On 25 Sep 1701, Jean Baptiste Fortin, son of Charles Fortin and Marie Sainte Cloutier, was born. He was baptized in Notre Dame de Bonsecours de l’Islet, L’Islet sur Mer, Québec, New France on 28 Sep 1701.
The Birth and Baptismal Record of Jean Baptiste Fortin – 1701
SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Notre Dame de Bonsecours de l’Islet, L’Islet sur Mer, Québec, New France, 1701. Birth and Baptismal Record of Jean Baptiste Fortin, verso folio 15.
Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Jean Baptiste Fortin – 1701. Translated from the French the record reads:
Baptism of Jean Baptiste Fortin
In the year of grace 1701 on the 28th of September, the undersigned priest Recollet missionary of the parish of St. Thomas a la Pointe a la Caille, has supplied the ceremonies of baptism to Jean Baptiste Fortin, son of Charles Fortin and Sainte C. Cloutier his wife. The Godfather was Charles Fortin, brother of the infant, and the Godmother was Catherine Cloutier. This infant was born on the 25th of this month and was baptized privately by Joseph Caron in the presence of the father and the entire family who have declared that they do not know how to write or sign except for the Godmother as required by law. Signed
[signed] Marie Catherine Cloutier. F. Hilaire Hilaire Re[collet]
                                                Fmd.
Of interest in this record is the fact that the infant was baptized privately by Joseph Caron and the ceremonies of Baptism were performed by the priest. One can speculate that the parents may have thought that the life of the newborn child was in danger and baptized the child at home before bringing him to the church a few days later.
This record can be found as image 20/312 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com as part of the records for L’Islet-sur-Mer 1679-1779. The record appears on verso folio 15.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
