Claude Bouchard II-tanguay Collection Vol 1 page 69

Claude Bouchard & Louise Gasnier aka Gagné

Early Settlers of New France

Claude Bouchard (1626-1699)

Claude Bouchard, a tailor from Saint-Cosme-de-Vair in Maine, France, first settled on the coast of Beaupré to the east of Quebec. He was nicknamed “Little Claude” (Le Petit Claude) to distinguish him from a namesake and because of his stature.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Born around 1626 in Saint-Côsme-de-Vair in the diocese of Mans, in the natural region of Saosnois and the former province of Maine, France[1:1][7][8], Claude was the son of Jacques Bouchard and Noëlle (or Nicole) Touschard (or Bouchard).

He is believed to have arrived in Canada around 1650, with his first mention in records being his marriage contract.[9][5:1][10]

Life in New France

Claude Bouchard lived in Canada, New France. On November 30, 1653, he signed a marriage contract before notary Claude Auber. He married Louise Gasnier, daughter of Louis Gagné and Marie Michel, on May 25, 1654, at Notre-Dame Church in Quebec.[1:2][11][12]

The family of Claude Bouchard appears in the censuses for the coast or seigneury of Beaupré in 1666, 1667, and 1681:

1666 Census: Claude Bouchard, 40, tailor; Louise Gasnier, 24, his wife; Marie, 6; Jacques, 4; Marguerite, 4 months; Marie Michel, 4 months.[13]

1667 Census: Claude Bouchard, 45; Louise Gasnier, his wife, 25; Marie, 8; Jacques, 6; Marguerite, 2; 7 cattle, 8 arpents in value.[14]

1681 Census: Claude Bouchard 55; Louise Gagnier, his wife, 40; children: Marie 20, Jacques 18, Marguerite 14, François 12, Louise 11, Angélique 9, Jean 8, Rosalie 7; 2 rifles; 10 horned beasts; 6 arpents in value.[15]

Move to Petite-Rivière

Claude Bouchard, likely influenced by his father-in-law, Louis Gasnier, decided to relocate his family to the new lands of Petite-Rivière. On July 26, 1682, he contracted to sell his farm at Château-Richer to Jean Boucher, also of Sainte-Anne. However, he did not move immediately, spending 1682 and 1683 at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. In fact, his daughter Marguerite was married in November 1683 at Sainte-Anne. It was only in the summer of 1684 that Claude Bouchard and his family settled on their new farm at Petite-Rivière.

Claude Bouchard lived the rest of his life at Petite-Rivière. He died on November 25, 1699, at Saint-François-Xavier de la Petite-Rivière and was buried the same day at Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, Baie-Saint-Paul.[1:3][11:1] His death certificate listed him as 70 years of age.

His wife, Louise Garnier, survived him by more than 24 years. She was buried in the Petite-Rivière cemetery on April 27, 1721.

Louise Gagné née Gasnier (1642-1721)

Louise Gasnier, daughter of Louis Gasnier and Marie Michel and goddaughter of Mathurin Bouillie and Renée Gueue, was baptized in France on January 21, 1642, at the Saint-Martin Church in Igé, in the diocese of Sées and the former province of Perche.[1:4][7:1][8:1][9:1]

She is estimated to have arrived in Canada with her parents around 1644[10:1][5:2][11:2] and is first mentioned in Canadian records in 1644.[1:5][12:1] In 1653, the following family members joined them in Canada: her nephews Louis Gasnier, Pierre Gasnier, and Nicolas Gasnier, her brother Pierre Gasnier, and her sister-in-law Marguerite Rosée.[10:2]

Life in New France

Louise Gasnier lived in Canada, New France. Having signed a marriage contract on November 30, 1653, in Quebec before notary Claude Aubert, she married Claude Bouchard, son of Jacques Bouchard and Noëlle Touschard, originally from Saint-Côsme-de-Vair, on May 25, 1654, in Beaupré.[1:6][13:1][14:1][3:1]

She was confirmed on February 2, 1660, at Château-Richer.[14:2]

Marriage

She married Claude Bouchard, son of Jacques Bouchard and Noëlle Touchard, on 25 May 1654 in Notre-Dame-de-Québec. In the presence of Toussaint Taupin and Étienne Lessart. The celebrant priest was Paul Ragueneau.[16]The couples 12 known children are listed above.

Children

Twelve children were born to Claude Bouchard and Louise Gasnier, six boys and six girls. Of these, seven survived to adulthood and married: four girls and three boys.[17]

  1. Marie-Françoise Bouchard, born in Quebec (1659-1739)
  2. Jacques Bouchard (c.1662-1690)
  3. Gilles Bouchard, born in Château-Richer (1664-1664)
  4. +Marguerite Bouchard, born in Château-Richer (1665-1731)
  5. Louise Bouchard (c.1668-1696)
  6. +Anne Bouchard, born in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (1670-1731)
  7. +Geneviève Bouchard, born in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (1672-1754)
  8. +François Bouchard, born in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (1674-1756)
  9. +Rosalie Bouchard, born in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (1676-1733)
  10. Claude Bouchard, born in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (1678-1678)
  11. +Louis Bouchard, born in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (1680-1727)
  12. +Antoine Bouchard, born in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (1682-1759)

(Note: The “+” symbol indicates those who survived to adulthood and married)

Her family appears in the 1666 census for Beaupré as follows:

  • Claude Bouchard, 40, tailor; Louise Gasnier, 24, his wife; Marie, 6; Jacques, 4; Marguerite, 4 months; Marie Michel, 4 months.[15:1]
  • Marie Michel, 40, widow of sieur Louis Gainier; Louise, 24; Marie, 22; Pierre, 20; Olivier, 18; Anne, 12; Louis, 10; Ignace, 8; Joachim, 6.[15:2]

Louise was buried on April 27, 1721, at Baie-Saint-Paul.[1:7][14:3] The officiating priest was André Jorian.[18]

Sources and References

  1. PRDH: Research Programme in Historical Demography (free): Pionnier: 3492 PRDH Individu 3492 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. PREFEN Fiche 12880 ↩︎

  3. Généalogie Québec 8906 ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Tanguay, vol. 1, p. 69 ↩︎

  5. Carpin 1999, Annexe D, p. 575 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Numbered #173 in Carpin’s list and in the list that can be seen on the Percheron Immigration Category page. ↩︎

  7. PREFEN Fiche 12880, Origines ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. Geography and date of birth according to PRDH: around 1626 in St-Cosme-de-Vair (now St-Cosme-en-Vairais), diocese of Le Mans, Maine (ar. Mamers, Sarthe). ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. PREFEN Fiche 12880, Départ ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. Lesperance 2002 citing Jetté 1983, p. 132: “BOUCHARD, Claude (Tailor) departed St-Cosme-de-Vair.” ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. PREFEN Fiche 12880, Vie en Nouvelle-France ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  12. PREFEN Fiche 14420, Vie en Nouvelle France ↩︎ ↩︎

  13. perche-quebec.com ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. PREFEN Data sheet 14420, Life in New France ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  15. Senécal, Recensement de 1666 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  16. Burial of Claude Bouchard 1699 Collection Drouin, IGD (Membership) ↩︎

  17. PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (membership): famille: 840 PRDH Famille 780 ↩︎

  18. Burial of Louise Gagné 1721 Collection Drouin, IGD (Membership) ↩︎

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