Guillaume Pelletier dit Gobloteur

Sources:
WikiTree
Genealogy.com

Fils d'Eloi qui était marchand et Francoise Matte

Il est le frère d'Antoine mariée avec Francoise Morin

Il est arrivé en 1641 à Québec, il était marchand charbonnier à Tourouvre

      3. Guillaume2 Pelletier-dit-Gobloteur (Eloi1 Pelletier) was born about 1597/1598 in St. Pierre des Brésolettes, Tourouvre, Mortagne, Perche, France, and died 27 Nov 1657 in Côte de la Montagne, QC. He married Michelle Mabille 12 Feb 1619 in St. Jean de Tourouvre, Mortange, Perche Region, France, daughter of Guillaume Mabille and Etiennette Monhe. She was born 18 May 1592 in St. Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne, Chartres, Perche Region, France, and died 21 Jan 1665 in Québec City, QC.

Notes for Guillaume Pelletier-dit-Gobloteur: I used his "dit" (aka) name Gobloteur only because it is used in Jette. Since PRDH (University of Montréal) does not use it, I did not apply it to his descendants.

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©Association des Familles Pelletier Inc.
Coal Merchant Like his father Éloy, Guillaume was a charcoal merchant and possibly a wood merchant as well. An act dated 1630 testifies to this fact: “Macé Guyot… yields to Jehan Maunoury and to Guillaume Pelletier, coal merchants, living in said Tourouvre, 106 cords of wood for the purpose of making coal. In exchange, Maunoury and Pelletier will deliver 175 coal pipes and will pay 4 gold coins.” It may be, however, that Guillaume had more than one job. From the Jesuit Journal of 1646, we know that he is “a logger, sawyer, carpenter, coalman, etc.” As we can see, Guillaume had so many wood related occupations that the Journal writer did not even complete the list!

His Children According to the research of P.-A. Godbout, Mrs. Pierre Montagne found no more than three children in the Tourouvre archives born to Guillaume Pelletier and Michelle Mabille: Claude, born February 11, 1622, who was named in honor of his godfather, Claude Mabille, his mother’s brother; Guillaume, born February 26, 1624; and Jean, born June 12, 1627, whose godparents were Jehan Loyseau and Michelle Bahère, wife of Claude Mabille. In addition to these three children, Monsignor Tanguay mentions a daughter, Marie, who apparently married Julien Perreault in 1647. The two eldest children, Claude and Guillaume, apparently died at an early age; we find no further mention of them in the archives. Furthermore, at the time of their emigration from France, Guillaume and his wife only had one child with them, their youngest son, Jean.

The Gobloteur Guillaume Pelletier had a nickname, “Gobloteur,” but whether he had this name in France or earned it in Canada, we do not know; the Jesuit Journal of 1646 mentions “the Gobloteur, named Guillaume Pelletier.” Use of this byname has not perpetuated to the 21st century, so we must consult the 1762 edition of Trévoux’s Dictionary, in which we find the word “gobelotor.” Coming from the word “gobelot” or “goblet,” meaning drinking mug, “gobelotor” means one who drinks often and, by extension, one who likes to laugh and sing. The English version of the Jesuit Journal translates “Gobloteur” as “Tippler,” or drunkard, but, even if this translation draws us to the same conclusions about Guillaume, it lacks the French nuances! Instead, we prefer the Trévoux definition, found also in Bélisle’s General Dictionary of the French Language in Canada, which recognizes the Gobloteur as a happy man who likes to drink, laugh, and sing!

Guillaume Pelletier passed his byname along to his son, Jean, who in turn transmitted it to some of his descendants. Léon Roy, in his “Terre de l’Île d’Orléans,” mentions Jean Pelletier Gobleteux, who owned parcel number fifty-three in the parish of Saint-Pierre. This land, later conveyed to his son, René, was located between René Goubleu and Jacques Nolin. Roy comments, “We believe that this René Goubleu was none other than René Pelletier himself, son of Jean Pelletier, nicknamed “Gobloteux.” To our knowledge, “Gobloteur” is nowhere to be found among the names of Quebec today.

However, a more recent alternative view suggest something totally different about this man's accepted and listed Parentage and about his and his son Jean's and a few of his children's possible alcohol abuses and nick name, Gobleteur, which after reading the above lead some to think them as being possible drunkards and proud of it because they attached it to their name. After seeing them in this more positive light the view of seeing them as possible known drunkards become less believable which begs us to dismiss the above view which may not be the case at all, in fact, very far from it! Many Pelletier descendants are offended by what was written above and do not believe that their ancestor was a drunkard as the above suggest and some have come to learn and better believe this newer alternative view much better because it sheds a better believable, factual and historic light for why these early Pelletiers chose to attach the word, Gobleteur, to their name... At La Cristerie, Guillaume Peletier’s home in Bresolletes France, a French Canadian, a writer/genealogist and artist and a descendant of Guillaume, met Jacqueline Gaudet nee Pelletier, the care taker and occupant at the time of La Cristerie, back in 2004 – She informed him that the latest information within the Pelletier family (In France, Canada and some in the US) was that we now knew of Eloi’s real father, being that of René Pelletier, a direct descendant of Barthelemy Le Pelletier of Brittany France, the decorated war hero of the battle of Thouars, in Poitou, in 1372, against the black Prince of England during the 100 year war with England and husband of Marie Cupit who were both possibly to be originally from the nearby city of Chartes France – and how we know is because it is said by the Tourouvians of this region of France that, he (Rene' Pelletier), was from the valley near the closest large city/town which would of been Chartes and that Eloi Pelletier was his son. This new revelation, or newer point of view is not the current and the above listed set of Parents and Grandparents of Eloi Pelletier, the Father of Guillaume Pelletier, Le Gobloteux but is rather, the other accepted point of view held by many of the descendants of this Guillaume Pelletier branch and is also the view held by many local historians of the Tourouvre, Bresolettes area in France, the birth place of Guillaume Pelletier, Le Gobloteux. I (John Pelletier, also a valid descendant of Guillaume) after many discussions with this writer in which he said, in so many words, In my actual travels there, and the lay of the land with imagining life five hundred years ago, everything seemed to fall into place. At that time, the Pelletier family had at least one relative in Chartres who was shown in the Paris archives as a tax collector and not necessarily closely related (given that there were a number of families with the same first name and also carried the name of Pelletier in that region). By interpolation as a writer, I chose Chartres as both the ideal and logical probability. It gave me a storyline that I preferred and the logic of a true European beginning, hiding in a vegetable bin from the kings marauding soldiers who were known to often take liberties with local poor peasants. (This man recently wrote a book of the Pelletier history and of his lineage to the Pelletier line. I dare not use his name because I did not ask for his permission to use it)

He continued to tell me, again, in so many words not necessarily all the words that are shown, all of my information was passed down to me by actual relatives and verified by a (possibly) more credible family historian, Dr. George Pelletier. His site is http://gapellet.brinkster.net/index.html. I spoke with him a number of years ago and as even then he was a retired surgeon, such that I wouldn’t be surprised if he has handed his site and his work to someone else. Like me, he actually visited the locations. The only information in family lineage that I added to his details, was that of the name of René Pelletier who may very well be the real biological Father of Eloi Pelletier, the Father of Guillaume Pelletier.

Also, he said, quite infactacally, I am correct in that Jean was a goblet maker, an artist in his spare time, as like his Father Guillaume and possibly even his grandfather, when he wasn't occupied with farming, building, carpentry, raising a family and exploring Huron country building Churches and was not a known drunk as the words, Gobleteur may suggest to some. It was well known that he was into making ceramics, a potter, a craftsman, a maker of beautifully crafted goblets as his chosen form of art, as like his Father, Guillaume. His name and nick name (Gobletuer) was on the land title as such on his farm (or right to farm) on Île d’ Orleans. It is very certain that he wasn’t a drunk as he, a devoutly religious man excelled to the extent of buying his neighbors farm and went on to also buy a commercial property in Quebec City in partnership with his brother-in-law and was also known to build Churches. For that reason I again interpolate that the commercial property, which is now a retail row as it was then, was for pottery sales and/or manufacturing and was not a building to house a drunkard as his nick name, Gobloteux, may suggest to some. Besides, let's say for a moment that he was a drunkard, why would he add the nick name, Gobloteux to his good name and to his land titles so he could tell the world that he and his descendants were known drunkards? This doesn't make sense, especially given the "ultra religious" time period in which they lived. I'm sure the then powerful, French Roman Catholic Church would of written something about it and would not of allowed drunkards to build their Churches. C-mon now, think about it?

Here is what is interesting about what we may call rumor: 1. On the internet I once crossed a site, not worth reading in detail, by a man stating that he was a decedent of Jean Pelletier who held the nick-name because he drank so much. I passed it off as simply being the ravings of a contemporary whose focus was on booze. 2. As a second step it has now come to my attention that this individual or others like him, are using the same interpretation. I’ll leave the choice up to you and I hope that my assumptions in the book are clear. My assumptions were verified by individuals at the land titles office in Quebec. There were many drunks at that time in history but none of them would have had it registered at land titles offices or hung a shingle on their front door saying a drunk lives here. Registrations by the Lords of the Manor were quite official and not just a matter of nick names.

Emigration in Canada Despite the fact that no written documents attest explicitly to how and why these pioneers left Perche, it seems obvious that Guillaume Pelletier, like many of his compatriots, came to Canada to answer to the call of Lord Robert Giffard, the first professional in the colony to come from that region. Guillaume was most likely hired by one of the Juchereau brothers, either directly or by one of their representatives; at the time, Noël and Jean Juchereau, associates of Giffard and members of the Company of New France, were making an increasing number of trips between Canada and Perche to recruit more and more colonists. In their absence, their half-brother, Pierre Juchereau, recruited settlers and signed contracts on their behalf.

On March 8, 1641, Guillaume Pelletier and Michelle Mabille, residents of La Gazerie, sold a portion of their land to Robert Loyseau, and entered into a five-year lease agreement with Jean Rousseau, their brother-in-law, which included “any houses and all inheritance rights belonging to Michelle Mabille as well as those rights from the late Guillaume Mabille and Étiennette Monhée, her father and mother, to be in the possession of the said Rousseau during the said time, in consideration of fifteen pounds, which they have already received from the said Rousseau and of which payment they discharge him.” The context of the act is clear, and it is obvious why the Pelletiers called upon a notary to draw up these provisions: having liquidated all their assets – house, inheritances rights, and titles – they meant to depart. Familial obligations seem to have kept them from settling these matters sooner, but Michelle’s parents having died, the couple was free to leave. We can thus conclude that Guillaume Pelletier, Michelle Mabille, and their fourteen-year-old son, Jean, left for Canada in the spring of 1641. If, however, this is a miscalculation, it is not considerable, given that a notarial act dated October 5, 1642, establishes that the Pelletier family had indeed settled in New France some time before that date. Guillaume’s brother, Antoine, likely accompanied his brother to Canada; we know that Antoine drowned when his canoe capsized at Montmorency Falls in 1647.

Hired hand or Habitant? Even if Guillaume did not come to New France under contract, evidence indicates that he was at the very least a hired hand, or engagé, commissioned for thirty-six months of service; having arrived in the colony in 1641, it was not until late 1644 that he purchased a parcel of land. Earlier, on April 17 of that year, Lord Robert Giffard had granted a concession measuring six arpents wide to Martin Grouvel, who, that autumn, sold the property to Guillaume Pelletier, who in turn gave it to his brother, Antoine; when Antoine died in October 1647, ownership of the land transferred back to Guillaume. It is easy to interpret Guillaume’s actions as those of an engagé who had decided to invest his earnings in some property. It seems, however, that even after this transaction, Guillaume continued an as engagé, as he immediately gave the land to his brother, instead of settling there himself. It is only after his brother’s death in 1647 that Guillaume seems to finally decide to establish himself on his property and, undoubtedly, exploit it himself.

A Jack of All Trades It is easy to believe that, in the beginning, Guillaume worked in the colony as an artisan, as this would have merely been an extension of his occupation in France; his native Bresolettes, let us not forget, was situated in the very heart of an area populated by “coalmen, ironworkers, and loggers.” In short, even if it were only by an oral agreement or under a private contract, Guillaume was undoubtedly an engagé, and it is safe to assume that it was in large part because of his expert woodworking skills that he had been recruited. At that time, everything in the colony was still under construction. Speaking only about the Jesuits, we see in their Journal that they were in the process of building a residence and parish church at that time; the Jesuits are a prime example of a group hiring Guillaume Pelletier for his expertise as an artisan. In any case, the priests seem to have known him particularly well, as their Journal identifies him as a “logger, sawyer, carpenter, coalman, etc.”

In Beauport In 1647, Guillaume Pelletier reclaimed possession of his land in the area of Montmorency Falls, which he had given to his brother, Antoine, in 1644. The Falls had not favored this younger Pelletier, and one might ask if he had dared tempt fate by getting his little canoe as close to the Falls as possible: on October 3, 1647, “Antoine Peltier, brother of Guillaume Peltier the Gobloteur, drowned when his canoe capsized close to his house in Saut de Montmorency.” The loss of his brother was undoubtedly difficult for Guillaume to accept, and even more so for Françoise Morin, whom Antoine had married only two months before, on August 17; the couple had had no children. Jesuit Barthélemy Vincent buried Antoine in Quebec on day of his death.

Guillaume’s property in Beauport, by the Montmorency Falls, consisted of six arpents along the Saint Lawrence River; the Montmorency River limited his concession to thirty-four arpents in depth. In fact, because of the particular way in which Lord Giffard had chosen to distribute his concessions, each was limited in the south by the Saint Lawrence and in the north by the Montorency River. And, as the two rivers approached to meet at the end of the seigneury, the first concession, closest to the Falls, was only twenty arpents deep; the land of Guillaume Pelletier was second, and only extended inland thirty-four arpents; the concessions continued this way down the line until reaching the property of Jean Langlois, which was 116 arpents deep. Now, Guil-laume did not keep all of his land, and by 1655, Jean Mignaux had in his possession two arpents, part of which had been taken from Guillaume’s land.

About Guillaume’s time at Beauport, we know little. In 1646, his nineteen-year-old son, Jean, volunteered for service with the Jesuits; he probably returned to his father that next year. In 1649, Jean married the young Anne Langlois, after which he settled on his father’s property in Beauport. In 1654, Anne presented Guillaume his first grandson, Noël Pelletier, the first Canadian-born descendant of this line of Pelletiers from Tourouvre; two years later, Guillaume saw the birth of his first granddaughter, Anne.

A Respected Citizen Again turning to the Jesuit Journal, we see that on August 9, 1653, Guillaume is named assistant trustee in the Communauté des Habitants of Beauport; the priests spoke of it, mentioning that the group falls under their jurisdiction. This nomination is at once a great honor for Guillaume and an expression of the trust his fellow citizens of Beauport have in him. Thus, Guillaume Pelletier not only served the colony with his masterful woodworking skills, he was also productive, more or less anonymously, by his contributions to the Communauté des Habitants, where he gave freely of himself to further the economic life and policies of the young colony. Moreover, Guillaume was an educated member of his society, and, as Mrs. Montagne notes, he had a “good signature,” which she has found on a document among the archives in Tourouvre. Finally, Guillaume’s knowledge and experience as a former charcoal merchant undoubtedly entitled him to supervise the interests of the Communauté, whose foremost economic activity was to manage the fur trade in New France.

His Death Four years after his appointment to the Communauté des Habitants, Guillaume Pelletier died at his home in Beauport at the age of 59, and on November 28, 1657, he was buried in Quebec. His widow, Michelle Mabille, died in Beauport and was buried in Quebec eight years later, on January 21, 1665, at the age of 73. At the time of his death, Guillaume did not leave a very large Canadian progeny; his son, Jean, had only given him two grandchildren. However, Jean and his young wife, Anne Langlois, eventually added seven children to their family, not counting two who died at birth; all but one of these children were born in the house in Beauport that Jean received from his father.

Taken from “Histoire et généalogie de Guillaume Pelletier 1598-1657 et son fils Jean,” by Maurice Pelletier, s.j. (Montréal: Société généalogique Canadienne-Française, 1976; 24 pp). English translation by B.J. Shoja. 2003

Children of Guillaume Pelletier-dit-Gobloteur and Michelle Mabille are:

      4       i.       Claude3 Pelletier, born 11 Feb 1622 in St. Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne, Perche Region, France; died Bef. 1641 in St. Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne, Perche Region, France.

      5       ii.       Guillaume Pelletier, born 26 Feb 1624 in St. Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne, Perche Region, France; died Bef. 1641 in St. Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne, Perche Region, France. +       6       iii.       Jean Pelletier-dit-Gobloteur, born 12 Jun 1627 in St. Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne Orne, Perche Region, France; died 24 Feb 1698 in Rivière Ouelle, Kamouraska, QC.

Guillaume Pelletier (1598 - 1657) Guillaume Pelletier was born in 1598 in Bresolettes, Perche, France, the son of Eloi Pelletier and Françoise Matte (?Mare).

There are documents in the genealogy archives of the Paris National Library that indicate that the Pelletiers from Perche are probably descendants of Barthelémy Le Pelletier of Brittany. Barthelémy was given the Perche forest by the French King, Charles V, as a reward for his bravery in the battle of Thouars, in Poitou, August 7, 1372. (Louise Pelletier in La Pelleterie, Bulletin #25, Volume 11, No. 1, Winter 1997.)

Perche, an old French province , founded in 1115, is west of Paris and east of the coastal province of Normandy. Perche no longer exists as a province today - it is part of Lower Normandy. The ancient province of Perche was dismantled into four uneven parts in 1790, when the French Assembly divided France into "départements". Today, the province of Perche would correspond roughly to the eastern portion of the "département" of Orne, and the western portion of the "département" of Eure-et-Loire. Perche is still referred to as a region of France. Approximately 4% of the early Canadian settlers were from the Perche region. Recently, the author and his wife went to Tourouvre and Bresolettes. To view this visit, click here.

The region of Perche's topography is one of quiet rolling hills, "Les Collines du Perche", where wheat fields and pastures abound. However, in the 17th century, Perche was an important iron works center, especially in that part of Perche called the "Val de l'Avre", the Avre River Valley.

Perche is known for its draft horse, the Percheron. Curiously enough the term Percheron is also given to a Perche native. Gastronomically, Perche is best known for its "boudin noir", blood sausage or black pudding. A "boudin" festival is held every Spring in Mortagne-au-Perche. Hidden away deep in the Perche Forest is "La Grande Trappe", the original Trappist monastery, founded in 1140.

The Pelletier ancestral home, in Bresolettes whose walls are made of flintstone (silex), still stands today.It is rented by one of Guillaume's descendants, Jacqueline Pelletier-Gaudet, born in Quebec Province, Canada. She visited the ancestral home in 1986. During her stay in France at that time, she met and married her husband, Andre Gaudet. Below is a photograph of the house as it looks today - the original portion of the house is the large section in the center of the photograph. The other photograph of Jacqueline Pelletier Gaudet and her husband, André, was taken in January 1995 in front of the original hearth, now part of the bedroom. It is called and known as La Cristerie. Jacqueline Pelletier Gaudet and her husband, André live.

Guillaume's trade was that of "marchand de charbon", a coal (charcoal) merchant. On February 12, 1619, Guillaume left his native village to marry Michelle Mabille, six years his elder, daughter of François Mabille and Etiennette Monhée (Monhay). The wedding took place in St-Aubin Church (photo below), in the neighboring town of Tourouvre.

St-Aubin-de-Tourouvre Church During the 1974-1977 restoration of the church, a cornerstone dated 1034 was found. Above the altar there is a 15th century painting of the Nativity. Two of the church's stained glass windows commemorate the departure of the 80 families from the area to New France in the 17th century.

One of the two commemorative stained glass windows in St-Aubin-de-Tourouvre There are also commemorative plaques in the church in honor of those Tourouvians baptized at St-Aubin church who left for New France as well as plaques honoring specific families who took part in the great emigration to the new world.

Below is a scanned copy of the original marriage act between Guillaume and Michelle, from the parish archives.

Marriage act between Guillaume Pelletier and Michelle Mabille - 1619 Guillaume and his bride took up residence in a section of Tourouvre called "Gazerie". The couple also lived in an adjacent area of Tourouvre, called "Babonnière", with Michelle's parents. According to Torouvre archives, 3 children were born to Guillaume and Michelle: the eldest, Claude, was baptized on February 11, 1622; the second, Guillaume, was baptized on February 26, 1624, and the youngest, Jean, was baptized on June 12, 1627. Other than the baptismal records, no addtional information, neither in Tourouvre archives nor in any Canadian archive, can be found for the two older children, Claude and Guillaume. The prevailing opinion among Pelletier historians is that they both probably died in early infancy.

In 1627, Cardinal Richelieu, chief of the King's council, organized "La Compagnie des Cent-Associés", the Company of the Hundred Associates, also known as "La Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France", the New France Company.

This company was made up of one hundred partners, mostly trade leaders. As organized, the Company was to own and exploit the vast regions of New France. It had perpetual monopoly of the fur trade and monopoly of all the other trades for 15 years. In return for these benefits, each partner was required to furnish a certain of number of colonists over the period of the contract. The Company was to support each new colonist for 3 years in return for his labor. The Company owned all the land and had the right to grant estates to "Seigneurs", under the French feudal laws.

Such a grant is made to Robert Giffard, originally from the Perche region. In 1634, Giffard was named "Seigneur" of the Beauport area, just northeast of Québec City. Giffard heavily recruits colonists from his native Perche Province. Among his principal recruiters are the Juchereau brothers from the town of Tourouvre.

Apparently the Juchereau brothers recruited Guillaume Pelletier and his bachelor brother, Antoine, before 1640. Guillaume, however, did not feel free to leave at that time because of his in-laws' extremely poor health. He stayed on in Tourouvre with his wife, Michelle, to care for the elderly couple. Both in-laws died within a short time of each other in 1640, and the Pelletiers were free to leave for Beauport.

Guillaume, age 43, his wife Michelle, age 48, their youngest son Jean, age 14, and Guillaume's brother, Antoine, left Tourouvre in the spring of 1641. No information about the family is available for the following 3 years. As mentioned previously, New France Comapny obligated itself to support the hired settlers for 3 years in exchange for their labor. It is assumed that Guillaume and his brother are hired as carpenters and wood workers. They worked either at Québec City for the Company, or at nearby Beauport for the “Seigneur” Giffard.

On September 12, 1644, Guillaume became the owner of a piece of land in the “seigneurie” of Beauport, purchased from Martin Grouvel. The purchased property had a six-acre frontage on the St-Lawrence River and extended northwest to the Montmorency River near the Montmorency Falls. His brother, Antoine, bought a piece of land next to his, but closer to the Falls.

Below is a drawing of that section of Beauport, called Courville, showing the original land grants of Guillaume and his brother, Antoine. The drawing is a modified version of that presented by Alphonse Pelletier at his conference on Guillaume Pelletier, given at the 16th Annual Pelletier Family Association meeting in Sherbrooke, QC, Canada, 3 Aug 2002. I thank him for allowing me to post here.

In September 1991, the "Association des Familles Pelletier" unveiled a memorial in Beauport to commemorate The the 350th anniversary of Guillaume's arrival to Canada. The inscription on the plaque (below) reads (in translation):

Guillaume Pelletier 1598 - 1657 Born in Bresolettes in Perche, he came to New France in 1641 and established himself on this land with his wife Michelle Mabille and his son Jean

The association des Familles Pelletier unveiled this plaque on September 8, 1991, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of his arrival to this country _________________________________________________________________________

Guillaume's brother, Antoine, married Françoise Morin on August 19, 1647, at Québec City. Less than 2 months later, on Wednesday, October 3, 1647, Antoine drowned as his canoe overturned near the Montmorency Falls. Since Antoine and his wife had not entered into a formal marriage contract, half of Antoine's property passed to his nearest living relative, his brother Guillaume. Guillaume, in turn, bought Antoine's widow's half of the property. Later, in 1655, Guillaume sold his brother's former property to Jean Migneault (Mignaux).

According to the Ursuline Sisters' archives in Québec, Guillaume was instrumental in the construction of the Château St-Louis, the Governor's home, in 1647, and of the parish church in 1648, which still serves the community today. In addition to being a master carpenter and beam maker, Guillaume distinguished himself as a community leader. He participated in the "Communauté des Habitants", the landowners' syndicate, and was elected to represent Beauport to the syndicate in 1653.

Guillaume died at the age of 59 on Tuesday, November 27, 1657. He was buried the next day in the “Côte de la Montagne” cemetery at Québec City. His wife, Michelle Mabille, lived on at Beauport where she died eight years later at the age of 73. She was buried beside her husband on January 21, 1665.

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He arrived in Quebec in 1641.

Guillaume Pelletier 1598-1657

The son of Éloi Pelletier and Françoise Matte, Guillaume was born in 1598, in the former French province of Perche, which borders the provinces of Normandie, Maine, and Beauce. Documents in France from that era, scanned by Mrs. Pierre Montagne, reveal that several Pelletiers lived in Bresolette at the same time, among whom were Mathieu, Jean, and Laurent. Guillaume had only one other brother, Antoine, and he crossed the Atlantic to New France with Guillaume. Wedding It was at the Church of Saint-Aubin, in Tourouvre, that "the marraiage of Guillaume Pelletier, of the parish of Bresolette, and Michelle Mabille, daughter of Guillaume of this parrish of Bresolitte, was celebrated on the twelfth day of the aforementioned month and year" -- which is to say, February 1619. Occupation Like his father, Guillaume was a coal merchant. An act dated 1630 testifies to this: "Macé Guyot...yields to Jehan Maunoury and to Guillaume Pelletier, coal merchants, living in said Tourouvre, 106 cords of wood for the purpose of making coal. In exchange, Maunoury and Pelletier will deliver 175 coal pipes and will pay four gold coins." From the Jesuit Journal of 1646, he was known in New France as being a "logger, sawyer, carpenter, coalman, etc". Children According to the research of P. A. Godbout, Mrs. Pierre Montagne found no more than three children in the Tourouvre archives born to Guillaume Pelletier and Michelle Mabille: Claude, forn February 11, 1622, who was named in honor of his mother's brother and godfather, Claude Mabille; Guillaume, born February 26, 1624; and Jean, born June 12, 1627, whose godparents were Jehan Loyseau and Michelle Bahére, wife of Claude Mabille. In addition to these children, Monsignor Tanguay mentions a daughter, Marie, who apparently married Julien Perreault in 1647. The two eldest children, Claude and Guillaume, apparently died at an early age; we find no further mention of them in the archives. Guillaume and his wife only had one child with them, their youngest son, Jean. The Gobloteur Guillaume had a nickname, "Gobloteur," but whether he had this name in France or earned it in Canada, we do not know. The Jesuit Journal of 1646 mentions "the Gobloteur, named Guillaume Pelletier." Use of this byname has not perpetuated to the 21st century, so we must consult the 1762 edition of Trévoux's dictionary, in which we find the word "gobelotor." Coming from the word "gobelot" or goblet," meaning drinking mug, "gobelotor" means one who drinks often and, by extension, one who likes to laugh and sing. The English version of the Jesuit Journal translates "Gobloteur" as "Tippler," or drunkard, about Guillaume, it lacks the French nuances! Instead, we prefer the Trévoux definition, found also in Bélisle's General Dictionary of the French Language in Canada, which recognizes the Gobloteur as a happy man who likes to drink, laugh, and sing! Guillaume passed his byname along to his son, Jean, who in turn transmitted it to some of his descendants. Léon Roy, in his "Terre de l'île d'Orlóns," mentions Jean Pelletier Gobleteux, who owned parcel number fifty-three in the parish of Saint-Pierre. This land, later conveyed to his son René Goubleu was none other than René Pelletier himself, son of Jean Pelletier, nicknamed "Gobloteux." To anyones knowlege, "Gobloteur" is nowhere to be found among the names of Quebec today. Immigration to New France Like many of his compatriots, Guillaume came to Canada to answer the call of Lord Robert Giffard, the first professional in the colony to come from that region. Guillaume was most likely hired by one of the Juchereau brothers, either directly or by one of their representatives, Noël and Jean Juchereau, associates of Giffard and members of La Compagnie des Cent-Associés. On March 8, 1641 Guillaume Pelletier and Michelle Mabille, who were residing in La Gazerie, sold a portion of their land to Robert Loyseau, and entered into a five year lease agreement with Jean Rousseau, their brother-in-law, which included "any houses and those rights from the late Guillaume Mabille and Étiennette Monhée, her father and mother, to be in the possession of the said Rousseau during the said time, in consideration of fifteen pounds, which they have already recieved from the said Rousseau and of which payment they discharge him." The context of the act is clear, and it is obvious why the Pelletiers called upon a notary to draw up these provisions: having liquidated all their assets -house, inheritances rights, and titles- they meant to depart. Familial obligations seem to have kept them from settling these matters seener, but Michelle's parents having died, the couple was free to leave with their son, Jean and Guillaume's brother Antoine in 1641. Hired Hand or Habitant? Even if Guillaume did not come to New France under contract, evidence indicates that he was at the very least a hired hand, or engagé, commissioned for thirty six months of service. Having arrived in the colony in 1641, it was not until late 1644 that he purchased a parcel of land. Earlier, on April 17 of that year, Lord Robert Giffard had granted a concession measuring six arpents wide to Martin Grouvel, who that autumn, sold the property to Guillaume Pelletier, who in turn gave it to his brother, Antoine; when Antoine died in October 1641, ownership of the land transferred back to Guillaume. It is easy to interpret Guillaumes's actions as those of an engagé who had decided to invest his earnings in some property. It seems, however, that even after this transaction, Guillaume continued on as engagé, as he immedieately gave the land to his brother, instead of settling there himself. It is only after his brother's death in 1647 that Guillaume seems to finally decide to establish himself on his property and, undoubtedly, exploit it himself. Jack of all Trades It is easy to believe that, in the beginning, Guillaume worked in the colony as an artisan, as this would have merely been an extension of his occupation in France. His native Bresolettes, let us not forget, was situated in the very heart of an area populated by "coalmen, ironworkers, and loggers." In short, even it it were only by an oral agreement or under a private contract, Guillaume was undoubtedly an engagé, and it is safe to assume that it was in large part because of his expert woodworking skills that he had been recruited. At that time, everything in the colony was still under construction. Speaking only about the Jesuits, we see in their Journal that they were in the process of building a residence and parish church at that time. The Jesuits are a prime example of a group hiring Guillaume for his expertise as an artisan. In any case, the priests seem to have known him particularly well, as their Journal identifies him as a "logger, sawyer, carpenter coalman, etc." Beauport In 1647 Guillaume reclaimed possession of his land in the area on Montmorency Falls, which he had given to his brother, Antoine, in 1644. The falls had not favored this younger Pelletier and one might ask if he had dared to tempt fate by getting his little canoe as close to the falls as possible. On October 3, 1647, "Antoine Peltier, brother of Guillaume Peltier the Gobloteur, drowned when his canoe capsized close to his house in Saut de Montmorency." The loss of his brother was undoubtedly difficuld for Guillaume to accept, and even more so for Françoise Morin, whom Antoine had married only two months before, on August 17. Guillaume's property in Beauport, by the Montmorency Falls, consisted of six arpents along the Saint Lawrence River; the Montmorency River limited his concession to thirty four arpents in depth. In fact, because of the particular way in which Lord Giffard had chosen to distribute his concessions, each was limited in the south by the Saint Lawrence and in the north by the Montmorency River. As the two rivers approached to meet at the end of the seigneury, the first concession, closest to the Falls, was only twenty arpents deep. The land of guillaume Pelletier was second, and only extended inland thirty four arpents and the concessions continued this way down the line until reaching the property of Jean Langlois, which was 116 arpents deep. Guillaume did not keep all of his land and by 1655, Jean Mignaux had in his possession two arpents, part of which had been taken from Guillaume's land. About Guillaume's time at Beauport, little is known. In 1646, his nineteen year old son, Jean, volunteered for service with the Jesuits and probably returned to his father the following year. In 1649, Jean married the young Anne Langlois, after which he settled on his father's property in Beauport. In 1654, Anne presented Guillaume with his first grandson, Noël Pelletier, the first Canadian born descendant of this line of Pelletiers from Tourouvre and two years later Guillaume saw the birth of his first grand -daughter, Anne Pelletier. A Respected Citizen Again turning to the Jesuit Journal, we see that on August 9, 1653, Guillaume is named assistant trustee in the Communauté des Habitants de Beauport; the priests spoke of it, mentioning that the group falls under their jurisdiction. This nomination is at once a great honor for Guillaume and an expression of the trust his fellow citizens of Beauport have in him. Thus, Guillaume Pelletier not only served the colony with his masterful woodworking skills, he was also productive, more or less anonymously, by his contributions to the Communauté des Habitants, where he gave freely of himself to further the economic life and policies of the young colony. Moreover, Guillaume was an educated member of his society and, as Mrs. Montagne notes, he had a "good signature," which she has found on a document among the archives in Tourouvre. Finally, Guillaume's knowledge and experience as a former charcoal merchant undoubtedly entitled him to supervise the interests of the Communauté, whose foremost economic activity was to manage the fur trade in New France. His Death Four years after his appointment to the Communauté des Habitants, Guillaume Pelletier died at his home in Beauport at the age of 59, and on November 28, 1657, he was buried in Quebec. His widow, Michelle Mabille, died in Beauport and was buried in Quebec eight years later, on January 21, 1665, at the age of 73. At the time of his death, Guillaume did not leave a very large Canadian born progeny; his son Jean, had only given him two grandchildren. However, Jean and his young wife Anne Langlois, eventually added seven children to their family, not counting two who died at birth. All but one of these children were born in the house in Beauport that Jean recieved from his father.

~"Histoire et Généalogie de Guillaume Pelletier 1598-1657 et son fils Jean"~ by Maurice Pelletier, s.j. (Montreal: Société généalogique Canadienne-Française, 1976

26 Jun 1630 • Tourouvre, France

He was a coal dealer in France. Left for Canada with his 2 children and became a settler while maintaining his trade of carpentry. Left for Canada in spring of 1641. They had waited for the death of Etienette Monhee mother of his wife

The story of the PLAQUE: September 8, 1991 - Beauport On it's fifth annual gathering, the Association, accompanied with the mayor of Beauport, Mr. Jacques Langlois, revealed a memorial to the memory of their ancestor, Guillaume Pelletier. More than 500 Pelletier celebrated the 350e anniversary of his arrival in New-France. The ceremonies of the official inauguration of the commemorative memorial were done near the Tessier-Laplante House in Courville (2328 Ave Royale, Beauport, Qc), N46 53.098, W71 09.478, that is to say it's the place where Guillaume Pelletier, his wife Michele Mabille and their son Jean were established in 1641. Conceded by the first lord of Beauport, Robert Giffard, the ancestral land of the Pelletier had a width of 6 arpents facing the St. Lawrence river and extended in-depth to the Montmagny river. An interesting fact to underline, today you'll find two churches on the land, that of Saint-Louis de Courville and Saint-Grégoire de Montmorency. The province of Quebec toponymy commision, responsible for the management of the place names, agreed to the request of association officialize the toponym "Brésolettes" which will indicate this site henceforth. This new denomination will point out the birthplace of Guillaume Pelletier. According to the writer Robert Prévost, Bresolettes was the smallest of the communes of the old county of the Perche and the father of Guillaume, Éloi, had established residence there to exert the trade of coalman.

GEDCOM Note

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CITING THIS RECORD "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3WR2-4SB : accessed 22 July 2018), entry for Guillaume /Grenier/; "Thornton-OBrien" file (2:2:2:MMDF-ZDK), submitted 1 May 2015 by Thomas Thornton [identity withheld for privacy].

Notes

• Lieux info: Normandie, France (mariage,décès)
• Il était sieur de Bois Fontaine.