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Jean Pelletier and Anne Langlois

Discover the captivating story of Jean Pelletier and Anne Langlois, two seminal figures in the early history of New France, now modern-day Québec. This biography unveils the journey of Jean Pelletier from Tourouvre, France, to the shores of Canada, and Anne Langlois, his young bride from Québec, as they navigate the challenges of 17th-century colonial life.

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Jean Pelletier & Anne Langlois

Discover the captivating story of Jean Pelletier and Anne Langlois, two seminal figures in the early history of New France, now modern-day Québec. This biography unveils the journey of Jean Pelletier from Tourouvre, France, to the shores of Canada, and Anne Langlois, his young bride from Québec, as they navigate the challenges of 17th-century colonial life.

 

Early Childhood in Tourouvre: The Origins of Jean Pelletier

Location of Tourouvre in France (Google)

Jean Pelletier (or Peltier), the son of Guillaume Pelletier and Michelle Mabille, was born in Tourouvre, Perche, France (present-day Tourouvre au Perche in the department of Orne). “Jehan” was baptized on June 12, 1627, in the parish of Saint-Aubin. His godparents were Jean Loyseau and Michèle Bahere, the wife of Claude Mabille, his maternal uncle. The given name of Jean’s mother, Michelle, was omitted from the baptism record.

Located about 140 kilometres west of Paris, Tourouvre au Perche is a rural commune with a current population of about 3,000 Tourouvrains (as of 2021).

Circa 1900 postcard of Tourouvre (Archives du Département de l’Orne)

1627 Baptism of Jean Pelletier (Archives du Département de l’Orne)

The church of Saint-Aubin in Tourouvre, where Jean Pelletier was baptized (Archives du Département de l’Orne). The current building dates back to the 15th century. Dozens of emigrants to Canada were baptized in this church.

When he was just a young boy of 14, Jean’s parents were enticed to leave their homeland and sail to New France, following in the footsteps of several Percherons from their village. The Pelletier family, including Jean’s uncle Antoine, left Tourouvre sometime between March 8 and June 17, 1641, probably sailing from La Rochelle. Unfortunately, the indenture contract of Guillaume Pelletier no longer exists.  

The Percheron Emigration: From France to the Shores of Canada

Tourouvre, and the old province of Perche, are deeply connected to the story of 17th-century French emigration to Canada, emerging as a major emigration hub. Many early Canadian settlers hailed from this region, leaving their home country from the port of La Rochelle. Key figures in this migration included Robert Giffard, a seigneur and surgeon, and the Juchereau brothers, merchants Jean and Noël, who had been granted large land concessions in Canada. They needed men who could clear their lands, build homes and other buildings upon them, and start cultivation. Their primary aim was to bring to Canada as many colonists and families as possible. The Compagnie des Cent-Associés partly funded the migration of these colonists, including Zacharie Cloutier, Jean Guyon, Noël Langlois and many others. The Museum of French Emigration to Canada in Tourouvre au Perche celebrates these pioneers and their stories.

 

The historic Port of La Rochelle, where 17th-century French emigrants boarded ships bound for Canada (2023 photo © The French-Canadian Genealogist)

A Teenager in New France

A depiction of Jean as a donné (artificial intelligence image created by Dall-E)

The first mention of Jean Pelletier in Canada occurs in the Journal des Jésuites. In 1646, Father Lalemant wrote: “On the 28th (of August 1646) I left alone in a canoe to go to Trois-Rivières. I led two men and a child in a rowboat. One of the men was the son of the gobloteur, named Guillaume Pelletier, land-clearer, long sawyer, carpenter, charcoal burner, etc. He suddenly became a donné. However, his parents were promised a hundred francs for his first year, and he was given brand new clothes.” [“Gobloteur,” Guillaume’s nickname, appears to be derived from “gobelet,” and could imply a merry man who liked to drink.] It is believed that Jean travelled to Fort Sainte-Marie with a group of Hurons in 1646. [Fort Sainte-Marie was located near present-day Midland, Ontario. Repeated attacks by the Iroquois decimated the Huron population, forcing the Jesuits to abandon the mission, setting the fort ablaze before leaving in 1649.]

Jean’s time as a donné appears to have been short-lived. By 1647, he was back in Québec. In June and July of that year, he and his future wife had published their first marriage banns in the parish of Notre-Dame.

A Very Young Bride

Anne Langlois, daughter of Noël Langlois and Françoise Grenier (or Garnier), was baptized on September 2, 1637, in the parish of Notre-Dame in Québec. Her godparents were François Bellanger [Bélanger] and Anne Cloustier [Cloutier].

1637 baptism of Anne Langlois (Généalogie Québec)

When Anne and her future husband, Jean Pelletier, first announced their intention to marry, she was only 9 years old, while Jean was 20. These announcements, known as banns, were customary public notices made on three consecutive Sundays during religious services before a marriage. They served to alert the community and provide an opportunity for anyone aware of any impediments to object. During the era of New France, marriage laws stipulated that a groom had to be at least 14 years old and a bride at least 12. Upon learning of Anne’s age, likely from someone in the parish, the priest postponed the marriage until she reached the required age of 12. 

On November 9, 1649, more than two and a half years after their initial banns, 22-year-old Jean and 12-year-old Anne were wed at the home of Robert Giffard in Beauport. Among the witnesses were Jean Juchereau, Jean Guyon and Jean Côté. 

 

1649 marriage of Jean Pelletier and Anne Langlois (Généalogie Québec)

 

Jean and Anne settled in Beauport with his parents. They began to grow their family when Anne was 16 years old. Together, they welcomed a total of nine children:

1. Noël was born on May 3, 1654, and was given an emergency baptism at birth by Guillaume Pelletier, his grandfather. He was conditionally baptized two weeks later in the parish of Notre-Dame in Québec. Noël signed a marriage contract with Marie Madeleine Mignault dite Châtillon on October 21, 1674. The couple had eight children, seven of them boys. Noël died at the age of 58 on August 31, 1712. He was buried the following day in the parish cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Liesse in Rivière-Ouelle.

Emergency Baptisms

The expression “ondoyé” referred to the emergency baptism of a child at birth, either by the doctor or the midwife (authorized by the clergy to be able to perform emergency baptisms), or another person present at the birth. Normally if the baptism wasn’t performed by the doctor or the midwife, the family patriarch (if present) did so. Newborn babies who appeared weak, fragile or who were at risk of dying before being properly baptized were “ondoyé,” or given an emergency baptism. Once the child was out of danger, he or she was then baptized conditionally during a traditional baptismal ceremony by the priest. The reason for the conditional baptism was because a person could not receive two baptisms. The priest conditionally baptized the child in case the first baptism wasn’t done properly.  

A depiction of Jean and Anne at the chapel (artificial intelligence image created by Dall-E)

2. Anne was born on October 1, 1656. She was baptized the following day in the parish of Notre-Dame in Québec. At the age of 13, Anne married Guillaume Lizot on January 19, 1670, in the chapel of Beauport. The couple had nine children. Anne died sometime between April 16, 1687 (birth of her last child, Catherine), and February 12, 1691 (she was deceased at daughter Françoise’s marriage).

3. René was born on March 2, 1659, and was given an emergency baptism at birth by Mr. “Chastillon.” He was conditionally baptized on March 16, 1659, at the home of Robert Giffard in Beauport. René married Marie Madeleine Leclerc on November 5, 1691, in the parish of Saint-Pierre on Île-d’Orléans. The couple had six children. After Marie Madeleine’s death, René married Marie Jeanne Anne Godbout on July 23, 1703, in the parish of Saint-Pierre on Île-d’Orléans. They had three children. René died at the age of 53 on January 13, 1713. He was buried the following day in the parish cemetery of Saint-Pierre on Île-d’Orléans.

4. Antoine was born on December 11, 1661, and was baptized ten days later in Beauport. He was buried at the age of 15 days on December 26, 1661, in the parish cemetery of Notre-Dame in Québec. [The date of death was omitted from the burial record.]

5. Jean was born on April 19, 1663, and was baptized three days later in Beauport. Jean married Marie Anne Huot dite St-Laurent on January 8, 1689, in the parish of Saint-Pierre on Île-d’Orléans. The couple had eight children. Jean died at the age of 75. He was buried on March 12, 1739, in the parish cemetery of Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies. [The date of death was omitted from the burial record.]

6. Marie Delphine was born on January 29, 1666, and was baptized nine days later in the parish of Notre-Dame in Québec. She was buried at the age of 29 days on February 27, 1666, in the parish cemetery of Notre-Dame in Québec. [The date of death was omitted from the burial record.]

7. Marie was born on May 4, 1667, and was baptized the following day in the parish of Saint-Famille on Île-d’Orléans. At the age of 19, Marie married Jacques Jalbert dit Gerbert on May 5, 1686, in Cap-Saint-Ignace. The couple had eight children. After Jacques’s death, Marie married Mathieu Guillet on November 26, 1700, in Cap-Saint-Ignace. They had seven children. Marie died at the age of 58. She was buried on November 6, 1725, in Cap-Saint-Ignace. [The date of death was omitted from the burial record.]

8. Charles was born on September 25, 1671, and was baptized two days later in Beauport. Charles married Marie Thérèse Ouellet on January 7, 1698, in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Liesse in Rivière-Ouelle. The couple had five children. After Marie Thérèse’s death, Charles married Marie Barbe Dessein dite St-Pierre on January 12, 1711, in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Liesse in Rivière-Ouelle. They had ten children. Charles died at the age of 77. He was buried on December 30, 1748, in the parish cemetery of Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies. [The date of death was omitted from the burial record.]

9. Marie Charlotte was born on September 29, 1674, and was baptized eight days later in the parish of La Nativité de Notre-Dame in Beauport. At the age of 19, Marie Charlotte married André Mignier dit Lagacé on November 10, 1693, in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Liesse in Rivière-Ouelle. The couple had no children. Marie Charlotte died at the age of 24 on September 2, 1699. She was buried the following day in the parish cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Liesse in Rivière-Ouelle.

Constantly on the Move: From Settlement to Settlement in New France

Jean’s name appeared in a notarial document for the first time on October 18, 1655. The deed referred to the concession of a plot of land in Québec measuring 30 feet frontage by 30 feet, from the shore to the cliffs, given to Jean Pelletier “dit le gobloteur” and his associate René Chevalier. This location in Québec was generally reserved for businesses, not residences. Whatever commerce Jean and René had in mind, they seemingly abandoned the idea. They never occupied the space, and sold the land to Louis Levasseur on March 4, 1674.

On June 16, 1658, Jean sold a plot of land in the seigneurie of Beauport to Jean Mignault dit Châtillon. The land measured six arpents wide (facing the St. Lawrence River) and had previously belonged to his father Guillaume, who had died the previous year.

Excerpt of 1658 land sale from Jean Pelletier to Jean Mignault dit Châtillon, showing the participants’ signatures, including that of Jean “Peltier” (FamilySearch)

On December 26, 1663, Jean received a land concession on Île-d’Orléans on the north passage in the seigneurie of la Chevallerie from brothers Jean and Nicolas Juchereau. The land measured two arpents wide, facing the river (“frontage”). Jean would have to pay an annual “rente” of 20 sols per arpent of frontage and two deniers per arpent of frontage in “cens.” This land was located in the present-day parish of Saint-Pierre. 

Though he had been granted this plot of land, Jean and his family didn’t relocate to Île-d’Orléans right away. They remained on the côte de Beauport for a few years longer. On November 14, 1665, Jean was preparing for their move. On that date, he and Anne granted Guillaume Lizot (his future son-in-law) a plot of land measuring two arpents wide (facing the river) from their concession in Beauport. Guillaume would pay the Pelletiers 30 sols per arpent in width annually.

By the time the census of New France was enumerated in 1666, Jean and Anne had relocated their family to Île-d’Orléans. Daughter Marie Delphine, then unnamed, was only 8 days old and “not yet baptized.” 17-year-old Guillaume Lemieux was also living in the household, working for Jean on a month-to-month basis. 

1666 census for the Pelletier family (Library and Archives Canada)

In 1667, the Pelletier family was still living on Île-d’Orléans. There was one less family member in their home, as daughter Marie Delphine had sadly passed away. Jean owned 6 arpents of land, but no animals.

1667 census for the Pelletier family (Library and Archives Canada)

A 2024 satellite image of Île-d’Orléans, clearly showing the island’s seigneurial history with its long and narrow plots of land (Google)

Not long after the 1667 census was taken, Jean and Anne decided to leave Île-d’Orléans. On December 28, 1667, they sold the land concession to Jean’s brother-in-law Jean Langlois dit Boisverdun for 75 livres. The family returned to their land at Beauport.  

In 1672, Jean was tasked with an assignment that would eventually lead the family to move again. The Juchereaus asked him and Pierre Grosleau to record the inventory of goods left by the deceased François Pollet de la Pocatière, husband of Marie Anne Juchereau. Pollet had been granted a remote plot of land in Grande-Anse and was clearing it when he died on March 20, 1672. Jean travelled there to document the inventory. Grande-Anse would become La Pocatière, and Jean would return there years later.

Life on the Islands

On February 28, 1675, Jean and Anne sold part of their land in Beauport to Marie-Madeleine Macart and Charles Cadieu-Courville. Jean made his way to Île-aux-Oies, where his family joined him in 1676 (minus the eldest children Noël and Anne, who settled with their families at Grande-Anse). Two years later, the Pelletier family was living on neighbouring Île-aux-Grues, on a plot of land measuring six arpents wide across the entire depth of the island. [On a map, the two islands appear to be one and the same, but they are two separate islands connected by flats.]  

Île-aux-Oies (northern portion) and Île-aux-Grues (southern portion), northeast of Île-d’Orléans (Google)

 

Extract of the 1675 land sale from Jean Pelletier and Anne Langlois to Marie Madeleine Macart and Charles Cadieu-Courville (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

 

Settling in Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies

Around 1678, Jean sold the land on Île-aux-Grues to his former employee Guillaume Lemieux. It seems that Jean had grown restless yet again and went in search of new land. He found it at Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, near his children at Grande-Anse. Here he remained for the rest of his life. The 5-arpent plot of land was isolated, in the middle of a virgin forest, with a single neighbour, Pierre Saint-Pierre. Jean and Pierre were the two first colonists to settle in Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies. [Jean’s land was located about four kilometres east of the present-day church of Saint-Roch, at what is now called Village des Aulnaies, at the intersection of highways 2 and 20.]

Jean and Anne appeared in the 1681 census, living with their children René, Jean, Marie, Charles and Marie Charlotte. They owned one gun, nine head of cattle and five arpents of land.

1681 census for the Pelletier family (Library and Archives Canada)

Jean cleared his land and, likely with the help of his sons, chopped down trees. They converted the trees to wooden planks and sold them to Québec merchants. One such agreement was penned by notary Gilles Rageot on October 30, 1688. Jean and his son Noël sold 400 planks to merchant François Vienney dit Pachot.

 

Phips’s Attack on Rivière-Ouelle

In August of 1690, Sir William Phips left Boston with a fleet of 32 ships and 2,000 men, aiming to capture Québec and raid nearby villages. Rivière-Ouelle, just north of Grande-Anse (La Pocatière), was the first village of importance targeted by Phips. Governor Frontenac had ordered the Canadian militia to protect both banks of the river, but Grande-Anse was left undefended. Rivière-Ouelle’s priest, Abbé de Francheville, took charge, rallying the locals to defend both Rivière-Ouelle and Grande-Anse. According to Father Henri-Raymond Casgrain, Phips’s fleet dropped anchor in front of Rivière-Ouelle and several boats rowed towards the shore. Francheville’s men, hidden in the forest, waited for the enemy to approach. As they got to shore, the Canadians fired upon them, killing several and wounding many. Caught by surprise, the Bostonian fleet quickly retreated. Jean Pelletier is recorded as one of the “heroes of Rivière-Ouelle,” as is his eldest son Noel. By the time Phips reached Québec, his forces had depleted most of their ammunition and were overwhelmed by the defending French and Canadian troops. By late October, Phips and his men retreated back to Boston, marking a failed expedition.

 

“The defence of Quebec in 1690 by de Frontenac,” (Bibliothèque nationale de France)

 

“Frontenac receiving the envoy of Sir William Phips demanding the surrender of Quebec, 1690,” circa 1915 painting by Charles William Jefferys (Library and Archives Canada)

Deaths of Jean and Anne

On April 14, 1693, Jean and Anne sold a quarter of an arpent wide of their land in Beauport to Noël Vachon for 90 livres. They likely spent their remaining years in the home of their son Noël in Grande-Anse.

Jean Pelletier died at the age of 70 on February 24, 1698. He was buried the following day in the parish cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Liesse in Rivière-Ouelle, the only cemetery near Grande-Anse.

1698 burial of Jean Pelletier (Généalogie Québec)

Anne’s name appeared in notarial records twice before her death. On August 31, 1700, she donated her succession rights to her son-in-law André Minier dit Lagacé, the widower of Marie Charlotte Pelletier. On September 12, 1700, she sold some of her household items to her son Charles for 35 livres. 

Anne Langlois died at the age of 66 on March 16, 1704. She was buried the following day in the parish cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Liesse in Rivière-Ouelle.  

1704 burial of Anne Langlois (Généalogie Québec)

1709 map of the Government of Québec, with Pelletier lands in red (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

Jean Pelletier and Anne Langlois were pivotal figures in the early history of Canada. Through their numerous relocations and the establishment of a large family, they contributed significantly to the settlement and development of Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies and the surrounding area.

Today, there are Pelletiers in all Canadian provinces and many parts of the United States. Most descend from Guillaume Pelletier, Jean’s father. There are at least 26 known variations of the Pelletier name.

The Association des Familles Pelletier, founded in 1986, has more than 300 active members. They invite all those bearing the Pelletier name – either by blood or by marriage – and to all those simply interested in the history of the Pelletiers, to join the association. Visit their bilingual website at https://www.associationpelletier.ca/en/.  

 
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