Settlement in the New World
"La Terrace", the promenade above the river that looks across the St.
Lawrence River to Quebec City.
Settlement in the New World
"La Terrace", the promenade above the river that looks across the St.
Lawrence River to Quebec City.
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Upon his arrival, Gabriel settled across the St. Lawrence river from Quebec City, at the Point of Levis, and began his apprenticeshipfor land-owner Francois Becquet. Meanwhile, his younger brother, Jacques worked for Gervain Buisson at Sillery, Quebec. Gabriel was an excellent worker and apprentice, and Becquet decided to lease him a piece of land on his farm, upon the completion of his three year contract. |
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On November 16, 1668, in the presence of the notary, Romain Becquet and witnesses, Francois Becquet leased his land for four consecutive years to Gabriel Samson, which contained "a farm of three acres with a house, a barn, a stable and a shed, on the hill of Lauzon, part cleared and part forested. On his part, he who accepts the lease, promises to deliver on November 30th of each year- 13 bushels of wheat, 30 bushels of green peas, and at the end of the lease, a barn half filled with hay, as it is presently". |
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Now, Gabriel Samson was ready to begin a family, and on November 21, 1669, married Francoise Durand. Francoise was the daughter of Martin Durand and Francoise Brunet, of Tour du Chatel, Quimper, France, in the region of Brittany. She was about 12 years old at the time of her marriage, and an orphan as well. Her mother had died the previous year on July 21, 1668, after emigrating to Quebec with an elder daughter Jeanne, and marrying Theodore Sureau in Quebec on November 8, 1863. |
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After completion of his three year work contract, Jacques settled next to his brother at Lauzon in 1669. Because Lauzon did not have its own church at that time, by special permission, the Abbey Morel performed three marriages at the point of Levis on November 26, 1671. One of these was the union of Jacques Samson and Marie-Anne Metru, who had recently arrived from France. Marie-Anne was the daughter of Claude Metru and Jeanne Crisset, from the parish of Sainte-Marine, Paris. Jacques made his home on the bank of the St. Lawrence river, directly opposite the current church of Bienville. |
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Gabriel Samson's family would be a large one with 10 children in all. The seventh child and fourth son, also named Gabriel, left Quebec to settle at Port Royal, Acadia (present day Nova Scotia), and began the Acadian branch of the family. His other siblings remained in Quebec, and are the ancestors of the Samsons of that province. Gabriel Sr. died at the Hotel Dieu in Quebec City, on June 30, 1690. His wife remarried in Quebec on February 1, 1699 to Yvon Richard. At 54 years of age, Francoise died on December 5, 1713, and was buried at Quebec. |
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Jacques had an even larger family, with 18 children! On May 4, 1699, Jacques Samson was buried at Lauzon. The previous day, his son Francois, aged 14 was also buried. Perhaps there been a disease or accident taking the life of both father and son at the same time. Jacques' widow lived for several years in Quebec City, on rue Saint-Pierre, before she married Claude Philippeaux, a merchant and tailor, in 1710. Widowed a second time by 1713, Marie-Anne died in 1731 , and was buried at Lauzon on March 27 of that year. |
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Written by Charles Samson, December 1997. Source: "Familles Samson, Tricentenaire au Canada", July 23, 1967; Roger and Marcel Samson. |
Quebec Documents
(Marriage contract of Gabriel Samson & Francoise
Durand)