| (1) Jacques Gueret dit Dumont | (2) La Rochelle, France | (3) Beauport | (4) Jacques Gueret Family Life | (5) Mont-Louis |
| (6) Beauport | (7) L’Isle Verte | (8) Kamouraska | (9) Le Berceau | (10) Coat of Arms |
The origin of the name "Dumont" has been in existence since Aug. 22, 1634. It has been carried down by numerous Canadian and American families today. The day establishing the origin of our name was when Jean Guerey married Francoise de Meherence du Montmirel. The name Gueret is found in the archives of France of spelled in various forms such as Guere, Guerry, Gueray or Gueret.
Francoise was the daughter of "Seigneur" Jean de Meherence du Montmirel. Jean was familiarly referred to as "Seigneur du Mont."
It is also possible that Francoise had retained her noble name by passing it on to her children as surnames. Another possibility is that people of that area referred to the children of Jean Guerey and Francoise du Montmirel as Jean Dumont's children due to their descendents from their "Seignurie", Lord du Montmirel.
All in all, we are certain that the name Geuret dit Dumont originated in France. Jacques, son of Rene, is registered in Canada under the name of Gueret dit Dumont where we can see that the name Gueret was discontinued and Dumont now remains as the family name. Some may wonder if Jean Guerey was also of noble blood. We have no established records as such but we have reasons to believe that he was.
First, noble blood generally married among blood royalties. Second, the godparent of Jean Guerey was "Seigneur du Bien." It is probable that he was a relative. We also can see from a map that families lived in the same area approximately 12 miles away.
Jacques Gueret was the son of Rene and Madeleine Le Vigoureux. He was born and baptized on March 8, 1665, in the parish of Canchy, District of D"Isigny of Bayeux, department of Calvados (pays du bon vin), Normandie, France. Jacques was the great-grandson of Jean Guerey and Francoise du Montmirel. Jacques’ parents died when he was at the age of 25. After his parents’ death, he decided to cross the Atlantic and come the new France.
It is believed that Jacques went to La Rochelle in view of obtaining a passport but we found no record as such. Yet it is understood that he signed a contract in 1691. It is also known that the law said in those days that if navigators were planning to travel aboard to new land, they were to have at least eight to nine men so as to obtain a contract. The contract was that upon arrival to their new locations, they were obliged to work and live with a family for at least two to three years before being able to acquire any land or a "concession" as known in those days
On arriving in Beauport, Quebec, Jacques went directly to Jacques Tardif, "seigneur" of Beauport Bourg du Fargy. There he inquired for an available place to start accomplishing his contract.
Jacques Tardif, also a region veteran, origin of Rouen, was the son of Pierre and Barbe Bourguignon. He married Barbe d’Orange, daughter of King Pantaleon and Jeanne Neveu (S. Saturnin, Chatre), on Oct. 6, 1669, in N.D. Quebec. Jacques Tardif owned a concession of land since Dec. 8, 1668 (Vachon). In 1681, he owned 17 acres of tillable land situated between Robert Gallien and Pierre Toupin. Jacques was in a good position to hire an immigrant to help on the farm. Jacques Tardif also had a family of nine children. Therefore, Jacques Tardif of Beauport, in the Seigneurie of Giffard, hired Jacques Gueret to fulfill his contract.
Things went well with Jacques Gueret. He appreciated and worked hard to accomplish his contract. As it often was seen in those days, hired men were attracted to special members of the family.
Jacques completed his three years of service and now was in line to be on his own. Jacques and fallen in love with Jacques Tardif’s daughter, Marie-Anne, and they were married on April 18, 1694, in the church of Beauport in the presence of Etienne Bouilard, pastor of the parish.
Before their marriage Jacques and Marie-Anne signed a contract renouncing her part of heritage in exchange for three acress frontage situated between her father’s and that of Pierre Poulin. On top of that, her parents promised to give them room and board of a year, plus a cow, two pigs, one blanket, a black urn (marmite) and a medium pail. The son-in-law wa to help with the planting and in appreciation of his work and was to receive 20 (minot) of wheat at the end of the year. Everybody was satisfied and things went as planned. In time, Jacques and Marie-Anne exchanged land with her brother for the homestead farm where they live for 15 years. All went well and they had many happy years with no problems in the neighborhood or with the law always working with prosperity and enjoying life. As we can see between February 1685 and December 1709, seven children were born in Beauport, Quebec. After 14 years, a marvelous event took place in the family. Triplets were born and baptized on Oct. 8, 1708. They were given the Marie-Catherine and two boys, Michel and Joseph-Simon. They brought great joy to the family. The father, seeing his family growing up, started to make plans for better establishments for the young growing men.
In 1711, Jacques had three sons, ages 16, 14 and 12 years old. Jacques jeard about some good land opening up in Mont-Louis, Gaspe, which gave him much hope for expansion. In the spring of 1711, after much thoughts were given to the new prospect, along with determination, he left his homestead and friends in Beauport with his pregnant wife and six children. He brought just the bare necessities and began his voyage in the hope of finding the ideal place to establish his family, especially his sons. When he arrived in Nont-Louis, tenting out was their only shelter. On May 19, 1711, another son was born, Jean-Baptiste. Jacques and his sons worked hard to settle the family and clear the land but after two years of hardship (no priest, no stores, no market for the wood and fish), even the weather did not comply iwth the time having short stormy summers. It surely was not like Beauport. What was he to do? After giving all the effort possible, they had no choice but to leave.
In 1713, the Gueret-Dumont family abandoned the land in Mont-Louis to return to their former homestead. On arrival, Jean-Baptiste was baptized on June 24, 1713. On July 20, 1713, another daughter was born and baptized, Marguerite. All in all, it had been quite an adventure but did that discourage them? No, they constantly kept in search of expansion. Jacques, still beign young and courageous and after spending another year in Beauport decided to give it another try. This time it was a complete move from Beauport. He sold his farm to his son, Jean-Baptiste.
The Jacques Gueret-Dumont family moved to Riviere-du-Loup. There, he signed a lease for five years. It looked like things were looking up and was going quite well. We find in the national archives that on Aug. 3, 1716, an ordinance by Joseph Blondeau dit Lafranchise having trouble with Jacques Gueray dit Dumont over harvesting the hay of the land. "Seigneurie" de Riviere-du-Loup affirms this on June 3, 1714 (APO Inventory of ordination 184). We see that the judge went in favor of Jacques Gueret under the stipulation that Jacques had to move at the end of his lease.
After the expiration of his lease in Riviere-du-Loup and possibly later, Jacques Gueret dit Dumont left the region for the "Seigneurie" of L’Isle Verte formerly owened by Baptiste Cote. In May, 1722, Jacques officially acquired a farm of six acres frontage by 40 feet long. It was situated 20 acres northwest of the "Seigneurie" of R. Michaud, L’Isle Verte, 134 wide. It is also known that Jacques’ son, Jacques, and his wife, Genevive LeVasseur, also had acquired a concession in 1730 situated southwest of the Little River. Jacques, the son, did not have any children. It is sad to say that Jacques, the son, drowned in Riviere-du-Loup at the end of June, 1738. Jacques and Marie-Anne had retired in 1736 and passed the farm he had to his son, Jacques, and his daughter-in-law, Genevive LeVasseur.
Jacques and Marie-Anne moved to Kamouraska to spend their final days with their other children. The Dumont couple had given birth to 12 children, 10 boys an dtwo girls. Nine had been baptized in Beauport. Alexandre and Charles died at an early age. M. Catherine and Marguerite founded their own home. Antoine left the region, married Marie Vaillancourt, at Lachenaye, Montreal, in 1751. Antoine leaves no descendants. Seven sons of Jacques and Marie-Anne Gueret dit Dumont established in Kamouraska. They were: Jean, married to Marie-Anne de la Bouriere in 1721; Michel, married Rose LeVasseru in 1735; Joseph-Simon, married M. Claire Boucher in 1733; Pierre’s first wife was Josette Aubert in 1733 and his second wife was Madeleine Morel in 1765; Prisque’s first wife was Catherine Maupas and his second wife was Louise Morel in 1763; Jean-Baptiste married Madeleine de la Bouriere in 1733. Joseph-Simons’ family terminated after the fourth generation around 1827 due to no male born in the family. So we see that Jean, Michel, Jean-Baptiste, Pierre and Prisque are the ones that carried the Dumont family name throughout Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta and in the United States.
The region where the family of Jacques Dumont established is now known as St. Andre, Kamouraska. This is where we find that Jacques Dumont, age 74, died and was buried the day after his death on April 26, 1739. He was buried in Riviere Ouelle Cemetery. The mother, M. Anne Tardif, died at the age of 76 and was buried in Kamouraska on Feb. 18, 1752.
Records show that the descendants of Pierre Dumont are the least in number. It seems that many of them left the region and settled in the United States, especially when the mills opened in the St. John Valley. We found in the Kamouraska region that Michel’s descendants are the most numerous and the majority are in the Canadian region.
It is also known that in the first generation, there were numerous "petit" Dumonts. For example, Michel, himself, only had two married sons, Michel and Antoine and three married sons which already made up 10 new families. The grandson of Michel is also known to have had 11 married sons. It is believed that Michel, the son, had other married sons in the region of Bas St. Laurent. So, it is assumable that the descendants of Michel and Rose LeVasseur are the most numerous branch of Dumonts. It is actually more numerous than all of the four other brothers put together. Records show that four generations lived in Kamouraska, St. Andre and Riviere Ouelle before families started dispersing into other regions. Therefore, Kamouraska is known as the "bercuea" of the grand Dumont family.
The ancestoral farm land, or concession, that Jacques and M. Anne had transferred to his son Jean-Baptiste and wife Madeleine de la Bourrier is still in the same family. It passed onto Ange Dion, brother-in-law of Seigneur Cote, then to Jean-Baptiste Dumont and his wife, Esther Dion, fifth generation. From father to son, this Dumont property is still in the hands of ninth generation, Denis Dumont and Madeleine Michaud in St. Andre de Kamouraska.
As direct descendants of L’Seigneur, Jean de Meherence du Montmirel, by his daughter, Francoise de Meherence du Montmirel, the members of the family of Geuret dit Dumont have the right to adopt their coat of arm. It is fitting and desirable that we adopt it. It is a beauty and inspiring in its simplicity. It is still visible today if you were to go to France and see the ancestor’s house. It is situated above the main front door. It is weather beaten but can still be made out.
We can still visit where Jacques Gueret lived in 1665. It is presently owned by a Levesque family and has a stable of famous race horses. It is very interesting to visit.
The Meherence was one of the most ancient noble families of Bretagne, France. Their origin goes back to 1350, with Raoul Bouchard de Meherence. One branch settled in Normandy, in the region of Canchy and took the name of Meherence du Montmirel. Lord of du Montmirel belongs to "Fais Honneur."
In terms of Heraldic: L’argent is an
emblem of clean honor, L’Azur is the emblem for perfection,
L’Or is the symbol of Generosity, Loyalty and Glory, Fair
Honneur speaks for itself. It shows working toward perfection. To
view a full size image, 
click on the
image.