M. 18 Jul 1724 in Montreal, New France
Wife: Marie-Louise Bourg dit Lachapelle
D. 16 May 1777 in Montreal, New France
During the years following the initial phase of the French colony in Canada, migration from France slowed to a trickle. No one was actively recruiting new people to settle there, so most of the fresh inhabitants were from a single source: the French military. And this was the case with Charles Pimparé dit Tourganeau, who came to America in the early 18th century.
Charles was born in Tours, France on April 6, 1696 to Pierre Pimparé and Anne Chaquenau. He was likely their first child, although Pierre had been married before and may have had other children. The Pimparé family lived in the St-Symphorien district, now a part of the larger city of Tours. It’s easy to imagine that Charles had an apprenticeship to learn the trade of weaving, which he took up later in life. When Charles came of age, he became a soldier, and found himself being shipped to Canada. This would change the course of his life.
The first known record of Charles was in Montreal on July 18, 1724, when he married Marie-Louise Bourg, a native of Charlesbourg, New France. It would appear that Marie-Louise was pregnant when they married because their first child was born a couple of months later. They went on to have a total of 15 children, six of whom died young.
At the time of his marriage, Charles was serving in the company of Constant le Marchand de Lignery. Lignery was involved in several campaigns of the Fox Wars as an effort to keep French control of fur trading in the Great Lakes area. It isn’t known how much Charles was present on these campaigns, but it’s almost certain that he saw some of the action. Lignery’s expeditions against the Meskwaki tribe (also called the Foxes) took place in the years 1716, 1722 and 1728. The fighting involved attacks on fortified native villages in present-day Wisconsin.
At some point, Charles left the service and settled in Laval on Île Jésus, just north of Montreal. Along with farming, he also became a weaver during this time. Charles seems to have kept a low profile, only appearing in records as a witness in a couple of court cases. In October 1729, he testified at the trial of a man accused of killing three pigs belonging to another man. And in September 1745, he again testified in a trial of a man accused of “having made and distributed false navy orders.”
October 1729 testimony showing Charles' signature.
Charles lived a long life in his adopted home, and he passed away in Montreal on May 16, 1777 at the age of 81. His wife Marie-Louise died two years later on October 6, 1779. There is a street today in Laval, Quebec called Rue Charles Pimpare. This may have been the area where he lived.
Children:
1. Marie-Louise Pimparé — B. 15 Sep 1724, New France; D. before 1735 (probably) Île Jesus, New France
2. Marie-Thérèse Pimparé — B. 17 Nov 1725 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Louis Plichon (1719-?), 6 Nov 1747, Montreal, New France
3. Charles Pimparé — B. 1727 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 16 Aug 1728 (probably) Île Jesus, New France
4. Charles Pimparé — B. 17 Oct 1728 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 22 Apr 1730 (probably) Île Jesus, New France
5. Jean-Baptiste Pimparé — B. 3 Feb 1731 (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Jeanne Langevin dit Lacroix (1734-?), 7 Jan 1755, Montreal, New France
6. Joseph-Amable Pimparé — B. 25 Oct 1732, Île Jesus, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Langevin dit Lacroix (1735-?), 25 Nov 1754, Montreal, New France
7. Augustin Pimparé — B. 5 Jul 1734, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Marie-Charlotte Goulet
8. Marie-Louise Pimparé — B. 15 Jul 1735, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Denis-Joseph Mailly dit Couture (~1729-?), 4 Nov 1755, Montreal, New France
9. Louis Pimparé — B. 18 Aug 1737, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. (1) Marie-Thomas Boulard, 27 Aug 1764; (2) Marie-Louise Lavergne, 15 Oct 1781
10. Marie-Françoise Pimparé — B. 24 May 1739, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Basile Marois (1698-?), 4 Oct 1756, Fort Detroit, New France
11. Baby Pimparé — B. 4 Oct 1740, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 4 Oct 1740, (probably) Île Jesus, New France
12. Marie-Anne Pimparé — B. 1741, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; M. Pierre Jocom, 21 Feb 1757
13. Charles Pimparé —B. 8 May 1744, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 25 May 1744, (probably) Île Jesus, New France
14. Marie-Françoise Pimparé — B. 13 Apr 1746, (probably) Île Jesus, New France; D. 29 Apr 1746, (probably) Île Jesus, New France
15. Charlotte Pimparé — B. 17 Nov 1747, (probably) Île Jesus, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Constant le Marchand de Lignery (Wikipedia article)
