Zacharie Cloutier

• General Notes
  • Children:
    Zacharie Cloutier+
    Jean Cloutier+
    Anne Cloutier+
    Charles Cloutier+
    Louise Marie Cloutier+
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    Contracted to join an expedition to New France led by Robert Giffard on March 14, 1634 (Mortagne, Notary Mathurin Roussel). Set sail from the port of Dieppe in mid-april 1634, accompanied by his family. The fleet consisted of four ships under the command of Duplessis-Bochard. Arrived in Québec on June 4, 1634. Helped to establish the settlement at Beauport.
    
    On February 3, 1637, he was granted 1000 arpents of land at Beauport, situated on the St. Lawrence River, with two-tenths of a mile of frontage on the river, extending north for four and six-tenths miles.This land was sold to Nicolas Dupont on December 20, 1670 for 400 livresTournois, plus an additional 600 livres to the children. Zacharie and his wife went to Château-Richer to live with their son Zacharie).
    
    CENSUS: 1666 & 1667 Rencensements (census) annotes de la Nouvell-France(Québec) page 252. Zacarie Cloustier listed as HH age 77 ans (years) 2 bêtes Sainte duPont sa femme (wife) 72 ans.
    
    Zacharie Cloutier came to Québec in 1634; he signed a contract of servitude on March 14 1634. By July 22 1634, Master-carpenter Zacharie Cloutier and Master-mason Jean Guyon were at work on the manor house of Robert Giffard at Beauport. They were also working on the parish church and Fort Saint-Louis in Québec.
    
    Arrived 8 Aug 1634 with 5 children. Settled at Beauport in 1664 at the manor of Robert Gifford. Moved to Château Richer. ("Maitre Zacharie"). Beauport is Canada's first rural colony. In 1647 marched with garlanded torches through Quebec to celebrate Fête-Dieu.
    hired, Robert Giffard, Mar3, 1634, Mortagne, Concession as vice Fief of La Cloutièrerie dans Beauport.
    Or d. 17-Nov-1677.
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    ZACHARIE CLOUTIER from " Our French-Canadian Ancestors " by Thomas J. Laforest
    
    The earliest records available from the parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Mortagne date from the year 1600. The Cloutier family patriarch was father Denis, married to Renée Brière. We learn that, after 1600, they had three children: Jacques, baptized March 16, 1601; Claude, baptized March 17, 1605 and Loyse, baptized February 22, 1608 and buried, on March 3 of the same year. Mother Renée, herself, died and was buried, on May 1, 1608. On November 3, of that year, the banns of marriage between father Denis Cloutier and Jeanne Rahir-Gaultier were published. From this second union were born: Leonard, baptized October 18, 1609; Denis, baptized February 29, 1612 and buried three days later; then the twins, Pierre and Michelle, baptized March 27, 1613.
    
    But where do we find Zacharie in this family? Since he does not appear in the records of Saint-Jean-Baptiste parish, it must be assumed that he was born prior to 1600 and was one of several other children of Denis and Renée, such as: Michel, married to Jeanne Commanche; Renée, bonded to Claude Noe; Nicolas, joined to Catherine Roussel; Louis, linked to Madeleine Truchet and Catherine, coupled to François Noe.
    
    PEACEMAKER AND HEAD OF FAMILY
    Zacharie Cloutier first saw the light of day about the year 1590. On July 13, 1616, in the parish of his birth, he married Sainte Dupont from the locality of Feings. She had been born in 1596 and was the widow of Michel Lermusier. In Mortagne, on March 2, 1633, the Notary Mathurin Roussel wrote an agreement which demonstrated how the future Canadian played the role of family peacemaker between his father and one of his brothers. This was obviously a dispute concerning a family inheritance.
    
    Zacharie and Sainte had six children while still living in Mortagne. They were: Zacharie, born 1617; Jean, born 1620; Saintes, born 1622; Ann born 1626; Charles, born 1629 and Louise, born 1632. The little Saintes died, on September 19, 1632. The Cloutiers had five living children and would have no more.
    
    IN NEW FRANCE FROM 1634
    On January 15, 1634, Surgeon Robert Giffard, a notable proponent of a Canadian community, was soliciting potential emigrants when he received notice that he had been awarded the Seigneurie of Beauport from the One Hundred Associates. Giffard had been in New France before, from 1621 to 1626 and again in 1628. In 1634, he successfully recruited several citizens of Perche as prospective residents for his newly acquired realm, one of which was Zacharie Cloutier.
    
    This contract of servitude signed by Cloutier and Jean Guyon in joinder, in favor of Giffard, was written up by Notary Mathurin Roussel at La Rochelle, on March 14, 1634. It stipulated that Giffard would pay the passage plus food and lodging in Canada ( to the extent that the land permitted ) for Cloutier and Guyon, plus one family member each, for a period ot three years, to date from June 24, 1634. After two years, the two men would be allowed to send for the rest of their families, also at the expense of the Seigneur of Beauport. Giffard agreed to give each man a few head of livestock to get started farming plus one thousand arpents of land with the right to build on it in addition to the right to hunt, fish and trade with the savages. And so it was done. According to Raoul Cloutier, author of a voluminous essay on his ancestors, even though Zacharie had agreed to leave France with his seventeen year old son only, he changed his mind and decided to bring the entire family to Canada. By July 22, 1634, master-carpenter Zacharie Cloutier and master-mason Jean Guyon were hard at work on construction of a manor house for their lord as well as the parish church and Fort Saint-Louis in Québec.
    
    FIRST MARRIAGE CONTRACT IN CANADA
    As soon as the Cloutier family was settled down, Zacharie did not waste any time getting organized. He had already begun to plan for the future of his children and on July 27, 1636, he arranged for his daughter, Anne, to take a husband. This was unusual for two reasons: The marriage contract with Robert Drouin, son of Robert and Marie Dubois, was the first of its kind in Canada and Anne was only ten and a half years old! A stipulation in the agreement provided that, Anne was to continue to live at home with her parents until she was thirteen. The religious ceremony took place when Anne was eleven but, Robert had to contend himself with non-conjugal visits for two more years.
    
    THE FIEF ON THE RIVER BUISSON
    A ruling drawn up by Jean de Lespinasse on February 3, 1637 reveals that Jean Guyon and Zacharie Cloutier, who seem to have done nothing without the other, finally took possession of the fiefs promised to them by Giffard. That of Guyon was named "du Buisson "and that of Cloutier was called "La Cloutièrie ". It is in this act that we first observe the signature of Zacharie Cloutier in the form of an axe, the mark of his trade. In 1641, a map made by the engineer-surveyor Jean Bourdon shows the layout of these lands "from Kebec to Cap Tourmente ". We may note that the sons of Zacharie as well as other colonists were settled on the territory extending from the river at Petit Pre to the river at Chiens, which became the future parish of Château-Richer. On May 29, 1644, Notary Guillaume Tronquet recorded that: "Giffard, Sieur de Beauport visited the Buisson river in company with Jean Guyon, Zacharie Cloutier, Adrien du Chesne, Jean Bourdon and Abraham Martin" and that he gave them the land "from this river up to the first point, running along the length of the Saint Lawrence river."
    
    DISPUTES BETWEEN GIFFARD AND HIS VASSALS
    Historian Marcel Trudel reports that, things did not always go well between Seigneur Giffard and his habitants. On December 18, 1636, the Lord of Beauport obtained a judgement against Cloutier and Guyon concerning certain work which was due him. Then, after the division of the land, on December 10, 1637 certain boundaries disputes occured. Governor Montmagny delayed making his decision until May 4, 1642. On July 2, 1646, Giffard sued Guyon and Cloutier for refusing to render him " faith and homage " as all good vassals (humble servant or subordinate ) were required to do with regard to their seigneur. On the 19th of the same month, the Governor ordered them to comply. The two disobedients got even in their own way by refusing to present the inventory as required from all landowners in a seigneurie. On August 20, the Governor compelled the rebels to comply once and for all. It is necessary to understand them. They had always considered Giffard as an equal. Their pride having blinded them, they found it difficult to accept their former friend as their superior in the hierarchy.
    
    BOURGEOIS SEIGNEUR AND MASTER CARPENTER
    In 1651, the Cloutier family lived on Côte de la Montagne in the town of Québec. Twelve years later, Zacharie was described as a bourgeois seigneur working as a master-carpenter. In addition to his fief of 693 arpents, he owned a lot measuring 41.4 toises ( fathom/6feet ). By this time, he was 73 years old and his wife was 67. He also owned a lot in the lower town of Québec between those of Paschal Lemaistre and Jean Guyon. The census of 1666 indicates that both Zacharies, father and son, lived on the Beaupre coast. Then, the next census, that of 1681, fails to mention either the venerable pioneer or his wife. What became of them?
    
    In order to return to this land at Château-Richer, Zacharie sold his fief to Nicolas Dupont of Neuville on December 20, 1670. Prior to this however, on January 19, 1668, Zacharie assembled his children before Notary Michel Fillon and prepared an agreement designed to minimize the difficulties which could arise from the inheritance after his and Sainte's deaths. Once all had been settled, the children promised to assist their parents and to attend to all of their needs. The following year, on May 12, 1669, Zacharie and Sainte made their will and placed themselves in the hands of son Zacharie.
    
    Old patriarch Zacharie died first at about 87 years of age. He fell into his last sleep, on November 17, 1677. Sainte was taken in her turn less than three years later, on July 14, 1680. They both lie at rest in their favorite place, Château-Richer.
    
    MANY NAME VARIATIONS
    The surname Cloutier was sometimes Cloustier in the days of Our Ancestor. Succeeding generations have added the following: Cary, Cluchier, Clukey, Clurkey, Cluquet, Clouter, Lapensee and Nailer.

Click here for details of Zacharie's family with Xainte Dupont

Source/Citation Our French-Canadian Ancestors

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