Zacharie Cloutier et Sainte Dupont.

Zacharie Cloustier & Sainte (Xainte) Dupont

Zacharie Cloustier (c.1590 – 1677)

Zacharie Cloustier, lord of la Clousterie[1][2][3] [Carpin #1][4][5]

Birth

Born in France around 1590, Zacharie Cloustier was the son of Denis Cloustier and Renée Brière. He originated from the parish of Saint-Jean de Mortagne, located in the diocese of Sées in the former province of Perche.[6][7][8][9] According to another source, he was born on February 2, 1589, in St. Jean, Perche, France.[10]

Family Background

His mother Renee Briere died on May 1, 1608, after which his father married Jeanne Rahir-Gaultier on November 3 of the same year.[10:1]

There appears to have been some family tension following his father’s death. On March 2, 1633, the notary Mathurin Roussel recorded in Mortagne:

“…Zacharie Cloutier, carpenter, resident of Mortagne, Midsummer’s Day parish, and Jacques Cloutier, his brother, rope-maker…Zacharie Cloutier being eldest son of Denis Cloutier…promises that the proceedings will be more pleasant and he will help to ratify for the heirs of Renee Briere, their mother, claims against Jeanne Gaultier, his (Denis) wife in second marriage…”[10:2]

Marriage

As attested by the concise record of their marriage preserved in the archives of Mortagne, which reads as follows: “On the eighteenth day of the said month and year of July one thousand six hundred and sixteen, Zacarie Cloustier and Saincte Dupont were married.”[11]

On July 18, 1616, in the church of Saint-Jean in Mortagne, Zacharie Cloustier, aged 25, married Sainte Dupont, aged about 20, daughter of Paul-Michel DuPont and Perrine Roussseau (uncertain)[12][6:1][7:1][13]

Children

Zacharie Cloustier and Sainte Dupont had the following children:

  • Zacharie (1617 – 1708) married to Madelaine Esmard in 1640
  • Jean (1620 – 1690) married to Marie Martin in 1648
  • Xainte (1622 – 1632)
  • Anne (1626 – 1648) married to Robert Drouin in 163?
  • Charles (1629 – 1709) married to Louise Morin in 1659
  • Louise (1632 – 1699) married to François Marguerie in 1645, to Jean Mignot in 1648, to Jean Mataut in 1684

Migration to New France

Zacharie’s interest in the ‘New World’ began early. When Henry De Montmorency purchased the colony from his brother-in-law, Prince De Conde, in 1619, he began to recruit laborers to assist Champlain in “inhabiting, clearing, cultivating and planting” New France. When the St. Etienne arrived at Tadoussac on July 7, 1619, the passenger list of 80 colonists included the names of Zacharie and his father Denis. Sainte remained at home with their two-year-old son, Zacharie Jr. Most of this group did not remain in Quebec long, and the Cloutiers were no exception.[10:3]

Several years later, when Robert Giffard was recruiting tradesmen for his new seigneury at Beauport, Zacharie and Sainte decided to try again. In the aftermath of the Religious Wars, destruction was widespread, and many young men knew they could be called into military service at any time at the whim of leaders.[10:4]

On March 14, 1634, in Mortagne, before notary Mathurin Roussel, he signed a three-year contract with Robert Giffard according to which he, a master carpenter, and his son would receive half of the cleared lands, be fed and maintained (as well as other family members who would join them), receive 2 cows from Robert Giffard if the latter owned more than 4 cows, receive a house built at Robert Giffard’s expense for the family, receive a grant in fief, La Clousterie, land with an area of 1000 arpents, and have the right to trade furs and goods with the “savages.”

Zacharie Cloustier Jr. migrated to Canada with his father in 1634, landing in Quebec on June 4, 1634.[14][15] The rest of Zacharie Sr.’s family (his wife Sainte Dupont and four of their other children: Louise Cloutier, Charles Cloutier, Anne Cloutier, and Jean Cloutier) joined them in Canada in 1635 or 1636.[16][4:1][15:1]

As engagement documents on behalf of Giffard, we only have the two contracts of Zacharie Cloutier and Jean Guyon from 1634. These two engaged men signed privileged contracts compared to all the contracts that have remained. They partly resemble engagement contracts signed in La Rochelle in that they obligate the recruits to work for their master for a specific period of time, to clear and cultivate land, but also to work on any task that would be assigned to them. However, there is absolutely no mention of salaries in these contracts; Robert Giffard committed instead to compensate them in different ways. First, they received, as well as their sons who were engaged with them, half of the lands they cleared for Giffard. Then, not only they and their sons were fed and maintained, but also their entire family who were to join them in 1636 – but who probably arrived in 1635. Moreover, he gave them two cows if he had more than four, and he had a house built for each of them to accommodate them with their family. This engagement contract has the particularity of also being a land grant contract because, exceptionally, these two master craftsmen (one master carpenter and the other master mason, two professions of primary necessity at the beginning of the colony)…

In 1637, after the contract ended, Zacharie Sr. and Jean Guyon refused to render faith and homage to Robert Giffard, probably considering that their lands had been assigned to them as a fief, not as a censive, the latter condition having certainly subjected them to this rule of faith and homage.[17][18] The dispute between the lord of Beauport and Zacharie Cloutier Sr. dragged on until 1646 when Governor Charles Huault de Montmagny ruled in favor of Robert Giffard.[19][20]

Life in New France

Zacharie Cloustier Sr.’s family appears in the enumerations for Beaupré in the 1666 and 1667 censuses:

1666 – Zacharie Cloustier, father, 76, inhabitant; Xainte Dupont, 70, his wife.[21]

1667 – Zacharie Cloustier, 77; Xainte du Pont, his wife; 2 livestock.[22]

Zacharie Cloustier Jr.’s farms appear in the enumerations for Beaupré in the 1666 and 1667 censuses:

1666 – Nicolas Dodin, 30, farmer of Zacharie Cloutier; Anne Girard, 30, his wife.[21:1]

1667 – Jean Mignet [Jean Mignault dit Châtillon], farmer of Zacharie Cloutier’s fief, 40; Louise Cloutier, 36; Jean, 18; Saincte, 15; Madeleine, 13; Jeanne, 8; Charles, 6; Louis, 4; 8 livestock, 35 arpents in value.[22:1]

1667 – A habitation belonging to the said Mignet where there is no one on it, 16 arpents in value.[22:2]

On January 19, 1668: Agreement and transaction between Zacharie Cloutier and Xainte Dupont with Jean Cloutier, Charles Cloutier, Jean Mignault Sr. de Chatillon husband of Louise Cloutier, Pierre Maheust dit des Hazars both in his own name as having married Jeanne Drouin daughter of the late Anne Cloutier and vouching for Romain Trespagny absent having married Geneviève Drouin also daughter of the late Anne Cloutier (January 19, 1668).[23][24]

Zacharie Sr. sold La Cloutière to Nicolas Dupont de Neuville on December 20, 1670.[25]

Death

At the age of 87, Zacharie Cloustier died and was buried in Château-Richer on November 17 and 18, 1677, respectively, the burial taking place in the cemetery of the church of Notre Dame de La Visitation.[26]

Notes

Origin of the name Cloustier / Cloutier: A family name. An occupational name designating one who manufactures and sells nails.[27] From Old French clou, from Latin clāvus, from Proto-Italic *klāwos, from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂u-. (usually in the plural, des clous)

Although the name Tremblay is the most widespread French settler name today, Zacharie Cloutier, not Pierre Tremblay, “is probably, still today, the French settler with the most descendants.”[28]

He had 2,090 descendants in 1729.[29]

Sainte (Xainte) DUPONT (1596 – 1680)

[Carpin #27][8:1][9:1]

Birth

Daughter of Paul-Michel Dupont and Perrine ?, Sainte Dupont was born in France around 1596. She originated from the parish of Saint-Jean de Mortagne located in the diocese of Séez and the former province of Perche.[1:1][3:1][4:2][6:2][11:1]

First Marriage

On February 26, 1612, in the parish of Saint-Jean in Mortagne au Perche, Sainte Dupont, aged about 16, married for the first time Michel Lermusier from the parish of Feings, in the vicinity of Mortagne. The couple, as far as is known, had no children, the husband having died not long after the wedding.[12:1][3:2]

Second Marriage

On July 18, 1616, in the church of Saint-Jean de Mortagne located in the diocese of Séez and the former province of Perche.[1:2][2:1][13:1] and as attested by the concise record of their marriage preserved in the archives of Mortagne, which reads as follows: “On the eighteenth day of the said month and year of July one thousand six hundred and sixteen, Zacarie Cloustier and Saincte Dupont were married.” – Sainte Dupont, aged about 20, thus married for the second time Zacharie Cloutier, aged 25, son of Denis Cloutier and Renée Brière, born in France around 1590, from Mortagne.[14:1]

Migration to New France

She migrated to Canada with four children:

  • Louise Cloutier
  • Charles Cloutier
  • Anne Cloutier
  • Jean Cloutier

in 1635.[16:1][17:1][18:1]

Her husband Zacharie Cloutier and their son Zacharie Cloutier had migrated to Canada in 1634.[17:2]

Life in New France

Sainte (Dupont) du Pont lived in Canada, New France.

Sainte Dupont and her husband Zacharie Cloutier appear in the enumerations for Beaupré in the 1666 and 1667 censuses:

1666 – Zacharie Cloutier, father, 76, inhabitant; Xainte Dupont, 70, his wife.[19:1]

1667 – Zacharie Cloustier, 77; Xainte du Pont, his wife; 2 livestock.[20:1]

Death

On July 14, 1680, aged 97, Sainte du Pont died and was buried in Château-Richer the following day, July 15.[21:2]

She had 2,090 descendants in 1729.[22:3] At the beginning of the 21st century, she had approximately 85,500 descendants.[23:1]

Sources

Historical Geography

Mortagne is today known as the French commune of Mortagne-au-Perche (INSEE 61016) located in the arrondissement of Mortagne-au-Perche in the department of Orne in the Normandy region.

PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (free): Pionnier: 39453 Date & place of birth according to PRDH: Date – c. 1590. Place – St-Jean, Mortagne, Diocese of Sees, Perche (ar. Mortagne, Orne).

  1. Fichier Origine 240944: Zacharie Cloutier (Cloustier); Fichier Origine 241403: Sainte Dupont, n. vers 1596 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (free): Pionnier: 39453 PRDH Pionnier 39453 : Zacharie Cloutier; PRDH Individu 39454: Sainte Dupont, n. vers 1595 ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. Tanguay, vol. 1, p. 132: Zacharie Cloutier; perche-quebec.com: Xainte ou Sainte Dupont, n. vers 1595 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Carpin 1999, Annexe D, p. 571; Généalogie Québec 3048: Sainte Dupont, n. vers 1596 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Numéroté #1 dans la liste de Carpin et dans la liste qu’on peut voir à la page Percheron Immigration Category. ↩︎

  6. Fichier Origine 240944; La Mémoire du Québec: Sainte Dupont ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. PRDH: Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique (free): Pionnier: 39453 PRDH Pionnier 39453; Tanguay, vol. 1, p. 132: Xainte Dupont, b. 1596 ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. Carpin 1999, Annexe D, p. 571 ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. Numéroté #27 dans la liste de Carpin et dans la liste qu’on peut voir à la page Percheron Immigration Category. ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. Additional information from the second part of the original document ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. Clouthier, Raoul 2003, Les CLOUTIER de Mortagne-au-Perche en France et leurs descendants au Canada, pages 20 et suite. ↩︎ ↩︎

  12. Mariage / Marriage – Zacharie Cloustier & Sainte Dupont, Archives du département de l’Orne, registres paroissiaux de la commune de Mortagne-Au-Perche, Saint-Jean et Saint-Malo.( page 198, 3ème sur la droite ); Prévost (1993), p. I-48, cité par Généalogie Québec: « Cette dernière était veuve de Michel Lermusier, originaire de Feing, un bourg du Perche. » ↩︎ ↩︎

  13. perche-quebec.com ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. Carpin 1999, Annexe D, p. 571: Selon Carpin, l’année du départ est assurée; Kyber Les Cloutier de Mortagne-au-Perche page 20. ↩︎ ↩︎

  15. Lesperance 2002 citant Jetté 1983, p. 259: “CLOUTIER, Zacharie (Carpenter) with wife Sainte DUPONT and children Zacharie, Jean, Anne, Charles, & Louise departed Mortagne 1634.”; Généalogie Québec 3048 ↩︎ ↩︎

  16. Provost 1966/2015: « Depuis au moins l’année précédente, leurs familles les avaient rejoints au Canada puisque les deux ménages figurent au contrat de mariage de Robert Drouin et d’Anne Cloutier, le 27 juillet 1636. »; Carpin 1999, Annexe D, p. 571: Selon Carpin, l’année de départ est assurée. ↩︎ ↩︎

  17. Provost (1986, 1986): « Depuis au moins l’année précédente, leurs familles les avaient rejoints au Canada puisque les deux ménages figurent au contrat de mariage de Robert Drouin et d’Anne Cloutier, le 27 juillet 1636. » ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  18. Lesperance 2002 citant Jetté 1983, p. 259: “CLOUTIER, Zacharie (Carpenter) with wife Sainte DUPONT and children Zacharie, Jean, Anne, Charles, & Louise departed Mortagne 1634.” ↩︎ ↩︎

  19. Senécal, Recensement de 1666 ↩︎ ↩︎

  20. Senécal, Recensement de 1667 ↩︎ ↩︎

  21. Sépulture / Burial Sainte du Pont; Sépulture / Burial Zacharie Cloustier FamilySearch ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  22. La Mémoire du Québec, Sainte Dupont ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  23. Tremblay, Jomphe & Vézina 2009 ↩︎ ↩︎

  24. 1668 Accord familial, Roy, Pierre-Georges, Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, 1942, V2P102); 1668 Accord familial Dossier, Family Search, Canada, Québec, Québec – Notarial records, Actes de notaire, 1660-1688, Film # 008125037, Image 1700/2056 ↩︎

  25. Provost 1966/2015 ↩︎

  26. Sépulture / Burial Zacharie Cloustier FamilySearch ↩︎

  27. Cloutier ↩︎

  28. Duchesne 2006, p. 14, citant Charbonneau 1997, p. 52 ↩︎

  29. La Mémoire du Québec ↩︎

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