Old history of the surname ''Dufour'' :
(This text was draw from an advertising sheet distributed by "La Famille Dufour" in their hotels & establishments. The source of this text was not indicated. )
Transformation of the name through centuries :
In the beginning, the patronyme ' ' Dufour '' is a nickname appointing the employee with the communal oven, the baker. The province of the Limousin was apparently the place of origin of the surname ' ' Dufour ' '. Occupied by the Gallic Celts, the Ligurians and Ibères, this area was conquered by the Romans in year 51 before J.C. Then in IIIe century after J.C., the Visigoths invaded it. Then Christianity was introduced and, with the Life century, Dagobert, king of the Francs, reigned on the area of the Limousin. The patronyme "Dufour" was found in the Limousin where the family was established before XIIe century with grounds and properties.
2.- Transformation of the name through the ages:
A.- Roman Empire: "According to notable historians', the surname DuFaur or DuFour is connected to a francized form of the name of Latin origin" Fabri "or" Fabry ", which goes back with the Roman empire to the 1st century of our era. Dufour were affiliated with Hugues Fabri, son of Jean, who was a baillif and ordering fortress of Hyères.
B.- Tenth century: "In Xe century, the Limousin was divided: Seigniories of Walk, Combrailles, of Limoges, of Turenne and Ventadour. Did everything part of the Duchy of Aquitaine. The capital was then Limoges. The surname "Dufour" was, at that time, that of a house re-elected in Allassac in the Limousin, where the family goes back to time preceding XIIe century.
C.- Twelfth century: Through the ages, the majority of the patronymes underwent changes of orthography. These changes of orthographies were often simple errors made by a scribe, a priest or a census taker when a person articulated her name. Thus there are several variations in the communication of the surname "Dufour" like Dufourg, Dufourc, Dufoure, Dufur, Duffour, Duffourg, Duffur, Duffoure, Dufourd, all the same origin.
D.- Thirteenth century: "In XIIIe century, a branch of the family is established in Auvergne where members are mentioned like having a flourishing, provided life grounds and properties, and whose head of this branch was the count de Brioude. At this same time, a second branch of the family was to be established in Provence where several members were distinguished like scholars, judges, masterly and as bishops of the Church. The family "connected" in XIIIe century in Picardie, where Thomas Fabri was recorded with grounds and manors.
E.- Fourteenth century:Rogier Dufour was recorded in the royal cartularies in 1324. Jehan and Guilot Fabri were in 1340 and 1341 in the registers of the Court of the Assistances .
F.- Fifteenth century: In the registers of the Court of the Assistances, It's found Thomas Fabri in 1404 and Jehan Fabri in 1438. Jaquot DuFour served the archbishop in 1448. Henri appeared in the registers as a taxpayer in Picardie in 1438. Jehan Dufour is there in 1460. Pierre Fabri was a significant, pilot person in the acts of Roue of 1492 to 1514. It was described like "discretus to vir magister Petrus Fabri notarius burgi Dunieri". During this time, the line of origin of Allassac formed the branches of Faure of Gimel and Faur of Citres, which introduced the marquis of Satillieu, of DuFaure, and New Year's Eve to XVe century. Guy 1st Du Faur became lord of Pibrac, chair Parliament of Paris, member of the royal private council after the resignation of his uncle Michel, member of the college of Merry Knowledge, chancellor of Navarre and author of several publications including of the sonnets and "the Pleasures of the Rustic Life". Michel 1st Du Faur, his descendant, was lord of Pibrac and baron de Tarabel; he assisted the king Louis XIII in Guyenne with the head office of Montauban. It was thus named to advise of the King to the Council of State and personal Aide of the king.
G.- Sixteenth century: Michel DuFaure paid homage to the Viscount of Turenne in 1552. George Dufaure was lord of Pujols and Proulhac in 1570. Were These "DuFaur" "Dufour"? It is not known!
"In XVIe S., the French culture became a model for all Europe and the exploration of the New-World, a challenge. On the coast of North America, the colonies are: New-France, New-Holland, New England, New-Spain and later New-Scotland and New Brunswick.
Jacques Cartier made, in 1534, the first of three trips in New-France. Champlain made some more than twenty in order to better encourage immigration there.
H.- Seventeenth century: In 1617, Champlain brings in Quebec the first immigrant authenticates, Louis Hébert, a Parisian pharmacist, and his family. "In 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec and in Acadia. "Jerome-Joseph of Faur, another descendant, lord and count de Pibrac, Viscount of Leguevin and baron de Marsac and Libac, became lieutenant with the regiment of Surville, like knight of Saint-Louis in 1693.
Just-Louis, lord and marquis of St-Sylvestre and Satillieu, were a general lieutenant of the king, and person in charge for all the provisions of the soldiers of North, Mount-Carmel and St-Lazare in Jerusalem. It was also mentioned to be used gloriously for Hainault, in Holland, in Franche-Comté, in Picardie and Alsace. Several their many grounds and their titles were: the Farmhouse, the Sorrow, Bauzas, Chiros, Preaux, Seray, Ay, Satillieu, Sainjory, Lucante, Coucelles, Cormont, Toulouse and St-Martin.
Among the people distinguished from the name Dufour, one finds Tristan II Du Faur, baron de Sainjory, count de Bioulle de Leou, lieutenant of the bodies of the duke of Orleans, colonel of the regiment of Corrette Blance and knight of St-Louis.
I.- The Dufour in North America: In North America, the Dufour newcomers appear at different times.
Pierre Dufour, Baker, born in La Rochelle, and resident to Ste-Marguerite in 1619, had married Raymonde Tharais in 1609; he had seven children of them.
Louis Dufour, bread merchant, married Francoise Lamoureux: he had a girl, Élisabeth, born in La Rochelle where was married in 1618 Jacques Pépin, son of David and Suzanne Albert, also of La Rochelle. Was this Louis relative of the precedent?"
As for Theodore Dufour who is established in Virginia in 1621 with his wife and his two children, he does not seem to date to have left identifiable descent.
Gabriel-Robert Dufour (Link at left), of Lisieux in Normandy arrives to News-France about 1690 and is established on the Coast-of-Bowsprit, in the East of Quebec, where very lots of descendants and descent perpetuate its name.
Claude Dufour (Link at left) of Lergueux in Franche-Comté, is established about 1730 on the Seigniory of Soulanges. Its descent is in the great area of Montreal and Laurentides.
Jean Dufour says Brind' Amour (Link at left) is in Arkansas and Louisiana about 1750.
Other Dufour took to roots at the 17th century such Pierre (known as Bonvivant), Pierre (known as Latour) and about fifteen other "secondary" and incomplete lines in our current files. (Link at left )
Lastly, in 1820 and 1823, in New-Orleans, one finds H. Larroche Dufour. It is 27 years old with its establishment and probably belongs to the line of Jean Dufour says Brind' Amour. Just as called a P. Dufour, 55 years, New-Orleans in 1821 lived.
Among Dufour famous which occupied of the significant positions in America, one raises F-Philippe Dufour, university administrator, Old Town, Maine, and Raymond-Albert Dufour, "executive" of businesses, Poolesville, Maryland.