The Parent Family in New France

 Étienne Parent (1802 - 1874) was descended from Pierre Parent and Jeanne Badeau. Pierre Parent arrived in New France around 1650. He had been contracted as an indentured worker to spend four years working on the Jesuit's seigneury. After his term of work he would be granted land to work. In 1651 the Jesuits ceded land to Pierre Parent and Jacques Badeau, his future father-in-law. 

In 1654 Pierre married Jeanne Badeau. His father-in-law, Jacques Badeau died in 1658. In 1660 the Jesuits ceded the quarry to Pierre Parent. This quarry was located on the land that had belonged to his father-in-laws. By 1670 Pierre Parent was delivering limestone from his quarry to building sites in Quebec City to construct houses. In 1675 Pierre Parent supplied the the door jambs and corner joints for the construction of the Seminary in Quebec. Pierre Parent was well on his way to becoming a wealthy man.

Jeanne Badeau was Pierre Parent's wife and partner. She actively participated in the family business by representing Pierre to negotiate contracts and deal with legal matters. Jeanne Badeau was educated and could read and write which was not common at that time. In addition to supporting her husband's business, Jeanne Badeau also gave him eighteen children. 

(Histoire de raconter: Les premières familles de la paroisse de Beauport, Realization et edition, Division de la culture, du loisir de de la vie communautaire, Arrondissement de Beauport, Ville de Quebec, A5-009-2012)

Among their eighteen children  were a set of triplets. Having eighteen living children was a major accomplishment in New France but having a set of triplets was even more special! Not only did these three brothers grow up to marry and have children but they were also married on the same day on November 2,1695. When the marriage contract for the triplets was signed on Saturday, February 11, 1696 it was a major social event in Beauport. The signing was attended by impressive public figures; The Comte de Frontenac, Governor and Lieutenant General of New France, L'intendant Bochart de Champigny, and Charles de Monseignat. As part of the marriage contract, Pierre Parent and Jeanne Bedeau gave each of their sons 300 livres. ( 300 livres was approximately what a skilled tradesman would make in three years in New France. 

(Notes Sur les Archives de Notre Dames de Beauport parM. Jean Langevin, Pretre, Ancien cure de cette Paroisse. 1ere Livraison. Quebec: St. Michel et darveau, Imprimeurs, No. 11, rue La Montagne, pp.54 - 55)

(Guy S. Parent, famille Parent genealogie histoire, vendredi 20 avril 2012)

One of the tree triplets was Étienne Parent (1674 - 1756) who was the ancestor (great-great-great-grandfather) of Étienne Parent (1802 - 1874). He married Marie - Therese Chevalier on November 2, 1696. Étienne and Marie Therese Chevalier had twelve children together until Marie Therese passed away in 1725. Étienne married Genevieve Trudel on April 28, 1727. Étienne and Genevieve Trudel had nine children. Nicolas was the first child born of Étienne Parent and Genevieve Trudel on January 7, 1728. 

Étienne Parent (1674 - 1756) worked with his two (triplet) brothers as masons. In 1698 they worked on a project for Jean Soulard, Arquebusier du roi. Then in 1702, they took on their biggest project to date, to finish a house for Louis Prat, a baker in Quebec City. For this project they were paid the large sum of 350 livres. The Parent Triplets were successful masons.

As I stated above, Nicolas Parent, was the first born child of Étienne Parent and his second wife. Although Étienne had twenty - one children between two wives, only eleven of those children lived to see adulthood and marry. Still, Étienne had to provide for the surviving eleven children, giving land to his sons and provide dowries for his daughters. 

Nicolas Parent was born on January 7, 1728. He married Catherine Marcoux on January 19, 1750. Nicolas Parent was the great-great-grandfather of Étienne Parent (1802 - 1874). Nicolas Parent was not nearly as prolific as his father, he only had five children. Then again, he only had one wife. His first child and oldest son was Etienne Parent (December 03, 1750). Étienne was Étienne Parent 's (1802 - 1874) great-grandfather. Nicolas was fortunate in that he did inherit land from his father. 

In 1766, Ignace Plamandon, pere, the Royal surveyor for New France laid out plots of land in the parish of L'Ange Gardien, in the Seigneury of Cote-de-Beaupre for Pierre, Garneau, Jean Garneau, Jacques Garneau, Michel Huot, Aime Jacob, Louis Vezina, Alexander Vallee, Andre Marcoux, Nicolas Parent, Charles Vallee, and Jean Baugis. Andre Marcoux was the father-in-law of Nicolas Parent.

Nicolas' land bordered on the St. Charles river. On the north side of his land was Andre Marcoux's plot and on the south side of Nicolas Parent's land was the plot of Jean Baugis.

(BAnQ: Fonds Cour supérieure. District de Québec. Greffes d'arpenteurs.)

Four years later in 1770, Ignace again adjusted the boundary lies of the properties for Pierre Garneau, Joseph Grenier, Jacques Garneau, Mich Huot, Louis Vezina, Aime Jacob, Joseph Riopel, Alexandre Vallee,Andre Marcoux, Nicolas Parent, Charles Vallee, Jean Baugis won concessions to have their property expanded. 

(BAnQ: Fonds Cour supérieure. District judiciaire de Québec. Greffes d'arpenteurs.)

In 1777, January 27 to January 28, Nicolas Parent had an inventory of his household items. The total value of his household goods was approximately 1,650 livres. That would be roughly what a skilled tradesman would earn in fifteen years.  A skilled tradesman would have earned about 100 livres per year in New France. The value of Nicolas Parent's furnishings would equal the earnings of sixteen and half years of a skilled tradesman's earnings. It is safe to say that Nicolas Parent's wealth was above average.

Nicolas Parent's first born (son) Étienne was born on December 03, 1750. Étienne married Marguerite Grenier on January 27, 1777 in Beauport. Étienne was 26 years old and Marguerite was 21 years old. Étienne inherited Nicolas Parent's estate when Nicolas died.

Étienne Parent's (1750 - 1822) first born (son), Étienne Francois was born on November 28, 1778. Étienne Francois married Josephte Clouet on February 07, 1801 at Beauport, La Nativite - de - Notre - Dame. When Étienne  Parent died all of his property would have been inherited by Etienne Francois.

Étienne Francois Parent's (1778 - 1838) third child but first son, Étienne was born on May 2, 1802. The house where Étienne Parent was born is located at the intersection of avenue du Moulin (now avenue des Cascades) and rue Saint Michel (now rue Seigneuriale). It was probably Étienne Parent (1674 - 1756) who purchased the land and built the house, one of the triplets of Pierre Parent and Jeanne Badeau. Étienne passed the house to his oldest son, Nicolas Parent who passed the house to his oldest son, Étienne François Parent, the father of our famous Étienne Parent. It is only after Étienne François Parent has possession of the house that we start to see written records of its occupancy.

The intent of this post is to sketch out Etienne Parent's (1802 - 1874) ancestry and show that Étienne Parent (1802 - 1874) was not born into a poor French - Canadian family that had land but no wealth. It is clear that Étienne Parent's family was above average in the personal wealth that they held. Many writers have characterized as this brilliant man who came from a poor, illiterate farming family. It is a romantic idea but it simply is not true.