They Chose To Stay

The Real First French Settlers of Quebec

The first attempt to settle Quebec failed when Champlain was forced to surrender to the Kirke brothers in 1627, and most of the French returned home, never to come back to Canada.  However, when France once again claimed possession of the post, there was a renewed interest, and the first "real"  settling began.

Surviving a Canadian Winter

Behind the Notre-Dame de Quebec Basilica, north of the Chateau Frontenac, in Quebec City; there is a monument to Louis Hebert,  who is considered to be the first European settler in Canada.  He set up house with his family in the spring of 1617, four years before the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts.  When his daughter, Guillemette, wed Guillaume Couillard in 1621; it was the first recorded marriage in Canada. These early pioneers, like Hebert, were a hearty lot who faced many hardships, including hostile Iroquois, enemies of their Canadian allies; harsh winter weather and disease; but through their perseverance they paved the way for many others.  Their names are immortalized on a plaque that can be found on the back of the monument that includes the following names, many of whom would later be united with my ancestors.

Pre-British Occupation Guillaume Couillard Louise Couillard Marguerite Couillard Helene Desportes Pierre Desportes Francoise Garnier Anne Hebert Guillemette Hebert Louis Hebert Guillaume Hubou Etienne Jonquest Francoise Langlois Marguerite Langlois Noel Langlois Marie Le Barbier Marguerite Lesage Nicolas Marsolet Abraham Martin Noel Morin Jean Nicolet Nicolas Pivert    Olivier Tardif Marie Rollet

First Post-Occupation Philippe Amyot Francois Aubert Marie Bonhomme Louise Boucher Marin Boucher Madeliene Boule (Robin) Jean Bourdon Anne Cloutier Louise Cloutier Zacherie Cloutier Anne Convent Jean Cote Pierre De Launay Catherine Dodier Sebastien Dodier Robert Drouin Xaintes Dupont Anne Dupuis Anne Fauconnier Guillaume Fournier Robert Giffard Jean-Baptiste Godefroy Jean-Paul Godefroy

Jean Guyon Marie-Fse Hebert Guillaume Isabel Jean Juchereau Marie Langlois Pierre Laporte Madeliene Legardeur Nicolas Lemaire Marie Leneuf Perrine Mallet Francois Marguerie Anne Martin Francoise Pinquet Louis-Henri Pinquet Jacqueline Potel Marie Renouard Jean Sauvaget Anne Voyer

Last of the First: Francois Belanger             Antoine Brassard              Robert Caron             Francois Chavigny Marguerite Corriveau         Marie Crevet                  Marie Flavery                 Marie Gagnon Eleonore Grandmaison      Marie Grimoult          Genevieve Juchereau            Jacques Hertel Charles LeGardeur          Pierre LeGardeur        Marguerite LeGardeur       Jacques Le Neuf Jacques Maheau                 Rene Maheu             Marguerite Marguerie      Marguerite Martin Jeanne Mercier                 Francoise Mery                 Claude Poulin               Etienne Racine

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