PIERRE TREMBLAY (1626-abt. 1689)

and

OZANNE ACHON (1633-1707)

All members of the numerous Tremblay families of North America are descendants of Pierre Tremblay, born in 1626 in Randonnai, a small village of Perché, a former province of northern France (Mortagne Department, in Tourouvre Canton). Pierre's family has been traced back in France to the year 1167, the year in which Guilliame Du Tremblay made a gift of lands to the young Trappist monastery which had been founded by Retrou, Count of Perché, in 1140.

The ancestry of Pierre is divided into two branches, one rich and influential; the other, humble and poor. It is from the latter branch that Pierre came. His parents, Philibert Tremblay and Jeanne Coignet were married October 3, 1623 in Saint-Firmin de Normandel, a nearby village. The same Philibert, a farmer from La Filonnière, died on November 17, 1642.

The life of adventure attracted Pierre Tremblay. He was greatly influenced by the speeches of Noël Juchereau, a recruiting agent for New France, and signed a contract on April 9, 1647. With this contract, Pierre was hired by Juchereau to work for 36 months in New France. He arrived in Québec, August 6, 1647. Pierre settled in the new world and then worked for farmers as a ploughman on the Côte de Beaupré, on the north shore of the Saint Laurence River.

In autumn of 1657, he met Ozanne Achon, a native of Chambon, a diocese of LaRochelle. The couple signed a wedding contract before notary Aubert on September 19 and the religious ceremony was held on October 2, 1657 in Notre-Dame de Québec church. Ozanne Achon was the daughter of Jean Achon and Hélène Renaude or Regourde of Puyravault in Aunis, France. He was 30 years old and she was 24.

They were married a full 10 years after the average of their peers but became founders of the largest family of all the French-Canadians. Pierre Tremblay and his spouse settled on a farm on the coast of Beaupré in the area that was later to form the parish of L'Ange-Gardien. They had twelve children together, ten of whom reached adulthood. Six daughters became the maternal ancestors of famous French-Canadian families: Roussin, Gagné, Savard, Perron, Peymard dit Laforest and Pelletier. Four of his sons attained adulthood and married. They were Pierre, Michel, Jacques and Louis. All four had large families: Pierre had 15 children, Michel 14, Jacques 6, and Louis 14. Collectively, the sons became the founders of the four branches of the Tremblay family tree. The younger Pierre, Michel and Louis settled on new lands at Baie-Saint-Paul (their dad helped them obtain land in Petite-Rivière, Saint-François and Les Éboulements). However, Jacques remained on the paternal farm which he later inherited on March 9, 1696 from his mother Ozanne Achon, Pierre's widow. Jacques' descendants multiplied at L'Ange-Gardien, while those of his three brothers soon scattered along the north shore and in particular at Baie-Saint-Paul and the surrounding parishes.

Today, the counties of Charlevoix, Saguenay, Chicoutimi, Lac-St-Jean and Roberval are literally covered with Tremblay families. Calculations are that at the present time there are in the province of Québec in particular and in all of America not less than 9,000 Tremblay families, more than 1,500 live in Montréal. All of these add up to a total of about 54,000 individuals named Tremblay. Quite a formidable progeny.

Pierre was 60 in the 1681 census records. Ozanne was buried on December 24, 1707; at 75 years of age. Pierre died twenty years previously. There is no record of his death or burial. Various archival documents suggest his death sometime between April 1687 and November 5, 1689 when his wife Ozanne declared she was a widow.
 

There is a statue in the village of L'Ange-Gardien ("Guardian Angel"), Québec, erected in 1957 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the wedding of Pierre Tremblay to Ozanne
Achon in 1657. Pierre was given valuable land along the St. Lawrence River as a dowry of sorts upon marrying Ozanne, a "King's Daughter" (fille de Roi), one of many women sent to
New France to populate the colony. The statute itself is a replica of the actual land grant deed (" acte de concession") of 2 "arpents" (i.e., acres) of real estate along the St. Lawrence.

Translated it reads:
Jean (John), Lord of Lauzon and Lothainville, Knight Grand Marshall of New France, to all whom may read these letters, our salutations.

Let it be known that we have given and conceded, give and concede by this act, for purpose of "cens" (sort of pole tax on peasants) and domainal rent to Pierre Tremblay, a concession comprising roughly 2 "arpents" (a local measure of land, approx. 90% of an acre) of land in front of the St-Lawrence river (prime real estate at the time, trust me) and extending one and a half league deep into our domain of Lothainville in Beaupré. The property is bounded in front by the St-Lawrence river, in the back by the route or road that will pass along the concessions, on one side by the lands belonging to the lord of Beaupré', and on the other side by the land of Adrien Ayot, following all lines and rumb (surveyor's marks/bearings) that will be shown to him.

For his uses by the said Tremblay, his heirs and assigns to do as he pleases with right to pasture, hunting and fishing, in front and within of the said concession as long as the said Tremblay pays the sum of 20 "sol tournois" (a fraction of a "livre tournois", i.e., a pound) for each front acre and 2 live chicken (chapon = young male chicken) for the whole domain. All can be paid to the account of our domain each year on the feast of St-Remi in early October, along with cens (i.e., if Pierre has peasants working under him) and rental fees, loans and sales, confiscations and legal fees following the custom of the provost and county of Paris. When it will be the case, and when the said Tremblay will live within his concession or someone else will be there in his name during the year, otherwise this concession is null, he'll send his grain to the common mill, when one will have been built on our domain, enclose his lands otherwise he will not be able to claim damages made by his neighbor's (farm) animals, he will allow roads to pass on his land as it is judged necessary by our agents and to facilitate navigation and access to and from the river. In case of sale of the said concession, it will be possible to take it back (for ourselves) by reimbursing the principal of the sale, fees and real costs following the custom of Normandie, which we want to follow in this domain. the surplus will be dealt with following the custom of Paris, Mandons, etc. For such has been given by us to the said Tremblay, following this we have signed this document and applied to it our seal, and had it countersigned by our secretary in Québec (city) (Seal)

April 4, 1659

(Translated into English by Benoit Tremblay, tremblay@oasis.rad.upenn.edu)

Sources:

René Jetteé, Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles du Québec, page 1088.
 

Pontbriand, Notre-Dame de Québec Church Records, volume 2, page 355.

L'Abbe Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles Canadiennes, 1608-1800; Volume 1, p. 240, 571; Volume 4, p. 120; Volume 7, p. 336.
 

http://www.leveillee.net/ancestry/histnotes.htm

http://www.genealogie.org/famille/tremblay/tremblay_a.htm

http://www.ziplink.net/~miket/genealogy.html

http://www.ziplink.net/~miket/translation.html

Alternative information:

Name: Pierre TREMBLAY
Given Name: Pierre
Surname: Tremblay
Sex: M
Christening: 1626 St. Malo Randonay, Alencon, Orne, France
Burial: ABT 6 NOV 1689 L'Ange-Gardien, Montmorency, Québec

Father: Gilbert Philibert TREMBLAY
Mother: Jeanne COIGNET

Marriage 1 Ozanne Anne ACHON

Married: 2 OCT 1657 in Québec,Québec

Children

1. Madeleine Marie TREMBLAY b: 9 JUL 1658 in Québec, Québec
2. Anonyme TREMBLAY b: 17 AUG 1659 in Québec, Québec
3. Pierre TREMBLAY b: 10 AUG 1660 in Québec, Québec
4. Michel TREMBLAY b: 6 SEP 1662 in Québec, Québec
5. Jacques TREMBLAY b: 19 JUN 1664 in Château-Richer, Montmorency, Québec
6. Marguerite TREMBLAY b: 2 OCT 1665 in Château-Richer, Montmorency, Québec
7. Louis TREMBLAY b: 29 SEP 1667 in Château-Richer, Montmorency, Québec
8. Louise TREMBLAY b: 20 OCT 1669 in L'Ange-Gardien, Montmorency, Québec
9. Jeanne TREMBLAY b: 1672 in Québec
10. Anne TREMBLAY b: 9 MAR 1673 in L'Ange-Gardien, Montmorency, Québec
11. Jean TREMBLAY b: 20 APR 1675 in Château-Richer, Montmorency, Québec
12. Dorothée Marie TREMBLAY
 

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