🇫🇷 Marie Boucher & Charles Godin: A Foundational Family

This document provides a biographical and genealogical sketch of Marie Boucher and Charles Godin (Gaudin), who established a large, foundational family in early Nouvelle-France, primarily settling in the Beaupré coast region.

(Name Variants: Marie, Made; Charles, Gaudin)

I. Marie Boucher (1644 – 1730)

Field Details Source
Parents Marin Boucher and Perrine Mallet. [1]
Birth/Baptism Born: April 11, 1644, in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Canada. Baptized: April 11, 1644 (registered belatedly at Notre-Dame de Québec in 1647). [2], [3]
Godparents Massé Gravel (Godfather) and Marie Guyon (Godmother, wife of François Bellanger). [2], [3]
Death/Burial Died: July 15, 1730, in L’Ange-Gardien, Canada. [14]

II. Charles Godin (c.1630 – c.1706-1712)

Field Details Source
Parents Jacques Gaudin and Marguerite Nicole/Niard.
Birth Born: Circa 1630, in Saint-Laurent de Beaumais (now Aubermesnil-Beaumais), archdiocese of Rouen, Normandy (district of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime). [8], [9], [10]
Death/Burial Died: Between December 1, 1706, and January 18, 1712, in L’Ange-Gardien, Canada.

III. Marriage and Family Life

Charles Godin (aged 24) and Marie Boucher (aged 12) were married in the home of Marie's parents in Château-Richer, a marriage that would produce seventeen children.

Event Details Source
Marriage Contract Signed: October 1, 1656, before Notary Guillaume Audouart. [4], [5]
Marriage Date November 6, 1656, at Notre-Dame de Québec (held at Marin Boucher's house in Château-Richer). [6], [7], [4:1]
Officiant/Witnesses Father André Richard officiated. Witnesses: François Bélenger and Claude Ober. Marriage Act
Settlement The family lived in L’Ange-Gardien after their marriage. [15]

Marriage Act Transcription:

"On November 6, 1656, after the publication of three banns on October 2nd, 8th, and 15th, with no impediments found, I, Father André Richard, married, at Marin Boucher’s house in Château-Richer, Charles Godin, son of Jacques Godin and Marguerite Niart from the parish of St-Laurent de Beaumas, and Marie Boucher, daughter of Marin Boucher and Perrine Malet from the Beaupré coast, in the presence of known witnesses François Bélenger and Claude Ober."

IV. Census Records

Census Year Location Details of the Family Unit Source
1666 Beaupré, Canada. Charles Godin (35, habitant), Marie Boucher (22, wife), and four children: François (7), Marie (4), Geneviève (3), Marguerite (17 months). [12]
1667 Beaupré Coast, Canada. Charles Godin (38), Made Boucher (25, wife), and five children: François (8), Marie (5), Geneviève (4), Marguerite (2), Ursulle (2 months). The family owned 5 livestock and had 7 arpents under cultivation. [12:1]
1681 Seigneury of Beaupré, Canada. Charles Godin (45), Marie Boucher (37, wife), and 12 children (ranging from François, 22, to Alexis, 2). The family owned 1 rifle, 6 horned beasts, and had 20 arpents under cultivation. [13]

V. Children of Charles Godin & Marie Boucher

The couple had seventeen children, sixteen of whom are reported to have established their own homes [15].

# Name (Variant) Birth – Death (Year) Source
1. François Gaudin 1659 – 1684 [11]
2. Marie Godin 1662 – 1733/1773 [11]
3. Geneviève Godin 1663 – 1737 [11]
4. Marguerite Godin 1665 – 1744 [11]
5. Ursule Gaudin 1667 – 1723 [11]
6. Charles Godin 1668 – 1743 [11]
7. Anne Gaudin 1670 – 1705 [11]
8. Catherine Gaudin 1672 – 1724 [11]
9. Madeleine Gaudin 1673 – 1720 [11]
10. Pierre Godin 1675 – 1733 [11]
11. Angélique Godin 1677 – 1718 [11]
12. Jean-François Gaudin 1679 – 1680 [11]
13. Alexis Gaudin 1680 – 1764 [11]
14. Louise Gaudin 1682 – 1752 [11]
15. Charlotte Gaudin 1683 – 1759 [11]
16. Françoise Gaudin 1685 – 1765 [11]
17. Antoine Gaudin 1688 – 1731 [11]

VI. Historical and Biographical Context

The Godin Lineage

The lineage of Godin (Gaudin) in Quebec descending from Charles Godin and Marie Boucher is distinct from other Godins established in the colony (e.g., those called Châtillon from Saintonge and Burgundy) and those established in Acadia. Charles, a native of Normandy, started a lineage that spread along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, eventually moving into Ontario and the United States, with some returning to Canada in the Hull region [15].

Biographical Sketch

For a brief biographical sketch, refer to Thomas J. Laforest's Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Vol. 25, Chap. 13, pages 125-133.

Credits and Licensing

Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.

All materials licensed: CC BY-ND 4.0 by eirenicon llc.

VII. Sources

  1. Tanguay Vol. 1, p. 71 – 1625 Boucher Marin ↩︎
  2. Baptism of Marie Boucher – FamilySearch ↩︎
  3. Baptism image IGD ↩︎
  4. BAnQ Notarial acts index Vol I pg 66: Marriage contract of Chs Godin and Marie Boucher (October 1, 1656). ↩︎ ↩︎
  5. “FamilySearch Microfilm No. 2371066,” images 1573-1576 of 2642. Marriage contract between Charles Godin and Marie Boucher (October 1, 1656, no. 500). ↩︎
  6. Marriage of Charles Godin – Marie Boucher – FamilySearch ↩︎
  7. Tanguay Vol. 1, p. 255 – 1656 Gaudin Charles ↩︎
  8. Wikipedia: Aubermesnil-Beaumais ↩︎
  9. Fichier origine 021170 Charles Godin 2022 ↩︎
  10. Dossier Fichier ↩︎
  11. Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec des origines à 1730, René Jetté, 1983, PDF ↩︎
  12. Wikisource: Recensements 1666-1667 Censuses ↩︎ ↩︎
  13. Wikisource Recensement 1681 Census ↩︎
  14. Burial of Marie Boucher – FamilySearch ↩︎
  15. Les Godin, Chronicle by Ludovic Hudon, June 29, 1992 ↩︎