A Collection of Generations
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
By Anne Layton-Cartier and Sophie St-Arneault
Photos found in family archives
From east to west, and from north to south, everyone has their stories. Without knowing it, they have a collection of ancestors that had a part in shaping a country’s history. The following article is a collection of bits and pieces of two families that helped shape Canada in their own way, bringing Europe to Canada, and introducing east to west. These stories are unique, but our country is full of similar ones waiting to be uncovered.
Note: To differentiate between the authors’ families, brown text will refer to Sophie’s family, and grey text will represent Anne’s ancestors.
1601–Louis Hébert
An apothecary at Catherine de Médici’s court, Louis Hébert first leaves Paris in 1601 to explore the first Acadian settlement with Samuel de Champlain. Wanting to settle in the New World, he establishes himself in Port Royal not long after his arrival and, as an apothecary, starts treating both Indians and Whites for illness. However, he is forced to return to France in 1613 when he is made prisoner by the English.
Hébert returns to Québec in 1617 with Champlain where he settles with his family, and works as an apothecary, becomes the first farmer and settler of the country. During fall of the same year, his daughter Anne Hébert and Étienne Jonquet tie the knot in what is the first wedding on Canadian soil.
Louis Hébert’s spouse, Marie Rollet-Hébert, also plays an important part in the first years of the colony. She helps her husband to take care of his patients, but also takes Indian girls and boys under her wing. After Louis’ death in 1627, she marries Guillaume Hubou and lives through the English occupation at his side in Québec. After Marie’s death in 1649, the house where she lived is donated to the Jesuits and transformed into a residence for Indian women.
1492
Christopher Columbus lands in America.
1534
Jacques Cartier takes possession of Canada in France’s name.
1603
Samuel de Champlain establishes the first permanent settlement, Port Royal.
1608
Foundation of Québec City by Champlain.
1634
Foundation of Trois-Rivières.
1642
Foundation of Ville-Marie (Montréal).
Interesting fact of the early 1600s
During this era, hyphenated last names meant more than just an added last name for marriage purposes. While it was common in these years for a woman to take her husband’s last name, if at birth all first names were already used in conjunction with the family name, a second last name would be added. In these years,ten Cartiers were established in New France, hence the common hyphen with this family name.
1650–Guillaume Fournier
Guillaume Fournier leaves Columner, Normandie, France, to establish in Québec City. At the time, Québec City has about 500 or 600 inhabitants. The following year, he marries Francoise Hébert, the grand-daughter of Louis-Hébert. Good Catholics, the couple has fifteen children, who will later give birth to a small population. During his life, Guillaume founds the Saint-Thomas de Montmagny community.
1669–Perrine Moreau
François Baribeau and Perrine Moreau leave for New France where François becomes a clog maker. In 1671, Perrine Moreau is charged with sorcery by Nicole Rolland. During those years, such accusations are serious, but she is later acquitted by the clergy.
1682–François Bourassa
François Bourassa arrives in New France and would marry Marie Leber, who is the cousin of Canadian Saint Jeanne Leber. Jeanne Leber is born in Montréal in 1662, and is the God child of the founders of Montréal, de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance.
Throughout its history, Canada has had 5 flags. The first flag, created in the 1600s, was used by the French settlers such as Cartier and Champlain. It consisted of three gold fleurs de lys on a white background. Until February 15, 1965, date at which the Maple Leaf flag would be established, several editions of the flag were be designed to reflect the country’s political situation.
1684–Guillaume Cartier
Guillaume Cartier arrives in New France on the ship “L’Entreprenant”. He is hired by the Seigneur Nicolas Dupont as grain miller on his land. Cartier marries Marie-Étiennette Garnier a year later, and together, they have seven children. Guillaume Cartier is the Cartier ancestor with the greatest descendants.
1697–Paul Bertrand dit St-Arnoux
Paul Bertrand dit St-Arnoux (first St‑Arneault ancestor) marries Gabrielle Baribeau in Batiscan, Québec. Paul Bertrand is born in 1661 at Ste‑Madeleine, Verneuil/Avre, Normandie (France). Soldier, he meets Gabrielle during a billet in Batiscan.
On August 19 2006, the descendant association of Paul Bertrand and Gabrielle Baribeau held an anniversary mass for their ancestors’ 310th wedding anniversary.
1702–Mathieu Rouillard
Mathieu Rouillard, ancestor of the Pronovosts of Québec, dies in the area of the Mississippi river. He was most likely part of the Bienville and Iberville expedition during the foundation of Fort Mississippi.
1726–Jean-Baptiste St-Arneaud
Jean-Baptiste St-Arneaud, son of Gabrielle Baribeau and of Paul Bertrand dit St-Arnoux, leaves for the first time to explore the Upper-Canada. He departs from Montreal, in a canoe with his brother-in-law Louis Bellec, towards Michipicten and Nipigon, which are located north of Superior Lake.
Jean-Baptiste was also known under the following names: Jean-Baptiste Bellec of Batiscan, Jean-Baptist Bellec from Batiscan, Jean-Baptist Bertrand dit Bellec from Batiscan, Baptist St-Arnaud from Batiscan et Jean-Baptiste St-Arnoue dit Bellique inhabiting Batiscan. Such aliases are frequent at the time and Jean- Baptiste used a different one for each of his expeditions to Upper-Canada.
At the beginning of the colony, fur exchange is at the basis of the economy and allowed men who were part of such expeditions to gather a little money to be able to purchase a land where to later settle.
Right: Elizabeth Nel, daughter of Gordon Layton, as a child in England.
1759
General Wolfe’s troops take Québec City.
1763
Treaty of Paris: Canada becomes English.
1783
The Versailles Treaty stipulates that England recognizes the American colonies’ independence but it also indicates that England has to hand over to the Americans land that the Province of Québec used for fur-trading. Because Québec no longer possesses this land, new sources of provisions will have to be discovered in the West, where the actual province of Manitoba is.
1790
English Loyalists who stayed true to the British Crown, consist of fifteen per cent of the total population of the Province of Québec.
1791
The Constitutional Act divides the country into Upper and Lower Canada. The first would eventually become Ontario and the second corresponds approximately to today’s province of Québec. The first elections in Lower-Canada take place in 1792. At this point, the primary language to be used in Canada is questioned. It is decided that English would predominantly be used for legislative purposes.
1813–François Bourassa
François Bourassa (son) is born in Sainte-Marguerite-de-Blairfindie. Throughout his life, he would be a political figure in Québec by serving forty-two years as a minister of legislative assembly of Lower Canada without speaking a word of English.
1821–Napoléon Bourassa
Napoléon Bourassa, brother of François Bourassa, is born. In his life, he would be a famous sculptor, architect, and painter of religious art. As part of his work, he would paint L’Apothéose de Christophe Colomb, and also write the classic Jacques et Marie.
1837–Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau is the head of the Patriots’ rebellion against the Crown. This was triggered by the fact that French-Canadians were not given much say in their own government.
1855–Azélie Papineau
Napoléon Bourassa marries Azélie Papineau, daughter of Louis-Joseph Papineau. From this union, the fifth and last child is Henri Bourassa.
1896–Amédée Dupuis
Amédée Dupuis marries Léda Bordeleau. During his life, Amédée becomes mayor of the town of St-Tite as well as the first president of the Caisses Populaires of the same village. The Caisses Populaires played an important role in the economic development of Québec.
Due to religious beliefs, the size of families in Québec tend to be very large, but over time, this has noticeably decreased.
1839
In an effort to resolve conflict, Lord Durham proposes to unite Upper and Lower Canadas. This will happen during the next year, when the two become the Province of Canada.
1847
First telegraphic line between Québec, Toronto, Buffalo, and Montréal is built.
1867
John A. MacDonald becomes the first prime minister of the Dominion of Canada ( Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Province of Canada). MacDonald would add Manitoba (1870), Prince Edward Island (1873), and British Columbia (1871) becoming a confederation and obtain land that would later become Alberta and Saskatchewan.
1870
The Northwest Territories are part of the Dominion of Canada.
1898
The Yukon territory becomes part of the Dominion of Canada.
Left: Arcade St‑Arneault, and his parents, grand parents, and siblings
1908–Henri Bourassa
Henri Bourassa is elected to Québec’s Legislative Assembly. He becomes a very influential politician who inspires a nationalist movement in the province. He also founds the French-language newspaper Le Devoir.
1914–Télesphore St-Arnaud
On April 27th, Télesphore St-Arnaud’s family is on the first train departing from Hervey-Jonction to Amos. It is the first St‑Arnaud family to establish in Abitibi, Québec, an important region for the family. That year, Amos is a town of only 504 people, and the region of Abitibi is as small as 953 inhabitants.
1921–Doris Delapena
Maurice Fogt and Doris Delapena are married in England. However, during World War II, when the Germans bombed the country, Doris divorced Maurice and moved to Montréal with her daughters. Maurice stayed in England and worked in the French underground, organizing activities and broadcasting to the people of France.
1921–Gordon Layton
Gordon Layton and Ann Knowles move to the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia from England in 1921. Gordon had been diagnosed with tuberculosis, and needed a dry climate. Years later, their son, Michael, meets his second wife, Mia Fogt at The Steel Company of Canada, in Montreal, where Mia was a secretary.
1926–Benoit Dupuis
Benoit Dupuis marries Bibianne Mongrain. During his life, he plays a crucial role for St-Tite’s struggling cultivators by establishing the first community insurance in town.
1933–Elizabeth Layton
Elizabeth Layton, daughter of Gordon Layton and of Ann Knowles, graduates high school in British Columbia. In 1937, she would go back to England to attend a secretarial school. Before World War II, the British Prime Minister office was looking for a good secretary and Elizabeth’s school recommended her. Being Winston Churchill’s secretary would be Elizabeth’s first job.
1950–J. Aderville Bureau
Domestic prelate Monsignor J. Aderville Bureau, is a victim of the Obiou tragedy, during a pilgrimage to Rome to witness Marguerite Bourgeoys’ beatification ceremony.
1952–Georges Cartier
Georges Cartier, son of Rosaire Doria Cartier and Marguerite Mathieu, marries Céline Robitaille in St‑Marc‑de‑Rosemont, Que. In 1964, Georges Cartier and his family return to Québec from Paris. During the next three years, he works to transform the library of Saint‑Sulpice into the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec. It would officially open in 1967.
Left: Gaston Pronovost and his wife, Marguerite Dupuis
1954–Émilien Pronovost
Émilien Pronovost, son of Émilie Bordeleau and Ovila Pronovost, purchases La Sarre Air Service Ltée. In 1981, he buys Air Fecteau with his brother the two companies are joined to form Propair, the leading charter carriers in Québec.
1978–Marcel Pronovost
Marcel Pronovost, cousin of Gaston Pronovost, is introduced to the Hockey Hall of Fame after a brillant career in the NHL. During his life, he won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings and one other with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
We can also mention that Jean and Claude Pronovost, Marcel’s brothers also played in the NHL. Although Jean did not have a flamboyant career like his brother, he did play in the All-Star team along with him. As for Claude, he played in three games in the National Hockey League.
1985–Caleb Bordeleau
Arlette Cousture publishes the popular novel Les filles de Caleb which, in 1990, is translated to television. The story is about the family of Émilie Bordeleau, daughter of Caleb Bordeleau, and of Ovila Pronovost, a true story from the end of the 1800s. Pronovosts are now established all across Québec’s territory, but predominantly in the regions of Mauricie and Abitibi, where this large family settled.
Sources
The following helped us document this article as a complement to family archives:
Vézina, Raymond. n.d. In Bourassa, Napoléon, L’encyclopédie Canadienne, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=F1ARTF0000913 (accessed October 19, 2008).
Le Centre de généalogie francophone d’Amérique. http://www.genealogie.org/. (accessed October 1, 2008).
Cartier, Lucien. n.d. Association des Cartier d’Amérique. http://famillescartier.org/. (accessed October 1, 2008).
Library and Archives Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation. (accessed October 12, 2008).
Lessard, Michel. 1998. In Wikipedia, Wikipedia: La Mémoire du Québec en ligne. http://www.memoireduquebec.com/wiki/index.php?title=Québec_(municipalité_de_ville)._Histoire. (accessed September 15, 2008).
Des St-Arnaud pionniers en Abitibi. 2008. Des St-Arnaud pionniers en Abitibi: Plantation d’un arbre en hommage aux pionniers. La Missive, Winter 2008.
St-Arneault, Yolande. 2007. Gabrielle Baribeau: Notre ancêtre, 1672-1725. La Missive, Fall 2007.
St-Arneault, Yolande, Serge St-Arneault. 2007. Le dimanche 19 août à Batiscan. La Missive, Spring 2007.
Hockey Hall of Fame.com. http://www.hhof.com/. (accessed October 1, 2008).
Ville de Shawinigan. 1999. Grands Shawiniganais. 1999 - Marcel Pronovost: Défenseur, Red Wings de Détroit. http://www.shawinigan.ca/Services.aspx?section=shawiniganais&id=498. (accessed October 5, 2008).
Propair inc. n.d. Propair.ca. Historique: 50 ans d’expérience. http://www.propair.ca/francais/main_historique.html. (accessed September 20, 2008).
Ville de Québec. http://www4.ville.quebec.qc.ca/toponymie_repertoire/rues/obiou.shtml. (accessed September 25, 2008).
Donaldson, Gérard. 2005. Généalogie-Journal Gaspésia. Louis Hébert (1575 - 1627). http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/1107/louis_hebert.html. (accessed September 15, 2008).
Rootsweb. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/. (accessed September 15, 2008).
Canada4Life.Ca. http://www.canada4life.ca/flags.php. (accessed October 24, 2008).
Bottom: Georges Cartier, founder of the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec
