M. 27 Nov 1708 in Beaumont, New France2
Wife: Marie-Françoise Blanchon
D. 4 Jan 1767 in Beaumont, New France3
Jacques Fournier is remembered today with a small plaque at the site of his 18th century home. He was born on May 24, 1684 in Charlesbourg, New France to Nicolas-Michel Fournier and Marie Hubert,1 who was a Fille du Roi. Jacques was identified with the name Georges on his baptism, but this was the only place that name appeared and it can be assumed to be a mistake. He had five older siblings, and not long after the birth of a younger sister, his father died.4 Life must have been a struggle for the next few years, and Jacques’ mother remarried to a French soldier in 1691.5 At the end of that year, his mother and step-father moved back to France, leaving behind all but the youngest child.6 So at the age of 7, Jacques found himself in the care of his older siblings.
By 1707, Jacques had moved from the north shore of the St. Lawrence to the more recently settled south shore. On December 27th of that year, a document mentioned a piece of property adjoining his in the seigneury of Beaumont.7 About a year later, on November 27, 1708, Jacques married Marie-Françoise Blanchon, the 18-year-old daughter of a Beaumont settler. They had 15 children together, with the youngest born in 1735.8 Of their ten children who married and raised families, all but one stayed in the south shore area.
Jacques was in his old age at the time England took over New France, and his community was caught in the middle of it. In June of 1759, British forces landed at Beaumont, taking position at St-Etienne, the church Jacques attended. While camped there, it was said that some soldiers invaded homes and took “household furniture and clothing” at will. The English posted a notice to Beaumont’s residents on the church door, declaring that the colony was now theirs (this was months before the battle at the Plains of Abraham). A local legend says that the people ripped up the notice, which led to the English trying to burn the church down, and divine intervention snuffed out the flames.9
Whether or not Jacques was directly involved in any of these events isn’t known; more likely was that he sought shelter somewhere inland until the siege ended. Jacques lived another eight years and died at Beaumont on January 4, 1767. His wife Marie-Françoise passed away the following year in April.10
Today there is a plaque honoring Jacques, his brother Jean and his parents located on the land where he lived in Beaumont. His original house is long gone and the so are the outbuildings, but this is where he plowed his fields and raised his children. Jacques is the 9G grandfather of Justin Bieber.11
Plaque honoring Fournier family. (Source: Culture et Communications Québec)
Location of the plaque in Beaumont, Quebec.
Children:
1. François Fournier — B. 28 Sep 1709, Beaumont, New France;12 D. (probably) young
2. Jacques Fournier — B. 4 Jan 1711, Beaumont, New France;13 D. 16 Aug 1779, Pointe-de-Lévy, Quebec;14 M. (1) Elisabeth Roy (1727-1747), 10 Jan 1746, Beaumont, New France;15 (2) Catherine Turgeon (1729-1765), 16 Jun 1749, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, New France16
3. Marie-Josephe Fournier — B. 7 Jan 1713, Beaumont, New France;17 D. 29 Mar 1733, Quebec City, New France18
4. Jean-Baptiste Fournier — B. 14 Apr 1715, Beaumont, New France;19 D. 11 Apr 1796, St-Charles, Bellechasse, Quebec;20 M. Marie Gosselin (1722-1796), 22 Oct 1742, St-Etienne-de-Beaumont, New France21
5. Genevieve Fournier — B. 2 Jan 1717, Beaumont, New France;22 D. 26 Nov 1811, Beaumont, Quebec;23 M. Joseph Couture (1712-1779), 22 Jan 1736, Beaumont, New France24
6. Marie Fournier — B. 16 Aug 1718, Beaumont, New France;25 D. 21 Apr 1808, Beaumont, Quebec;26 M. Jacques Turgeon (1708-1783), 2 Jul 1742, Beaumont, New France27
7. Joseph Fournier — B. 16 Mar 1720, Beaumont, New France;28 D. 14 Oct 1738, Beaumont, New France29
8. Étienne Fournier — B. 29 Nov 1721, Beaumont, New France;30 D. 19 Apr 1774, Beaumont, Quebec;31 M. Josephte Paquet (1719-1790), 27 Oct 1766, St-Michel, Bellechasse, Quebec32
9. Andre Fournier — B. 30 Oct 1723, Beaumont, New France;33 D. 1 Apr 1724, Beaumont, New France34
10. Antoine Fournier — B. 3 Mar 1725, Beaumont, New France;35 D. 4 Mar 1799, Beaumont, Quebec;36 M. (1) Françoise Guay (1734-1769), 2 Feb 1751, Beaumont, New France;37 (2) Charlotte Labrecque (~1745-1820), 27 Nov 1770, St-Michel, Bellechasse, Quebec38
11. Marie-Louise Fournier — B. 18 Sep 1727, Beaumont, New France;39 D. 16 Aug 1730, Beaumont, New France40
12. Augustin Fournier — B. 10 Feb 1729, Beaumont, New France;41 D. 15 Mar 1817, Beaumont, Quebec;42 M. Marie Bouthillette (1731-1804), 20 Oct 1749, L’Ange-Gardien, New France43
13. Marie-Anne Fournier — B. 11 Jan 1731, Beaumont, New France;44 D. 29 Sep 1807, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-Lévy, Quebec;45 M. Joseph Turgeon (1723-?), 7 Apr 1750, Beaumont, New France46
14. Charles Fournier — B. 29 Jan 1733, Beaumont, New France;47 D. 31 Oct 1819, Boucherville, Quebec;48 M. (1) Marguerite Gareau (1730-1783), 24 Sep 1753, Montreal, New France;49 (2) Elisabeth Bouvet (1745-1810), 19 Apr 1784, Montreal, Quebec50
15. Alexandre Fournier — B. 26 Feb 1735, Beaumont, New France;8 D. 5 Jan 1826, Beaumont, Quebec;51 M. Charlotte Turgeon (1738-1799), 14 Sep 1761, Lauzon, New France52
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of Jacques Fournier, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Jacques Fournier and Marie-Françoise Blanchon, Q.C.P.R.
3 Burial record of Jacques Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
4 Burial record of Nicolas-Michel Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
5 Marriage record of Jean Gachet and Marie Hubert, Q.C.P.R.
6 Culture et Communications Québec (website)
7 Act of concession for land of Jacques’ neighbor, BAnQ
8 Baptismal record of Alexandre Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
9 Beaumont (Québec) (Wikipedia article)
10 Burial record of Marie-Françoise Blanchon, Q.C.P.R.
11 Famous Kin (website)
12 Baptismal record of François Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
13 Baptismal record of Jacques Fournier (younger), Q.C.P.R.
14 Burial record of Jacques Fournier (younger), Q.C.P.R.
15 Marriage record of Jacques Fournier (younger) and Elisabeth Roy, Q.C.P.R.
16 Marriage record of Jacques Fournier (younger) and Catherine Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
17 Baptismal record of Marie-Josephe Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
18 Burial record of Marie-Josephe Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
19 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
20 Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
21 Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Fournier and Marie Gosselin, Q.C.P.R.
22 Baptismal record of Genevieve Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
23 Burial record of Genevieve Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
24 Marriage record of Joseph Couture and Genevieve Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal record of Marie Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
26 Burial record of Marie Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
27 Marriage record of Jacques Turgeon and Marie Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
28 Baptismal record of Joseph Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
29 Burial record of Joseph Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
30 Baptismal record of Étienne Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
31 Burial record of Étienne Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
32 Marriage record of Étienne Fournier and Josephte Paquet, Q.C.P.R.
33 Baptismal record of Andre Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
34 Burial record of Andre Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
35 Baptismal record of Antoine Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
36 Burial record of Antoine Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
37 Marriage record of Antoine Fournier and Françoise Guay, Q.C.P.R.
38 Marriage record of Antoine Fournier and Charlotte Labrecque, Q.C.P.R.
39 Baptismal record of Marie-Louise Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
40 Burial record of Marie-Louise Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
41 Baptismal record of Augustin Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
42 Burial record of Augustin Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
43 Marriage record of Augustin Fournier and Marie Bouthillette, Q.C.P.R.
44 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
45 Burial record of Marie-Anne Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
46 Marriage record of Joseph Turgeon and Marie-Anne Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
47 Baptismal record of Charles Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
48 Burial record of Charles Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
49 Marriage record of Charles Fournier and Marguerite Gareau, Q.C.P.R.
50 Marriage record of Charles Fournier and Elisabeth Bouvet, Q.C.P.R.
51 Burial record of Alexandre Fournier, Q.C.P.R.
52 Marriage record of Alexandre Fournier and Charlotte Turgeon, Q.C.P.R.
