Bénard

or Besnard

Denis Bénard and his wife Marie Michelet were both born in the 1590s, and lived in Châtre-sous-Montléry com Arpajon, which is a small village (today called Arpajon; its arms are depicted above) just south of Paris, and famous for its farmers' market and its kidney beans. They were married (probably in 1623) in the church of St-Clément. We know of two daughters born in Arpajon, Marie (baptized January 1624, married Pierre Lemieux in 1647, died before 1681); and Marguérite (baptized February 1626, married César Léger and Claude Bouchard dit Dorval, died 1697).

The family evidently arrived in Québec city in the summer of 1647, and settled eventually at Beaupré. Pierre Lemieux and Marie had seven children; see Lemieux. Their great-great-granddaughter Marie-Louise Caron married Louis Jean and was the paternal grandmother of Marie Eva Jean Martin.

After her husband died Marie married (1668) Antoine Gentil but had no further children.