M. 11 Jun 1638 in Igé, Perche, France
Wife: Marie-Madeleine Michel
D. (probably) June 1661 in Iroquois country south of Quebec
During the early years of the New France colony, settlers were often victims of Iroquois raids resulting in their deaths. This is almost certainly what happened to farmer Louis Gasnier.
Louis was born in Igé, France, a village in Perche, on or about September 13, 1612. His parents were Louis Gasnier and Marie-Marguerite Launay, and he had at least three brothers. We know that Louis was literate because he signed many documents as an adult, and he did so with a flourish in his signature.
Louis' signature from various documents.
When Louis was in his 20s, he worked at a mill with his father. On June 11, 1638, he married Marie-Madeleine Michel at St-Martin-du-vieux-Belleme in Igé. They had a son born the following year, who died young, and a daughter born in 1642. Around this time, families were being actively recruited to help populate France’s colony in Canada, and one man leading the effort, Robert Giffard, was from the Perche region. Because of this people like Louis were persuaded to pick up and move probably motivated by the promise of a better life.
The first place where Louis settled in New France was Cap-Tourmente, located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River near the eastern end of Île-d’Orleans. Cap-Tourmente was originally set up as a farm by Samuel de Champlain in 1626 to use as a source of food for the fledgling Quebec colony. The farm was attacked and destroyed by the English in 1628; after France regained control of their colonies, the farm was rebuilt, and in 1646, Louis signed a lease to live there for six years.
Before that time was up, on October 6, 1650, he was also granted land of his own in the settlement of Beaupré. His property included 5 arpents of river frontage (about 367 feet) and had a length of four and a half miles. In about 1653, Louis built a house and moved in. His family now included five more children and two more were added by 1659.
Just two years later, Louis’s life seems to have come to an abrupt end. It’s believed he was among of a group of 8 people who were captured in a raid by a band of Iroquois on the morning of June 18, 1661. During the 17th century, the Iroquois were a constant threat to French settlers up and down the St. Lawrence River. The people captured that day were forcibly taken to the tribe’s village near Lake Champlain in what is now New York. There the victims were tortured, then killed; one of them was known to have been beaten with “clubs and iron rods” before being scalped by the Iroquois.
On July 14th, Louis’ estate was inventoried, and because an inventory for a known victim of the Iroquois massacre was done the same day, it’s a clue that Louis suffered the same fate. Louis’ possessions at the time of his death included livestock, farm equipment and a small boat. His wife Marie-Madeleine remarried in 1666. She passed away in 1687.
Louis’ children spelled the family name as Gagné. Other variations were Gagnier and Gagner. Louis was the ancestor of Celine Dion, Dan Aykroyd, Adrienne Barbeau and Emeril Lagasse. The house Louis built in 1653 still stands today in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, although it's been quite modernized.
Children:
1. Louis Gasnier — B. Sep 1639, Saint-Côsme-de-Vair, Perche, France; D. young
2. Louise Gagne — B. Jan 1642, Igé, Perche, France; D. Apr 1721, Saint-François-Xavier-de-la-Petite-Riviére, New France; M. Claude Bouchard (~1626-1699), 25 May 1654, Quebec City, New France
3. Marie Gasnier — B. 5 Sep 1644, Quebec City, New France; D. 18 Nov 1717, Beaupré, New France M. (1) Andre Berthelot (1640-1687), 26 Jan 1659, Quebec City, New France; (2) Jacques Abelin (~1644-1704), 30 Jul 1690, Beaupré, New France
4. Pierre Gagné — B. 27 Mar 1647, New France; D. 25 May 1714, Cap-Saint-Ignace, New France; M. Louise Faure (~1636-1714), 28 Oct 1668, New France
5. Olivier Gagné — B. 7 May 1649, Cap-Tourmente, New France; D. before Jul 1738, (probably) Île-d’Orleans, New France; M. Elizabeth Pépin (1662-1738), 8 Nov 1679, Île-d’Orleans, New France
6. Louis Gagné — B. 7 Jul 1651, New France; M. Marie Gagnon (1659-1722), 9 Feb 1678, Château-Richer, New France
7. Anne Gagné — B. 27 Oct 1653, New France; M. François Normand Lacroix (1641-1710), 11 Sep 1670, Beaupré, New France
8. Ignace Gagné — B. 12 Mar 1656, New France; D. 20 Jul 1702, Quebec City, New France; M. Louise Tremblay, 6 Nov 1689, LAnge-Gardien, New France
9. Joachim Gagné — B. 1659; D. 7 Feb 1688, New France; M. Therese-Louise Marcoux (1667-1735), 12 Jan 1682, Beauport, New France
Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
Gagnier (Gagne) History Web Site, by Rev. John F. Gagnier
FamousKin.com
