Quesnel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In the 1700s, land incentives were finally given out by France to 2,000 migrants. Early marriage was encouraged in New France, and youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries, leaving French names scattered across the continent. The search for the Northwest passage continued. Migration from France to New France or Quebec, as it was now more popularly called, continued until 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In the treaty of Utrecht, Acadia were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Quesnel were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Quesnel were

Quesnel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• P Quesnel, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Quesnel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• Joseph Quesnel, aged 50, who settled in America from London, England, in 1909
• George Quesnel, aged 23, who landed in America from London, England, in 1911
• Albert Quesnel, aged 37, who landed in America from Paris, France, in 1912
• William Quesnel, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from St. Peters Port, Guernsey, in 1916
• Marcel Quesnel, aged 15, who landed in America from Sotteville, France, in 1922
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Quesnel Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

• Olivier Quesnel who settled at Duquesnel, Quebec, in 1676 from Normandy
• Jacques Quesnel settled at Duquesnel in 1676
• Olivier Quesnel, son of Pierre and Marie, who married Catherine Prudhomme, daughter of Louis and Roberte, in Montreal, Quebec on 15th January 1680 6

Quesnel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Jean-Baptiste Quesnel, son of Olivier and Catherine, who married Jeanne Aubuchon, daughter of Joseph and Élisabeth, in Montreal, Quebec on 18th August 1715 6
• Jean-Pierre Quesnel, son of Olivier and Catherine, who married Marie-Angélique Girard, daughter of Léon and Clémence, in Lachine, Quebec on 10th January 1717 6
• Jacques-François Quesnel, son of Olivier and Catherine, who married Marie-Anne Franquelin, daughter of Jean-Baptiste-Louis and Élisabeth, in Quebec on 13th October 1730 6
• Michel-Antoine Quesnel, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie, who married Angélique Gavillon, daughter of Louis and Marie-Anne, in Bout-de-l'île, Quebec on 9th April 1736 6
• Raymond Quesnel, son of Raymond and Jeanne, who married Marie-Anne Boulay, daughter of Nicolas and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 17th April 1747 6
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Quesnel Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

• Annie Quesnel, aged 41, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1911
• George Quesnel, aged 28, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1911

• Andy Quesnel, American actress, known for her work on The Smurfs 2 (2013), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) and Jenni (2014)
• François Jean Baptiste Quesnel, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 7
• François Jean Baptiste Quesnel du Torpt (1765-1819), French division commander under the First French Empire of Napoleon
• Yannick Quesnel (b. 1973), French football goalkeeper
• Mathieu Quesnel, French Canadian actor and composer, known for Le règne de la beauté (2014), Tout le monde frenche (2014) and Real Lies (2014)
• Joanna "Pooky" Quesnel (b. 1965), English actress, screenwriter and singer, known for Great Expectations (2012), Enid (2009) and The Hawk (1993)
• Frédéric-Auguste Quesnel (1785-1866), Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Chambly (1820-1834)
• Chantal Quesnel, Canadian actress
• Jules-Maurice Quesnel (1786-1842), Canadian fur trader, businessman, explorer and political figure in Canada East, eponym of Quesnel, British Columbia
• Joseph Quesnel (1746-1809), French Canadian composer, poet, and playwright