INSEE: 61414Orne Department, France
Old Regime Province: PERCHE
INSEE: 61414
Orne Department, France
Old Regime Province: PERCHE
Ancestors who immigrated to Canada:
The family likely immigrated in the early summer of 1634 and landed at the port of Quebec. The ancestral house of the family in Saint-Langis is depicted below, with location for those who want to visit.
| CHURCH of SAINT-LANGIS | |
Built in 1595 to replace the original church, burnt down during the War of Religions (1572 to 1592). It is possible that Marin Boucher, native of neighbouring Mortagne, might have participated in the construction as a mason. This may explain how he met his first wife, a native of Saint-Langis. |  |
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La Barre consists today of one long house, called a "longère", which is a series of three adjacent houses, built throughout the centuries as the needs of the inhabitants changed. The first house on the westside is the original house, likely built prior to 1525, the middle house dates back to about 1800 and the east house dates back to the early 1900. The other three buildings are a modern barn on the westside and two old stables on the south side.
The middle and eastern houses are still inhabited, while the old ancestral house is used as a storage shed.
The mayor of Saint-Langis bought the house recently, knowing fully well that it is the ancestral house of the Boucher family.
HOUSE OF MARIN BOUCHER
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MARIN BOUCHER AT "LA BARRE"
Marin Boucher was a mason from Mortagne, likely born about 1587, if one believes the ages given about him at the census of 1666, 1667 and at the time of his death. On February 6, 1611 Marin Boucher married Julienne Baril at the Saint-Jean parish church in Mortagne. Julienne was from Saint-Langis.
Julienne had inherited the house and probably the land of the "lieu dit" La Barre in Saint-Langis from her parents.
From 1611 to 1625, Marin and Julienne have seven children, all baptized at Saint-Langis, all said to be from "La Barre". Hence this is where the family was living.
On December 15, 1627, Julienne passed away and was buried the following day in Saint-Langis.
Marin, left with the children (at least five were still living) quickly remarried a young chick, Perrine Mallet (age 17) from neighbouring Courgeon. The marriage record was never found but they had two sons baptized in Saint-Langis in 1630 and 1633
On January 13, 1633, hence one year before immigrating to Canada, Marin and Perrine buy a garden at La Barre with money obtained from the sale of a boisseau of land that Perrine had inherited from her maternal grandfather François Ligier at Courgeon. A boisseau is roughly a bushel hence a piece of land that produce one bushel of grain. Probably one acre. Hence they were not planning to immigrate...
According to records and old maps seen at the town office (Mairie) of Saint-Langis, and interview with a local "historian" there has never been any other house at La Barre.
WHY THE SITE (LIEU DIT) IS CALLED "LA BARRE"
The name La Barre comes from the old owner Mr. BARRE, the great grand father of Julienne Baril, the first wife of Marin Boucher.
Mr. Barre had at least one daughter, Denise Barre.
Denise married Adrien Creste.
They had at least one daughter named Raouline and a son named André. The latter was buried in Saint-Langis on May 4, 1577.
Denise Barre was buried in Saint-Langis February 16, 1571 and her husband Adrien Creste on March 24, 1582.
Denise, Adrien and André's records apparently stated that they where from La Barre, according to researchers in Alençon.
The daughter Raouline Creste married Jean Baril on March 27 1574. Maybe Raouline was the sole inheritor of the farm or maybe she cohabited with unknown siblings (none in records), or maybe she was not living at La Barre (unlikely). She had at least four daughters and one son born between 1574 and 1582 baptized at St-Langis. One of the child (no record of baptism found) was Julienne Baril who married Marin Boucher in Mortagne.
So the site is called La Barre, the name of the old family living there for a bunch of generations, well at least four, hence likely pre-1500; and this is how Marin boucher ended up living there prior to immigrating.