ELEVENTH GENERATION

1756. Robert GIGUERE @ was born on 9 Mar 1616 in St-Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne, Chartres, Perche, France. He was baptised on 16 Mar 1616 in St-Aubin de Tourouvre, Mortagne, Chartres, Perche, France. He died in Aug 1709 in Beaupre, P.Quebec. <From "Our French Canadian-Ancestors" by Thomas J. Laforest. vol.2 pg.98-105>

In 1644, Robert Giguere is reported to be absent from the country. Perhaps he is exploring the Quebec region. There is no reason to believe that he did not come to Canada about 1645 and then do his service of indenture for at least three years, or maybe even five or six.

On 21 February 1651, Robert received a grant of land from Sieur Oliver le Tardif. Located in Beaupre, the grant had five arpents fronting on the Saint Lawrence River to a depth of a league and a half and, in addition to the annual rent of 20 sols and 12 deniers per arpent of frontage, it required Robert to establish a residence thereon within a year. If Giguere was in a position to accept such conditions, it may be assumed that he had been already in the country for some years and was familiar with the land, the climate, and was ready to settle down.

In 1658 the parish of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre (originally called Sainte-Anne-du-Petite-Cap) was established on the riverfront between the Riviere-aux-Chiens and the Riviere Sainte-Anne. This parish was first erected in 1658 on two arpents of land given to the church from Roberts neighbor Etienne Lessart. Being so near to this activity, Robert must have been involved with the construction of the edifice and its subsequent relocation to higher ground.

It is quite possible that the Giguere family did not live at this location continuously. During the period from 1656 to 1660, the Iroquois were marauding up and down the Beaupre coast. Many of their neighbors are mentioned as having to evacuate to Chateau-Richer, might not the Gigueres have followed the movement. The Iroquois incursions became more and more menacing; a declaration of the Seigneurs Oliver le Tardif and Julien Fortin, tell us that many families, acting on the advice of Governor Pierre Voyer d'Argenson, had abandoned Beaupre and retreated to Chateau-Richer.

During the period from 1658 to 1698, the Sainte-Anne parish "Register of Receipts and Disbursements" is replete with entries about the Gigueres. His tithing, the payment for pew rental, the price of labor and material expended in construction of the new church, his donations, even the cost of subsistence of a carpenter in his house who was employed by the church, was recorded in the register. Incidentally, it was this carpenter in residence, one Jean-Baptiste Bau, who courted and won the hand in marriage of the last Giguere daughter.

Robert was also a public-spirited man. He held the post of head-vestryman at Sainte-Anne, succeeding Jean Picard, who was the first. Two sons followed their father's example: Joseph in 1708 and Etienne in 1711; both became head-vestrymen.

After a period of silence in the affairs of Robert and Aimee, during which, no doubt, they were preoccupied with their children's marriages and relocations, we come to the watershed year of 1704. Only son Joseph, among all the boys, remained in the area with his wife, Marie-Angelique Mercier. It was to them that the parents turned to be assured of some security in their old age. In August of 1704, the father and mother made a donation of their assets in favor of son Joseph, in return for the assurance that their simple needs would be met.

He was married to Aimee MIVILLE @ on 2 Jul 1652 in N.-D.-de-Quebec, Quebec, P.Quebec.

1757. Aimee MIVILLE @ died on 9 Dec 1713 in Beaupre, P.Quebec. She was buried on 10 Dec 1713 in Beaupre, P.Quebec. Children were:

878 i. Martin GIGUERE dit Despins @.