Jean was the oldest of the four brothers who emigrated to New France. He arrived when he was 27 years old. On November 16, 1670, he signed a marriage contract with Marguerite Buletez before the notary Romain Becquet. Two days later, in the presence of the notary Gllles Rageot and Jean Baptiste Peuvret, Seigneur of Mesnu, he signed a contract for a concession of land in the Seigneury of Gaudarville in Ancienne-Lorette. His land included “three arpents (trans. note: an arpent is about an acre) of land between the Champigny road and Saint Michel creek, adjoining Pierre Robitaille’s land on one side and Nicolas Robitaille’s on the other.”
Since the first chapel in L'Ancienne-Lorette was not opened until November 4, 1674, Jean and Marguerite were married inthe church of Notre-Dame de Québec (Our Lady of Québec). Marguerite was 23 years old. She was one of the “King’s daughters” who had arrived in New France earlier that year. Jean and Marguerite had known each other for a long time since they were both from the same village of Auchy, in Artois. Since they arrived in New France in the same year, it is also possible that they crossed the Atlantic on board of the same ship.
Marguerite’s father, who lived in the Seigneury of Gaudarville, was present at the signing of the marriage contract. He had emigrated to New France in 1668 with his second wife, Jeanne Charron, and their daughter, Marie-Anne. Marguerite did not come with her family in 1668. She came to join them in 1670, taking full advantage of the rights and privileges given to the “King’s daughters”. She brought with her goods with a value of 200 livres (pounds) and she was entitled to receive a grant of 50 livres from the king, The intendant, Jean Talon, was present to the signing of the marriage contract and he presented her with the 50 livres on that occasion. We may assume that Jean and Marguerite were able to build their house in L'Ancienne-Lorette thanks to that money.
On February 19, 1672, before the notary Gilles Rageot, Jean signed another contract for a concession of land located in the Seigneury of Gaudarville, with Jean Baptiste Pevret de Mesnu. This contract concerned a piece of land “adjoining the houses on the Gaudarville road on one side and the Jesuit fathers on the other”. Jean and Marguerite had six children. Two boys ans a girl died young. The two boys died before the census of 1716; the girl, before the census of 1681 :
Two girls and one boy lived to become adults:
Charles-Francois and Marie-Louise had five daughters and a son, Charles-Francois, all baptized in Neuville. These Robitailles certainly took root in that parish since Charles-François’ son and three of his daughters were married there. For several generations, all of their descendants were married in Neuville.
Charles-François signed a contract for a concession of land in Neuville with Nicolas Dupont before the notary Bernard de la Rivière on August 7, 1711. He also signed many leases before the notary Louis Chambalon, permitting him to use the water mills and windmills in Neuvile. He died in Neuville on March 11, 1727 at the age of 46.
In 1693, the year that his brother Philippe came to New France, Jean Robitaille signed a sales contract before the notary Francois Genaple on March 23. He ceded his land concession to his brother, Pierre, and went to live in the city of Québec. The contract stipulated that, in addition to the land, a “one-storey house made of stacked logs, 27 feet long and 17 wide, furnished with a floor and covered with straw, with a shed (angard) surrounded by stones and also covered with straw”. Jean also gave to his brother Pierre his portion of the concession which Nicolas had given him by means of “a simple understanding between them when he left for France”.
On his son Charles-François’ marriage contract, we read “in the presence of Mr. Jean Robitaille, innkeeper, in this town on Sault au Matelot Street and Margaret Bulte his wife”. In 1693, Jean was 50 years old, and three of his children were still living at home: Marie-Madeleine 20 years old, Marie-Thérèse 15, and Charles-Francois 12. When the youngest turned 13, on October 31, 1694, his father signed a contract before the notary Louis Chambalon, making him an apprentice to Louis Mercier, a locksmith, for a period of three years. Later, in his marriage contract, Charles-François described himself as a toolmaker (taillandier). These craftsmen made tools such as axes and spades used by farmers. They also worked as blacksmiths.
Jean Robitaille died on March 22,1715, at the age of 73. He was buried the next day at Notre-Dame de Québec. The funeral mass was celebrated by Canon Goulen / Calvarin, vicar of the cathedral, in the presence of Canon Lepicart and the cantor Desmaizerets. In the parish registry for the funeral, his name was given as Jean-Baptiste, probably his baptismal name.
In the journal of the Society of Sainte-Anne for the period from 1657 to 1723, we read that, “Marie Bulte, wife of Jean Robitaille, joined the Society of Saint-Anne on April 4, 1710”. In the Québec census of 1716, she is listed as “a 66-year-old innkeeper". She died on June 25, 1732, at the highly respectable age of 85 and was buried the next day at Notre-Dame de Québec. The parish registry indicates that she was “the 95-year-old wife of Jean-Baptiste Robitaille”.
That was almost certainly an error since she was born in 1647. The funeral mass was celebrated by the Father Bouillard, the parish priest, and Fathers Desgly and Noel signed as witnesses. She left behind her daughter, Marie-Madeleine, who would die eight years later, and his son Charles-François both of whom were living in Neuville.
Marguerite Buletez and Jean Robitaille laid the cornerstone for the establishment of the Robitaille brothers in L'Ancienne-Lorette. They had few descendants . They had only one son and he had only one son himself. For the next several generations, there were many daughters but only one or two sons. It is until the fourth generation that we really begin to see the descendants of Jean Robitaille.