Gagnon

also Gaignon

The family originates in the parish of St-Aubin de Tourouvre, like many other early Québec families. The earliest known ancestor, Barnabé Gagnon, lived in the last half of the sixteenth century; his wife Françoise Creste must have been related to Adrien Crête, the grandfather of Marin Boucher's wife - perhaps his sister (see Crête). Their son Pierre Gagnon was a laborer at La Ventrouze (the church of Ste-Marie-Madeleine is pictured above), and died between 1630 and 1633. He married Renée Roger (parents unknown) about 1597, and they were the parents of six children: Marguérite (1598, married Éloi Tavernier and emigrated later with him to Canada); Noël (1601, died young); Louis (1604, married Toussaine de Lépine and stayed in France); and four younger children, three surviving, who accompanied their parents to Nouvelle-France in 1640: Mathurin (1606-1690, had an illegitimate daughter Marthe in France, then married Françoise Godeau in Québec in 1647, 14 children); his twin Mathurine, who evidently died young; Jean (1610-1670, married Marguérite Cauchon, see below); and Pierre (1612-1699, married Vincente Desvarieux, 10 children).

Jean Gagnon and Marguérite Cauchon were married at Beaupré on July 29, 1640, shortly after the Gagnon family immigrated. They seem to have lived in Québec city during the early years of their marriage, and later at Château-Richer, where Jean died in April 1670. His wife died in the Hôtel-Dieu in Québec in June 1699. Their children: Jeanne (1641-1699, married Jean Chapleau, 4 children); Renée (1643-1687, married Jean Ouimet, see below); Marguérite (1644-c1700, married Jean-Baptiste Caron, brother of our ancestor Joseph Caron); Jean (1648-1687, married Marguérite Drouin, 8 children); Étienne (1650-a1666); Germain (1653-1708, married Jeanne David); Raphaël (1656-1687); and Marie (1659-c1715, married Louis Gagné, 6 children).

Renée and Jean Ouimet were the parents of Marguérite, who married François Turcotte and was a great-great-great-great-grandmother of Marie Eva Jean Martin.