Françoise Hébert (1638–1716) & Guillaume Fournier (c. 1620–1699)

Early Quebec Settlers

Françoise Hébert (1638–1716)

Françoise Hébert holds a special place in New France history as the granddaughter of one of Quebec's most famous pioneering couples.

• Birth/Baptism: Born on January 27, 1638, in Quebec. She was baptized on January 23, 1638, at the parish of Notre-Dame, Québec, Canada [1].
• Parents: Daughter of Guillaume Hébert (c. 1614–1639) and Marie Hélène Desportes (c. 1620–1675).
• Grandparents' Legacy: Her paternal grandparents were Louis Ganton Hébert and Marie Rollet, renowned early settlers of Quebec. Her maternal grandparents were also early colonists but did not survive the deportation by the Kirke Brothers. Françoise’s mother, Hélène Desportes, returned with her aunt and uncle, Marguerite Langlois and Abraham Martin, when the French post was returned to French control.

Guillaume Fournier (c. 1620–1699)

Guillaume Fournier was a baker who migrated from France to the colony.

• Origin: Born around 1620 in Coulmer, in the diocese of Sées and the former province of Perche, France (now in Orne, Normandy) [2, 3, 4].
• Parents: Son of Gilles Fournier (c. 1597–after 1651) and Noëlle Gageut (or Gagnon) (c. 1601–after 1651).
• Immigration: Migrated from Perche to Canada around 1651, first appearing in records at the time of his marriage [5, 6].
• Character Note: Historical accounts describe Guillaume as "rather disagreeable" and constantly fighting for more land, despite his marriage giving him control of substantial property.

Marriage and Family

• Marriage: On November 20, 1651, 13-year-old Françoise Hébert married 28-year-old Guillaume Fournier at the church of Notre-Dame de Québec [7].
• Religious Life: Guillaume was confirmed in the Catholic faith by Monseigneur François de Laval in Québec on August 10, 1659 [10].
• Legacy: As six of their sons married and had families, Guillaume Fournier and Françoise Hébert became the source of the largest "Fournier" lineage in North America.

Children

Guillaume and Françoise had fifteen children, fourteen of whom are documented in records [8, 9]:

Census Records

Community Life and Property

• Co-Seigneur: Guillaume was co-seigneur of Saint-Charles [13].
• Land Acquisitions:
  • Feb 22, 1671: Purchased land at Rivière-à-la-Caille from Jean Prou for 150 livres [14].
  • Nov 3, 1672: Obtained a concession of the fief of Pointe-au-Foin, near Montmagny [15].
  • 1672–1676: Received a division of the fief of Saint-Luc along with several other settlers [13].
• Parish Founder: Guillaume Fournier was one of the founders of the parish of Saint-Thomas de Montmagny [16].
  • On December 21, 1685, Guillaume and Françoise granted land for the first church. The first church of Saint-Thomas parish was blessed by Bishop Saint-Vallier on April 21, 1686 [17].
• Françoise's Contribution: Following her grandmother's example, Françoise was active in the community. On November 21, 1703, she was elected "midwife" for the parish by a plurality of votes [18].
• Final Residence: The family eventually settled at Saint-Thomas de La Pointe A La Caille, in Montmagny, Quebec.

Deaths

• Guillaume Fournier: Died on October 24, 1699, at approximately 76 years of age. He was buried the following day in the church of Saint-Thomas [19, 20]. He was described as a "benefactor of the parish" [21]. By 1729, Guillaume had 356 descendants [22].
• Françoise Hébert: Died on March 16, 1716, at the age of 78 (though her burial record estimated her age at 90) [23, 24]. She was buried in the church of Saint-Thomas-de-la-Pointe-à-la-Caille. Her husband, Guillaume, is described in her burial record as the founder of the church [21].

Sources

1. “Baptême / Baptism Françoise Hébert” – FamilySearch.
2. PRDH: Pionnier: 27621 Guillaume FOURNIER (Date et lieu de naissance selon RDH: v 1623, Coulmer, ev. Sees, Normandie).
3. BAnQ (PDF): Tanguay, Cyprien, Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes (Vol 1, pg 239).
4. Coulimer (INSEE 61122), Orne, Normandie.
5. Carpin 1999, Annexe D, p. 577. Numéroté #180 (Percheron Immigration Category).
6. Lesperance 2002 citing Jetté 1983, p. 1015.
7. Mariage / Marriage – Guillaume Fournier & Françoise Hébert – FamilySearch (Québec > Notre-Dame-de-Québec > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1621-1679 > image 144 of 512).
8. FOURNIER, Guillaume – famille – Tanguay vol 1, p. 239.
9. La Mémoire du Québec, Fournier (Guillaume).
10. Confirmation record.
11. Wikisource Recensement 1667.
12. Wikisource Recensement 1681.
13. Map of/Carte des seigneuries #118.
14. Proulx(1998), p. image 26.
15. Nos Racine page 235.
16. La Mémoire du Québec, Fournier (Guillaume).
17. Hébert (1996), pp. 55-56.
18. Histoire de famille (Broken Link).
19. 80 ans selon son acte de sépulture.
20. Sépulture / Burial – Guillaume Fournier – FamilySearch.
21. Au registre de sépulture de son épouse Françoise Hébert, il est inscrit comme fondateur de l’église.
22. La Mémoire du Québec, Guillaume Fournier.
23. Sépulture / Burial – Françoise Hebert – FamilySearch (Montmagny > Saint-Thomas > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1679-1785 > image 53 of 584).
24. A travers les registres. Tanguay, Cyprien. 1886. Page 110.

Credits and Licensing

Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.

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