Living

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Differentiator: Common ancestor Jim & Michelle; Among the First Settlers of Quebec; contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain
• Name: Xainte Cloutier

Notes:

Xainte Dupont, also known as Sainte or Xaintes, was born around 1596 in Saint-Jean-de-Mortagne, Perche, France. The daughter of Paul-Michel Dupont and Perrine Rousseau, Xainte grew up in a family with three siblings: Renée, Guillaume, and a younger sister who died in infancy. Her early life in France laid the foundation for a remarkable journey that would take her across the Atlantic to become one of the founding mothers of New France.

At the young age of 15, Xainte married Michel Lermusier in 1612. Tragically, this union was short-lived as Lermusier passed away shortly after their wedding, leaving no children. This early loss would have been a significant challenge for the young Xainte, but it also paved the way for her future role in the settlement of New France.

On July 18, 1616, Xainte married Zacharie Cloutier, a master carpenter, in the parish of Saint-Jean in Mortagne-au-Perche. This union would prove to be one of the most influential in the history of French Canada. Together, they had six children: Zacharie Jr., Jean, Sainte (who died in childhood), Anne, Charles, and Marie-Louise.

In 1634, Xainte's life took a dramatic turn when her husband signed a contract with Robert Giffard de Moncel to relocate to New France. Despite initial reservations about the move, Xainte joined her husband and children in this bold venture. Their journey was part of the first wave of Percheron immigration, aimed at expanding the French presence in North America.

Upon arrival in New France, the Cloutier family settled in Beauport, near Quebec City. Here, Xainte played a crucial role in establishing their new home while Zacharie worked as a master carpenter, contributing to the construction of essential buildings in the colony. Life in the New World was challenging, but Xainte's resilience and adaptability helped her family thrive in their new environment.

Over the years, Xainte witnessed and participated in the growth of the French colony. She raised her children, managed their household, and likely assisted other settlers as they arrived. In 1670, the family sold their property in Beauport and moved to Château-Richer, where they would spend the remainder of their lives.

Xainte outlived her husband by three years. Zacharie passed away in 1677, and Xainte followed on July 13, 1680, at the age of 84. She was buried alongside her husband in Château-Richer, leaving behind a legacy that would shape the future of French Canada.

Xainte Dupont's importance in Canadian history extends far beyond her role as Zacharie Cloutier's wife. As one of the earliest French women to settle in New France, she played a vital part in establishing the colony and ensuring its continuity through her children and their descendants. Her lineage, reportedly tracing back to Charlemagne, includes many notable figures throughout history.

Today, Xainte Dupont is remembered as a matriarch of New France. Her descendants number in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, and include many famous individuals such as Céline Dion, Jack Kerouac, and Madonna. Her life story exemplifies the courage, resilience, and adaptability of the women who helped build the foundations of French-Canadian society.

Xainte married CLOUTIER, Zacharie on 18 Jul 1616 in St Jean, Mortagne-au-Perche, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France. Zacharie (son of CLOUTIER, Denis and BRIÈRE, Renée) was born on 18 Jul 1590 in Mortagne, Orne, Basse-Normandie, France; was christened in 1590 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; died on 17 Sep 1677 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; was buried on 17 Sep 1677 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Differentiator: Among the First Settlers of Quebec; contemporaries and acquaintances of Samuel Champlain
• Arrival: 1636, Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada

Notes:

Anne Cloutier, born on January 19, 1626, in St-Jean-de-Mortagne, Perche, France, was one of the earliest settlers of New France and a pivotal figure in the colony's early history. The daughter of Zacharie Cloutier, a master carpenter, and Xainte Dupont, Anne's life story encapsulates the challenges and realities faced by the first generation of French-Canadian settlers.

At the age of eight, Anne embarked on a life-changing journey across the Atlantic with her family. They arrived in New France on June 4, 1634, as part of Robert Giffard's recruitment of skilled artisans to establish the Beauport settlement near Quebec City. The Cloutiers were among the vanguard of the Percheron migration that would significantly shape the demographic and cultural landscape of New France.

Anne's childhood in the colony was likely filled with the daily challenges of frontier life. While her father worked on constructing essential buildings and fortifications, Anne would have assisted her mother in managing their household in the harsh New World environment.

Perhaps the most notable event in Anne's short life was her marriage to Robert Drouin. On July 27, 1636, at just ten years old, Anne was betrothed to Drouin, a bricklayer and employee of Robert Giffard. Their marriage contract, signed in the home of Jean Guyon, holds the distinction of being the first recorded in New France. Due to Anne's youth, the contract included provisions postponing the consummation of the marriage.

The actual wedding ceremony took place a year later, on July 12, 1637, at the Church of Notre-Dame de Quebec. Even then, the couple was required to wait two more years before living together as husband and wife. This arrangement reflects the complex realities of life in the early colony, where marriages often served strategic social and economic purposes.

Despite her young age at marriage, Anne bore several children with Robert Drouin. Their first child, Agnes, was born in 1641 but sadly died within a week. Anne would go on to have five more children, though only two daughters, Geneviève and Jeanne, survived to adulthood. Notably, Michelle is descended through Anne's daughter Geneviève, while Jim's lineage traces back to Jeanne through the Vermette/Gilbert branch.

Tragically, Anne's life was cut short at the age of 22. She passed away on February 3, 1648, in Quebec City, leaving behind her husband and young children. Her funeral, as described in the Jesuit Relations, provides a poignant glimpse into the communal nature of life and death in early New France.

Though her life was brief, Anne Cloutier's story is a testament to the resilience and fortitude of the women who helped establish New France. Her early marriage, her role as a mother in a challenging frontier environment, and her position as a daughter of one of the colony's founding families make her an important figure in the early history of French Canada.

Anne married DROUIN, Robert on 12 Jul 1637 in Beauport, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Robert (son of DROUIN*, Robert and DUBOIS*, Marie) was born on 6 Aug 1607 in Chartres, Ille-et-Vilaine, Bretagne, France; died on 1 Jun 1685 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; was buried on 1 Jun 1685 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Charles married MORIN, Louise on 20 Apr 1659. Louise (daughter of MORIN, Noel I Sieur de St-Luc and DESPORTES, Helene) was born on 27 Apr 1643 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 28 Apr 1713 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Zacharie married AYMARD, Madeleine Barbe in 1640 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Madeleine was born on 1 Aug 1626 in Poitiers, Vienne, Poitou-Charentes, France; died on 28 May 1708 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Jean Cloutier, baptized on May 13, 1620, in the church of Saint-Jean de Mortagne in Perche, France, was the son of Zacharie Cloutier and Sainte Dupont. His journey to New France began early in life when he arrived in Quebec on June 4, 1634, with his father. The rest of the family, including his mother and siblings Louise, Charles, and Anne, joined them in 1635 or 1636.

Marie Martin, born in 1635, was the daughter of Abraham Martin dit l'Écossais (after whom the Plains of Abraham are named) and Marguerite Langlois. She was born into one of the earliest French families in Quebec, her parents having arrived in the colony around 1620.

On January 21, 1648, Jean Cloutier, at 27 years old, married Marie Martin, who was only 12 at the time. Their marriage contract, drawn up by notary Claude Lecoustre on December 27, 1647, preceded their wedding ceremony at Notre-Dame de Québec. This union, though shocking by modern standards, was not uncommon in the early days of New France, where the need to establish families and populate the colony often led to marriages between older men and very young women.

Jean and Marie settled in Château-Richer on the Côte de Beaupré. Jean officially received his land concession on July 16, 1652, though his name appears on Jean Bourdon's 1641 map of the Côte de Beaupré. The 1680 map of Château-Richer shows their land, numbered 68, located just east of Sault à la Puce, with a flour mill near the river.

Over their long marriage, Jean and Marie had fourteen children:

An unnamed child (1650-1650)
Jean (1652-1709)
Marie (1655-1713)
Marguerite (1656-1727)
Louise (c.1657-1733)
Anne (1659-1714)
Sainte (c.1661-1725)
Joseph (1663-1671)
Pierre-Paul (1665-1665)
Pierre (1667-1703)
Françoise (1669-1721)
Angélique-Geneviève (1672-1699)
Agnès (1673-1761)
Marie-Madeleine (1676-1699)

Jean Cloutier was confirmed in the Catholic faith on February 2, 1660, at Château-Richer by Bishop Laval, alongside his parents. As a master carpenter, Jean played an important role in the construction and development of the growing settlement.

The family appears in several censuses, providing snapshots of their life over the years:

In 1666, Jean is listed as a 47-year-old carpenter with six children and a domestic servant.
The 1667 census shows the family with eight children, 12 head of cattle, and 22 arpents of cultivated land.

By 1681, Jean is 60 years old, with seven children still at home, 2 guns, 14 head of cattle, and 15 arpents under cultivation.

Jean Cloutier died suddenly on October 16, 1690, and was buried the same day in the cemetery of La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie parish in Château-Richer. The burial record states he was 79 years old, though this appears to be an overestimation based on his baptismal record.
Marie Martin survived her husband by many years, though her exact date of death is not provided in the given information.

Family/Spouse: MARTIN DIT L'ECOSSAIS, Marie. Marie (daughter of MARTIN, Abraham and LANGLOIS, Marguerite) was born on 10 Apr 1635 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 25 Apr 1699 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; was buried in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marie married MIGNOT DIT CHATILLON, Jean Francois on 10 Nov 1648 in Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Jean was born on 20 Apr 1622 in Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France; died in 1681 in Montmorency, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Genevieve married TREPAGNIER, RomainQuebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Romain was born on 19 Apr 1627 in Basse-Normandie, France; was christened on 19 Oct 1643 in Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 20 Mar 1702 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; was buried on 4 Oct 1710 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Genevieve married between 1621 and 1671 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jeanne married MAHEU, Pierre Sieur Des Hazard on 10 Nov 1659 in Quebec City, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Pierre was born on 23 Dec 1630 in St. Jean De Mortagne, Chartres, Ille-et-Vilaine, Bretagne, France; died on 12 May 1717 in Beauport, Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marie married GAGNON, Joseph II on 26 Jan 1669 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Joseph (son of GAGNON, Pierre III) was born on 24 May 1677 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; died on 13 Dec 1745 in Sainte-Famille, L'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: FORTIN, Charles Thomas. Charles was born on 17 Nov 1656 in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; died on 22 Jun 1735 in L'Islet, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Xainte married THIBAUT, Nicholas in 1681 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada. Nicholas was born on 30 May 1663 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; died about 1727. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Xainte married GOULET, Nicolas on 24 Nov 1672 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Nicolas (son of GOULET, Jacques and MULIER, Marguerite) was born on 15 Dec 1647 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 24 Aug 1721 in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, L'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Barbe married GAGNON, Noël on 12 Jan 1705 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Noël was born on 9 Feb 1660 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 25 Nov 1708 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Barbe married BELANGER, Charles on 21 Nov 1663 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Charles (son of BELANGER, François and GUYON, Marie Madeline) was born on 19 Aug 1640 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 14 Dec 1692 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; was buried in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jean married BELANGER, Louise on 14 Nov 1679 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Louise (daughter of BELANGER, François and GUYON, Marie Madeline) was born in 1657 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; was christened in 1657; died on 5 Jul 1726 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada; was buried on 5 Juil 1726 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marie married TOUPIN, Antoine on 24 Oct 1679 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. Antoine was born on 5 Feb 1655 in Quebec (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada; died on 1 Jun 1711 in Chateau Richer, La Côte-de-Beaupré, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: GUYON DION, Jean Baptiste. Jean (son of DIONNE DIT SANSOUCY, Antoine and IVORY, Catherine) was born on 8 Mar 1670 in Quebec, Canada; died on 17 Aug 1752 in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Kamouraska, Quebec, Canada; was buried in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Kamouraska, Quebec, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marie married on 2 Aug 1694. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]