Olivier Le Tardif was unquestionably the ancestor of most of the Tardifs in America. Numerous short biographies have been published about him, most of them inspired by the works of Mgr Gosselin and of A. E. Ducharme. Here is another short resume of the life of Olivier
Le Tardif, based on earlier and more recent works.
Olivier Le Tardif, son of Jehan
Le Tardif and Clémence Houart, was born in Etables, in the bishopric of St-Brieuc, Brittany, to-day Etables-sur-Mer. He arrived in Quebec in 1618, presumably on a ship of the Compagnie des Marchands, which had left Honfleur on the 24th of May. In 1621, he was among the notables of Quebec with whom he signed a document for King Louis XIII concerning living conditions in New France. He spent a few winters in Quebec and Champlain described him as an interpreter of Indian languages and a junior clerk in the Company store in Quebec. On August 20th, 1629, Champlain asked him to hand over the keys to the store to Louis Kirke, after the seizure of the city. Brought back to England with Champlain by the Kirke brothers he crossed into France where he settled in Honfleur.
Upon arriving in England, Champlain and the Kirkes learned that peace had been signed on April 28th, 1629, and that the capture of Quebec, which had taken place after that date, would most likely not be legal. Champlain, who had ceded the colony on July 20th, took steps, together with
Le Tardif, to get the colony back, with everything which had been taken from the Quebec store. Eventually under the treaty of St-Germain-en-Laye, Canada was returned to France. Olivier was back in Quebec by 1631. He was very active and his name was seen on a great many documents such as deeds and certificates. In 1633, while in Rouen he authorized Jean Rozée Esq. to withdraw
Le Tardif's wages in his name. In 1634, he was designated head clerk of the Company of One Hundred Associates in a deed respecting the sharing of property between Guillaume Couillard, Hélène Desportes and Guillemette Hébert. In 1635, he assisted the surveyor Jean Bourdon in a land grant to Abraham Martin. On 17 November 1635 he witnessed Champlain's will. He worked very closely with all the social classes, adopting three Indian children and paying for their board and education.
On March 23rd, 1637, Governor de Montmagny conceded jointly to Olivier
Le Tardif and Jean Nicolet 160 arpents of wooded land, called the terre de Belleborne, which later became the "Châtellenie de Coulonge". This was the residence of lieutenant-governors of the province of Quebec until 1961.
In 1637, he married Louise Couillard, grand-daughter of Louis Hébert; she was only twelve and a half years old. She bore a son four years later but died that same year. Her son followed her to the grave some years later. This son, Pierre, had as godfather no other than the Governor, Monsieur Charles Huault de Montmagny.
Later, Olivier was involved in the taking of possession of the Island of Orleans by Derré de Gand for the Compagnie des Marchands; testified at the enquiry into the death by drowning of Pierre de la Porte; acted as church warden in Notre-Dame-de-Quebec parish; and signed as a witness dozens of birth, marriage and death certificates as well as notarial deeds. He was in constant contact with the Jesuits who mention him on several occasions in their "Relations".
In 1641, he became general clerk for the Company of One Hundred Associates and took command of the "Notre-Dame" a vessel belonging to the company; his functions required him to take many trips to France where he spent a number of winters. For example, in 1643 he hired five men at La Rochelle for Guillaume Couillard; in 1645 he was godfather to Olivier Michel in La Rochelle; he attended Zacharie Cloutier's wedding in 1648, also in La Rochelle, and at the end of May 1648 was married there himself for the second time, to Barbe Aymard, also widowed and the mother of Olivier Michel.
In 1646, Olivier was named General Agent for the Compagnie de Beaupré and co-seigneur of the seigniory of Beaupré, which he had purchased for 1500 pounds. In this capacity he had to grant land to future colonists, regularize the concessions already made verbally, develop the land of the seigniory and eventually, in the capacity of chief judicial officer for the seigniory and district, settle disagreements arising between the colonists.
On his return from France in 1648, married and with two children, his own, Pierre, and his wife's son, Olivier Michel, he settled on the Beaupré coast at Cap Tourmente, where he owned a house, and eventually at Chateau-Richer. He applied himself to the development of this portion of the seigniory and from 1650 to 1651 he attracted about thirty grantees of land, many of whom were the founders of large Canadian families: Racines, Gravels, Bélangers, Bouchers, Gagnons, Drouins, Giguères, etc. In 1655, he sold an annuity to Jean Rozée; on the deed an explanatory note was found, apparently written by Olivier
Le Tardif himself. Except for his numerous signatures, this note is probably the only example we have of his handwriting.
In 1656, possibly feeling unwell, he gave his wife Barbe Aymard power of attorney to manage and administer all his possessions. Unfortunately she died three years later, leaving four minor children. Olivier recovered partially and again became active on his seigniory: he granted many pieces of land and signed many contracts. He was confirmed by Mgr de Laval in 1660. He even made a trip to France where he signed a grant in 1661, and took care of the Côte de Beaupré families which had been ruined by the Iroquois incursions.
But his illness progressed and in 1662, unable to look after his own affairs, he sold his estate and residence in Chateau-Richer, as well as his seigniorial rights, to Charles Aubert de la Chesnaye. A curator was named to administer his possessions, in the person of François Bélanger, and Zacharie Cloutier his brother-in-law was named tutor to his children (Cloutier's wife Madeleine was Barbe Aymard's sister). He died in Chateau-Richer and was buried there on 28 January 1665 after having played a major role in the development and administration of New France.
His daughter Barbe-Delphine married Jacques Cauchon on the 23rd of
November, 1661, in Chateau-Richer and they had many children. His son Guillaume was the only one who kept the Tardif line alive. After a few years spent in Sillery, he settled permanently in L'Ange-Gardien. Three of his sons, out of a family of about ten, had numerous descendants and are at the head of the three principal branches of the Tardif family:
- François: head of the Quebec, Côte de Beaupré, Ancienne-Lorette and St-Augustin branch.
- Charles: head of the Kamouraska, lower St-Lawrence and Madawaska branch.
- Pierre: head of the Lévis and Beauce branch.
Their numerous descendants are found everywhere, principally in Quebec and New England, and in lesser number in the large Canadian and American cities.
