Bourgeoit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The early French language of the northwestern region known as Brittany (French: Bretagne) is the soil from which the many generations of the Bourgeoit family have grown. The name Bourgeoit was given to a member of the family who was a person known as a "freeman". The name Bourgeoit is derived from the French word "bourgeois", which in medieval times was used to refer to the "free-men" of a town. "Free-men" were those whose status was between the noble classes and the serfs, who were obligated to work the feudal estates of the lords.

Early Origins of the Bourgeoit family

The surname Bourgeoit was first found in Brittany, where the family first originated and maintained their status as one of the more distinguished families of the region.

Several family members figured amongst the nobles of Trégnier en 1437. The Lords of Auteville, Heauville, and Gruchy were all ennobled in 1507. The family prospered and branched out into other regions such as Quimperlé, receiving its title of nobility in 1711.

The family name of Bourgeois was later found in the sub-prefecture of Brest as well as in the region of Poitou where several members held the position of principal county magistrate. The patronymic Le Bourgeois was also registered in Normandy, giving its name to four prominent families that were ennobled in 1666 and in 1671. 1

Jacques Bourgeois, born in 1618, was a French surgeon that settled in the New World in the 17th century. He arrived in Acadia aboard the ship Aulnay in the year of 1642. A year after arriving in Canada he married Jeanne Trahan at Port-Royal in 1643. Jacques worked as a military doctor and is regarded as the founder of Beaubassin, originally an Acadian village that is now located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. 2

Early History of the Bourgeoit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bourgeoit research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1550, 1557, 1561, 1620, 1663, 1676, 1700, 1708, 1711, 1713, 1715, 1716, 1750, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1851, 1857, 1920, 1927 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Bourgeoit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bourgeoit Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Bourgeois, Bourgois, Bourgeoys, Bourgeot, Le Bourgeois, de Bourgeois, Bourjois, Bourgès, Bourgeix and many more.

Early Notables of the Bourgeoit family

Notable amongst this name at this time was Louis Bourgeois, a French writer on the theory of music, born in Paris in the beginning of the 16th century. He followed Calvin in 1541 to Geneva, where he was cantor of one of the churches, but quarrelled with the presbytery, who would not allow him to introduce a harmonised version of the Psalms in public worship. He threw up his post, and returned in 1557 to Paris, where he was still living in 1561, but after that date all trace of him is lost. His great work is 'Le droict chemin de...
Another 162 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bourgeoit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bourgeoit family

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Bourgeoit has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bourgeoit were Jeanne Trahan, who settled in Acadia in 1636; Marguerite Bourgeoys, 33; who arrived in Montreal in 1653; another Marguerite Bourgeoys, who settled in Montreal in 1659.

Citations +

Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print