About
Family Tree History
My Great (x 11) Grandfather, Louis Hébert, was the first apothecary to settle and practice in North America. Born in Paris in 1575 to Jacqueline and Nicolas Hébert, Louis followed in his father's footsteps by training in science, medical arts, and pharmacology, eventually opening his own successful apothecary.
His extensive knowledge of medicinal plants made him the perfect candidate for the 1605 expedition to the coastal areas now known as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Having befriended the Indigenous First Nations People of Acadia, Louis learned a great deal about the native flora and their medicinal properties. Louis grew so close with the Mi’kmaq chief and medicine man, Membertou, that Louis was given special permission to learn from his wisdom, and was granted the great honor of being the only settler allowed at Membertou's bedside as he passed.
Upon returning to Paris he used this newfound knowledge to create treatments and medicines that are still used today. After a few more visits to Nova Scotia, Louis and his wife Marie Rollet permanently relocated their family to the Saint Lawrence River area in present-day Quebec in 1617. Louis dedicated the remainder of his life to learning how to live off the land, use plants for medicine, and heal others. In 1627, Louie fell from a rooftop onto the ice below and died, leaving his home and farmland to his wife and eldest daughter.
Influence
In 1635, eight years after his death, much of Louis' research was compiled with the artwork of Pierre Vallet to create Canadensium Plantarum. The book was penned by Jacques-Philippe Cornut, a French physician and botanist, and has been reprinted in various languages for nearly 400 years.
In July of 2023, Legare Street Press published the most recent reprint, stating, "This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public."
Legacy
For 11 generations, the descendants of Louis Hébert have continued to live and prosper throughout Canada and the United States. Apothecaries, botanists, physicians, nurses, therapists, teachers, medical assistants, gardeners, scientists, writers, midwives, and healers of all kinds.