Documented History

Johanna Becker

Johanna was the daughter of a German father, Johann Becker, and a French-Canadian mother, Marie David.

Johanna's parents were married at Nôtre Dame de Québec, September 1, 1766. The marriage record in that parish's register tells us that "Johannes Pecker" (he signed his own name; the surname seems to begin with a "P") was from what is now Wiesloch, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, and that Marie David was a native of the Gaspésie, but that both resided in Québec City.¹

Probably because of his pale hair, Becker had acquired a nickname, "Blondin". Often, in parish registers, he and his family are called "Becker dit Blondin".

Abbé Patrice Gallant notes that the first reference to this family, in the registers of the Gaspésie, is the marriage of Johanna Becker-dit-Blondin to William Moloney. Gallant opines that Johann is the founder of the Beckers, whereas (Gallant states) the David family had long been known in the region. Gallant is surprised that none of the Becker-David children's baptisms can be found in the Gaspésian registers.²

Johanna Becker was born June 03, 1769.³

She was 18 when she married William Moloney (age 27) on August 21, 1787.⁴

She and William Moloney had ten children, eight of whom married and had children of their own.

She was widowed on July 26, 1810.⁵

Records of the Provincial Court, Inferior District of Gaspé, Term at Percé, presided over by Judge William Crawford, give us some additional information about Johanna.⁶

Between August 18-25, 1810, Johanna was involved in two slander suits.

In the first case (# 180), the judgement was that the plaintiff, Edmund Flynn, Sr. had been slandered by the defendent, Johanna Molony, who was ordered to pay damages and costs.

In the second suit (# 181), Johanna Molony was curatrix, with her daughter, Mary Molony (a minor). The judgement was that the plaintiff, Mary Molony, had been slandered by the defendent, Edmund Flynn, Jr. (a minor, whose father, Edmund Flynn, Sr., therefore, was joined with him). The Flynns were ordered to pay damages and costs.

As well, between August 25-30, 1815, in a suit (# 333), Johanna (who was now married to John de la Cour) and her son, William Molony, were tried and convicted of Assault and Battery against Pierce Cody, of Bonaventure Island. They were ordered to pay damages and costs.

She had died by 1837.⁷

¹Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique (PRDH) Databank, Internet Version (http//www.genealogy.umontreal.ca), indexes this marriage under the incorrect spelling, "PECKVE-BLONDIN"; and in the PRDH online summary of this marriage (Union # 212107; Québec, 1766-09-01), the parties are listed in this order: groom, bride, groom's father, groom's mother, bride's father, and bride's mother.
²abbé Patrice Gallant, Les Registres de la Gaspesie: 1752-1850, (Publications de la Sociétè Genealogique Canadienne-français: Montréal, 1961), pp. 25-26; and see his entry for "David", p. 101. For over fourteen years, the Becker family lived in Québec City and entries of the Becker-David marriage and of the baptisms of eight, and burials of two, of their children are found in the register of Nôtre Dame de Québec.
³Despite PRDH Databank, Internet Version online summary (Baptême # 618374; Québec, 1769-06-04) giving the child’s sex as "m[ale]", the baptismal record for Joseph Becker (born June 03, 1769) is for Johanna. First, the name "Joseph" is used for females. In this record, the Godmother (marraine) is called "Joseph" Barthelemy. She is the person after whom the child is named. Secondly, there is the grammar. Father Lefebvre (vicar of Québec), the priest, who wrote this baptismal record for Joseph Becker, has used the feminine endings: baptisée and née. On the same page of this register, the previous baptismal record written by Father Lefebvre is for a boy, Thomas Botte. In it, Lefebvre uses baptisé and né. So, Lefebvre intended the feminine endings for Joseph, who is Johanna Becker. Finally, note that over 52 years later, in the registre of St-Michel de Percé, on February 27, 1822, in the acte de mariage for Johanna's daughter Hélène (Ellen), written by Father Clément Aubry, Johanna Becker is called "Joseph Blondin".
⁴Gallant, pp. 25, 225. See also Molony-Beker in PRDH Databank, Internet Version online summary (Union # 774516; Carleton, 1787-08-21).
⁵Gallant (p. 225), incorrectly, gives William Moloney's burial date as the day of his death.
⁶My thanks to Aldo Brochet, who has provided me with photocopies of the relevant proceedings.
⁷Aldo Brochet's research shows that, in the census of 1831, de la Cour is listed as married. However, at his death in 1837, he was a widower. So Johanna had predeceased him.

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