Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON

Born

abt. 1637 , St-Herbland, Rouen, Normandie, France

Died

3 February 1688 , Repentigny, Canada, New France

Pierre married Marie LEMAIRE 28 December 1669 in Montréal, Canada, New France . The couple had (at least) 3 children.
Marie LEMAIRE was born abt. 1648 in France. Marie died abt. 1681 in Repentigny, Canada, New France .

Pierre married Marguerite FONTAINE 22 August 1684 in Repentigny, Canada, New France .
Marguerite FONTAINE was born abt. 1644 in France.

Parents & Family of Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON

Parents of Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON

Father

Not yet recorded

Mother

Not yet recorded

Grandparents of Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON

Paternal grandparents

Paternal grandfather not yet recorded Paternal grandmother not yet recorded

Maternal grandparents

Maternal grandfather not yet recorded Maternal grandmother not yet recorded

Pierre was an immigrant to Canada, arriving by 1669.

Immigration to New France: Shaping the Roots of Canada

WORK & OCCUPATION

Occupation

Recorded occupation: habitant

Québec Généalogie - The Seigneurial System (1627 - 1854)
The seigneurial system was a form of land settlement modeled on the French feudal system. It began in New France in 1627 with the formation of the Compagnie des Cent-Associés (or Company of 100 Associates), which was initially responsible for handing out land grants and seigneurial rights. The land was divided into five by 15 kilometer plots, usually along major rivers like the St. Lawrence. They were then further subdivided into narrow, but long lots for settlement. These lots were usually long enough to be suitable for faming, and they provided everyone who lived on them with equal access to neighbouring farms and the river. There were three main groups of people who lived off the land in this system: Seigneurs, Habitants and Engagés

Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON was a habitant.
Habitants were usually farmers or labourers who were initially brought over from France to live on this land. They had to pay rent and taxes to the seigneur, though they co-owned the land with the seigneur, and even had to work entirely for the benefit of the seigneur a few days each year.

Source: Canada in the Making (www.canadiana.ca/citm/index_e.html)

Habitants played an essential role in creating a permanent, settled population along the St. Lawrence River. But it was not an easy life...

Habitants had to clear the land, build a homestead, and plant and harvest a crop. The first task was never-ending, while the last one was annual. Building and repairing the house and barn were continual tasks. So were cutting and hauling firewood. The habitants had to be largely self-reliant in looking after all routine tasks such as cooking, baking, making furniture, and repairing tools. They had to attend to the educational and medical needs of the family. They had to endure the harsh physical climate and rough terrain, largely unaided by government support. The habitants had to pay taxes to the seigneurs and the church.

Canada: The Story of Our Heritage by Elspeth Deir, John Fielding, Nick Brune, Peter Grant, Stephanie Smith Abram; McGraw-Hill Ryerson School, 2000

Spouses, Marriages & Children of Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON

Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON married

Marie LEMAIRE
Marriage date: 28 December 1669
Marriage place: Montréal, Canada, New France
Source: Familysearch.org. Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) (Mormon Genealogy Records).
The French In North America: 1500-1783

Marriage notes:

Marriage found at Notre-Dame de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec in Drouin Collection

Pierre Ratel and Marie Lemer

Children of Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON and Marie LEMAIRE

Marie-Anne RATEL

Born: 12 November 1670, Montréal, Canada, New France
Died: 17 November 1711, Montréal, Canada, New France

Married: Pierre HUNEAULT (ENAUD, HÉNAULT) dit CANADA 3 February 1688 Place: Sorel, Canada, New France

Gilbert RATEL

Born: 17 November 1672 , Repentigny, Canada, New France
Died: 17 January 1740, Saint-Ours, Canada, New France

Pierre RATEL

Born: 25 July 1674, Repentigny, Canada, New France
Died: 15 July 1744, Contrecœur, Canada, New France

Married: Antoinette VERGER dite DESJARDINS 8 November 1698 Place: Repentigny, Canada, New France

Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON married

Marguerite FONTAINE
Marriage date: 22 August 1684
Marriage place: Repentigny, Canada, New France

Children of Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON and Marguerite FONTAINE

No children are currently listed for this couple.

RESEARCH CONTEXT

Québec Genealogy Notes

Helpful background for understanding names and places that may appear in Pierre's Québec records.

Québec Place Names Through History

Québec has been described by several names during different periods of its history. Knowing the period name can make older records easier to recognize.

Early 1600s–1760: Canada, New France
1760–1763: Canada
1763–1791: Province of Québec
1791–1867: Lower Canada
1867–present: Québec, Canada

Thanks to Micheline Gadbois MacDonald for providing this information.

What is a "dit/dite" Name?

When the first settlers came to Québec from France, it was a custom to add a "dit" nickname to the surname. The English translation of "dit" is "said." Colonists of Nouvelle France used dit names as distinguishers. A settler might use one to differentiate a branch of the family from siblings, sometimes choosing a name connected with the place to which the family had relocated.

A dit name could also result from a casual adoption or from honoring the family that had raised someone. In other cases it identified the town or village in France from which the person originated. The custom ended around 1900, when people increasingly used only one name, either the dit nickname or the original surname.

Source: American-French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, Rhode Island (www.afgs.org/ditnames/index1.html)

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Life & Records

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1656 - The pendulum clock is invented (Christiaan Huygens, Netherlands)

1666 - Isaac Newton discovers gravity

1669 Marriage / Partner
Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON and Marie LEMAIRE 28 December 1669, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul)

1670 Birth of Child
Marie-Anne RATEL was born 12 November 1670, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul)

1672 Birth of Child
Gilbert RATEL was born 17 November 1672 , Repentigny, Québec, Canada (La Purification-de-Repentigny) (St-Paul-l'Hermite)

1674 Birth of Child
Pierre RATEL was born 25 July 1674, Repentigny, Québec, Canada (La Purification-de-Repentigny) (St-Paul-l'Hermite)

1681 Canadian Census Signeurie de Repentigny

Pierre Ratel, 44
enfants:
Marie, 11
Gillebert, 9
Pierre, 7

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

1684 Marriage / Partner
Pierre RATEL dit DRAGON and Marguerite FONTAINE 22 August 1684, Repentigny, Québec, Canada (La Purification-de-Repentigny) (St-Paul-l'Hermite)