Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada. Photo: Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall © OSGG-BSGG, 2017.
During her installation Monday as Canada’s 29th governor general, former astronaut Julie Payette, spoke about her ancestor, Pierre Payet(te) dit Saint-Amour.
She said, in French, “My ancestor, Pierre Payette dit Saint-Amour, came to this land in 1665. He was a soldier with the Carignan Regiment on the island of Montreal. Allow me to acknowledge and convey my admiration and respect for all the men and women who choose to serve in uniform.
“My ancestor Pierre Payette was a soldier but when he finished, he became a farmer and settled in Pointe-aux-Trembles on the island of Montreal. He had many children. Several generations later, my father, myself, my brother, my sister, and [pointing to her son] Laurier, the 13th generation Canadian, were born in Montreal.
“A few years later, another ancestor, François Payette, became a coureur des bois. I imagine he was a good paddler. He was a trusted employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company and translated Indigenous languages.
“François Payette left to explore the northwest of the American continent and today, in Idaho, there is a city, a county, a river and even a national park that bear the name Payette.
“Clearly, I am proud of my roots, but I long ago realized that all of our ancestors, mine included, had been guided and helped by extraordinary peoples. The First Nations, with their ingenuity, generosity and courage, through mountains, forests and waterways, opened the land for the rest of us. They were the first pioneers on this land, and they continue to be.
[In English] “Indigenous peoples are pathfinders. They taught us to fight the cold and survive in it. They taught us how to appreciate the gifts of nature. And they taught us about community. It is a good thing that we finally decided to listen again to their wisdom. For the well-being of our communities and the future of our children.”
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When Pierre Payet dit Saint-Amour, the son of Pierre Payet and Marie Martin, came to New France, he was a corporal with the Carignan Regiment’s LaTour Company. A few years later, he married Louise Tessier, who was born in Montreal. Together, they had 14 children.
Louise Tessier was the daughter of Urbain Tessier and Marie Archambault, both originally from France. According to the file on FichierOrigine (which can be translated into understandable English in GoogleTranslate), the first mention of Urbain Tessier in New France was in 1648 when he married Marie Archambault. Marie arrived in 1646 or even earlier.
You can view Governor General Payette’s family tree on NosOrigines (Genealogy of Canada), starting with her earliest ancestors or, moving back in time, from her.
Gail,
Thanks for the link. I am eighth, ninth and tenth cousins with our new GG. I guess that’s not such a big deal as so are most folks with early Quebec ancestors.
Thank you for the post! It is very interesting to me personally as my first patrilineal ancestor to arrive in the Saint Lawrence River Valley did so as a soldier in the Carignan Regiment in 1665. Now I need to find the time to see if he was a member of the same company as her ancestor!
However, it does leave me with a question. What is our governor general’s matrilineal ancestry? I think the question is relevant given the prime minister’s emphasis on feminism. I read today he will be in Washington next week to speak on gender equality as he continues to give the issue its deserved profile.
In return for her service to our country, and assuming it has not already been completed, could we in the genealogy community collectively help determine this lineage for her?
With regards …. Earl Brochu
Take a look at the last link on the blog post. It should show you who the Governor General’s mother is.
Hello Earl Brochu, her maternal line is : Jacqueline Carey, Cécile Marcotte, Adélise Trépanier, Sophronie Desautels, Julie Guéret (Quéret) dit Latulippe, Agathe Grenier, Rosalie Marcotte, Josephte Lemay dit Poudrier, Marie-Geneviève Fréchet, Marie-Marguerite Bergeron, Marguerite Dumets (Demers), Jeanne Voidy (Vedié) and Catherine Dorbelle.
Jacques many thanks for providing Governor General Payette’s matrilineal heritage.
Shortly after I made my original post I followed the link Gail provided to learn Madame Payette’s matrilineal heritage. It would have been better if I had followed the link first. On the other hand because I did not, we now have your listing that adds information on some of the family names. Thanks!
However, my core question still remains. In this age of building gender equality, would it not be valuable to learn and honour our matrilineal heritage equally with our patrilineal heritage? As a genealogy enthusiast I appreciate she mentioned her paternal lineage during her installation as GG. I also feel an opportunity to mention her maternal lineage and perhaps advance feminism just a little was lost.
I think Julie Payette was an excellent choice. I wish her and her son great success in the years ahead.
Regards … Earl Brochu