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Abraham Fiset: From Dieppe to New France

My great-grandfather, Ernest Fiset, was born in Ste-Christine-de-Portneuf in 1895, but his Fiset ancestors arrived in New France much earlier. Join me in the coming months as I piece together their story over the generations, starting with a brief excerpt from Chapter 1:



“The country which has been discovered, and which was unknown to the ancients, is another world compared with that before known, being manifestly larger than our Europe, together with Africa and perhaps Asia, if we might rightly estimate its extent...”[1]  – Letter from explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano to King François I, 1524



François-Abraham Fiset was nineteen years old when he sailed from his Normandy homeland to the fledgling colony of New France in 1653. With a population of just 2,000, and thousands of acres of virgin land waiting to be settled, emigration at that time was a fresh start for those like François-Abraham who were brave enough to supplant themselves from everything they had known, strong enough to carve out a new life, and lucky enough to survive the harsh winters.



François-Abraham had grown up in the bustling port city of Dieppe, with its medieval castle, stone walls, and narrow, winding streets. The city’s economy centred around fishing and maritime trade, and from the chalk cliffs overlooking the sea, it was possible to see sailing ships leaving full of hope and returning with fantastic tales and exotic treasures. Dieppe was a cosmopolitan city that housed the foremost cartographers of the age and welcomed explorers, sailors, and foreigners from ports around the globe: West Africa, Brazil, the Antilles.[2] And for one hundred years, Dieppe had seen explorers sail to New France, then report back on the furs and resources available.

A bird's eye view of Dieppe.
A bird's eye view of Dieppe. | Lithograph signed L Breton, 1855.

On Sunday February 6, 1633, his parents, Abraham Fiset and Catherine Labrecque stepped into the cool confines of the medieval church of St. Jacques to marry.[3] The imposing gothic church lay at the heart of the city, its towers stretching above the city walls, a beacon to the thousands of pilgrims who had wandered through on their way to Spain. Gargoyles lined the exterior rooftop while vaulted ceilings and carved arches reminded congregants of their insignificance. Even within its hallowed aisles, the age of exploration was on display: lining the walls were massive friezes depicting the sites and native peoples from newly discovered lands. François-Abraham would have grown up in the shade of this splendour.


Though little is known of his parents, the church stood as a silent witness to each of the sacred rituals in their lives: after marrying, two daughters and three sons were baptised, their heads sprinkled with holy water, within the thick granite walls: Catherine (1633), Abraham (1635), Catherine (1636), François (1637), and Jean (1639).[4]....


Baptism of Abraham Fizet, 31 August 1635 at St. Jacques, Dieppe, Normandy.

Sources:

[1] Henry C. Murphy, The Voyage of Verrazzano: A Chapter in the Early History of Maritime Discovery in America (New York: Press of J. Munsell, 1875), 184.

[2] Florence Levasseur and Florence Trystram, 100 Clés de Dieppe (Rouen: Éditions des Falaises, 2020), 24.

[3] Abraham Fizet and Catherine de La Broque Engagement (Fiançailles) civil record, February 5, 1633, Dieppe (p. St-Jacques), 76217, Seine-Maritime, France. 2566 F. Église-Archives Départmentales de la Seine-Maritime – 3E00999 Dieppe (p. St-Jacques) 1631-1639, image 15 of 78.

[4] Abraham Fizet, baptized 31 August 1635, Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, France. Archives Départementales de la Seine Maritime – 4E240 Dieppe (p. St-Jacques) 1634-1642, image 24 of 115.

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Copyright 2024 Karen Inkster Vance  |  All rights reserved.

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