Brent Morency
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Historical Perspective

   In New France (Canada), from its founding in 1608 to the conquest by the English in 1763, people lived under French laws. Feudalism was still flourishing in France, so it was natural that the system would become a part of New France but in a different way.
   In France, small plots of land were granted to farmers by their lord who owned the domain. In New France, land grants were awarded to meritorious individuals by the King, and their lord was required to concede that land to them.
   Guillaume Baucher dit (also known as) Montmorency, immigrated to New France in 1653, and was one of those meritorious individuals who received a land grant of 3 arpents (about 2.5 acres) on the Ile d’Orleans, in Quebec, on April 2, 1656.
   Read the complete Morency immigration and settlement history in New France.

Origin of the Surname

   Up until the late Middle Ages first names sufficed because life was mostly local and everyone knew everyone. As population and travel increased, the family surname became a necessity because of name similarities.
   Thus, patronymic or locality surnames were adopted to identify people with their place of origin, very important during the great migrations to the New World.
    Montmorency was the locality surname identified with Guillaume Baucher.
   Arriving in New France in 1653, he was Baucher dit (also known as) Montmorency, the domain where he lived, located 9.5 miles north of Paris.
   During his generation the name was shortened to Morency and soon became the surname, as attested in church birth records.

The Universal Morency Tree

  View the universal tree graphic display through the 7th generation (my outer branch is 21).   Use Adobe reader tool on the page to enlarge tree.

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