Jean was born on 30 APR 1635 in Paris, Seine, Île-de-France, France , the son of unknown parents.
He died on 07 MAY 1711 in Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Québec QC .
He had two marriages/partners. His first wife was Marie-Xainte Vié dit Vivier, who he married on 27 AUG 1664 in Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec QC . Their seventeen known children were Charlotte-Françoise (1665-1749), René (1667->1681), Louis (1669-<1770), Jean (1671-c1702/03), Joseph (1672/73-1753), Marie-Madeleine (1674-c1674), François (1675-1737), Pierre (1677->1697), Louis (1678-1678), Marie-Genevieve (1679-c1680), Denis (1681-1681), Jean-Louis (1682-1747), Joseph-Lucien (1684-c1748), Françoise-Charlotte (1686-c1686), Marie-Josèphe (1687-1763), Marie-Anne (1689-c1767) and Pierre (1691-c1691).
His second wife was Marie-Anne Lavoie-DeLavoye, who he married on 26 APR 1695 in Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec QC . Their ten known children were Charles (1695/96-c1695/96), Élisabeth (c1697-?), Marie-Madeleine (1699-c1703), Marie-Jeanne (1700-?), Philippe (1702-c1712), Jacques (1704-1774), Marie-Anne dite Marie-Madeleine (1706-c1771), Marie-Louise (1707/08-?), Marie-Anne (1709-?) and Pierre-Ignace (1710/11-c1711).
| Event | Date | Details | Source | Multimedia | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 30 APR 1635 |
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| Death | 7 MAY 1711 |
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Note 1
Chapter 17
Jean Poitras
A surname of Poitras or Poidras refers to someone with a generous physique. The only Canadian ancestor with this name was Jean. The son of Laurent and of Renée Bertin said he was originally from Cugand, a present-day suburb of Montagu, one of the main towns in the canton of the arrondissement of la Roche-sur-Yvon. Cugand occupies the northern part of the department of the Vendée in the former province of Poitou. During the time of Jean Poitras, Cugand depended on the Breton diocese of Nantes where Gabriel de Beauvau (1636-1667) guided the destiny of this diocese which is still functional; now it belongs to the diocese of Luçon and has a population of 2,425 inhabitants(1982).
The small town of Cugand, which witnessed the birth of Ancestor Poitras, was then a part of Clisson, a town located 3 kilometers moreto the north, in Brittany. According to history, it is perhaps more accurate to state that Jean Poitras was of Breton blood. Such are the French origins of our ancestor Jean.
REGION OF QUÉBEC
Jean Poitras may have come to the colony as a free agent since no indenture contract on his part has ever been found. His name was heard for the first time on 29 March 1664, in the precinct of the Sovereign Council of New France at Québec . Jean was ordered to deliver 3 1/2 minots of wheat to Thierry Delestre, a tailor. This succinct judgment leaves us a little, perplexed. Why pay in wheat?
According to Leon Roy, Jean would have owned a piece of land on the Île d'Orléans, according to a contract dated 23 January 1664 an dsigned by Vachon. This notarized act is lost, but the notes of Claude Auber mention its existence on 5 April 1666, when François Chaussée acquired this Poitras property at Saint-Pierre on the island.
Jean Poitras was certainly in the region of Quebec in 1663, and very probably before that year.
ANCESTRESS MARIE-XAINTE VIÉ
From 1663 to 1673, more than 700 French female immigrants came to Canada at the expense of the royal treasury. They were known by the name of "Daughters of the King" and to be more exact: filles du Roy. In 1664, 17 of them arrived, 12 of whom were destined for the government of Quebec.
One of them, according to Silvio Dumas, was named Marie-Xainte Vié.The daughter of Robert Vié, Sieur de la Mothe, first sergeant in acompany of the regiment de Gardes, and of Xainte Paulin, from Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs, in the city of Paris, was not truly a stranger to the country, since living here was Marguerite Breton, her half-sister, wife of Nicolas Paternaude, and her sister Marie Vié who was married on 27 November 1659 to Hubert Simon dit Lapointe, aresident of Québec. Did Marie-Xainte Vié arrive in the country in the summer of 1663 and as a marriageable girl? Perhaps.
On 23 July 1664, Jean Poitras and Marie-Xainte Vié asked notary Paul Vachon to draft their marriage contract. They wanted to be marriedwith community property. Marie-Xainte brought a minimum dowry valued at 100 livres.
On the following 27 August, Jean Poitras and his bride appeared at the church of Notre-Dame de Québec to have their marriage blessed by Father Louis Ango de Maizerets. Nicolas Patenaude and Jacques Raté served as their privileged witnesses.
Thus began, quite simply, the numerous Vié-Poitras descendants in America.
Jean Poitras is not classified among powerful scientists capable of predicting earthquakes nor analyzing the tails of comets. He was a humble and persistent worker, a responsible head of family, a respectable resident.
In the census of 1666, in the month of March, he was classified as a 27 year old woodworker, a resident of the city of Quebec; his wife, mother of a daughter already 3 months old, said she was 16 years old.In 1667, Jean became younger by stating 25 year of age!
On 2 August 1666, Jean bought a piece of land with 3 ar pents in frontage by 10 deep on the Saint-Charles River from Jean Panier. These 30 arpents, subtracted from a property of 50 that Noel Moirn had obtained from the Conseil de la Traite on 20 December 1659, had only been the property of Panier for a couple of months. The descendant,who would like to walk on this ancestral property today, would find it between the Rue Calixa Lavallée as far as that of General Vanier, from the Hôpital Saint-Sacrament to the Saint-Charles River.
The Poitras family actually lived on this farm between Louis Sédillot and the late Jean Bourdon, according to a document of notary Becquetdated 2 January 1669.
Evidently woodworking jobs were easier to obtain in the city than elsewhere. On 13 May 1668, Jean bought a lot measuring 40 x 80 feetfrom Pascal Lemaitre. It was on the corner of Rue Sainte-Anne and Rue Desjardins in the Upper Town, near the college of the Jesuits. He built a shop there.
Will the Poitras family live in the city or not? On 2 April 1670, Charles Aubert de la Chesnaye, bought the Poitras farm, containing 5 arpents of land worked by pickaxe, a cabin and a shed. On 4 August of the same year, the Nursing Sisters of the Hôtel-Dieu ceded 60 arpents of land to Poitras in the Saint-Ignace fief, today the quarter Duverger. However, verbally, Jean immediately relinquished this concession in favor of the Poitevin Melaine Bonnet. It was only on 30 August 1671 that this sale was formalized in the presence of a notary. Then Agnes Morin, the widow Gaudry, offered Jean Poitras 3,200 square feet of land near the Rue des Jesuits. This "area of land" was adjacent to the site that he already owned. The transaction, concluded on 14 September 1670, was annulled by the church wardens before 27 March 1672.
Jean Poitras and his family still did not seem to have acquired the security of a steady home. What has the future in store for them?
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
The die was cast. The Poitras family would live in the heart of the city of Quebec, across from the college of the Jesuits, near the Ursulines, on the north-east corner of the intersection of Rues Sainte-Anne and Desjardins. On 20 October 1671, the master woodworker Jean Chenier was hired to build a house, 30 by 20 feet, on the lot bought from Pascal Lemaitre in 1668. Jean Poitras paid 400 livres tohave this work done.
Moreover, Poitras earned his living in the city. He was part of the Confrerie de Sainte-Anne which organized Catholic woodworkers andtheir families. A receipt given on 2 March 1670 by the three Jeans: Levasseur, Poitras and Jobin, proved that our ancestor was an active member of this group.
The Poitras family rented a pew in the cathedral church on 10 April 1672. This was very expensive: 18 livres per year. We can understandwhy the family gave it up to the merchant François Hazeur on 29 March 1676. All the same, this manner of living brought a few feathers to place on his cap.
When on 19 November 1672, Jean Poitras hired the 18 year old son of Jean Patenaude as his apprentice for 3 years, the notary Becquet choseto classify the master woodworker as a "bourgeois of Québec".
The Poitras human capital grew rapidly. With 5 sons to provide for, he needed to acquire land. On 24 May 1679, the head of the family bought from the Jesuits at Lorette a piece of land with 60 square arpents, on which there was a house, barn, stable, animals, etc. The price of this acquisition: 1,200 livres or 60 livres in annual rent. It was still not enough for Jean's appetite for land. On the following 2 July, he bought another one of equal dimensions, adjacent thereto, from Michel Legardeur, for the reasonable amount of 120 livres.
The debts accumulated and some decisions had to be made. The house on Rue Sainte-Anne was leased for 2 years to Pierre Moreau dit LaTaupine,for 110 livres a year. Jean kept the shop for himself but his family must have left the area.
SA1NTE-GENEVIÈVE COAST
The Poitras family went to live at the mission of Lorette. In addition, they obtained a homestead on the Sainte-Geneviève Coast in the Saint-François fief, still on the outskirts of Québec. This farm, with rolling meadows, a small house and an old barn, was farmed by Jean Poirier. On 2 December 1679, the nursing sisters of the Hôtel-Dieu placed as a condition to this sale that their farmer must bring in the harvests for the coming year.
For about 16 years, beginning in 1781, Jean farmed his land at Lorette at the same time as that of Sainte-Geneviève where he lived. This land, measuring 2 arpents and 5 perches, bordered the lands of the Coulonges as far as the Saint-Charles River, today it is a territory located between Rues Saint-Cyrille and Aymard. In the census of 1681, it was indeed on this land on the Sainte-Geneviève Coast that the entire Poitras family was found. They owned 1 gun, 4 head of cattle, 1horse and had 20 arpents under cultivation.
The purchase of the land at Sainte-Geneviève had cost 1,500 livres. Now the owner had to consolidate his debts. On 14 April 1682, Jean and Marie-Xainte were in their house on Rue Sainte-Anne. The notary Rageot brought his papers, goose quills and ink. Father Pierre Raffeix, in the name of the Company of Jesus, purchased it for 2,000 livres. With all the creditors being paid immediately, the Poitras family emerged from debt with their hands clean, but with no money except for 125 livres to be received from the Jesuits on demand. The material needs of the family remained great. On 31 August 1682, Jean acknowledged a debt of 285 livres 15 sols for merchandise bought and delivered. His creditor was none other than the powerful merchant and private banker, Charles Aubert.
THE VIÉ-POITRAS FAMILY
Our Canadian mothers were responsible for the rapid growth of our people. Without them, we would be little more than dust in North America. Marie-Xainte Vié spent the month of April 1691 at theHôtel-Dieu de Québec and only left on 15 May, after giving birth to her 17th child. Weakened, the ancestress returned to the same hospital, a month later, where she died on Saturday, 28 July. It seems that her mortal remains were buried in the cemetery of the hospital.
Between 25 November 1665 and 7 April 1691, a period of 26 years of fertility, Marie-Xainte gave the light of day to Charlotte-François, René, Louis, Jean, Joseph, Marie-Madeleine, François, Pierre, Louis, Marie-Geneviève, Denis, Jean-Louis, Joseph-Lucien, François, Marie-Josephe, Marie-Anne and Pierre. She also mourned for 8 of them: René, Louis, Marie-Madeleine, Louis, Marie-Geneviève, Denis, François and the youngest, Pierre.
Charlotte-François, Jean, Joseph, François, Jean-Louis, Joseph-Lucien, Marie-Josèphe and Marie-Anne married into the great families ofSédillot, Maufay, Allain, Petitclerc, Chevalier, Moisan, Girard and Capelier. As for the first Pierre, we lose track of him after 25 August 1693.
The widower Poitras, shaken by the unexpected death of his wife, knew that he still needed to work quite hard to support his very full household. For him, the recipe was not new. We know that the church wardens of Sainte-Anne du Petit-Cap had appealed to his talents as a woodworker. In July 1691, they gave him 7 livres, 15 sols, and 93 livres , including 2 sols, for work that he had done on the paneling and the floor of the church. In 1692, Msgr de Laval himself gave 74 livres for the services he rendered at the same famous sanctuary. In addition, the Seminary of Quebec added 164 livres to meet the debts of the good wood-worker. On 11 April 1692, our ancestor sold 3 milk cows to Guillaume Julien. I will dispense with the particular terms of this original contract for you.
Did Jean Poitras end his active life? Was he going to cross his fingers? No, you would be mistaken!
SECOND WEDDING
At the age of 56, can one rebuild his life? Why not? After years of mourning, Jean met the 22 year-old Marie-Anne Lavoie, the eldest daughter of Pierre Lavoie married in a second marriage to Isabelle Aubert (Loppe).
Marie-Anne was born at Saint-Augustin on 10 January 1673. From the age of 8, she had worked as a servant at the home of notary Gilles Rageot.After his death in January 1692, Marie-Anne continued in the service of his widow, Marie-Madeleine Morin. On her wedding day, she brought a dowry in silver of 350 livres not to mention the 150 livres in "household furniture ", etc. Therefore, she was a worthy lady capable of taking on some challenges.
On 6 April 1695, Marie-Anne and Jean approved their marriage contract at the Rageot house in the presence of the notary Louis Chambalon.Then, on the 26th of the same month, a Tuesday, the blessing of their marriage took place at the church of Notre-Dame de Québec in thepresence of Father François Dpré and the following witnesses reported in the registry:
François Hazeur, Mathieu Guay, Nicolas Rageot, Jacques Liberge, Jeanand Joseph Poitras and Jean Dubreuil. The wedding reception,undoubtedly laced with a little eau-de-vie, took place on theSainte-Geneviève Coast...
A little accident took place in the summer of 1695. On 28 July, Jean Rouillard summoned Jean Poitras before the Provost of Quebec becauseof some damages caused by the Poitras animals in his meadows. Finally, at the beginning of 1696, our ancestor came to the conclusion that it was not profitable to chase 2 hares at the same time. He decided to give up his land at Sainte-Geneviève in order to devote himself solely to farming his lands at Lorette. On 13 April, he returned his farm to the sisters of the Hôtel-Dieu; they released him from his 440 livres in debt.
LORETITE
The Poitras family moved to their lands at Lorette, today known as "L‘Ancienne-Lorette ", lot numbers 506 and part of 507 on the survey map. The intersection of the highway Duplessis and the Boulevard Charest "now occupies an important portion of these two lands ", according to biographer Guy Poitras.
In order to conform to the laws of the time, Jean had an inventory of his property drawn up on 5 August 1696 by Michel Lepailleur. However, it was only on 21 April 1703 that this inventory was recorded by Louis Chambalon. Nothing very special to note except the fine 3 year-old mare and 27 woodworking tools. The total value of his property: 1,200 livres; his debts were 200.
And life continued thus, without too many bumps, for 14 years more. By now, the birds of the first nest were flying on their own wings. They were replaced by 6 half-sisters and 4 half-brothers. Therefore, there were 27 individuals bearing the same last name. Between 25 March 1696 and 3 February 1711, Charles, Elisabeth, Marie-Madeleine,Marie-Jeanne, Philippe, Jacques, Marie-Anne, Marie-Louise, Marie-Anne and Pierre-Ignace appeared in the fertile Lavoie-Poitras cradle. Four of these children died before reaching adulthood.
So many joys and so many sacrifices endured by a single family exceedsmodem understanding. Facts are facts, even if they are troubling.
Jean and Marie-Anne advanced in life with an assured step, even if a bit more slowly. Misfortunes and disasters often hastened the end of human beings. In the month of April 1711, fire destroyed all their property; "only one cow and one filly could be saved from this disaster", according to an act initialled by Chambalon on 10 August1715. Then a contagious fever, brought here by the ship "La Belle Brune" spread sickness and death between 5 November 1710 and 15 December 1711, according to the annals of the Nursing Sisters.
The Poitras family was not spared. Our 71 year old ancestor himself, along with his wife, the 38 year old Marie Lavoie was felled at the Hôtel-Dieu de Quebec on 7 May 1711. She was buried at Lorette. In the space of a few hours, the first Canadian Poitras links were broken.The survivors would continue the chain until our day.
Son Joseph, born in 1673, became a lieutenant in the militia at L‘Ancienne-Lorette. Marie-Anne, called Marie-Jeanne Poitras, wife of Etienne Ranvoyse in 1729, was the mother of one of our greatest Quebecois goldsmiths, François.
The Poitras family multiplied into the four corners of North America.André Poitras was in the Canadian West in 1793 where he was in chargeof guarding a fort on the Qu‘Appelle River. Benjamin Poitras, in 1842, accompanied the American surveyor John-Charles Frémont. The team surveyed the Passe du Sud in the Rockies. In addition, the Poitras family has been very close to the family of Louis Riel, spokesperson for the Métis and founder of Manitoba. Elisa Poitras became the spouse of Alexandre Riel, Louis' brother, on 14 June 1881, at Saint-Boniface. Jean-Marie Poitras was married at Saint-Boniface on 10 July l88? to Henriette Riel, Louis' sister. Finally, Joseph Riel married Eléonore Poitras, on 30 April 1884, in the same place.
All the Canadian Poitras are descended from these humble and hardworking beginnings. Each time you drink, remember the spring.
FAMILY NAME VARIATIONS
There are but four known variations recorded: Poidras, Touraine,Thechemin and Tréchemin.
END NOTES
1) Records of Chambalon, 6 April 1695; 21 April 1703; 10 August 1715.
2) Records of Becquet, 13 May 1668; 2 January 1669; 2 March 1670; 2April 1670; 20 October 1671; 10 April 1672; 19 November 1672; 26 March1676; 24 May 1679; 2 December 1679.
3) Records of Duquet, 2 August 1666; 27 March 1672; 18 October 1679.
4) Records of Genaple, 11 April 1692; 13 April 1696.
5) Records of Rageot, 14 September 1670; 2 July 1679; 14 April 1682; 31 August 1682.
6) Records of Vachon, 23 July 1664; 4 August 1670.
7) Albert Dauzat, DENFPF (1951), p.491.
8) Silvio Dumas, LFRNF (1972), pp.348-349.
9) Marcel Fournier, DBBNF (1981), p.113.
10) René Jetté, DGFO (1983), pp.933-934.
11) André Lafontaine, RANF 1666 & 1667 (1985), pp.12, 102; RANF 1681(1986), p.37.
12) A.-G. Morrice, Dictionnaire des Canadiens dans l'Ouest (1908), pp. 23 1-232.
13) Guy Poitras, Poitras. Maitre-Menuisier 1639-1711 (1989), 256 pages. This is a key-book that all Poitras ought to own.
14) Léon Roy, LTIO 1650-1725 (edition reviewed and augmented by Raymond Gariépy, 1978), p.53.
15) Pierre-Georges Roy, PTCIO 1667-1668 (1931), p.81.
16) Marcel Trudel, LTS-L en 1663 (1973), pp.221, 256.
17) _____. BRH, Vol.8, p.362, Benjamin Poitras.
18) ____.JDCSNF(1885),VoI.l,p. 151.
19) _____. Les Annales de 1 HO gel-Dieu de Quˇbec 1636-1761 (1939),pp.351-353.
20) _____. RAQ, Vol.45, pp.219, 242, 243; Vol.49, pp.63, 78.
21) _____. SGQ, L?Anc˚tre, Vol.1, p.287; Vol.2, p.463.
Note 2
Laurent & René Bertin
de Cugand près de Clisson, dioc. Nantes, Poitou