In the early 17th century, Perche (France) was the point of departure for many French emigrants, and a number of major families in Quebec - such as the Pelletiers, Gagnons, Tremblays, Rivards, Fortins, Bouchards and Drouins - can trace their roots back to this particular region.
Perche is located 100 miles West of Paris. Today, it is not an official administrative subdivision of France, but a beautiful region with a rich history.
The County of Perche was created in 1115 when the County of Mortagne was combined with the seigneuries of Nogent-le-Rotrou and Belleme.
Before the French Revolution, it was part of the Province of Normandy. In 1792, when the 34 provinces of France were changed to 96 departements,
Perche was included mostly within the Departments of Orne and Eure-et-Loir but small parts of Perche lie within the current departements of
Sarthe, Eure and Loir-et-Cher. In 1998, the Parc Naturel Regional du Perche (Natural Park of Perche) was created.
Perche is a pastoral area consisting mainly of gently rolling farmland but, unlike much of France, it is blessed with some beautiful forests. It also benefits from a number of rivers and streams. The main cities are Nogent-le-Rotrou, Mortagne-au-Perche and Belleme.
