W.H. Coverdale collection of Canadiana:Ange Gardien with l'Ile d'Orleans on Opposite Side of St. Lawrence River, Lower Canada Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1970-188-331 W.H. Coverdale Collection of Canadiana Copyright: Expired.

Pierre Richer dit LaFléche & Dorothee Brassard

Pierre Richer dit LaFléche

Status: Immigrant
Birth: Around 1647, Saint-Pierre de Thouarcé, Diocese of Angers, Anjou (Angers district, Maine-et-Loire), France
Parents: Jean Richer and Marie Gallardé of Saint-Pierre de Thouarcé
Occupation: Tailor (“Tailleur”)

Military Service and Arrival in New France

Pierre Richer came to New France with more than 1,200 soldiers from the Carignan-Salière Regiment, who had been requested by King Louis XIV to fight the Iroquois.

He arrived in Québec City on August 18, 1665, aboard the ship “l’Aigle d’or” (Golden Eagle) as a soldier in Captain Grandfontaine’s company. L’Aigle d’Or was an old and decrepit vessel with a worm-eaten hull. It sailed on May 13, 1665, from La Rochelle with four companies: La Colonelle, La Frediere, Grandfontaine, Lamotte, and the Marquis de Salières, colonel of the Regiment. It landed at Québec during the third week of August, after approximately 95 days at sea. The Paix and Aigle d’Or sailed together.

Early Records in New France

Pierre first appeared in records in the colony on August 22, 1667, as a witness at a marriage in Québec City: “22 Août 1667 Cité à Québec, au mariage de Jean Baune dit Lafranchise avec Marie Madeleine Bourgery”[1]

His origin was noted on his marriage record as “PAROISSE DE ST-PIERRE-TOVERSE, EVECHE D’ANGERS, FRANCE” (Parish of St-Pierre-Thouarcé, Diocese of Angers, France)

He was a resident of Petite-Rivière when he married in 1671[2]

Land and Property

Pierre Richer established himself in Québec City, at the Saint-Charles River, on a piece of land given to him by the Jesuit Fathers on January 15, 1671. He was single at that time and married Dorothée Brassard a few months later.

On November 25, 1672, Louise Mousseaux, wife of Pierre Pellerin, rented a farm on the St-Charles River to Pierre Richer and Nicolas Barbotain for two years.

At the census of 1681, he lived in Batiscan and owned a gun and 8 “arpents” of valuable land.

On May 17, 1685, he was employed in the service of Antoine Trottier dit Desruisseaux for the fur trade in Michilimakinac.

On August 3, 1693, he purchased a farm in Sainte-Anne from Vincent Delaniel.

On July 16, 1706, Paul Perrot loaned him 150 “livres” (pounds) to purchase his farm in Grondines.

Pierre was farming land in the Seigneurie of Sainte-Anne on November 13, 1707. With the agreement of his wife, he gave half of his land to their son Pierre.

Dorothée Brassard

Birth: July 30, 1656
Baptism: August 1, 1656, Québec City (Notre-Dame)[3]
Parents: Antoine Brassard (mason) and Françoise Méry

Census Records for Dorothée’s Family

Census 1666: FAMILIES OF INHABITANTS, QUÉBEC, UPPER AND LOWER TOWN
Antoine Brassard, 57, mason, inhabitant; Françoise Mery, 45, his wife; Guillaume, 18; Antoine, 16; Jean-Baptiste, 14; Louis, 12; Dorothée, 9.[4]

Census 1667: AT SILLERY
Antoine Brassard, 58; Françoise Mery, his wife, 54; Guillaume, 20; Antoine, 18; Jean, 16; Louis, 14; Dorothée, 12; 3 livestock, 27 arpents of valuable land.[4:1]

Marriage and Family

Pierre Richer dit LaFlèche and Dorothée Brassard signed a marriage contract before notary Pierre Duquet on Saturday, September 5, 1671.[5] They were married on Monday, October 5, 1671, at Notre-Dame de Québec.[6]

Census 1681: Batiscan

Pierre Richer 34; Dorothée Brassard, his wife, 24; children: Catherine 7, Marie 5, Pierre 2; 1 gun; 8 arpents of valuable land.[7]

Children of Pierre Richer and Dorothée Brassard

They had twelve children:

  1. Étiennette, born July 17, 1673, at Petite-Rivière, baptized July 18, at Québec (Notre-Dame)

  2. Catherine, born July 1, 1674, at Petite-Rivière, baptized July 2, at Québec (Notre-Dame); married Joseph Pinot on October 12, 1693, at Batiscan

  3. Marie Thérèse, born May 5, 1676, at Rivière St-Charles, baptized May 6, at Québec (Notre-Dame); married Jacques Grignon on February 12, 1692, at Batiscan

  4. Pierre, born and baptized January 17, 1680, at Batiscan; married Marguerite Hubert on October 12, 1716, at Notre-Dame de Québec

  5. Christine, born May 3, 1682, baptized May 5, at Champlain; died September 1, 1688, buried September 2, at Batiscan at age 6

  6. Michel, born and baptized February 13, 1686, at Batiscan; died February 21, 1727, buried February 23, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade at age 42

  7. Jean Baptiste, born December 10, 1688, baptized December 11, at Batiscan

  8. Marguerite, born May 23, 1691, baptized May 24, at Batiscan; married Charles Richard on March 7, 1709, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade

  9. Marie Josephe, born and baptized August 3, 1693, at Batiscan; married Michel Frenet on August 20, 1714, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade

  10. Marie Thérèse, born December 7, 1693, baptized December 8, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade; married Jean Baptiste Oude (Houde) on January 7, 1722, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade

  11. Antoine, born and baptized May 22, 1698, at Batiscan

  12. Marie Anne, born and baptized April 14, 1700, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade; married Simon Lemay on August 14, 1719, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade[8]

Deaths

Pierre Richer dit LaFléche: Died and was buried at La Pérade (Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade) on May 17, 1722, at approximately 77 years of age.[9] Notary Public Trotain conducted an inventory of his property on May 17, 1727.

Dorothée Brassard: Died November 7, 1738, at Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, listed as 86 years old on her death record.[10]

Notarial Acts (Legal Documents)

Notary Gilles Rageot[5:1]

  • Vol III pg 216: Transaction and agreement between Pierre Richer and Claude Chasle (April 18, 1668). (No. 268.)
  • Vol III pg 239: Concession from the Jesuit Fathers to Pierre Richer dit LaFlèche (January 15, 1671). (No. 541.)

Notary Romain Becquet[5:2]

  • Vol III pg 96: Lease from Louise de Mouçeaux, wife and proxy of Pierre Pelerin de St-Aniand, to Nicolas Barbotain dit Latouche and Pierre Richer dit Laflèche (November 25, 1672).

Notary Bénigne Basset[5:3]

  • Vol I pg 245: Farm lease by Pierre Richer to Jullien Bihau (August 1, 1676).
  • Vol I pg 258: Receipt from Jean Hynard to Pierre Richer (October 17, 1683).

Notary Pierre Duquet[5:4]

  • Vol II pg 140: Marriage contract of Pierre Richer and Dorothée Brassard (September 5, 1671).

Sources

Additional Information:

Pierre Richer dit LaFlèche is featured in PRDH (Research Programme in Historical Demography) as Pioneer: 65399 – Pionnier PRDH

  1. Witness at 1667 marriage: https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/66725 ↩︎

  2. Saint-Charles River information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Charles_River ↩︎

  3. Dorothée Brassard’s baptism record: https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/57578 ↩︎

  4. 1666-1667 Censuses according to Benjamin Sulte: https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Histoire_des_Canadiens-fran%C3%A7ais,_Tome_IV/Chapitre_4, Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 4, chap. 4 ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. BAnQ Notarial acts index: http://collections.banq.qc.ca/ark:/52327/2431906, Inventory of notarial records from the French regime, by Pierre Georges Roy and Antoine Roy; 27 Vol + index 1-8 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Marriage record: https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/66982 ↩︎

  7. 1681 Census according to Benjamin Sulte: https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Histoire_des_Canadiens-fran%C3%A7ais,_Tome_V/Chapitre_4 ↩︎

  8. Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997 ↩︎

  9. Pierre Richer’s funeral record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MB-PQB9?i=164&wc=9RLQ-82S%3A23632501%2C23632502%2C13699801%3Fcc%3D1321742&cc=1321742 and copy funeral record: https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/9370 ↩︎

  10. Dorothée Brassard’s funeral record: https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/109831 ↩︎

ManyRoads