GUYON, Jean b. 18 Sep 1592 Tourouvre, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France d. 30 May 1663 Beauport, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada: Among Our Ancestors

1592 - 1663 (70 years)

Name	GUYON, Jean [1, 2]
Birth	18 Sep 1592	Tourouvre, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France [1]
Gender	Male
Differentiator	Among the first 17 families that settled Quebec City (New France); contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain, common ancestor Jim & Michelle
Web Address	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Guyon
Occupation	Master Mason
Death	30 May 1663	Beauport, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada [1]
Burial	Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada [1]
Origins
Person ID	I13703	My Genealogy
Last Modified	15 Jul 2024

Father	Living
Relationship	natural
Mother	Living
Relationship	natural
Family ID	F13747	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family ROBIN, Mathurine, b. 18 Oct 1599, Mortagne, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France d. 16 Apr 1662, Beauport, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada (Age 62 years)

Children

	1. GUYON, Marie Madeline, b. 18 Mar 1624, Tourouvre, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France d. 29 Aug 1696, Cap-Saint-Ignace, Montmagny, Quebec, Canada (Age 72 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] ▻ BELANGER, François m. 12 Jul 1637
	2. GUYON DION, Claude I, b. 22 Apr 1629, Mortagne, Perche, France d. 23 Feb 1694, Sainte-Famille, L'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec, Canada (Age 64 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] ▻ COLIN, Catherine m. 7 Feb 1655
	3. GUYON, Barbe, b. 18 Apr 1617, Mortagne-au-Perche, Departement de l'Orne, Basse-Normandie, France d. 29 Nov 1700, Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Capitale-Nationale Region, Quebec, Canada (Age 83 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] ▻ PARADIS, Pierre
	4. Living
	5. Living
	6. Living
	7. Living
	8. Living
	9. Living
	10. Living

Family ID F1549 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 15 Jul 2024

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	Birth - 18 Sep 1592 - Tourouvre, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France
	Death - 30 May 1663 - Beauport, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada
	Burial - - Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada

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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:

Jean was a master mason and before emigrating worked on notable projects such as the staircase in the Saint-Aubin de Tourouvre church steeple and the restoration of Mortagne's fortifications.

Once in Quebec, he contributed to the construction of a small mill, Giffard's seigneurial manor, the governor's residence (Fort Saint-Louis), and the parish church of Notre Dame de Québec.

Jean and Mathurine had 14 children, with 10 surviving to adulthood. By 1729, just a century after their arrival, the couple had 2,150 North American descendants. This number has since grown exponentially, with an estimated 123,800 descendants by the early 21st century.

CONNECTIONS:

Jean Guyon is Michelle's 11th and 12th GGF through two branches originating on the Laviolette line and Jim's 10th GGF on 3 lines through the Vermette/Gilbert branch.

LIFE STORY:

Jean Guyon du Buisson, baptized on September 18, 1592, in Tourouvre, Perche, France, was a key figure in the early settlement of New France. Born to Jacques Guyon and Marie Huet, Jean honed his skills as a master mason in France, contributing to notable projects such as the staircase in the Saint-Aubin de Tourouvre church steeple and the restoration of Mortagne's fortifications.

On June 2, 1615, Jean married Mathurine Robin dite Boulé. The couple had 14 children, with 10 surviving to adulthood: Barbe, Jean Jr., Simon, two daughters named Marie, Claude, Denis, Michel, Noël, and François.

In 1634, Jean Guyon's life took a significant turn when he signed a three-year contract with Robert Giffard de Moncel, agreeing to settle in New France. As part of this agreement, Guyon was granted a one-thousand-arpent arrière-fief in Beauport, near the Rivière du Buisson. This land grant would later give rise to his title "du Buisson."

Guyon arrived in New France in 1634, though accounts differ on whether he came alone or with his family. He was part of a group of French pioneers that included his friend Zacharie Cloutier, Marin Boucher, and others who would form the core of the early French-Canadian community.

In New France, Guyon's skills as a master mason were put to good use. He contributed to the construction of a small mill, Giffard's seigneurial manor, the governor's residence (Fort Saint-Louis), and the parish church of Notre Dame de Québec. These projects were often undertaken alongside his friend and fellow settler, Zacharie Cloutier.

Guyon's relationship with the seigneurial system was not without conflict. He and Cloutier engaged in a nine-year dispute with Giffard over seigneurial rights, refusing to pay annual taxes or perform the traditional "foi et hommage" (faith and homage) ceremony. This resistance to feudal obligations was a common theme in early New France, eventually requiring intervention from the colonial governor.

Jean Guyon's legacy in New France was significantly enhanced through his children's marriages and descendants. His eldest son, Jean Jr., became a royal surveyor and married Élisabeth Couillard, connecting the Guyon family to some of the most prominent early settlers of New France.

The Guyon family tree has since grown extensively. By the end of the 19th century, Jean Guyon had 9,674 married descendants, making him one of the most prolific ancestors in French-Canadian genealogy. Today, it's estimated that about three out of four Québécois can trace their lineage back to Jean Guyon. His descendants are known by various surnames, including Dion, Despres, Dumontier, and Lemoine.

Interestingly, genetic studies have traced cases of Friedreich's ataxia, a rare inherited disease, through 12 generations of French-Canadians back to Jean Guyon and Mathurine Robin, highlighting the far-reaching impact of early settlers on the genetic makeup of the French-Canadian population.

Jean Guyon died on May 30, 1663, in Château-Richer, New France. His life and legacy exemplify the challenges and triumphs of the early French settlers in Canada, and his descendants continue to play significant roles in French-Canadian and North American society.

Sources

[S2137] Ancestry.com, Canada, Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).
[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.