The common thread stretches over more than three centuries to ancestors in France, many of whom lived in the Perche region.
Hillary Clinton’s French Ancestry
Hillary Clinton’s maternal grandmother, Della Murray (1901-1960), was the daughter of Daniel and Delia (Martin) Murray. Della’s maternal grandfather, Antoine Martin, was born in France, but strangely it is his wife, Mary Anne Frances McDougall, who has French Canadian ancestry that links her to other famous women.
Mary’s mother, Catherine Godet (1793-1855), descends from Percheron pioneer Nicolas Gode (sic), who came to Quebec from the Orne, France region. Her lineage also includes such Percheron emigrants as Jean Guyon, ancestor of Celine Dion, and Gaspard Boucher, common ancestor of Dion, Madonna and Camilla. James McDougall, Mary’s father, descends from Pierre Gagne, giving Hillary another ancestor in common with Celine, plus shared ancestry with Madonna. Hillary’s common ancestry with Angelina Jolie is from Jean Cusson, who came from near Rouen.
Madonna’s French Lineage
Madonna has numerous Percheron ancestors. Her maternal grandparents, Willard and Elsie, were both surnamed Fortin, but more than six generations removed from having a common Fortin ancestor. Ancestor Charles Fortin (1656-1735), son of Julien, is shared with Celine Dion. Madonna, Celine, HiIlary and Camilla also descend from Gaspard Boucher and Jean Guyon.
Madonna and fan Camilla, wife of England’s Prince Charles, have discussed their shared ancestry and are pooling resources to find more ancestors. Both descend from Zacharie Cloutier, as do Celine and Angelina.
Duchess of Cornwall’s French Pedigree
Born Camilla Rosemary Shand, the Duchess of Cornwall, has mostly English ancestry. However, if she goes back seven generations in her mother’s family she descends from Marie Charlotte Coursolle (1756-1805), who married Ephraim Jones.
Marie descends from Jean Guyon, Gaspard Boucher and Zacharie Cloutier, giving her kinship with Hillary, Madonna, Celine and Angelina. All had French ancestors who settled in Canada’s Quebec province in the 1600s.
Celine Dion’s Ancestry
Celine shares ancestor Gaspard Boucher with Hillary, Camilla and Madonna and ancestor Marin Boucher with Madonna and Angelina. Celine, Camilla, Madona and Angelina all descend from Zacharie Cloutier. Celine and Madonna are cousins through ancestor Julien Fortin and she and Madonna are cousins to Hillary through ancestor Pierre Gagne. The three of them all descend from Pierre Gagnon. Celine, Madonna, Camilla and Hillary are distant cousins through ancestor Jean Guyon.
Angelina Jolie’s French Ancestry
Ancestor Zacharie Cloutier makes Angelina a distant cousin of Madonna, Celine and Camilla. She shares ancestor Jean Cusson with Hillary Clinton. Her ancestry appears to be less researched than that of the others.
These are the common ancestors of the five famous women:
- Gaspard Boucher, born ca. 1599, Mortagne-sur-Perche. He brought his family to Quebec about 1635 and settled at Beauport. Descendants: Hillary, Camilla, Madonna, Celine.
- Marin Boucher, born ca. 1587, Mortagne-au-Perche; came to Quebec, 1634; died, Chateau-Richer, 1671. Descendants: Angelina, Madonna, Celine.
- Zacharie Cloutier (1590-1677), from Mortagne-au-Perche; brought his family to Quebec, 1634, settling at Beauport. Descendants: Celine Dion, Camilla, Angelina Jolie, Madonna.
- Julien Fortin was born near the village of Saint-Cosme-en-Vairais. He is an ancestor of Madonna and Celine.
- Pierre Gagne (1610-1656) of Ige, France, came to Quebec and settled at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre. Descendants: Celine Dion, Madonna, Hillary Clinton.
- The Gagnons: Four children of Pierre Gagnon--Marguerite, Mathurin, Jean and Pierre—came from Tourouvre, France to Quebec. A cousin, Robert, founded the second branch of the Gagnon family in Quebec. The Gagnons lived at Saint-Anne-de-Beaupre and Chateau-Richer. Descendants: Madonna, Hillary, Celine.
- Jean Guyon of Tourouvre, France, came to Quebec in 1634; granted land at Beauport. His six sons had large families. Descendants:Celine, Madonna, Hillary, Camilla.
SOURCES: Moreau-DesHarnais, Gail F. and Sheppard, Diane W., "Hillary Rodham Clinton’s French-Canadian Ancestry: Detroit and Michigan Connection," Michigan's Habitant Heritage Vol. 28, No. 4 (October 2007) and Vol. 29, No. 1 (January 2008); Programme de recherche en démographie historique (Research Program in Historical Demography), Université de Montréal; "Au Perche des Canadiens Français," brochure éditée par les Pays d'accueil Perche, Juillet, 1991.
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