Roofer
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Le Couvreur | The Roofer
The roofer ("Haymerand (Heimerand) Mullner (Müllner), dachdecker (Dachdecker)", undated painting (artist unknown), Wikimedia Commons).
A couvreur, or roofer, was a building professional who installed, maintained and repaired the roofs of buildings. He worked with various materials such as tiles, slate, shingles, wood, etc.
In New France, skilled construction workers were in demand, including roofers. Master roofers were recruited in France to come and exercise their profession here. These master roofers taught their trade to other settlers and to young Canadians. The colony needed roofs for its houses, churches and other buildings.
In the early days of the colony, most buildings and homes had thatched roofs only, as other materials were rare. Thatch meant any mixture of plant stems or straw. A conscientiously installed thatched roof could last nearly 20 years without needing repairs, and about 50 years before it needed to be replaced altogether.
Eventually, city officials began to encourage the installation of slate and tile roofs to prevent the spread of fires.
Known persons who had the occupation of master roofer: Martial Charron, Louis Chevrette, Pierre Desco, Guillaume Duboc dit Saint-Godard, Jean Gabriel, Jean-Baptiste Gatien, Pierre Gatien, Louis Lefebvre, Pierre Pelot/Pilote dit Laflèche, Michel Riverin, Jean Tournois
Known persons who had the occupation of roofer: Alexandre Biron, Étienne Bourbon, Charles Bouvier, Martial Charron, Jacques Daoust, Pierre Descot dit Montauban, Guillaume Duboc dit Saint-Godard, Antoine Ducros dit LaTerreur, Jean-Baptiste Gadiou dit Saint-Louis, Jean Gariépy, François Gatien, Jean-Baptiste Gatien, Pierre Gatien, René Gatien, Joseph Gauvreau, Pierre Guénet, Jacques Lefebvre, Julien Maisonneuve, François Mayeux dit Mondidier, Charles Normand, Pierre Pelot/Pilote dit Laflèche, Robert Pépin, Michel Riverin, Joseph Routhier, Michel Ruparon dit Sanspoil, Gilles Sauvage, Jean-Baptiste Serre, Louis Vachard dit Lardoise, Pierre-Gervais Voyer, Robert Voyer
Watch this video to see modern-day roof thatchers at work in Garrykennedy, Ireland
Sources:
Rastoul, Pierre, “La chaumière québécoise”, Musée d' Archéologie de l'Est du Québec, Rivière-du-Loup, https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/16943/23058.
“Couvreur”, Portail lexical du Centre national de ressources textuelles et lexicales, https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/couvreur.