User:HISTORBUFF/sandbox

Marie de Saint-Étienne de La Tour, born around 1654, was a Seigneuresse or Lady of Port-Royal and Les Mines from around 1692, after the death of her husband, Alexandre Le Borgne de Belleisle, until her own death on May 28, 1739.

Biography
Marie de Saint-Étienne de La Tour was born around 1654. His parents were Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour and Jeanne Motin de Reux, widow of Charles de Menou d'Aulnay. The latter married the previous year in 1653 in Port-Royal to put an end to the conflict between La Tour and Aulnay. The couple's other children are Jacques (married to Anne Melanson), Charles, Marguerite (married to Abraham Mius de Plemazais), and Anne (married to Jacques Mius d'Entrement, Baron de Pobomcoup).

Around 1675, Marie de Saint-Étienne married the Seigneur of Port-Royal and Les Mines, Alexandre Le Borgne de Belleisle, the second son of Emmanuel Le Borgne and Janne François. This marriage enabled competing family interests in Acadia to join together. In the years prior to the marriage, the father of Alexandre, Emmanuel Le Borgne, advanced large sums of money to the father of Marie, the Acadian Governor and Seigneur Charles de Menou d'Aulnay. Upon the death of Charles de Menou in 1650, Emmanuel assumed full rights to Charles' holdings in Acadia. However this assumption of rights was never recognised by the heirs of his estate. Nonetheless, these rights were fully exerercised by the Le Borgne family up to 1703 and partially thereafter. Together, the couple had seven children: Emmanuel (1676), Marie (1678), Alexandre (1680), Jeanne (1682), Charles (1685), Marie-Françoise (1688), and Anne (1690).

Around 1692, when her husband, Alexandre Le Borgne de Belle-Isle, died, Marie succeeded her as lordess of Port-Royal. Until her death in 1739, she actively administered the affairs of the seigneury.

In 1693, the name of Marie, then 38 years old, appeared in the census carried out in Port-Royal. In this census, it is indicated that Marie is the owner of 13 cattle, 15 sheep, 20 pigs, 31 acres of arable land and 2 rifles.

Marie de Saint-Étienne de La Tour died on May 28, 1739 at the age of 87. She was buried 2 days later, on May 30, 1739. The priest responsible for the ceremony is De St. Poncy de La Vernède and the witnesses are Louis Robichaux, François Robichaux and René Richard.