ELIE GODIN (GAUDIN) (ABT. 1614-1672) and

ESTHER RAMAGE (BETWEEN ABT. 1624-AFTER 1681)

The history of Elie Godin (Gaudin) and his wife Esther Ramage is interesting and is identified with that of the beginnings of the parish of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

Elie Godin and Esther Ramage, his wife, are converted to Catholicism. - Their elder daughter marries René de la Voye, my ancestor. - René de la Voye's birth. - Their religion. - Their marriage. - Nobility of the family. - Pierre de la Voye, Knight of Malta. - In Saint Anne de Beaupré. - In Saint Joachim. – Their death. - Their children. – Census (inventory).

"About forty years after the foundation of Quebec, a Huguenot family came to Quebec and became established in the seigneury of Beaupré (meaning Bowsprit), near the picturesque hillsides where the basilica to Saint Anne of the North has since risen.

(English editor's note: Bowsprit is a nautical term referring to a spar, extending forward from the stem of a ship, to which the stays of the foremast are fastened. Seigneury refers to the system of colonization adopted by France during the early seventeenth century in North America. "With a view to settling and profiting from this vast addition to the royal lands, the French state took over a system that had its origins in feudalism: the seigneurial regime, a land-share system introduced in New France in 1629 by the Cardinal de Richelieu. Inspired by feudalism, the seigneurial system entrusted the development and populating of an estate to an individual, noble or commoner, or to a religious community. Called a seigneurie, this estate belonged to the seigneur who was required to deed it back if he did not ensure its proper exploitation. To meet his commitment, the seigneur hired and paid individuals capable of supporting him in the building of his house, the mill and the fort. These hired laborers lived in his house or in another until they became eligible for an allocation of land. Because they shared the day-to-day life of their censitaires, most seigneurs adopted a humane attitude when it came to payments due from the censitaire.

"In the new context, however, the seigneur was transformed from a feudal lord into a mere agent of the state in its relations with the colonizers. In a territory where everything had to be built and organized from nothing, the seigneurs' principal role was to act as promoters of colonization, as historian Marcel Trudel has called them. Thus land was given to the seigneurs so that they might help colonize New France. It was their duty to provide immigrants with favorable conditions for the settlement and agricultural development of a portion of the colony. The early seigneuries were all established along the St. Lawrence River, around the town of Québec and the outposts at Trois Rivières [called Three Rivers by the English] and Ville Marie [now Montreal]. Later, from 1670 onwards, new seigneuries were granted with a view to starting settlement in the Richelieu valley, Beauce and Lake Champlain regions. By the time the French regime came to its close, a population of 65,000 was spread over 250 seigneuries. The latter covered a territory extending from La Malbaie [Murray Bay in English] to the borders of present-day Ontario." Source: http://www.vmnf.civilization.ca/popul/seigneurs/01-en.htm)

"Elie Godin and his wife, Esther Ramage, were soon converted to Catholicism, and the Providence which drove them on these banks where should burst forth so many miracles wanted to confirm their faith by signal favors. (Editor's note: Ramage means song or warbling.)

"During year 1662, Esther Ramage, forty five years old, suffered for eighteen months from a painful disease. She was so bent over by the violence of the evil that she could not stand up and was obliged to get about using her stick (cane). She had lost any hope of power to recover her health by human remedies when she remembered that her husband had told her that in his presence, Louis Guimond had been suddenly cured of a big pain of loins (kidneys) by placing, through devotion, three stones within the foundations of Saint Anne's church as it was beginning to be built. Then, poor disabled Esther earnestly requested the saint to perform a miracle for her as she had earlier done for this man. At that very moment, forgetting the stick (which disappeared), Esther stood upright on her feet, walking with as much facility and ease as she had ever.

"And quite amazed at so sudden a change, she began to return thanks to Saint Anne for the blessing which she had just received, and afterwards remained in perfect health.

"This miracle adds the chronic hurdy-gurdy chronicle where I borrowed this touching story, doing much to confirm this family's faith (in Catholicism) after having for a long time lived in the tired reformed religion.

"Two years after, in 1664, the 50-year old husband of Esther Ramage, Elie Godin, became sick with hydropisie. The remedies proscribed brought him no relief, so he thought of preparing for death. He appealed to the missionary at Saint Anne, who was then abbot Thomas Morel, and contributed money (to the church).

"The missionary advised his patient to seek recourse from the Virgin and Saint Anne. After having made arrangements, the abbot went away to the church and said the holy mass. Upon returning from communion, the abbot was met by Elie Godin. With a serene face, he said, `Sir, I am cured. Allow me to raise me. While you were at church, as I said my rosary, I gently fell asleep, and I saw during my sleep two worthy ladies who approached me. One held in her hand a box which she opened, where I saw an extremely long and very narrow path which led to the sky. At this sight, I was filled with consolation and relieved of my evil.'

"After his religious communion, Elie Godin returned thanks to God, got up, went away to the church and before having finished his neuvaine (religious devotion), was as fit to work as before he had the disease.

(Editor's note: The hydropisy was one of the worst causes of mortality in earlier centuries. People suffering from hydropisy have their lungs slowly, but surely, filled up with their own body fluids. The distinctive characteristic of the patient with hydropisy is that the heart beats quickly, in an unstable and ineffective way. This leads to an accumulation of blood in the vessels and fluid leaks into surrounding tissues. Hydropisy is also associated with nephritides kidney problems and cirrhoses of the liver.)

"Elie Godin lived another eight years after this supernatural cure. His body rests in the Saint Anne's old cemetery, where he was buried on January 5, 1672.

"Elie Godin had three children with his wife Esther Ramage (Editor's note: actually there appear to be four. Despite the assertion below that Jacques was the only male, another son, Pierre, died at age 22 in 1674 also without issue).

"Jacques Godin, their only son, born in 1658, dedicated himself in the service of the Seminar of Quebec and died to Saint Joachim, on January 22, 1735. With him died out this good and brave family name (Editor's note: meaning the direct male line for Elie).

"Anne Godin, the elder daughter of Elie, married in Saint Anne de Beaupré's church, on April 19, 1656, René de la Voye, who was my ancestor. It was R. P. Paul Ragueneau, Jesuit, who blessed the union of René de la Voye and Anne Godin, in the presence of Etienne de Lessart, on the ground where rises today the church of the great miracle worker of Canada.

Source: Extracts from Chapter one, translated from Joseph A. Lavoie, La Famille Lavoie au Canada de 1650 à 1921. Québec, 1922.

An alternate translation reads:

About forty years after the founding of Québec, a Huguenot family, that of Gaudin, came to settle in the seigneurie of Beaupré. Elie Gaudin and his wife, Esther Ramage converted to Catholicism and, the Providence which had guided them to these shores, wanted to confirm the faith of your ancestors by providing favorable signs.

In 1662, Esther Ramage, aged 46, had suffered for 18 months of a very painful sickness. She was so bent by the pain that she could only get around by dragging herself with a cane. She had lost all hope of recovery when she remembered the story her husband had told her about Louis Guimont who, in his presence, was suddenly cured of a very painful kidney disease as he was laying, in devotion, three stones on the foundation of the church of Sainte-Anne which was just being built. The poor cripple then prayed to the saint and implored her to grant to her the same miracle that was given to that man. At that same instant, forgetting her cane which disappeared, she found herself on her feet standing straight up, walking with all the ability that she ever had. From that moment, she remained in perfect health.

This miracle, adds the old cripple from whom we have gleaned this story, served to confirm the faith of that family who had always lived within the reformed religion.

Two years later, in 1664, the husband of Esther Ramage, Elie Gaudin, aged 50, was ill of a debilitating sickness to which the remedies brought little pain relief or cure, thought himself near dead and summoned the missionary of Saint-Anne, who was then Father Thomas Morel to give him the last rights.

The missionary counseled your ancestor to pray to the Virgin Mary and Sainte-Anne, and, proceeded to the church to say a mass for his intention. Upon returning to provide holy communion, Elie Gaudin, with a serene look said to him: "Sir, I am healed, please let me get up. While you were at the church, as I was praying with my beads, I gently fell asleep and I saw two venerable ladies approach me. One held a box in her hand which she opened and showed it to me. Inside I saw a long and narrow road which led to Heaven. At this sight, I found myself filled with consolation and completely free of my ailment."

After holy communion, Elie Gaudin praised God, got up, and went to church and before he finished his novena, was in a state of health as before his sickness.

Elie Gaudin lived for another eight years after this miraculous cure. His body was buried in the old cemetery of Sainte-Anne January 5 1672.

Elie Gaudin had four children with Esther Ramage. Jacques Gaudin, born in 1658, consecrated his life to the seminary of Québec as a lay person and died at Saint-Joachim in 1735. With him died the name of this good and brave family. The descendants of the miraculous Gaudin-Ramage are through their daughter Anne.

Source: First Canadian Ancestors (from the "Ancestors of Jean-Guy Coté" Database), http://www.leveillee.net/ancestry/histnotes.htm

Note: Esther or Marie RAMAGE lived at La Rochelle, Aunis (DNCF, page 546.). She was born between 1621 and 1624; She was 42 in 1666, 45 in 1667, and 60 in 1681 (DGFQ, page 511). She married Elie GODIN or Gaudin on 22 March 1639 at Calvinist Temple, La Rochelle, Aunis (Charente-Maritime) (ibid.). She was confirmed on 2 February 1660 at Chateau-Richer, Quebec (ibid.). A contract for her marriage to Mathurin ROY was signed on 12 October 1676. Notary Gilles Rageot, annulled (ibid., page 1017).

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