoine Théroux's record, Fichier Origine says "Ses grands-parents paternels sont Pierre Théroux et Jeanne Delmas." This is the only place I have found this family. The Fichier Origine source is Henry Subsol, a French researcher who wrote FROM SAINT MICHAEL TO SAINT MICHAEL.
He lists 4 children for Pierre & Jeanne:
1.Guillaume Théroux born 03 Dec 1626
2. André Théroux born 06 Jun 1638
3. Guillaume Théroux born Between 1627 - 1637
4. Guillaume Théroux born About 1646
André Théroux
Birth:06 Jun 1638
Marriage:05 Nov 1662 to JEANNE PETIT/Clamens *
PRDH Family file
Family file
Died 03 Mar 1688
*In reference to "Petit ou Clamens" name - see 2 versions of her last name.
Children:
  1. Antoine Theroux Birth: 1675-12-31 - Only child listed in PRDH
    In addition to Antoine, Fichier Origine says "Trois frères et trois sœurs sont baptisés à Verdun-sur-Garonne"
  2. Jeanne 03-01-1664
  3. Guillaume 16-11-1665
  4. Peironne 25-03-1668
  5. Andrive 28-08-1670
  6. Pierre 01-06-1673
  7. Raymond 02-03-1679.
Antoine Théroux
Born: 31-12-1675
Baptized: 01-01-1676
Buried: 1759-02-22
Family file

Théroux Family - Antoine Théroux dit LaFerté is my 6th great-grandfather who came from Verdun-sur-Garonne in Languedoc, France. He was the first Théroux to set foot in the New World.

Antoine with Cadillac at Detroit
The Catholic church was quite strick (most of the time) when it came to morality and marriage. The church had a whole set of rules and regulations that had to be adherred to before a marriage would be permitted to be "blessed" by the church and thus legal in their eyes. One of the rules was that you had to prove was that you had never been married before. This wasn't a big problem back in France but in 18th century Quebec it could prove quite cumbersome and if you had been "playing" around like Antoine apparently liked to do, it could prove fatal to marriage plans. That is just what happened to Antoine and his first wife Michelle Fortin, who was born 1678-04-30. She was pregnant and in that time era one simply did not have children without being married and getting the blessing of the church but they didn't have time to send off to France for the proof they needed in order to get married legally. The church, however, had another procedure whereby one could get a waiver from the priest which would allow the marriage to be recognized by the church. In spite of their best efforts to obtain a waiver, the priest would not cooperate so the marriage was never recognized. The child, MARIE LOUISE THEROUX LAFERTE (birth file), was baptized by the priest but the mother disappeared. Some think she may have committed suicide because of this. Marie Louise died young.

Antoine then got married on 1706-06-10 to MARGUERITE LAFOREST.
ANTOINE TEROUX LAFERTE m. 1706-06-10 MARGUERITE LAFOREST (old file)
Couple file
Birth :1688-12-26
Her parents
Death :1750-03-15
Family file
University of Montreal (PRDH) family file.
They had the following children:
  1. PIERRE THEROUX LAFERTE (see below)
    Birth:1707-01-22
  2. JOSEPH THEROUX LAFERTE
    Birth:1710-02-10
    Married 1737-03-04 LISETTE DANY
    PRDH Family file
    Buried 1756-01-03
  3. MARIE ANNE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Baptized 1712-02-16
    Married 1731-05-28 to JEAN BAPTISTE COUTURIE
    Family file
    Death :1733-02-28
  4. PAUL THEROUX LAFERTE
    Baptism: 1715-03-02
    Married 1749-08-25 URSULE BRESA
    PRDH Family file
  5. MARGUERITE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Baptized:23 Jun 1717
    Burial 1733-05-06
  6. MARIE GENEVIEVE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Birth :1719-03-13
    MARIE GENEVIEVE THEROUX LAFERTE - Note: This file & 1st link above show the same husband but 2 different birth dates.
    Married 1736-11-12 to JEAN BAPTISTE CHRISTAIN
    PRDH Family file
    Buried 1758-05-14
  7. ANDRE TEROU
    Birth :1721-03-03
    Married 1750-01-19 to MARIE JEANNE PELISSIER LAFEUILLADE
    PRDH Family file
    1. PIERRE ANDRE THEROU b. 1750-11-06 Son of ANDRE THEROU & JEANNE PELLISIER
  8. JOSEPH THEROUX LAFERTE
    Birth :1724-05-11
    Married:1750-02-09 to MARIE AGATHE PARENTEAU
    PRDH Family file
    From Tanguay Vol VII pg. 289 name is shown as Placide-Joseph
    1. MADELEINE THEROU
      Birth :1762-06-01
    2. PIERRE LOUIS THEROU b. 1764-01-27 Son of JOSEPH PLACIDE THEROU LAFERTE & AGATHE PARENTEAU
    3. JOSEPH TEROUX & MARIE GAUGUET
      1. PIERRE MICHEL TEROUX Birth :1797-08-22 Son of JOSEPH TEROUX & MARIE GAUGUET
      2. MICHEL TEROUX Birth :1789-10-23 Son of JOSEPH TEROUX & MARIE GAUGUET
Pierre Theroux see #1 above
Birth:22 Jan 1707
Buried 1781-08-03
Married 1732-09-30 to MARIE ROSE COITOU
Couple file
PDRH Family file
Family file
They had the following children:
  1. MARIE CHARLOTTE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Birth :1733-10-28
    Buried 1733-11-25
  2. MARIE ROSE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Baptism 1735-03-06
    Married 1753-02-05 to ETIENNE STGERMAIN GAUSSIN
    Couple file
    PRDH Family file
    Died 1810-03-13
  3. PIERRE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Birth:1736-09-05
    Married 1770-02-19 MARGUERITE GANNIER
    Couple file
  4. MARGUERITE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Baptism 1738-09-20
    Married 1761-03-31 to AUGUSTIN FRANCOIS DETOUCHE (Letouche)
    PRDH Couple file
    PRDH Family file
  5. MARIE LOUISE THEROUX LAFERTE
    Baptism:1740-05-02
    Married 1756-02-23 to EUSTACHE HAREL
    Couple file
    PRDH Family file
  6. VERONIQUE LAFERTE
    Birth:1741-10-29
    Married 1761-02-02 to JOSEPH VIEN
    PRDH Couple file
    PRDH Family file
  7. PAUL THEROUX
    Birth :1743-08-10
    Married 1767-07-17
    PRDH Couple file
    1. PIERRE TEROUX & JOSEPHE HEBERT
      1. MADELEINE TEROUX Birth :1797-06-26 Daughter of PIERRE TEROUX & JOSEPHE HEBERT
      2. MARGUERITE TEROUX Birth :1798-08-17
      3. PIERRE PAUL TEROUX Birth :1795-11-22 Son of PIERRE TEROUX & JOSEPHE HEBERT
  8. JOSEPH THEROUX LAFERTE (see below)
  9. MARIE CLAIRE LAFERTE
    Baptism: 1749-04-00
  10. JEAN BAPTISTE TERROUX LAFERTE
    Married 1776-01-22 MARIE ANNE BREZA
    PRDH Couple file
Joseph Théroux dit LAFERTE #8 above
Birth :1746-12-12
married 1772-11-23 MARIE ANNE CHAPDELEINE
Couple file
Death :1810-01-01
They had the following children:
  1. MARGUERITE JEANNE Théroux dit LAFERTE
    Birth :1774-04-10
    Married 1799-07-22 to JEAN BAPTISTE BADAIAC
    PRDH Couple file
  2. Pierre Théroux dit Laferte m. Louise Ritchot (see below)
    Birth :1776-02-27
  3. JOSEPH Théroux   m. Marie Paul
    Birth :1777-11-21
  4. MICHEL Théroux dit LAFERTE   m. Francoise Desmarais
    Birth :1779-12-09
  5. MARIE ANNE Théroux
    Birth :1781-09-01
  6. JEAN FRANCOIS REGIS Théroux   m. Genevieve Couturier
    Birth :1784-10-24
  7. CHARLES Théroux
    Birth :1786-11-27
    Buried 1786-12-02
  8. JEAN BAPTISTE Théroux
    Birth :1788-04-14
  9. GENEVIEVE Théroux
    Birth :1793-01-05
  10. MARIE GENEVIEVE Théroux
    Birth :1796-11-15
Pierre Théroux
Birth: 1776-02-27 Parish record
Copy of PRDH baptism file
Marriage: Louise Ritchot 08 Mar 1801 St. Michel, Yamaska, PQ, Canada
Quintin Publications - St-Michel-d'Yamaska 1727-1965 marriages pg. 263 lists Joseph Théroux & Marie-Anne Chapdelaine as parents 4

Pierre & Louise had the following children:
  1. Joseph Théroux
    Born: 27 Jun 1802 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
  2. Joachim Théroux
    Born: 8 Jul 1803 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
  3. Pierre Théroux
    Born: 1 Mar 1805 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec Married: Thérèse Petit 07 May 1826 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Quebec
  4. Josette Théroux
    Married: Louis Badayac 28 Jul 1829 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
  5. Louise Théroux
    Married: Jean Baptiste Lamothe 18 May 1835 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
Pierre Théroux m. Thérèse Petit 07 May 1826 St-Michel Yamaska, Quebec
The 1850 US Census taken on 1 Sep 1850 lists his age as 45 so that is past the PRDH cutoff of 1800.
Quintin Publications - St-Michel-d'Yamaska 1727-1965 marriages pg. 263 lists Pierre Théroux & Louise Ritchot as parents 4
Theroux drowned in Lake Vadnais in July 1857.

Map of 1862 Sioux war in Minnesota

The “Ramsey County History” provides the following:

(Source: 1999, Little Canada—Heritage from the French Canadians. Ramsey County History-More about the county and its people, vol 34. no.1, p.28-38)

Among the first to explore the region that is now Minnesota, and the first permanent settlers of Ramsey County, were the French from Canada. Even older than the county is the 155-year old [as of 1999] suburb of Little Canada, seven miles north of St. Paul, whose tree-lined streets have rows of mailboxes bearing the proud French Canadian names of Gervais, Nadeau, Ducharme, Donais, Bibeau, Auge, Garceau, Tereau, Melancon, and others. These are the descendants of the French Canadian pioneers who in great part were responsible for settling the earliest communities in Minnesota: St. Paul, St. Anthony and Little Canada, which according to the 1849 [1850?] census listed 322 residents to St. Anthony’s 248.

Benjamin Gervais…was the first white man to claim land in Little Canada…Gervais seems to have been a leader, personable and well-liked. After he left St. Paul in 1844 to take up land and build a cabin at Lake Gervais, a number of his fellow French Canadians followed him to found Little Canada in northern Ramsey County.

…The tiny settlement quickly became a magnet for other French Canadians, as they apparently were a tough, stubborn lot.

… In 1850, the French settlers established a school with Eliza la Barre as its first teacher.

… In 1846, Pierre Gervais took up a claim next to his brother. The following year [1847-48], Louis and Paul Bibeau […and others] all arrived from Canada to live near the Gervais brothers.

…For seven years, between 1844 and 1851, the Little Canada settlers had to travel on horseback, wagon or on foot the seven miles to St. Paul for Mass, baptisms, and weddings at the old St. Paul Cathedral. On October 7, 1851, they heard their first Mass in their own newly organized church [parish], but it was a church without a building [and several families soon donated land.]…The first building was a log structure erected at a cost of $500. Large logs were hauled by sleighs over the snow, small logs were dragged by the men and boys of the parish. The parishioners were the laborers who by this time were skilled in the art of log construction…On October 7, 1852, exactly a year after the organization of the parish, the congregation heard its first Mass there.

…When the Catholic Church of St. John the Evangelist was built in 1852 pew rent was charged to help fill the coffers.

… In 1880 work began on a brick structure that would replace the little log church on the same site. Sermons were in French until around 1922. In 1956 the brick church was in turn replaced by the new, Roman style church. … Today, the Church of St. John the Evangelists is the fourth oldest Catholic church in Minnesota.

…In May 1858, the Little Canada area was formed into the township of New Canada…the community near the church was for a time called St. John’s City. Although these names show up on old maps and records, the residents always have referred to the area either as Little Canada or as “Petit Canada”.

Pierre Théroux and Thérèse Petit had the following children:
  1. Thérèse Théroux
    Birth: 8 Jun 1826 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
    Married: 1 Feb 1848 to Isaac Labissonniere
    Died: 21 Jun 1910 in Saint Paul, Minnesota
    From http://www.lareau.org/pep-l.html: LABISINIER [LaBISSONIERE], ISAAC - The son of Joseph LaBisinier below, he was born in 1823 in Pembina, ND. A plasterer in St. Paul in 1850. His real estate holdings were valued at $500 in 1850. He married Therese Theroux (1825 Canada) on 1 Feb 1848 (by Fr. Ravoux) and had several children: Julie (1848 MN), Mary, Jerome, Gilbert, Isaac, Ellen, Amelia, and a daughter married to A. Verboncoeur.
  2. Pierre Théroux
    Birth: 24 Jun 1828 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
    Married: 23 May 1848 in St. Paul to Aurelia Morrissette
    Died: drowned in Lake Vadnais May 26, 1848.
    The next year Aurelia married Charles Perry in a Catholic ceremony in St. Paul.
  3. Jean Baptiste Théroux
    Birth: 12 Aug 1833 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
    Married: 27 May 1854 in Little Canada, Ramsey County, Minnesota to Adele Paul Hus
    Died: 11 Jan 1907 in Little Canada, Ramsey County, Minnesota
  4. Joseph Théroux
    Birth: 14 May 1831 in St-Michel d'Yamaska, Québec
    Joseph married Lucie Bibeau in 1852
    Died: drowned in Elk River, Minnesota 12 Jul 1855
  5. David Théroux
    Birth: 15 Jun 1837 St-David d'Yamaska, Québec
    Married: 29 Mar 1869 in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Dayton, Minnesota to Adelaide "Delia" Vadeboncoeur
    Died: 27 May 1924 in Little Canada, Ramsey County, Minnesota
    From whitebearlake.org/city%20history_files/city_history.htm: Land was available for purchase after the U.S. Government survey was completed in 1847 of township 30 North, Range 22. At this time, the township (the basic 36 square miles) was part of the territory of Wisconsin. The territory of Minnesota was established in 1849. The first buyers of the land are recorded in Tract Book 66 U.S. Land Office and number over 100. Of these, 45 purchasers used the Military Land Warrants. This was a land bounty for 5 years Army Service, first used in 1776 to attract enlistments, and used in some form until 1863. The other buyers paid $1.25 per acre. The only acreage officially listed as homestead (acquiring land by claiming and working it) was Bald Eagle Island by David Smith, who cancelled on June 9, 1874. All of the township had been purchased before 1860, with exception of Sections 16 and 36, which were held by the government for school land. (These were sold in the 1870’s.)
    The south-west corner of the township was the first used, by John Vadnais and David Garceau, pushing out from Little Canada. Then came the families Bibeau, Tiroux, Morrisette, Auger, Paul, Demaris, and LaBore..
  6. Basile Théroux
    Birth: about 1840
Minnesota Territory 1850 Index (all counties combined)
Page for the Tiroux family from the full territorial census listed above done 15 Sep 1850.
Note: The family is indexed under "Tiron".

This is the information contained in the 1850 US census on this family, which was done by the same person on the same day.
Name Home in 1850
(City,County,State)		 Estimated Birth Year Birth Place 1860 census.
Baptiste Tiron Little Canada, Ramsey, MN abt 1833 Canada m. 1854
Bazil Tiron Little Canada, Ramsey, MN abt 1840 Canada .
David Tiron Little Canada, Ramsey, MN abt 1837 Canada listed
Joseph Tiron Little Canada, Ramsey, MN abt 1831 Canada d. 12 Jul 1855
Pierce Tiron Little Canada, Ramsey, MN abt 1805 Canada dead
Terese Tiron Little Canada, Ramsey, MN abt 1804 Canada Canada





History of Osseo
David Tiroux m. Adelaide "Delia" Vadeboncoeur 29 Mar 1869 St. John the Baptist, Dayton, Minnesota

1850 US Census shows David as son of Pierre Théroux & Thérèse
1880 US Census shows a son named David Jr. as being under a year old. I beleive this is Edmond, my grandfather, based on the Minnesota birth register and the fact I can find no David as being born in 1879. There is a record of a David Alphonse being born in 1870 but the census shows "David Jr." as being 7 months old and the census was taken 4 Jun 1880. I beleive this may have been a middle name or a nickname.
I have run into a lot of confusion over David & Delia's children but this is the best list I can come up with. My mother told me that Edmond (my grandfather) had 7 brothers and 6 sisters. This list has 9 boys and 5 girls.
    Their children: (sources linked to each child's name)
  1. Rosalie Edwina Tiroux born 25 Jan 1870 on the Bottineau Prairie, Hennepin County, Minnesota - died 18 May 1952
  2. David Alphonse Tiroux born 10 Dec 1871 on the Bottineau Prairie, Hennepin County, Minnesota - died 13 Apr 1917 in Hennepin county, Minnesota
  3. Charles Tiroux born Abt. 1872
  4. Oliver John "Levi" Thereaux born 07 Oct 1873 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  5. Angeline Terreau born 18 Jun 1874 in Osseo, Minnesota
  6. Joseph Tiroux born 16 Nov 1875 in Osseo, Minnesota - died 30 Apr 1940 in Winona County, Minnesota
  7. Antoine Thirouf born 1-26-77 in Osseo
  8. Louis Antoine Théroux born 26 Oct 1878 in Osseo, Minnesota - died 03 Jul 1934 in Olmstead County, Minnesota
  9. Edmond Thereaux born 27 Oct 1879 in Osseo, Minnesota - died 03 Mar 1952 in Hennepin County, Minnesota
  10. Elisa Theroux born 21 Jun 1883 in Osseo, Minnesota - died 15 Mar 1952 in Hennepin County, Minnesota
  11. Annie Julia Theru born 9 Sep 1885 in Osseo, Minnesota - died 10 Jul 1946
  12. Alexander Tiroux born 19 Sep 1887 in Osseo, Minnesota - died 14 Jun 1973
  13. Albert Tiroux born 18 April 1890 in Osseo, Minnesota - died 04 Dec 1972 in Richland, Washington
  14. Eva Tiroux born Jan 1896 in Osseo, Minnesota
Edmond Théreaux m. Sigrid Johanna Elizabeth Hansen 30 May 1911 St. Anns Catholic Church, Minneapolis
    Their children:
  1. Lenard E. Thereaux born 8 Jan 1912 - died 19 Apr 1981 in Hennepin County, Minnesota
  2. Helen Elizabeth Thireaux born 18 May 1914 - died 15 Jul 1953 in Ramsey County, Minnesota
  3. Lorraine Marie Théroux born 20 Sep 1919 - died 12 Oct 2005 in Warrenton, Virginia
Lorraine Marie Thireaux Born 20 Sep 1919 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

  1. Theodore Henry Malone Thireaux born 30 Aug 1942 in Washington, D.C. (see below)
She then married Stephen Johnson
  1. Karen Johnson born 11 June 1949 in Washington, D.C.
  2. Margaret Johnson born 26 Aug 1952 in Washington, D.C.
Theodore Henry Malone Thireaux
born 30 Aug 1942 in the Florence Crittendon Home for Un-wed mothers in Washington, D.C.
Adopted by Julius Jessen Matson & Beaulah May Smeltzer on 1 Sep 1945
(Charles Theodore Matson) Married Roseanna Ruth Curtis 5 Sept 1965 Middlebury, Indiana (Justice of the Peace)
Divorce Dec 1989