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- Nicolas Gamache
Lord of L'Ilette (L'Islet)
Nicholas Gamache was the first Lord of l'Islette (L'Islet). This personnage, more than interesting of the colony at the time of Talon and Frontenac, was originating from Saint Illiers-la-Ville, diocese of Chartres, Ile-de-France. Born in 1636 from the marriage of Nicholas Gamache and Jacqueline Cadot, he was in New France since 1652, with his brother (half brother) Jack and his sister, Geneviève.
For about fifteen years, he appeared to devote himself to fur trading in the high country, as his name does not appear on the census of 1666 or 1667. In 1670, he receives his first concession of land from Julien Fortin, his brother-in-law, Lord of Bellefontaine, co-Lord of the Cote de Beaupré and Ile d'Orléans. Two yers later, Jean Talon, the Intendant, gave him a seigniory at Cap-St-Ignace (L'Islet) between the widower, Amyot and Guillaume Fournier. Little by little, he increased the size of his holdings by gaining concessions or buying it from his neighbors.
Nicholas Gamache promoted the place, to people his seigniory, to the point that François of Montmorency-Laval, bishopric of Québec, decreed there be a parish at Cap-St-Ignace. Later, his successor, Jean-Baptiste de la Chevrotieres of St-Vallier, founded another one nearby at St-Thomas-de-Montmagny.
It was Nicholas Gamache who gave the land on which was built the first church at Cap-St-Ignace. This wooden church did not last long and only a short time later, another church was built nearby made of stone. This one endured until 1744, when it collapsed into the St. Lawrence River where vestiges of it may still be seen on the beach at low-tide.
His generosity was rewarded by him being honored with burial under the church of which he was the original benefactor.
Nicholas Gamache bore the surname of Lamarre, which was not perpetuated. He is the ancestor of all the Gamaches of Canada and most of North America.
- Inczar and Rolla the Dane sailed from Denmark in 912 a.D. to the Norman Coast of France. There these 2 Vikings proceeded to conquer ALL of Normandy, so much so that Charles the Simple (King of France) GAVE them ALL his Norman lands (probably to keep them away from his palace in Paris) Over the next couple hundred years, the Vikings and French intermarry. The Vikings adopted the French customs and assumed a LAST name, being that of Gamaches. In Denmark at that time, their villages were so small that no last name was needed. In fact in Scandanavia, it was a proud custom for the village people to assemble and give a newborn a first name that was unique and unlike any other name in the village, ergo surnames were not used. Imagine their cultural shock when the Vikings discovered that all the French people had a first AND a last name, or 2 names to their one. So I can only imagine that the Danes adopted a last name while in France, probably the name of the village in which they settled became the "surnom" added to their "prenom". (I confess that while in Ville de Gamaches, I adopted the name Jean de Gamaches as a "nom de plume" in my correspondence back home to the USA. Somehow it just felt right and fitting as I had travelled a thousand years back in time to my ancestral French home)
Over the next few hundred years, 3 men rose to prominence in Normandy. They were as follows:
1) Guillame de Gamaches (or William Gamaches) who was a French Count and was first "Master of the Royal Hunt". This was the royal hunting place of the King and nobility. Guillame was also a courageous millitary man who rendered noteworthy service to both King Charles VI and King Charles VII of France.
2) Philippe de Gamaches (or Philip) who was brother to William and also a military man of France. However, he was later to leave the military and entered a monastery where he led the life of a religious monk. When Philippe died, he left behind some valuable manuscripts full of knowledge and learning (if I could just find THOSE...Eureka time!) He also authored a biography recounting the life of his famous brother, Guillame above.
3) Etienne - Simon de Gamaches was a scientist and philosopher of France. He became a member of the noted Academy of Sciences. Some of his works considered profound in France are: (1) System de Couer (systems of the heart)
(2) Astronomie Physique (physical astronomy)
(3) Systeme de Philosohie Chretien (Christian Philosophy)
(Note: Source - Larousse Encyclopedie, Vol. 3)
Being an amateur Genealogist, I have discovered over the last 3 decades 2 major problems of going back in time to do family research. First, there aren't many written records back beyond the 9th century. Why? Because the general populace of Europe could not (nor were they taught how to) read and write. Second, as mentioned earlier, last names were not customarily used in Scandanavia. Bottom line: No records, no root names. However, the monks, clerics, and scribes did record official pronouncements of church and state. Now comes the "dumb luck" part. On the plane back from France, i met a fellow passenger named "Anders" from Denmark who assured me that written records DO IN FACT EXIST in the capital city of Copenhagen. And he also said that they go back to the times of Inczar and Rolla the Dane.
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