| Notes |
- From World Family Tree, Family Archives CD # 65, Tree # 1855:
PIERRE BLANCHET
Pierre Blanchet was the anvestor of all the Blanchets in America. He was born at St-Omer-de-Roisers, Doicese of Amiens, in the Province of Picardy. His father's first name was Noel and his mother was Madeleine Valet. Blanchet or Blanquet is the word for the absence of color, namely white.
THE IMMIGRANT
The twenty-five-year-old Pierre was a weaver by trade. He appears for the first time in New France in the census of 1667. He lived as a paid domestic in the home of Simon Lefebre, located on a hillside nearby Note Dame des Anges, to the east of Quebec. We don't know any of the details about the term of his indenture, or the reason that motivated him to come to Quebec about 1665.
AN ADVANTAGEOUS MARRIAGE
Simon Lefebre-Anger had a neighbor thirteen houses down the row, one Guillaume Fournier. Simon introduced his employee, Pierre, to the Fournier family, who soon came to appreciate his fine qualities. Pierre, in his turn, appreciated their elsest daughter, Marie. To prove the worth of thia aspirant for his daughter's hand, Guillaume Fournier entrusted Pierre with the development of apiece of land he owned not far from Charlesbourg. The trial period was successful and the Seeigneur of St-Joseph gave his fourteen-year-old daughter in marriage. Marie, a flower of the countryside, was on her mather's (Francoise) side, the great granddaughter of Louis Hebert, the first Canadian Settler.
The marriage contract was signed on Sunday 13 October 1669, in the home of the woodworker Jacques de la Roe, in the presence of the Notary Pierre Duquet, as well as the relatives and friends of the Fiurnier family. Pierre Blanchet did not have any friends from Picardy with him, but three neighbors and their wives came from the Riviere-St-Charles to be his witnesses. Father Fournier gave his daughter a milk cow and to his newly acquired son-in-law he gave "a house the hew owned new Saint Joseph". Pierre for his part took care of his bride's future with the assurance of 400 Livres in case of his death and of 200 Livres from his estate before any other partition.
The marriage took place in Notre-Dame-de-Quebec on 17 February 1670, under thr supervision of Father Henri de Bernieres. The newlyweds made their first home in the little cabin near Saint Charles which Pierre had furnished while still a bachelor.
THE HAND ON THE PLOW
The land his father-in-law had given him was not very large, but neither did he own any draft animals. After three years working with an axe and mattock, Pioerre decided to leave his little home, his shed and his 4 arpents of cleared land. So on 13 october 1671, he went to Quebec and before Notary Romain Becquet he recieved a concession from Louis Couillard de Lespinay. The discription: "26 arpents of fully wooded land, of which 3 arpents from on the Saint Lawrence River to a depth of 40 arpents". This grant was located in Montmagny. The grant goes on to state that "the charges to the concessionaire shall consist of 3 Livresd and 3 lives capons in rent to the seigneur and one sol in 'cens' for all of the concession".
On 8 Octpber 1671, Pierre gave a three year lease on his property near Quebec to Etienne Potier. Tis farmer had to pay him "thirty bushels and stable wheat" delivered on the last day of October each year. However the following autumn Blanchet sold his property to Louis Rouer for the sum of 200 Livres. of which 100 was paid in cash.
AN UNWITTING BREECH
On 21 November 1674, Pierre Blanchet guaranteed to underwrite a payment of 21 Livres, 7 sols, 6 deniers, owed by his father-in-law to Pierre Normand the toolmaker. In order to avoid seizure of his boat in settlement of the debt, old Founier agreed to make payments in kind, i.e., four chairs. He defaulted on this too, and on 29 April 1675 the Soverign Council ordered Pierre to pay the debt plus costs.
Pierre continued to slave away on his farm at Pointe-a-la-Callie, even to expanding his domain by 4 more arpents in frontage. Toward the end ofthe summer of 1781 the census-taker visited the family, by now consisting of Pierre, his wife and 5 children. Their possessions were re orded as one gun, a half-timbered house, 7 head of cattle and 8 arpents of cultivateable land. His neighbors were Pierre Joncas and Jean Rolandeau (the ancestor of the Laurendeau's). Laret on, Pierre obtained yet another concession near the river, 5 by 40 arpents, at St-Pierre de Montmagny.
But lets take a look at another involuntary breech of the law. To saw a good plank one needs a good log and Pierre was providing Quebec with many good logs. While enjoying the fruit of his silviculture, quite inadvertantly one fine day, Pierre wandered onto his neighbors land and cut some trees, This neighbor was the Seigneur Louis Couillard who lost no time taking Pierre to the Soverign Council. Pierre pleaded ignorance and stated his willingness to restore that which was not his. The Court ordered him to place in the hands of his accuser a third of the timber in question. All this seems to have been too much for Pierre for the next thing we know he was turned into the Hotel-Dieu, the hospitl of Quebec, with a heart attack.
A DECIMATED FAMILY
Today, it is difficult to assess the anguish, suffering brought about by their infant mortality of those times. Pierre and Marie brought 16 children into the world, but only seven survived: Pierre, Pierre- Guillaume, Marie-Madeleine, Jean, Francoise, Simon and Louis. During the one year of 1681, three of the children were taken to the cemetary at Cap-St-Ignace. Then Simon,a sickly unmarried man, disappeared in his thirties. It may be surmised that the Blanchet family did not enjoy good health. It may also be surmised that if our ancestors, like us, dreaded death, they also pinned their hope on life, and with what heroism.
THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM
Old Pierre Blanchet fell gravely ill on 10 April 1709. He sent for the Cure Mesnage, made his confession, recieved the last Sacraments and told his pastor his last wishes. Pierre, the old churchwarden, gave 5 arpents of land to the parish in order to help pay for the construction of the church of Saint Pierre. Then he gave an arpent of river frontage for the priestly instruction of his youngest son, Louis, age 8 years; however, his desires were not fulfilled.
The present Church of Saint Pierre, builtwithin a few miles of the setting of the first two, is still a magnificent cultural achievement. Canadian historian B. Collins states, "Thanks to its historic value, to the highly classified works of art it holds, it was accepted as a historic monument",
Upon the death of Pierre, the missionary wrote in the Montmagny parish register, "This 12th day of the month of April in the year of 1709 has been buried in the cemetsary of the parish of Saint Thomas of the Pionte-a-la-Callie by me the indersigned....the 'bonhomme' Blanchet, age about 72 years, after having recieved all the sacraments. A High Mass was sung for him". In the history book of the Blanchet family, they say he was 65 years old. Doubtless he had the appearance of an older man of 72.
The title "bonhomme" must be understood in the full sense of the word. Pierre Blanchet was an honest man, a hard worker who had more heart than learning - he knew not how to write - and a ferverent Christian. It is in honor of Pierre Blanchet that the parish was placed under the protection of Saint Peter on 14 June 1713, because Our Ancestor had died at St-Pierre de Montmagny.
AN ACCOUNTING
At his death Pierre left no less than 64 arpents of usable land, of which 9 arpents were at Saint-Thomas and 55 at St-Pierre. The personal property left by him was valued at 810 Livres, 10 sols and 5 deniers. He had 2 big oxen in the stable, one black and the other red; 7 cows; 5 pigs; 4 geese; 7 chickens and a rooster. He had added a room of 40 square feet onto his half timbered house at St-Thomas, built of the stone of St-Pierre. Unfortunately, there was a lien against the estate of 500 Livres, owed to Sieur Lotbiniere. This sum was the remainder of a loan Pierre took out on 6 October 1696, in the amount of 1213 Livres and 10 sols.
As for his wife Marie Fournier, she put her affairs in order and placed herself under the guardianship of her son Jean. Used up by hard work and the bearing of 16 children, the lights of her life were extinguished at the age of 60 years. She was buried in January of 1716 at Saint-Pierre.
TO THEIR HONOR
Among the many illustrious descendants of Our Ancestor Blanchet we may take note of two Bishops; Augustin-Maglorie (1797-1887), the first bishop of Nesqually (Seattle); and Francois-Norbert, the Archbishop of Oregon City (POrtland). As a missionary priest to Richiboucton, New Brinswick, Father Francois-Norbert organized a pilgramage each year to St-Anne of the Burnt Church, where the Indians and Acadians met to happily celebrate the Feast Day of Mother Mary. Francois-Xavier Blanchet (1776 - 1830), a physician and a deputy, founded with his friends, a newspaper LE CANADIEN. Joseph-Goderic Blanchet (1820-1890), a physician and politician, was President of the National Assembly.
On 8 December 1973, a third descendant of Our Ancestor was consecrated Bishop of the Cathederal at Gaspe. His Excellency Monseigneur Bertrand Blanchet, born 19 September 1932 at Saint Thomas de Montmagny, is the son of Louis and Alberta Nicole. College Professor, Laureate in energy now o the service of God and people of the Gaspe. Thus a new glory to be added to those already in the Blanchet family.
In 1938, the parishioners of Saint Charles Borromeo in Missouri, raised a monument in the cemetary which bore this inscription, "In memory of Louis Blanchet, 'Chasseur', and founder of Saint Charles, Missouri, 1769". This Louise-Charles was born on 11 July 1739, from the marriage of Noel Blanchet and Marie-Xainte Fortin, at L'Islet. At the baptism of his first child in 1759, Louis then 20 years od, had for his first wife, Angelique Lichomchanga, a comely 17 year old Indian girl.
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1642 - 1709 (~ 67 years)
