Guillaume Couture (1617â1700) & Anne Ămard (1627â1700)
This record details the lives of Guillaume Couture, a prominent pioneer, interpreter, and first permanent settler of Pointe-de-LĂ©vy, and his wife, Anne Ămard, one of the early Filles Ă marier (Marriageable Girls) in New France.
Anne Ămard
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Variations | Aymart, Esmart, Ămar |
| Parents | Jean Aymard and Marie Bineau. |
| Birth/Baptism | Born at Saint-André, Niort, Poitou (Deux-SÚvres), France. Baptized October 22, 1627, at Saint-André, Niort. |
| Migration | Arrived in New France in 1649 with her sisters Barbe and Magdeleine. |
| Death & Burial | Died January 17, 1700, and was buried the next day at Saint-Joseph de la Pointe-de-LĂ©vy, Canada (New France). |
Guillaume Couture
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Variations | Cousture |
| Parents | Guillaume Couture and Madeleine Malet. |
| Birth/Baptism | Born and baptized on January 14, 1617, at Saint-Godard, Rouen, Normandy, France. |
| Arrival in NF | Cited in a notary act on April 3, 1638, suggesting he arrived in New France no later than 1637. |
| Indigenous Names | The Iroquois called him Ihandich and later Achirra or Achina (after 1646). |
| Professions/Titles | Interpreter, Carpenter/Joiner, Donné of the Jesuits, Notary (\<1663), Captain of the Lauzon Coast Militia (1667), Judge-Sénéchal of the Lauzon Coast (1673). |
Chronology Highlights
- ~1640: Began service as a Donné (secular helper) for the Jesuits and worked as an interpreter.
- 1642: Traveled to the Huron Country (Huronia) with Fathers Charles Raymbaut, René Goupil, and Father Isaac Jogues.
- August 4, 1642: Captured in an ambush by the Agniers (Mohawk) at Lac Saint-Pierre. During his captivity, half of his right index finger was cut off.
- August 24, 1642: Adopted by a Mohawk widow. He learned the Iroquois language and was esteemed by the tribe for his "prudence and wisdom."
- July 1645: Returned to Trois-RiviĂšres. He worked on a peace treaty with the Iroquois following his release.
- April 26, 1646: Released from his vows as a Donné by Father Hierosme Lalemant.
- May 15, 1647: Granted land at Pointe-de-LĂ©vis, making him the first permanent settler of the area.
- 1665â1666: Accompanied Father Henri Nouvel on an expedition to the Papinachois country (Mission St-BarnabĂ©) near Tadoussac.
- 1666: Sent on a diplomatic mission to New Holland (New York).
- November 20, 1673: Appointed Judge-Sénéchal (Chief Justice) of the Lauzon Coast.
Marriage & Census Records
Marriage
- Marriage Contract: Signed November 18, 1649, at Pointe-de-LĂ©vy before Notary Guillaume Audouart. Guillaume gave Anne a feathered bed and a milk cow; Guillaume signed the contract, Anne could not.
- Religious Ceremony: Held on the same day, November 18, 1649, at Guillaume Couture's house in Pointe-de-LĂ©vi, officiated by Priest Jean Le Sueur.
New France Census Records
| Year | Location | Guillaume's Role | Anne's Age | Children Count | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1667 | CĂŽte de Lauzon | Captain of the Coast | 39 | 9 | 6 cattle; 20 arpents (approx. 17 acres) developed land. |
| 1681 | Seigneurie de Lauzon | Carpenter | 52 | 7 listed | 4 guns; 7 cattle; 20 arpents developed land. |
Children (10 Total)
Guillaume Couture and Anne Ămard had ten children:
| Name | Born / Baptized | Birth/Death Years |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jean Baptiste Couture | 1650 | 1650 â 1698 |
| 2. Anne Couture | 1652 | 1652 â 1684 |
| 3. Louis Couture | 1654 | 1654 â Unknown |
| 4. Marguerite Couture | 1656 | 1656 â 1690 |
| 5. Marie Couture | 1658 | 1658 â Unknown |
| 6. Charles Couture dit Lafrenaye | 1660 | 1660 â 1709 |
| 7. Guillaume Couture | 1662 | 1662 â 1738 |
| 8. Louise Couture | 1665 | 1665 â Unknown |
| 9. Eustache Couture dit Bellerive | 1667 | 1667 â 1733 |
| 10. Joseph Odger Cousture de la CressonniĂšre | 1670 | 1670 â 1733 |
Credits and Licensing
Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.
All materials licensed: CC BY-ND 4.0 by eirenicon llc.
Sources
- Note: Some sources mistakenly read the name on Anne Ămard's marriage contract as Bureau instead of Bineau.
- Baptism image Fichier, AD-79
- Fichier origine 241452 Anne EMARD / AYMART / AYMARD 2019 Fédération québécoise des sociétés de généalogie//Québec Federation of Genealogical Societies
- FamilySearch: Guillaume Audouart, Actes, Dossiers 1-837 (15 Sept. 1634, 1 Feb. 1649 - 23 Nov. 1659); Granite Mountain Record Vault, United States & Canada Film #2371066, Image Group Number (DGS) 8125038, pgs 95-97/2642 (Original Marriage Contract: Cousture - Ămard, with final receipt)
- Roy 1884a: Le premier colon de LĂ©vis, p. 67, 14, 147, 152
- Roy 1897: Histoire de la seigneurie de Lauzon vol. 1, p. 131, 46, 90, 332, 335, 338
- FamilySearch, Marriage Guillaume Couture - Anne Ămart
- Marriage of Guillaume Couture and Anne Emart 1649 Collection Drouin, IGD (Membership)
- BAnQ (PDF): Tanguay, Cyprien, Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours; Montréal, 1887 (7 volumes) Vol 1 pg 147 (Couture)
- [suspicious link removed] (Couture)
- Wikisource: Recensements 1666-1667 Censuses selon Benjamin Sulte Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 4, chap. 4
- Wikisource Recensement 1681 Census selon Benjamin Sulte Histoire des Canadiens-français, Tome 5, chap. 4
- SĂ©pulture / Funeral - FamilySearch
- Note: The dit name Lafresnaie is not his but belongs to his son Charles.
- PREFEN Notice
- Notaries: Jean Guitet 1637-1647, BAnQ.
- Relation des JĂ©suites Vol. 1 p. 14.
- Tanguay 1871, vol. 1, p. 118, 143.
- Journal des JĂ©suites p. 19, 39, 44, 46.
- PRDH Marriage (Programme de recherche en démographie historique).
- PRDH Baptism.
- Registre de Sillery (1638-1690) p. 306.
- Notariat de la seigneurie de Lauzon
