Helen Desportes
Encyclopedia
Hélène Desportes is often cited as the first white child
born in Canada
, New France
. There is considerable disagreement about when she was born and, in particular, if she was born in Quebec
or before she arrived on the continent. Her parents were French habitants Pierre Desportes (1580- after 1629), who was in charge of the warehouse in Quebec as well as the village baker, and his wife Françoise Langlois (c1595- after 1629), who settled in Quebec. Her father was a lawyer in the Parlement de Paris and an investor in the Company of 100 Associates
which funded Champlain's colony.
Her godmother was Madame Hélène Boullé, the wife of Samuel de Champlain
. In his will, Champlain left her 300 livre
s (about $15,000 in 1997).
After the fall of Québec City in 1629, Hélène and her parents, along with Champlain were transported to London, and then back to France. Shortly after peace was restored in 1632, Hélène returned to Québec, possibly with Champlain who arrived back in Québec on May 16, 1633.
On the first of October 1634, Hélène married Joseph Guillaume HÉBERT, son of Louis Hébert and Marie Rollet. Joseph's family had remained in Québec during the occupation and had the first farm there. His father LOUIS HEBERT had been involved in early expeditions to Port Royal with Champlain and others.
After Joseph Hebert died in 1639,Hélène was left with three living children. She then married Noël Morin, a native of the parish of St-Étienne in Brie-Comte-Robert
, a village near Paris, on January 9, 1640, in Quebec City
. They had 12 children.
Perhaps aided by having personally brought 19 of her own children into the world, Hélène learned the profession of sage femme, which is the French expression for midwife. She passed that profession on to two of her daughters.
First white child
The birth of the first white child was a celebrated occasion across many parts of the New World. Such births are a matter of pride for many townships, and they are commemorated with plaques and monuments at the location of the event. The birth was seen as such an honor that it was at times...
born in Canada
Canada, New France
Canada was the name of the French colony that once stretched along the St. Lawrence River; the other colonies of New France were Acadia, Louisiana and Newfoundland. Canada, the most developed colony of New France, was divided into three districts, each with its own government: Quebec,...
, New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. There is considerable disagreement about when she was born and, in particular, if she was born in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
or before she arrived on the continent. Her parents were French habitants Pierre Desportes (1580- after 1629), who was in charge of the warehouse in Quebec as well as the village baker, and his wife Françoise Langlois (c1595- after 1629), who settled in Quebec. Her father was a lawyer in the Parlement de Paris and an investor in the Company of 100 Associates
which funded Champlain's colony.
Her godmother was Madame Hélène Boullé, the wife of Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
. In his will, Champlain left her 300 livre
New France livre
The livre was the currency of New France, the French colony in modern-day Canada. It was subdivided into 20 sols, each of 12 deniers.-History:After an initial period during which barter prevailed, the French livre began to circulate...
s (about $15,000 in 1997).
After the fall of Québec City in 1629, Hélène and her parents, along with Champlain were transported to London, and then back to France. Shortly after peace was restored in 1632, Hélène returned to Québec, possibly with Champlain who arrived back in Québec on May 16, 1633.
On the first of October 1634, Hélène married Joseph Guillaume HÉBERT, son of Louis Hébert and Marie Rollet. Joseph's family had remained in Québec during the occupation and had the first farm there. His father LOUIS HEBERT had been involved in early expeditions to Port Royal with Champlain and others.
After Joseph Hebert died in 1639,Hélène was left with three living children. She then married Noël Morin, a native of the parish of St-Étienne in Brie-Comte-Robert
Brie-Comte-Robert
Brie-Comte-Robert is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Brie-Comte-Robert is on the edge of the plain of Brie and was formerly the capital of the Brie française....
, a village near Paris, on January 9, 1640, in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. They had 12 children.
Perhaps aided by having personally brought 19 of her own children into the world, Hélène learned the profession of sage femme, which is the French expression for midwife. She passed that profession on to two of her daughters.
External links
- http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nosracines/4317.htm
- http://web.archive.org/web/20091028154058/http://geocities.com/weallcamefromsomewhere/Kebec/helene_desportes.html
- http://www.leveillee.net/ancestry/union223.htm
- http://many-roads.com/2009/08/28/marie-helene-desportes/
- http://www.leveillee.net/ancestry/d523.htm
- http://www.lactualite.com/dossiers_speciaux/article.jsp?content=20051124_154547_46344