M. after 28 Oct 1668 in New France2
Wife: Louise Faure
D. before 24 May 1714 in Cap-St-Ignace, New France3
The story of Pierre Gagné is different than many of his generation in New France: while the majority were natives of France, he was born in the colony. Pierre’s parents were Louis Gasnier and Marie-Madeleine Michel (Gasnier was a variation of Gagné), and they had met and married in the Perche region of France.4 After having two children in France, they were recruited by Noël Juchereau to help populate New France.4 A third child was born around the time of their arrival at Quebec in about 1644. Then Louis agreed to work a farm at Cap-Tourmente, a remote place to the east of Quebec City, and it was here that Pierre was born.
Cap-Tourmente, where Pierre was born. (Source: Sébastien Savard / CC BY-SA)
The parish register of Quebec City recorded that Pierre’s baptism took place on March 27, 1647.1 Usually a child was baptized as soon as possible after birth, but since there was no church near where his family lived, Pierre may have been several weeks old. The location of the event isn’t written in the record, but the document has some interesting details. Pierre's godfather was Olivier Le Tardif, who had first come to Quebec in about 1620, and was seigneur of the farm Pierre’s father leased. And his godmother was Hélène Martin, daughter of another very early settler, Abraham Martin. Each of Pierre's godparents had close relationships with Samuel de Champlain at some point in their lives.
Pierre’s family lived at Cap-Tourmente until he was about 5-years-old, then the family moved closer to Quebec in the settlement of Beaupré.4 Their land had 5 arpents of river frontage and a small house built by Pierre’s father.4 The family grew with the births of five younger siblings. Then tragedy struck in June of 1661 when his father was apparently captured, tortured and killed by raiding Iroquois.4 Pierre was just 14 and the oldest surviving son, so until his mother remarried five years later, he was the man of the house.
At age 21, Pierre found a bride among the Filles du Roi who arrived in Quebec that year. Her name was Louise Faure, and both agreed to a marriage contract on October 28, 1668.2 Pierre was unable to sign his name, indicating he was illiterate. Their wedding record is missing, and likely took place outside of Quebec City. They settled in Beaupré for the first few years, then in about 1675, they moved to Cap-St-Ignace on the south shore of the St. Lawrence.2 Between 1670 and 1683, Pierre and Louise had six children. The 1681 census showed that he operated a farm with 14 arpents of cultivated land and had ten cattle.5
Pierre seems to have lived the rest of his life in Cap-St-Ignace, but his death record is missing. The records of that parish are somewhat sketchy during the years he likely died. On August 5, 1711, he donated some property to his son Louis-Augustin.6 There is no record of Pierre after that date, and he was certainly deceased at the time of his wife’s death on May 14, 1714.3 He was the 8G grandfather of Celine Dion.7
Children:
1. Pierre Gagné — B. 3 Nov 1670, Ste-Anne-de Beaupré, New France;8 D. 25 Apr 1748, St-Michel, Bellechasse, New France;9 M. Louise Proulx (1679-?), 22 Jun 1700, St-Thomas, Montmagny, New France10
2. Jean Gagné — B. 17 Jul 1672, Ste-Anne-de Beaupré, New France;11 D. 8 Apr 1731, Montmagny, New France;12 M. Marie-Madeleine Langlois (1678-1741), 11 Jan 1699, Cap-St-Ignace, New France13
3. Marie-Anne Gagné — B. 17 Feb 1674, Ste-Anne-de Beaupré, New France;14 D. 17 Apr 1751, Montmagny, New France;15 M. Denis Proulx (1676-1749), 17 Nov 1699, Cap-St-Ignace, New France16
4. François Gagné — B. 17 Nov 1677, (probably) Cap-St-Ignace, New France;17 D. 22 Oct 1758, St-Pierre, Rivière-du-Sud, New France;18 M. Elisabeth Langlois (~1687-1768), 7 Jan 1709, L’Islet-sur-mer, New France19
5. Louis-Augustin Gagné — B. 1 Feb 1680, Cap-St-Ignace, New France;20 D. 25 Feb 1748, Cap-St-Ignace, New France;21 M. (1) Elisabeth Charland (1687-1721), 21 Nov 1707, Montmagny, New France;22 (2) Marie Boudeau (1697-1736), 13 Apr 1722, Montmagny, New France23
6. Elisabeth Gagné — B. 24 Aug 1683, Cap-St-Ignace, New France;24 M. Joseph Fournier (1685-?), 17 Nov 1710, Cap-St-Ignace, New France25
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Pierre Gagné, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2 King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
3 Burial record of Louise Faure Q.C.P.R.
4 Our French Canadian Ancestors, Vol. 12, Gérard Lebel, translated by Thomas Laforest, 2001
5 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
6 Deed of donation from Pierre Gagné and Louise Faure to son Louis-Augustin, BAnQ
7 FamousKin.com listing for Pierre Gagné
8 Baptismal record of Pierre Gagné (younger), Q.C.P.R.
9 Burial record of Pierre Gagné (younger), Q.C.P.R.
10 Marriage record of Pierre Gagné and Louise Proulx, Q.C.P.R.
11 Baptismal record of Jean Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Jean Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
13 Marriage record of Jean Gagné and Marie-Madeleine Langlois, Q.C.P.R.
14 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
15 Burial record of Marie-Anne Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Denis Proulx and Marie-Anne Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
17 Baptismal record of François Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
18 Burial record of François Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
19 Marriage record of François Gagné and Elisabeth Langlois, Q.C.P.R.
20 Baptismal record of Louis-Augustin Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
21 Burial record of Louis-Augustin Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
22 Marriage record of Louis-Augustin Gagné and Elisabeth Charland, Q.C.P.R.
23 Marriage record of Louis-Augustin Gagné and Marie Boudeau, Q.C.P.R.
24 Baptismal record of Elisabeth Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
25 Marriage record of Jospeh Fournier and Elisabaeth Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
