ANNE CLOUTIER 

(1626-1648)

A Canadian Historical First

Here is information about another interesting ancestor, an 8th Great Grandmother to Vernon Parent and his brothers/sisters.

Anne's Story

As soon as the family settled down in New France, Zacharie the elder, lost no time in getting organized. He had already begun to plan for the future of his children and on the 27th of July 1636, he arranged for his daughter Anne to take a husband. This was unusual for two reasons. First the marriage contract with Robert Drouin was the first of its kind in Canada, and second, Anne was only ten and one half years old when the contract was signed!

Anne was born in Mortagne, France on January 26, 1626. She was only 8 years old when she came to Canada with her parents, Zacharie and Xainte Dupont, on 4 June 1634. In 1634 and later in 1635 Seigneur Robert Giffard had recruited several family members from Perche for an unknown life in Canada. Among these families in 1635 was Robert Drouin. A year previously Seigneur Giffard and Zacharie Cloutier had established the conditions of employment for these families. Robert Drouin lived at the home of Zacharie Cloutier on his arrival in Canada, where he was making bricks.

It was there that Robert met Anne Cloutier, his first wife. Anne was ten years old at the time. Her time of childhood with its attendant freedoms and happiness was short lived. A marriage contract was first drawn up on July 27th with the intention that the sacrament would not be consummated until a year later. The religious ceremony took place when Anne was eleven but Robert had to content himself with non -conjugal visits for two more years. Robert was thirty years old.

Robert Drouin himself was a young man of good character. He had recently arrived from France and was staying with Zacharie and Xainte, who were very impressed with his qualities of honesty and his work ethics. Robert Drouin was thirty years of age at the time. The marriage of Anne Cloutier and Robert Drouin was short-lived.

Roger Cloutier in his book The Story of the Cloutiers noted that young eligible women were so scarce in New France at this time that Drouin did not wish to risk not having a wife so he accepted the conditions of the contract. Cloutier goes on to say that the contract also stipulated that the first three years of the marriage had to be spent "under the roof of Zacharie and Xainte".

The years were difficult for Anne. She had her first child when she was but 15 years old herself. She had six children over all - three of whom died at birth. Of the remaining children only two names are known, Genevieve and Jeanne (from whom the modern Parent generation are descended). Genevieve was also married at the age of 13, and her descendants are numerous

Anne Cloutier Drouin died the 4th of February 1648 at the age of 22 after eleven and a half years of marriage. Her body was transported from Chateau-Richer to Hotel Dieux in Quebec City on 4 Feb 1648. She was buried in Québec the next day. Her daughters Genevieve and Jeanne were brought up by Zacharie and Zainte, their grandfather and grandmother, until their marriages. These marriages resulted in descendants who have played an important part in the settlement of two great cities, Detroit and New Orleans.

Robert Drouin, husband of Anne found himself a widower at the age of 41, but not for long. He married the widow Marie Chapelier on the 29th of November 1649 and fathered eight additional children.

Much of the information on Anne Cloutier was provided by Dave Clutchey who has a web page on the Cloutier at http://gator.naples.net/~clutchey/anne.htm.

The historian Laforest writing about Robert Drouin (OFCA Volume #2 Robert Drouin pgs 64-73) tells about the unique and somewhat tragic life of Anne Cloutier. While doubtless Laforest's chronicle is true and documents support his facts, nevertheless not all of the descendants of Anne were noted and indeed the book 'Families in Transition' is in error by suggesting (page 13) that one of Anne's daughters, Geneviève, had as short a life as that of her mother. Further examination will prove the inaccuracy of our earlier statement.

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!BIRTH-PARENTS-CHRISTENING-SPOUSE-DEATH: L'Abbe Cyprien Tanguay, DICTIONNAIRE GENEALOGIQUE DES FAMILLES CANADIENNE, 1608-1800; Vol 1, p 210, Vol 3, p 453. Books in possession of Vernon F. Parent.

Name: Anne Cloutier
  Sex: F
  Birth: 26 JAN 1625/26 in France
  Death: 4 FEB 1647/48 in Ville de Québec, Québec
  Note: 11 years of age at marriage. Gave birth to 6 children, 3 died. First gave birth at the age of 15.

Father: Zacharie Cloutier b: ABT. 1590 in St. Jean, Mortagne, Perché, France
Mother: Sainte Dupont b: 1596 in France

Marriage 1 Robert Drouin b: 6 AUG 1607 in Pin La Garenne, Sees, Perché, France

Married: 12 JUL 1637 in Ville de Québec, Québec

Children

   1. Jeanne Drouin b: FEB 1646/47 in Ville de Québec, Québec
   2. Geneviève Drouin b: 19 OCT 1643 in Québec

SOURCES: http://www.travel-net.com/~drouin/familyh.htm#Anne and http://www.naples.net/~clutchey/anne.htm

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