Grand Pierre Chauvin--Canadian Pioneer

1653-1699 , France and Montreal, Quebec, Canada

GRAND PIERRE CHAUVIN

Pierre Chauvin was probably born in 1631 in the parish of St. Vion, village of Leon d’Angers in the Province of Anjou, France. [Some sources say he was from Solesme, LaFleche, diocese of Le Mans, Maine, France.] On 4 Apr 1653, at Le Fleche, he signed a contract for five years to go to Canada (New France) as a miller and clearer of land. This contract was the result of the need for more settlers in “New France.” The Indians had been endangering the newly established colony. M. Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve went to France to bring back one hundred men. It took him two years to make these arrangements. He signed up 154 recruits but only about 102 arrived at the port for the voyage. The Ship “St. Nicolas” was hired for the trip to Canada. It was commanded by Captain Pierre le Besson.

The passenger list of the “St. Nicolas” included “Chauvin dit le Grand Pierre, Pierre.” He was among the group of about 100 craftsmen and ploughmen, along with a few women and children who sailed from Saint-Nazaire, a port in Nantes on the Loire River. After a number of delays it sailed on June 20, 1753. They were paid when they boarded the ship. After sailing 350 leagues, they had to turn back because of the poor condition of the ship. The hull had split and the provisions for the trip were in danger of being soaked with seawater. The passengers were put ashore on a small island so that they would not leave and go home. At this point the passengers were quite angry. One passenger, Monsieur de Maisonneuve, reported that, without the help of the coastal people they would have died. On July 20, this ship was repaired and the voyage continued.

The party of immigrants landed 22 Sep 1653 in Quebec City. Eleven of the passengers had died at sea. Others were sick and had to spend time in the Quebec Hospital before continuing to Montreal. Their ship had become firmly grounded on a sand bar near Quebec and eventually had to be burned.

Although there was some pressure for the settlers to remain in the vicinity of Quebec, de Maisonnevue stuck to his orders and found barques (barges) needed to transfer his people to Montreal. They reached this new town on Nov. 14, 1753. Since winter was coming on, they were lodged with local families or at the fort until spring. In spite of the problems they encountered, the arrival of “la Grande Recrue,” (the great recruit) is credited with saving Montreal.

Investigations into the life and achievements of Pierre Chauvin have been complicated by the fact that there were two other men in Canada at that time with the same name. Our individual was generally known as “Grand Pierre” Chauvin or Pierre Chauvin dit Legrand.

Grand Pierre Chauvin was given a grant of land at Montreal (Ville Marie Isle) in 1654. It was located on what was then called the St. Louis Slope. On 16 September 1658 he married fourteen-year-old Marthe Le h’Autreux in Montreal. She was the daughter of Renee Le h’Autreux and Francoise Le Chaunerlliar of the Parish of Noyen, Anjou, France. The couple had eleven children.

In the 1666 Census of Montreal Pierre Chauvin was listed as age 32. His wife Marthe “Autreuil” was age 22. He then had 3 children: Marie Marthe Chauvin, age 4, Jean Chauvin, age 2 and Barbe Therese Chauvin, age 1. There are some age discrepancies in the 1667 census. It lists Pierre Chauvin as age 20, Marthe “Autreuul”, age 25, Marie-Marte, age 5, Barbe Therese, 18 months, Pierre, 3 days. Also in the household was Paul, a domestic age 20, 5 head of cattle and 20 arpents of land.

On 26 Nov 1670 Pierre Chauvin rented a mill, signing a contract in front of the notary Basset. In addition to operating the mill he continued to farm his land. In 1688 he rented a second mill from Sr. de Boucherville and they became owners of land on the south bank of the river.

The 1681 census shows Pierre Chauvin, age 50, Marie-Marthe “Dautreuil”, his wife, age 45. Enfants; Pierre 18, Barbe 16, Giles, 13, Michelle, 12, Jacques, 10, Joseph 8, Nicholas 6, Louis 4, Paul 2. He had 55 arpents of land, 1gun, and 8 head of cattle.

At least four of Pierre Chauvin’s sons (Joseph, Louis, Jacques and Nicholas) and migrated to Louisiana between 1699 and 1706. Another son, Giles Chauvin, remained in Montreal. Another son, Pierre, was killed by the Iroquois in Montreal in 1691 at the age of 30.

Grand Pierre Chauvin dictated his will to the notary Adhemar on 28 Jul 1699 while sick in bed in the poor room of the Montreal Hospital. He gave a horse to his son Louis and assured his son Jacques that he would receive the first horse born of this one. He gave 100 livres to the Recollet Fathers to have masses said for the repose of his soul and 100 livres to the Frbrique of Notre-Dame with the same goal. His estate consisted of two concessions of land appraised together at 2,000 livres. He had animals, household goods and farm equipment worth 1,500 livres and a dwelling house and barn valued at 500 livres. His home was typical of the time being 22 feet in length by 18 feet in breadth. It was a 2-story log house.

Pierre Chauvin died 4 Aug 1699 and was buried in the parish cemetery at Montreal. His widow remained in their home for several years before retiring to the Parish of St. Francois on the Ile de Jesus where she was buried 25 Feb 1714.

Sources:

Armstrong, Gladys Stovall, “Pierre Chauvin and a Few Descendants,” http://members.aol.com/lmaBR/chauvin.htm

Arthur, Stanley Clisby, and George Campbell Huchet de Kernion, Old Families of Louisiana, Harmanson, New Orleans, 1931.

LeMyre, Danielle Duval, “1653 St-Nicolas Passengers’ list Ville-Marie (Montreal),” www.geocities.com/daniella.geo/recrue1653.html

Sparks, Sadie Greening, “The Family of Pierre Chauvin & Wife Marthe Autreuil Le H’Autreaux, http://home.inu.net/sadie/pchauvin.htm