M. 8 May 1658 in Quebec City, New France3
Wife: Françoise Bigot
D. 24 Apr 1711 in Neuville, New France4
When Denis Briere got married, he was able to take over the farm that belonged to his new wife. He was born in Rouen, France in about 1631.1,2 His parents were Denis Briere and Jacquette Perrault;3 he had at least one sibling, a sister named Anne, but nothing else is known of his family.
It’s believed that Denis migrated to New France in about 1655 by agreeing to a work contract for a period of three years.5 After his service in the colony was over, he married Françoise Bigot, a widow with three small children. The wedding took place in Notre-Dame-de-Quebec on May 8, 1658,5 and he moved into her home on a small farm in Sillery. The plot was very narrow at only one and a half arpents wide (about 288 feet), but it bordered the St-Lawrence River.5 The location was sometimes described as the seigneury of St-Michel, making it close to Quebec City.
Denis and Françoise soon began a family with the birth of a son in about 1659.1,2 By 1674, seven more children were born, of whom five died young (some sources say there were two additional children who died as infants). Denis’ farm had 11 cattle and 20 arpents under cultivation in 1666,1 and for a time, Denis had a young man living in the household who helped with the farm work. Françoise’s elderly mother came to live with them, as well.2
In about 1677, Denis seems to have abandoned the small farm at Sillery, moving his family upriver to the seigneury of St-Augustin-de-Desmaures.5 On August 22nd of that year, he acquired a grant of land with 4 arpents of river frontage by 30 arpents in depth. This was where he spent most of the rest of his life. It wasn’t until after Denis’ wife Françoise died in 17066 that he sold the Sillery farm. On July 30, 1707, the seminary of Quebec bought the property for 120 livres5; because it had originally belonged to Françoise’s first husband, Denis’ two surviving step-daughters got a share of the profit. There was some sort of dispute over this payment that had to be settled in 1710, and the court ordered Denis to pay a sum of money to one of the step-daughters, Marguerite Guillebourg.5
Denis passed away on April 24, 1711 at Neuville,4 where he likely lived in his old age with one of his children. The land that he had farmed in Sillery remained in the possession of the seminary for many years. It was bought by a judge in 1831, and he sold it in 1848 to a group of men who turned it into a cemetery.5 Today the site of Denis’ first farm in America is Mount Hermon Cemetery, said to be the first suburban cemetery in the Quebec City region.5
Mount Hermon Cemetery (Source: Cephas / CC By-SA)
Children:
1. Denis Briere — B. about 1659, (probably) Sillery, New France;1,2 D. 20 Jun 1718, Quebec City, New France;7 M. Marie-Elisabeth Lemarie (1671-1751), 23 Nov 1688, Neuville, New France8
2. Françoise Briere — B. about 1661, (probably) Sillery, New France;1,2 D. 8 Aug 1738, St-Nicolas, Lévis, New France;9 M. Michel Lemarie (~1654-1727), 27 Feb 1680, Neuville, New France10
3. Sebastien Briere — B. 28 Jan 1664, Sillery, New France;11 D. 23 Dec 1664, Sillery, New France12
4. Etienne Briere — B. 19 Apr 1666, Sillery, New France;13 D. 19 Apr 1666, Sillery, New France13
5. Charles Briere — B. 2 Apr 1667, Sillery, New France;14 D. before 25 Apr 167115
6. Jean-Baptiste Briere — B. 21 May 1668, Sillery, New France;16 D. 17 Oct 1745, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, New France;17 M. Françoise Brassard (1679-1728), 23 Nov 1712, Quebec City, New France18
7. Charles Briere — B. 25 Apr 1671, Sillery, New France;15 D. (probably) young
8. Joseph Briere — B. 10 Mar 1674, Sillery, New France;19 D. (probably) young
Sources:
1 Recensement de la Nouvelle-France en 1666
2 Recensement de la Nouvelle-France en 1667
3 Marriage record of Denis Briere and Françoise Bigot, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4 Burial record of Denis Briere, Q.C.P.R.
5 Voyage dans le temps avec Pierrette (website)
6 Burial record of Françoise Bigot, Q.C.P.R.
7 Burial record of Denis Briere (younger), Q.C.P.R.
8 Marriage record record of Denis Briere and Marie-Elisabeth Lemarie, Q.C.P.R.
9 Burial record of Françoise Briere, Q.C.P.R.
10 Marriage record record of Michel Lemarie and Françoise Briere, Q.C.P.R.
11 Baptismal record of Sebastien Briere, Q.C.P.R.
12 Burial record of Sebastien Briere, Q.C.P.R.
13 Baptismal and burial record of Etienne Briere, Q.C.P.R.
14 Baptismal record of Charles Briere (older), Q.C.P.R.
15 Baptismal record of Charles Briere (younger), Q.C.P.R.
16 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Briere, Q.C.P.R.
17 Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Briere, Q.C.P.R.
18 Marriage record record of Jean-Baptiste Briere and Françoise Brassard, Q.C.P.R.
19 Baptismal record of Joseph Briere, Q.C.P.R.
