This section covers some of the Early History of the Cloutier family which is followed in subsequent pages by the move of Jean Francois and Charlotte Salois from Quebec to Ontario, followed by the Pioneer Years in Ontario, the move to Western Canada by many Clutchey families, and the Beginning of a new Era of English speaking Clutcheys.

The Early History of the Cloutiers is well known and well recorded by a variety of writers and genealogists.

Writers such as Madame Pierre Montagne, Laforest, Lionel Laberge, Y.F. Zoltvany, Marcel Trudel, amongst others have written about the early history of the Pioneer families in Quebec. In terms of Genealogy Denis Cloutier's definitive book " The First Eight Generations of the Descendants of Denis Cloutier" (Father of Zacharie Cloutier) is perhaps the best.

Denis Beauregard's home page (see my link to Denis) has a plethora of information under the title "Francetres:Sources in Quebec", that I highly recommend. Here you will find references to such sources as Tanguay, The Loiselle files, Census data, microfilms and journals. Denis in my opinion is the guru of Quebec Genealogy.

These two men are in my opinion the two foremost genealogists on the Cloutier family that I know. Roger who lives near Montreal has authored a private edition text entitled "Histoire des Cloutier". ("The Story of the Cloutiers). The book is a superb rendition of the early historical times in New France, and traces the early generations of the Cloutier family, culminating with his own generation. While the book is in French, nevertheless it is extremely easy to follow. Roger's research has resulted in his being a most knowledgeable person on the history of the Cloutier family. He can be reached by Email at the following address: ( jrclout@cam.org )p>

Michel, on the other hand has presented his information via the Internet. Without doubt he has the most up to date information on the Cloutiers presented in the most professional manner of any one this writer knows of. His pages can be accessed from our Home Page under his name.

The quality of both these persons is their willingness to share and the personable manner in which they do so, The Cloutiers, the Clutchey's and all of our allied families can be pleased and proud we have two such quality people who share our interest in our families' histories

was thought to have been born at Mortagne au Perche a small hamlet about 150 kilometres southwest of Paris, France, the son of Denis Cloutier and Renee Briere. He was one of seven siblings and through the second marriage of his father after the death of Renee, he had three additional step siblings.

At the age of 28, Zacharie married in the year 1616. Together they raised six children, Zacharie II and five other children. It was about the year 1632 when Robert Giffard, who had previously sailed to New France with Samuel D. Champlain, came to Mortagne to recruit settlers for his Seigneurie in New France. Intrigued by the option, Cloutier a master carpenter, sailed in the year 1634 along with his family to New France.

After a two year period of working for Giffard, Zacharie took possesion of the 'fief' granted to them by Giffard and named it 'La Clouterie'.

Born at Mortagne in 1617, Zacharie II travelled with his family and worked with his father in the building of the Giffard manor and a number of churches. Upon receiving the 'fief' he helped his father clear the land. He returned to France and there married

. Meanwhile Le Tardif Zacharie's friend had obtained a part of the Seigneury of Beaupre. He pursuaded Zacharie and two of Zacharie's brothers to help him develop this land where the village of Chateau Richer stands today, and where a number of Cloutier families live to this day.

Over the next two hundred years the Cloutiers of our particular ancestry spread throughout the province, stopping and raising families in places such as L'Islet, Les Eboulements, Yamaska and Iberville. The Cloutier families continued to flourish and expand in Quebec, throughout Canada and into the United States. The many branches of the Cloutiers and their allied families, though predominantly French speaking have multiplied as they have spread, just as the branch of the family begun by Jean Francois Cloutier (John Cloutier) in the little town of Port Perry, Ontario, multiplied and spread throughout Canada. In a sense, then, the end of an Era in Quebec was the beginning of an Era in Ontario and English speaking Canada

One particular member of the family having married in Yamaska, and living near Iberville, moved with his young family to a small hamlet in Ontario, called Borelia, which is now a 'suburb' of Port Perry just north of Toronto, Ontario. With this move began the branch of the English speaking family which is the focus of this Web site/

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