Joseph-Élie Gaultier
1643 - 1700
(This text is presented as published in the "Revue des Mémoires de la Société Généalogique Canadienne-Française, volume 44, no.4, hiver 1993.")
"Son of Samuel Gauthier and Hilaire Gourbatier (Jetté writes Gourlatier), Élie Gauthier is originally from the parish of Notre-Dame of Celles-sur-Belle, (Deux Sèvres), "commune" of Niort, diocese of Poitiers, in the province of Poitou. Élie Gauthier was baptized on Sunday 11 October 1643 at Celles-sur-Belle.
Photocopy of the baptismal act of Joseph-Élie as discovered by Olivier Bilodeau, his wife Céline Hurtubise-Bilodeau and their daughter Dominique during a trip in 1984 to the mayor's office at Celles-sur-Belle, "Livre des Baptesmes (1634-1645)"
Ref: "Revue des Mémoires de la Société Généalogique Canadienne-Française, volume 44, no.4, hiver 1993."
Transcription of the baptismal act:
"Le onzième jour d`octobre mil six cent quarante trois a esté baptisé Hélye fils de Samuel Gaultier et Hilaire Gourlatier ses pères et mère ont esté parrain et marraine Helye Boileau et Jeanne Marché tous de cette parroisse par moi.
h Boislaus (paraphe) J. Fillaud curé de Celles
C. Philyppe moreau (par.) Jacques Fournier (par.)"
It is most probable the Élie arrived in America in 1657, considering that a three year contract must be fulfilled before marriage. On 2 February 1660, he is confirmed by Mgr de Laval. He then has the name Joseph added to his name. On 26 September of the same year, in the study of G. Audouart, he contracts to marry a girl from Nemours (France), Marguerie Cécile Perreau. The religious marriage never took place. Undoubtedly, the bride returned to France.
It is not until the 24th of October 1663, at the age of 20, that he marries, in Château-Richer, Marguerite Moitié.
The baptism of Marguerite is shown in the Catholic register of Saint-Barthélemy Church in La Rochelle. She is the daughter of Jacques Moitié, police sargeant, and Françoise Langevin, baptised on Monday, 29 January 1646. The godfather was monsieur Pierre Gresseau, counsel to parliament and presidial seat at La Rochelle and Demoiselle Marguerite Gatet, daughter of Jacques Gatet, advisor to the King and judge magistrate of La Rochelle.
On 4 February 1661, the Sieur Charles de Lauzon concedes to him a lot of two acres frontage in his seigneurie of Liret on the Île d`Orléans.
Marguerite Moitié gives 12 children to her husband five boys and seven girls, between 1664 and 1686, of which al least two sons marry and perpetuate this line of the Gauthier patronyme.
On 21 September 1665, he receives the scapular of Mont-Carmel.
He is established on his farm on the Île d`Orléans where he lives with his family at the 1666 census.
On 25 October 1679, Louis Moreau surgeon at Château-Richer claims 42 sols from Joseph-Élie.
In 1681, census takers at Île d`Orléans find, Élie Gauthier, aged 50 ans, possesses a gun, five horned beasts and fifteen acres of cleared land.
On 30 January 1685, he sells to Bernard Laisné, at the price of 100 livres, the farm at Saint-Jean, Île d`Orléans, he has inherited following the death of his son Joseph.
Pierre Gendreau claims from him the sum of 5 livres and 10 sols on 15 November 1695.
On 4 August 1698, he sells to his son André, his farm at Île d`Orléans, with large contingent of lodgings of 20 feet in length and 16 feet in width ("un mechant corps de logis de vingt pieds de long sur seize pieds de large") and his animals of which are 2 horses, 2 bulls and a calf, all for 2000 livres, for which he receives from David Étourneau the sum of 700 livres cash.
Marguerite Moitié is beaten with a stick in her own home, in the absence of her husband, by Pierre Paris of Sainte-Famille, in October 1696. We also learn form a notarized contract, dated 1 April 1701, that Marguerite Moitié, is paralyzed at the end of her life. She dies around the age of 58 on the 8th of June 1701 and is buried, on the next day, next to her husband.
Élie Gauthier, aged at least 56, dies on 9 December 1700, and is buried the following day at Sainte-Famille, his parish of adoption."
Source:"Biographie des Ancêtres Québécois 1608-1700" Tome II de Michel Langlois
