Késsinnimek - Roots - RacinesIGNACE BOUCHER DE GROSBOIS
by Jacques Dunant
by Jacques Dunant
Version française
1-4 IGNACE BOUCHER DE GROSBOIS (1659-1699)
Ignace Boucher was born at Cap-de-la-Madeleine and baptized on January 18th 1659 in Trois-Rivières.(P .R. D.H.- 87519) Etienne de Lafond is named godfather and Marguerite Crevier godmother. He will assume the same name as his father: de Grosbois. At the age of three he received a concession on l'Ile Ste-Thérèse (1) from Jean de Lauson governor who wished to show his pleasure with Pierre Boucher's success in France as ambassador. (2) On May 20th 1668 Ignace Boucher's name appears as a godfather on baptism documents signed by the Révérend Father Jacques Marquette in Boucherville, his sister Marie is godmother. It is possible that Marie remains in Boucherville after Père Marquette's departure. Marie appears to be named godmother on different occasions. (3) Ignace returns to Trois-Rivières with a small escort to rejoin his family. He returns to Boucherville with his family but we still ignore at what date that occurred.
On October 6 1675 he is named godfather for Ignace Bourgery. (P.R.D.H.-2064) In March 1678 we find him playing cards with officers and his brother Pierre de Boucherville (1-1) at a cabaret owned by a woman named Folleville in Montreal. (4)
In 1681, his three eldest brothers, Pierre (1-1), Lambert (1-3) and Ignace (1-4) asked their father to help them in the establishment of a farm. Finding their request just and reasonable, Pierre Boucher, sieur de Grosbois their father gives his consent to their demand. He allots them about three hundred acres on l'île Saint Joseph or l'île Grosbois, in les Îles Percées, where the parents Boucher already have a big farm. On June 11th 1683 Ignace is named godfather for Ignace de Noyon. (P.R.D.H -2212) The preceding farmland grant to the three brothers is written in one deed before Michel Moreau, notary. (5) Later on, the farmland grant will be separated into three parts in order to prevent any discord that could occur between the brothers; deed passed before Moreau, notary on June 15th 1685. (5)
On November 7th 1686 Ignace is named godfather for Charlotte de Boucherville (1-1-2) (P.R.D.H.-2289)
On March 24 1687, Ignace, acting for Lambert de Grandpré leases a farmland on l'Ile Saint Joseph to Claude Pastourel and Jacques Mousseau. (6)
This lease is for a period of three years. On May 17th 1687 Ignace is present at the signing of a wedding contract between his sister Marguerite (1-6) with Nicolas Daneau de Muy (7) captain for a company in the Marine troops. On October 18th 1689, it is now Pierre Boucher who leases Lambert's farm to Michel Charbonneau. We ignore why this was done, since the said Charbonneau does not seem to respect this agreement. (8) In fact, a new farm lease is signed between Ignace, procurator for Lambert Boucher de Grandpré and Nicolas Bonin dit Saint-Martin de Contrecoeur before Michel Moreau, notary on May 1st 1690. (9)
In July and August 1684 at l'Anse à la Famine he participates in his first campaign, followed by another campaign at Tsonnontouans (an Iroquois tribe) during the summer of 1687.
On September 10th 1688 he participated in a bear hunt with François Le Verrier de Rousson. This day will have a sad ending; the Boucher parents will lose one of their sons due to an accidental hunting incident. (10) Due to his military obligations he must lease his farmland situated on l'Ile St-Joseph for a period of three years to J. B. Pilon dit Lafortune. (11) A few weeks later he is called to duty by the superior officers of the colony, and goes to Quebec with several brothers to defend the city from William Phipps of Boston. He returns from this expedition possibly wounded. On May 21st 1691, with his sister Jeanne they participated in the blessing of a bell for Boucherville's church. (12)
On February 28th 1693, he is named godfather for Ignace Pilon (P.R.D.H.) On July 29th 1693, Ignace donates all of his possessions to his parents in case he would pass away. Having been active in many campaigns, it has affected his health (13)
One year later on October 28th 1694 being in better health he signs a wedding contract with the notary Antoine Adhémar. The following persons were mentioned on the contract: The Boucher parents, Séraphin Marganne et Louise Bissot parents of the future bride, René de La Perrière (1-9) his brother, Jeanne Boucher (1-10) et Louise (1-11) his sisters, Marie-Madeleine Gaultier, Jacques-René de Varennes, his two cousins, Hector de Callière, François Margane de Batilly and Pierre Margane des Forêts, Geneviève et Louise Margane, Pierre Le Gardeur de Repentigny, Jean-Paul Le Gardeur de Saint-Pierre and on the same day he married Marie-Anne Margane de Lavaltrie (14). This wedding was held in Montreal.
He signs a note of obligation to his brother-in-law de Muy; it regards a loan of 1400 livres so he could purchase Jacques Denis de La Broquerie's land. (15) This area of land belonged to Lambert Boucher and was a part of the concessions made to the three eldest sons of Pierre Boucher in June 1681. An explanation might be required to understand this transaction. Lambert Boucher de Grandpré whose military career is in Trois-Rivière is not capable of taking care of his land in Boucherville. He sells his land to Jacques Denis sieur de La Broquerie, who is an officer in the army. He goes to Acadia where he dies in combat. Jacques Denis had taken certain precautions in making a testament and naming as its executor his brother-in-law Pierre de Boucherville (1-1) Pierre proceeds in auctioning land in order to fulfill Jacques wishes in his testament, thus bequeathing money to different people. Ignace is very interested in this land, but Pierre acquired it and then sold it to his brother Ignace who having no money in his possession had to borrow money from the de Muy family. We shall refer to these transactions in a future article.
Pierre Boucher and Jeanne Crevier lost three children during the year 1698 1699. Marguerite (1-6) Nicolas Daneau de Muy's wife dies on June 30th 1698 after having given birth to seven children. She is buried in the church in Boucherville on July 1st 1698. In attendance were a few priests from the surrounding areas, her husband De Muy and some officer's monsieur de Subercase, a major of troops and monsieur de Longueuil and a few others. (R.B. et P.R.D.H.) On June 4th 1699 Lambert (1-3) dies in Trois-Rivières. On October 25th 1699 Ignace (1-4) dies in Boucherville. He was interred on October 27th. Present were his father, his brothers de Boucherville (1-1) de Monbrun (1-8) and de Niverville. (1-14) (16)
Unfortunately death is quite frequent throughout the world but more particularly in New France. It is continually present and one must face it on a daily basis.
In his memoirs dated between 1695 and 1698 Pierre Boucher does not make any allusions to all these inhumations.
On August 10th 1698 Ignace makes a proposal to Nicolas Daneau de Muy and deceased Marguerite Boucher's (1-6) children. Why? This was done to reimburse a loan which the De Muy's had given them in order that they could purchase land from deceased monsieur de la Broquerie. In his farewells, My Last Wishes, Pierre Boucher said to Ignace: you know how much I have loved you; do not be ungrateful but pray to God for me and show your thankfulness. Do not feel sorry at my departure: It is God's will and it is time for me to leave. I have worn out my usefulness on this earth, and I am a burden for others and for myself. I bless you and to your wife and children I bid them goodbye. Be fearful of God. Try with all of your might to keep the peace between your brothers and sisters; personal interest should not prevail, which could cause disunion amongst you (17) In their last will and testament, Pierre Boucher and Jeanne Crevier concede to the heirs of Ignace now deceased, a fief of six arpents (acres) in width by a depth of two lieues (two leagues) where the following are installed, Roger Latouche, Lucas Loiseau, Jacques Reguindeau (each have two arpents on the first row, ((which is twenty five acres long )and the concessions in l'île St-Joseph.
The following are the Boucher de Grosbois children:
1-4-1 Marie Louise (1695-1758)
1-4-2 Ignace-Séraphin (1696-1697)
1-4-3 Charles-Séraphin (1698-1772)
1-4-4 Nicolas (1699-1780
1-4-5 Ignace, (1700-1761)
Marie-Anne Margane does not seem to have remarried; she is inhumed in the Boucherville church on October 4th 1744. (R.B.) Note: Marie-Anne Marganne de Lavaltrie, widow of Charles (his real name is Ignace 1-4) present were Jean Boucher de Monbrun (1-8) P.R.D.H. Her sister-in-law Louise Boucher (1-11) has surely helped in bringing up her numerous children.
REFERENCES
(1) This concession dated April 23rd 1662 given to a three-year-old child was returned to the Crown. None of the Boucher family ever set foot there. See I.C.F.S. vol. II, p. 87.
(2) Pierre Boucher was on the last leg of his trip to France and was ready to come back to New France.
(3) It seems evident that Marie stayed in the Îles Percées in the of summer of 1668 and after, since we see her name mentioned as godmother in the baptismal register in Boucherville:On July 22nd 1670 for Marie-Jeanne Picard
On February 2nd 1671 for Marie Denoyon
On February 11th 1671 for Marie Lussier
On March 8th 1671 her husband is named godfather for Marie-Renée Frérot.
(4) Séguin, Robert-Lionel, La vie libertine en Nouvelle-France, two volumes.
(5) Michel Moreau, notary, A.N.Q. Montréal. Acts dated June 15th 1681 and June 15th 1685.
(6) Michel Moreau, notary, A.N.Q. Montreal.
(7) Antoine Adhémar, notary, A.N.Q. Montreal.
(8) (9) (11) Michel Moreau, notary, A.N.Q. Montreal.
(10) This accident will be part of a future article on Jacques Boucher, sieur de Montiizambert (1-13)
(12) (13) (15) Antoine Adhémar, notary, A.N.Q. Montreal.
(14) Register at Notre Dame in Montreal
(16) Boucherville Register
(17) Les Adieux de Pierre Boucher, in Pierre Boucher by Séraphin Marion, Imprimé par Ls-A. Proulx Imprimeur du roi-1927, Page 191.Bibliography (partial):
MITCHELL, Estelle, s. g. m. Messire Pierre Boucher, Vac offset Inc. Montreal, 1980, page 237.
Prepared by Jacques Dunant in 1998, reviewed and completed in December 2005 and January 2006. Translated by Bernice Dunant
(to be continued)
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