Louis Hébert (1575-1627): First Apothecary in North America

Louis Gaston Hébert (1575-1627) is celebrated as the First Apothecary in North America, a true Pioneer, the King’s Prosecutor, and the First Canadian Seigneur.

Early Life

Louis Gaston Hébert was born in 1575 at 129 Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France, at the sign of the Golden Mortar in the parish of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois [1, 2].

• Parents: He was the son of Nicolas Hébert, an apothecary and spice merchant to Queen Catherine de’ Medici, and Jacqueline Pajot [1, 2]. His family was affluent, with ties to the Royal Court.
• Education: After receiving basic training in grammar, letters, and Latin, he studied for five years the properties of plants and the preparation of remedies. By the end of his studies in 1600, “Hébert presented himself as a Parisian bourgeois, grocer, and apothecary” [2].

Marriage and Family

On February 19, 1601, he married Marie Rollet at the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris [3, 4, 5]. She was the daughter of Jean Rollet and Anne Cogu, and the widow of François Dufeu.

They had three children, all born in France [6]:

1. Anne (circa 1602-1619)
2. Guillemette (circa 1608-1684)
3. Guillaume (circa 1614-1639)

First Voyage to Acadia (1606-1607)

Hébert was well-educated, energetic, and adventurous. His mother and Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt’s wife were sisters, providing him a connection to the New World voyages [7].

• The Journey: In March 1606, Hébert (c. 31) signed a one-year contract with explorer Pierre Dugua de Monts to serve in New France as an apothecary for 100 livres [2, 8]. He sailed on the ship Le Jonas from La Rochelle on May 23, 1606, and reached Port Royal on July 27.
• Life in Acadia: Hébert cared for sick settlers and indigenous people [6]. He was known for his love of tilling the soil, planting wheat, rye, hemp, and other grains [9]. Marc Lescarbot wrote that Hébert took "great pleasure in tilling the soil” [2].
• The Expedition: Hébert was part of the expedition where Poutrincourt and Samuel de Champlain explored the coast as far as Cape Cod [2]. He also attended the first theatrical performance in North America, Neptune’s Theatre [10].
• Return: In the summer of 1607, the commercial concession granted to de Monts expired, forcing the entire colony to return to France, where Hébert resumed his work as a druggist in Paris [10].

Second Stay at Port Royal (1611-1613)

Hébert returned to Port Royal around 1611 (some researchers suggest 1610) to continue his work as an apothecary [9].

• Role in the Colony: He acted as a mediator between the Jesuits and Charles de Biencourt de Saint-Just and took over the leadership of Port Royal in Biencourt's absence in May 1613 [2]. He continued to treat both settlers and indigenous people, including the chief Membertou.
• The Destruction: In 1613, the British, led by Samuel Argall, burned Port Royal, forcing the settlers to return to France. Hébert, now around 42, chose not to return to Acadia but decided to settle in New France (Canada) and bring his wife and children [10].

Canada, New France (1617-1627)

When Champlain was looking for volunteers for Quebec, he approached Hébert. On March 6, 1617, Hébert signed a three-year contract with the Company of Merchants of Rouen and Saint-Malo for 200 livres per year. The company reduced the terms just before boarding, but Hébert had already sold all his possessions in France and had no choice but to accept [2].

• Permanent Migration: On March 11, 1617, Louis Hébert left France permanently aboard the ship Saint-Étienne with his wife Marie Rollet, children Anne, Guillaume, and Guillemette, and Samuel de Champlain. They landed in Quebec four months later [12].
• Family Life in Quebec: The family forged strong ties with the local people. Louis took care of the sick, while Marie taught the native children how to read and write and instructed them in the Christian faith. In turn, the natives taught his family survival skills [2].
• The First Farm: Hébert cleared an area and began planting crops, earning him the honor of being called "the first Canadian farmer" [13]. His wooden house was later replaced by a stone house located where the inner courtyard of the small seminary of Quebec is today [2, 13].
• Public Office: In 1620, Champlain appointed Hébert the King’s prosecutor, entrusting him with the responsibility of administering justice [14].
• First Seigneur: In February 1623, Hébert acquired land in the heart of what is now Quebec City [15]. On February 28, 1626 [16], he became the first Canadian seigneur of the land known as Sault-au-Matelot and the fief of Saint-Joseph (Lespinay) [2, 13].

Scientific Contributions

Hébert's work as an apothecary reached a very high level in New France, contributing to the birth of botany in Europe [2].

• Plant Samples: He sent numerous plants to France, including American groundnut, meadow-rue, and wild ginger, helping the Old World learn about North American flora [2].
• Publications: His contributions are reflected in the botany book Canadensium Plantarum, published in Paris in 1635, which illustrates 40 North American plants previously unknown in Europe [17, 18].

Death and Legacy

• Death: In the winter of 1627, Louis Hébert suffered a fall, mentioned by Samuel de Champlain in his book Voyages du Sieur de Champlain [19, 20]. Champlain wrote that Hébert fell on January 25, which led to his death, adding that he was "the first head of family to live from what he cultivated" [20].
• Burial: He was buried in the Recollets cemetery, but the record is lost as the archives were destroyed. In 1678, his remains were exhumed and transferred in the presence of his daughter, perhaps to the Recollets chapel (now part of the Quebec General Hospital) [19, 13].
• Family Inheritance: His wife Marie Rollet inherited half of the property, and their daughter Guillemette the other half. Marie chose to remain in the colony and married Guillaume Hubou two years later [6].
• Descendants: Louis Hébert's descendants come through his daughter Guillemette (who married Guillaume Couillard) and his granddaughter Françoise Hébert (daughter of Guillaume Hébert, who married Guillaume Fournier). The Hébert name was not passed down after the second generation [21]. While Louis was in Quebec for only seven years, his wife Marie would spend thirty years there, raising their family and assisting the new colony [6].

Notes and References

1. Hébert, Y. (2017).
   • Title: “Comment on fabrique un héros : Louis Hébert vu par Azarie Couillard-Després.”
   • Publication: Cap-aux-Diamants, (128), p. 23.
2. Mathieu, Jacques. (2003–).
   • Title: “HÉBERT, LOUIS,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1.
   • Publisher: University of Toronto/Université Laval.
   • Access Date: Accessed January 2, 2021.
   • URL: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hebert_louis_1E.html
3. Fournier, Marcel.
   • Title: “Acte de mariage de Louis Hébert et de Marie Rollet.”
   • URL: http://www.fichierorigine.com/dossiers/350070.pdf
4. Bennett, Ethel M. G. (2003–).
   • Title: “ROLET (Rollet), MARIE (Dufeu; Hébert; Hubou),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1.
   • Publisher: University of Toronto/Université Laval.
   • Access Date: Accessed January 2, 2021.
   • URL: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/rollet_marie_1E.html
5. Biron, Pierre-Paul. (2017).
   • Title: “L’Acte De Mariage De Louis Hébert Et Marie Rollet Retrouvé”.
   • Publication: Le Journal De Montréal, March 1, 2017.
   • URL: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2017/03/01/lacte-de-mariage-de-louis-hebert-et-marie-rollet-retrouve.
6. Imbeault, Sophie. (2017).
   • Title: “Être femme et pionnière : Marie Rollet”.
   • Publication: Cap-aux-Diamants no. 128, p. 9, 11.
7. Wikimedia Commons.
   • Description: In Paris, 129 rue Saint-Honoré, is a plaque which states: “Ici naquit en 1575, Louis Hébert, 1er colon en Acadie et à Québec.”
   • URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rue_St-Honor%C3%A9_129_Louis_H%C3%A9bert.jpg
8. Perron, Guy.
   • Title: “219 – Les engagés levés pour l’Acadie en 1606.”
   • Publication: Le Blogue de Guy Perron.
   • URL: https://urlz.fr/azHj
9. Landry, Nicolas et Nicole Lang. (2014).
   • Title: Histoire de l’Acadie.
   • Publication: Québec, Les Éditions du Septentrion, 2e édition, p. 20.
10. Wikipedia contributors. (Accessed January 2, 2021).
    • Title: “Louis Hébert,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
    • URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louis_H%C3%A9bert\&oldid=993451027
11. Ryder, Huia (In collaboration). (2003–).
    • Title: “BIENCOURT DE POUTRINCOURT ET DE SAINT-JUST, JEAN DE,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1.
    • Publisher: University of Toronto/Université Laval.
    • Access Date: Accessed January 5, 2021.
    • URL: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/biencourt_de_poutrincourt_et_de_saint_just_jean_de_1E.htm
12. Vianney-Campeau, Charles.
    • Source: Navires venus en Nouvelle-France: Gens de mer et passagers des origines à la conquête 1617-1626 via archive.org.
13. Deschênes, Gaston. (2017).
    • Title: “In the Footsteps of Louis Hébert and Marie Rollet 1617-2017: Walking Path in Old Québec.”
    • Publisher: Société historique de Québec.
    • URL: http://cfqlmc.org/pdf/Louis-H-Marie-R/400e-LH-MR-pdf-web-Parcours-ang-31-mai-2017.pdf
14. Lavallée, Josiane. (2018).
    • Title: “Marie Rollet”.
    • Publication: The Canadian Encyclopedia.
    • Publisher: Historica Canada.
    • URL: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marie-rollet
15. Grenier, Benoît. (2017).
    • Title: “Louis Hébert : premier seigneur canadien”.
    • Publication: Cap-aux-Diamants no. 128 : 13–16.
    • URL: https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/cd/2017-n128-cd02866/84138ac/
16. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.
    • Description: Acte de mise en possession par Samuel de Champlain, capitaine pour le Roi en la Marine, lieutenant de monseigneur le duc de Ventadour, des terres accordées au sieur Louis Hébert par ledit duc de Ventadour le 28 février 1626.
    • URL: https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/archives/52327/3313547
17. Mathieu, Jacques et Asselin, Alain. (2017).
    • Title: “Louis Hébert, apothicaire, et la contribution du Nouveau Monde à l’Ancien Monde”.
    • Publication: Cap-aux-Diamants no. 128 : p. 4, 6.
    • URL: https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cd/2017-n128-cd02866/84136ac/
18. Cornuty, Jacques-Philippe. (1635).
    • Title: Canadensium plantarum.
    • Publication: Parisiis, : venundantur apud Simonem Le Moyne, viâ Iacobeâ.
    • URL: https://archive.org/details/iaccornutidoctor00corn/page/n5/mode/2up
19. Drouin, François. (2017).
    • Title: “Une chute fatale : mort et sépultures à Québec au début du XVIIe siècle”.
    • Publication: Cap-aux-Diamants no. 128 : p. 17, 18, 19.
    • URL: https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/cd/2017-n128-cd02866/84139ac/
20. Champlain, Samuel de. (1830).
    • Title: Voyages du Sieur de Champlain ou Journal ès découvertes de la Nouvelle France, vol II.
    • Publication: Paris : [s.n.].
    • Content Reference: p. 3, 4, 33, 58, 59, 79, 144-145 (death), 208, 223, 258, 268, 274, 290.
    • URL: https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.43719/6?r=0\&s=1
21. Tremblay, Sylvie. (2017).
    • Title: “Une descendance nombreuse : de Louis Hébert et Guillaume Couillard à Philippe Couillard”.
    • Publication: Cap-aux-Diamants no. 128 : p. 28.
    • URL: https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cd/2017-n128-cd02866/84142ac/

Credits and Licensing

Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.

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