Abraham Martin dit L’Écossais was among the earliest colonists of New France. He arrived before the brief British occupation of Quebec in 1629, and the famous Plains of Abraham are said to bear his name. Martin is one of my many French Canadian ancestors, and his story is a fascinating and complex one. Join me as I explore his life and legacy.
Life in France
Abraham Martin was born around 1589 in France. His parents are unknown. What is known is that around 1615, he married Marguerite Langlois in Dieppe, France. The following year, they had their first child, Jean Martin, in Dieppe.
Some suspect that Martin may have been of Scottish descent; however, there is no evidence to support this. His “dit” may have come from living on Dieppe’s street, rue d’Écosse. Martin also could have adopted the nickname L’Écossais as a result of serving in the military or belonging to an illegal organization, which required him to conceal his identity. It is also possible that he received this nickname after making several trips to Scotland when he was young.
Arrival in New France
There is some confusion about the exact year Abraham Martin dit L’écossais, his wife Marguerite Langlois, and their son arrived in New France. Some sources say that they came in 1617 on the same ship as Louis Hébert and his family. Other sources say that they arrived in 1620 aboard Le Sallemande.
Martin and his family reportedly arrived with Marguerite’s sister Françoise Langlois and her husband, Pierre Desportes, who are also my ancestors. Their daughter, Marie Hélène Desportes, was born in 1620 and is believed to be the first person of European descent to be born in Canada.
In Quebec, Martin and Langlois had nine more children, including Marguerite Martin, Hélène Martin, Pierre Martin, Marie Martin, Adrien Martin, Magdelaine Martin, Barbe Martin, Anne Martin and Charles Amador Martin.
Martin was an experienced sailor and boatman who reportedly made his living assisting merchant ships in navigating the St. Lawrence River safely. Although some have claimed he was the first pilot of the St. Lawrence, there is no evidence that he ever held the official title of “royal pilot.”
Occupation of Quebec
When the Kirke brothers began occupying Quebec in 1629, some sources say that Martin and his wife went back to France with their children. They reportedly sailed back to France with Samuel de Champlain and Olivier Letardif. It’s unlikely, however, that Champlain was with them because David Kirk had taken him prisoner.
Martin and his family returned to New France in 1633 when the colony was once again under French control.
Other sources say that he stayed in Quebec during the occupation. The only family known to have stayed during the occupation is Guillaume Couillard and his wife, Marie Guillamette Hebert, and her family. It’s unlikely that Martin and his family also stayed.
Return to New France
Abraham Martin and his family returned to New France in 1633. In October 1635, Martin suffered a severe stroke. That same year, he began accumulating land, receiving 12 arpents from the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France. In 1647, he was granted an additional 20 arpents by Adrien Duchesne. The land extended from Côte-Sainte-Geneviève (present-day Grande-Allée) down to Côte-d’Abraham and westward to Clairefontaine Street. It was sold in 1667 to the Ursuline nuns.
The Plains of Abraham Connection
The Plains of Abraham are believed to have been named after Martin. He reportedly used this path to reach the Saint-Charles River to give his animals water. Martin owned a total of 32 acres of land. It was split between the lower part of the town and the higher area.
Martin’s name is reflected in several historical place names in Quebec City. For example, 17th- and 18th-century documents mention “the coast of Abraham,” and a 1734 map even shows an Abraham Street. Later on, French and British military records — like the journals of the Chevalier de Lévis, the Marquis de Montcalm and British soldiers — used the names “Heights of Abraham” and “Plains of Abraham” to describe the same area.
Legal Troubles
In 1649, Abraham Martin was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl and jailed for it. His wife was pregnant with their last child at the time. There was reportedly no trial for this crime, and it appears that any paperwork has been lost. The victim had also been executed several months before Martin’s arrest for theft.
Martin was in trouble with the law again in 1664 when one of his servants, Pierre Hudon, was accused of assault. There was a trial, and Martin had to compensate the victim.
Abraham Martin’s Legacy
Abraham Martin died in Québec on September 8, 1664. His 10 children have helped to carry on his legacy. His son, Charles Amador Martin, was one of the first in New France to be ordained as a priest. Martin’s daughters all went on to marry and have children, and so did their children, leading to a long line of Canadians.
By the year 1800, Martin and Marguerite Langlois ranked sixth in Quebec for the number of their married descendants.
Martin also played an important role in early Quebec history because, as the first pilot of the Saint Lawrence River, he was the first to put together rudimentary maps of that area.
My connection to Abraham Martin
So far, I have one connection to Abraham Martin dit L’Écossais, through my mother’s line — her grandmother is one of his descendants.
- Abraham Martin dit L’Écossais (abt. 1589 – 1664) and Marguerite Langlois (abt. 1602 – 1665)
- Marguerite Martin (1624 – 1679) and Estienne Racine (abt. 1607 – 1689)
- Marie Madeleine Racine (1646 – 1726) and Noël Simard dit Lombrette (abt. 1637 – 1715)
- François Simard (1678 – 1732) and Ursule Paré (1689 – 1759)
- Marie Madeleine Simard (1713 – abt. 1750) and Pierre Tremblay (1708 – 1763)
- Marie Therese Tremblay (1734 – 1800) and Joseph Seguin dit Laderoute (1717 – 1795)
- Mary Teresa Seguin dit Laderoute (1752 – 1823) and Jean Baptiste Chauvin (1740 – abt. 1804)
- Marie Josephte Chauvin (1777) and Antoine Lesperance (1773 – abt. 1860)
- Elisabeth Lesperance (1800 – 1880) and Joseph Renaud (1800)
- Jean Baptiste Renaud (1828) and Zoé Hersilie Jubenville (1828 – 1870)
- Mary Catherine Higgins (1908 – 1983) and Walter Grondin (1910 – 1998)
- Martha Grondin (Born 1950) and Gary Willis (Born 1946) – my parents
Do you want to know more about the earliest settlers of New France? Check out New France’s Founding Families and Their Fascinating Stories.
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