POULIN, Pascal

Pascal married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Differentiator: Among the first 47 families that settled Quebec City (New France); contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain
• Occupation: Carpenter
• Travel: Between 1641 and 1648, France; The family returned to France for a time, returning to Canada in 1648

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.

Died:
Died 2 days after his wife; likely victim of measles or smallpox epidemic

Claude married MERCIER, Jeanne on 8 Aug 1639 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Jeanne was born about 1627 in Les Sables, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France; died on 14 Dec 1687 in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marie married LESSARD, Etienne on 17 Apr 1679 in Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Etienne (son of DELESSARD, Etienne and SEVESTRE, Marguerite) was born on 1 Avr 1653 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 12 Apr 1728 in Montmorency, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Disappeared in the woods, either lost or captured by the Iroquois

Notes:

Died:
Disappeared in the woods, either lost or captured by the Iroquois

Jean married LACROIX, Marie Anne on 22 May 1730 in Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Marie (daughter of LACROIX, Augustin and PARÉ, Jeanne) was born on 26 Nov 1708 in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; died on 12 Apr 1757 in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]