WHO'S YOUR ANCESTOR?

THE TWO PRINCIPAL FAMILIES

As of today, after many research, we can confirm that the Faucher, Foucher, Châteauvert and Saint-Maurice originated from two couple. Born in France, these ancestors have emigrated in Nouvelle-France in the mid 17^th century. Jean Foucher married to Jeanne Malteau de Richecourt is the first couple. Their descendants bear the surname of Foucher and Faucher. The second couple is Léonard Faucher named Saint-Maurice and his wife Marie Damois. Their descendant bear the surname of Faucher, Châteauvert and Saint-Maurice.

Many others bearing the surname of Faucher and Foucher have emigrated during the 17^th and 18^th century. We cannot confirm wether these people have any descendant or not.

Including these two couples, there are at least seven french with the surname of Foucher and two with the surname of Faucher that came to Nouvelle-France during the 17^th and 18^th century. This is a list of these people in the order of approximate arrival :

1. ... Foucher

The first Foucher, from whom we have no first name, was in Nouvelle-France in 1626. He was working in Quebec city and later in a farm in Cap-Tourmente as a farmer for Samuel de Champlain. De Champlain had decided to built a house, a farm and a cabin in Cap-Tourmente so he could have mens to look for his farm animals ₄. Foucher had under his supervision eight men. On July the 9^th 1626, the farm was attacked by french trators send from Tadoussac by the Kirk brothers commanding some ships to take over the city of Quebec. Foucher was made prisonner. Badly treated, he escaped with the help of indians. In his escape, the english « lui frisèrent les moustaches » .₁ Foucher spent the winter in Quebec city and on June 26^th 1629, embark on Eustache Boullé, Champlain’s brother in-law, to go to Gaspé and eventually sail back to France. ₄

2. Jehan Fouchez and Jeanne Malteau de Richecourt

In 1656, Jehan Fouchez settled on the Orléans Island. He was the son of Pierre and deceased Jeanne Troplonge, from Cressac near Angoulême in Saintonge (today called Charente). On November 4^th 1659, at Notre-Dame de Quebec, he married Jeanne Malteau de Richecourt, daughter of deceased Paul and Marie Gaubert of St-Jean de LaCassine, near Charleville-Mézières in Picardie (today called Ardennes). This couple is at the origin of the Foucher and Faucher branch of Orléans Island, and some of their descendants kept the surname of Foucher but many of them became Faucher. They had three sons, all born in Ste-Famille, Orléans Island. ₂

3. Léonard Faucher dit Saint-Maurice and Marie Damois

A Faucher working as a carpenter for Antoine Rouillard is first noticed at the 1666 census of Quebec city. He’s Léonard Faucher dit Saint-Maurice, son of Barthélémy and Sibille (alias Bénigne dite "Binle") Briance, from Saint-Maurice de Limoges parish, in Limousin (today called Haute-Vienne). He settles at Pointe-aux-Trembles de Québec (now Neuville) with a « Fille du roi », Marie Damois, witch he married on October 15^th 1669 in Quebec city. Marie Damois is the daughter of Pierre and Marie Lefebvre both from St-Jean d’Elbeuf near Rouen in Normandie (today called Seine-Maritime). This couple had twelve children and they are the origin of the Faucher branch of Neuville. Many of their descendants took the surname of Châteauvert and Saint-Maurice.

4. Jacques Foucher dit Laviolette and Geneviève Chevalier

A forth Foucher, Jacques Foucher dit Laviolette, son of François and Jeanne Ghichetel from Reignac near Barbezieux et Cognac in Saintonge (today called Charente) married Geneviève Chevalier on January 26^th 1701, daughter of Joseph and Francoise-Marthe Barton. Brewer and a milice sergent in Montréal, Jacques Foucher died June 9^th 1718 without any children. His wife married François Boudret dit Duford in Montréal on October 24^th 1719.

5. Joseph Faucher and Marguerite Marcot

A second Faucher, Joseph, from unknown origin, married Marguerite Marcot on January 27^th 1704, daughter of Nicolas et Martine Tavrey. This marriage contract is signed in front of Notary Guillaume de Nevers and witness to this mariage is Jean Pérusse, friend of Joseph. This mariage contract is registered on January 29^th 1715 at the Laneuville notary greffe in Lotbinière where the couple lived. They had five children and three sons got married. Two settled in Saint-Louis de Lotbinière and the other settled in Yamachiche. We can trace their descendants for at least seven generations.

6. Robert Foucher dit Saint-Aubin and Hélène Lemieux

A fifth Foucher, Robert Foucher dit Saint-Aubin from an unknown town was a son of Jacques et Françoise Friard. He married Hélène Lemieux, daughter of Gabriel and Marguerite Leboeuf (already widow of René Paquet) on November 23^rd 1705 in Quebec city. At the 1716 census , Robert Foucher is a cabaratier in the lower city of Quebec city. This couple has no descendants.

7. François Foucher dit Fouchet, Marie-Bernadine Lebé and M.-Josèphe Legardeur

A sixth Foucher, François Foucher dit Fouchet, from Maillebois, Chartres parish in Beauce (today called Eure-et-Loire) arrived in Quebec in 1723 as a writer for the King and secretary for the Intendant François Bigot. Son of Jacques and Charlotte-Elisabeth Joubert, François Foucher was also the King district atorney in Montréal on April 29^th 1727. First married on November 21^st 1724 in Quebec city with Marie-Bernadine Lebé, daughter of Jean-Jacques and Françoise Lemaître, he had only one son : Jean-François, born on march 5^th 1726. Marie-Bernadine Lebé died (in the church) only six days after giving birth to his son. François Foucher got lather married with Marie-Josèphe Legardeur of Courtemanche, daughter of Augustin and Marie-Charlotte Charet. Thirteen children were born from this second mariage. The fisrt child was baptised in Quebec and all the others in Montréal. It is today impossible to tell if there are any living descendant of this couple.

8. Antoine Foucher and Marie-Joachim Chénier

A seventh Foucher, Antoine, merchant and public notary, son of Jean-Baptiste and Claude Baudin, was from Bourges in Berry (today called Cher). He praticed his profession from 1746 to 1800 in the Montréal area. From his first marriage to Marie-Joachim Chénier on November 11^th 1743, daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Barbe Rapin, he had three sons and seven girls. Six of them died at low age. Marie-Joachim Chénier died in Montréal on January 23^rd 1786. The next year, Antoine Foucher got married this time to Marie-Louise Giguère on August 4^th 1787. She was the widow of Jean-Marie Descaries. No children were born from this 2^nd marriage. Antoine Foucher, notary and widow of his second wife since March 14^th 1795, Marie-Louise Giguère, was buried on February 17^th 1801 in Montréal. There are no descendants from the 3^rd generation.