This site (and genealogy research in general) is a work in progress. Do your own research. There are errors and omissions.
Home Search Login  
Print Bookmark
FOURNIER, Guillaume

FOURNIER, Guillaume

Male 1619 - 1699  (80 years)

 Set As Default Person    

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name FOURNIER, Guillaume  [1] 
    Birth 2 May 1619  Coulmer, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Differentiator Among the first 47 families that settled Quebec City (New France); contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain 
    Death 24 Oct 1699  Saint-Thomas, Joliette, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I13257  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

    Father Living 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother Living 
    Relationship natural 
    Family ID F13782  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family HÉBERT, Françoise,   b. 23 Jan 1638, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Mar 1716, St-Thomas de la Pointe à la Caille (Montmagny), Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 78 years) 
    Marriage 20 Nov 1651  Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Children 
     1. FOURNIER, Marie Anne,   b. 5 May 1655, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Nov 1717, Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, L'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 62 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    ▻ BLANCHET, Pierre  m. 17 Feb 1670
     2. FOURNIER, Simon,   b. 1667, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 Dec 1749, St Thomas, Montmagny, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 82 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    ▻ ROUSSEAU, Anne-Catherine  m. 12 Nov 1691
     3. FOURNIER, Giles,   b. 1653   d. 1653 (Age 0 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. FOURNIER, Agathe,   b. 1657  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     5. FOURNIER, Jacquette,   b. 1659   d. 1736 (Age 77 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     6. FOURNIER, Joseph,   b. 1661  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     7. FOURNIER, Marie-Madeleine,   b. 1663   d. 1664 (Age 1 year)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     8. FOURNIER, Jean,   b. 1665  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     9. FOURNIER, Pierre,   b. 1669  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     10. FOURNIER, Françoise,   b. 1671   d. 1734 (Age 63 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     11. FOURNIER, Louis,   b. 1671   d. 1734 (Age 63 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     12. FOURNIER, Madeleine,   b. 1675  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     13. FOURNIER, Chalres,   b. 1677  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     14. FOURNIER, Jacques,   b. 1679  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Photos
    Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890    		Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890
    Family ID F9463  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 2 May 1619 - Coulmer, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 20 Nov 1651 - Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 24 Oct 1699 - Saint-Thomas, Joliette, Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890
    Guillaume Fornier
    Plaque with founding families of Quebec City (New France)

    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:

      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. Guillaume was 32 at the time. In early New France, it was not uncommon to see significant age differences between spouses. The legal age of consent was 12. Marriage in New France was often viewed as a practical arrangement rather than a romantic union. The primary goal was to establish a stable household and produce children to help populate the colony. Parents played a significant role in arranging marriages. They often sought to marry their daughters to older, more established men to ensure their daughters' future security and prosperity.

      Known for his demanding and combative temperament, Guillaume was involved in several legal disputes, suing multipl epeople for various reasons.

      CONNECTIONS:

      Guillaume Fournier is Jim's 8th GGF on the Vermette/Gilbert branch.

      LIFE STORY:

      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.

  • Sources 
    1. [S1885] Ancestry.com, Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;), Volume: Vol. 1 Sect. 1 : A-Hel; Page: 302.
      Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890      		 Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890



Go to Top