Pierre DOUCET dit LAVERDURE
Biography

Germain Doucet, sieur de La Verdure, of Couperans or Conflans en Brie, France, a minor nobleman and "captain at arms," born in the mid-1590s, came to Acadia with Isaac de Razilly and the sieur d'Aulnay in 1632. This makes him one of the first permanent settlers of Acadia. He was master at arms at Pentagouët, present-day Maine, in 1640 and testified in an inquiry against former governor Charles La Tour that year. Germain was mentioned in the will of the sieur d'Aulnay, written in 1649, the year before the governor died. In 1654, when the English seized Port-Royal, Germain commanded the post and was guardian of d'Aulnay's children. Germain is not listed in the first Acadian census of 1671 because he likely returned to France after the English seized the colony. According to Acadian genealogist Bona Arsenault, if Germain had been listed in the first census, he would have been 76 years old that year.

Germain married twice, but the names of both of his wives have been lost to history. According to Acadian genealogist Stephen A. White, Germain married his first wife in c1620, probably in France, a dozen years before he came to Acadia, probably without her. According to White, Germain and his first wife had four children, including two sons who created families of their own. Their daughters married into the Dugas and Lejeune dit Briard families. The capitulation papers that Germain presented to English officer Robert Sedgwick in 1654 said that Germain left his "brother-in-law" and lieutenant, Jacques Bourgeois, as hostage with the English to insure that he fulfilled the terms of surrender, so Germain's second wife, who, according to White, he married in c1654, may have been a sister of Jacques Bourgeois's wife Jeanne, daughter of Guillaume Trahan, but, again, her name has been lost to history. According to White, no children by his second wife have been recorded (but see below).

Sieur Germain's older son Pierre, by his first wife, was born in France in c1621. He came to Acadia probably in the mid-1630s with his mother and sisters and settled at Port-Royal, where he worked as a mason. According to Stephen A. White, he did not marry until c1660, when he was nearly 40. His wife Henriette, daughter of Simon Pelletret, was 20 years his junior and gave him 10 children. Their four daughters married into the Hébert, Bernard, Doiron, Chênet Dubreuil, and Comeau families. Pierre died at Port-Royal in June 1713; he was 92 years old. Five of his six sons, all born at Port-Royal, created families of their own:

Oldest son Toussaint dit François, born in c1663, married Marie, daughter of Irishman Roger Caissie, at Port-Royal in c1690. Toussaint dit Francois and Marie settled at Chignecto and had 11 children, including three sons who married into the Poirier, Brasseur dit Mathieu, and Cormier families. Their five daughters married into the Girouard, Gaudet, Bertrand, Doiron, and Richard families. Toussaint died probably at Chignecto in c1733.

Jean, born in c1665, married Françoise, daughter of Martin Blanchard, at Port-Royal in c1692. They settled at Minas and had seven children, including a son who married into the Hébert family. Their five daughters married into the Landry, Daigre, and Bugeaud families. In August 1714, after the British gained control of Acadia, Jean applied for and received permission from the French to move to Île Royale, but the marriage records of his children reveal that his family remained at Minas.

Pierre, fils, born in c1667, probably died young and did not marry.

Louis, born in c1674, married Marguerite, daughter of Jacques Bourgeois, at Port-Royal in c1702. They settled at Chignecto and had seven children, including two sons who married into the Richard and Carret families. Three of their daughters married into the Poirier, Richard, Gaudet, and Orillon dit Champagne families.

René, born in c1678, married Marie, daughter of François Broussard, at Port-Royal in c1702. They remained at Port-Royal and had 10 children, including four sons who married into the Dugas, Petitot dit Saint-Seine, Préjean, and Bourg families. Five of their daughters married into the Landry, Pitre, Garceau, Arseneau, Babineau, and Bourg families.

Youngest son Mathieu, born in c1685, married Anne, daughter of Julien Lord, at Port-Royal in June 1712. They had seven children, including three sons who married into the Bourg, Comeau, and Lavergne families. Two of their daughters married into the Thibodeau and Comeau families. Mathieu died by July 1760 during Le Grand Dérangement.

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