Louis Hébert

• Birth Notes
  • Born in the neighborhood of the Louvre.

• General Notes
  • First Hébert Canadian family.
    
    He resided between 1610 and 1613 in Port-Royal, Quebec. In 1610, returned to Port Royal with Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt. A few months later, his wife joined him and became on of the first French women to come to New France. He continued his agricultural interests, sowing wheat and planting vines. The colony at Port Royal seemed to take root, but in 1613 it was destroyed by the English coming up from Virginia. The French colonists returned to France, and Louis established a medical practice and apothecary (pharmacy) shop in Paris. He was an Apothecary before 1617 in Paris, Kingdom of France. In 1606, joined the expedition of his cousin Pierre de Gue, Sieur de Monts, relocated at Port-Royal. As a pharmacist he was interested in plants and enjoyed horticulture, seeming to possess a "green thumb". He was highly regarded, and particular note was made of his knowledge and pleasure in cultivating the land. He participated in the construction of a grist-mill on the Allain River near present-day Annapolis Royal. Experimental farming activities were conducted, with various grains being seeded in the local fields. He looked after the health of the pioneers, and cultivated native drug plants introduced to him by the Micmac Indians. He returned to France in 1607, after the trade concession that had been granted to the de Monts expedition had expired. He emigrated in 1617 from France. Had spent time in New France for the previous decade or so. In 1605, he had sown the first wheat at Port Royale. In the winter of 1616-17, he was approached by Champlain to support his colony of Quebec, a settlement of some fifty white men who were all transient soldiers, fur trappers, or missionaries controlled by "Compagnie de Canada", made up of merchants from Rouen, St. Malo, and La Rochelle, who had a fur trade trading monopoly. The company would pay him an annual salary of 600 livres (pounds) and grant him ten acres of land at the settlement on which to build his house and farm. He agreed to the terms and signed the contract. He sold his practice and his home, and proceeded with his wife, son, and two daughters to the port of Honfleur, France. When he arrived, he was told by the ship's master that instructions from the Compagnie de Canada were that they could only board if he agreed to sign a new contract with the company. The new provision reduced his annual salary to 300 livres per year, required him to serve as the physician and surgeon at the settlement, and required him to farm ten aces of land and give the company exclusive right to buy all of his agricultural products at the prevailing price in France. Having already sold his house and left his practice, he reluctantly accepted and signed the new contract. On April 11, 1617, they left Honfluer aboard the Saint-Etienne and arrived in Quebec on the 15th of July. Only five other French families were to follow them on similar voyages to New France in the next 10 years. In the spring of 1617 he became the first private individual to receive a grant of land in the New World from the French Government. Upon his arrival in Quebec, He selected ten acres on a site that is today located in the city of Quebec between Ste. Famille and Couillard Streets on the grounds of the Seminary of Quebec and Basilica of Notre Dame. Became the first permenant settler of New France. Soon afterwards, he started clearing out some old-growth forest so he could plant crops. This put him in conflict with the fur trading company, who was strongly opposed to deforestation for farming because of its adverse effect on the fur business. He had to work very hard, doing all the work by hand. The fur trading company wouldn't even let him import a plough from France. On this land, he, his son Guillaume, and an unnamed servant with the help of only an ace, a pick and a spade, broke the soil and raised corn, winter wheat, beans, peas, and livestock including cattle, swine, and fowl. He also established an apple orchard and a vineyard. He overcame the hardships and became the first Canadian to support his family from the soil. By 1620, his hard work was finally recognized as having been of great service to the colony: for being the physician and surgeon; for being its principal provider of food; and, for having fostered good relationships with the natives. He was appointed Procurator to the King, which allowed him to personally intervene in matters in the name of the King. In 1623, he became the first "Seigneur" of New France when he was granted the noble fief of "Sault-au-Matelot". In 1626 he was further granted "le fief de la riviere, St-Charles" in recognition of his meritorious service. He imported from France the first ox to pull a plough in Canada, but unfortunately, the first plough did not arrive until a year after his death. He died on JAN 23 1627 in Quebec City, Quebec. (97) "In the winter of 1626, he had a fall on the ice which proved fatal. He died January 25, 1627 and was buried in the Recollet cemetery." Died on his 5 acre farm, which later became the site of the Basilica of Quebec. He was buried on JAN 25 1627 in Recollet Cemetery, Quebec.(5496) He was buried in 1678 in Recollet Chapel Vault, Quebec, New France. (5497) "In 1678, his bones, still in their cedar coffin, were transfered to the vault of the newly erected Recollet chapel, and with those of Brother Pacifique Duplessis, were the first to rest there." At age 72, his daughter Guillemette Couillard was infirm and carried to the chapel to witness her father's re-interment. He has Ancestral File number 28470. He was a Pharmacist. There is a monument to Samuel de Champlain in Montmorency Park. On one side is Louis Hebert holding a sheaf of corn in one hand and a sickle in the other. On part of the base, Marie Rollet clasps her three children in her arms. On the other, son-in-law Guillaume Couillard has a plough in hand. The first plough was not imported to New France until one year after the death of Louis Hebert. There is also the monument in Quebec City to Louis Herbert, Marie Rollet, and Guillaume Couillard. This monument includes a statue of Louis offering his first sheaf of wheat to God. It was carved by Alfred Laliberté and erected in 1918 to mark the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Hébert family. There is also a memorial plaque on the house in Paris where Louis was born (129 rue S.-Honore).
    

Click here for details of Louis' family with Marie Rollet

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Family History.

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