b.c.1600
m. FRANCOISE FOUCHARD
bur. 1676 La Roche sur Yon, Poitou

Issue-

b.c.1634 St. Fulgent, Lucon, Poitou
m.1. 20 Oct. 1665 Quebec, Marie Pierrette Vallee (bur. 5 May 1676 Quebec)
2. 4 Nov. 1676 Ste. Famille, IO, CATHERINE POITEVIN (b.c.1641, m.1. 10 Oct. 1669 Ste. Famille, IO, Adrien Isabel (b.c.1631 Alencon, Normandie, bur. 7 May 1676 Ste. Famille)), d. of Guillaume Poitevin and Francoise Macre of St. Nicolas des Champs de Paris
bur. 22 Jan. 1718 Lauzon

Two men with the surname of Bourassa crossed the Atlantic in the seventeenth century. Both are from the department of Vend�e, specifically the Diocese of Luzon, but no genealogical research in France has demonstrated the existence of a relationship between the two men.

Jean was the son of Jacques and Fran�oise Bourassa Fouchard of St. Fulgent, Township La Roche-sur-Yon, the bishopric of Luzon, in Poitou. He gave his age as 23 when he committed to come to New France on 5 Apr. 1657 in La Rochelle. He enlisted for a period of three years to work in Quebec at an annual salary of 90 livres. The enlistment was signed with notary Cherbonnier, of La Rochelle, France. John worked for the merchants Pichon & Bestreau. Having ended his engagement, he chose to remain in New France and leased five acres in front of the manor of Lauzon on 5 Nov. 1662. Subsequently, he acquired many other lands in the same manor until his death 20 Jan. 1718.

Jean and Pierrette were married in the presence of the Marquis of Tracy, Gov. de Courcelles, the intendant Jean Talon, Anne Gasnier wife of Jean Bourdon, the Cailhaut Tesserie de Maze et Peronne. After Perrette's death, Jean married the widow of Adrian Isabel, Catherine Poitevin (a Fille de Roi), born about 1641, daughter of Guillaume and Fran�oise Poitevin Macri, a native of St-Nicolas des Champs, Paris.

At the 1681 Census Jean Bourasseau was 50 yrs old, he had 1 gun, 3 farm animals, and 15 arpents of land. Listed was his wife Catherine Poitevin 40 yrs old and their children Francois 15, Pierre 14, Jean 10, Madeleine 8, Jeanne 11, Marie 9, Catherine 6, and Marie-Anne 1.

The other immigrant Bourassa was named Francois and was born about 1660 in the town of Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay near Montaigu Vendee the son of Francis and Mary Bourassa Duga, arriving in New France by 16 Aug. 1683. On 4 July 1684 he married Marie Leber at Fort Chambly. Marie's family was very active in the fur trade, including Marie's uncle Jacques. Francois signs on to go to Michilimackinac in 1690 however, he does not return in the fall 1691 as planned. What happened to Francois is unknown. Marie believes her husband is dead and she is referred to as a widow in September 1693. But Francois returns safe and sound next year. Subsequently, Fran�ois Bourassa never leaves his family and is dedicated to the cultivation of the land at Laprairie until his death May 9, 1708, during an epidemic. Nothing prevents one of his sons, Rene, from following in the footsteps of his father and he becomes a partner of Pierre Gaultier de Varennes de la Verendrye in the fur trade and established Fort Vermilion (Manitoba) in 1736.

Issue- first seven children by Pierrette, last four by Catherine.