Robert de La Berge

Robert de La Berge (1638–1712) was one of the original colonists to New France in 1658. He is also the original LaBarge/LaBerge to arrive in North America. Most people with the surname LaBarge, Laberge, or Labarge can trace their family roots back to him. LaBarge's have held esteemed positions in both Church and State in Canadian governments, particularly in Châteauguay (provincial electoral district) since early times.

The name "LaBarge" means "One who dwells on a bank or the edge of a river or canal. "

Early life and journey to America

Robert de la Berge was born on May 24, 1638, in Colombières, Normandy, France, in what is now the department of Calvados. Robert was the son of Jacques de la Berge and Marie Poitevin who were married on May 8, 1636 in Colombières. Marie Poitevin was the widow of Jacques Touchet and had a son, Thomas, from that marriage. Jacques and Marie had two other sons: Abraham (born 2 September 1640) and Guillaume (born 15 February 1643). Abraham and Guillaume remained in France.

Thomas Touchet, a carpenter by trade, had spent the years from 1650 to 1653 in New France. When he returned to New France in 1658, he took his half-brother Robert with him. Robert went to New France as a laborer, under a 3-year contract to work for a man named Massé Gravel in Château-Richer. Under the terms of the contract, Robert received a cash advance, an annual salary, and a guaranteed return trip to France. Robert arrived in New France aboard the ship "Taureau" on August 6, 1658.

In 1661, Robert completed his 3-year obligation to Massé Gravel, but instead of returning to France, he received a concession of land in Château-Richer. In the October of 1662, after a year of hard work, Robert sold the land to Charles Pouliot. Robert was apparently discouraged and intended to return to France. During the winter, Robert must have changed his mind. On February 4, 1663 Robert received a concession of land in the parish of Sainte-Famille.

At about this same time, Nicolas Durand and his wife Francoise Gausse dit Le Borgne were living on a farm in Château-Richer with their infant daughter, Marie-Ursule. Francoise was the daughter of Maurice Gausse and Marguerite Blay of Noyon, Picardy, France. In late March 1663, Nicolas Durand had a fatal accident while clearing his fields. His widow and young daughter were left to fend for themselves.

After only two months of widowhood, Francoise married Robert LaBerge on May 28, 1663 in Château-Richer. Francoise probably knew Robert from his earlier years in Château-Richer. Robert sold his property in Sainte-Famille and took up residence on the Durand farm in Château-Richer.

In the years that followed, Robert became a respected citizen. He participated in the election of the first 3 church wardens of L'Ange-Gardien. Records of his business transactions indicate that Robert prospered financially in New France. Robert was one of the early industrialists in the area. Sometime before 1674, Robert installed furnaces which were used for the manufacturing of lime.

The LaBerge household also grew over the years. Robert and Francoise had six children:
*Geneviève LaBerge was born on 22 April 1664 and was baptised the following day.
*Francoise LaBerge died a few days after her birth and was buried in Château-Richer on 6 February 1666.
*Catherin LaBerge was baptised on 15 September 1667.
*Francois LaBerge was born on 12 June 1669.
*Nicolas LaBerge was baptised on 29 February 1672.
*Guillaume LaBerge was born on 30 April 1674.

Robert was involved in a near-fatal accident during a trip to Québec. The event which took place prior to 1667 was recorded by Father Thomas Morel as follows:

Later life and death

LaBerge became embroiled in a legal dispute with his stepdaughter, Marie-Ursule Durande, that lasted for 5 years before finally being resolved. On March 22, 1694 Robert obtained a receipt for 600 pounds from Marie-Ursule and her husband, Antoine Huppé dit Lagrois. This receipt was in return for the 600 pounds stipulated in her marriage contract and granted the entire property in L'Ange-Gardien to Robert. Later, in 1697, Robert sold a half acre to his son Guillaume. In 1697, Robert sold most of the remaining property to his sons, Nicolas and Guillaume. It was after these transactions, in 1698, that Marie-Ursule and her husband filed a petition with Sovereign Council seeking to have their marriage contract declared null and void and to renounce their inheritances. Marie-Ursule alleged that she was short-changed on her inheritance by Robert and Francoise who underestimated the value of her father's estate. She also alleged that she was a victim of her stepfather's greed and that he had attempted to marry her off at the age of 12 to a simpleton. She stated that her marriage to Antoine Huppé freed her from the slavery and abuses of her stepfather, Robert. The Court initially decided in favor of Marie-Ursule. Robert and Francoise appealed and the decision was overturned in August of 1703 and all of Marie-Ursule's claims were dismissed.

Robert LaBerge lived to the age of 74. His son, Francois, took care of him during his last years. Robert was found dead in his bed on the morning of 12 April 1712. He died at the home of Guillaume Boucher, the father-in-law of his son, Francois. Robert was buried in Château-Richer on the same day.

Francoise Gausse died at the home of her daughter, Marie-Ursule Durant, in Beauport. She was buried on 8 March 1714. The burial records gave her age as 80 years.

Notable descendants

Captain Joseph LaBarge (1815 - 1899) - Joseph LaBarge of St. Louis, Missouri, was one of the most famous of the Mississippi river boat captains. He transported people and goods up and down the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. According to an 1898 newspaper article, Captain LaBarge was the man who taught Mark Twain about the Mississippi River. His illustrious life is documented in the book, "History of Early Steamboat Navigation on the Missouri River: Life and Adventures of Joseph LaBarge" by Hiram M. Chittenden. [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~laberge/biography/captain.htm Joseph LaBarge Biography]

Joseph Marie LaBerge (1787 - 1860) - The father of famed riverboat captain, Joseph LaBarge, Joseph Marie LaBarge Sr. was born at l'Assomption, Quebec, on July 4, 1787. In about 1808, he emigrated to St. Louis in a birch-bark canoe, travelling through various waterways to reach the Mississippi River. LaBarge served in the War of 1812 and was wounded in the battle of the River Raisin. In this battle, LaBarge lost two fingers from a gunshot and was scarred for life from a tomahawk wound to the head. He became anaturalized citizen following his service in the Army. For several years he was involved in the manufacture of charcoal and later owned a hotel and livery in St. Louis. He is probably best known for his exploits as a fur trapper in the far west. Several geographical landmarks such as LaBarge (or Battle) Creek and the city of La Barge, Wyoming, were named in his honor. These took their name from a battle with Indians in which LaBarge took part. Details of this event have been lost, however. LaBarge was also present in General Ashley's disastrous fight with the Aricara Indians on the Missouri River in 1823, and was the man who cut the cable of one of the keeboats so that it might drift out of range of the fire of the Indians. In January 1860, while on his way to visit an ill relative, LaBarge slipped on an icy St. Louis sidewalk and struck the curb. He died from his injuries two days later on January 22, 1860. (Further details of Joseph Marie LaBarge's life are contained in Hiram Martin Chittenden's book, "History of Early Steamboat Navigation on the Missouri River: Life and Adventures of Joseph LaBarge", published by Ross & Haines, 1962.)

Michel LaBerge (1836 - 1909) - Michel Laberge, born in Chateauguay, Quebec, was the first French-Canadian to explore the Yukon in 1866. Laberge worked at one time for the Russians and in 1867 he did some surveying for Western Union who wanted to build an overland telegraph to Europe. He later engaged in the fur trade in the Yukon under the name of the Pioneer American Fur Company. His contribution to geography is commemorated by Lake Laberge in the Yukon Territory, which was named after him in 1870. The lake, also known as Lake Lebarge in some early documentation, was the setting for Robert W. Service's famous poem, The Cremation of Sam McGee.

Jean Baptiste LaBerge (1804 - 1883) - Leader of Rebellion of 1838, also called Lower Canada Rebellion in Beauharnois, QC. For his part in the uprising, Jean-Baptiste Laberge was imprisoned in Montreal on November 16th, 1838 and received the death sentence on January 26, 1839. The sentence was changed to deporatation and he was exiled to Australia, arriving in February 1840. Laberge and his fellow prisoners were later pardonned and Laberge was back with his family by the spring of 1844 and was regarded as a hero in his local community.

Dr. Walter LaBerge - (1924 - 2004). Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Walter B. LaBerge had a distinguished career in the field of aerospace engineering which encompasses over 20 years in private industry and over 20 years in service to the U.S. Government. During WWII, he was "skipper" of YMS 165 in the Pacific and served as Technical Director of the Naval Ordinance Test Station in China Lake, CA. Dr. LaBerge was appointed to the positions of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Assistant Secretary General of NATO, and Under Secretary of the Army. In private industry, he was a Corporate Vice-President for Lockheed Corporation and Vice-President of Philco-Ford. During his career, Dr. LaBerge led an industrial team which designed and built the NASA Mission Control Center in Houston and was a principal participant on a government team which designed the Sidewinder missile. Dr. LaBerge was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and was a former chairman and member of the Army Science Board. He served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. LaBerge passed away on July 16, 2004. See [http://www.walterlaberge.com Dr. Walter LaBerge bio.]

Margaret Wade Labarge (born 1916) is a Canadian historian and author specializing in the role of women in the Middle Ages. She is the adjuct professor of history at Carleton University.

Bernie LaBarge (born Ottawa, Ontario on March 11, 1953) - Bernie started playing guitar at age 11 (1964) and began playing professionally in 1967. He was the frontman and/or guitarist for many popular bands in Ontario and nominated for Most Promising Male Vocalist at 1984 Juno Awards for his album entitled "Barging In" (Sony). Bernie has also been a sideman on over 100 albums and has toured or recorded with The Irish Rovers, Kim Mitchell, Frank Byner of Tower of Power, Long John Baldry, Doug Riley, Cassandra Vasik, Joel Feeney. He has composed and performed on many North American and worldwide commercial jingles. Bernie won the Canadian Songwriting Contest in 1986 (Best R&B Song category) and many top Canadian and International performers have covered his songs. Currently Toronto-based, Bernie is the lead guitarist for The Dexters, David Clayton-Thomas, and Danny B and the R&B All-Stars.

External links

* [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~laberge/index.htm LaBarge/LaBerge website]

References

*Jetté, René. Dictionnaire généaloguque des familles du Québec. Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983, page 620.
*LaBerge, Lionel. Robert de la Berge. L'Ange Gardien, Quebec: [Original source of this article is unknown] , 1963.
*Laforest, Thomas J. Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Volume XV. Palm Harbor, FL: The Lisi Press, 1992, pages 145-156. [This text is available directly from the publisher: Lisi Press, P.O. Box 1063, Palm Harbor, FL 34682-1063.]
*Sorensen, Lola. LaBarge Genealogy. Manuscript prepared for Pierre L. LaBarge and donated to Mormon Family History Library, Salt Lake City (Call Number: US/CAN, Book Area, 929.273, L111s), 1985.
*Tanguay, Cyprien. Dictionnaire généaloguque des familles canadiennes Vol. 5. Montréal: Esuèbe Senécal & Fils, 1871 (reprinted 1975), p. 51.