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- Pierre Desportes, born around 1594 in France, was one of the earliest settlers in Samuel de Champlain's vision for a New France. Though his exact origins are unclear, Pierre was known to be literate, suggesting he received some education - a rarity for his time. He married Françoise Langlois, likely between 1617 and 1620 in France, before embarking on their life-changing journey to the New World.
The couple arrived at the fledgling Habitation de Quebec in 1619, accompanied by Françoise's sister Marguerite and her husband Abraham Martin. In this remote outpost on the St. Lawrence River, Pierre and Françoise became integral members of the small community. Their importance was underscored when Françoise gave birth to Hélène on July 7, 1620 - the first European child born in what would become Canada. Hélène's godmother was none other than Hélène Boullé, the wife of Samuel de Champlain himself.
Pierre wore many hats in the struggling colony. He managed a warehouse for storing fur pelts destined for export, served as the settlement's baker, and was even involved in correspondence with France regarding the colony's condition. His literacy made him valuable in a community where few could read or write. Pierre was also associated with the Company of One Hundred Associates, though his exact role remains debated by historians.
Life in New France was challenging. By 1625, only seven families resided in the settlement. The Desportes family's time in Quebec came to an abrupt end in 1629 when English forces led by David Kirke captured the outpost. Along with most other colonists, Pierre, Françoise, and young Hélène were forcibly repatriated to France via England.
Tragically, neither Pierre nor Françoise would return to the land they had helped pioneer. Pierre is believed to have died in Dieppe, France between 1629 and 1634, while Françoise passed away in 1632. Their daughter Hélène, however, would return to New France, likely under the guardianship of her aunt and uncle, Marguerite Langlois and Abraham Martin.
Despite their brief time in New France, Pierre and Françoise left an enduring legacy. Through Hélène's two marriages, first to Guillaume Hébert and then to Noël Morin, they became the ancestors of numerous individuals in North America, including several notable figures in entertainment, politics, and other fields.
While much of Pierre and Françoise's story remains shrouded in mystery, their role as some of the earliest French settlers in Canada, and as parents to the first European child born in the colony, cements their place in the founding narrative of New France. Their lives exemplify the courage, adaptability, and perseverance required of those who laid the foundations for what would become modern Canada.
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1580 - 1632 (51 years)
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