Nicolas Hébert (abt. 1547 - 1600)

Nicolas had inherited; through his mother’s family; a large estate which included the Haute-Saint-Mande and it’s vineyards. He also owned property that he purchased himself: the Coeur Royal, the Trois Piliers and the Mortier d'or, all on the south side of the famous Rue Saint-Honore in Paris, France. He and his first wife, Jacqueline Pajot resided at the Mortier d'or (the golden Mortar) and it was here that they raised their family. The house was large, built in 1415, for a wine merchant, Jehan de Paris. It was made of stone with two separate living quarters. The ground floor housed the store where Nicholas dispensed his spice and medicines. From the back of the store there was an alley which opened out to the street, ending with stairs leading to the upper stories and the court.

The second floor had two large rooms with fireplaces, one facing the street and the other the courtyard. The third floor, under the gable, faced the street, and had five smaller rooms, three of which had fireplaces. An attic topped it all, and the roof was made of tile. In the courtyard, there was another small living quarters with a passageway to all of his properties. This was where Louis grew up.

However, as with many of the bourgeoise, Nicolas Hebert had supported the Guise or Catholic League in the Religious Wars, and soon found himself in financial trouble. He was forced to sell Coeur Royal and the following year had to mortgage Mortier d'or. This information is important in the sense that these circumstances contributed to the emigration of the Hebert family. Gateway to the Golden Mortar Jacqueline died on July 15, 1580, as a result of a fall, and not long after, Nicholas married Marie Auvry. The Pajot family turned against Nicolas and his new wife, accusing them, before the provost of Paris, of owing them various sums of money and objects from Jacqueline’s estate. The matter was settled out of court, but only added to his already strapped financial situation. Some of his goods were seized and he was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. Nicolas had to borrow heavily and when he found that he was unable to meet his commitments, he was taken to court and forced to sell his remaining shares in Mortier d'or. However, even this was not enough and subsequently, he was sent to prison for two years. Because he was still considered to be of upper class; his family had to pay for his keep and by the time he was released he was very ill . His second wife Marie had passed away so he left Paris and settled in Saint-Germain, marrying for a third time to Renee Savoreau.

The last record of Nicolas' life was on January 8, 1600; when he conducted a transaction for a tennis court. His hand was shaky and his signature incomplete. There is no record of his death, as there was no will and he died penniless and without property.