History

Our ancestor, Olivier Charbonneau, had lived 13 years in the town of Marans, France, located 25 kilometers from La Rochelle, when he left to comme to new France, july 2, 1659, with his wife and their only child, Anne, two years old. This great voyage to the New Wolrd included 18 people related to Olivier, brothers and sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces. All these families had answered the call from Jeanne Mance who had come to France to recruit entire families.

After a perilous journey, they arrived in Montreal on the 29th of September 1659. Olivier was between 44 and 48 years old and his wife, Marie Garnier, was 30 to 32 years old. In the following years, Marie gave her husband four more children, Joseph born in 1660, Jean in 1662, Elisabeth in 1664 and Michel in 1666.

Olivier and his family lived in Montreal. He became owner of a water mill at Pointe-aux-Trembles, acquired a 50-acre farm in Boucherville, on wich there were a house and an old farm structure and, in 1680, he became, with his daughter Anne married to Guillaume Labelle, the first Île Jesus sttler.

Olivier died on the 20th of November 1687, leaving five children and seven grandchildren from his two daugthers. Forty-seven other grandchildren will be born from his other married children in the years to come.

The history of Olivier Charbonneau's family does not end here. It is still being written today by his descendants in Quebec, in Canada, and throughout America.

Two other newcomers account for 3%

• Jean Charbonneau
• Gilbert Charbonneau

Marans, lieu de mémoire (Fichier PDF) (french version only)