M. 17 Nov 1653 in Quebec City, New France2
Wife: Agnes Morin
D. 22 Jun 1669 in Sillery, New France3
When Nöel Morin and Hélène Desportes sought a man to marry their oldest daughter, they came to an agreement with Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonnière. And when the wedding took place, the bride hadn't yet celebrated her 13th birthday.
Nicolas was born in about 1620 to Jacques Gaudry and Charlotte Chevalier, residents of Feings, France.1 His parents had been recently married and he seems to have been their only child for many years. Nicolas’ father was a merchant and tanner, but it was his mother Charlotte who brought property into their marriage, and her name appeared along with her husband on some transactions.4 Nicolas was given at least a basic education, and it was said that he had “a splendid signature” when he witnessed a contract at age 16. On September 16, 1637, Nicolas’ father died;5 his mother was pregnant at the time and gave birth to second son later that year.6
Signature of Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonnière.
About 10 years later, Nicolas migrated to New France. He was cousins with Jean and Nöel Juchureau,4 two men who actively recruited people in the area around Feings to help populate the colony. Nicolas appeared on a record dated October 17, 1649 selling a piece of land in New France7 (although another source has him witnessing a marriage in France on November 23rd4). On June 28, 1652, he bought land again in New France.8 On both land sale documents Nicolas was identified as living just outside Quebec City in a place known as the Ste-Genevieve coast.
In the year 1653, two major events happened in Nicolas’ life. One event was that his mother and brother came over from France to join him in the colony. And the other event was his own wedding. The early 1650s were a time when marriageable women were scarce in New France, but with his education and standing, Nicolas managed to arrange a match with a girl with notable parents. Nöel Morin had been granted a seigneury that year, and his wife, Hélène Desportes, had the distinction of having been the first person born in Quebec. Their daughter Agnes was barely 12-years-old when she signed a marriage contract with 33-year-old Nicolas on March 3rd. The wedding took place at Notre-Dame-de-Quebec on November 17th.2
It’s likely that Nicolas’ young bride didn’t share his bed for the first year or so, but she did give birth to their first child in early 1656.9 Their family grew over the next 12 years to have seven children, with one dying as an infant. Nicolas farmed his land with 8 arpents under cultivation by 1667, and a modest 4 heads of cattle; he even had a hired laborer to presumably help operate the farm.6
Sadly, Nicolas didn’t live to see his children grow up. He passed away before he turned 50 on June 22, 1669.3 He left behind a wife who was pregnant, and so his youngest child was born posthumously. Agnes remarried and had 8 more children. She passed away in 1687.10
Many people today are descendants of Nicolas and Agnes, including Madonna, Leo Durocher, June Foray, Emeril Lagasse, Cliff Arquette, Patricia Arquette, Rosanna Arquette, and Alex Trebek.11
Children:
1. Hélène Gaudry — B. 5 Mar 1656, Quebec City, New France;9 D. 22 Nov 1712, St-Nicolas, New France;12 M. Pierre Boucher dit Desroches (1648-1702), 13 Dec 1671, Sillery, New France13
2. Jacques Gaudry — B. 24 Apr 1658, Quebec City, New France;14 D. 12 Feb 1731, Varennes, New France;15 M. (1) Jeanne-Françoise Guillory (1674-1700), 1 Feb 1694, Montreal, New France;16 (2) Anne Bourdon (1678-1743), 3 Nov 1701, Boucherville, New France17
3. Christine-Charlotte Gaudry — B. 16 Jun 1660, Quebec City, New France;18 D. 17 Sep 1729, Ste-Croix, New France;19 M. Jean Hamel (1652-?), 16 Feb 1677, New France20
4. Marie-Françoise Gaudry — B. Aug 1662, Quebec City, New France;21 D. 21 Oct 1710, Sillery, New France;22 M. Jean Pilote (1657-1738), 27 Jun 1678, Quebec City, New France23
5. Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére — B. 16 Aug 1664, Quebec City, New France;24 D. 30 Jan 1735, Montreal, New France;25 M. Anne Pigeon (1672-1742), 7 Jan 1687, Montreal, New France26
6. Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry — B. 6 Apr 1666, Quebec City, New France;27 D. 30 May 1666, Quebec City, New France28
7. Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry — B. 19 Nov 1667, Quebec City, New France;29 D. 9 Jun 1713, Montreal, New France;30 M. Joseph Lemay (~1661-1707), 4 Jun 1686, Quebec City, New France31
8. Joseph-Alphonse Gaudry — B. 14 Feb 1670, Quebec City, New France32
Sources:
1 Recensement de 1667 en Nouvelle-France
2 Marriage record of Nicolas Gaudry and Agnes Morin, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Nicolas Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
4 “Jacques Gaudry, Sieur de la Bourbonniére,” French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, V. 1-2, pp. 159-178
5 Dictionaire généalogique des familes du Québec, René Jetté, p. 472
6 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
7 Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 1, p. 24, 1942
8 Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 1, p. 47, 1942
9 Baptismal record of Hélène Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
10 Burial record of Agnes Morin, Q.C.P.R.
11 Geneastar.org
12 Burial record of Hélène Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Pierre Boucher dit des Roches and Hélène Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
14 Baptismal record of Jacques Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
15 Burial record of Jacques Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Jacques Gaudry and Jeanne-Françoise Guillory, Q.C.P.R.
17 Marriage record of Jacques Gaudry and Anne Bourdon, Q.C.P.R.
18 Baptismal record of Christine-Charlotte Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
19 Burial record of Christine-Charlotte Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
20 Marriage record of Jean Hamel and Christine-Charlotte Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
21 Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
22 Burial record of Marie-Françoise Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
23 Marriage record of Jean Pilote and Marie-Françoise Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
24 Baptismal record of Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére, Q.C.P.R.
25 Burial record of Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére, Q.C.P.R.
26 Marriage record of Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniére and Anne Pigeon, Q.C.P.R.
27 Baptismal record of Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry (older), Q.C.P.R.
28 Burial record of Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry (older), Q.C.P.R.
29 Baptismal record of Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry (younger), Q.C.P.R.
30 Burial record of Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry (younger), Q.C.P.R.
31 Marriage record of Joseph Lemay and Agnes-Madeleine Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
32 Baptismal record of Joseph-Alphonse Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
