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POULIN, Claude I

POULIN, Claude I

Male 1616 - 1687  (71 years)

 Set As Default Person    

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  • Name POULIN, Claude I 
    Birth 25 Jan 1616  Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Gender Male 
    Differentiator Among the first 47 families that settled Quebec City (New France); contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain 
    Travel Between 1641 and 1648  France Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    The family returned to France for a time, returning to Canada in 1648 
    Occupation Carpenter  [1] 
    Death 16 Dec 1687  Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    • Died 2 days after his wife; likely victim of measles or smallpox epidemic
    Patriarch & Matriarch
    POULIN, Pascal,   b. 1577, St Maclou, Rouen, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 Jun 1661, St Maclou, Rouen, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 84 years)  (Father) 
    LEVERT, Marie,   b. Abt 1580, St Maclou, Rouen, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Abt 1626  (Age 46 years)  (Mother) 
    Person ID I13114  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

    Father POULIN, Pascal,   b. 1577, St Maclou, Rouen, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 Jun 1661, St Maclou, Rouen, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 84 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother LEVERT, Marie,   b. Abt 1580, St Maclou, Rouen, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Abt 1626 (Age 46 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Family ID F11454  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family MERCIER, Jeanne,   b. Abt 1627, Les Sables, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Dec 1687, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 60 years) 
    Marriage 8 Aug 1639  Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    • Claude signed the contract but Jeanne could not
    Children 
     1. POULIN, Marie Anne,   b. 25 May 1661, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Mar 1743, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 81 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    ▻ LESSARD, Etienne  m. 17 Apr 1679
     2. POULIN, Marie,   b. 1 Jan 1641, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1716 (Age 74 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     3. POULIN, Pascal,   b. 15 Feb 1645, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 8 Aug 1661, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age < 16 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. POULIN, Madeleine,   b. 27 Jun 1646, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     5. POULIN, Martin,   b. 17 Oct 1648, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1710 (Age 61 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     6. POULIN, Rene,   b. 2 Feb 1651, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 8 Aug 1661, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age < 10 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     7. POULIN, Ignace,   b. 19 Dec 1655, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1720 (Age 64 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     8. POULIN, Marguerite,   b. 18 Oct 1658, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1722 (Age 63 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     9. POULIN, Pierre,   b. 8 Aug 1664, Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1709 (Age 44 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Family ID F9431  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 25 Jan 1616 - Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 8 Aug 1639 - Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsTravel - The family returned to France for a time, returning to Canada in 1648 - Between 1641 and 1648 - France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 16 Dec 1687 - Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Plaque with founding families of Quebec City (New France)
    Poulin Plaque

    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%).

  • Notes 
    • HIGHLIGHTS:

      Claude was a carpenter who had apprenticed while working for the monks at St-Maclou de Rouen in France.

      When Claude Poulin and Jeanne Mercier were married in Quebec City. in 1639, Claude, a literate carpenter, was 23 years old, while Jeanne, who could not sign her name, was only about 12 or 13.

      Shortly after their first daughter was born in 1641Claude and Jeanne made a surprising decision to return to France. During their time there, they had two more children: In the summer of 1648, the Poulin family returned to New France.

      Tragedy struck the family in 1661 when their sons Pascal, 16, and René, 10, either became lost in the woods or were captured by the Iroquois.

      Claude contributed to the construction of the church at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, both financially and with his carpentry skills.

      CONNECTIONS:

      Claude is Jim's 9th GGF on the Vermette/Gilbert branch.

      LIFE STORY:

      Claude Poulin, born and baptized on January 26, 1616, in the parish of Saint-Maclou in Rouen, Normandy, located on the Seine River, a short distance from Le Havre. He was the son of Pascal Poulin and Marie Levert. His early education and apprenticeship as a carpenter likely took place under the guidance of monks at Saint-Maclou de Rouen.

      In 1636, at the age of 20, Claude embarked on a life-changing journey to New France. He arrived in Quebec on June 11, 1636, aboard a ship commanded by Sieur Courpon, part of a wave of new families recruited to bolster the fledgling colony.

      Jeanne Mercier, born around 1627 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Poitou, arrived in New France a few years after Claude. Though her parents' names are unknown, we know she had a sister, Denise, who married François Baugis and immigrated to New France around 1640-1641.

      On August 8, 1639, Claude Poulin and Jeanne Mercier were married in Quebec City. Claude, a literate carpenter, was 23 years old, while Jeanne, who could not sign her name, was only about 12 or 13. Their union marked the beginning of a significant family line in New France.

      The couple's first child, Marie, was baptized on January 1, 1641, in Trois-Rivières. Shortly after, Claude and Jeanne made a surprising decision to return to France. During their time there, they had two more children: Pascal, baptized on February 15, 1645, and Madeleine, baptized on June 27, 1646, both at Saint-Maclou de Rouen.

      In the summer of 1648, the Poulin family returned to New France, settling initially in Quebec City. Over the next 16 years, they had six more children: Martin (1648), René (1651), Ignace (1655), Marguerite (1658), Marie (1661), and Pierre (1664). As their family grew, they moved to the Beaupré coast, where Claude received a land grant of six arpents in 1651.

      Tragedy struck the family in 1661 when their sons Pascal, 16, and René, 10, either became lost in the woods or were captured by the Iroquois. This loss was a stark reminder of the dangers faced by settlers in New France.

      Despite this heartbreak, Claude and Jeanne persevered. The 1667 census shows Claude as a 48-year-old carpenter and habitant, with Jeanne, 40, and their remaining children. By 1681, their household had changed, with only their adult sons Martin, Ignace, and Pierre still living at home.

      Claude and Jeanne were active members of their community. Claude contributed to the construction of the church at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, both financially and with his carpentry skills. The couple's generosity and involvement in church affairs suggest they were respected members of their community.

      Jeanne Mercier passed away on December 14, 1687, at the age of about 60. She was buried the next day at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. Claude followed her just three days later, dying on December 17 at the age of 71. He was buried in the church of Sainte-Anne on December 18. Their nearly simultaneous deaths may have been due to the smallpox or measles epidemics that affected the colony that year.

  • 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 Mesange, Marie, pgs 225-226.


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