Chevallier Family


Pierre Joseph Chevallier is my 5g-grandfather. He was born about 1760, probably in Canada.  His daughter, Eleanor's obituary says her father was a native of Canada. If he was born abt 1760, he would have been 18 in 1778 when the Americans took Kaskaskia from the British. The Spanish authorities began trying to draw the French/creole population from the east side of the Mississippi to the west side. These families usually preferred to live under Spanish Catholic rule rather than in the unpredictable young American republic.  Pierre seems to have stayed under American rule for at least 9 more years.

He married Marie Rose Deguire before 1783. She was the daughter of Andre DeGuire dit LaRose and Marguerite Govreau. [Marie's sister, Pelagie, married Francois Caillot Lachance. Her brother Paul DeGuire married Francois' sister, Marianne Caillot. Then after Marie died her husband, Pierre Joseph, married Francois' other sister, Pelagie Caillot.]

In 1787 Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, the process by which the Americans were to settle their territory east of the Mississippi.
In August, 1787 the magistrates of Kaskaskia (including Nicolas Caillot Lachanse) and several inhabitants of Kaskaskia (including P. Chevallier and 3-4 Lachance sons) signed an agreement with Barthelemi Tardiveau, Esq. sending him to Congress to claim their land rights in Kaskaskia.  Whether or not he was successful seems doubtful because of the number of people who left Kaskaskia the next year.
Nicholas Caillot moved in the winter of 1787-88 over the river to Ste. Genevieve, taking with him his 11 children, many of them already married.  From Dec 1787 to Dec 1789  135 people (13 families) moved from  the East side to the West side.  Pierre had strong ties to the Caillot-Lachance family and it's likely that he moved to Ste. Genevieve with them. Two of his 1st wife's siblings married Nicholas Caillot's children and he later married one of Nicholas' daughters.

Pierre Joseph's marriage bond to Pelagie Caillot, signed Aug 13, 1797, lists his parents as "Andrea Chevallier, deceased, and wife Magdalen Loijelle, of the parish of St. Anne, Fort Chartres." There were other Chevalliers around but I don't have them all connected.

The census of New Bourbon, taken in Nov., 1797 listed Pierre Joseph as a Creole, Catholic, Agriculturalist.

In 1799 they moved a little west of Ste. Genevieve, Mo. with the rest of the Caillot-LaChance family to began a settlement called St. Michael's (in 1814 renamed Fredericktown and became part of new Madison County in 1818).

In 1805 he & his son signed a petition in support of Governor Wilkinson:
Chevallier men on this petition were:
#18  P. Chevallier            Section 14
#19  Andre Chevallier     Section 14
(number at left indicates the order of the signatures, so they were together when they signed it)

On a list of Michigan Voyageurs for 1807 was - Joseph Chevallier, working for "Dickson & Co", wintered at "Mississippi" [not sure though if this was our man].
Then in 1810 was listed - Alexis Chevallier, working for "J. B. Barthelot", wintered at "Prairie du Chien."

In 1810 (Jan 6)  "P. Chevallier" & 360 inhabitants signed a petition requesting Congress to establish a state government in Missouri.

On July 12, 1819 at a session of the county court Pierre and 13 other men were indicted and found guilty of assault and battery against Fred Mires for horse stealing.

He probably died about 1821.

His son Pierre Jr. was the sheriff of Madison County 1828-30.

Pelagie was buried July 18, 1842 (age 66), St. Michael's Church.

Chevalliers:
- His daughter, Cecile Chevalier married Nicholas Lachance III, the son of Nicholas Caillot II who was the nephew of Cecile's step-mother Pelagie.
- Another daughter, Marie Louise Chevalier [daug of Joseph Chevalier & Marie Deguire] married Apr 21, 1816, Ste. Gen, Mo to Francois Aubuchon.


Children of 1st marriage:
1.     Pierre Andre CHEVALLIER b: 31 Mar 1783 in Ste. Genevieve Co, MO.
2.     Cecile CHEVALLIER b: ABT 1785; m Nicholas Lachance III
3.     Marie Louise CHEVALLIER b: 1789-1795; m Francois Aubuchon
4.     Emile CHEVALLIER b: 15 Nov 1791

Children of 2nd marriage:
1.     Eudile CHEVALLIER b: 15 Mar 1799
2.     Pierre Jr. CHEVALLIER b: 1 Sep 1800.  Peter was the sheriff of Madison Co, Mo 1828-30.  He was shot.  Buried Mar 1834 (age 33) at St. Michael's Church in Fredericktown.
3.     Eulalie CHEVALLIER b: 1 May 1803
4.     Ellen Eleanor CHEVALLIER b: 19 Aug 1805; d 1888; m Walter Brookes
5.     Pelagie CHEVALLIER b: 1812; married Zenon Aubuchon



Other Chevalliers - unsure of connection:
- Joseph Pierre Chevallier's gg-grandson, Joseph Willard, left 2 names in some of his reminiscing before he died in 1963: "Susan Chevalier & Arthur Henri Chevalier, 1831-1914". (I have not been able to find these names anywhere, but it seems that they would be related)
- Charles Chevalier (son of Charles Chevalier & Marie Arbanet) married Aug 3, 1771 in Prairie du Rocher, IL to Marie Louise Chevallier/Aubuchon. Charles died before 1773. Marie then married Jean Clairet in June 1773 [one source says the girl who married Charles Chevalier in 1771 was Marie Louise Dorothee Aubuchon, daug. of Joseph Aubuchon and Marie Paniouensa.]
- Marie Yeamoise (widow of Charles Chevalier & Jean B. LaForme) married Joseph Aubuchon. Their daughter Marie Louise Dorothee Aubuchon married Jean Baptist Clairer dit LaForme (son of Jean LaForme & Francoise Lamarre), July 6, 1773, Prairie du Rocher. Then Marie L. D. married Jacques Brunel dit Lasabloniere, Feb. 10, 1793 in Prairie du Rocher.
- Edward Chevalier married Harah Hill May 24, 1865, Madison Co, MO
- Francis Chevalier married Sophie Gaume 27 July 1858, Madison Co, Mo
On a list of Michigan Voyageurs for 1807 was - Joseph Chevallier, working for "Dickson & Co", wintered at "Mississippi." Then in 1810 was listed Alexis Chevallier, working for "J. B. Barthelot", wintered at "Prairie du Chien."
- Pierre Chevalier (b abt 1795 in Ste. Genevieve) married 26 Feb 1821 in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. to Marie Louise Aubuchon (born 26 Jan 1799 in Ste. Genevieve)


Site map: Generations - Nicholas - Giard - manuscript - Joseph Colyott - Sarah Lee - home


If you would like to check my database to see if the information on your family is correct, go to my ancestor file then search for the name of one of your ancestors. (Only those born before 1930 or no longer living are listed by name. I have names of the living, but they are not displayed in the online database.)  Please email me if there are any corrections or additions!!