Page 11 - Fortier Family History

From Forestier to Fortier Fortier Name Meaning Occupational name for someone employed at a fortress or castle, from a derivative of Old French fort “stronghold” (from the adjective for “strong”). A variant of “Forestier”. Forestier Name Meaning French: Topographic name for someone who lived in a royal forest or an occupational name for forester or keeper, from an agent derivative of Old French forest “forest” (see Foret). Source: Dictionary of American Family names 2013, Oxford University Press Similar surnames: Forster, Fortier, Frenier, Reuter, Portier, Forrester, Fournier, Mortier By 1650, more than a century after the first attempt in 1541 to establish a colony at “Kebec”, only about seven hundred individuals lived in ALL of New France. The 1666 Census of New France was conducted by France's intendant, Jean Talon, in the winter of 1665–66. It showed a population of 3,215 habitants in New France, many more than there had been only a few decades earlier. With the population of the struggling “colony” so low at this time, it was common practice for individuals to alter their surnames in order to distinguish themselves from another colonist with the same surname, and especially so if they had the same given name as well. This often resulted in adding a “dit” and then an additional “name” to their surname. The “dit” is basically “of”. When Noel-Pierre Forestier and his son Antoine arrived in Nouvelle-France in approximately 1663, there was already an Antoine Forestier living in the settlement of Quebec, and later in Montreal. “FORESTIER, ANTOINE, surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu of Ville-Marie, medico-legal expert; b. 1646, son of Jean Forestier and Françoise Ricard, both from Sévérac-le-Château, in Rouergue; buried 7 Nov. 1717 at Montreal. Antoine Forestier was considered, according to Ahern, “one of the most prominent doctors of Montreal.” He entered the service of the Hôtel-Dieu of Ville-Marie on 20 Aug.” (Dictionary of Canadian Biographies) Noel-Pierre and Antoine are known as Forestier in their parish records in Dieppe, France. Antoine is the first to begin using the shortened name “Fortier” after they arrive in New France, most likely because he wanted to avoid being confused with the notable surgeon Antoine Forestier. To further complicate the matter, Antoine Forestier (the Surgeon) was also from the Dieppe, Normandy, just as were our Antoine and his father Noel-Pierre. The Normandy region of France is known for its vast forests and the “Normans” of this region can trace their lineage to the Norse invaders from Norway stretching back to 900AD. The port city of Dieppe, Normandy was and still is an important hub for shipping, trade, fisheries, and migration. Is it any wonder then, that upon arriving in the new fledgling colony of “Kebek” Noel-Pierre, who was a hole borer for ship-making and his son Antoine earned their living in the shipping and fishing industries. Antoine eventually purchased his own fishing schooner and established one of the first commercial fishing companies in New France and would later drown at sea during one of his fishing expeditions.