Québec was founded in 1608 by explorer Samuel de Champlain when he sailed up the St. Lawrence River with about 30 recruits in order to establish a trading post. After settling in a natural harbor, the group built a habitation, moat and drawbridge. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia:
"Before the work was done, Champlain had to put down a mutiny. Several of his men, angered that they were not to share in the profits of the fur trade, planned to murder him and sell out to the Basques. One of the conspirators lost his nerve and told Champlain, who arrested the gang of five. A hastily arranged trial found all five guilty. The ringleader, Jean Duval, was hanged and his head was stuck on a pike; the others were sent back to France in chains for punishment.
After the crisis the work resumed through September and some land was cleared and planted with winter wheat and rye. Everything was made ready, but the first winter was severe. A harsh frost descended in October and snow in mid-November. Eighteen men were afflicted by scurvy and ten died.
When spring finally broke up the ice in April 1609, only eight of the 24 men who wintered at Québec were still alive...."
It is not known what became of those remaining eight recruits but it is likely that they returned to France. It was not until 1617 that the family considered to be the first permanent European settlers of New France arrived in this hostile territory.
Populating New France was a very slow process. In 1627, almost 20 years after Champlain built his habitation on the Québec coast, the population was only about 67 people.
1632 Québec population - 100+
1636 Québec population - 200
1640 Québec population - 359
Below is a list of some of those whose name appears on the plaque above and also have ties to Louisiana and/or Avoyelles Parish.
Louis Hébert (1617) - Marie Rollet were considered to be the first European settlers of New France. Louis' father, Nicolas, was a physician to Catherine de Medici, Queen Mother of France. Louis had followed in the footsteps of his father and was an apothecary in Paris. In 1606, he accompanied his relative, Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt et de Saint-Just, to Acadia along with Champlain. He lived at Port-Royal (now Annapolis) from 1606 until 1607 and 1611 to 1613 at which time Port Royal was destroyed by the English. Louis returned to France and re-opened his apothecary shop in Paris. New France was not far from his mind, however. Therefore, when Champlain offered him what seemed like a golden opportunity in 1616 to return to Québec as resident physician and surgeon for the company, he readily accepted. According to the terms of the agreement, Hébert was to be maintained for three years and receive a salary of two hundred crowns per year. Louis promptly sold his shop and house in Paris and the next year took his wife and family to Honfleur for embarkation. Upon the family's arrival in Honfleur, however, they were blindsided to find out that the agreement made with Champlain would not be honored because, according to those in command, Champlain had exceeded his authority in negotiating terms with Hébert. They provided new, much less-favorable terms to Louis. He would receive only one hundred crowns per year for three years and, after the term of the arrangement had ended, he was to served the company exclusively without compensation. He was not allow to participate in the fur trade, and, if he raised produce, he would be required to sell all of it to the company at their predetermined prices. As expected, Louis was outraged but he had little choice but to accept the bitter compromise since he no longer had a home or business to which he could return. With disgust, he signed the agreement and sailed to New France.
They, evenutally became the the g-g-grandparents of Jean Baptiste LeGardeur de Moncarville (De Repentigny). LeGardeur was the father of one of the children of Marie-Marthe Richomme but it does not appear that they every married. Marie-Marthe, eventually, married Louis Quay dit Dragon. Quay dit Dragon and Richomme were the parents of Marie Cecile Normand who married Joseph Marie Armand/Armant in 1749. Their daughter, Marie Magdeleine Armand, married Nicolas Colin Lacour in Pointe Coupée in 1762.
Guillaume Fournier - Marie Françoise Hébert - Marie Françoise Hébert was the daughter of Hélène Desportes in her 1st marriage to Guillaume Hébert. As a result, she was the step-daughter of Noël Morin and granddaughter of Pierre Desportes and Françoise Langlois. The Moreau family is descended from Noël Morin and Hélène Desportes.
Abraham Martin - Marguerite Langlois - They were the g-g-g-grandparents of Marie Magdeleine Mercier who was the 2nd wife of Avoyelles ancestor René Roy. Roy and Mercier married in Illinois in 1744 after the death of Agnes Philippe dite Étienne who had died before 1741.
Robert Giffard (1634) - Marie Renouard - They were the grandparents of Louis Juchereau dit St. Denis - the founder of Fort Jean Baptiste de Natchitoches. Juchereau sailed on the second expedition of Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville (his first cousin).
Pierre LeGardeur (1638) - Marie Favery - Paternal grandparents of Jean Baptiste LeGardeur de Moncarville (De Repentigny). LeGardeur was the father of the one of the children of Marie-Marthe Richomme but it does not appear that they ever married. Marie-Marthe, eventually, married Louis Quay dit Dragon. Quay dit Dragon and Richomme were the parents of Marie Cecile Normand who married Joseph Marie Armand/Armant in 1749. Their daughter, Marie-Magdeleine Armand, married Nicolas Colin Lacour in Pointe Coupée in 1762.
Pierre Desportes - Françoise Langlois - They were the parents of Hélène Desportes who married Noël Morin in 1640. Their daughter, Agnès Morin, married Ignace Bonhomme dit Beaupre in her 2nd marriage. Agnes and Ignace were the maternal grandparents of Avoyelles ancestor Joseph Valentin Moreau who married Marie Jeanne LaFleur in Mobile prior to 1753. Joseph died in Opelousas in 1782.
Noël Morin - Hélène Desportes - Hélène was the daughter of Pierre Desportes & Françoise Langlois. The daughter of Noël and Hélène, Agnès, married Ignace Bonhomme. Agnès and Ignace were the grandparents of Joseph Valentin Moreau.... Hélène Desportes born c1620, is believed to be the first viable, white, French child born in New France. This fact is sometimes disputed by the fact that another child, André Lasnier, was, supposedly, born there in 1620 (based on a 1632 baptismal record at which time he was listed as 12 years of age). However, Lasnier was born to a Mi'kmaq woman (Amerindian) and a Frenchman named Louis Lasnier.... Hélène Desportes was the goddaughter of Hélène Boullé, wife of Samuel de Champlain and, because of this, she was mentioned twice in the will of Champlain.
François Bélanger - Marie Gagnon (Guyon) - G-g-grandparents of Marie Magdeleine Mercier who was the 2nd wife of Avoyelles ancestor René Roy. Roy and Mercier married in Illinois in 1744 after the death of Agnès Philippe dite Étienne who died before 1741.
Jean Juchereau - Marie Langlois - Grandparents of Louis Juchereau dit St. Denis. Louis traveled to the Gulf Coast with Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d’Iberville in 1700 and founded Natchitoches in 1714. He was instrumental in establishing trade with Mexico and was Commandant at Natchitoches from 1722 until 1744.
Jacques Maheu - Anne Convent - Anne Convent married three times. Her 1st marriage was to Philippe Amyot/Amiot. Her 2nd marriage was to Jacques Maheu. Her 3rd marriage was to Étienne Blanchon dit LaRose. After the death of Anne Convent, Étienne married Anne Videau de Lagassonnerie. One of their daughters, Élizabeth, married Augustin Jouineau (Juneau) dit La Tulippe from which the Juneau, Duplechin, Châtelain, Gaignard, Tassin, Guillot/Gueho, Landernau/Lanreneau, and Firmin dit Ferret families descend.
Philippe Amyot/Amiot - Anne Convent - Anne Convent married three times. Her 1st marriage was to Philippe Amyot/Amiot. Her 2nd marriage was to Jacques Maheu. Her 3rd marriage was to Étienne Blanchon dit LaRose. After the death of Anne Convent, Étienne married Anne Videau de Lagassonnerie. One of their daughters, Élizabeth, married Augustin Jouineau (Juneau) dit La Tulippe from which the Juneau, Duplechin, Châtelain, Gaignard, Tassin, Guillot/Gueho, Landernau/Lanreneau, and Firmin dit Ferret families descend.
Zacharie Cloutier - Xaintès Dupont - They were the g-g-g-grandparents of Marie Magdeleine Mercier who was the 2nd wife of Avoyelles ancestor René Roy. Roy and Mercier married in Illinois in 1744 after the death of Agnès Philippe dit Étienne who died before 1741.
Robert Drouin - Anne Cloutier - Anne Cloutier was the first wife of Robert Drouin. His 2nd wife was Marie Chapelier. Robert Drouin and Marie Chapelier were the g-g-g-grandparents of Avoyelles ancestor Pierre Nus dit Laventure (Nucere).
Antoine Brassard - Françoise Méry - These were the parents of Marie Magdelaine Brassard, 2nd wife of Avoyelles ancestor Jean Normand. Jean’s first wife was Anne LeLaboureur from whom the Avoyelles Normand and Gaspard families descend.
Louis Sédillot - Marie Grimoult - They were the g-g-g-grandparents of Jean Pierre Normand I who married Marie Marguerite Wichner (Vicner) before 1770. All Avoyelleans with Normand or Gaspard ancestry are descended from this couple.
Claude Poulin - Jeanne Mercier - They were the g-g-grandparents of Marie Magdeleine Mercier who was the 2nd wife of Avoyelles ancestor René Roy. Roy and Mercier married in Illinois in 1744 after the death of Agnès Philippe dite Étienne who died before 1741.
Jean Guyon - Mathurine Robin - They were the g-g-g-grandparents of Marie Magdeleine Mercier who was the 2nd wife of Avoyelles ancestor René Roy. Roy and Mercier married in Illinois in 1744 after the death of Agnès Philippe dite Étienne who died before 1741.
What happened to the first colonists in 1629?
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