Desir VIGER

Born

abt. 1647 , Rouen, France

Died

5 March 1688 , Montréal, Canada, New France

Desir married Catherine MOITIE 19 September 1667 in Montréal, Canada, New France . The couple had (at least) 10 children.
Catherine MOITIE was born 14 June 1649 in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes, France. Catherine died 21 October 1727 in Boucherville, Canada, New France . Catherine was the child of Jacques MOITIE and Françoise LANGEVIN .

Parents & Family of Desir VIGER

Parents of Desir VIGER

Father

Not yet recorded

Mother

Not yet recorded

Grandparents of Desir VIGER

Paternal grandparents

Paternal grandfather not yet recorded Paternal grandmother not yet recorded

Maternal grandparents

Maternal grandfather not yet recorded Maternal grandmother not yet recorded

Desir was an immigrant to Canada, arriving by 1667.

Immigration to New France: Shaping the Roots of Canada

son of Nicolas Viger and Robine Lessard

WORK & OCCUPATION

Occupation

Recorded occupation: Sailor, 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

Desir VIGER 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 Desir VIGER

Desir VIGER married

Catherine MOITIE
Marriage date: 19 September 1667
Marriage place: Montréal, Canada, New France

See marriage record for Desir VIGER and Catherine MOITIE
Catherine MOITIE was the child of Jacques MOITIE and Françoise LANGEVIN

Marriage notes:

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

Desire Viger and Catherine Moitie

So Many Children! French-Canadian Family Size in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries

Children of Desir VIGER and Catherine MOITIE

Charles VIGER

Born: 9 August 1668, Montréal, Canada, New France
Died: 16 October 1750, Montréal, Canada, New France

Married: Françoise GUERTIN 29 June 1694 Place: Montréal, Canada, New France

Marie-Noelle VIGER

Born: 9 November 1670, Longueuil, Canada, New France
Died: 18 April 1751, Montréal, Canada, New France

Married: Joseph LEDUC dit LESPERANCE 7 January 1687 Place: Boucherville, Canada, New France

Married: Jacques PERINAU dit LAMARCHE 4 October 1688 Place: Boucherville, Canada, New France

Jacques VIGER

Born: 7 February 1673, Longueuil, Canada, New France
Died: 8 January 1715, Montréal, Canada, New France

Married: Marie-Françoise CESAR dite LAGARDELETTE 30 March 1695 Place: Montréal, Canada, New France

Catherine VIGER

Born: 28 February 1675, Boucherville, Canada, New France
Died: 28 May 1749, Boucherville, Canada, New France

Married: Daniel POIRIER dit LAJEUNESSE 11 January 1694 Place: Boucherville, Canada, New France

Marie-Françoise VIGER

Born: 13 May 1677 , Boucherville, Canada, New France
Died: 13 January 1767, Boucherville, Province of Québec, Canada

Married: Jean BOUGRET dit DUFORT 4 July 1722 Place: Boucherville, Canada, New France

Madeleine VIGER

Born: 10 January 1679, Boucherville, Canada, New France
Died: 17 October 1682, Boucherville, Canada, New France

François VIGER

Born: 22 June 1681, Boucherville, Canada, New France
Died: 26 July 1749, Boucherville, Canada, New France

Married: Françoise LAMOUREUX 8 January 1702 Place: Boucherville, Canada, New France

Madeleine VIGER

Born: 1 October 1683 , Boucherville, Canada, New France
Died: 2 November 1756, Boucherville, Canada, New France

Married: Pierre LAPORTE 10 July 1712 Place: Boucherville, Canada, New France

Louis VIGER

Born: 20 November 1685, Boucherville, Canada, New France
Died: ,

Married: Marianne GIRAUDON (GIRODON) 13 March 1722 Place: New Orleans, Territory of Orleans

Maurice VIGER

Born: 24 November 1687, Boucherville, Canada, New France
Died: 12 December 1687, Boucherville, Canada, New France

RESEARCH CONTEXT

Québec Genealogy Notes

Helpful background for understanding names and places that may appear in Desir'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.

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Life & Records

Photos, life events, and historical records for Desir VIGER.

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Records about Desir VIGER and family appear alongside historical events from the same years. Each item is labeled so you can quickly tell family records from historical context.

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

1666 Census - Montreal, Quebec

Charles Le Moyne 42 Procureur du Roy
Catherine Primo Demoiselle 25 Son Epouse
Charles Le Moyne 9 Fils
Jacques Le Moyne 7 Fils
Pierre Le Moyne 4 Fils
(Piere sera mieux connu par le nom d'Iberville)
Paul Le Moyne 3 Fils
Joachim Brunet 20 Domestique, engage
Dezir Vigier 22 Marin, domestique engage
Simon Guillory 20 Arquebusier, domestique, engage
Adrien St-Augin 18 Domestique, engage
Catherine Moytie 16 Domestique

Source / record details
1666 Montreal Census
The History of Montréal: The Story of Great North American City

1666 - Isaac Newton discovers gravity

1667 Marriage / Partner
Desir VIGER and Catherine MOITIE 19 September 1667, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul)

1668 Birth of Child
Charles VIGER was born 9 August 1668, Montréal, Québec, Canada (Sault-au-Récollet) (Côte-St-Michel) (Côte-St-Paul)

1670 Birth of Child
Marie-Noelle VIGER was born 9 November 1670, Longueuil, Québec, Canada (Saint-Antoine-de-Longueuil)

1673 Birth of Child
Jacques VIGER was born 7 February 1673, Longueuil, Québec, Canada (Saint-Antoine-de-Longueuil)

1675 Birth of Child
Catherine VIGER was born 28 February 1675, Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville)

1677 Birth of Child
Marie-Françoise VIGER was born 13 May 1677 , Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville)

1679 Birth of Child
Madeleine VIGER was born 10 January 1679, Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville)

1681 Canadian Census Seigneurie du Boucherville

Desir Viger, 36
Catherine Motier, sa femme, 31
enfants:
Charles, 14
Noel, 10
Jacques, 9
Marthe, 5
Madelaine, 2
Francoise, 1

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

1681 Birth of Child
François VIGER was born 22 June 1681, Boucherville, Québec, Canada (Sainte-Famille-de-Boucherville)