Marie Therese (Bourgeois) Chouteau (abt. 1733 - 1814)

Born about 14 Jan 1733 in New Orleans, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France

Ancestors

Wife of Rene Auguste Chouteau — married 20 Sep 1748 in Nouvelle Orleans, Louisiane, Nouvelle-France

Descendants

Died 14 Aug 1814 at about age 81 in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri Territory, États-Unis d'Amérique

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Biography

Marie (Bourgeois) Chouteau is Notable.

Marie Therese Bourgeois, daughter of Nicholas Charles Bourgeois and Marie Josephe Tarau, was born on January 14, 1733 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Therese was an orphan, brought up by the Ursuline nuns, under the guidance of her uncle.

Marie married Rene Auguste Chouteau on September 20, 1748 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Rene was born on September 2, 1723 in L'hermenault, Diocese Of Larochelle, France and died on April 21, 1776 in New Orleans, Louisiana at age 52.)

"In 1749 she married Rene Auguste Chouteau, but left him shortly after the birth of Auguste because of his abusiveness to her. Madame Chouteau arrived in St. Louis in 1764 soon after her son had founded the city with Pierre Laclede... the first white woman to live in St. Louis... also its first businesswoman, successfully managing a fur trading enterprise & accumulating a large amount of property. She introduced honey bees to the community & her charitable endeavors & nurturing ways led her to be known affectionately as 'La Mere de St. Louis'."^[1][2]

Her will, dated Jan. 13, 1813, states that she was legally married to Rene Auguste Chouteau, "now deceased," and by Rene Auguste Chouteau she had two sons, Auguste and Pierre, and three daughters, Victoire, Pelagie and Marie Louise. She signed it "Veuve (widow) Chouteau."

She died Aug 14, 1814 in St. Louis, Missouri, age 81 Buried Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum Find A Grave: Memorial #6133773

Her Children:

1. August Chouteau was born on September 7, 1749 in New Orleans, Louisiana, died on February 24, 1829 in St. Louis, Missouri at age 79, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery.
2. Jean Pierre Chouteau, b October 10, 1758 in New Orleans, Louisiana and died on July 10, 1849 in St. Louis, Missouri at age 90.
3. Marie Louise Chouteau, b December 4, 1762 in New Orleans, Louisiana and died on February 27, 1817 in St. Louis, Missouri at age 54.
4. Marie Pelagie Chouteau, b October 10, 1760 in New Orleans, Louisiana and died on June 5, 1812 in St. Louis, Missouri at age 51.
5. Victorie Chouteau, b March 23, 1764 in New Orleans, Louisiana and died on June 15, 1825 in St. Louis, Missouri at age 61.

Notes

Marie Therese married Rene Auguste Chouteau im 1748-49. She left him after her first son (Rene Auguste Jr) was born, but may have returned to him in 1757. There were no children born to her between Sept 1750 and Oct 1758.

There is a long-standing story that Marie Therese had a 4 children by Pierre Laclede-Liguest. (Her 2nd son was named Pierre, but it was a common French name.) “The Chouteau family have never conceded the truthfulness of the story, but have denounced it through several generations as gross libel on the fair name of a woman who ranks among the first in American history. "

Marie had a relationship with Pierre Laclede, son of Pierre De Laclede Liguest and Magdeline D'espoeys D'arance, after 1755. Pierre was born on November 22, 1729 in Bedous, Near Pau In The French Pyrenees, France and died on May 27, 1778 on the Mississippi River at age 48.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: "Marie Therese Bourgeois Chouteau"
2. ↑ St. Louis, the Fourth City, 1764-1909, Volume 1, bBy Walter Barlow Stevens; S. J. Clarke Publishing Company,; USA; 1909, p. 1015.

• Dave Lossos Descendants of Madame Chouteau Publication - http://stlouis.genealogyvillage.com/chouteau.htm
• http://stlouis.genealogyvillage.com
• Official Manual of the State of Missouri, 1971-72: "Women's Role in Missouri History, 1821-1971"
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se_Bourgeois_Chouteau

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Michelle Ladner for starting this profile.