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
HEBERT, Marie Guillemette

HEBERT, Marie Guillemette

Female Abt 1608 - 1684  (76 years)

 Set As Default Person    

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

  • Name HEBERT, Marie Guillemette  [1, 2, 3] 
    Birth Abt 1608  St Germain Des Pres, Paris, Ile-De-France, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Gender Female 
    Arrival 1617  Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Differentiator Her family is credited as the very FIRSTsettlers of Quebec City (New France); among the first 17 
    Death 20 Oct 1684  Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 3] 
    Burial Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 3] 
    Patriarch & Matriarch
    HEBERT, Nicolas Rene,   b. 24 Oct 1539, St Germain des Pres, Paris, Paris, Ile-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Aug 1580, Paris, Paris, Ile-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 40 years)  (Grandfather) 
    ROLLET, Marie,   b. 1580, Paris, Île-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 May 1649, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 69 years)  (Mother) 
    Person ID I20262  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

    Father HEBERT, Louis Gaston,   b. 14 Oct 1575, Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Paris, Île-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 23 Jan 1627, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 51 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother ROLLET, Marie,   b. 1580, Paris, Île-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 May 1649, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 69 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Marriage 19 Feb 1601  Paris, Île-de-France, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F9451  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family COUILLARD, Guillaume,   b. 11 Oct 1588, Sainte Croix de Saint Servan, Saint Malo, Ille et Vilaine, Brittany, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Mar 1663, Hôtel Dieu-de-Quebec, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 74 years) 
    Children 
     1. COUILLARD DE BEAUMONT, Sieur de Islets, (1668: Lettre de nobl esse) ennobled by Louis XIV obtained the fief of Beaumont Charles-Thomas,   b. 10 May 1647, Ville De Quebec, Quebec, Pq, Canada, Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 May 1715, Saint-Étienne-de-Beaumont, Bellechasse, Québec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 67 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    ▻ COUTURE, Louise  m. 25 Jun 1686
     2. COUILLARD, Louise,   b. 30 Jan 1625, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1641 (Age 15 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     3. COUILLARD, Marguerite,   b. 1626   d. 1705 (Age 79 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     4. COUILLARD, Élisabeth,   b. 1631   d. 1704 (Age 73 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     5. COUILLARD, Louis,   b. 1629   d. 1678 (Age 49 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     6. COUILLARD, Marie,   b. 1633   d. 1703 (Age 70 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     7. DES CHÊNES, Guillaume Couillard,   b. 1635   d. 1662 (Age 27 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     8. COUILLARD, Madeleine,   b. 1639   d. 1666 (Age 27 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     9. COUILLARD, Nicolas,   b. 1641   d. 1661 (Age 20 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
     10. COUILLARD, Catherine-Gertrude,   b. 1648   d. 1664 (Age 16 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Family ID F13763  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Jul 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsArrival - 1617 - Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 20 Oct 1684 - Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Screen Shot 2022-03-31 at 7.54.55 AM    		Screen Shot 2022-03-31 at 7.54.55 AM

  • Notes 
    • Guillaume Couillard, born around 1591 in either Saint-Malo or Paris, arrived in New France about 1613. A skilled carpenter, seaman, and caulker, Couillard quickly became an integral part of the fledgling colony. His marriage to Guillemette Hébert, daughter of Louis Hébert, the first farmer in New France, in 1621 cemented his place in the colony's history.

      Guillemette Hébert, born around 1606 in Paris or Dieppe, came to New France in 1617 with her parents, Louis Hébert and Marie Rollet. As one of the first European families to settle permanently in Quebec, the Héberts played a crucial role in the colony's early development.

      The union of Guillaume and Guillemette on August 26, 1621, officiated by Father Georges, a Recollet priest, and witnessed by Samuel de Champlain, marked the beginning of one of New France's most influential families. They had ten children, whose numerous descendants would form the backbone of French-Canadian society.

      Following Louis Hébert's death in 1627, Couillard inherited half of his father-in-law's estate. He expanded these holdings and continued Hébert's agricultural innovations. In 1628, Couillard became the first person to use a plough in New France, significantly advancing the colony's farming practices. By 1632, he had nearly 20 acres under cultivation and owned a flour mill by 1639.

      Couillard's contributions to the colony were numerous and varied. He was appointed as a "clerk responsible for inspecting the sown lands and the food of the settlers of Quebec" in 1639. He also engaged in shipbuilding, lime production, and participated in the defense against Iroquois raids.
      During the British occupation of Quebec from 1629 to 1632, the Couillards were the only complete family to remain in the colony, demonstrating their commitment to New France. Champlain entrusted them with the care of two young Indigenous girls he had adopted.

      Guillemette was equally active in colonial life, serving as godmother to numerous children, both French and Indigenous, and participating in various social and religious activities. Her role in maintaining community cohesion during the colony's challenging early years was significant.

      In recognition of his services to New France, Couillard was ennobled by the king in December 1654. His coat of arms, featuring a dove with an olive branch, symbolized his role as a peacemaker and pioneer.

      Guillaume Couillard died on March 4, 1663, and was buried in the chapel of the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec, honoring his contributions to that institution. Guillemette survived him by more than 20 years, continuing to manage their affairs and contribute to the colony's development. In 1666, she sold a significant portion of their land to Bishop Laval for the establishment of the Seminary of Quebec.

      The legacy of Guillaume Couillard and Guillemette Hébert is immeasurable. Their efforts in agriculture, community building, and defense helped transform New France from a precarious outpost into a thriving colony. Today, their descendants number in the hundreds of thousands, and they are remembered as key figures in the founding of French Canada.

      A statue of Guillaume Couillard stands near Louis Hébert's monument in Quebec City, a testament to their enduring importance in Canadian history.

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

    2. [S2125] Ancestry.com, U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;).

    3. [S2135] Ancestry.com, Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;).
      Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890      		 Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection), 1608-1890



Go to Top