B. abt 1655 in Paris, France
M. (1) 30 Sep 1670 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Nicolas-Michel Fournier
M. (2) 25 Feb 1691 in Charlesbourg, New France
Husband: Jean Gachet
D. after 1711 in (probably) France
When Marie Hubert married her second husband in New France, she left most of her children behind and moved back to her home country. Marie was born in about 1655 in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Her parents, Pierre Hubert and Bonne Brio, died before she came of age, and she signed up for a new life as a Fille du Roi, agreeing to marry a settler in New France. Marie arrived at Quebec in late August of 1670, and quickly became engaged to Nicolas-Michel Fournier; they married at Notre-Dame in Quebec City on September 30th.
Marie and her new husband settled in the Bourg-Royal section of Charlesbourg, where she gave birth to a daughter in about 1673. By 1687, they had a total of seven children, with one who likely died as an infant. Nicolas acquired more land in 1682 and 1684, but just two months after their youngest child was born, he died.
It was over three years later before Marie found a new husband. He was a soldier from France named Jean Gachet, and likely had been in Quebec during the invasion by New England in 1690. Much of the action was close to where Marie lived, and after the French were victorious, their paths must have crossed, and they contracted to marry. The wedding took place at Charlesbourg on February 25, 1691.
For some reason, Marie and Jean didn’t stay in Charlesbourg. There is a record of a transaction dated September 1691 for Jean selling some land in Charlesbourg to another man. The timing suggests that he had tried his hand at farming for one season, and after the harvest, he sold out. Then the couple sailed back to France. A decision had to be made regarding Marie’s six children. Her oldest son, Michel, set up his own farm at age 17, taking in some of his siblings, and one of Marie’s daughters was boarded with another family. Only 4-year-old Jeanne stayed with Marie as she and her husband moved back to France.
There’s no record of what became of Marie, Jean and Jeanne once they arrived in France. It’s believed that Marie was still living at the time of one of her son’s 1711 wedding, and she likely died somewhere in France after that time.
Children:
1. Marie Fournier — B. about 1673, (probably) Bourg-Royal, New France; D. 26 Oct 1753, St-Joseph-de-Beauce, New France; M. (1) Pierre Grondin (1649-1729), 1696, New France; (2) Jean-Baptiste Franchegens (~1678-?), 16 Jan 1730, Lauzon, New France
2. Michel Fournier — B. 30 Jan 1674, (probably) Bourg-Royal, New France; D. 28 Feb 1711, Charlesbourg, New France; M. Marie-Catherine Beriault (1682-1711), 5 Jun 1702, Quebec City, New France
3. Françoise-Ambroise Fournier — B. about 1677, (probably) Bourg-Royal, New France; M. (1) Pierre Lefebvre (1674-1714), 7 Nov 1697, Ste-Famille, New France; (2) Antoine Blais (1677-1734), 10 Feb 1716, La Durantaye, New France; (3) Pierre Corriveau (1678-1756), 3 Jul 1741, St-Vallier, Bellechasse, New France
4. Nicolas Fournier — B. about 1678, (probably) Bourg-Royal, New France; D. (probably) young
5. Jean Fournier — B. 11 Dec 1680, (probably) Bourg-Royal, New France; D. 17 Sep 1735, St-Michel, Bellechasse, New France; M. Madeleine Fradet (1695-1768), 23 Nov 1711, Beaumont, New France
6. Jacques Fournier — B. 24 May 1684, Charlesbourg, New France; D. 4 Jan 1767, Beaumont, Quebec; M. Marie-Françoise Blanchon (1690-1768), 27 Nov 1708, Beaumont, New France
7. Jeanne Fournier — B. 30 Sep 1687, Charlesbourg, New France; D. (probably) France
Sources:
Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours, Cyprien Tanguay, 1890
Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1997
L’Association des Fournier d’Amerique (website)
Généalogie du Québec et d’Amérique française (website)
