 Jean-Claude Miche was born on 9 August 1805 in Bruyères, Vosges, France, the youngest of many siblings; he had four sisters and six brothers born from two marriages.The family, mostly farmers and artisans, had been living in the Vosges for a century.For Jean-Claude to take on a religious career was not typical of the family, although one of his brothers, Joseph-Victor, also became a priest.