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Individual:
Mathurin signed a marriage contract on 7-13-1659 in Audauart. He married a second time in 1671 to Jeanne LaTellie(r). Some information indicates his name was Mathurin Jalbert-Gilbert, dit LaFontaine b. 1631 at Haute Bretagne, France. Most records show him as Mathurin Gerbert dit LaFontaine.
Information from Eric Volante of Virginia reported in the rest of this writing, states that Gerber is a Germanic name from Alsace-Lorraine meaning tanner or currier. It says further that Gerbert, a baptismal name of German origin also means brilliant and famous, like Gerard.
(Author's note: The name changed from Gerbert to Jalbert in the 1790's. Reason unknown. The use of the name LaFontaine stopped with Mathurin.)
Eric's report continues that Mathurin came from Brittany, more precisely from Nantes, the leading town in the department of the Loire Atlantique, a city situated at the confluence of the Erdre, the Sevre nantaise, the Chezine and the Sail Rivers. He lived in the parish of Saint Pierre, the oldest in the city.
On July 15, 1657, Etiennette Despres, widow of Duplessis-Kerbodot, bought a piece of land for 120 livres from Jean Chaigneau measuring 4 arpents of frontage on the Ile d'Orleans and in the rear fief of Chamy Lirec, to the northeast, not far from Robert Gagnon.
On July 12, 1659, Mathurin Gerbert dit LaFontaine, agreed to farm this plot for the widow for three years. Farming was much more rewarding when there was a house and shed on the property.
Eric's report asks "How long had Mathurin been in New France?" Did he come here on the same ship as Msgr de Laval, the Saint Sebastien, which docked in Quebec on June 16, 1659? If you think so, let's admire Mathurin's speed.
ELISABETH TARGER
On Sunday, July 13, 1659, the day after Mathurin agreed to farm the land of the widow Despres,more surprising still was the appearance of Elisabeth Targer ready to sign her marriage contract with the new farmer. Had the two love birds discussed their future plans on he same ships during the same crossing? Nothing is more frustrating than to question little bits of history without having a complete answer! Elisabeth (or Isabel/Isabelle) Targer, daughter of Daniel Targer, a career sailor, and of Louise Martin, said she was the widow of Simon Piat and from La Rochelle, parish of Saint Nicholas.
The Targer family were Protestant Huguenots. The eldest Targer, Augustin, was baptized in the Protestant church on April 18, 1632, as was his sisterAnne, on July 6, 1636. As for Elisabeth, born about 1634, Marthe, Louise and Marie, it is likely that they were also baptized in the Protestant church. Did the Targer family renounce Protestantism? The youngest, Marie Targer, came to Canada as a daughter of the king. She was married in a first marriage at Chateau Richer on Nov. 2, 1663, to Jean Royer and has descendants through her seven children who were raised at Sainte Famille, on the island. In a second marriage, Marie was wed to Robert Toumeroche on Feb. 17, 1676 and was a mother six more times.
According to her marriage contract which was signed in the presence of notary Audouart at Quebec, Elisabeth Targer-Piat was sponsored by the Saintongeaise, Madeleine Surget. Elisabeth married Mathurin Gerbert on Monday, Aug. 4, 1659. Father Jean Torcapel, who arrived with Msgr de Laval on June 16, 1659, perhaps also with Isabelle and Mathurin, blessed this union in the presence of Antoine Leboesme dit Lalime, a Breton, gun and locksmith, originally from Nante, Jacques Perrot dit Vildaigre, and Simon Lereau, habitant of the Ile d'Orleans, living not far from the Despres farm. That same morning, there was the wedding of Philippe Neveu and Denise Sevestre from Quebec.
On Feb. 2, 1660, the Targer-Gerbert couple received the sacrament of Confirmation at Chateau Richer. Such was the beginning of the Gerbert family.
ISLANDER
Mathurin faithfully fulfilled his commitments to the Kerbodot widow. He had learned the secrets of Canadian farming; he could now become the owner of a piece of land not far from the one which he had worked. Furthermore, on Feb. 8, 1660, Charles de lauzon, Sieur de Charny, had ceded him 3 arpents of frontal land located between Jacques Jahan dit Laviolette, and Claude Charland dit Francoceur, habitants of the future parish of Sainte-Famille. Its depth, which went as far as the planned road to the middle of the island, was about 72 arpents. Jean Guyon had officially surveyed this property on June 20, 1662.
Mathurin spent the rest of his life on the Ile d'Orleans. The census of 1666 reports that Mathurin, Isabelle Targer and their three children were indeed living on the north side of the island. The census of 1667 added some details. The Gerberts had 2 head of cattle and 10 arpents of land under cultivation. Their neighbors were the Berrichons, Claude Charland dit Francoeur, and the Percheron Jean Lehoux.
DEEP GRIEF
The Rochelaise wife, Isabelle Targer, died after the birth of Marie Elisabeth, born on April 10, 1670. This deserving wife, ancestress of a fine line, did not even have the honor of a death record preserved in our archives.
She was the mother of seven children: Marie, Jacques, Marie Madeleine, Jacques, Jean, Pierre and Marie Elisabeth. Six of them were baptised by the missionary, Thomas Morel, either at Chateau Richer or at Sainte Famille on the island.
1. Jacques Gerbert, godson of Jacques Perrot on Dec. 3, 1661, only lived three years.
2. Jean Gerbert, whose godfather was Jean Brochu, died at the age of five, on May 18, 1672.
3. Pierre Gerbert was buried that same year at the age of 3, on Feb. 19th, the feast of Saint Joseph.
4. The eldest daughter, Marie Gerbert, became the wife of Pierre Saint-Pierre, at Sainte-Famille, and was the mother of 15 children. She died at the age of 89, at Saint-Roch-des Aulnaies.
5. Guillaume Fabas dit Saint Germain, took Marie Madeleine Gerbert as his wife. She died on Dec. 25, 1702, a victim of the epidemis which was raging at that time. She had but three children after 16 years of marriage.
6. Jacques Lehous made Jacques Gerbert his godson on Nov. 1, 1665. On May 5, 1686 at Cap-Saint-Ignace, the latter married Marie Pelletier and produced eight children before leaving his loved ones on July 24, 1699.
7. Marie elisabeth, baptized on April 13, 1670 had David Letourmeau Jr. as her god-father. On April 25, 1689 she joined her life to Gervais Foucher and gave him five daughters and nine sons. She lived until Nov. 20, 1735.
The members of the second Targer-Gerbert generation lived for an average of only 31 years; at that time life expectancy was 33 years. However, 40 descendants made up the third generation.
THE INVENTORY
According to the law, Mathurin Gerbert had to have a property inventory drawn up by a notary, in order to protect the inheritance rights of his minor children. It was only on Feb. 6, 1671 that he signed the papers. His situation brought a few bothersome inconveniences, because at that time he was already remarried, as we shall see. So, in the description of the furnishings and kitchen utensils, nothing was said about the table, the beds and the number of plates and knives. The act of guardianship was granted on Feb. 4, 1671.
Jean Royer, husband of Marie Targer, was named substitute guardian. Then, on the following Friday, the notary Paul Vachon and the senechal for the island, went to Gerbert's house to proceed with the taking of the present inventory.
First, Mathurin showed the recorder the items found 'in the room used as a kitchen', namely: 1 large pot, 1 grill, 1 fry pan, 1 large boiler, 1 small one, 2 1/2 pounds of tin, 6 pans, 1 clay pot, 1 chest and key containing a suit of clothes worn by the deceased. Note that this chest could be a souvenir brought from France. In the chest, there was also a pound 'of white thread for sewing and another of color'.
In the small cellar: 1 barrel of lard; in the attic: 7 minots of wheat. Among the notarized papers kept at the Gerbert house, let's mention the marriage contract of Mathurin and Elisabeth in which it was recalled that the groom, on July 13, 1671, had endowed his sweetheart with 400 livres.
The appraisers went to the stable and they counted 1 ox "with black hide", 1 cow 'with red hide and white spots', 1 other 'with white hide and red spots', 1 steer and 1 heifer. In the shed were 30 minots of French wheat.
Was a storm on the way? Was there no place to sleep? At dinner time, the inventory was quickly stopped and only begun again on the following March 5th. The same Notary, Vachon, added that the Gerbert farm had 14 arpents of 'partly cleared land', that the 'small house or cabin' was not worth more than 150 livres. Debts totaling 157 livres had to be paid to five creditors. Everything was concluded in the presence of Jean Royer, the substitute guardian; Guillaume Roger, a royal Huissier; Denis Avisse, huissier; and Jacques Jahan, Sieur Laviolette. Gerbert and Royer could not sign with initials like Jahan, Thibierge, Denis Avisse and Guillaume Roger.
From this inventory, we have some idea of the life of the Berberts on the Ile d'Orleans in the winter of 1671.
SECOND WEDDING
Mathurin rebuilt his home by taking as his wife the daughter of the king who arrived in this country in 1669. She was the 33 year old Jeanne Le Tellier. They were married in January 1670, on the Ile d'Orleans. The religious act is lost. The couple signed their marriage contract under a private agreement on January 26th. The document was recorded in the notes of Claud Auber, and validated on Oct. 11, 1671. In the document it was said: 'this is written for lack of a notary because of the invonvenience of the weather and the area, unable to leave or arrive on the said Island because of layers of ice....we gave each other mutually all we own in property each to the other both personal propeny and real estate'.
Thus, the Gerbert home was rebuilt with the help of Jeanne Le Tellier, a woman whose ancestors and origins are unknown.
Life got back to normal with its joys, its pains, and in harmony with its environment. In the census of 1681, Marie Elisabeth and Jacques, children from the first marriage, were still living under the paternal roof with two Le Tellier-Gerbert half sisters. Twento arpents of land were now under cultivation to support the household. Five head of cattle were in the stable waiting for spring. The hunting gun, hanging near the hearth, was used to greet the return of the Canada geese.
LE TELLIER-GERBERT POSTERITY
Two Gerbert daughters, Marie and Jeanne were born to the union of Mathurin and Jeanne. Father Benoit Duplein baptized Marie on March 19, 1672. Her godparents were Nicolas Cadrin and Marie Lehoux. On Nov. 28, 1703, Jean Premont took Marie Gerbert as hjis wife and she gave him a son, Jean Baptiste, in November 1704. Alas! Marie was buried in the ancestral cemetery of Sainte Famille two weeks after the birth of her only son.
Jeanne was more fortunate. After marrying Jean Lehoux, son of Jean and of Elisabeth Drugeon on Nov. 22, 1701, she had the good fortune of being a mother eight times and of assuring her gerbert-Lehoux line.
TIN ANNIVERSARY
During our ancestors time, tin anniversaries, ten years of marriage, were frequent: silver anniversaries were less frequent; golden anniversaries were rare; and diamond anniversaries almost non-existent. Mathurin celebrated a little more than ten years of married life with Elisabeth Targer, then sixteen with Jeanne Le Tellier. Twice he celebrated tin anniversaries.
At the end of 1687, Ancestor Gerbert came to the end of the thread on the spindle of his life. On Friday, Dec. 19th he was buried at Sainte-Famille in the presence of his children, his relatives and witnesses Germain Deblois, Louis de Niort, former captain in the Carignan Regiment, and Antoine Gaulin. Father Franqois Lamy presided at the funeral. Mathurin left our paths with their joy and pain, for one of endless peace.
On March 18, 1688 there was a private agreement in the presence of Rend Cauchon dit Laverdiere, judge of the island, diving the land of the late Mathurin among his children. Then on Nov. 9, 1690, the sale of the inheritance rights to Gervais Foucher, husband of Marie-Madeleine Gerbert. The matter of the inheritance was finally settled only on April 12, 1702, and in favor of Gervais Foucher, with the consent of all the parties including Jeanne Le Tellier.
Jeanne Le Tellier, about 60 years old, was buried near her late husband on June 26, 1705. Jean Deblois and Jean Baptiste Dupont had their names recorded in the registry as witnesses. Jeanne was a mother as well as an adoptive mother to all the Gerbert children of the second generation. The descendants owe her everlasting gratitude.
Facts about this person:
Burial December 19, 1687
Ste-Famille, Ile d'Orleans, Montmorency, Quebec
Alias
La Fontaine
Occupation
Farmer
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