Charles Amiot dit Villeneuve

Charles Amiot, born 26 August 1636 in BAP: Quebec, Quebec ; died 10 December 1669 in Quebec ; married Genevieve Chavigny 02 May 1660 in Quebec, Quebec 3. More About Genevieve Chavigny: Seigneuries: 1672, Vincelot (to son in 1693)

More About Charles Amiot and Genevieve Chavigny: Marriage: 02 May 1660, Quebec, Quebec

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<From Our French Canadian-Ancestors" by Thomas J. Laforest. vol.26 pg.40-48>

CHARLES

The Canadian Charles Amiot, son of Philippe and of Anne Convent, studied at the College des Jesuites. At the age of 14, he accompanied Father François-Joseph Bressani as a servant on a journey out to the land of the Hurons. Departing from Trois-Rivières on 7 June 1650, he was unable to return there be-cause the English fleet had stopped below Montréal. On 18 July, Charles entered Québec.

On 2 May 1660, he married Genevieve de Chavigny, daughter of François and of Eleonore de Grandmaison. However, he still had the blood of a voyageur in his veins. He accompanied Father Nouvel to the Ile aux Basques and to Lake Matapedia. In 1664, he and Father Nouvel went with some Papinachois as far as the Rivière aux Outardes, then to the Manicouagan.

On the first of November 1652, Charles had received from Lauzon a concession, which was enlarged by another one with 5 arpents by 40, on 18 August 1659. However, what really interested Charles was the fur and eel business. Thus, he became a merchant at Québec.

His family was not large; composed of three children. Pierre, died after two months; Marie-Madeleine, joined the Ur-sulines. She became superior of her community at Trois-Riviêres in 1709. It was also there that she died on 13 October 1747, after 68 years as a nun.

Charles-Joseph Amiot, the third and last child (1665-1735), husband of Marie-Gabrielle Philippe du Hautmesny, was a ship's captain and also a fur merchant. He became lord of the seigneurie of Vincelot.

Charles died, too young, at the age of 33, on 11 Decem-ber 1669, at Québec. His widow was remarried, to Jean-Baptiste Couillard, Sieur de L'Espinay, on 23 October 1680. This strong woman, and seigneuresse in more than title, was buried at Québec on 21 April 1724.

GEDCOM Note

He studied at the Jesuit college and, when he was just 14 years old, he accompanied Father Bressani, who was going up to the Huron country, as a servant. On May 2, 1660, Amiot married Geneviève de Chavigny, of whom he had three children. He opened a store in Quebec City, at the foot of Cap aux Diamants, on a site he had received from his stepfather. He was then a merchant interested in eel fishing and the fur trade. It was his trips to the Papinachois that earned him a certain notoriety during his lifetime. He then accompanied Father Henri Nouvel *, a Jesuit born in Pézenas, in the Hérault, in 1621 or 1624, and landed in Quebec in the summer of 1662.

Many historians have confused the dates and the itineraries of Father Nouvel's and Charles Amiot's journeys. According to Relations, they made a first trip from April to June 1663 and a second, from November to April 1664. Leaving Quebec in November 1663, they went to Île aux Basques, then to Île Saint- Barnabé, to finally winter with a band of Algonquins around Lake Matapedia or Lake Mitis. Returning to Île aux Basques in March 1664, Amiot went down to Quebec where he arrived on April 5, while Father Nouvel remained on the island with his flock.

On April 21, 1664, Father Nouvel crossed on the north bank. He waited near Tadoussac for Father Druillettes, who did not arrive until May 3. He decided to take care of the Saguenay Indians. For their part, Father Nouvel and Charles Amiot, the only Frenchman to accompany him, left Tadoussac the same day (May 3) and went on the ground with a band of Papinachois to the Peritibistokou (Des Outardes) river which they reached May 14. The travelers camped there until June 2, went up the river for a day and made a portage which led them to the Manikouaganistikou (Manicouagan) river. They reached Lake Saint-Barnabé (Manicouagan) on June 9. A band of Papinachois, who had never met whites, awaited them there. The missionary evangelized and the caterers traded furs. Father Nouvel named the place Saint-Barnabé mission. The expedition returned to Quebec on June 30, 1664.

In November, Father Nouvel left Quebec again for Tadoussac. It seems that Amiot then stayed in Quebec. Father Nouvel spent the winter of 1664–1665 in the Lac Saint-Jean region and returned in the spring. At the end of May 1665, he returned to the Saint-Barnabé mission in the company of two Frenchmen whom the Relation identified as Amiot and Couture *. Father Godbout specifies that "for this last trip to the nations of the north, he [Amiot] joined forces, on May 28, 1665, with Guillaume Couture, Noël Jérémie and Sébastien Prouvereau. They had a meeting with the Papinachois at the mouth of the Manicouagan. But they had to go up the river without a guide, because the Indians did not show up for the meeting. They are back in Quebec on July 26.

Father Nouvel returned to the north coast until 1670, but Relations no longer mentioned the presence of Amiot at his side. Perhaps the latter preferred to stay in Quebec with his family and take care of his general store. Amiot died on December 10, 1669. "In consideration of the good services which the late Amiot rendered in this country," Talon, on November 3, 1672, conceded to his widow the fief of Vincelotte, in the current parish of Cap-Saint-Ignace. His son Charles-Joseph * inherited the fief and took the name. Charles Amiot was the brother of Jean and Mathieu Amiot.

Father Nouvel had a much longer career. He later exercised his apostolate between Michillimakinac and the Sainte-Marie jump.

Charles and Genevieve had 3 children. Charles made his studies at the Jesuits' college and at hardly 14 years old, he accompanied Father Bressani, as his domestic (servant), to the Huron tribes. He opened a store in Quebec, QC at the foot of Cap aux Diamants, on a site he had received from his father-in-law. He was a merchant interested in eel fishing and the fur trade. He traveled to the lands of the Papinachois that earned him a certain notoriety. He accompanied Father Henri Nouvel, Jesuit born at Pezenas, in Heraut in 1621 or 1624, who disembarked in Quebec, QC in the summer of 1662.
According to the "Relations", Father Nouvel and Charles accomplished a first voyage, from April to June 1663 and a second one from November 1663 to April 1664. Leaving Quebec in November 1663, they reached l'Ile-aux-Basques, then l'Ile Saint-Barnabe, to finally spend the winter with a tribe of Algonquins in the area around the Matapedia Lake or Mitis Lake. In March 1664, Amiot made his way back to Quebec where he arrived on April 5, while Father Nouvel remained on Ile-aux-Basques.
On April 21, 1664, Father Nouvel crossed on the northern shore. He waited near Tadoussac for Father Druillettes who only arrived on May 3rd. He decided to go care for the Indians of the Saguenay. Father Nouvel and Charles left Tadoussac on May 3rd and left on foot with a tribe of the Papinachois until they reached the Peritibistokou River (des Outardes) on May 14th. They camped there until June 2nd when they went up the river for a full day and did a portage which brought them on the Manikouaganistikou River (Manicouagan). They reached Lake Saint-Barnabe (Manicouagan) on June 9. There, they wait for a tribe of Papinachois who had never seen white people. The missionary evangelized them and the fur traders bartered their furs. Father Nouvel named the spot Mission Saint-Barnabe. The expedition returned to Quebec, QC on June 30, 1664.
In November. Father Nouvel left Quebec again for Tadoussac. It appears Charles remained in Quebec. Father Nouvel spent the winter of 1664-1665 in the region of Lac Saint-Jean and returned in the spring. At the end of May 1665, he returned to the Mission Saint-Barnabe in the company of 2 Frenchmen that the "Relations" identifies as being Amiot and Couture. Father Godbout says that for this last voyage to the nations to the north, Charles Amiot had associated with Guillaume Couture, Noel Jeremie and Sebastien Prouvereau on May 28, 1665. They were to meet up with the Papinachois at the mouth of the Manicouagan River but they had to go up the river without any guide as the Indians never showed up to their meeting spot. They were back in Quebec, QC on July 26.
Father Nouvel returned to the northern shore until 1670 but the "Relations" doesn't mention Charles Amiot by his side. Possibly he preferred remaining in Quebec with his family and take care of his general store. Amiot died on December 10, 1669. In consideration of all the good services Amiot had rendered to the country, Talon, on November 3, 1672 granted to his widow, the fief of Vincelotte in the actual parish of Cap-St-Ignace. Their son Charles-Joseph inherited this fief.
Father Nouvel had a long career. He practiced evangelisation between Michillimakinac and Sault Sainte-Marie.