Z is for Zacharie Cloutier.
Last week, I wrote about Xainte Dupont in X is for ... For the last letter of the alphabet, I'm turning my attention to Xainte's husband Zacharie Cloutier, my maternal ancestor (ahnentfal no. 3374). To see how other bloggers have responded throughout this fantastic challenge, take a look at Family History Through the Alphabet.
Early Years
In about 1590, Zacharie was born in Mortagne, Perche, France. The date is approximate, based on his reported ages of 76 and 77 on the 1666 and 1667 censuses of New France. The eldest of nine children, Zacharie was the son of Denis Cloutier and his first wife Renée Brière. According to Behind the Name: the etymology and history of first names, Zacharie is the French form of the Biblical name Zechariah, meaning "Yahweh remembers". As for his family name, often spelled Cloustier in those days, it is an occupational name describing a nail maker. (Clou = nail; cloutier = nail maker.)
When he was about 18 years old, Zacharie's mother died a few months after giving birth to a child that did not survive. Renée was buried on 1 May 1608 in Mortagne. Denis remarried later that year with Jeanne Rahir (Gaultier), the banns being read in early November at St-Jean parish church in Mortagne. This union produced four children, providing Zacharie with three half-brothers and a half-sister.
Marriage
On 18 July 1616, Zacharie married a widow, Xainte Dupont, at St-Jean church. The couple welcomed its first child, a son named like his father, who was baptised there in August 1617. In time, young Zacharie was joined by two brothers and three sisters. All, except for Xainte who died young in September 1632, survived childhood and immigrated to Canada.
Recruitment
In the early 1630s, entrepreneur Robert Giffard recruited skilled workers in his native Perche to help build and populate the fledgling colony of New France. Men like Zacharie, a master carpenter who specialized in large-scale construction work, were in high demand. Accordingly, Zacharie became an engagé when he entered into a notarized contractual agreement with Giffard in March 1634 in which he promised his skills in New France for five years. For his part, Giffard conceded a generous portion of land from his own seigneurie to Zacharie on which to settle. Zacharie named his new property La Cloutièrerie; it consisted of 1000 arpents (about 400 hectares) in Beauport near Quebec.
Departure
After he settled his affairs in Mortagne, Zacharie made his way to the port city of Dieppe in May 1634. At about 44 years old, he left his homeland forever and sailed towards a new life on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Other Perche recruits, including my ancestor Jean Guion (Guyon), travelled with Zacharie that spring.
New France
After a voyage of six weeks, the immigrant ship arrived in Quebec on 4 June 1634. Soon, Zacharie set to work. He must have been a strong, robust and courageous individual. He laboured not only as a carpenter to fulfill the terms of his contract, but also toiled as a colonist to clear the land on his property and build a home and a life for his family. Although Zacharie could not write, he signed documents by making his mark in the shape of an axe.
Death
In 1670, Zacharie sold his property. He and his wife spent their remaining years with one of their sons at Château-Richer. After a long and productive life (he was about 87 years old), Zacharie died on 17 September 1677. He was buried the next day at Château-Richer. Xainte survived him until 1680.
Zacharie, the founder of the Cloutier family in Canada, is sometimes known as the ancêtre de tous les canadiens français (the ancestor of all the French Canadians). Are you perhaps one of his descendants?
Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Showing posts with label Family History Through the Alphabet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family History Through the Alphabet. Show all posts
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Family History Through the Alphabet – Y is for …
Y is for (Marguerite d') Youville.
Inspired by Donna Pointkouski's post earlier this week (X is for Xavier), in which she writes about St. Francis Xavier, I decided to post a brief biography about Marguerite d'Youville, the first saint born in Canada.
Born Marie-Marguerite Dufrost de Lajemmerais on 15 October 1701 in Varennes, Quebec, Marguerite (as she was known) came from distinguished stock. Her father Christophe du Frost, sieur de la Gesmerays (La Jemmerais), was originally from Brittany, France. An officer, he reached the rank of captain the same year his daughter Marguerite was born. Her mother Marie-Renée Gauthier was a co-heiress of the Varennes seigneurie, owned by her father René Gauthier, sieur de Varennes, the governor of Trois-Rivières.
After a failed engagement to a young nobleman, Marguerite married François You on 22 August 1722 in Notre-Dame church in Montreal. François, also known as Youville de la Découverte or simply Youville, was the son of Pierre You, a companion of Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle. Pierre was with the famous explorer when he claimed the Mississippi basin (Louisiana) for the French king in 1682.
A fur merchant, François also engaged in contraband activities, selling alcohol to the Amérindiens. He often left his young family to fend for itself. When François became mortally ill in July 1730, Marguerite nursed him with compassion. Now his widow with two young sons, she had to cope with François' debts and ruined reputation. (The couple's other children, a son and two daughters, died as infants. A sixth child, born posthumously in February 1731, also died as an infant.)
After her husband's death, Marguerite chose to move forward with her life and be of service to others. Soon, she and three women formed a little group to help the poor of Montreal. New France of the 1730s didn't have provisions or social programs to care for women who were elderly, infirm, widowed, or without family support. In December 1737, Marguerite and her companions formalised their arrangement by forming a lay community dedicated to Christ and to serving anyone in need. After years of caring for the poor and disadvantaged, Marguerite and her group received royal permission to found a new religious order in June 1753: the Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal. Marguerite was the Order's first superior.
The call to the religious life was strong in Marguerite's family. Two of her brothers, Charles and Joseph, as well as a maternal uncle, became priests. One of her mother's sisters joined the Ursuline nuns in Quebec City. Later, Marguerite's own sons François and Charles joined the priesthood.
Marguerite and her religious sisters, known as the Grey Nuns, did not live a cloistered life in Montreal. They were active in their community and accepted anyone at their door, at first in their modest rented house, and later at the Hôpital Général, when they took over its management in 1747. (Note that Marguerite's hospital should not be confused with Montreal General Hospital, which was founded in 1819.) The sisters went where they were needed, whether it was the local home of someone afflicted with smallpox or further afield in Oka, some distance away, to care for the Aboriginals.
Photo source: Wikipedia contributors, "Grey Nuns' Hospital," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grey_Nuns%27_Hospital&oldid=515189623 : accessed October 26, 2012).
After years of devoted service to her Order, Marguerite's life drew to a close. She died after suffering a stroke on 23 December 1771 in Montreal at the Hospital where she had worked with charity, dedication, skill and courage.
Marguerite's path to sainthood began in April 1890 when Pope Leon XIII declared her Venerable. Later, in May 1959, Pope John XXIII beatified Marguerite; she was now Blessed. On 9 December 1990, she was canonised by Pope John Paul II; she was now Saint Marguerite. Her feast day is celebrated on October 16.
Marguerite's tomb rests in a chapel dedicated to her in Saint-Anne Basilica in Varennes, her birthplace.
While preparing the biography of this remarkable woman, it occurred to me that some of my ancestors might have been patients in Marguerite's Hôpital Général. I did a quick search and found a candidate: Barbe Pilet, widow of Toussaint Raymond dit Passe-Campagne, my paternal ancestors. Barbe, born in 1667 in Boucherville, Quebec, died on 2 January 1757 at the Hôpital Général in Montreal. She was buried there the next day. Now that I know that Barbe was taken care of by the Sisters of Charity, it's tempting to imagine that Saint Marguerite d'Youville herself might have given comfort to my ancestress.
For more information about Saint Marguerite d'Youville, visit les Soeur Grises de Montréal. To read what other bloggers have written throughout this A to Z challenge, take a look at Family History Through the Alphabet.
Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Inspired by Donna Pointkouski's post earlier this week (X is for Xavier), in which she writes about St. Francis Xavier, I decided to post a brief biography about Marguerite d'Youville, the first saint born in Canada.
 |
| Marguerite d'Youville |
Born Marie-Marguerite Dufrost de Lajemmerais on 15 October 1701 in Varennes, Quebec, Marguerite (as she was known) came from distinguished stock. Her father Christophe du Frost, sieur de la Gesmerays (La Jemmerais), was originally from Brittany, France. An officer, he reached the rank of captain the same year his daughter Marguerite was born. Her mother Marie-Renée Gauthier was a co-heiress of the Varennes seigneurie, owned by her father René Gauthier, sieur de Varennes, the governor of Trois-Rivières.
After a failed engagement to a young nobleman, Marguerite married François You on 22 August 1722 in Notre-Dame church in Montreal. François, also known as Youville de la Découverte or simply Youville, was the son of Pierre You, a companion of Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle. Pierre was with the famous explorer when he claimed the Mississippi basin (Louisiana) for the French king in 1682.
A fur merchant, François also engaged in contraband activities, selling alcohol to the Amérindiens. He often left his young family to fend for itself. When François became mortally ill in July 1730, Marguerite nursed him with compassion. Now his widow with two young sons, she had to cope with François' debts and ruined reputation. (The couple's other children, a son and two daughters, died as infants. A sixth child, born posthumously in February 1731, also died as an infant.)
After her husband's death, Marguerite chose to move forward with her life and be of service to others. Soon, she and three women formed a little group to help the poor of Montreal. New France of the 1730s didn't have provisions or social programs to care for women who were elderly, infirm, widowed, or without family support. In December 1737, Marguerite and her companions formalised their arrangement by forming a lay community dedicated to Christ and to serving anyone in need. After years of caring for the poor and disadvantaged, Marguerite and her group received royal permission to found a new religious order in June 1753: the Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal. Marguerite was the Order's first superior.
The call to the religious life was strong in Marguerite's family. Two of her brothers, Charles and Joseph, as well as a maternal uncle, became priests. One of her mother's sisters joined the Ursuline nuns in Quebec City. Later, Marguerite's own sons François and Charles joined the priesthood.
Marguerite and her religious sisters, known as the Grey Nuns, did not live a cloistered life in Montreal. They were active in their community and accepted anyone at their door, at first in their modest rented house, and later at the Hôpital Général, when they took over its management in 1747. (Note that Marguerite's hospital should not be confused with Montreal General Hospital, which was founded in 1819.) The sisters went where they were needed, whether it was the local home of someone afflicted with smallpox or further afield in Oka, some distance away, to care for the Aboriginals.
 |
| Grey Nuns' Hospital in 2009. |
Photo source: Wikipedia contributors, "Grey Nuns' Hospital," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grey_Nuns%27_Hospital&oldid=515189623 : accessed October 26, 2012).
After years of devoted service to her Order, Marguerite's life drew to a close. She died after suffering a stroke on 23 December 1771 in Montreal at the Hospital where she had worked with charity, dedication, skill and courage.
Marguerite's path to sainthood began in April 1890 when Pope Leon XIII declared her Venerable. Later, in May 1959, Pope John XXIII beatified Marguerite; she was now Blessed. On 9 December 1990, she was canonised by Pope John Paul II; she was now Saint Marguerite. Her feast day is celebrated on October 16.
Marguerite's tomb rests in a chapel dedicated to her in Saint-Anne Basilica in Varennes, her birthplace.
While preparing the biography of this remarkable woman, it occurred to me that some of my ancestors might have been patients in Marguerite's Hôpital Général. I did a quick search and found a candidate: Barbe Pilet, widow of Toussaint Raymond dit Passe-Campagne, my paternal ancestors. Barbe, born in 1667 in Boucherville, Quebec, died on 2 January 1757 at the Hôpital Général in Montreal. She was buried there the next day. Now that I know that Barbe was taken care of by the Sisters of Charity, it's tempting to imagine that Saint Marguerite d'Youville herself might have given comfort to my ancestress.
For more information about Saint Marguerite d'Youville, visit les Soeur Grises de Montréal. To read what other bloggers have written throughout this A to Z challenge, take a look at Family History Through the Alphabet.
Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Family History Through the Alphabet – X is for …
X is for Xainte Dupont.
Xainte Dupont is my 9x maternal great-grandmother. She was born in about 1595 or 1596, based on her ages on the 1666 and 1667 censuses. An approximate year of birth of 1583, according to her age of 97 stated in her burial record, is not likely correct.
Xainte’s parents are unknown, but she was probably from Mortagne in Perche, a county in Normandy, France. She married Michel Lermusier on or about 26 February 1612 in Mortagne. They did not have children. As his widow, Xainte married Zacharie Cloutier on 18 July 1616 in Mortagne. Her name is spelled “Saintes Du Pont” at this marriage.
Zacharie, a master carpenter, signed a contract with Robert Giffard in March 1634 in which he promised his services to him for a five year term. Giffard, who recently became a seigneur, recruited colonists mostly from Perche to help populate the fledgling colony of New France. Towards that end, Giffard granted a concession of land known as an arrière-fief to Zacharie to help him settle. Zacharie named his new property La Cloutièrerie (or La Clousterie). These 1000 arpents were located in Beauport, a few miles from Quebec.
Xainte may or may not have come to New France at the same time as Zacharie when he sailed from Dieppe in the spring of 1634. Sources differ on the arrival date, but it was either that year or perhaps two years later in 1636. They and their children were among the earliest families to settle in New France.
The first time Xainte appears in a record created in New France is at the marriage of her daughter Louise on 26 October 1645 in Quebec.
The first time Xainte appears in a record created in New France is at the marriage of her daughter Louise on 26 October 1645 in Quebec.
The Cloutier couple resided at La Cloutièrerie for over thirty-five years until Zacharie sold his land in 1670. He and Xainte then lived with one of their sons at Château-Richer. Zacharie died on 17 September 1677, while Xainte, who survived him by nearly three years, died on 13 July 1680. They are buried in Château-Richer.
Xainte and Zacharie had six children, three boys and three daughters, born between 1617 and 1632 and all baptised in Mortagne. I descend from their youngest child Louise (1632-1699) by her second husband Jean Mignault dit Châtillon. I also have a connection to their elder daughter Anne (1626-1648), who married as his first wife my ancestor Robert Drouin. (I descend through him by his second wife Marie Chapelier.)
Zacharie has been called the ancêtre de tous les canadiens français (the ancestor of all the French Canadians). This claim to fame is well deserved: the immigrant couple formed by Zacharie and Xainte has the distinction of being the ancestors of the largest number of married descendants before 1800 – an astonishing 10,850! (This bit of genealogical trivia is courtesy of Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (The Research Program in Historical Demography) at http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/en/.)
Zacharie has been called the ancêtre de tous les canadiens français (the ancestor of all the French Canadians). This claim to fame is well deserved: the immigrant couple formed by Zacharie and Xainte has the distinction of being the ancestors of the largest number of married descendants before 1800 – an astonishing 10,850! (This bit of genealogical trivia is courtesy of Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (The Research Program in Historical Demography) at http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/en/.)
Copyright © 2012, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Family History Through the Alphabet – S is for …
S is for … Spirit Wrestlers.
In 1786, Archbishop Nikifor referred to a group of people who had broken away from the Russian Orthodox Church as dukhobortsy or “spirit wrestlers”.[1] It signified “those who wrestled against the spirit of the church and God”; it was meant as an insult.[2] This sect, living on the fringes of the Russian Empire in what is now Ukraine, embraced the name a few years later, but changed its meaning to signify those who “wrestle with the spirit of truth”.[3]
The Spirit Wrestlers were pacifist Christians whose spiritual origins date back to the mid-1600s when reforms were introduced in the Russian Orthodox Church.[4] They rejected formal, organized religion, including the sacraments and the priesthood. The Doukhobors were persecuted by the government for their beliefs and forced into exile in far-flung regions of the Empire throughout the 17th – 19th centuries.
The Spirit Wrestlers were pacifist Christians whose spiritual origins date back to the mid-1600s when reforms were introduced in the Russian Orthodox Church.[4] They rejected formal, organized religion, including the sacraments and the priesthood. The Doukhobors were persecuted by the government for their beliefs and forced into exile in far-flung regions of the Empire throughout the 17th – 19th centuries.
With the financial backing of Leo Tolstoy (through sales of his novel Resurrection) and the intervention of others like the Society of Friends (Quakers), approximately 7,500 Doukhobors (descendants of the original "Spirit Wrestlers") left Russia for Canada in 1898 and 1899. Smaller groups continued to arrive until the early 1930s.[5] Today, there are about 40,000 Doukhobors in Canada, living mostly in the provinces of Saskatchewan and British Columbia.[6]
Sources:
1. Svetlana A. Inikova, “Spiritual Origins and the Beginnings of Doukhobor History”, in The Doukhobor Centenary in Canada, Andrew Donskov, John Woodsworth and Chad Gaffield, editors (Ottawa: Slavic Research Group, University of Ottawa, 2000), p. 2, note 6. Other sources give a different year (1785) and a different archbishop (Ambrosius). See, for example, Koozma J. Tarasoff, Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers’ Strategies for Living (Ottawa: Spirit Wrestlers Publishing, 2002), p. 1, and, John Woodsworth, compiler, Russian Roots & Canadian Wings (Penumbra Press, 1999), p. 11, note 1.
2. Tarasoff, Spirit Wrestlers, p. 1.
3. Tarasoff, Spirit Wrestlers, p. 1.
4. Tarasoff, Spirit Wrestlers, p. 1.
5. Jonathan J. Kalmakoff, “Index to Doukhobor Ship Passenger Lists”, Doukhobor Genealogy Website (http://www.doukhobor.org/Shiplists.htm : accessed 14 September 2012).
6. Tarasoff, Spirit Wrestlers, p. ix.
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