M. June 1630 in France
Wife: Catherine Vigneau
D. after 1679 in (probably) Port-Royal, Acadia
During the early 17th century, France established two colonies in what is now Canada. The first was tucked into a strategically safe place on the St. Lawrence River. The other was more easily accessible to settlers and enemies alike. This was Acadia, and Pierre Martin was among a handful of families brave enough to break ground there. Pierre was born in about 1601 to René Martin and Étiennette Porier in St-German de Bourgeuil, France, located in the Loire valley. In June of 1630, Pierre married Catherine Vigneau, and they soon had three sons, two of whom died young. Then in 1636, Pierre was recruited for a new life in America.
Unlike others who were colonizing Quebec, Pierre was tapped for Acadia, and he was among the very first group to migrate as families. Acadia was located in what is now Nova Scotia, first settled by the French 30 years earlier. Up until then, only men had occupied its outposts, but French authorities now saw the need to grow Acadia's population, and sought families willing to live there. On April 1st, Pierre boarded the ship St. Jehan with his wife and son, and they landed at Port-Royal on May 6th.
Pierre's name on passenger list of the St. Jehan.
A short time later, Pierre's wife Catherine gave birth to a son Mathieu, and the child was credited as the first European born in the colony. Between 1639 and 1642, three more children were added to the family, all daughters. Like many of his fellow colonists, Pierre was a farmer. It was said that he brought apple trees with him from France. This would become a significant part of the agriculture of Port-Royal, and by 1698, there would be 1,200 apple trees in the settlement.
Life in Port-Royal was sometimes challenging. Although the settlers got on well with the Mi’kmaq Indians, the English wanted to gain control of Acadia, and in 1654, they took the fort at Port-Royal. This caused Pierre and others to relocate their farms in salt marshes outside of town. He built his home near the swampy area, and put in a system of dikes to reclaim land he could cultivate. In 1671, Pierre's farm was described as having 2 arpents of land with 7 cattle and 8 sheep. That year, the English ceded control of the region back to the French.
An Acadian farm.
It isn't known exactly when Pierre died; the last record of him was a 1679 land grant awarded for property he was already living on. His two surviving sons and three daughters all married, with only Mathieu having no children. In 1684, Matheiu was granted a title as the seigneury of Cobequid. This was in honor of being the first child born in the colony.
Children:
1. Étienne Martin – B. Jun 1631, St-Germain de Bourgeuil, France; D. before Apr 1636
2. Pierre Martin – B. Oct 1632, St-Germain de Bourgeuil, France; D. after 1693; M. (1) Anne Ouestnorouest (~1644-bef 1686); (2) Jeanne Rouselier (~1637-?)
3. Urbain Martin – B. Mar 1634, St-Germain de Bourgeuil, France; D. before Apr 1636
4. Mathieu Martin – B. 1636, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 1733, Cobequid, Acadia
5. Marguerite Martin – B. 1639, Port-Royal, Acadia; D. 24 Apr 1707, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. Jean Bourg (1647-1695), 1667, Port-Royal, Acadia
6. Andree Martin – B. 1641, Port-Royal, Acadia; M. (1) François Pelerin (~1636-~1680); (2) Pierre Mercier (~1646-?), about 1680
7. Marie-Madeleine Martin – B. about 1642, Acadia; D. 16 Sep 1714, Montmagny, New France; M. Pierre Morin dit Boucher (~1634-~1690), about 1661, Port-Royal, Acadia
Sources:
"The Passenger List of the Ship Saint-Jehan and the Acadian Origins," French Canadian and A Great and Nobel Scheme, John Mack Faragher, 2006
Acadian Genealogical Review, 1600-1700, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1968
From Migrant to Acadian: a North American border people, 1604-1755, Naomi Elizabeth Saundaus Griffiths, 2005
Old Families of Louisiana, Stanley C. Arthur and others, 2009
History of the Acadians (Wikipedia article)
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