Robert Giguère
Encyclopedia
Robert Giguère dit Despins (March 9, 1616 – August 1709) was an early pioneer
in New France
, one of the founders of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
and the progenitor of virtually all the Giguères in North America
.
, in the parish of Saint Aubin on March 9, 1616. Presumably he was born either on that day or just a few days earlier.
It is certain that Robert Giguère was in New France in 1651. However, according to George-Emile Giguère and others, in 1644, he was missing from French census records. Indeed, he could have arrived as early as 1642.
he was part of the revolution war
The name "Le Perche
" derives from the Latin "Silva pertica" which originally denoted an immense forest on the borders of the Gaulish cities of the Essuins (capital: Sées), the Eburovices (capital: Évreux), the Cenomans (capital: Le Mans) and the Carnutes (capital: Chartres). Located about 100 miles (160.9 km) southwest of Paris, in Lower Normandy, the Perche
has always been a Region. It was created sometime between 1079 and 1100, when Geoffroy IV, one of the region's most powerful landowners, extended his rule over both the county of Corbon (the present area around Mortagne) and the seigneury of Nogent-le-Rotrou, which made him the master of much of the old forest of le Perche. He assumed the title of "Count of le Perche
". His son Rotrou III, who added the seigniory of Bellême to these territories in 1113, brought le Perche to the size of a province, though it remained much smaller than the natural tract of the same name.
When Guillaume, the sixth Count of le Perche, died without an heir in 1226, the county reverted to the Crown. Le Perche would from then on be given out as an estate to the children or brothers of the King of France.
When the departments were being created by the Constituent Assembly in 1792, Le Perche
was carved up among four of them: Orne and Eure-et-Loir for the most part, and to a lesser extent, Sarthe and Loir-et-Cher.
As it was in the time of Robert Giguère, the Perche
has remained a beautiful pastoral area consisting mainly of gently rolling farmland, but unlike much of France, it is blessed with some beautiful forests. It also benefits from a number of rivers and streams.
. One such incentive had to do with the establishment of a group called "La Compagnie des Cent Associes" (The Company of One Hundred Associates
) who were to create seigneuries in Quebec
, which could then be subdivided and conceded to qualified immigrants. The apothecary and surgeon, Robert Giffard de Moncel
in the Perche, was the first to acquire a Quebec seigneury. Granted to him in 1634, his seigneurie was in the area presently called Montmorency County, east of the city of Quebec, with Chateau-Richer and L'Ange-Gardien, as two of the main communities. Giffard, who himself first went to Quebec in 1621, enlisted the aid of the brothers Jean and Noel Juchereau of Tourouvre to recruit people in the area for migration to Quebec. Noel spent much of his time in Perche doing the actual recruiting and contracting of emigrants, while Jean spent most of the time on the receiving end of the migration, in the Province of Quebec. And yet another Juchereau, Pierre, was active in France in readying the emigrants. The emigrants were often hired for a period of three years, thus they were called "Les 36 Mois" (The 36 months). Most of the recruits were bachelors who were to be paid from 40 to 120 livres per year. In addition, they were provided transportation to New France and were to receive some land. Most were unskilled and illiterate.
By the time that Samuel de Champlain
died in 1635, there were 132 settlers in the colony—35 of them were from Le Perche. Most of the departures occurred during the period 1634-1662.
117 days to reach Quebec in 1665, but a mere 35 days for the ship, Arc-en-ciel in 1678. From a navigational perspective, it was generally better to set sail from France before May 1.
Ships of the 17th century were generally smaller than 200 tonne, so the accommodations on board were modest. Food would often spoil due to water seepage, and passengers had to settle for cold meals and soggy bedding. Despite all the hardships and perils, most sailors and passengers arrived safely.
The first official mention of Robert Giguère in Canada is on February 21, 1651, when he received a grant of land from Sieur Oliver le Tardif. Located in Beaupre, the grant consisted of 5 arpent fronting on the Saint Lawrence River to a depth of 1.5 league, and, in addition to the annual rent of 20 sols and 12 deniers per arpent of frontage, it required Robert to establish a residence thereon within a year. If Giguère was in a position to accept such conditions, it may be assumed that he had been already in the country for some years and was familiar with the land, the climate, and was ready to settle down. However, a 1644 census in France found him absent from the country. Although there is no official record of his life in Canada prior to 1651, some historians feel confident that he arrived in New France as early as 1642 (Robert Giguère: Le Tourouvrain 1616–1711(??), 1979).
, Robert Giguère married Aymée Miville. He was 36, and she was 17. It was common in those days that men seldom married before the age of 30; women were typically under 20. She was one of the daughters of Pierre Miville dit Le Suisse ("The Swiss"). He was a mercenary soldier who had served in the Swiss Guards of Cardinal Richelieu. The marriage was performed by Father Joseph Poncet
, and notably witnessed by Jean de Lauzon
, the Governor of New France. This was indeed a great honour and an indication of the respect commanded either by Robert Giguère himself, or by his father in law, Pierre Miville.
In 1660, Jean-Baptiste, their fifth child was born. That same year, both Robert and Aymée were confirmed at Chateau Richer by Msgr. François de Laval
who would be named the first bishop of Quebec, in 1674.
in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
and diligently functioned as head vestryman for some time. He is regarded as a founder of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
.
No death certificate was recorded for Robert Giguère, or perhaps it was lost. However, most historians agree that he died in August of 1709, at the age of 93 years and 5 months. His wife, Aymée Miville followed him in death three years later, on December 10, 1712.
Robert and Aymée had 13 children, seven girls and six boys:
Five of his children were married, but only four had children. Of the boys, Joseph, Martin and Jean-Baptiste had children. Joseph and Jean-Baptiste remained in Quebec. Joseph lived out his life in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
, his descendants would later move across from Quebec City to the beautiful Île d'Orléans
. Jean-Baptiste settled in what is now Laprarie, Quebec and his descendants mostly come from Montreal. Martin, ultimately became the ancestor to most all Americans who call themselves Giguère, or any the many variations of the name.
Today there are no direct descendants of Robert Giguère in Tourouvre. One of the few signs that they had been there is a spot known as 'La Giguerie'.
They may have disappeared from Le Perche, but thanks to Robert, thousands of people, including the famous hockey player, Jean-Sébastien Giguère
, who call themselves Giguère or one of its many variants, can be found all over North America.
's secretary in his relation of the Schenectady massacre
..."A Canadian named Giguère, who had gone with nine Indians to reconnoitre, now returned to say that he had been within sight of Schenectady, and had seen nobody." In his book, "Un Giguère a la guerre avec Iberville" Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
, Georges-Emile Giguère presents evidence to prove that the "Giguère" mentioned was Robert's son, Jean-Baptiste. The same Jean-Baptiste may also have been among those who built Fort Detroit
.
Giddière, Gidier, Gignier, Gignière, Giguair, Giguaire, Giguèr, Giguèrre, Giguèrres, Giguert, Giguet, Giguery, Giguir, Gidière, Giguiar, Giguier, Giguière, Giguières, Giguièrres, Giguère, Giguir, Gigyere, Gegare, Jigger, etc. Other descendants use the Despins suffix.
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
in New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, one of the founders of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, north-east of the Quebec City. The population was 2,803 according to the Canada 2006 Census...
and the progenitor of virtually all the Giguères in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Early life
Little is known for certain about Robert Giguère's life in France. His parents were Jehan (Le Jeune) Giguère (born abt. 1580) and Michelle Jornel. Two brothers had married two sisters. Jehan's brother, Jehan "The elder" married Michelle's sister, Marie. Jehan and Michelle had nine children of which Robert was the sixth. He was baptized in the little church in TourouvreTourouvre
Tourouvre is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.-Heraldry:...
, in the parish of Saint Aubin on March 9, 1616. Presumably he was born either on that day or just a few days earlier.
It is certain that Robert Giguère was in New France in 1651. However, according to George-Emile Giguère and others, in 1644, he was missing from French census records. Indeed, he could have arrived as early as 1642.
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he was part of the revolution war
The Perche and Tourouvre
Perche
Perche is a former province of northern France extending over the départements of Orne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Sarthe, which were created from Perche during the French Revolution.-Geography:...
" derives from the Latin "Silva pertica" which originally denoted an immense forest on the borders of the Gaulish cities of the Essuins (capital: Sées), the Eburovices (capital: Évreux), the Cenomans (capital: Le Mans) and the Carnutes (capital: Chartres). Located about 100 miles (160.9 km) southwest of Paris, in Lower Normandy, the Perche
Perche
Perche is a former province of northern France extending over the départements of Orne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Sarthe, which were created from Perche during the French Revolution.-Geography:...
has always been a Region. It was created sometime between 1079 and 1100, when Geoffroy IV, one of the region's most powerful landowners, extended his rule over both the county of Corbon (the present area around Mortagne) and the seigneury of Nogent-le-Rotrou, which made him the master of much of the old forest of le Perche. He assumed the title of "Count of le Perche
". His son Rotrou III, who added the seigniory of Bellême to these territories in 1113, brought le Perche to the size of a province, though it remained much smaller than the natural tract of the same name.
When Guillaume, the sixth Count of le Perche, died without an heir in 1226, the county reverted to the Crown. Le Perche would from then on be given out as an estate to the children or brothers of the King of France.
When the departments were being created by the Constituent Assembly in 1792, Le Perche
Perche
Perche is a former province of northern France extending over the départements of Orne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Sarthe, which were created from Perche during the French Revolution.-Geography:...
was carved up among four of them: Orne and Eure-et-Loir for the most part, and to a lesser extent, Sarthe and Loir-et-Cher.
As it was in the time of Robert Giguère, the Perche
Perche
Perche is a former province of northern France extending over the départements of Orne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Sarthe, which were created from Perche during the French Revolution.-Geography:...
has remained a beautiful pastoral area consisting mainly of gently rolling farmland, but unlike much of France, it is blessed with some beautiful forests. It also benefits from a number of rivers and streams.
Why they came
For several reasons, people left their homes in this seemingly idyllic place to begin anew in a strange place so far away. Leaving everything one has loved and known to make a very long, danger filled journey to an unknown place so far away, could not have been easy in any sense. They were not persecuted or forced to leave, and Le Perche was not a poor area. For the most part, it was unmarried young men who came at least at first, and they came primarily for the adventure of it. That and the fact that the King of France had offered some incentives for his people to settle in New FranceNew France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. One such incentive had to do with the establishment of a group called "La Compagnie des Cent Associes" (The Company of One Hundred Associates
Company of One Hundred Associates
In 1627 the French government granted the company of 100 associates a monopoly on the fur trade in New france. In return the company was supposed to bring over 4000 French catholics to settle down in new france over the next 15 years. The company allowed the settlers to trade for furs directly with...
) who were to create seigneuries in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, which could then be subdivided and conceded to qualified immigrants. The apothecary and surgeon, Robert Giffard de Moncel
Robert Giffard de Moncel
Robert Giffard de Moncel was a French surgeon and apothecary who became a prestigious colonist and businessman and eventually a nobleman of New France....
in the Perche, was the first to acquire a Quebec seigneury. Granted to him in 1634, his seigneurie was in the area presently called Montmorency County, east of the city of Quebec, with Chateau-Richer and L'Ange-Gardien, as two of the main communities. Giffard, who himself first went to Quebec in 1621, enlisted the aid of the brothers Jean and Noel Juchereau of Tourouvre to recruit people in the area for migration to Quebec. Noel spent much of his time in Perche doing the actual recruiting and contracting of emigrants, while Jean spent most of the time on the receiving end of the migration, in the Province of Quebec. And yet another Juchereau, Pierre, was active in France in readying the emigrants. The emigrants were often hired for a period of three years, thus they were called "Les 36 Mois" (The 36 months). Most of the recruits were bachelors who were to be paid from 40 to 120 livres per year. In addition, they were provided transportation to New France and were to receive some land. Most were unskilled and illiterate.
By the time that Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
died in 1635, there were 132 settlers in the colony—35 of them were from Le Perche. Most of the departures occurred during the period 1634-1662.
The Journey
Something must be said about the courage of the people who made the perilous journey from France to the New World. These poor souls were subject to all sorts of perils: weather, pirates, and illness among the crew and themselves. With so many variables, the length of the trip could vary from one month to over three. For example, it took Jean TalonJean Talon
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France under King Louis XIV...
117 days to reach Quebec in 1665, but a mere 35 days for the ship, Arc-en-ciel in 1678. From a navigational perspective, it was generally better to set sail from France before May 1.
Ships of the 17th century were generally smaller than 200 tonne, so the accommodations on board were modest. Food would often spoil due to water seepage, and passengers had to settle for cold meals and soggy bedding. Despite all the hardships and perils, most sailors and passengers arrived safely.
The first official mention of Robert Giguère in Canada is on February 21, 1651, when he received a grant of land from Sieur Oliver le Tardif. Located in Beaupre, the grant consisted of 5 arpent fronting on the Saint Lawrence River to a depth of 1.5 league, and, in addition to the annual rent of 20 sols and 12 deniers per arpent of frontage, it required Robert to establish a residence thereon within a year. If Giguère was in a position to accept such conditions, it may be assumed that he had been already in the country for some years and was familiar with the land, the climate, and was ready to settle down. However, a 1644 census in France found him absent from the country. Although there is no official record of his life in Canada prior to 1651, some historians feel confident that he arrived in New France as early as 1642 (Robert Giguère: Le Tourouvrain 1616–1711(??), 1979).
Marriage
On July 2, 1652, in the Notre-Dame de Québec CathedralNotre-Dame de Québec Cathedral
The Cathedral-minor basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec , located at 20, rue de Buade, Quebec City, Quebec, is the primate church of Canada and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, the oldest see in the New World north of Mexico.It is also the parish church of the oldest parish in North...
, Robert Giguère married Aymée Miville. He was 36, and she was 17. It was common in those days that men seldom married before the age of 30; women were typically under 20. She was one of the daughters of Pierre Miville dit Le Suisse ("The Swiss"). He was a mercenary soldier who had served in the Swiss Guards of Cardinal Richelieu. The marriage was performed by Father Joseph Poncet
Joseph Poncet
Joseph Anthony de la Rivière Poncet was a French Jesuit missionary to Canada.-Life:He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Paris at nineteen, as a student in rhetoric and philosophy...
, and notably witnessed by Jean de Lauzon
Jean de Lauzon
Jean de Lauzon or de Lauson was the French Governor of New France from 1651 to 1657, one of the most challenging times for the colony....
, the Governor of New France. This was indeed a great honour and an indication of the respect commanded either by Robert Giguère himself, or by his father in law, Pierre Miville.
In 1660, Jean-Baptiste, their fifth child was born. That same year, both Robert and Aymée were confirmed at Chateau Richer by Msgr. François de Laval
François de Laval
This article is in part a sermon and generally comes close to hagiography.Blessed François-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Quebec and was one of the most influential men of his day. He was appointed when he was 36 years old by Pope Alexander VII. He was a member...
who would be named the first bishop of Quebec, in 1674.
Death and legacy
Indications are that Robert Giguère was a well-respected member of the community: he had donated some land for the BasilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, north-east of the Quebec City. The population was 2,803 according to the Canada 2006 Census...
and diligently functioned as head vestryman for some time. He is regarded as a founder of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, north-east of the Quebec City. The population was 2,803 according to the Canada 2006 Census...
.
Robert and Aymée had 13 children, seven girls and six boys:
- Marie Charlotte (1653–????)
- Martin (1655–????)
- Jeanne (1657–1673)
- Marie (1659–1710)
- Jean-Baptiste (1660–1750)
- Robert (1663–1711)
- Pierre (1665–????)
- Marie-Anne (1668–1762)
- Etienne (1670–1749)
- Ange (1671–????)
- Joseph (1673–1741)
- Marie-Agnes (1675–1760)
- Marguerite (1678–1723)
Five of his children were married, but only four had children. Of the boys, Joseph, Martin and Jean-Baptiste had children. Joseph and Jean-Baptiste remained in Quebec. Joseph lived out his life in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, north-east of the Quebec City. The population was 2,803 according to the Canada 2006 Census...
, his descendants would later move across from Quebec City to the beautiful Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans
Île d'Orléans is located in the Saint Lawrence River about east of downtown Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The island was one of the first parts of the province to be colonized by the French, and a large percentage of French Canadians can trace ancestry to early residents of the island...
. Jean-Baptiste settled in what is now Laprarie, Quebec and his descendants mostly come from Montreal. Martin, ultimately became the ancestor to most all Americans who call themselves Giguère, or any the many variations of the name.
Today there are no direct descendants of Robert Giguère in Tourouvre. One of the few signs that they had been there is a spot known as 'La Giguerie'.
They may have disappeared from Le Perche, but thanks to Robert, thousands of people, including the famous hockey player, Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
, who call themselves Giguère or one of its many variants, can be found all over North America.
Trivia
Robert Giguère's son, Jean-Baptiste, may have been involved in the burning of Schenectady in 1690. He may have functioned as a scout on the raid. According to, Monseignat, governor Louis de Buade de FrontenacLouis de Buade de Frontenac
Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698...
's secretary in his relation of the Schenectady massacre
Schenectady massacre
The Schenectady Massacre was a Canadien attack against the village of Schenectady in the colony of New York on 8 February 1690. A party of more than 200 Canadiens and allied Mohawk nation, Sault and Algonquin warriors attacked the unguarded community, destroying most of the homes, and killing or...
..."A Canadian named Giguère, who had gone with nine Indians to reconnoitre, now returned to say that he had been within sight of Schenectady, and had seen nobody." In his book, "Un Giguère a la guerre avec Iberville" Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville pronounced as described in note] (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1702 (probable)was a soldier, ship captain, explorer, colonial administrator, knight of...
, Georges-Emile Giguère presents evidence to prove that the "Giguère" mentioned was Robert's son, Jean-Baptiste. The same Jean-Baptiste may also have been among those who built Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
.
Spelling variations
Here are some of the most common variations of the name Giguère in use today throughout America:Giddière, Gidier, Gignier, Gignière, Giguair, Giguaire, Giguèr, Giguèrre, Giguèrres, Giguert, Giguet, Giguery, Giguir, Gidière, Giguiar, Giguier, Giguière, Giguières, Giguièrres, Giguère, Giguir, Gigyere, Gegare, Jigger, etc. Other descendants use the Despins suffix.