Pioneers

Marie Helene Desportes

Marie Helene Des Portes was born on July 7, 1620 at Lisieux, Calvados, Normandy, France; the daughter of Pierre Desportes and Francois Langlois.

She arrived at Tadoussac aboard the “Le Sallemande”, as an infant, on August 30, 1620; to become one of the earliest and youngest, settlers of French Quebec. Her father was employed with the Company of 100 Associates and came to New France to assist with the administration of the Colony.

When the Kirke Brothers took control of Quebec in 1629, her family was deported back to France, and only Helene would return to Quebec with her aunt and uncle; Marguerite Langlois and Abraham Martin; when it was given back to France.

On October 1, 1634; she married Guillaume Hebert, son of Louis Hebert and Marie Rollet, in Quebec City; and the couple would have three children, before Guillaume’s death on September 23, 1639:

Joseph, Marie-Francoise and Anglelique. Marie married Guillaume Fournier and had fifteen children. Angelique did not marry and died at St. Thomas Quebec in 1665.

Their son Joseph, married Marie-Charlotte De Poiters on October 12, 1660; but the following June he was captured by the Iroquois and held as prisoner. A letter from a fellow captive noted that Joseph had been wounded in the arm and shoulder, but he was later tortured and stabbed to death by a drunken warrior. His wife was pregnant at the time of his capture, and bore him a son; whom she also named Joseph; on October 5, 1661. However, he died as an infant so the Hebert name in Quebec, that began with Louis, would be brought to an end.

Helene’s Second Marriage

Helene Des Portes was just nineteen when her first husband died, and left with three small children, she quickly entered into a marriage contract with Noel Morin, a 34 year-old cartwright from Brie, France; who had been recruited for New France by Robert Giffard, in 1636. The contract was signed on December 27 1639, and the ceremony took place on January 9 1640.

In 1663, Noel Morin was granted a siegneury at Riviere De Sud (River of the South) at a place known as “Point with the Curdles”; and given the title of Sieur De St. Luc.

Marie Helene Des Portes, Madame De St. Luc; died on June 24 1675, at St. Thomas, Montmagny Quebec; and Noel, five years later on January 15, 1680. The couple had twelve children, who left thousands of descendants, and the Morin name lives on in Quebec.

Source

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