M. after 28 Oct 1668 in New France2
Husband: Pierre Gagné
D. 24 May 1714 in Cap-St-Ignace, New France3
Geography played an important role in which 17th-century French women became settlers of New France, and many were from the port city of La Rochelle, including Louise Faure. No baptism record survives; from later records, her reported age showed she may have been born as early as 1636, but a more likely date was about 1642.1 Louise’s parents were Jean Faure and Ozanne Planchet of St-Barthelemy parish,2 a church with a history that dated back to medieval times, although the one they attended had been built in 1648.4
In 1668, Louise was recruited to marry a settler in New France. La Rochelle people were thought by some authorities to be less reliable settlers. In a letter requesting migrants in 1664, François de Laval asked for recruits from other parts of France because those from La Rochelle were "without religion, lazy and very cowardly at work.”5 Nonetheless, because it was the port city where the ships sailed to America, it was convenient for signing up Filles du Roi, and Louise was enlisted. She arrived at Quebec City on July 3rd; her ship, La Nouvelle France, carried 81 prospective brides.6 Then came the effort to make a match, which in Louise’s case took several months. On October 28th, she agreed to a marriage contract with a man named Pierre Gagné.2
Marriage contract signatures with marks of Pierre and Louise.
The record of Louise’s wedding is lost, but it may have taken place on the Beaupré coast where he lived. Their first child was baptized on November 3, 1670 at Ste-Anne-de Beaupré;7 by 1683, they had five more. By 1678, the family moved to Cap-St-Ignace, a seigneury on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.8 Their farm had 14 arpents under cultivation in 1681, along with 10 head of cattle.1
Louise and Pierre spent the rest of their lives in Cap-St-Ignace. After the last of their children was married off, they entered a phase of retirement, and on August 5, 1711, they signed their property over to youngest son Louis-Augustin.9 Pierre seems to have died first, although his burial is missing from parish records. Louise passed away on May 24, 1714, and was buried at the Cap-St-Ignace cemetery.3
Children:
1. Pierre Gagné — B. 3 Nov 1670, Ste-Anne-de Beaupré, New France;7 D. 25 Apr 1748, St-Michel, Bellechasse, New France;10 M. Louise Proulx (1679-?), 22 Jun 1700, St-Thomas, Montmagny, New France11
2. Jean Gagné — B. 17 Jul 1672, Ste-Anne-de Beaupré, New France;12 D. 8 Apr 1731, Montmagny, New France;13 M. Marie-Madeleine Langlois (1678-1741), 11 Jan 1699, Cap-St-Ignace, New France14
3. Marie-Anne Gagné — B. 17 Feb 1674, Ste-Anne-de Beaupré, New France;15 D. 17 Apr 1751, Montmagny, New France;16 M. Denis Proulx (1676-1749), 17 Nov 1699, Cap-St-Ignace, New France17
4. François Gagné — B. 17 Nov 1677, (probably) Cap-St-Ignace, New France;8 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 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
2 King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, pp. 246-247, Peter Gagne, 2000
3 Burial record of Louise Faure, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4 La Rochelle Cathedral (Wikipedia article)
5 Navires venus en Nouvelle-France (website)
6 Migrations (website)
7 Baptismal record of Pierre Gagné (younger), Q.C.P.R.
8 Baptismal record of François Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
9 Deed of Donation of Pierre Gagné and Louise Faure, 5 Aug 1711, BAnQ (website)
10 Burial record of Pierre Gagné (younger), Q.C.P.R
11 Marriage record of Pierre Gagné and Louise Proulx, Q.C.P.R
12 Baptismal record of Jean Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
13 Burial record of Jean Gagné, Q.C.P.R
14 Marriage record of Jean Gagné and Marie-Madeleine Langlois, Q.C.P.R
15 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Gagné, Q.C.P.R.
16 Burial record of Marie-Anne Gagné, Q.C.P.R
17 Marriage record of Denis Proulx and Marie-Anne 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 Joseph Fournier and Elisabeth Gagné, Q.C.P.R
