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 Pierre Tremblay and Ozanne "Anne" Achon

Meet the ancestors of the largest francophone family in North America

Pierre Tremblay (or Tremblé), the son of Philibert Tremblay and Jeanne Coignet (also recorded as Cognet or Congnet) dite Lebreuil, was born around 1626 in La Filonnère, located in the parish of Saint-Malo in Randonnai, Perche, France. Today, Randonnai is home to about 730 villagers and is part of the commune of Tourouvre au Perche in the department of Orne.

In 1647, perhaps inspired by many from Perche who had ventured to the New World, Pierre made the fateful decision to embark on the journey to New France. On the afternoon of April 9, he was hired by Noël Juchereau to work as a general labourer in Canada for three years, alongside locksmith Martin Huan. The contract promised an annual salary of 75 livres, return passage, and food. At the time, Pierre was 21 years old and unable to sign the contract, which was drawn up by notary Choiseau in Tourouvre.

The contract reads:

“Present in their persons were Martin Huan, locksmith, residing at the place commonly called Breuil, in the parish of Beaulieu near Chennebrun, and submitting to the authority of this jurisdiction for the purpose of the present [agreement] and Pierre Tremblay, son of Philibert, ploughman, residing in the parish of Randonnay, at the place commonly called la Filonnère, who have voluntarily promised and obligated themselves by body and goods to and towards Noël Juchereau sieur des Chastellés, residing in Québec, in New France, absent, stipulating and accepting for him Pierre Juchereau, sieur des Moulineaux his brother, residing in Tourouvre at this present time.

Namely, the said Huan and Tremblay will go to the said country of New France, to serve the said Sieur des Chastellés during and for a period of three years, beginning on the day they set foot on land in the said country and ending at the end of the said period, on the day they leave the said country; with the proviso that the said Sieur des Chastellés will have the said Huan and Tremblay pass [go] and repass [return] to and from the said country at the end of the said period, during which time he will also be required to feed them. In addition, this was done in exchange for the sum of 90 livres for the said Huan and 75 livres for the said Tremblay per year, which the said Sieur des Moulineaux promised to pay or have paid to the said Huan and Tremblay.

Promising to keep, obliging, renouncing, etc. [legal jargon]. Present at this meeting were Jacques Loyseau, mason, residing in Tourouvre and Mathurin Beaufils, also a mason, residing in Faisi, parish of Villiers, witnesses who have, with the said Huan, Juchereau and us, notary, signed. The aforementioned Tremblay declared that he did not know how to sign, and we, the notary, called upon the parties to seal these presents in accordance with the King’s edict.” [Translation based on the French transcription by Françoise Lamarche]

At the age of 21, Pierre left his hometown of Randonnai and embarked on a journey of roughly 330 kilometres south to La Rochelle. He likely travelled with a group of fellow “engagés” (contracted workers). On June 6, 1647, Pierre boarded the ship La Marguerite. Having probably never seen the ocean before, this was a significant venture for him.

The ship was likely filled with a mix of passengers, livestock, water supplies, cannons, and various goods. Passengers endured cramped sleeping quarters in the ship’s hold, with unsanitary conditions made worse by sea sickness. Nearly 10% of passengers died on the journey to New France. Fortunately, both Pierre and Martin survived the crossing, arriving in Québec on August 6, 1647.

Pierre lived in Québec for approximately 11 years, ultimately deciding not to return to France. He worked for Juchereau on the docks, managing merchandise arriving by ship, as well as furs traded by colonists and Indigenous people.

Ozanne "Anne" Achon, the daughter of Jean Achon and Hélène Regnaud (or Regnault), was baptized on July 18, 1633, in the parish of Notre-Dame in Chambon, Aunis, France. Her godparents were André Martin and Ozanne Achon. Today, Chambon has a population of about 950 residents and is located in the present-day department of Charente-Maritime, approximately 130 kilometres west of Paris.

Anne crossed the Atlantic in 1657. She was a "fille à marier.”

Marriage

On September 19, 1657, 31-year-old Pierre Tremblay and 24-year-old Anne Achon asked notary Claude Auber to draft their marriage contract, following the Coutume de Paris (Custom of Paris). As neither spouse could sign their name, they each left their mark.

Pierre and Anne were married a few weeks later, on October 2, 1657, in the parish of Notre-Dame in Québec. Pierre was recorded as a "laboureur," or ploughman.

The couple had at least 12 children:

1. Marie Madeleine (1658–1736)

2. [anonymous] (1659–1659)

3. Pierre (1660–1736)

4. Michel (1662–1727)

5. Jacques (1664–1741)

6. Marguerite (1665–1694)

7. Louis (1667– ?)

8. Louise (1669– ?)

9. Marie Jeanne (ca. 1671–1711)

10. Marie Anne (1673–1713)

11. Jean (1675–1684)

12. Marie Dorothée (1677–1711)

Pierre and Anne didn’t remain in Québec for long. In April 1659, Pierre took possession of two arpents of land in L’Ange-Gardien, facing the St. Lawrence River. Misfortune struck a few months later, when an unnamed child was born in August but died shortly after birth. 

On February 2, 1660, Anne received her confirmation from Monseigneur de Laval in the church of Château-Richer, along with 175 others. There was no church in L’Ange-Gardien at the time.

The “Tremblé” family was recorded in the 1666 census living in the côte de Beaupré, which included L’Ange-Gardien. Pierre was listed as an “habitant,” or farmer.

In 1667, another census was taken, and the Tremblay family was still residing in the côte de Beaupré. Pierre owned nine arpents of cleared land and two head of livestock.

On October 16, 1669, Pierre received a donation from Martin Huan, who had travelled to New France with him. Martin gave Pierre his goods and furniture and moved in with the Tremblay family. In return, Pierre agreed to care for Martin until his death.

On December 1, 1678, Pierre signed a 5-year contract to work on the properties of Monseigneur de Laval in nearby Baie-Saint-Paul. Two of his sons were also employed as labourers on the land. The Tremblays received a payment of 600 livres for their work. Under the terms of the contract, Pierre was required to hand over half of the harvested grain at the end of each year. In return, he was provided with seed, farming equipment, nets, and barricades for salmon fishing.

In November 1681, another census was conducted. Pierre and his family were still residing in the côte de Beaupré, along with a domestic servant. At the time, Pierre owned ten arpents of cleared land, two guns, and 16 head of livestock. It appears that the family maintained two main properties, one in L’Ange-Gardien and the other in Baie-Saint-Paul.

In 1684, tragedy struck the Tremblay family once again, when nine-year-old Jean died from drowning. He was buried in the parish cemetery of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

In October of the following year, Pierre received a land concession from the Québec Seminary, located in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, near Baie-Saint-Paul. The lot measured 9 arpents of frontage along the St. Lawrence River and was 1.5 leagues deep, located in the seigneurie of Beaupré.

Deaths of Pierre and Anne

Pierre Tremblay died sometime between April 14, 1687, and November 6, 1689, when Anne is first recorded as a widow. He may have been a victim of the smallpox epidemic that devastated New France in 1687 and 1688.

In March 1696, Anne appeared before notary Étienne Jacob to register a donation to her son Jacques. She granted him half a lot of land and a house. In return, Jacques agreed to take care of his mother until her death, arrange for her burial, and have 20 masses said in her honour.

Ozanne "Anne" Achon died at the age of 74. She was buried on December 24th, 1707, in the parish cemetery of Notre-Dame in Québec. [The date of death was omitted from the burial record.]

The Tremblay Legacy

Pierre and Anne’s eldest son, Pierre, became the seigneur of Les Éboulements. His son Pierre inherited the estate, which was one of the largest in the country at the time. Pierre’s own son, Étienne, built the manor house on the property, which still stands today, beautifully restored.

Today, it is estimated that over 9,000 Tremblay families live across North America, representing approximately 180,000 people. In Québec, 13% of residents bear the Tremblay name, and in Les Éboulements, one in three residents is a Tremblay.

Over the centuries, the Tremblay/Tremblé surname has evolved into several variations, including Du Tremble, Trembley, Trombley, Trombly, Trembly and Tremblaye. 

To see a 2-minute video of the Tremblay history (in French), click here.

Sources:

• “Chambon, Collection communale, Baptêmes (1609-1645)," digital images, Archives de la Charente-Maritime (http://www.archinoe.net/v2/ark:/18812/9628f6afd9435e2b675e305296fa9f96 : accessed 23 Oct 2024), baptism of Ozanne Achon, 18 Jul 1633, Chambon, image 17 of 31.

• "Actes de notaire, 1652-1692 : Claude Auber," digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-53L2-6937-H?i=118&cat=1175225 : accessed 23 Oct 2024), marriage contract of Pierre Tremblé and Ozanne Achon, 19 Sep 1657, images 119-120 of 1368, film 2371277; citing original data: Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

• Ibid. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-R3L2-6992-7?i=934&cat=1175225 : accessed 29 Jan 2024), donation from Martin Huan to Pierre Tremblay and Osanne Achon, 16 Oct 1669, images 935-937 of 1368, film 2371277.

• "Actes de notaire, Romain Becquet (1665-1682)," Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (https://advitam.banq.qc.ca/notice/78136 : accessed 29 Jan 2024), land lease and work contract between the Seminary of Québec and Pierre Tremblay, 1 Dec 1678, images 46-49 of 1105, reference CN301,S13, Id 78136.

• "Actes de notaire, 1663-1687 : Pierre Duquet," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTC-P9R4-V?i=2298&cat=1175224 : accessed 29 Jan 2024), land concession to Pierre Tremblay, 13 Oct 1685, images 2299-2300 of 2640, film 2371276; citing original data: Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

• "Actes de notaire, 1680-1726 : Etienne Jacob," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-P3NX-WX4G?i=1876&cat=678814 : accessed 29 Jan 2024), donation from Ozanne Achon to Jacques Tremblay, 9 Mar 1696, images 1877-1878 of 3044, film 2073144; citing original data: Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

• “Le LAFRANCE (Baptêmes, Mariages, Sépultures)," digital images, Généalogie Québec (https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/66508 : accessed 29 Jan 2024), marriage of Pierre Tremblé and Ozanne Achon, 2 Oct 1657, Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec).

• Ibid. (https://www.genealogiequebec.com/Membership/LAFRANCE/acte/70746 : accessed 29 Jan 2024), burial of Anne Achon, 24 Dec 1707, Québec (Notre-Dame-de-Québec).

• "Registre des confirmations 1649-1662", digital images, Généalogie Québec (https://www.genealogiequebec.com/membership/fr/fonds-drouin/REGISTRES : accessed 21 Sep 2021), confirmation of Osanne Jeanne Achon, 2 Feb 1660, Château-Richer; citing original data: Registre des confirmations, Diocèse de Québec, Registres du Fonds Drouin.

• "Recensement du Canada, 1666", Library and Archives Canada (https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ : accessed 29 Jan 2024), entry for Pierre Tremblé, 1666, Québec, page 43, Finding aid no. MSS0446, MIKAN no. 2318856; citing original data: Centre des archives d'outre-mer (France) vol. 460.

• "Recensement du Canada, 1667", Library and Archives Canada (https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ : accessed 29 Jan 2024), entry for Pierre Tremblay, 1667, Québec, page 130-131, Finding aid no. MSS0446, Item ID number: 2318857; citing original data: Centre des archives d'outre-mer (France) vol. 460.

• "Recensement du Canada fait par l'intendant Du Chesneau", Library and Archives Canada (https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ : accessed 29 Jan 2024), entry for Pierre Tramblay, 14 Nov 1681, Québec, Finding aid no. MSS0446, MIKAN no. 2318858; citing original data: Centre des archives d'outre-mer (France) vol. 460.

• Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH), Université de Montréal (https://www-prdh-igd.com/Membership/fr/PRDH/Famille/1091 : accessed 23 Oct 2024), dictionary entry for Pierre Tremblay and Anne Achon, union 1091.

• Madame Pierre Montagne [Françoise Lamarche], Tourouvre et les Juchereau : Un chapitre de l’émigration percheronne au Canada (Québec, Société Canadienne de Généalogie, 1965).

• Thomas J. Laforest, Our French-Canadian Ancestors vol. 3 (Palm Harbor, Florida, The LISI Press, 1992), 234-239.

• Peter Gagné, Before the King’s Daughters: Les Filles à Marier, 1634-1662 (Orange Park, Florida : Quintin Publications, 2002), 47.

• André Lachance, Vivre, aimer et mourir en Nouvelle-France; Juger et punir en Nouvelle-France: la vie quotidienne aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles (Montréal, Québec: Éditions Libre Expression, 2004), 124-128, 167-172.