A Journey Through Family, Motherhood, and Influence

Marie de La Salle was born on 26 February 1654, nearly three years after her brother, John-Baptist. Her godparents at the baptism in the church of Saint-Pierre-le Viel were Antoine Frémin and Rose Maillefer, both members of the small group of influential families in the city.

On 20 March 1679, the same year that the first schools for poor boys were being established, Marie married Jean Maillefer, son of Jean Maillefer (1611-1684) and Marie Lefèvre, who had died several years before, in 1665. Marie and Jean had ten children, four of whom died in infancy, including their first, named after his uncle Jean-Baptiste who had witnessed their marriage.

Marie died, aged 57, on 23 March 1711 and was buried in the parish of Saint-Etienne. The signed witnesses were Jean-Louis and Pierre de La Salle, her nephews, her husband, Jean, and her oldest surviving son, Jean-François.

Their third surviving son, François-Elie, was one of De La Salle’s early biographers, and Br Donald Mouton points out the likely possibility that his mother Marie, De La Salle’s sister, was a helpful source for his work.

Source: Br John Cantwell FSC