Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines

The Children of PIERRE BOUCHER
and of JEANNE CREVIER
by Jacques Dunant



Version française

1-1 PIERRE BOUCHER OF BOUCHERVILLE (1653-1740)

The first Seignior of Boucherville was Pierre Boucher, (1) son of Gaspard and Nicole Lemaire, he choose the name sieur de Grosbois. The eldest child of the first Seignior received the same surname as his father Pierre. His father gave him the title sieur de Boucherville to add to his name. It was not easy for Pierre Boucher de Boucherville (1-1) to assert himself since his father lived a very long life and held many responsibilities. Pierre was born during an Iroquois attack on the fort of Trois-Rivières in August 1653.

There is no record of his baptism. We know nothing of his youth and adolescence. His education was influenced by the young officers and soldiers, whom, when not on active duty were involved in the fur trade. He received a land grant from the governor Jean de Lauzon on August 5th 1656. The land was ten by twenty arpents (acres) on the north shore of the Saint-Laurent River, three hundred steps above the fifth river (1) (I have not been able to locate on a map this parcel of land situated on the north shore of lac Saint-Pierre). His father took possession of this land on June 9th 1657. (2)

Pierre's signature is on the marriage contract of his sister Marie-Ursule with René Gaultier de Varennes on September 22nd 1667 at Trois-Rivières (3) he is fourteen years old, nearly a man. It is very possible that he joined his sister Marie and his brother Ignace with the R.F. Jacques Marquette, when they came to les Iles Percées in May 1668. He returned to Trois-Rivières with Ignace his brother. Pierre has to accompany his family when they finally make it to Les Iles Percées.

On October the 3rd 1668, Pierre Boucher, sieur de Grosbois porte foi et homage (renders an oath of acknowledgement of allegiance) for his son because of the fiefdom that M. de Lauson, governor, granted to him in August 5th 1656. (2a)

Pierre is a godfather on different occasions in Boucherville, in 1670, February 23rd for Françoise Valiquet (P.R.D.H. - 1958), on July 22nd 1670, July 22nd for Marie-Jeanne Picard (P.R.D.H. - 1969), in April 8th 1671 for his sister Jeanne (P.R.D.H.) twin to Louise; In November 15th 1672 for his brother Nicolas (P.R.D.H. - 2001) and on June 14th 1674 for Marie-Barbe Février dit Lacroix (4) (P.R.D.H.) all these baptismal acts are in the Boucherville register. He is active in the community of Boucherville. On November 3rd 1672 Pierre (1-1) is granted a fiefdom from Jean Talon, ¾ of a league by a league in depth bordering on lac Saint-Pierre adjacent to his father's land, (5) it will be known as Gatineau fiefdom. (5a) With his brother Ignace (1-4) and some army officer friends, they visit in Ville-Marie the wine shop of la Folleville (Anne Lamarque wife of Charles Testard de Folleville). They do not respect the curfew or the representatives of the law who were sent, by the judge of Montreal. The officers are playing cards and do not want to be disturbed so they pulled their epees out. The police went away to avoid any further confrontation from these officers who were excellent swordsmen. (6) Pierre de Boucherville is named, godfather for Marie-Marguerite Gaultier de Varennes his niece, daughter of René and Marie Boucher. The baby is born on January 22nd. The baptism is celebrated in the seigniorial home in Varennes on January 28th 1680. Madeleine Boucher (1-5) Pierre's sister is the godmother. Jean Gauthier de Brullon, clergyman at Boucherville and acting missionary to adjoining parishes, signs the baptismal act. This act leads us to believe that Marie Boucher the mother of this child has spent part of the 1679-1680 winter in Varennes.

The year 1681

The 1681 census show that Pierre lived at the seigniorial house (not a manor) with his parents, his brothers and sisters: Lambert, Ignace, Marguerite, Philippe, Jean, René, Louise and Jeanne who are twins Nicolas-Michel, another pair of twins Jacques and Jean-Baptiste and finally Geneviève. The Seignior's family have a parcel of land containing one hundred cultivated acres. Where is this parcel of land located? Two persons are absent: Marie-Ursule who is married to René Gaultier de Varennes and lived in Trois-Rivières and Madeleine recently married to Pierre Noël Le Gardeur, they lived in Lachenaie. (6a)

Pierre is probably conscious of the necessity to develop the land but he does not have his father's drive. His military career preoccupies him more. In June 1681, Pierre Boucher grants to his three eldest sons a parcel of land on the biggest island of his domain des Iles Percées, hoping that something more advantageous and honourable would be presented to them in the future.

Pierre Boucher and his wife Jeanne Crevier have kept the largest part of the St-Joseph island for their big farm. They grant to their three eldest sons a parcel of land of about one hundred acres each, to encourage the good will that his sons have shown in starting an installation of their own. (6b) Four years later, in 1685 as the youngest was now twenty-five years old, in legal age, the three sons asked their father for a particular title for each son in order to eliminate any arguments that may occur between them. The parents kept their farm on the north-eastern tip of the island (close to Varennes), then Pierre the eldest received about one hundred acres situated above his parents farm, Lambert, received the same amount of acres situated above his brother Pierre's land, and finally Ignace received his share of one hundred acres of land which was situated above his brother Lambert 's land, located on the channel which separates Île St-Joseph from Île de la Commune. (6c)

Marriage in the Denis family

In 1683, Pierre (1-1) is thirty years old and marries Charlotte Denis, widow of Pierre Dupas, sieur du Braché whom she had married in Quebec on November the 7th, 1677. (7) Pierre Dupas died on December 20th 1677 (7a) they had no descendants. Charlotte is the daughter of Simon Denis deceased and Françoise Dutartre who is Simon Denis's second wife. Simon Denis was nominated Sovereign Councillor in September 1664, but the marquis De Tracy dismissed him in December 1666. His son Charles Denis de Vitré replaced him in August 1673. The Denis's are an influential family from Quebec City. Simon Denis was ennobled in 1663; the family have resided in this country since 1632. Having owned and managed a fishing enterprise in the St-Lawrence River gulf and in Acadia. Pierre and Charlottes's union appears to be a successful one. However, Pierre Boucher is absent from the ceremony, which is attended by the notables of Quebec. Gilles Rageot wrote the marriage contract on October 23rd 1683 (8). In attendance were the governor Lefebvre de la Barre, the intendant de Meulles (here is a possible reason for Pierre Boucher's absence, since these two people are not on good terms). Councillors Rouer de Villeray, Ruette d'Auteuil, Le Gardeur de Tilly, Charles Denis de Vitré, messieurs Chalon, Leber, Aubert de la Chenaie, Gauthier de Comporté, and most of their wives, Jeanne Crevier is accompanied by Pierre Noël le Gardeur. The wedding ceremony occurred on October the 25th 1683 in Quebec City.

His military career

In 1673, Frontenac decided to build a fort at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (Kingston) to try to protect traders from attacks by the Iroquois and the English. He asks Pierre Boucher the father for two well-equipped canoes, but does not want Pierre Boucher's participation. Pierre, sieur de Grosbois, delegates his eldest son. In 1684, Pierre Boucher de Boucherville participated in a disastrous expedition led by the governor de la Barre at l'Anse-à-la-Famine. Before leaving for this expedition Pierre Boucher de Boucherville is chosen as a godfather for his niece Marie-Angélique Le Gardeur in Boucherville on June 29th 1684. (P.R.D.H.) (9) The governor de la Barre returns from his campaign to participate at the baptism of Antoinette who was born the previous month, daughter of Pierre and Charlotte Denis. The ceremony was held in Ville-Marie. (P.R.D.H.) (10) In 1687, Pierre Boucher sieur de Boucherville joins the governor de Denonville in his campaign against the Iroquois Tsonnontouans. In the autumn of 1688, he returned for the sepulture of his brother Jacques (1-13) who was killed in a hunting accident in Boucherville (11). In the autumn of 1690, he went to Quebec City accompanied by four brothers to combat admiral Phipps from Boston. He was promoted as an ensign in November 1691. Notice that by all these past activities officers and soldiers must be young men in excellent physical form. They are asked to perform and endure many hardships, often even if they are wounded and deprived of nourishment, etc... They were called 'les jarrets de fer' (legs of iron)

Return to Boucherville

Pierre Boucher and Jeanne Crevier lived in the seigniorial house with their son Pierre and Charlotte until the beginning of 1690 when Pierre and his wife decide to move to their own residence. A contract was signed with Thomas Bercy dit Beausoleil who was both a mason and stonecutter. The contract was dated March 29th 1690 signed before Michel Moreau for work to be done on Pierre de Boucherville's house. (12) His military career occupies much of his time. In 1691, his brother-in-law Jean-Baptiste Denis de La Bruère died, and in 1692, his other brother-in-law Jacques Denis de La Broquerie also died. His descendants will bear the names of de La Bruère and de La Broquerie. (14) On October 12th 1702 Pierre (1-1) sold to René-Alexandre Lemoine Despins his fiefdom given to him by his father in 1681 located on Saint-Joseph Island (15).

Au Détroit

Although his father is aging, Pierre accompanies La Mothe-Cadillac in 1704 to Detroit's post and leads a brilliant career. He is recommended by his commander to be named as an officer (sous-lieutenant). On different occasions, he comes back to Les Îles Percées then returns to Detroit. In 1707 his father has aged and is infirmed, therefore Pierre decides to stay in Les Îles Percées. His son François-Pierre (1-1-3) replaces him in Detroit. These two important members of the family have participated to the early beginnings of the colonization in the Midwest. Antoine Laumet de La Mothe-Cadillac was the main instigator of this colonization.

The fiefdom of Montarville

In 1710, Pierre is granted the fiefdom of Montarville, which is situated between Boucherville and Chambly. This land having no access to a river will develop very slowly. It was granted to him for services rendered. (16) The fiefdom of Montarville has the advantage of having a mountain surrounded by six lakes, which generate hydraulic power; this will permit the construction of water mills. On July 28th 1712, he sold his Gatineau fiefdom to his cousin Louis Gatineau. On December 17th 1718, he sent his eldest son François-Pierre to officially take possession of his Montarville fiefdom. I certify having sent my son de Boucherville (1-1-3) my eldest, accompanied by Joseph Boulanger and Jacques Tailhandier, who reside in the village of Boucherville to take possession of the lands situated behind the fiefdom of Boucherville and the high summit which is within these lands we have cut many trees and put our names on many other trees following the official form of possession which we certify to be true signed. Boucherville Joseph Boulanger and Jacques Tailhandier...

Pierre (1-1) becomes Boucherville's second seignior

Pierre Boucher, sieur de Grosbois dies on April 19th 1717, his eldest son becomes the owner of the fiefdom of Boucherville with his mother, his brothers and sisters co-Seigniors. Five days after his father's funeral, Pierre (1-1) signs an agreement with Joseph Huet dit Dulude for an exchange of a parcel of land, he exchanges the garden he has in the village of Boucherville against a parcel of land where a watermill (17) is erected on the land of the said Huet dit Dulude (today's cadastral lots number thirty-four and thirty-five situated west of today's Montarville street. This exchange of land follows a demand by the greatest group of inhabitants of the fiefdom who pretend.. the windmill which they have built is not sufficient to prepare all the flour needed by their families, it has become a necessity to build a watermill on Joseph Huet's concession. Marien Tailhandier, notary, September 25th 1712, (A windmill exists there since 1688. It is situated on the lower side, close to Varennes). (Source: Lustucru Volume 8, page 26). On June 13th 1723 il porte foi et homage (formal acknowledgement of allegiance) as Pierre Boucher sieur de Grosbois's eldest son and heir, he becomes the owner for half of half of the fiefdom of Saint-Joseph Island in Trois-Rivières, and also for the fiefdom of Boucherville. The following day ils passe un aveu et dénombrement (he renders acknowledgement and census) for these fiefdoms. On the same day il passe un acte de foi et homage (acknowledgement of allegiance concerning his fiefdom on the fifth river (Yamachiche). On the next day, June the 16th il passe un aveu et dénombrement pour ce dernier fief. (acknowledgement and census for this last fiefdom.) The acknowledgement and census dated August 28th 1724 does not give us all of the information we would need regarding the seigniorial house, here are a few citations On this fiefdom (Boucherville) there is an established domain containing three acres and one hundred feet (lot No. 31) and in depth two leagues on which sieur de Boucherville has a wooden house measuring forty two feet in length by twenty two in width, and parged on the outside, a wooden stable and a barn also twenty feet in length by eighteen in width, a barn... another house made of standing posts ... housing for a farmer.

On June 18th 1724, he sold a fiefdom of ten by twenty acres to Nicolas Duclos (18). Notary François Trottain. (It is a fiefdom situated on the fifth river also called Boucher. (This fiefdom has not been situated on a map) Jeanne Crevier is buried in the local church in Boucherville on December the 11th 1727 in the presence of brother Louis, schoolteacher and Joseph Laporte. (19)

END OF THE FIRST PART

To be continued

Prepared by Jacques Dunant in May 2005 with the help of a publication from Fleurimont Boucher de La Brurère, titled. Bref aperçu généalogique et historique de Pierre Boucher et de ses descendants, Unpublished manuscript

References and bibliography will follow with the second part.

Translated by Bernice Dunant.

Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines
Copyright © 2003 - 2008 Norm Léveillée
©Tous droits réservés
Copyright © 2005 Jacques Dunant
©Tous droits réservés