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CARON, Robert I

CARON, Robert I

Male Abt 1613 - 1656  (43 years)

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  • Photos
    Plaque with founding families of Quebec City (New France)
    Caron-25-1

    Albums
    Founding Families of New France    		Founding Families of New France (2)
    New France, or Nouvelle-France in French, was an extensive area in North America colonized by France. It began with Jacques Cartier's exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 1534 and ended in 1763 when it was ceded to Great Britain and Spain under the Treaty of Paris. The territory stretched from Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, including the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley.

    The most developed part of New France was Canada, divided into Québec, Trois-Rivières, and Montreal districts. The French colonization was driven by trade (notably fur), religious missions, and the ambition to expand France's influence. The French Crown significantly shaped New France's development, particularly in 1663 when King Louis XIV integrated it into the royal domain and established the French West India Company.

    New France operated under the seigneurial system, where settlers farmed land granted by a seigneur and paid dues. Despite its vast territory, New France's population was sparse compared to English colonies, partly due to limited economic reasons for French peasants to emigrate and the French Crown's focus on other colonies.

    Culturally, New France was predominantly French-speaking and Catholic, maintaining its civil code and religious practices even after British conquest. This heritage strongly influenced the culture of Quebec, blending European traditions with North American elements and emphasizing the preservation of the French language and identity.

    There were 17 families settled in Quebec City from the establishment of the city by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 until his death in 1635. This era marks the formative years of New France and the foundation of French-Canadian culture. By the end of 1636 there were 47 families living in the colony. We can trace our ancestry directly to 10 of the original 17 (58%) families and a total of 18 of the 47 (38%).

  • Name CARON, Robert  [1] 
    Suffix I 
    Birth Abt 1613  La Rochelle, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Possibly born in La Rochelle, France. His exact place of birth is uncertain, with some sources suggesting Saintonge or Normandy.
    Gender Male 
    Arrival Bef 30 Nov 1636  Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Differentiator AAmong the first 47 families that settled Quebec City (New France); contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain 
    Web Address https://msroberts0619.wixsite.com/family-ancestry/caron 
    Occupation Indentured Tradesman; Carpenter and Farmer 
    Death 8 Jul 1656  Hotel-de-Dieu, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I11373  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

    Family CREVET, Marie,   b. Abt 1615, Bayeux, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 22 Nov 1695, Baie Staint Paul, Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 80 years) 
    Other Partners: LANGLOIS, Noel  m. 27 Jul 1666 
    Marriage 25 Oct 1637  Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    • Both unable to sign marriage contract
    Children 
     1. CARON, Pierre,   b. 11 Jul 1654, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Jun 1720, Cap-Saint-Ignace, Montmagny, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     2. CARON, Jean Baptiste,   b. 10 Jul 1641, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Dec 1706, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     3. CARON, Aimee,   b. Apr 1655, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Oct 1685, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 30 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. CARON, Joseph,   b. 19 Mar 1652, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 May 1711, Cap-Saint-Ignace, Montmagny, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 59 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     5. CARON, Robert II,   b. 20 Feb 1647, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 Apr 1714, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 67 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     6. CARON, Marie,   b. 28 Jul 1638, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 5 Jun 1660, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 21 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     7. CARON, Catherine,   b. 23 Nov 1649, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Jun 1725, Baie-Saint-Paul, Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 75 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    ▻ DUPRE GASCON, Pierre I  m. 30 Apr 1680;   DODIER, Jacques  m. 29 May 1662
    Family ID F9132  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsArrival - Bef 30 Nov 1636 - Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 25 Oct 1637 - Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 8 Jul 1656 - Hotel-de-Dieu, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • HIGHLIGHTS:

      Arrived in Quebec on June 11, 1636, on a ship owned by the Company of 100 Associates, departing from Dieppe, France.

      Robert was a farmer; the land he cleared and farmed is now the site of the College St-Charles-Garnier.

      Marie Crevet was among the "Filles à Marier" - young, marriageable women who ventured to New France in search of husbands and new opportunities. These women, distinct from the later Filles du Roi, paid their own way to the colony and were crucial to its early development.

      10 years after Robert died, Marie remarried Noel Langlois, also a widow. Besides descending from Robert and Marie, Jim has 4 lines of descent from Noel Langlois and his first wife.

      CONNECTIONS:

      Robert Caron is Jim's 10th GGF on the Dumas side.

      LIFE STORY:

      Robert Caron, one of the early settlers of New France, arrived in Quebec on June 11, 1636, on a ship owned by the Company of 100 Associates, departing from Dieppe, France.. Robert Caron's parents are not named on his marriage record, which was reconstructed from memory by the clergy after the church records burned in a 1640 fire. Thus, his exact origins in France remain a subject of debate among genealogists, However, it's believed he may have come from Normandy and that his father was René-Édouard Caron and his mother, Catherine Fortin. Regardless of his birthplace, Robert quickly established himself as a significant figure in the fledgling colony.

      Marie Crevet, born around 1615 in Bénouville, near Bayeux in Normandy, daughter of Marguerite Lemercier and Pierre Crevet, was among the "Filles à Marier" - young, marriageable women who ventured to New France in search of husbands and new opportunities. These women, distinct from the later Filles du Roi, paid their own way to the colony and were crucial to its early development.

      Robert and Marie married on October 25, 1637, in the Notre-Dame-de-la-Recouvrance chapel in Quebec, with Jesuit Charles Lallemant officiating and notable figures like Robert Giffard as witnesses. The couple initially settled at Longue-Pointe, where their first two children, Marie-Anne (1639) and Jean-Baptiste (1641), were born.

      Facing constant harassment from the Iroquois, Robert and Marie sold their Longue-Pointe land to Guillaume Couillard in 1642 for 150£ and moved to Coteau Ste-Genevieve near Quebec City. Robert began clearing this land in 1643, receiving 40 acres in 1649 and an additional 20 acres from Governor Louis D'Ailleboust in 1651. During their 12 years at Ste-Genevieve, they had five more children: Robert (1647), Marie-Catherine (1649), Joseph (1652), Pierre (1654), and Aimee (1656).

      In 1654, for reasons unknown, Robert sold their Ste-Genevieve land to Charles D'Ailleboust, the governor's nephew, for 1,700£. The family then moved to Sainte-Anne-du-Petit-Cap on the coast of Beaupre, purchasing five frontage acres with 1-3 miles depth from Julien Fortin de Bellefontaine for 500£. This move closer to Iroquois territory seems puzzling given Robert's previous concerns.

      Tragically, Robert's life was cut short. He died suddenly on July 8, 1656, at the Quebec Hospital, aged about 44 or 45. The cause of his death remains unknown.

      Marie Crevet, now a widow with young children, demonstrated remarkable resilience. She waited ten years before remarrying, wedding Noël Langlois in 1666. This marriage was based on mutual affection, with the couple keeping their assets separate to avoid disputes among heirs. Marie lived to the exceptional age of 86 (or possibly 92), passing away in 1695.

      Interestingly, the land Robert cleared at Ste-Genevieve remained undeveloped for many years, with building reportedly forbidden for unknown reasons. Eventually, it became the site of the College St-Charles-Garnier, which stands there today, a testament to Robert Caron's enduring legacy in Quebec.

  • Sources 
    1. [S1896] Peter J. Gagne, Before the King's Daughters: The Filles a Marier, 1634-1662, (Name: Quintin Publications; Location: Pawtucket, RI; Date: 2002;), Listing for Crevet, Marie, pgs 96.


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