We do know that Hocquart's family came from the provincial nobility. Gilles Hocquart was born in the parish of Sainte-Croix, Mortagne, Perche in 1694. His official date of birth remains a mystery. His young adult years were spent in school, preparing for his ultimate goal: to follow in his father Jean-Hyacinthe's footsteps. In 1723, at 29 years old, Hocquart arrived at the Marine commissariat at Rochefort, where he remained until his appointment to New France in 1729. In 1725, now aged 31, Hocquart took on the position of Port controller permanently, which made him a financial officer with broad responsibilities including finances and material resources at Rochefort. These responsibilities were of the utmost importance. So much so, in fact, that by 1728, he was "second in authority to Beauharnois." Therefore, Hocquart found himself in a very favorable place for a promotion to a colonial intendancy.