The Percheron Immigration recruiting of the mid 1600’s was designed specifically to establish a permanent colony in New France. Robert Giffard (1587- 1668) was the first colonizing seigneur and did so at the request of the French King Louis XIII.
There was a specific condition attached. Giffard became Seigneur of Beauport as he was to be granted a large tract of land, including the resources. This area became known as the Seigniory of Beauport located close to Quebec City. It was the beginning of the Seigneurial system of land holding in New France based on the feudal system in France.1. He was persuasive and able to recruit skilled craftsmen to join him in this new adventure.
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Marin Boucher, my 9th great-grandfather was one of the skilled stonemasons who was up to the challenge of joining
Giffard. He joined the Percheron immigrants. Although he had already established his family, he, his second wife, Perrine and three of his children chose to embark on this great new adventure.2.
Marin Boucher was born on the 15th of April 1589 in the Parish of Saint Langis, Mortagne-au-Perche. His first marriage took place in 1611. He married Julienne Barry. Together they had seven children. She died in 1627. Several years later he married Perrine Mallet. This marriage also produced seven children.3.
In 1634 Marin was already 45 years old. Nevertheless, he made the decision to join the other recruited Percheron families. They made their way overland to Dieppe with family souvenirs, their tools, and high hopes. The ships were waiting for them. They boarded the ship Captain Pierre de Nesle, Le Petit Saint- Christophe in April. 4. They arrived in Quebec City June 4, 1634
Marin, with other skilled workers built Giffard’s home and 11 houses for the settlers. At that time, he also acquired a piece of land on the St. Charles River. He settled there with his family and worked as a stone mason and cultivated his land.
Eventually he sold that home. In 1641 he had staked out land for both he and his son and son-in-law in Beauport on the St. Lawrence River. In 1650 upon receiving the formal title to that property he settled in Beauport Seigneury on property that was 1150 feet wide along the river and 4 miles in length away from the river. 5
Map of the property of Marin Boucher, and those given to his son Jean-Galeran, and Jean Plante. his son-in-law..
Marin Boucher’s signature6.
In 1663 it was noted that Marin Boucher’s land was in Chateau Richer. Several of Robert Giffard’s disgruntled settlers had relocated after his death. His son, Joseph had revoked their land. They then moved to Chateau Richer. The parish grew and a new stone church was built. Bishop Francois de Laval confirmed 170 parishioners, including Marin and his wife Perrine along with their family members.6.
Marin’s decision to settle in New France proved to be a positive one. He is considered the first pioneer of New France. The 1667 census noted that Marin owned 8 head of cattle and 20 arpents of cultivated land. He and his family prospered. At that point he also owned enough land to provide for each of his children and their families.
At the age of 82, on the 28th of March 1671 Marin Boucher died.
Translation of the Burial record
“In the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ 1671, on the 29th of March died Marin Boucher after having lived as a good Christian and received the Holy sacraments of eucharist, penance and the last rights of extreme unction, was buried in the cemetery of Chateau-Richer by Monsieur Morel accompanied by the Reverend Father Nouvelle and by me doing priestly functions for them on the coast of Beaupre.” 7
(signed) F. Pillion, missionary priest
Marin Boucher is buried in La visitation-de-Notre-Dame Cemetery in Chateau Richer.
There are an estimated 350,000 descendants of Marin Boucher in North America. Are you also one of them?
Sources:
- http://www.perche-quebec.com/files/perche/individus/giffard-robert.htm Accessed Sept. 1, 2020
- http://www.perche-quebec.com/files/perche/individus/boucher-marin.htm Accessed Sept. 1, 2020
- www.prdh-igd.com Accessed Sept. 1,2020
- https://naviresnouvellefrance.net/html/vaisseaux2/gensdemer/gensdemerGermanGi.html#gensdemerGermanGi
- 5.https://www.google.com/search?q=First+Families+of+New+France+Boucher+Drouin+cote&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA912CA912&oq=First+Families+of+New+France+Boucher+Drouin+cote&aqs=chrome..69i57j33l2.49159j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Accessed Sept. 1, 2020
6.https://gw.geneanet.org/loiseau?lang=en&n=boucher&oc=0&p=marin
8. https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/8/80/Boucher-64.jpg Accessed Sept. 1, 2020
Other references used:
https://gw.geneanet.org/loiseau?lang=en&n=boucher&oc=0&p=marin Accessed Sept 1, 2020
https://www.geni.com/people/Marin-Boucher/6000000005948363015Free! Accessed Sept 1, 2020
https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Boucher-94 Accessed Sept 1, 2020
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~villandra/RenoP/2154.html Accessed Sept 1, 2020
https://www.nosorigines.qc.ca/genealogieQuebec.aspx?name=Marin_Boucher&pid=774&lng=en Accessed 09.01.20
https://greenerpasture.com/Ancestors/Details/852 Accessed Sept 1, 2020
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/seigneurial-system
Genealogy Ensemble 
I’ve been doing the genealogy for a nephew by marriage. Marin is his 10th GGF. However, I am surprised that no one mentions Gaspard Boucher, a carpenter born 1599 in the same town, takes one of the four boats of Perche recruits to Quebec, along with his 14-year old son Pierre. I can’t find original documentation (just Genenet or Netherlands genealogy) but it appears they were brothers born to Jacques Boucher and Marie Francoise Paigne LeMaire. Do you have any information on Marin’s parents?
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Marin Boucher was born about 1587 in the parish of Saint-Jean of Mortagne located in the diocese of Séez and the ancient province of Perche.[1][2] On February 7, 1611 in the church of Saint-Jean in Mortagne, he married Julienne Baril, daughter of Jean Baril and Raouline Creste. Julienne and Marin established themselves in La Barre near Saint-Langis where they had seven children, of which six were baptized in Saint-Langis, the last in Saint-Jean de Mortagne. Born in Saint-Langis in Perche, Julienne died on December 15, 1627 and was buried at Saint-Langis the next day. [10] [11]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marin_Boucher
Marin Boucher was born in Mortagne, Perche province, France about 1587 and died on 25 March 1671 in Château-Richer, Canada, New France.[1][2]
His parents are unknown.
https://www.perche-quebec.com/perche/individus/boucher-gaspard.htm
Gaspard Boucher, son of the carpenter Jacques Boucher and Françoise Paigné, was born around 1599 in the parish of Notre-Dame de Mortagne-au-Perche (Orne, France). On December 12, 1619 in Mamers (Sarthe, France), he married Nicole Lemaire, baptized in the Notre-Dame de Mamers church on March 10, 1595 [ 1 ]. ,
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“He is considered the first pioneer of New France.” Is this a typo? Many people had been there for years, such as the first family of Louis Hebert, Abraham Martin, the Couillards, etc.
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Perhaps the sentence should read …He is considered among the first pioneers of New France.
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Thanks for the info. It helped validate the line of my maternal Grandmother, Elmire Grandmaison, from Isle Verte, Quebec. Can you verify if Marin and Perrine were Catholics or Huguenots?
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While researching Marin Boucher, nothing was found that would indicate he was a Huguenot. When immigrants from France came to New France and they were of a faith other than Catholic, they were required to sign a document referred to as an ‘abjuration’ renouncing their faith and then became members of the Catholic Church.
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Marin BOUCHER[1][2][4]
[Carpin #25][14][27]
Marin Boucher was born about 1587 in the parish of Saint-Jean of Mortagne located in the diocese of Séez and the ancient province of Perche.[1][2] On February 7, 1611 in the church of Saint-Jean in Mortagne, he married Julienne Baril, daughter of Jean Baril and Raouline Creste. Julienne and Marin established themselves in La Barre near Saint-Langis where they had seven children, of which six were baptized in Saint-Langis, the last in Saint-Jean de Mortagne. Born in Saint-Langis in Perche, Julienne died on December 15, 1627 and was buried at Saint-Langis the next day. [10] [11] Of their children, only François went with his father to New France.[2][12]
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As noted i a reply above Marin Boucher was married in a Catholic church.
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how do I find out if I am also a descendant ?
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Try tracing your family using FamilySearch which is free.
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You might want to consider doing research in familysearch.org which is a free website .
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Thank you for this. I also am a descendent of Marin Boucher and his wife, Julienne Baril.
Thanks,
Cindy Ward
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I am a descendent of Marin Boucher.
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Reblogged this on clairelindell.
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Thank you for this nice life summary of Marin. I am a descendant, as are many Quebecers.
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Great post! Yes, I’m a descendant via both of Marin’s wives! I wrote about him at https://hoguegirardin.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/marin-boucher/
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