This text is taken from an advertising leaflet distributed by The Dufour Family in their hotels. The source of this text was not indicated.
Transformation of the name through centuries
Originally, the Dufour patronymic is a nickname designating the employee to the banal oven, the baker. It seems that the province of Limousin was the place of origin of the ''Dufour'' family name. Occupied by the Gallic Celt, the Ligureses and Iberians, this region was conquered by Roman in year 51 before J.C. Then during the IIIrd century after J.C., the Wisigothses invaded it. Then Christianity was introduced and, to VIth century, Dagobert, king of the Francs, reigned on the Limousin region. The ''Dufour'' patronymic was found in Limousin where the family was established before the XIIth century with lands and properties.
According to expert historians, the name of ''DuFaur'' or ''DuFour'' is related to a French variation of the original Latin name Fabri or Fabry from the Roman Empire the 1st century of our era. The ''Dufours'' became affiliated with Hugues Fabri, son of Jean that was bailiff and commander of the Hyères fortress.
At the Xth century, the Limousin was divided: Lordships de Marche, de Combrailles, de Limmoges, de Turenne and de Ventadour. All were part of the Duchy of Aquitaine. The capital was Limoges at that time. The ''Dufour'' name designated, at that time, a famous house in Allassac, Limousin, where the family goes up again befor the XIIth century.
Through ages, most patronymics underwent changes of spelling. These changes of spelling were often the result of simple mistakes made by a scribe, a priest or a census taker when a person articulated her name. So there are several variations in the graphic of the ''Dufour'' name such as Dufourg, Dufourc, Dufoure, Dufur, Duffour, Duffourg, Duffur, Duffoure, Dufourd, all from the same origin.
During the XIIIth century, a branch of the family settles in Auvergne where some members are mentioned as having a flourishing life, well stocked of lands and properties, and the chief of this branch was the count of Brioude. At this same time, a second branch of the family settles in Provence where several members distinguished themselves as scholars, judges, magistrates and as bishops of the church. During the XIIIth century, the family divided into an other branch in Picardie, where Thomas Fabri was registered with lands and manors.
Rogier Dufour was registered in the royal cartularies in 1324. Jehan and Guilot Fabris were also registered in 1340 and in 1341 in the Cour des Aides registers.
In registers of the Cour des Aides we find Thomas Fabri in 1404 and Jehan Fabris in 1438. Jaquot DuFour served the archbishop in 1448. Henri appeared in the registers as a taxpayer in Picardie in 1438 and Jehan Dufour is in the register in 1460.
Pierre Fabri was an important person, witness to the deeds at Roue of 1492 to 1514. He was described as ''discretus vir Petrus magister Fabri notarius Dunieri burgi''. During this time, the lineage of Allassac origin formed branches of the Faure of Gimel and the Faur of Citres, which presented marquises de Satillieu, de DuFaure, and de Saint-Sylvestre during the XVth century, Guy 1st Du Faur became Lord of Pibrac, president of the parliament of Paris, member of the Royal Private Counsil after the resignation of his uncle Michel, member of the college of Gai Savoir, chancellor of Navarre and author of several publications including sonnets and ''Les Plaisirs de la Vie Rustique''. Michel 1st Du Faur, his descendant, was Lord of Pibrac and baron of Tarabel; he attended the king Louis XIII in Guyenne during the siege of Montauban. He was named to counselor of the King therefore to the Conseil d'État and personal Help of the king.
Michel DuFaure paid a tribute to the viscount of Turenne in 1552. Georges Dufaure was Lord of Pujols and Proulhac in 1570. Were these ''DuFaurs'' were they ''Dufour'' we don't know!
During the XVIth century, the French culture became a model for all Europe and the exploration of the New-World, a challenge. On the North American coasts there are colonies: Nouvelle-France, Nouvelle-Hollande, the New England, New-Spain and later Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
In 1534, Jacques Cartier makes the first of his three journeys in Nouvelle-France. Champlain made more than twenty of them in order to encourage a better immigration.
In 1617, Champlain brings to Quebec the first authentic immigrant, Louis Hébert, a Parisian pharmacist, and his family. In 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec and in Acadie. Jérôme-Joseph du Faur, another descendant, Lord and count of Pibrac, viscount of Leguevin and baron of Marsac and Libac, became lieutenant to the regiment de Surville and knight of Saint-Louis in 1693.
Just-Louis, Lord and marquis de St-Sylvestre and Satillieu, was general lieutenant of the king's army, and responsible of all stores for the soldiers of the North, de Mont-Carmel et de St-Lazare at Jerusalem. He was also mentioned to serve gloriously at Hainault , in Holland, en Franche-Comté, in Picardie and in Alsace. Several of their lands and their numerous titles were: à la Mas, La Peine, Bauzas, Chiros, Preaux, Seray, Ay, Satillieu, Sainjory, Lucante, Coucelles, Cormont, Toulouse and St-Martin.
Among the distinguished ''Dufour'', we find Tristan II du Faur, baron of Sainjory, count of Bioulle de Leou, lieutenant of the bodies of the duke of Orleans, colonel of the regiment of Corrette Blance and knight of St-Louis.
In North America, the newcomers Dufour appear at different times.
Pierre Dufour, baker, born at La Rochelle, and resident at Ste-Marguerite in 1619, married Raymonde Tharais in 1609; he had seven children.
Louis Dufour, bread merchant, married Françoise Lamoureux: had a girl, Élisabeth, born at La Rochelle where she also married in 1618 Jacques Pépin, son of David and Suzanne Albert, of La Rochelle. Was this Louis parent of the precedent?
Théodore Dufour settles in Virginia in 1621 with his wife and his two children, he doesn't seem to have let identifiable progeny to this day.
Gabriel-Robert Dufour, from Lisieux, Normandy arrives in Nouvelle-France around 1690 and settles on the Côte-de-Beaupré, East of Quebec, where a very numerous lineage and progeny perpetuates his name.
Claude Dufour from Lergueux en Franche-Comté, settles around 1730 on the lordship of Soulanges. His progeny is in the big region of Montreal and the Laurentides.
Jean Dufour said Brind'Amour is in Arkansas and in Louisianne toward 1750.
Other Dufour took roots during the 17the century such Pierre (said Bonvivant), Pierre (said Latour) and about fifteen other ''secondary and incomplete lineages'' in our present files.
Finally, in 1820 and in 1823, in New Orleans, we find H. Larroche Dufour. He is 27 years old at his establishment and probably belongs to the lineage of Jean Dufour said Brind'Amour and P. Dufour, 55 years inhabited New Orleans in 1821.
Among the famous ''Dufour'' who had important positions in America, we find F. -Philippe Dufour, university administrator, Old Town, Maine, and Raymond-Albert Dufour, business executive, Poolesville, Maryland.