History of Jean Pichet

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This page contains informations about the ancestor Jean Pichet

The establishment in New France

It is at Château-Richer, a small village on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River, close to Ste. Anne-de-Beaupré, that we meet for the first time in New France Jean Pichet, ancestor of a second branch of Pichet, Pichette and Pichés in North America. In the winter of 1660, more precisely on February 2 of that year, Jean made his confirmation along with several other inhabitants of the region. How long had Jean Pichet, also called « pegin », been in New France? Although no official record of his enlistment has ever been found, it appears that he arrived in this country during the summer of 1659. did he enlist for a 36-month term? Most probably, but we do not know the name of the settler, land-owner or company where Jean spent the first three year of his stay on the coast of Beaupré. On August 10, 1662, this young settler purchased before notary Vachon a tract of land belonging to the brothers Jean and Nicolas Juchereau in the parish of St. Pierre on l’Ile d’Orléans. this land, part of La Chevalerie estate, was approximately two acres in width facing the St. Lawrence; as to its depth, it extended to the line that crossed the island from one end to the other. Neighboring to the east the land of Jean Paulin and to the west that of Charles Roger des Colombiers, Jean Pichet’s land covered an area of approximately 38½ acres. During the weeks and months that followed, Jean spent most of his time clearing a few acres of land, undoubtedly to build a house for his bride Magdeleine Leblanc, whom he married probably around the 1666. Since the marriage certificate was never found, we do not know the name of his parents nor that of his native parish in France. According to genealogist Tanguay, Jean probably came from the area around Poitiers in France and his wife was the daughter of Jean Leblanc and Euphrodie-Madeleine Nicolet. The latter was the daughter of the famous explorer-interpreter Jean Nicolet who was married to a Nipissing Indian woman. According to the census of 1667, Jean and Magdeleine owned one head of cattle and twelve acres developed land. We do not hear again from Jean Pichet until 1678 when on February 24 of that year he added to his assets by purchasing before notary Duquet the neighboring land of Jean Paulin. According to the census of 1681, the Pichet family was still residing in the parish of St. Pierre de l’Ile d’Orléans where twenty acres of land had now been developed and were furnishing posture for eleven heads of cattle, a number that would soon be growing. Other than a claim against Nicolas Juchereau, also called Saint-Denis, in September 1678, Jean Pichet’s remaining years were uneventful. He died in 1699 and his wife nine years later. On March 4, 1700, nine months after her husband’s death, Magdeleine had notary Jacob Sr. take stock of the family possessions. Jean and Magdeleine Pichet had six children : · Jacques, baptized May 5, 1668, married Louise Asselin on April 30, 1696 in the parish of Ste. Famille de l’Ile d’Orléans, died in 1713. · Unamed, born, baptized and buried April 10, 1672, in the parish of Ste. Famille de l’Ile d’Orléans. · Madeleine, baptized April 14, 1675, married for the first time Gabriel Gosselin April 13, 1692 before notary Vachon; married for the second time Antoine Vigneau February 19, 1703. · Jean, baptized June 20, 1680, married Geneviève Crépeau November 8, 1700 in the parish of St. Pierre de l’Ile d’Orléans, died in 1703. · Pierre, baptized July 13, 1682, married Elizabeth Côté November 26, 1703 in the parish of St. Pierre de l’Ile d’Orléans. · Louis, baptized February 13, 1685 married for the first time Marie-Anne Côté November 10, 1710 in the parish of St. Pierre de l’Ile d’Orléans; married for the second time Marguerite Godbout July 20, 1730, in the parish of St. Pierre de l’Ile d’Orléans. Louis was a notary as well as a farmer. The line of the family was maintained through Jacques and Louis so that nowadays we find their descendants bearing the name of Pichet, Pichette or Piché scattered throughout the Province of Quebec, in other Canadian provinces and in the USA

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