The Boucher Matriarch

Perrine Mallet (1607-1687)

Perrine Mallet was born on March 9, 1607; at Courgeon, Mortagne, Sees, Perche, France; the daughter of  Pierre Mallet and Jacquette Leger.  She married Marin Boucher on March 29, 1629 at St. Jean Parish in Mortagne and the couple would have eight children.

Her Boucher Family

Marin Boucher was born on April 15, 1589, at St. Langlis de Mortagne, Perche, France; the son of Jacques Boucher and Francoise Paigne.  At the time of his marriage to Perrine, he was widowed from Julienne Baril, with whom he'd had seven children; only four still living. His interest in the 'New World' began early, piqued by the enthisiasm of his cousin, Samuel De Champain, and Marin was amoung the 80 colonists recruited by him in 1619.   It has been said that he was the brother of Gaspard Boucher, but according to official documents he was only listed as a 'relative'. However, there are at least two sisters that we know of; Jeanne, who married Thomas Hayot on July 15, 1629; and Antionette who was married to Guillaume Le Court.

In Champlain's will he states "I give to Marin, mason, living near the house of the Recollet Fathers, the last suit that I had made from material which I got at the store"

On to New France

Exactly when Marin returned to France after his first recruitement is unclear, but it's a safe bet that he was there about October of 1624, since his wife Julienne gave birth to a daughter Marie on June 8, 1625; their first in almost five years. In the spring of sring of 1634, when Robert Giffard was looking for colonists, the Boucher family were amoung those waiting at Dieppe to board the ship commanded by Duplessis-Boschard, and assisted by the Captains de Nesle, Bontemps, and de Lormel; to begin their new life.  They sold their home in Langy, that was beside that of Pierre Forget, and were really ready to start fresh. Arriving with the first contingent from Perche, they selected a site along the banks of the Saint-Lawrence River, which had originally belonged to the Recollects, (as mentoned in Champlain's will), that had been abandoned in 1629.  When they returned to Quebec several decades later, they claimed that this land still belonged to their order.

The Bouchers also had a farm, joint with Marin's brother-in-law;  Thomas Hayot (the ancestor of the Ayotte families), in Beauport, but according to the Jesuits on June 11,  1648, the two men separated, with Hayot keeping the farm, and Perrine and her husband taking over a concession next door to Olivier De Tardiff.  By now he had accumulated a fair bit of land, but according to Father Godbout in his history of Quebec: "Meanwhile our mason-farmer, advanced in age, little by little, gave up his concessions: He gave 11/2 arpents in frontage to his son-in-law Louis Houde which was returned to Marin on September 13, 1655 . He then gave 2 arpents to another son-in-law Jean Plante on April 15, 1656, which was receipted for on February 7, 1659; an increase of 8 perches on July 8, and right of passage on 27 September 1668.  "He gave another 2 arpents to his son Jean Galleran, on 30 April 1656, and added an increase of 71/2 perches on 15 December1662. He made a similar gift to his son Guillaume on 29July 1670". At the time of the 1667 census, Marin Boucher is listed at 80 years of age with his wife Perrine Mallet, 60;  8 head of cattle and 20 arpents under cultivation.

Marin Boucher died in 1671; and from the church registry of Chateau-Richer dated 29 March 1671, there is the following entry: "In the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ 1671, on the 29th of March died Marin Boucher after having lived as a good Christian and received the Holy sacraments of Eucharist, penance and the last rights of extreme unction, was buried in the cemetery of Château Richer by Monsieur Morel accompanied by the Reverend Father Nouvelle and by me doing priestly functions for them on the coast of Beaupre'."  (Signed) F. Fillion, missionary priest.  Periine herself, died on August 24, 1687; and is also buried at Chateau Richer.

The Next Generation

Louis-Marin - was born on August 25, 1630 at Mortagne, Chartres, Perche, Normandie, France.  He entered religious service and died on February 18, 1700 at Quebec City.

Jean-Galleran - was born on February 16, 1633 at St. Langey, Orme, Perche, France and died on March 29, 1714; at Kamouraska.  He married Marie Le Clerc, the daughter of Jonas Le Clerc and Marie Parmentier, on October 10, 1661 at Chateau Richer. The couple had eight children.

Francoise - was born on June 22, 1636; in Beauport and died on April 18, 1711 at Chateau Richer.  She married Jean Plante; the son of Nicolas Plante and Elisabeth Chauvin, on September 1, 1650.  The couple had six children.

Pierre Pitoche - was born on February 13, 1638/39, at Beauport and died on May 13, 1707 at Kamouraska.  He marrie  Marie-Anne Denys, the daughter of Pierre Denys and Vivienne Bunelle, on April 4, 1663 at Chateau Richer.  The couple had eleven children.

Madeliene - was born on August 4, 1641 at Quebec and died on October 28, 1709 at Laneuville, Saint-Croix, Quebec.  She married Louis-Noel Houde, the son of Noel Houde and Anne Lefebvre on January 12, 1665 at Chateau Richer.  The couple had fourteen children.

Marie - was born on April 11, 1644, at Quebec and died on January 1, 1712 at L'Ange-Gardien, Montmorency, Quebec.  She married Charles Gaudin, the son of Jacques Gaudin and Marguerite Nicole,  on November 6, 1656 at Chateau Richer.  The couple had seventeen children.

Marin II - was born on April 11, 1644, the twin of Marie; and died on January 7, 1712 at L'Ange-Gardien.

Guillaume - was born May 5, 1647 in Quebec and died on July 1, 1729 at Chateau Richer.  He married Marie-Jeanne Thibault, the daughter of Guillaume Thibault and Marie-Madeliene Francoise, on November 21, 1672 at Chateau-Richer.  The couple had one child.

Quebec Settler's Home Page

French Immigrant Home Page

Uniquely Canadian Site Map

Victorian Canada Home Page