M. (1) 19 Sep 1647 in Quebec City, New France2
Husband: Charles Guillebourg
M. (2) 8 May 1658 in Quebec City, New France3
Husband: Denis Briere
D. 8 Aug 1706 in St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, New France4
During the early years of New France, the province of Perche, France provided many settlers. It was the home of Nöel Juchereau, a man who recruited other Percherons to join the colony along the St. Lawrence River, and Françoise Bigot was one of them.
Françoise was born in La Ventrouze, a village north of Tourouvre, in about May of 1631.1 Her parents, Jean Bigot and Thomine Chastel, had been married less than a year. Her father made a living as a tailor; unfortunately, he died when she was still a baby.1 Her mother was pregnant at the time and gave birth to Françoise’s brother after marrying another man.1 At that wedding, Juchereau was a witness, suggesting he had some connection to Françoise’s mother.1
Ste-Madeleine-de-La-Ventrouze, where Françoise was baptized. (Source: Unozoe / CC BY-SA)
Françoise was about 16-years-old when she, her brother and her now-widowed mother boarded a ship bound for Canada in 1647.1 That was the peak year of Percheron migration with 37 people in total coming over.5 Later that year on September 19th, Françoise married a man who was also from Perche, Charles Guillebourg.2 There was a large age difference between bride and groom, with Charles being almost 40. The wedding took place at Notre-Dame-de-Quebec, and like with Françoise's mother's second wedding, Juchereau was in attendance. In fact, he was the boss of Charles, who likely worked for him as an indentured servant. When Juchereau died suddenly the following year, Charles received over 583 livres from the estate in back pay, a substantial amount of money.6
The newlyweds settled outside of Quebec City in Sillery, and Françoise gave birth to a daughter in March 1651.7 Two more children were born, and then Charles passed away in February 1658.8 Françoise quickly found a new husband in Denis Briere, an immigrant from Rouen; they got married on May 8th in Quebec City.3 Between 1659 and 1674, they had at least eight children (some sources list two infants named Sebastien born in 1664). Of Françoise’s eleven children, only five lived to adulthood.
Françoise lived her entire married life on the north coast of the St. Lawrence, just upriver from Quebec City. She was listed in 1667 with her husband and children living at Cap-Rouge;9 also in the household was her elderly mother. Later, in 1681, the family had moved to St-Augustin-de-Desmaures.10
Françoise died at St-Augustin-de-Desmaures on August 8, 1706.4 Her husband Denis survived her by a few years and passed away in 1711.11
Children by Charles Guillebourg:
1. Marie-Genevieve Guillebourg — B. 4 Mar 1651, Sillery, New France;7 D. 21 Jan 1709, Ste-Foy, New France;12 M.(1) Sebastien Gingras (1636-?), 17 Nov 1665, Sillery, New France;13 (2) Pierre Robin (1653-1698), 28 Oct 1687, Sillery, New France14
2. Charles Guillebourg — B. 9 Mar 1654, Sillery, New France;15 D. about 11 Aug 1690, Quebec City, New France16
3. Marguerite Guillebourg — B. 11 Jun 1656, Sillery, New France;17 D. 15 Dec 1729, Sillery, New France;18 M. (1) Antoine Pouliot (~1650-?), 24 Jun 1670, New France;19 (2) Jacques Rousseau (1645-1711), 28 Jul 1677, New France20
Children by Denis Briere:
1. Denis Briere — B. about 1659, New France;9 D. 20 Jun 1718, Quebec City, New France;21 M. Marie-Elisabeth Lemarie (1671-1751), 23 Nov 1688, Neuville, New France22
2. Françoise Briere — B. about 1661, Quebec City, New France;9 D. 8 Aug 1738, St-Nicolas, Lévis, New France;23 M. Michel LeMarie (~1654-1727), 27 Feb 1680, Neuville, New France24
3. Sebastien Briere — B. 28 Jan 1664, Sillery, New France;25 D. 23 Dec 1664, Sillery, New France26
4. Etienne Briere — B. 19 Apr 1666, Sillery, New France;27 D. 19 Apr 1666, Sillery, New France28
5. Charles Briere — B. 2 Apr 1667, Sillery, New France;29 D. before 25 Apr 167130
6. Jean-Baptiste Briere — B. 21 May 1668, Sillery, New France;31 D. 17 Oct 1745, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, New France;32 M. Françoise Brassard (1679-1728), 23 Nov 1712, Quebec City, New France33
7. Charles Briere — B. 25 Apr 1671, Sillery, New France;30 D. 19 Feb 1703, Ste-Foy, New France34
8. Joseph Briere — B. 10 Mar 1674, Sillery, New France;35 D. (probably) young10
Sources:
1 Perche-Quebec.com biographies of Bigot family
2 Marriage record of Charles Guillebourg and Françoise Bigot, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage record of Denis Briere and Françoise Bigot, Q.C.P.R.
4 Burial record of Françoise Bigot, Q.C.P.R.
5 Perche-Quebec.com emigrants to New France
6 The Filles à Marier, 1634-1662: Before the King’s Daughters, Peter J. Gagné, 2002
7 Baptismal record of Marie-Genevieve Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
8 Burial record of Charles Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
9 Recensement de 1667 en Nouvelle-France
10 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
11 Burial record of Denis Briere, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Marie-Genevieve Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Sebastien Gingras and Marie-Genevieve Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
14 Marriage record of Pierre Robin and Marie-Genevieve Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
15 Baptismal record of Charles Guillebourg (younger), Q.C.P.R.
16 Burial record of Charles Guillebourg (younger), Q.C.P.R.
17 Baptismal record of Marguerite Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
18 Burial record of Marguerite Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
19 Marriage record of Antoine Pouliot and Marguerite Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
20 Marriage record of Jacques Rousseau and Marguerite Guillebourg, Q.C.P.R.
21 Burial record of Denis Briere (younger), Q.C.P.R.
22 Marriage record of Denis Briere and Marie-Elisabeth Lemarie, Q.C.P.R.
23 Burial record of Françoise Briere, Q.C.P.R.
24 Marriage record of Michel Lemarie and Françoise Briere, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal record of Sebastien Briere, Q.C.P.R.
26 Burial record of Sebastien Briere, Q.C.P.R.
27 Baptismal record of Etienne Briere, Q.C.P.R.
28 Burial record of Etienne Briere, Q.C.P.R.
29 Baptismal record of Charles Briere (older), Q.C.P.R.
30 Baptismal record of Charles Briere (younger), Q.C.P.R.
31 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Briere, Q.C.P.R.
32 Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Briere, Q.C.P.R.
33 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Briere and Françoise Brassard, Q.C.P.R.
34 Burial record of Charles Briere (younger), Q.C.P.R.
35 Baptismal record of Joseph Briere, Q.C.P.R.
