Filles du Roi,  Histories

Marie-Francoise Hebert

Marie-Francoise Hebert was born on January 27, 1638, in the small Quebec settlement; the daughter of Guillaume Hebert and Helene Desportes.   Her paternal grandparents were none other than Louis Ganton Hebert and Marie Rollet, and though Louis only lived for a short time at the French Trading Post, Marie kept the family together through epidemics, war and even British occupation.

Her maternal grandparents were also amoung the first would-be colonists, but never survived the deportation by the Kirke Brothers.  However, Marie’s mother, Helene, did return with her aunt and uncle, Marguerite Langlois and Abraham Martin, when the French post was returned.

On November 20, 1651, Marie-Francoise, then just thirteen; married Guillaume Fournier, a baker brought to the colony; and the couple would have fifteen children.  Guillaume was described as a rather disagreeable man, and though his marriage to Marie gave him control of a fair bit of land; it seems that he was always fighting for more.  Born in 1619 at Coullemer, Orne, Normandy, France; he was the son of Gilles Fournier and Noelle Gagnon.

Taking after her grandmother, Marie-Francoise was very active in the community and for many years acted as a midwife to the small settlement.  The family eventually settled at St. Thomas de La Pointe A La Caille, in Montmagny, Quebec; where Guillaume died on October 25, 1699 and Marie-Francoise on March 16, 1716.

Source

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