The area of France from whence they came had suffered
greatly during the Hundred Years War that ended in 1453. Then, between
1562 and 1593, the Religious Wars raged across much of the same territory.
The peasants of the countryside and the merchants in the small hamlets
and villages were kept in constant turmoil by the ravaging armies. Between
the wars, the people in these areas had an opportunity to bring a semblance
of order and peace to their lives; but soon new depredations brought ruined
fields, hunger and despair. Also, every adult male was liable to be called
into the army to help the current King fight his wars. It is no wonder
that the news coming out of New France encouraged the young and bold to
strike out on the "Great Adventure." 
All across France the people were
discussing the voyages of Jacques Cartier, and the daring adventures of
Samuel de Chaplain among the Indian tribes. There began a stirring
in the breast of the young people a whispering--an urging--go west to Nouvelle
France'. The older people were disturbed by the apparent restlessness
of the younger generation; they did their best to discourage the distant
travel. At bedtime, mothers told their young children stories of
the terrible, long voyage across the wild sea. They told of the burning
fever that came during the horrible voyage, and if death came, the body
was cast into the ocean, never to have the peace of a good christen burial.
They told of the copper-skinned savages who roamed the forests of the far
away land, lurking behind trees to pounce upon the unwary colonist.
But the stories of the unending virgin forest, the clear running streams,
the beautiful panoramas and the fortunes to be made trapping the fur bearing
animals could not be over--come. From the year 1620 onward, the flow
of emigrants from France for the New World increased dramatically
Approximately 80 miles West by South of Paris, France, lies
the ancient walled city of
Mortagne, once the capital of the Province of
Perche. During the French Revolution, several of the religious monuments
were destroyed, but there remains still, many Pre-Renaissance buildings
whose turrets and high gables rise into the azure sky. After the
Revolution, when the boundaries of the Old provinces were changed and the
designation of each area became known as Departments, Mortagne was no longer
the capital, but it is still considered one of the most beautiful cities
in France. Hear what the French poet has to say:
"Look for the tracks of our purest jewels,
The church, the mill, the manor or the tower
The whole of Perche, flower of the old races,
Confide its secrets to you,
And offers itself to your love."
At the time of the Roman invasion,
all of the country for many miles in every direction was covered with virgin
forest. The conquerors called this forest "Silva Pertica" (forest like
a perch) hence the name La Perche. By the middle of the Seventeenth
Century, Mortagne had several wealthy churches, one hospital and one leper
hospital. In the whole Province of Perche there were thirteen abbeys and
priories inhabited by Benedictine, Trappist, Cisterian and Trinitarian
monks. It also counted 2 female monasteries with Benedictine and Cisterian
nuns. From these environs came the French-Canadian ancestor whose
name we bear.
In the small hamlet of
Reveillon,
just a short walk from the city of Mortagne, a hard working weaver named
Jean Giroust built his house and set up his weaving loom. Here he
wove cloth to be sold to his friends and neighbors in Reveillon, or to
the merchants in Mortagne. He married Marguerite Quilleron about
1621 or 22. The register of the parish church of Reveillion reveals
a sad story of the next 20 years.
Etienne Giroux : Baptized 25 Mar 11623
Nicolas Giroux: Baptized 4 Jan 1625
(Died)
Catherine Giroux: Baptized 19 Dec.1625
(Died)
Antoine Giroux: Baptized 19 Sep. 1627
(Died)
Thomas Giroux: Baptized 9 Mar. 1629
Toussaint Giroux: Baptized Nov 1633
Marguerite Giroux Baptized 6 Mar 1640
(Died)
Jean Giroux: Father 10
Jan 1641
(Died:)
Etienne Giroux: Eldest son
Oct 1641 (Died:)
It was that by the beginning
if the new year, 1642, Marguerite Quilleron was a widow With only two of
her young sons, Thomas, age 12, and Toussaint, age 6, to give her comfort.
Next door to the widow, Quilleron lived Zacharie
Maheult whose nickname was "Daybreak", a baker and a mason. He was
young Toussaint 's Godfather and as was the custom of the day, he took
it upon himself to teach and guide the young boy. It is doubtful
that Toussaint, at the age of eight, had learned the skills of a weaver,
and there is no evidence that he followed this trade later in life.
Nor is there any indication that he learned either of the trades of his
Godfather, Zacharie Maheult. It is probable that the young lad worked at
helping in all three trades without having apprenticed in any of them.
Whatever his accomplishments over the next eight years, he spent that time
in and around the environs of Reveillon. 
Another Percheron who played
a significant role in the life of Toussaint Giroux was Robert
Giffard, originally from Authenuil, a town north of Mortagne.
After completing his studies in medicine, Giffard opened an Apothecary
in Tourouvre in 1615, but moved to Mortagne in 1619. It was from
here that he was engaged as a doctor to accompany a fur-trading venture
to the New World. He spent two or three winters in Canada at about the
time Champlain was attempting to establish fur-trading settlements along
the St. Lawrence River and some of its tributaries.
It is not known how many trips Giffard made
to the settlements, but about 1632, he returned to France to settle his
affairs in that country. Having been given a Barony in New France,
Robert Giffard left Mortagne for the last time in 1634 to become the Lord
of Beauport. His brothers-in-law, Noel, Jean and Pierre Juchereau
stayed in France for some time to recruit craftsmen and laborers for the
new Lord. Later, Noel and Jean foil owed hi m to the new continent--Pierre
remained in France.
One of the craftsmen recruited
by the "Juchereau" brothers was Zacharie Maheult. He and his son, Rene,
who was a year older than Toussaint told him of their decision to immigrate
to the virgin county far across the ocean and found Toussaint eager to
answer the mysterious call . So it was that, sometime before 1654,
accompanied by his Godfather, and his friend, Rene, Toussaint left his
mother in Reveillon, Perche, France, and sailed away from his native country--never
to return.
When the three voyagers arrived
in New France, they traveled to the Barony of Beauport where Lord Robert
Giffard greeted them effusively. He granted to the three, jointly,
a first concession of land from the vast holdings that he had. Giffard
himself dictated the contract:
"Because we want to give thanks and show our will Zacharie
Maheult , Toussaint Girou and Rene Maheult, residents of Beauport, w give
them as a rentable seigniorial property, a land of high trees, and with
the following limits: on one side, Jacques. Badeau's and Robert Drouin’s
land; on the other side, the river belonging to the Lord up to the fir-plantation."
"In order to use t he property and to dispose of it , they must
pay, every Christmas, 25 Sols for the rent one Sol for the
quit-rent and a fat chicken; according to the edicts of Paris
under which this country is governed."
"For the amount of 200 acres, 100 acres for the grazing
of cattle, and 100 acres for the cutting of firewood, the leaseholders,
following the Lord's will, will give two days of work each week..
In case of war the leaseholders will take shelter in the Lord's
house in order to follow the Lord's orders and directions. The Lord
promises the right to fish from the small meadows to the Buisson River,
which belongs to the Lord of Beauport, to the leaseholders.
"Here we sign this original document on which we set our seal, and
let the Notary of this place countersign, here in Beauport on June 20th,
1£54.
(Signed:) Robert Giffard
(Signed ) Badeau, Royal Notary
This was the means by
which Canada was settled in the 17th Century''. The King of France,
or the current Intendant at Quebec (who was appointed by the king), would
give vast tracts of land to a favored few, whose responsibility it became
to populate and clear the land for cultivation. Many people in France
would become indentured to these Lords for a period of three or more years.
Their ocean passage would be paid, and they would receive room and board
and a small stipend for the length of their indenture. After their
work period was over, the Lord would usually give them a small plot of
ground, which they could work for themselves,
Other landlords, such as Robert
Giffard, would give the new arrival a piece of ground and let him farm
it for himself, paying only a nominal fee each year. Each tenant
usually had to work one or two days per week for the landlord; and all
had to be ready to defend the community against the raids of the hostile
Iroquois Indians whose hatred for the French Settlers knew no bounds.
When Samuel de Champlain first
came to Canada, he made friends with the northern tribes of Indians.
The main tribes were t he Montagnais, who lived along the northern
shore of the St Lawrence River , the Algonquins from
the Ottawa River country, and the Huron’s, who lived between Georgian Bay
and Lake Simcoe in the present day Province of Ontario. Champlain and his
men went along with these various tribes on raids against the fierce and
daring Five Nations of the Iroquois. This confederation consisted
of the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the Cayugas and the Senecas.
The Iroquois never forgave the
Frenchmen for taking sides against them and for over a hundred years. They
harassed the Canadian settlers --killing from ambush, kidnapping the children
while they were at play, slaughtering the cattle as they grazed in the
field, sacking the horses while the inhabitants were at church and burning
some homes in the middle of the night. Many housewives watched their
husbands leave for work in the fields not knowing if they wou1d return
at the end of day. It was at these times that the talk turned to
France, and many wished they were there again. But slowly the fields
were cleared and the population increased. The immigrants were still rather
poor, but they could see better times ahead.
In 1646, the road leading from the
small hamlet of Beauport to the common mill on the Buisson River was called
the King’s Way. Where the road passed by another small settlement
called Fargy, and at two or three other vulnerable places,
Robert Giffard
ordered his settlers to build palisaded forts for protection from the Indians.
These small forts were places of sanctuary in case of surprise attack.
Between l634 and 1663, Robert Giffard brought more than 50 men and their
families to his Seigneury from France. He was always looking out
for their welfare.
In the early fall of 1654, Toussaint
Giroux had his land--now he needed a wife. The record states:
"On 29 September 1654, Father Paul Raganeau, a Jesuit priest,
united Toussaint Giroux and Marie Godard in holy wedlock."
The ceremony was performed in the house of
Lord Giffard and the Lord
and his son, Lord Denys, as witnesses signed the marriage certificate.
Francis Badeau, Royal Notary, wrote the contract of marriage. In
this contract it states:
"Giroux. and Godard are one, and have all their goods in
common
according to the laws of Paris."
When the census was taken in 1655, the
couple had 4 acres, 54 perches, of their land under cultivation it seemed
that they were on their way toward a happy and prosperous married life;
but for a while it was a sad one.
The young newlyweds lived for
several years in the home of Lord Robert Giffard and his wife. As
early as the winter of 1655, Toussaint and Marie were preparing.
the cradle for their first born. They 1ooked forward to the
event with great joy; but the young, 16 year old mother-to-be was not in
the best of health This entry in the registry of the local
parish tells the sad story:
"In Lord Giffard's house on April 30th, 1655, Toussaint
Giroux and Marie Godard's son was delivered by Lord Giffard. On May 7th
this son was baptized by Father Raganeau, a Jesuit. Godfather--Joseph
Giffard; Godmother--Louise Giffard, Lord Charles de Lauson's wife.
The name Charles was given to him. The child deceased and was buried
the same day, May 7th, 1655."
There were sad hearts around the Giffard
house for the next few weeks. Madam Giffard had used all her skills
in the attempt to save the baby, but to no avail. After the death, she
used comforting words to the young couple, trying to console their broken
hearts. Time passed, and another birth was recorded:
"0n July 21st, 1656, Raphael was born, he was brought to
the church on July 30th. He was baptized by Father Poncet, a Jesuit.
Father Jerome LaLamant was the parish priest. The God father--Raphael
Thierry, Godmother--Marie Rognouard, Lord of Beauport's wife."
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