| Notes |
- LOUIS HEBERT
RENOWNED AS FIRST CANADIAN COLONIST
YOUR ANCESTOR
Ed. Note: This short history is an extract from Volume 3 of the Red Druin set,
known more formally as the Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français by
Gabriel Drouin.
Louis Hebert is the head of the first family that settled at Quebec, "the first Canadian colonist." Louis
Hebert's life is part of the history of the country. It is he who, after Champlain, provided the greatest
share in the establishment of Quebec.
Louis Hebert, as the first colonist of Quebec, had preceded the Recollets (missionaries) at this location,
not in building structures but in clearing lands on which he had the intention of settling.
This is what historian Faillon, in his Histoire de la colonie Français en Canada, tells us about this noted
individual whom you count among your ancestors. "Following a miserable if not to say cruel design, the
various societies of merchants which had gone to settle at Quebec had not cleared, after twenty-two
years, one arpent and a half of land, in Champlain's testimony, and had never wanted to give the
inhabitants the means to cultivate their lands. "One of the inhabitants, however, Louis Hebert,
received, shortly after his arrival, a concession of land which he undertook to clear for planting the
following spring. Hebert, who owned ten arpents, was the only person who could provide for himself
and his family.
"It had been on the insistence of Champlain that in 1617 Louis Hebert decided to go to Canada with his
family. Perhaps, in order to make the associates more easily consent to receive this first colonist,
Champlain cited another motive of public utility more likely to make an impression on these interested
merchants. Hebert was an apothecary and therefore could become useful to these gentlemen's
employees. Hebert justified Champlain's hopes in being the first in Canada, to apply himself to
agriculture."
On the concession of land he had obtained, your ancestor, Louis Hebert, built a modest lodging: the
lower part of the edifice was of stone and the gable of wood. An interesting engraving reproduced
[below] shows first of all the "Habitation" built by the different companies. What interests us especially
is your ancestor Louis Hebert's house on the cliff.
Speaking of the pioneer, Louis Hebert, one historian says of him: "You can call him the Abraham of the
colony, the father of the living and the believers, his posterity has been so numerous that it produced
many officers, of the robe and of the sword, merchants adept at trading, some very worthy ecclesiastics;
in addition, a great number of Christian colonists many of whom have suffered much while others were
killed by the natives for the benefit of the country."
Hebert numbers among his many descendants some of the most illustrious families of Canada: Joliette,
De Lery, De Ramesay, Fournier, and of no less illustrious individuals, the Bishops Taschereau, Blanchet,
and Tache.
The third centenary of the arrival in the country of your ancestor, Louis Hebert, was celebrated with
great fanfare at Quebec in 1917. His descendants were invited to attend the feast. On this occasion a
monument to him was erected at Quebec which his descendants must not overlook: that is why it is
being reproduced [above].
You may read more about Louis Hebert in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. 1. 1000-1700 by The University
of Toronto Press. Also see Our French Canadian Ancestors. Vol. 2, by Thomas Laforest.
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1575 - 1626 (~ 50 years)
