Olivier  CHARBONNEAU

CHARBONNEAU - Derived from coal. Nickname of a producer or merchant. Known variants: CARBONNEAU, COLEMAN (in English), KOHLER (in German), CARBON (in Spanish), CARBONARI (in Italian). Olivier Charbonneau was born around 1631 in France. His parents are unknown. He married Osanne Lussaud in France, before 1646. In his second marriage, he married Marguerite Roy, widow of Jean Guimbert, in Marans on April 30, 1646. In his third marriage, he married Marie Garnier around 1656. From their union were born 5 children. He arrived in New France, aboard the Saint-André, in Montreal in September 1659. The crossing, for him, his wife and their daughter, cost him 175 pounds. In 1668, he co-owned a watermill on the river. In 1681, he owns: 1 gun, 4 cattle, 6 arpents of land. He died in Rivière-des-Prairies in November 1687.

Olivier Charbonneau built the first water-driven mill in the region of Pointe-aux-Trembles, soon after his arrival in 1659. He and his wife Marie-Marguerite Garnier had five children and two of these – Jean and Joseph – left descendants in Quebec.

'In the spring of 1659, Olivier, a manual laborer decided to improve his lot in life by going to New France... Olivier promised to repay Mance the money loaned for the price of his passage and that of his wife and child, within two years. In addition, Jeanne Mance agreed to provide their food during the passage...Ten years later, on 10 November 1669, Olivier received a receipt from Jeanne Mance indicating that he had paid his debt.'

Thomas J. Laforest
Our French-Canadian Ancestors : Volume X, Page 64

Olivier Charbonneau, 70
Marie Garnier, sa femme, 54
enfants:
Jean, 18
Elizabeth, 17
Michel, 15


Source: Histoire des Canadiens-Francais 1608-1880 by Benjamin Sulte, Montreal, 1882

'The census of 1681 reports the existence of four heads of family living on the Ile Jesus: Michel Buisson, Olivier Charbonneau, Leonard Ethier and the 32 year old Guillaume Labelle.'

Thomas J. Laforest
Our French-Canadian Ancestors : Volume XIV, Page 143