Louis Hebert

Louis was the FIRST white settler of Canada, settling first in Port Royal, Nova Scotia and later in Quebec town. He was also the first white settler of Quebec in 1617. He was an apothecary (pharmacist) by trade. 

Following is a summary of information about Louis' life in Paris and in Quebec from an article by Madame M. Jurgen's.  

Documents about Louis' life in France are rare. He was still very young then, and his life was fairly mediocre. He was born or grew up in the Mortier d'or house on Rue Saint-Honore, described in his father's notes. He must have been baptised when a few days old, as was the custom, at the nearby church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois. 

As to Louis' childhood we know very little, except that it was not cloudless. He lived in the most bustling quarter of Paris, in the neighborhood of the Louvre and Les Halles, and his father's apothecary shop was likely a meeting spot for all sorts of activity. However, his mother died in 1580, likely struck down by the plague, which swept Paris. His elder sister, Charlotte, took over the responsibilities of mother to Louis, until his father remarried to Marie Auvry. She was undoubtedly an affectionate mother to Louis and his sister, Marie. 

When Louis' father was sent to prison Louis and Marie, with Pierre Maheut, found a new home with the Maheuts, on the Quai de la Megisserie. Louis left this house and was living in the University quarter, in 1600 at Rue Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet, in 1601 lodging at the Fauborg Saint-Germain-des-Pres, near the house of the Annonciation. In 1602 he was still residing at Saint-Germain-des-Pres, street and parish of Saint-Pulpice.  He may have selected this quarter because of his father who came to die there, or perhaps because of his profession as apothecary and grocer. He owned one sixth of the Mortier d'or, which he sold on 10 July 1601. 

In 1602, it is likely that he married Marie Rollet, as she first appeared on the scene in July 1602. He seemed very preoccupied in his early marriage in purchasing a house, at Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Rue de la Petite-Seine. It was "ramshackle, all broken down and unenclosed except by old walls", because of the wars. 

Louis is next found in a 22 July 1604 warrant for the arrest of Noel Chevrin, dit du Bois, a soldier of the company of Monseigneur de Sainte-Colombes, of the King's personal bodyguard, Jacques Tiermant, apothecary, Jeanne Deloche, and a certain Bernard. Louis was the offended party, and he had the four thrown into prison. He relinquished his complaint, and the four were released. 

In 1606, Pierre du Gua, sieur de Monts, gentleman ordinary of the King's Chamber, and at that time the King's lieutenant general in New France, was preparing in the Spring to undertake a new voyage. Looking forward to possible establishment, he indentured various people who might be of use to him, 6 masons, a tinker, a locksmith, and an apothecary. Why Louis would hire out as a common laborer is unknown, but it may have been influenced by the tinker, his neighbor, Francois Guitard. Louis was to receive 30 livres on departure, and another 70 when he returned in April of 1607. 

Louis left for LaRochelle, where his ship was waiting, and sailed at the end of March with his cousin Poutrincourt. The ship was captained by M. Monts. Samuel de Champlain was on the ship and commanded the expedition. Louis lived at Saint-Croix island and then at Port Royal, Acadia until 1607. He returned to Paris and returned to Acadia in 1610 with Poutrincourt, his wife, and Louis' wife. Louis and Poutincourt's wives were the first French women to come to Acadia. 

Poutrincourts undertakings having been ruined by the English, Louis returned to France with his leader in 1613. He was back at LaRochelle on 8 December 1613, and again on 28 November 1615, signing with Georges and Macain agreements for the fur trade in Canada. 

In the Spring of 1617, Louis, his wife, and his three children, set sail at Honfleur bound for Quebec. The Hebert family croosed the Atlantic again with Champlain, on a ship under the command of Captain Morin. 

Shortly after his arrival at Quebec, Louis built himself a house. It was the first built in the upper town. He was the first white settler in Canada. He also started to clear the land which had been granted him. He was also the first Canadian seignior. The Duke de Ventadour, viceroy of New France, in recognition of Louis' merits, established as a noble fief all of the land that Louis cleared plus another seignioral grant which had one lieue frontage by four in depth, near Quebec. 

Louis returned, without his family, to Paris at least one more time, in early 1622 for some difficulty which was brought before the Privy Council of the King. He soon returned home to Quebec. 

Louis died at Quebec, apparently caused by a fall, 25 January 1627. He was at the time First Officer of Justice of New France. His death was a great loss to the small colony. After Champlain, it was Louis who had assumed the greatest burden in the establishment of Quebec, and in the advancement of New France. While the other inhabitants wasted their time in trading with the Indians, Louis realized that the most solid foundation of the prosperity of the new country is agriculture, which linked the colonist to the soil, giving him the main necessities of life, and making him independent. His fields contributed in large part to his family's support. His son, Guillaume, left no living male heirs to carry the Hebert name. However, his children produced numerous descendents, of which I am one. 

There is a momument to Louis Hebert in Quebec. Take the funicular up from the old town of Quebec to the new section. The park where the monument is located is just off to the right and top of the square.

Sources: Tanguay's Genealogical Dictionary, and Mrs. Patricia Scott Garmon, descendent of Guillaumes parents. Also Francis Parkman's histories of Canada. Also, information about Louis's life in Paris is from "New Findings on Louis Hebert and His Family Before His Departure for New France" by Madame M. Jurgens in the "French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Vol. V, Nos. 1-2, 1975.

David Nolette
I wrote this November 26, 2003 or earlier