Steve's Genealogy Blog

On 30 Oct 1750, Jean Gamache, son of Nicolas Gamache and í‰lisabeth Ursule Cloutier, died. He was buried in the parish of Cap St. Ignace, New France on 31 Oct 1750.

The Death and Burial Record of Jean Gamache – 1750

SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Parish of Cap St. Ignace, New France, 1750. Death and Burial Record of Jean Gamache, Front of Folio 22.

Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Death and Burial Record of Jean Gamache – 1750. Translated from the French the record reads:

Bur[ial] of Jean Gamache

In the year one thousand seven hundred fifty, on the thirty first day
of October, by us, the undersigned missionary priest of Cap
St. Ignace, was buried in the cemetery of this Church
with the usual ceremonies, the body of Jean Gamache, age
about seventy two years, who died yesterday without having
received last rights. The death was too rapid.
The burial was made in the presence of
several residents who do not know how to write.
                           [signed] J[ean] F[raní§ois] Curot, priest

This record can be found as image 27/33 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com in the records for Cap St. Ignace 1747-1751. The record appears on the front of folio 22.

While searching for this record, I discovered that there were quite a number of deaths reported in Cap St. Ignace in October and November 1750. This observation suggests there may have been an epidemic of some sort in Cap St. Ignace at that time . 

There were a few words I didn’t understand in this record. I’ll have to find someone more familiar with the French language who may be able to help.

UPDATE 08 Mar 2008: Gilles, The Nomadic Researcher, really helped me out with this record. I had problems reading the original French in two places, both of which Gilles provided for me.

The first was the phrase “avec les cérémonies ordinaires” which Gilles translated as “with the usual ceremonies”.

The second was the phrase “Sa mort ayant été trop précipitée” which Gilles translated as “The death was too rapid”.

Thanks, thanks, and more thanks, Gilles!

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

On 01 Oct 1734, Nicolas Gamache, son of Nicolas Gamache and í‰lisabeth Ursule Gamache, died. He was buried in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours-de-l’Islet (L’Islet-sur-Mer), New France on 02 Oct 1734.

The Death and Burial Record of Nicolas Gamache – 1734

SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Parish of L’Islet-sur-Mer, New France, 1734. Death and Burial Record of Nicolas Gamache, Back of Folio 7.

Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Death and Burial Record of Nicolas Gamache – 1734. Translated from the French the record reads:

Bur[ial] of Nicolas Gamache

In the year one thousand seven hundred thirty four, on the second day of the month of October, Nicolas Gamache was buried in the cemetery of this parish, age fifty four years, died on the previous day at nine o’clock in the evening after having received all the sacraments in an edifying manner, both of the two parishes assisted with this burial and no one signed.
                       [signed] Brother Simon Foucault, RMis

This record can be found as image 75/312 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com in the records for L’Islet 1679-1779. The record appears on the back of folio 7.

I don’t quite understand the translation after “having received all the sacraments” except for the fact that no one signed the record.

UPDATE 08 Mar 2008: Once again Gilles, The Nomadic Researcher has come to my rescue. Gilles wrote that the phrase with which I was struggling states (in French) “d’une manií¨re toute édifiante” which means “with an edifying manner”. Thanks, Gilles!

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

On 20 Mar 1678, Louis Gamache, son of Nicolas Gamache and í‰lisabeth Ursule Gamache, was born. He was baptized in the Parish of Cap St. Ignace, New France on 17 Apr 1678.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Louis Gamache – 1678

SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Parish of St. Ignace, New France, (recorded in the records of Québec – Notre Dame) 1678. Birth and Baptismal Record of Louis Gamache, Page 266.

Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Louis Gamache – 1678. Translated from the French the record reads:

266 266 1678 Louis Gamache

On the seventeenth day of the month of April in the year one thousand six hundred
seventy eight, by Mister Thomas Morel, missionary priest
from the Seminary of Québec, was baptized in Cap St. Ignace
Louis, son of Nicolas Gamache, habitant of this place, and Ursule
Cloutier his wife, born on the twentieth of March last. The Godfather and
Godmother were Jacques Fortin and Louise Picard wife of
Louis Gagnier.
                                    H[enri] Debernieres

This record can be found as image 135/150 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com in the records for Québec (Notre Dame). The record appears on page 266.

This is the same Louis Gamache whose death and burial record I showed yesterday.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

On 10 Feb 1745, Louis Gamache, son of Nicolas Gamache and í‰lisabeth Ursule Gamache, died. He was buried in the Church of St. Ignace, New France under his Seigneurial territory on 11 Feb 1745.

The Death and Burial Record of Louis Gamache – 1745

SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Parish of St. Ignace, New France, 1745. Death and Burial Record of Louis Gamache, Back of Folio 16.

Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Death and Burial Record of Louis Gamache – 1745. Translated from the French the record reads:

Burial of Mister Louis Gamache, Seigneur

In the year one thousand forty five on the eleventh of February
was buried in the church of St. Ignace under his
seigneurial bench by us the missionary priest of
this place, Louis Gamache, age about sixty years,
died on the tenth of this same month, armed with the Sacraments
of the Church. Pierre Fortin, Jean Fortin, Louis Fortin, Mister
Guimon, Major, and many others assisted in this burial.
Mister Guimon has signed below with us. signed Fran[í§ois] Guimon
Dolbec, priest

This record can be found as image 181/948 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com in the records for Cap St. Ignace 1679-1808. The record appears on the back of folio 16.

Louis Gamache is described in this record as a seigneur and a reference is made that he was buried under his seigneurial territory.

Many of the parish records from New France describe the subjects of the records as habitants. This record, however, describes the subject as a seigneur.

Cardinal Richelieu established the seigneurial system in new France in 1627. Seigneuries were narrow strips of land along the Saint Lawrence River which were officially the property of the King of France.

Seigneurs managed the seigneuries for the king. Habitants were free men who worked for themselves but paid taxes to the seigneur. Habitants often worked for the seigneur three days each year in such tasks as building roads.

UPDATE 08 Mar 2008: Gilles, The Nomadic Researcher, wrote to say that I had mistranslated a phrase in this record. The record provides the location of the burial of Louis Gamache. Gilles wrote that the phrase, in French, is “sous son ban seigneurial”, translated into English as “under his seigneurial bench”. Gilles also provided additional information about this phrase:

“In New France and old Québec, benches in a church were sold to the parishioners; in some churches, the seigneur had his special bench which was located in the front and sometimes with doors…”

Thanks, Gilles!

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

On 21 May 1680, Nicolas Gamache, son of Nicolas Gamache and í‰lisabeth Ursule Gamache, was born. He was baptized in the Parish of Neuville, New France on 09 Jun 1680.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Nicolas Gamache – 1680

SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Parish of Neuville, New France, 1680. Birth and Baptismal Record of Nicolas Gamache, Front of Folio 2.

Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Nicolas Gamache – 1680. Translated from the French the record reads:

Nicolas Gamache

On the ninth day of the month of June in the year [two words?]
by me the undersigned missionary priest, was baptized in Cap de
Vincelotte, Nicolas Gamache, born on the twenty first of [two words?]
son of Nicolas Gamache and Ursule Cloutier, his wife. The
Godfather was Eustache Fortin, cousin of the child. The
Godmother was Marie LeRoy, wife of Jean Gotreau [one word?]
residing in this place. The said father Gamache and Godfather
Fortin signed and the others have declared that they are not able
to write or sign as required…

This record can be found as image 6/324 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com in the records for Neuville 1679-1724. The record appears on the front of folio 2.

Over two weeks passed between the time Nicolas Gamache was born and the time he was baptized. In 1680, the priests in New France apparently served several communities and were only available for baptisms and marriages in a given community for a short period of time every few weeks.

This record is one of the most difficult records I’ve ever tried to read. The writing is faint and the document itself is damaged. Fortunately, the record was extracted by Le Programme de recherche en démographie historique
(The Research Program in Historical Demography) or PRDH at the University of Montreal, allowing me to decipher the original record using the information in the PRDH extraction as a guide.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

On 06 Jun 1683, Jean Baptiste Gamache, son of Nicolas Gamache and í‰lisabeth Ursule Gamache, was born. He was baptized in the Parish of Cap St. Ignace, New France on 24 Jun 1682.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Jean Baptiste Gamache – 1682

SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Parish of Cap St. Ignace, New France, 1682. Birth and Baptismal Record of Jean Baptiste Gamache, Back of Folio 3, Bat.

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 Gamache – 1682. Translated from the French the record reads:

Bap[tism] of Jean Baptiste Gamache 1682

On the twenty fourth day of the month of June in the year one thousand six hundred eighty two was baptized in the Seigneury of Vincelotte by me, Morel, missionary priest of the Seminary in Québec, serving the function of pastor of this place and others surrounding. Jean Baptiste, son of Nicolas Gamache and Ursule Cloutier his wife, born on the sixth of the same month and year. The Godfather was Louis Gagnier and the Godmother was Antionette Grenier, wife of Jacques Bernier, who have declared that they are not able to sign as required by law.
                                  [signed] Thomas Morel, priest

This record can be found as image 4/948 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com in the records for Cap St. Ignace 1679-1808. The record appears on the back of folio 3.

This child was not baptized until more than two weeks had passed since his birth. Since it appears that the Seigneurie de Vincelotte did not have its own pastor at the time, perhaps the family simply had to wait until the priest returned to their location. Indeed, from the entries in the parish register, it appears that the priest was absent from the Seigneurie de Vincelotte between 07 Jun and 23 Jun 1682, since no baptisms, marriages, or deaths were recorded there during that period of time.

UPDATE 08 Mar 2008: Gilles, The Nomadic Researcher has come to my aid once again. I had trouble with a passage in this record that described the priest who baptized Jean Baptiste Gamache. Gilles wrote to say that the phrase, in French, is “aux dits lieux et autres circonvoisins”, translated as “of this place and others surrounding”. Thanks, Gilles!

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko