Biography
B. 7 Jul 1620 in Quebec City, Quebec
M. 9 Jan 1640 in Quebec City, Quebec
Husband: Noël Morin
D. 24 Jun 1675 in Quebec City, Quebec
When the first settlers arrived in Quebec, among them were a few young women. The earliest birth to take place there was that of Hélène Desportes, born on July 7, 1620 to Pierre Desportes and Françoise Langlois. Hélène was named for her godmother, Hélène Boullé, the wife of Samuel de Champlain. It's believed that she had no siblings. When Champlain died in 1635, he left young Hélène 300 livres in his will, although since the will was overturned, she probably never received the money.
After Quebec was taken over by Englishman David Kirke in 1629, Hélène returned to France with her parents. They moved to the town of Dieppe in Normandy, and it seems that within five years, both of her parents died. Hélène returned to Quebec when the French reclaimed it and on October 1, 1634, married Joseph Guillaume Hébert at the age of 14. The marriage contract lists her aunt and uncle, Abraham Martin and Marguerite Langlois, as witnesses. Hélène's husband Joseph was the son of Louis Hébert, who had remained in Quebec during the English occupation. Hélène and Joseph had three children before he died in 1639.
On January 9, 1640, Hélène married Noël Morin, a wheelwright, in Quebec City. She received a dowry of 200 livres from her new husband. She herself owned a house which measured 24 by 18 feet "near the church of Notre-Dame, with 2 arpents of land near Mont-Carmel and a garden measuring 40 perches." Between 1641 and 1656, Hélène and Noël had 12 children. Hélène became a midwife in the colony, likely because she had so much experience with it herself.
Hélène died June 24, 1675 at age 55. Her husband Noël died five years later in 1680.
Famous descendants of Hélène Desportes include Céline Dion.
Children:
1. Agnes-Marie Morin ? B. 21 Jan 1641, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 30 Aug 1687, Quebec City, Quebec; M. (1) Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniere (1621-1669), 17 Nov 1653, Quebec City, Quebec; (2) Ignace dit Beaupre Bonhomme (1647-1711)
2. Germain Morin ? B. 15 Jan 1642, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 20 Aug 1702, Hotel Dieu, Quebec
3. Louise Morin ? B. 27 Apr 1643, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 28 Apr 1713, Quebec City, Quebec; M. Charles Cloutier (1629-1709), 20 Apr 1659, Quebec
4. Nicolas Morin ? B. 26 Apr 1644, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 1667, Quebec City, Quebec
5. Jean-Baptiste Morin ? B. 25 May 1645, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 12 Dec 1694, Quebec City, Quebec; M. Catherine Belleau (1639-?), 22 Nov 1667, Quebec City, Quebec
6. Marguerite Morin ? B. 29 Sep 1646, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 17 Oct 1646, Quebec City, Quebec
7. Hélène Morin ? B. 30 Sep 1647, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 20 May 1661
8. Marie Morin ? B. 19 Mar 1649, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 8 Apr 1730, Quebec City, Quebec
9. Alphonse-Valcour Morin ? B. 13 Dec 1650, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 30 Aug 1711, St-Thomas, Quebec; M. (1) Marie-Madeleine Normand (1651-1690), 10 Feb 1670, Quebec City, Quebec; (2) Angelique Destroismaisons (1670-1744), 1700
10. Noël Morin ? B. 12 Oct 1652, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 1718, Quebec
11. Charles Morin ? B. 30 Aug 1654, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 4 Oct 1671, Quebec City, Quebec
12. Marie-Madeleine Morin ? B. 29 Dec 1656, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 22 Jul 1720, Quebec City, Quebec; M. Gilles Rageot (1642-1692), 29 May 1673, Quebec City, Quebec
Sources:
A Point in History [website]
One-hundred French-Canadian Family Histories, Philip J. Moore, 1994
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy [website]
- One Of The First Women In Quebec ? Marguerite Langlois
B. about 1599 in France M. before 1620 in France Husband: Abraham Martin D. December 1665 in Quebec City, Quebec Emigrated: before 1620 Marguerite Langlois is of unknown origins. Some have said she was born in 1599, the daughter of Guilame Langlois and...
- Engaged At The Age Of 12 ? Anne Martin
B. 23 Mar 1645 in Quebec City, Quebec M. 12 Nov 1658 in Quebec City, Quebec Husband: Jacques Ratté D. 14 Jan 1717 in St-Pierre, Ile d'Orleans, Quebec In the seventeenth century, there were different ideas about what age a girl could get married,...
- One Of The First Settlers In Quebec ? Pierre Desportes
B. about 1594 in France M. in France Wife: Françoise Langlois D. before 1634 in (probably) Dieppe, France Emigrated: before 1620 Nothing is known of the origins of Pierre Desportes other than he was born in about 1594 somewhere in France. We do know...
- Afflicted By Some Evil Spell ? Barbe Hallé
B. about 1646 in Chartes, France M. 4 Nov 1670 in Quebec City, Quebec Husband: Jean Carrier D. June 1696 in Quebec Emigrated: 1658 Barbe Hallé was an adolescent when she migrated to Quebec. She was born in Chartes, France to Jean-Baptiste Hallé and...
- First European Mother In Canada ? Françoise Langlois
B. about 1599 in France M. before 1620 in France Husband: Pierre Desportes D. before October 1634 in France Emigrated: before 1620 Little is known about the background of Françoise Langlois. Some have said she was born in 1599, the daughter of Guilame...
Biography
First European Born in Canada ? Hélène Desportes
B. 7 Jul 1620 in Quebec City, Quebec
M. 9 Jan 1640 in Quebec City, Quebec
Husband: Noël Morin
D. 24 Jun 1675 in Quebec City, Quebec
When the first settlers arrived in Quebec, among them were a few young women. The earliest birth to take place there was that of Hélène Desportes, born on July 7, 1620 to Pierre Desportes and Françoise Langlois. Hélène was named for her godmother, Hélène Boullé, the wife of Samuel de Champlain. It's believed that she had no siblings. When Champlain died in 1635, he left young Hélène 300 livres in his will, although since the will was overturned, she probably never received the money.
After Quebec was taken over by Englishman David Kirke in 1629, Hélène returned to France with her parents. They moved to the town of Dieppe in Normandy, and it seems that within five years, both of her parents died. Hélène returned to Quebec when the French reclaimed it and on October 1, 1634, married Joseph Guillaume Hébert at the age of 14. The marriage contract lists her aunt and uncle, Abraham Martin and Marguerite Langlois, as witnesses. Hélène's husband Joseph was the son of Louis Hébert, who had remained in Quebec during the English occupation. Hélène and Joseph had three children before he died in 1639.
On January 9, 1640, Hélène married Noël Morin, a wheelwright, in Quebec City. She received a dowry of 200 livres from her new husband. She herself owned a house which measured 24 by 18 feet "near the church of Notre-Dame, with 2 arpents of land near Mont-Carmel and a garden measuring 40 perches." Between 1641 and 1656, Hélène and Noël had 12 children. Hélène became a midwife in the colony, likely because she had so much experience with it herself.
Hélène died June 24, 1675 at age 55. Her husband Noël died five years later in 1680.
Famous descendants of Hélène Desportes include Céline Dion.
Children:
1. Agnes-Marie Morin ? B. 21 Jan 1641, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 30 Aug 1687, Quebec City, Quebec; M. (1) Nicolas Gaudry dit Bourbonniere (1621-1669), 17 Nov 1653, Quebec City, Quebec; (2) Ignace dit Beaupre Bonhomme (1647-1711)
2. Germain Morin ? B. 15 Jan 1642, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 20 Aug 1702, Hotel Dieu, Quebec
3. Louise Morin ? B. 27 Apr 1643, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 28 Apr 1713, Quebec City, Quebec; M. Charles Cloutier (1629-1709), 20 Apr 1659, Quebec
4. Nicolas Morin ? B. 26 Apr 1644, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 1667, Quebec City, Quebec
5. Jean-Baptiste Morin ? B. 25 May 1645, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 12 Dec 1694, Quebec City, Quebec; M. Catherine Belleau (1639-?), 22 Nov 1667, Quebec City, Quebec
6. Marguerite Morin ? B. 29 Sep 1646, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 17 Oct 1646, Quebec City, Quebec
7. Hélène Morin ? B. 30 Sep 1647, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 20 May 1661
8. Marie Morin ? B. 19 Mar 1649, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 8 Apr 1730, Quebec City, Quebec
9. Alphonse-Valcour Morin ? B. 13 Dec 1650, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 30 Aug 1711, St-Thomas, Quebec; M. (1) Marie-Madeleine Normand (1651-1690), 10 Feb 1670, Quebec City, Quebec; (2) Angelique Destroismaisons (1670-1744), 1700
10. Noël Morin ? B. 12 Oct 1652, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 1718, Quebec
11. Charles Morin ? B. 30 Aug 1654, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 4 Oct 1671, Quebec City, Quebec
12. Marie-Madeleine Morin ? B. 29 Dec 1656, Quebec City, Quebec; D. 22 Jul 1720, Quebec City, Quebec; M. Gilles Rageot (1642-1692), 29 May 1673, Quebec City, Quebec
Sources:
A Point in History [website]
One-hundred French-Canadian Family Histories, Philip J. Moore, 1994
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy [website]
- One Of The First Women In Quebec ? Marguerite Langlois
B. about 1599 in France M. before 1620 in France Husband: Abraham Martin D. December 1665 in Quebec City, Quebec Emigrated: before 1620 Marguerite Langlois is of unknown origins. Some have said she was born in 1599, the daughter of Guilame Langlois and...
- Engaged At The Age Of 12 ? Anne Martin
B. 23 Mar 1645 in Quebec City, Quebec M. 12 Nov 1658 in Quebec City, Quebec Husband: Jacques Ratté D. 14 Jan 1717 in St-Pierre, Ile d'Orleans, Quebec In the seventeenth century, there were different ideas about what age a girl could get married,...
- One Of The First Settlers In Quebec ? Pierre Desportes
B. about 1594 in France M. in France Wife: Françoise Langlois D. before 1634 in (probably) Dieppe, France Emigrated: before 1620 Nothing is known of the origins of Pierre Desportes other than he was born in about 1594 somewhere in France. We do know...
- Afflicted By Some Evil Spell ? Barbe Hallé
B. about 1646 in Chartes, France M. 4 Nov 1670 in Quebec City, Quebec Husband: Jean Carrier D. June 1696 in Quebec Emigrated: 1658 Barbe Hallé was an adolescent when she migrated to Quebec. She was born in Chartes, France to Jean-Baptiste Hallé and...
- First European Mother In Canada ? Françoise Langlois
B. about 1599 in France M. before 1620 in France Husband: Pierre Desportes D. before October 1634 in France Emigrated: before 1620 Little is known about the background of Françoise Langlois. Some have said she was born in 1599, the daughter of Guilame...