Descendants of Jean Aubuchon

b. 1591 in Ste. Rémi de Dieppe, Normandy, France

The Immigration to North America

France under the Old Régime did not supply a great number of emigrants to its colonies across the Atlantic.  In fact, just 15,000 Frenchmen and Frenchwomen sailed for Canada in the seventeenth century, and two-thirds of them stayed in the colony for a short period and either returned to France or died in Canada without getting married.  This was a very low number: the British Isles, with a population just over one-third of France’s, sent almost 380,000 immigrants to the New World over the same period.¹

Jean Aubuchon's three children, Jacques, Marie and their half brother Jean, were amoung the seventeenth century voyageurs to make the trek to the colonies, making their trip in the 1640's.  It is possible that they emigrated from France together, probably sponsored by their father Jean, but this is not proven.

Jacques dit "Le Loyal" Aubuchon b. 01 December 1617 in Ste. Rémi de Dieppe, Normandy, France

It is possible that Jacques emigrated as early as 1640².  He was a land owner at Batiscan, a resident of the Cap (presumably Cap-de-la-Madeliene), a parishoner of Trois-Rivières (Three Rivers) and was considered a good colonist.  The Abbot Cloutier said he was never lacking charm.³  Jacques fathered 13 children from two marriages; ten boys and three girls.  He died on December 7, 1701, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.

Historian Marcel Trudel reported that Governor, Jacques Hualt de Montmagny gave Jacques a grant between 1640 and 1648, located in the commune of Lake St. Pierre and measured four arpents (one aprent equals .085 acres) wide by ten arpents deep.  According to Father Archange Godbout, Jacques was the first man to clear land at Batiscan and on August 16, 1643, he obtained a concession from the Governor which measured four arpents wide by 20 arpents deep and was eight arpents and three links of chain from the seigneurial border of the Jesuit property.  The original document translated to English states:

"...in the wooded section of tall timber and nearby the little river Champlain, keeping to the north-west at the foot of the ridge which continues along the river to the fort at Trois-Rivières." 

This land was later sold to Jean de Labrode, a soldier from the fort at Trois-Rivières for an oxen estimated at 40 livres.  In about 1648 a third concession was granted to him at Trois-Rivières, northwest of town, measuring one arpent wide by 17 deep.⁴

Jacques dit "Le Loyal" Aubuchon married Mathurine Poisson on October 8, 1647, in Montréal, Quebec, Canada.  Mathurine Poisson was the daughter of Jean Poisson and Barbe Broust, and sister of Jean Jr., the ancestor of the greater part of the Poisson family in America⁵.  Jean and Mathruine settled in Trois-Rivières and together had eight children.  Some sources have indicated they had as many as ten children. 

While still living in Trois-Rivières, Jacques signed a contract with the engineer Jean Bourdon on June 17, 1649, to lengthen the warehouse belonging to the "Company of One Hundred Associates".  On June 19, 1650, he acquired a lot, 20 by 20 toises (one toise equals 6.4 feet) where he built a house.  The house was torn down in 1668 and today the La Vérendrye monument, which overlooks the Turcotte terrace, rests on the spot.⁶

While living in La Rochelle in 1651 and 1652 Jacques' and Mathurine's daughter Anne was born, their first daughter.  They must have migrated back to Trois-Rivières, for Jacques was a witness at the marriage of Jean Leduc on July 7, 1652.  Then, on August 26, 1654, Jacques was fined 100 livres for going outside the town palisades which was forbidden due to the problems with the Iroquois in the area.⁷

 Jacques held many properties throughout his life.  Records indicate several land grants and purchases, some of which were never developed or not developed himself.  In at least one instance, Jacques indicated that he purposely did not develop the land due to the "Iroquois menace".⁸  In other cases he shared his land with other farmers in the community like, Jean Hébert, Pierre Poupardeau, Michel Siré dit "Laverdure", Michel Margotine dit "Larose", Pierre Lat and François Crespeau.⁹  Jacques had an inventory of his assets taken on July 5, 1668, in the presence of his son-in-law François Chorel de le St. Romain.  The inventory consisted of a 30 foot house, externally surrounded by cedar posts, a shop, a barn, two oxen, a land grant named "La Spinière" at Trois-Rivières, a townhouse, a concession on the hillside, another on the Ile Saint-Christophe, not counting that on the Cap, which comprised 80 arpents of standing timber along with 20 to 30 arpents of cleared land.¹⁰

Jacques married Marguerite Itasse on November 11, 1667.  This would indicate that Mathurine died before 1666.  They had an additional five children (four according to "Dictionaire généalogique des familles du Québec"), three boys and two girls.  Marguerite was the daughter of Jean Itasse and Marie Capon of St. Soméon, Normandy, France. 

One of the more humorous stories occurred on December 15, 1668, at the home of Sieur Anceau, when Jacques cracked an egg over the head of Sieur during an arguement.  This resulted in a trial, brought before the tribunal with Jean Marneau and Nicolas Gaillou as witnesses.  The judge was Elie Bourbeau and notary Jacques de la Touche was the recorder.  The results of the quite trivial trial aren't known.¹¹

Marie Aubuchon b. 20 December 1629 in Ste. Rémi de Dieppe, Normandy, France

As mentioned previously, there is little known about Marie Aubuchon.  She was born December 20, 1629, in France and died in Quebec, Canada.  The date of her death is not known.

Jean dit "L'Esperance" Aubuchon b. About 1634 in Ste. Rémi de Dieppe, Normandy, France

According to the currently recognized birth date of 1634 and emigration date of 1643, Jean dit "L'Esperance" Aubuchon would have been the age of 8 or 9 when he arrived in Canada.  Jean, a merchant in Canada, received a land grant below the Faverel River near Cap-de-la-Madeliene on June 1, 1649, from Father Buteaux, but rather chose to settle in Montreal.  On July 6, 1651, he sign a contract with Jacques Picot to settle on the island where on January 23/24, 1654, he became a grantee.  Based on a marriage contract signed with Louis Sédilot on April 4, 1643, Jean married Marguerite Sédilot on September 19, 1654, at Trois-Rivières.  Since Marguerite was only eleven years old at that time, the marriage was rehabilitated in Montreal on April 12, 1655.¹²

For several years Jean led a rather scandalous life.  On June 17, 1660, he was found guilty of an adulterous relationship with Marguerite Boissel, the wife of Étienne Blanchard, surgeon of Montreal and was fined 600 pounds payable to the husband.  Jean was attracted to the fur trade in the area and grew to be a successful merchant.  Unfortunately, he was also attracted to the rich profits associated with the sale of liquor to the Native Americans in the area.  This was considered illegal and Jean was caught and convicted more than once of this offense.  Based on these convictions, along with the adultry scandal, Jean was banished from Montreal.  He proceeded to Trois-Rivières and two years later his sentence was revoked.¹³

After this time, Jean led an exemplary life.  He made his atonement by giving 300 lbs. to the Notre Dame Church for masses to be said six times per year forever.  The masses are still being said today.  In 1672 he was the church warden.  Jean and his wife Marguerite Sedilot had 13 known children.  Away from his Longue-Pointe home, on business in Montreal, Jean was found murdered in the bed of the townhouse where he was staying, December 3, 1685 (other recognized dates include November 30, 1685, and November 30, 1689).  His wife, Marguerite Sedilot, accused her alleged lover, Jacques Paillerault, of the murder.  After nearly a three year long procedure and having no witness, the judgement required Jacques to pay the expenses of the suit and sentenced him to time served to date, which had already been more than two years.¹⁴

Three of Jean's and Marguerite's children married into the family of Jean Cusson and Marie Foubert.  Jean Baptiste married Marguerite Cusson, the eighth of 16 children, in 1687.  Joseph dit "L'Esperance" married Elisabeth Cusson, the fifth born, in 1688.  Finally, Marguerite married their second born, Jean Cusson, in 1689.  Two others married into the family of Philippe Étienne.  Jacques married Marie-Ursule, daughter of Philippe and Marie Vien in 1687, while Marie married René, son of Philippe and Marie Gravois in 1698.¹⁵