The Charest Family
One of the first families in the French settlement of Beauport were the Charests (Chaurets), headed by Sebastienne Venet Veillon and her husband Mathieu Cyr Charest.

Sebastienne was born about 1626 in Verdille, Angouleme, Charente, France; the daughter of Maxient Veillon and Bernarde Venet.  She married Mathieu on March 04, 1646 in the Parish of Ste-Marguerite, La Rochelle, Aunis, Charente-Maritime, France; and soon after the young couple relocated to the small French trading post at Quebec.

They would have seven children before Mathieu's death at Beauport on March 27, 1664 and by
the census of 1666; the Charest household consisted of 40 year old Sebastienne, widow; Robert (18), Joseph (14), Jeanne (13), twins - Pierre-Joseph and Ignace (10), Jean (8), Pierre (4) and a servant, Michel Potier.

On August 05, 1664 a marriage contract was drawn up between Sebastienne and Pierre Milsandre Aufroy from Les Sables-d'Olonne, Lucon, Poitou, France; but he was not living with her at the time of the census.  Sebastienne Veillon died at Beauport on December 21, 1698; 34 years after her husband Mathieu.
The Next Generation
Robert Veillon Charest - Was born on June 07, 1648 in Ville De Quebec.  He became a carpenter and the Seigneur of Bonsecours de St. Croix, Lotbiniere, Quebec; where he died on June 15, 1716.  Robert would marry twice; first to Marie-Madeleine Guyon Paradis; the daughter of Pierre Paradis and Barbe-Marie Robin Guyon; with whom he had six children: Joseph, Marie, Mathieu, Robert, Suzanne and Jean-Joseph.  After Marie-Madeleine's death on September 09, 1684, Robert married Marguerite Lerouge from Paris; daughter of Jean Lerouge and Jeanne Pontagne; with whom he had another eleven children: Jean-Baptiste, Marie-Jeanne, Marie-Louise, Jeanne, Pierre, Genevieve, Joseph, Gaspard, Francois-George, Marie-Elisabeth and Jean Francois.

Joseph Veillon Charest - Was born on August 14, 1650 and died on October 28, 1684 in Ville De Quebec.  He married Anne Loignon; daughter of Pierre Loignon and Francoise Roussin; and the couple had four children: Francoise-Charlotte, Jean-Baptiste, Georges and Marie.

Jeanne Veillon Charest - Was born on December 11, 1652 in Ville De Quebec and died on September 27, 1718 at Ste-Famille.  She married Jean Morisset from Surgeres, Rochefort, Saintes, Saintonge, France; son of Paul Morisset and Mathurine Guillois; and the couple had fourteen children: Marie, Anne-Marie, Mathieu, Pierre, Marie-Madeleine, Jean, Marie-Jeanne, Anne, Gentien, Charles, Elisabeth-Isabelle, Nicolas, Elisabeth and Madeleine.

Pierre-Joseph Veillon Charest - Was born on January 17, 1655 and died on July 27, 1701 in Ville De Quebec.  He married Madeleine Giroux; daughter of Toussaint Giroux and Marie Godard; and the couple had ten children: Madeleine, Pierre, Marie-Anne, Marie-Magdeleine, Elisabeth, Noel, Marie-Marthe, Marie-Therese, Pierre-Joseph and Agathe.

Ignace Veillon Charest - Was the twin brother of Pierre-Joseph above, born January 17, 1655 and died on October 06, 1701 at Ville De Quebec.  He married Marie Belanger, daughter of Nicolas Belanger and Marie De Rainville, and the couple had twelve children: Jean, Marthe, Pierre-Bertrand, Paul, Suzanne, Martin, Marie, Pierre-Etienne, Nicolas, Paul, Marie-Josephe and Francoise.

Jean Veillon Charest - Was born on November 24, 1657 in Ville De Quebec.  He married Clair Boucher; daughter of Guillaume Boucher and Marie-Anne Paradis and the couple had nine children: Clair, Jean-Baptiste, Agathe-Marguerite Catherine, Anne, Pierre, Marie, Anne-Charlotte, Francoise and Catherine.
Jean suffered with depression for much of his life and on June 06, 1699; he simply walked into the woods and shot himself.  Some of his own children found him the next day.

Pierre Veillon Charest - Was born on January 21, 1662 in Beauport and died on May 05, 1736 in Ville De Quebec.  He married Marie-Anne Baugis; daughter of Jean-Michel Baugis and Madeleine Dubois; and the couple had seventeen children: Marie-Madeleine, Marie-Anne, Pierre, Jacques-Pierre, Jean-Pierre, Hilaire, Jacques, Charles, Rene, Elisabeth, Ignace, Jeanne, Marie-Francoise, Baptiste, Francois, Jean-Baptiste and Louis.
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