THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME << BIBEAU >>

  The name Bibeau came from the fact that the founder of our name was a bibau, which is to say he was a soldier whom his weapons consisted of a spear or a crossbow.   The first that carried our name was indeed a rafter or a soldier.   Since the people around him gave him this nickname which stayed with him for the rest of his life, his children who were so familiar with the name decided to keep Bibau or Bideau and that constituted their family name.   As a matter of fact, before the 12th century the members of the same family only had a given name; from then on, the Royal authorities ordered that each family had to have a last name.   This name Bibeau, which was at first a nickname then becoming a family name, persisted for centuries.   It traveled through France from generations to generations, and it spread as far as the seashore.   Then in 1660, it crossed the Atlantic with our first Canadian ancestor, Francois Bibeau, and it solidly installed itself in the country of Quebec.   Although in Canada, our name has different spellings our first Canadian ancestor signed his as << Francois Bibaud >>, and to this day, his descendants write it as Bibaud, Bibaut, Bibeault, and Bibeau. These different names by its' spelling all have the same pronunciation that is exactly the one of the original name Bibaud.

LA ROCHELLE NATAL TOWN OF OUR FIRST CANADIAN ANCESTOR FRANCOIS BIBEAU

  Our first Canadian ancestor was named Francois Bibeau.   He, who was born in 1642 in La Rochelle, was from the marriage of Jacques Bibeau and Jeanne (Loiseau)?   The town of La Rochelle, which is situated South of France close to the Atlantic, faces the islands of Re and Oleron.   The port of La Rochelle that is protected by these two islands is considered to be the most reliable or safest one in the gulf of Gasgogne; it is accessible even during the severe weather which makes it an excellent port of refuge.   Let us say immediately that La Rochelle had been during the 12th century the place of departure of all expeditions or recruits destined for Canada.   The city of La Rochelle although recently modernized has conserved in part the appearance of the past.   A certain number of streets are trimmed with gates, the pavement is a true mineralogical collection brought from all places of the gulf by ships filled with aspers, quatz, granites, and porphyries.   Francois Bibeau had been baptized in La Rochelle, in the parish church of Notre-Dame-de-Cogne, that at that then, 1642 had been constructed for approximately twenty years previous.   This church is still standing today, aged of three centuries it is dominated with a new steeple that is topped by an arrow.   Our first ancestor did the traverse to Canada in the spring of 1660.   Before leaving he had knelt in his parish church, had confided the happy event of his voyage to Notre-Dame, kissed for the last time all members of his family before embarking for the New World with a considerable group of new settlers.

FRANCOIS BIBEAU WAS A FAMOUS WOOD-RUNNER

  Os soon as Francois Bibeau arrived in Canada, he settled in Trois-Rivieres.   It did not take him long to realize that the only trade which was profitable was the one of fur trading.   Thus, your ancestor became a" Coureur-de-Bois "also known as a wood-runner or a bushranger.   He adventured with a few friends to the most remote regions where they did business with the Indians.   In exchange for Brandy, or any other similar beverages, as well as items such as knives, mirror etc..., the French men received furs of great value.

  The life of the bushrangers had some great charm, but it also had many great risks.   Lost in the deepest forests, remote from all civilization, the wood-runners could not count on any help from anyone, nor did the law protect them.   They would go from tribe to tribe, sometimes in great friendship with the Indians who sometimes welcomed them with open arms, but often enough they had to leave their scalps behind if not their lives in some of the largest villages.   The trade of the coureur-de-bois was allowed at the beginning of the colony.   But in 1774, in its attempt to regulate the trade with the Indians, the govern-ment of New France prohibited traders from going to the Indian country.   There-fore, the savages, themselves would bring their furs on the St.-Lawrence where the exchange with the French men were permitted.   Your ancestor, Francois Bibeau occupied himself with the fur trade for ten years, from 1661-71.   He would always settle his affairs on his return from his courses.   On March 17, 1661, we would see him in Trois-Rivieres in the studies of the notary Claude Herlin signing the Nadaud contract.   On June 27, 1662, we met him this time in Quebec in the notary L. Laurent's office where Bibeau signed an act "which gave Jean Gladu power."   Additionally, on March 31, 1664, we found him in Trois-Rivieres at the notary Larue's, this time signing a con-tract with Elie Bourbeau, Pierre Guillet, and the two brothers Antoine and Julien Trotier. Your ancestor passed the winter of 1666-67 in Trois-Rivieres with Elie Bourbeau's family.   At the time of the general census made in the spring of 1667, Francois Bibeau was found at the home of Elie Bourbeau in the company of Louis Gaudin and Francois Pillet. In the spring of the year of 1669, Francois Bibeau undertook the longest, and the most perilous voyage of his career as a coureur-de-bois.   He left Trois- Rivieres in a bark canoe with several of his friends.   They sailed up the St.-Lawrence River as far as Montreal then they sailed up the flow of the Outaouais to reach Nipissing Lake.   Finally, they passed through the French River, which was situated south of Lake Nipissing, and arrived at Lake Huron.   When the group was successively received among the Amikou Indians or also known as the tribe of the beaver; they pitched up their tents, north of Lake Huron where they passed the winter of 1670-71.   It was in this large village that Francois Bibeau and his companions met with Nicolas Perrot and Mr. de St.- Lusson in October 1670.   These two men were in charge to go to Wisconsin to gather representative, from the west, and to make a solemn alliance with all of the national Indians.   This was the order of the governor, Mr. de Courcelles.   Mr. Perrot and Mr. St. Lusson had summoned a grand reunion for the starting of June 1671 at Sault St Marie.   To Francois Bibeau, he understood that he could make a profit from such a numerous and considerable reunion of Indians whom would definitely bring furs.   The ceremony for the taking of possession of the West regions in the name of the King of France was held on June 14, with the approbation of the delegated of fourteen different nations who assembled for this successful ending.