M. 3 Sep 1641 in Quebec City, New France2
Wife: Florence Gareman
D. before 2 May 1678 in (probably) Cap-Rouge, New France3
François Boucher wasn’t yet an adult when he was part of one of the earliest migrations to New France. He was born in Saint-Langis, France, a village of Perche, baptized there on November 22, 1617.1 François’ parents were Marin Boucher and Julienne Baril, and it’s believed that he was their only child who survived to adulthood. The house where François grew up still stands; it's a small cottage that adjoins several other dwellings.
House where François was born. (Source: WikiTree)
When François was about age 10, his mother died,4 and his father Marin remarried, giving him two half-brothers by 1633. Then Marin was approached by a man named Robert Giffard, who asked him if he’d like to leave France for an opportunity in America.5 Marin not only said yes, he decided to bring 17-year-old François with him. The two of them boarded a ship in April 1634, and by summer, they were established in the fledgling colony of Quebec.5 Things must have worked out for them because the following year, the rest of the family joined them,6 and four more half-siblings were born in their new home in Beauport.
On September 3, 1641, François got married to Florence Gareman,2 the daughter of a settler living upriver from Quebec City in a place called Cap-Rouge. For the first few years of their marriage, they lived near François’ father, and had three children born there. But in about 1648, they moved to the area where Florence’s father had a farm.7 François was said to have acquired a concession in Sillery,8 and it was here that most of his children were born. By 1664, the family was complete with the births of nine more children.
François’ father-in-law had his life come to a terrible end in June 1653 when he was captured, tortured and killed by Iroquois warriors.7 This demonstrated the terror all of the settlers were under on the frontier of the colony. Florence’s young brother was also captured, and he was kept by the Indians for years.7 The murdered man’s land passed to his three sons-in-law, which included François; the three of them sold the concession and each took a third of the payment.9
By 1667, François had a farm with 25 arpents under cultivation and 7 head of cattle.10 He died sometime between the dates July 28, 1673 and May 2, 1678,3 but there is no record of his burial. His wife Florence survived him; she died by November 1689.11
Children:
1. Jean Boucher — B. 1 May 1643, Beauport, New France;12 D. before 1666, New France13
2. Benôit Boucher — B. about 1644, New France;14 D. 9 Jan 1703, Sillery, New France14
3. Elisabeth Boucher — B. 19 Mar 1646, Quebec City, New France;15 D. 24 Sep 1685, Quebec City, New France;16 M. Denis Guyon (1631-1685), 21 Oct 1659, Quebec City, New France17
4. Pierre Boucher dit Desroches— B. 29 Sep 1648, Sillery, New France;8 D. 10 Mar 1702, Quebec City, New France;18 M. Hélène Gaudry dite Bourbonnière (1656-1712), 13 Dec 1671, New France19
5. Marin Boucher — B. 16 Dec 1650, Sillery, New France;20 D. before 1666, New France13
6. Marie Boucher — B. 30 Oct 1652, Sillery, New France;21 D. 16 Dec 1713, Montreal, New France;22 M. Antoine Chaudillon (1641-1707), 26 May 1672, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, New France23
7. Florence Boucher — B. 5 Oct 1654, Sillery, New France;24 D. about 1667, New France10,13
8. Baby Boucher — B. 5 Oct 1654, Sillery, New France;25 D. 5 Oct 1654, Sillery, New France25
9. Charles Boucher — B. 4 Apr 1658, Sillery, New France;26 D. 10 Aug 1728, Berthier-en-haut, New France;27 M. Marguerite-Agnes Pelletier (~1666-?), 7 May 1685, Sorel, New France28
10. Denis Boucher dit Desrosiers — B. 6 Apr 1660, Sillery, New France;29 D. 17 Nov 1723, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, New France;30 M. Jeanne Miville (1671-1744), 21 Nov 1689, Quebec City, New France11
11. Michel Boucher — B. 30 Apr 1661, Sillery, New France;31 D. 1713, Neuville, New France;32 M. (1) Marie-Madeleine Huot (1670-1699), 26 Nov 1695, New France;33 (2) Genevieve Amiot (1683-1717), 19 Apr 1700, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, New France34
12. Marie-Françoise Boucher — B. 6 Apr 1664, Sillery, New France;35 D. 9 Apr 1704, Charlesbourg, New France;36 M. Nicolas Thibault (1663-1727), 23 Jul 1686, Château-Richer, New France37
Sources:
1 Baptismal record of François Boucher, Archives départmentales de l’Orne
2 Marriage record of François Boucher and Florence Gareman, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Inventaire des greffes des Notaires du Régime français, V. 4, p. 44, Roy, Antoine, 1943
4 Burial record of Julienne Baril, Archives départmentales de l’Orne
5 Our French-Canadian Ancestors, V. 4, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
6 Marin Boucher (Wikipedia article)
7 Histoire de la seigneurie de Lauzon, Vol. 1 & 2, Joseph-Edmond Roy, 1897
8 Baptismal record of Pierre Boucher dit Desroches, Q.C.P.R.
9 Notarial record regarding property in Quebec City, 23 Nov 1667, BAnQ
10 Recensement de 1667 en Nouvelle-France
11 Marriage record of Denis Boucher dit Desrosiers and Jeanne Miville, Q.C.P.R.
12 Baptismal record of Jean Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
13 Recensement de 1666 en Nouvelle-France
14 Burial record of Benôit Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
15 Baptismal record of Elisabeth Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
16 Burial record of Elisabeth Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
17 Marriage record of Denis Guyon and Elisabeth Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
18 Burial record of Pierre Boucher dit Desroches, Q.C.P.R.
19 Marriage record of Pierre Boucher dit Desroches and Hélène Gaudry, Q.C.P.R.
20 Baptismal record of Marin Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
21 Baptismal record of Marie Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
22 Burial record of Marie Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
23 Marriage record of Antoine Chaudillon and Marie Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
24 Baptismal record of Florence Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
25 Baptismal and burial record of Baby Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
26 Baptismal record of Charles Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
27 Burial record of Charles Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
28 Marriage record of Charles Boucher and Marguerite-Agnes Pelletier, Q.C.P.R.
29 Baptismal record of Denis Boucher dit Desrosiers, Q.C.P.R.
30 Burial record of Denis Boucher dit Desrosiers, Q.C.P.R.
31 Baptismal record of Michel Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
32 Burial record of Michel Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
33 Marriage record of Michel Boucher and Marie-Madeleine Huot, Q.C.P.R.
34 Marriage record of Michel Boucher and Genevieve Amiot, Q.C.P.R.
35 Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
36 Burial record of Marie-Françoise Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
37 Marriage record of Nicolas Thibault and Marie-Françoise Boucher, Q.C.P.R.
