Mathurin Gerbert Jalbert dit Fontaine

  General Notes:

IMMIGRATION: 1659
CONFIRMATION: 22 Feb 1660 at Château-Richer; by Bishop Laval.

MATHURIN GERBERT DIT LAFONTAINE from "Our French-Canadian Ancestors" by Thomas J. Laforest

Gerber is a Germanic name from Alsace-Lorraine. It means tanner or currier. Gerbert, a baptismal name of German origin, also means brilliant and famous, like Gerard. The Canadian descendants of Ancestor Mathurin Gerbert, unique with this last name, are very often recognized as Jalbert. The addition of Lafontaine disappeared with its bearer.

NANTES
Mathurin Gerbert came from Brittany, more precisely from Nantes, the leading town in the Department of the Loire-Atlantique, a city situated at the confluence of the Erdre, the Sevre nantise, the Chezine and the Sail Rivers. He lived in the parish of Saint-Pierre, the oldest in the city. The son of Jean and Perrine Pele/Pillet was born between 1627 and 1637, according to our Canadian information. Not exactly a precise date! One day, Mathurin decided to try his luck in New France. Julien Brosseau dit Laverdure, Denis Brosseau and Jean Deniau also came to us from Nantes.

FARMER
On July 15, 1657, Etiennette Despres, the widow of Duplessis-Kerbodot, bought a piece of land for 120 livres from Jean Chaigneau. It measured 4 arpents in frontage, on the Ile d'Orleans and was in the rear- fief of Charny-Lirec, to the northeast, not far from Robert Gagnon.

On July 12, 1659, Mathurin Gerbert dit Lafontaine, agreed to farm this plot for the widow for three years. Farming was so much more rewarding when there was a house and shed on the property. How long had Mathurin been in New France? Did he come here on the same ship as Msgr. de Laval, the SAINT-SEBASTIEN, which docked in Quebec on June 16, 1659? If you think so, let's admire Mathurin's speed!...

ELISABETH TARGER
On Sunday, July 13, 1659, the day after Mathurin agreed to farm the land of the widow Despres. More surprising still was the appearance of Elisabeth Targer ready to sign her marriage contract with the new farmer. Had the two love birds discussed their future plans on the same ship? During the same crossing? Nothing is more frustrating than to question little bits of history without having a complete answer!

Elisabeth (or Isabelle) Targer, the daughter of Daniel Targer , a career sailor and Louise Martin, said that, she was the widow of Simon Piat and was from La Rochelle, in the parish of Saint-Nicolas.

The Targer family were Protestant-Huguenots, from La Rochelle. The eldest Targer, Augustin, was baptized in the Protestant church on April 18, 1632, as was his sister, Anne, on July 6, 1636. As for Elisabeth, who was born about 1634, Marthe, Louise and Marie, it is likely that they were also baptized in the Proteatant church. Did the Targer family renounce Protestantism? The youngest, Marie Targer, came to Canada as a daughter of the King. She was married in a first marriage at Chateau-Richer, on November 2, 1663, to Jean Royer and has descendants through her seven children, who were raised at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. In a second marriage, Marie was wed to Robert Tourneroche, on February 17, 1676 and was a mother six more times.

According to her marriage contract which was signed in the presence of Notary Audouart at Quebec, Elisabeth Targer Piat was sponsored by the Saintongeaise, Madeleine Surget. Elisabeth married Mathurin Gerbert, on Monday, August 4, 1659. Father Jean Torcapel, who arrived with Msgr. de Laval, on June 16, 1659, perhaps also with Elisabeth and Mathurin, blessed this union in the presence of Antoine Leboesme dit Lalime, a Breton gun and locksmith, originally from Nantes, Jacques Perrot dit Vildaigre and Simon Lereau, habitant of the Ile d'Orleans, living not far from the Despres farm. That same morning, there was the wedding of Philippe Neveu and Denise Sevestre from Quebec.

On February 2, 1660, the Targer-Gerbert couple received the sacrament of Confirmation at Chateau-Richer.
Such was the beginning of the Gerbert family.

ISLANDER
Mathurin faithfully fulfilled his commitments to the Kerbodot widow. He had learned the secrets of Canadian farming. He could now become the owner of a piece of land not far from the one which he had worked. On February 8, 1660, Charles de Lauzon, Sieur de Charny, had ceded him 3 arpents of frontal land located between Jacques Jahan dit Laviolette and Claude Charland dit Francoeur, habitants of the future parish of Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. Its depth, which went as far as the planned road to the middle of the island, was about 72 arpents. Jean Guyon had officially surveyed this property on June 20, 1662.

Mathurin spent the rest of his Canadian life on the Ile d'Orleans. The census of 1666 reports that Mathurin, Elisabeth Targer and their three children were indeed living on the north side of the island. The census of 1667 added some details. The Gerberts has 2 head of cattle and 10 arpents of land under cultivation. Their neighbors were Claude Charland dit Francoeur and the Percheron, Jean Lehoux.

DEEP GRIEF
Elisabeth Targer, died after the birth of Marie-Elisabeth, born on April 10, 1670. This deserving wife, ancestress of a fine line, did not even have the honor of a death record preserved in our archives.

She was the mother of seven children, Marie, Jacques, Marie-Madeleine, Jacques, Jean, Pierre and Marie-Elisabeth. Six of them were baptized by the missionary Thomas Morel, at Sainte-Famille on the Ile d'Orleans.
1) Marie was born about 1660 according to the censuses of 1666, 1667 and 1681. Where she was born and baptized ?? She married Pierre Saint-Pierre, the son of Michel and Francoise Engran/Engrand, on April 24, 1679, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. They had fifteen children, 8 girls and 7 boys.
2) Jacques was born, on November 25, 1661 and baptized December 3rd, at Chateau-Richer. He died and was buried October 30, 1664.
3) Marie-Madeleine was born December 22, 1663 and baptized the next day, at Chateau-Richer. Guillaume Fabas, the son of Jean and Marie DuSault, married Marie-Madeleine, on November 7, 1686, at Quebec. This couple had three little ones, 1 girl and 2 boys. Marie-Madeleine passed away and was buried December 25, 1702, at Quebec. She was a victim of the small pox epidemic of that time. Guillaume remarried to Marie-Jeanne Thibault, the daughter of Michel and Jeanne Soyer, on July 11, 1703, at Quebec. This couple had no children of their own.
4) Jacques was born October 31, 1665, on the Ile d'Orleans and baptized November 1st, at Chateau-Richer. He married Marie Pelletier, the daughter of Jean and Anne Langlois, on May 5, 1686, at Cap-Saint-Ignace. Eight offspring were given to this family, 4 daughters and 4 sons. Jacques died July 24, 1699 and was buried the next day, at Riviere-Ouelle. Marie remarried to Mathieu Guillet, the son of Mathieu and Louise Meter, on November 26, 1700, at Cap-Saint-Ignace. They had seven children, 5 girls and 2 boys, to add to Marie's eight children from Jacques.
5) Jean was born April 7, 1667 and baptized the next day, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. He passed away on May 18, 1672 and was buried the next day.
6) Pierre was born January 15, 1669 and baptized the 20th, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. He died and was buried, on February 19, 1672.
7) Marie-Elisabeth was born April 10, 1670 and baptized the 13th, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. On April 25, 1689, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans, she married Gervais Foucher, the son of Jean and Jeanne Richecourt. This couple had fourteen babies, 5 girls and 9 boys.

The members of the second generation Targer-Gerbert generation lived for an average of only 31 years. At that time, life expectancy was 33 years. But 40 descendants made up the third generation.

THE INVENTORY
According to the law, Mathurin Gerbert had to have a property inventory drawn up by a notary in order to protect the inheritance rights of his minor children. It was only on February 6, 1671 that he signed the papers. His situation brought a few bothersome inconveniences because at that time he was already remarried, as we shall see. So, in the description of the furnishings and kitchen utensils, nothing was said about the table, the beds and the number of plates and knives... The act of Guardianship was granted on February 4, 1671.

Jean Royer, the husband of Marie Targer, a sister to Elisabeth, was named substitute guardian. Then, on the following Friday, the Notary Paul Vachon and the senechal (?) for the island went to the Gerbert's house to proceed "with the taking of the present inventory"...

First, Mathurin showed the recorder the items found "in the room used as a kitchen", namely, 1 large pot, 1 grill, 1 fry pan, 1 large boiler, 1 small one, 2 1/2 pounds of tin, 6 pans, 1 clay pot, 1 chest and key containing a suit of clothes worn by the deceased. Note that this chest could be a souvenir brought from France. In the chest, there was also a pound "of white thread for sewing and another of color"; in the small cellar, 1 barrel of lard; in the attic, 7 minots of wheat. Among the notarized papers kept at the Gerbert house, let's mention the marriage contract of Mathurin and Elisabeth in which it was recalled that the groom, on July 13, 1671, had endowed his sweetheart with 400 livres.

The appraisers went to the stable and they counted 1 ox "with black hide", 1 cow "with red hide and white spots", 1 other "with white hide and red spots", 1 steer and 1 heifer. In the shed were 30 minots of French wheat.
Was a storm on the way? Was there no place to sleep? At dinner time, the inventory was quickly stopped and only begun again on the following March 5. The same Notary Vachon added that the Gerbert farm had 14 arpents of "partly cleared land" that the "small house or cabin" was not worth more than 150 livres. Debts totaling 157 livres had to be paid to five creditors. Everything was concluded in the presence of Jean Royer, the substitute guardian, Guillaume Roger, a royal hussier (?), Denis Avisse, hussier (?) and Jacques Jahan, Sieur Laviolette. Gerbert and Royer could not sign with initials like Jacques Jahan, Denis Avisse and Guillaume Roger.

From this inventory, we have some idea of the life of the Gerberts, on the Ile d'Orleans, in the winter of 1671.

SECOND WEDDING
Mathurin rebuilt his home by taking as his wife a daughter of the King, who arrived in this country in 1669. She was the 33 year old Jeanne Tellier. They were married in January 1670, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. The religious act is lost. The couple signed their marriage contract under a private agreement, on January 26, 1670. The document was recorded in the notes of Notary Claude Auber and validated, on October 11, 1671. In the document, it was said:
"this is written for lack of a notary because of the inconvenience of the weather and the area, unable to leave or arrive on the said Island because of layers of ice...we gave each other mutually all we own in property each to the other both personal property and real estate". The Gerbert home was rebuilt with the help of Jeanne Tellier, a woman whose ancestors and origins are unknown to us.

Life got back to normal with its joys, its pains and in harmony with its environment. In the census of 1681, Marie-Elisabeth and Jacques, children from the first marriage, were still living under the paternal roof with two Tellier-Gerbert half sisters. Twenty arpents of land were now under cultivation to support the household. Five head of cattle were in the stable waiting for spring. The hunting gun, hanging near the hearth, was used to greet the return of the Canada geese...

TELLIER-GERBERT POSTERITY
Two Gerbert daughters, Marie and Jeanne, were born to the union of Mathurin and Jeanne.
1) Marie was born March 7, 1672 and baptized the 19th, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. She married Jean Premont, the son of Jean and Marie Aubert, on November 28, 1703, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. They had one son, Jean-Baptiste and then Marie died and was buried, on December 13, 1704, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. Jean married again. Therese Belanger, the daughter of Nicolas and Marie de Rainville, became his wife, on February 19, 1716, at Quebec. They had a daughter, Marie-Therese. Therese passed away June 12, 1710, at the Hotel-Dieu, Quebec. Jean remarried to Marie-Anne Bolduc, the daughter of Louis and Elisabeth Hubert and the widow of Jean Marsolet, on February 19, 1716, at Quebec. They had no children.
2) Jeanne was born December 15, 1675 and baptized the next day, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. Jean Lehoux, the son of Jean and Elisabeth Drugeon, became Jeanne's lifetime partner, on November 22, 1701, at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans. This couple had eight children, 2 daughters and 6 sons.

TIN ANNIVERSARY
During Our Ancestors' time, tin anniveraries, ten years of marriage, were less frequent, golden anniversaries were rare and diamond anniversaries, almost non-existence. Mathurin celebrated a little more than ten years of married life with Elisabeth Targer and then sixteen years with Jeanne Tellier. Twice, he celebrated tin anniversaries.
At the end of 1687, Ancestor Gerbert came to the end of the thread on the spindle of his life. On Friday, December 19, he was buried at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans, in the presence of his children, his relatives and witnesses Germain Deblois, Louis de Niort, former captain in the Carignan Regiment and Antoine Gaulin, Father Francois Lamy presided at the funeral. Mathurin left our paths with their joy and pain, for one of endless peace.

On March 18, 1688, there was a private agreement, in the presence of Rene Cauchon dit Laverdiere, judge of the island, dividing the land of the late Mathurin among his children. Then, on November 9, 1690, the sale of the inheritance rights to Gervais Foucher, the husband of Marie-Madeleine Gerbert. The matter of the inheritance was finally settled only on April 12, 1702 and in the favor of Gervais Foucher, with the consent of all the parties including Jeanne Tellier.

Jeanne Tellier, about 60 years old, was buried near her late husband, on June 26, 1705. Jean Deblois and Jean-Baptiste Dupont had their names recorded in the registry as witnesses. Jeanne was a mother as well as an adoptive mother to all the Gerbert children of the second generation. The descendants owe her everlasting gratitude.

FAMILY NAME VARIATIONS
The only known variations of Gerbert are Jalbert and Lafontaine.
This biography was taken from "Our French-Canadian Ancestors" by Thomas J. Laforest; Volume 24- Chapter 7- Page 73 [12-18-98 James Gagne http://www.jamesgagne.net/]

Mathurin married Élisabeth Targer, daughter of Daniel Targer and Louise Martin Marmie, on 4 Aug 1659 in Québec City, Québec, Québec, Canada.¹ (Élisabeth Targer was born about 1636 in St-Nicolas, La Rochelle, Aunis, France ¹ and died about 1671 in Île d'Orléans, Québec, Canada ².)