Louis HOUDE dit DESROCHERS
1682

By the year 1682, the family had outgrown the capability of the land at Sainte-Famille to support them. So, on February 13th of that year, the Houde family decided to leave their beloved island for a newer and larger estate. The Ursulines of Quebec conceded them an immense domain with twelve arpents of frontage in the seigneurie of Sainte-Croix in Lotbiniere. Now the sons could live on their own lots around the paternal house where they could both cultivate the soil and fish for eel. Some of the sons took surnames reflecting the characteristics of their land Desrochers (stony), Desruisseaux (with brooks), Bellefeuille (with trees). On November 9, 1685, our ancestor sold his land on the Ile d' Orleans to Abbot Francois Lamy. This was confirmed by a signed receipt on July 27, 1686. Later on this land was given to the Dames de la Congregation de Notre-Dame in order to provide them with sufficient revenue to support their school. As for the domain at Sainte-Croix, today it is within the village limits.

Louis was not lacking in generosity since it was he who gave the necessary land to construct the first church. In return, he received a lifetime pew from Msgr de Laval. Thus it was from Sainte-Croix that the Houdes emigrated to spread throughout Canada and the United States.

The nine sons of Louis Houde and Madeleine Boucher were all married. Therefore, it is not surprising that the head of this family, in order to avoid the probable scattering of his children, decided in 1682 to acquire the larger site at Sainte-Croix, where they could both cultivate the soil and fish for eels. As a matter of fact, all the offspring who survived the stay on the Ile d' Orleans settled at Sainte-Croix itself or nearby.

THOMAS J. LAFOREST OUR FRENCH-CANADIAN ANCESTORS : VOLUME VII, PAGE 118

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