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Pierre Blais & Anne Perrault

Discover the story of Pierre Blais and Anne Perrault, a pioneering couple from New France who settled on Île-d'Orléans in the 17th century. He was a hired man from Angoumois; she was a Fille du roi from Paris. Together, they founded a family whose descendants still carry the Blais name throughout North America.

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Pierre Blais & Anne Perrault

A Founding Family on Île-d’Orléans

 

Location of Hanc in France (Mapcarta)

Pierre Blais, son of Mathurin Blais and Françoise Pénigaut, was born around 1642 in Hanc, in the old province of Angoumois, France. His baptism record has not been located. Pierre’s surname has appeared in various phonetic forms: Blais, Blay, Blé, Blez, Blet, Blaise, etc.

Located about 95 kilometres east of the port city of La Rochelle, Hanc is now part of the rural commune of Valdelaume in the Deux-Sèvres department, which has a population of about 800 residents.

Postcard of Hanc (Geneanet)

Arrival and Settlement in New France

In his early twenties, Pierre decided to leave his home country for the adventure of New France. He likely signed a three-year work contract, although the document has not been found. In early April 1664, he boarded Le Noir de Hollande in La Rochelle. The ship carried a crew of 30 men, 51 recruits (50 men and 1 woman), 10 barrels of brandy, 400 small axes, and 6 ewes. On the passenger list, Pierre is recorded as “Pierre Ble” from “Cheboutonne.” [Chef-Boutonne is about six kilometres southeast of Hanc.] 

On 25 May 1664, after a seven-week crossing, Pierre and his fellow passengers arrived at Québec.

Extract of the 1664 passenger list of Le Noir de Hollande (Archives départementales de la Charente-Maritime)

The day after the ship’s arrival, the Sovereign Council ordered that, of the 50 men who had arrived on Le Noir de Hollande and the 250 others due to arrive shortly, two-thirds would be distributed to Québec and the surrounding coasts, and the other third to Trois-Rivières, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, and Montréal.

Pierre was recorded in the census of New France in 1667, living on Île-d’Orléans. He was enumerated as a 25-year-old single man.

1667 census of New France entry for Pierre “Blaye” (Library and Archives Canada)

In 1667, probably after the completion of his work contract, Pierre settled permanently in his new home. On June 22 of that year, he received a land concession from François de Laval, "Bishop of Pétrée, Vicar Apostolic in New France and seigneur of Beaupré and Île-d’Orléans." Located on the south passage of Île-d’Orléans, in the future parish of Saint-Jean, the land measured three arpents of frontage, facing the St. Lawrence River.

Pierre committed to settling on the land within a year. On each feast day of Saint-Martin, he agreed to pay 20 sols in rente per arpent of frontage to his seigneur, 12 deniers in cens, plus three live capons (or 30 sols each), at the seigneur’s discretion. The concession document was drawn up by notary Paul Vachon in Québec. This is where Pierre would live for the remainder of his days.

Pierre’s signature on the 1667 concession (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

 

Extract of the land concession to Pierre Blais (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

 

Anne Perrault, daughter of Jean Perrault and Jeanne Valta, was born on November 17, 1647, in the parish of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, France. Her name appears in a variety of phonetic forms in genealogical documents. She signed as “Perro.”

17ht-century engraving of the old Church of Saint-Sulpice by Mathys Schoevaerdts (Wikimedia Commons)

Detail from the 1615 Merian map of Paris showing part of the Left Bank of the Seine with the Church of Saint-Sulpice in the upper right corner (Wikimedia Commons)

A Fille du roi, Anne emigrated to New France in 1669, bringing with her goods valued at 300 livres for her dowry.  

Marriage and Children

On September 23, 1669, notary Pierre Duquet de Lachesnaye drew up a marriage contract between Pierre Blais and Anne Perrault. The groom was about 27 years old; the bride was 21. The contract followed the norms of the Coutume de Paris (the Paris custom). The prefix dower was set at 300 livres. Anne brought goods valued at 300 livres, of which 150 livres would enter into the community, the other half remaining her own. Anne signed the marriage contract, but curiously, Pierre declared he could not. [Matching signatures appear on 1667 and 1689 notarial documents.]

Anne’s signature on the 1669 contract (FamilySearch)

The Coutume de Paris governed the transmission of family property in New France. Whether or not a couple had a marriage contract, they were subject to the “community of goods,” meaning all property acquired during the marriage became part of the community. The dower referred to the portion of property reserved by the husband for his wife in the event she outlived him. Upon the death of the parents, the community property was divided equally among all children, both sons and daughters. If one spouse died, the surviving spouse retained half of the community property, while the other half was shared among the children. When the surviving spouse passed away, their share was also divided equally among the children. Inventories were drawn up after a death to itemize all the goods within a community.

Pierre and Anne were married on October 12, 1669, in the parish of Sainte-Famille on Île-d’Orléans.

1669 marriage of Pierre and Anne (Généalogie Québec)

Pierre and Anne had at least ten children:

  1. Martin (1670–bef. 1681)

  2. Pierre (1672–1672)

  3. Pierre (1673–1733)

  4. Marie Anne Jeanne (1675–bef. 1735)

  5. Antoine (1677–1734)

  6. Joseph (ca. 1679–?)

  7. Jacques (1682–1759)

  8. [anonymous] (1684–1684)

  9. Jean Baptiste (1685–1752)

  10. Marguerite (1688–1765)

In 1681, Pierre and Anne were recorded in the census of New France living on Île-d’Orléans with their four children. The family owned one gun, four head of cattle, and 15 arpents of cleared or cultivated land.

1681 census for the “Belé” family (Library and Archives Canada)

Death of Anne Perrault

Anne Perrault died in childbirth at age 40 on June 29, 1688. She was buried the following day in the parish cemetery of Saint-Jean on Île-d’Orléans. [The burial record indicated she was 45 years old.]

1688 burial of Anne Perrault (Généalogie Québec)

On April 18, 1689, friends and family gathered to elect a guardian and supervisory guardian for Pierre and Anne’s minor children. Pierre was elected the children’s legal guardian, and Martin Poisson, his neighbour, was elected supervisory guardian. The agreement was drawn up by notary Paul Vachon.  

On the same day, the same notary prepared an inventory of Pierre and Anne’s community of goods. The 12-page document listed all of their possessions, including the family land, their home (valued at 400 livres), two sheds, and a stable. Inside the home were kitchen utensils and cookware, tools, several chests, armoires, clothing, linens, an old pair of snowshoes, and a feather bed. In the attic were 26 minots of wheat, 16 minots of flour, five minots of peas, and other food stores. The family’s animals included oxen, calves, and pigs. The document also listed a few debts, as well as important legal papers. [This is only a sample of the goods listed, as the notary’s handwriting is difficult to read.]

Finding himself a widower with seven children to care for, Pierre sought to remarry quickly. On June 1, 1689, notary François Genaple de Bellefonds drew up a marriage contract between Pierre and Marie Élisabeth “Isabelle” Royer in Québec. Pierre was 47 years old; his bride was 19. The contract followed the norms of the Coutume de Paris. The prefix dower was set at 300 livres. Both spouses declared they could not sign.  

 

Widowhood and Remarriage

In the challenging environment of New France, marriages lasting more than 20 years were uncommon. Upon the death of a spouse, it was essential for the surviving partner to remarry swiftly. Most families were large, making the task of raising children alone particularly difficult. Widows faced greater challenges in finding a new husband, especially if they had many children or limited means. Youth increased the likelihood of remarriage. On average, widows remarried within three years, while widowers typically did so within two. In the early years of the colony, before 1680, about half of all widows and widowers remarried within a year.  

Pierre and Élisabeth were married four days later, on June 5, in the parish of Saint-Jean on Île-d’Orléans. Élisabeth’s stepfather, Robert Tourneroche, was present at the wedding, along with Mr. Tibierge [given name unknown], Julien Dumont, Nicolas Odet [Audet], Martin Poisson, and Pierre Feuilleteau.

 

1689 marriage of Pierre Blais and Élisabeth Royer (Généalogie Québec)

 

The couple settled on Pierre’s land in the parish of Saint-Jean. Pierre and Élisabeth had five children: François, Alexis, Marie Anne, Louis, and Gabriel.  

That same year, in 1689, engineer and cartographer Robert de Villeneuve drew a detailed map of Île-d’Orléans. Pierre’s land is identified by numbers 29 and 30 on the map.

1689 map of Île-d’Orléans (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

Death of Pierre Blais

Pierre Blais died of “sudden death” at about age 58 on February 16, 1700. He was buried two days later in the Saint-Jean parish cemetery on Île-d’Orléans.

1700 burial of Pierre Blais (Généalogie Québec)

Blais Heritage

Pierre Blais is the ancestor of most Blais descendants in North America. In 2000, a commemorative plaque was installed on his land on Île-d’Orléans in his honour by the Association des Blais d’Amérique. It is located at 4442, chemin Royal, in the village of Saint-Jean on Île-d’Orléans.

Commemorative plaque (Christian Lemire 2005, © Ministère de la Culture et des Communications)

The Blais Legacy in North America

Together, Pierre Blais and Anne Perrault represent the resilience and ambition that defined the early settlers of New France. He arrived as a young labourer from rural France; she crossed the Atlantic as a Fille du roi, bringing with her the hopes of a new life. On Île-d’Orléans, they cleared land, raised a large family, and laid the foundations of a lineage that would span centuries and borders. Their story is one of adaptation, survival, and quiet perseverance—an enduring testament to the families who shaped the beginnings of French Canada.

Over time, the Blais name evolved alongside the family itself. In Canada, historical and regional spelling variations include Blai, Blaie, Blait, Blay, Blaye, Blays, Blè, Bled, and Blèe—reflecting shifts in pronunciation, transcription, and orthographic habits. In the United States, the name was often anglicized to Blair. These variations serve as a reminder of the family's migration, integration, and lasting presence across North America.

 
 
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