BLANCHET, Jacques

Pierre married FOURNIER, Marie Anne on 17 Feb 1670 in Notre-Dame, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Marie (daughter of FOURNIER, Guillaume and HÉBERT, Françoise) was born on 5 May 1655 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 13 Nov 1717 in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, L'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Guillaume Fournier, a significant figure in early New France, was born around 1620 in Coulmer-Argentan, Normandy, France, to Gilles Fournier and Noelle Gageut (or Gagnon). While the exact date of his arrival in New France is uncertain, his presence is first recorded in 1651.

On November 20, 1651, Guillaume married Marie-Françoise Hébert at Notre-Dame-de-Québec. His bride was the 13-year-old daughter of Guillaume Hébert and Hélène Desportes, and granddaughter of Louis Hébert, considered the first "Canadian Settler." This marriage connected Guillaume to one of the most prominent families in the colony.

Guillaume and Françoise had 15 children between 1653 and 1680, though their first child and two others died in infancy. The couple's large family would go on to establish the Fournier name widely across North America.

Known for his demanding and combative temperament, Guillaume was involved in several legal disputes. He notably sued Dame Guillemette Hébert, his wife's aunt, over land rights. In 1668, he acquired his first seigneury through litigation, becoming co-seigneur of the Sault-au-Matelot property originally granted to Louis Hébert.

In 1672, Guillaume received a new seigneury grant from Jean Talon, consisting of thirty acres along the St. Lawrence River. This land would later become part of Montmagny. Guillaume is credited as the founder of the Saint-Thomas-de-la-Pointe-à-la-Caille parish in this area, where he donated land for the construction of a church in 1685.

Guillaume's house in Montmagny, described as a single-story structure with an attic, served as a place for Mass until a proper church could be built. This act, along with his land donation, underscores his role in establishing the community.

Guillaume Fournier died on October 24, 1699, in Montmagny at the age of 80. He was buried in Saint Odilon de Montmagny Cemetery. His wife Françoise, who outlived him by many years, passed away on March 16, 1716, at the age of 86.

The Fournier legacy continued through their children, with their sons Charles and Jean having the largest number of descendants.

Guillaume married HÉBERT, Françoise on 20 Nov 1651 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Françoise (daughter of HÉBERT, Guillaume, daughter of HÉBERT, Guillaume and DESPORTES, Helene) was born on 23 Jan 1638 in Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; was christened on 27 Janv 1638 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 16 Mar 1716 in St-Thomas de la Pointe à la Caille (Montmagny), Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: 1614, Paris, Île-de-France, France
• Death: 23 Sep 1639, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada

Guillaume married DESPORTES, Helene on 1 Oct 1634 in Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Helene (daughter of DESPORTES, Pierre-Philippe and LANGLOIS, Françoise) was born on 7 Jul 1620 in Lisieux, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France; was christened in 1620; died on 24 Jun 1675 in Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Differentiator: She arrived at Tadoussac aboard the "LeSallemande", as an infant, on August 30, 1620; to become one of the earliest and youngest, settlers of French Quebec.

Notes:

Hélène Desportes, born around 1620 in Quebec, was the daughter of early French settlers Pierre Desportes and Françoise Langlois. She is often credited as the first European child born in New France.

Hélène's life epitomized the experiences of women in the early days of the colony. She first married Guillaume Hébert at a young age and was widowed by 19, left with three small children. On January 9, 1640, following a marriage contract signed on December 27, 1639, she wed Noël Morin, a 34-year-old wheelwright from France.

With Noël, Hélène had 12 more children between 1641 and 1656, including Germain, the first Canadian-born priest ordained in New France, and Marie, one of the first Montreal-born nuns.

Hélène's life in New France was marked by the challenges and triumphs of colonial life. She and Noël were granted a pew in the church in 1655, and in 1663, she became Madame de Saint-Luc when Noël was granted his seigneury.

Hélène died on June 24, 1675, at St. Thomas, Montmagny, Quebec, at about 55 years old, predeceasing her husband by five years. Her legacy as an important matriarch in early French Canadian society lives on through her numerous descendants, including many notable figures in North American history. Hélène Desportes' life story represents the resilience, adaptability, and crucial role of women in establishing and nurturing the foundations of New France.