Acadian Ancestral Home

Key Figures In The Fall of Acadia - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:34:00 +0000

KING LOUIS XV OF FRANCE

Louis XV was born February 15, 1710 and died May 10, 1774. He was king of France from 1715-74. He was born at the Palace of Versailles. Until the royal legal age of maturity at fourteen, his uncle, Philippe d'Orléans, acted as Regent. Cardinal Fleury, until his death in 1743, acted as the Chief Minister of France.

The son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy and Marie-Adélaide of Savoy, and great-grandson of King Louis XIV, Louis was part of the Bourbon Dynasty. At age two, his father, mother and brother all died within one week, leaving him heir to the French throne. He was crowned King of France at the age of five in the Cathedral at Reims.

His great-grandfather, Louis XIV, had left France in a financial mess, and in general decline. Louis XV worked hard but unsuccessfully to overcome the fiscal problems. At Versailles, the King and the nobility surrounding him showed signs of boredom that symbolized a monarchy in steady decline.

At first he was known popularly as Louis XV, Le Bien-aimé (the well-beloved) after a near-death illness in Metz in 1744 when the entire country prayed for his recovery. However, his weak and ineffective rule was a contributing factor to the general decline which led to the French Revolution. Popular faith in the monarchy was shaken by the scandals of Louis' private life, and by the end of his life he had become the well-hated. In 1757 a would-be assassin entered Versailles and stabbed him in the side with a penknife.

In 1743, France entered the War of the Austrian Succession. During Louis' reign, Corsica and Lorraine were won, but a few years later, King Louis XV lost the huge colonial empire as a result of the Seven Years' War with Great Britain. The 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended the Seven Years' War was one of the most humiliating episodes of the French monarchy. France abandoned India, Canada, and the left bank of the Mississippi River. Although France still held New Orleans and lands to the west of the Mississippi, as well as Guadeloupe, it was this defeat and signing of the treaty that represented the first stage of a total abandonment of the New World. French prestige sank, its foreign policies a dismal failure.

King Louis XV died of smallpox at the Palace of Versailles. Because Louis XV's son the dauphin had died nine years earlier, Louis's grandson ascended to the throne as King Louis XVI.

LE LOUTRE, JEAN-LOUIS

(he signed LeLoutre), priest, Spiritan, and missionary; b. 26 Sept. 1709 in the parish of Saint-Matthieu in Morlaix, France, son of Jean-Maurice Le Loutre Després and Catherine Huet; d. 30 Sept. 1772 in the parish of Saint-Léonard in Nantes, France.

As soon as he had been ordained, he sailed for Acadia and in the autumn of that year appeared at Louisbourg, Île Royale (Cape Breton Island). Le Loutre was supposed to replace Abbé Claude de La Vernède de Saint-Poncy, the parish priest at Annapolis Royal (N.S.), whose relations with the British governor, Lawrence Armstrong*, had become strained [see Claude-Jean-Baptiste Chauvreulx*]. By the time he set foot on the American continent, however, the difficulties between Saint-Poncy and Armstrong had been ironed out and the governor had agreed that the parish priest should retain his post. Taking advantage of this situation, Pierre Maillard*, a missionary on Île Royale, wrote to the home authorities requesting that Le Loutre be allowed to replace Abbé de Saint-Vincent, a missionary to the Mi'kmacs, and make his residence at Shubenacadie, on the river of the same name, 12 leagues from Cobequid (near Truro, N.S.).

On 22 Sept. 1738 Le Loutre left Île Royale for the Shubenacadie mission, an immense territory stretching from Cape Sable to Chedabucto Bay in the north and present-day Cumberland Strait in the west. Le Loutre was to minister to the Indians as well as to the French posts at Cobequid and Tatamagouche, where Abbé Jacques Girard would replace him in 1742, and he concerned himself indirectly with the Acadians on the east coast of Nova Scotia. He remained on cordial terms with the British authorities until 1744.

The Acadians had always been very obedient to the Catholic Church represented by these priests who ministered to them or the communities around them. They had always bent to the brimstone and fire preached to them. This attitude would be no different with LeLoutre who had a passion for what he did but who also lacked principals in his demands on both the Indian and Acadian communities.

When the Acadians showed no inclination to be subjected to his demands, he would threaten them with Indian warfare telling them that he would send the Indians to bring peril to them and to their families even telling them they would watch their wives and children die at the hand of the Mi'kmaq right before their eyes as well as their lands wasted. At one point, there was even remonstrance toward LeLoutre from the then Bishop of Quebec. Unfortunately, Leloutre's passion to get his way knew no bounds.

He had no mercy for the Acadians of Beaubassin and Chignecto, when in 1755 he set fire to the church and demanded that the Acadians do the same to their homes, barns and properties - he enlisted the help of the Indians to make sure this would happen. With their properties burning behind them, the Acadians of Beaubassin crossed to the French site across the Missaguash and became refugees of the French fort of Beauséjour. They would know poverty and hunger. LeLoutre told the Acadians who were on the outside of the fort walls that they had to fight the British soldiers when they attacked - instead, they ran away as they had no inclination to go to war.

The British routed the incapable French officers and soldiers of the garrison. Thomas Pichon, commisary of stores, had been a traitor and ally of the British in helping to take down the fort. He had been carrying on secret correspondence with the commandant of Fort Lawrence, and informing him of all that was going on within the French fort. It as in part form this source that the designs of the French against the British were becoming known in Halifax and more expecially, the goings-ons of "Moses", the name by which Pichon referred to LeLoutre because he always carried on as if he had led the Acadians out of bondage as had Moses of the Bible.

Meanwhile, the Acadians yearned to return to their lands, take the oath and live in peace with the English. LeLoutre was so resolved that this should not happen that he told them "If you go, you will have neither priests nor sacraments, but will die like miserable wretches." Of course, the assertion was false. Priests and sacraments had never been denied them but he manipulated them with such threats.

Well once the British attacked the fort, where was LeLoutre? He had escaped and was well on his way to Quebec knowing full well that if caught the British might execute him.

Once in Quebec, he hoped to make his way to France but was captured by the British Le Loutre was taken prisoner, and despite the minister of Marine’s efforts he was not released until eight years later, on 30 Aug. 1763, after the signing of the treaty of Paris. He then went on to France and when the Acadians arrived there following repatriation, he did what he could to help them and did obtain for each a special gratuity of 600 livres.

Historians are unanimous in recognizing the importance of Le Loutre’s activity in Acadia but differ in their assessment of the significance of his role as a missionary. Several, particularly those writing in English, have criticized him for having acted more as an agent of French policy than as a missionary, and they hold him largely responsible for the deportation of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755, because in threatening them with reprisals if they signed the oath of loyalty, he condemned them to a forced exile. Before a judgement is made on Le Loutre’s career in Acadia, however, three important points must be considered: in the 18th century France claimed to be the defender of the Catholic faith; Acadia was populated with French Catholics governed by the Protestant British; missionaries were the only representatives of the French government among the Acadians tolerated by Great Britain. According to Le Loutre almost any means could be used to remove the Acadians, who were in danger spiritually, from British domination. He used the means at his disposal: arguments of a religious nature and the Indians. His method was debatable, but it was in keeping with the logic of his age, when in France as in England religion was at the service of the state.

He was probably excessively zealous, and his conduct was often questionable, but his sincere devotion to the cause of French Acadia cannot be doubted. He cannot be held responsible for the deportation of the Acadians.

Web Site 2004 - Present

Blog 2012 - Present

Source: Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Wars and Battles Pertaining to Acadia

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:41:00 +0000

The Wars to take Acadia

Acadia lay in a boundary zone, between the English and French colonies, and it was never left in peace for long. The English colonies of New England were closer to Acadia than to any other French settlements. In peacetime the English came to trade, and in war they came to conquer. In 1613 English colonists from Virginia led by Samuel Argall attacked and burned Port-Royal. The English attacked again in 1629. They captured Port-Royal in 1654 and controlled Acadia until France regained it by treaty in 1670. The English attacked again in 1690, 1704, and in 1707. With so much fighting and so many changes of command, the Acadians became a people without strong ties to either side.

In 1710 the British captured Port-Royal yet again, and in 1713 the Treaty of Utrecht gave Acadia permanently to Britain. Port-Royal was renamed Annapolis Royal, and a British commander with a small garrison of soldiers replaced the French governor and his garrison. However, most of the Acadians stayed on under British rule.

The Acadian People

Despite the wars, the tiny colony of Acadia kept growing. The 400 people of 1671 became 1,400 by 1701. By the 1750s, there would be 13,000 Acadians. As their numbers grew, the Acadians began to move out from Port-Royal to settle at Beaubassin, Grand Pré, and other places around the Bay of Fundy. The Acadians were mostly farmers. To control the huge tides of the Bay of Fundy, they built dykes on the marshlands around Port-Royal. As rainwater and melting snow drained the salt out of the newly dyked land, rich farm fields became available. The settlers raised crops and animals, and they planted fruit trees. They built mills to grind their grain and to cut lumber for their homes, barns, boats, and furniture. They ate what they needed from their produce and traded the remainder for tools, molasses, fabrics, and other things they could not easily make themselves.

The Acadians were becoming an independent and self-reliant community even before the British took control. Until 1713, they had French governors and seigneurs (the heirs of the d'Aulnays and the La Tours), but these rulers tended to be driven away whenever the British attacked, and the Acadians learned to live without them. The government in France was too far off to have much influence. New Englanders were officially the enemy, but New England was the closest place with which Acadians could trade. They began to refer to the New Englanders as our friends the enemy. The Acadians were a people between two empires, yet were not fully a part of either.

The Wars including the French & Indian War

I. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) was the last of four North American wars waged from 1689 to 1763 between the British and the French.

In these struggles, each country fought for control of the continent with the assistance of Native American and colonial allies. The French and Indian War differed from previous confrontations, however. The earlier wars consisted primarily of skirmishes between small regular units of the European powers aided by local militiamen. The French and Indian War was part of a great war for empire, a determined and eventually successful attempt by the British to attain a dominant position in North America, the West Indies, and the subcontinent of India.

Although the French and Indian War began in America, it expanded into Europe as the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), and at the same time into Asia as the Third Carnatic War (see Carnatic Wars).

The French and Indian War not only stripped France of its North American empire, it also caused Britain to change its relationship to its colonies, a change that eventually led to the American Revolution.

II. By the end of the 17th century, the British had established flourishing colonial settlements along the Atlantic Coast in New England and in the Chesapeake Bay region.

At the same time, France had founded small communities along the Saint Lawrence River and had claimed the entire Mississippi River Valley, following the expeditions of French explorers Louis Jolliet and René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle. These North American colonies became part of an intense rivalry between Great Britain and France.

Each country tried to equal or surpass the economic, political, and military power of the other through colonization, alliances, and warfare.

Beginning in 1689, Britain fought a century-long series of wars with France and its ally, Spain. On three occasions prior to the French and Indian War, these hostilities spilled over into the western hemisphere where overseas colonies could provide important advantages.

Britain and France competed to control the valuable fur trade on the North American mainland and the rich sugar production on the islands of the West Indies. Both nations received military assistance from colonists in these wars, but also relied on the help of Native American peoples who participated because of their own rivalries for land and power.

The first of these conflicts was King William's War (1689-1697), known in Europe as the War of the League of Augsburg. In North America, this war consisted of a number of skirmishes that produced no changes in territory.

The New England militia and their Native American allies, the Iroquois, fought against French troops and their Algonquian Native American allies on the northern frontier in the American colonies and in Canada.

The New Englanders captured Port Royal, the capital of French Acadia (now the portion of Canada that includes Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island), but the Peace of Ryswick (1697) that ended the war in Europe also returned Acadia to France.

The next conflict was Queen Anne's War (1702-1713), known in Europe as the War of the Spanish Succession. During this war, the French and British again fought battles along the New England frontier. However, the northern region of New York remained quiet because the Iroquois adopted a policy of aggressive neutrality, selling furs to both the French and the English but refusing to fight for either side.

The major battle was a British and colonial attempt to capture Québec in 1710. Although the expedition failed, Britain used victories in Europe to gain significant additional territory in the Peace of Utrecht (1713-1714). From France, Britain obtained Newfoundland, Acadia, the Hudson Bay region of northern Canada, and greater access to the Native American fur trade. From Spain, France's ally, Britain acquired the Mediterranean fortress of Gibraltar and trading privileges in Spanish America. These gains enhanced Britain's commercial supremacy and gave it extensive territories in North America.

A new conflict, King George's War (1744-1748), began outside of North America in 1739 when Spain tried to halt commerce between its North American colonies and Britain. This trade war became part of a general European conflict, the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748).

In 1745 New England militiamen captured the French naval fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island (near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River), but the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) returned the fortress to France.

III. Beginning of the French and Indian War - The last of the conflicts between Britain and France for control of North America was the French and Indian War. It began in the struggle for control of the Ohio Valley. For more than a generation, the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, an alliance of several Native American nations from the Iroquoian language family, dominated a middle ground between the French and British colonies in North America. The Iroquois, originally centered in western New York, had gained control of a vast region in the interior of the continent by alliances with other Native American peoples and had successfully excluded the European nations from this territory. The Iroquois were able to maintain their power against that of both the British and the French, but this three-way balance of power began to break down during the 1740s. British traders penetrated deep into the Ohio country and established direct relations with tribal groups who previously had been controlled by the Iroquois or had traded only with the French. A rivalry for the Ohio Valley The Ohio company, an association of land speculators based in Virginia, encouraged the British excursions. The company had received a grant of 500,000 acres from the British king and wanted to move traders and settlers into this interior region.

In 1753 Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia, who was also a leading member of the Ohio Company, dispatched 21-year-old George Washington on his first military mission. Washington carried a message to the French, warning them to leave the region. In the following year Governor Dinwiddie ordered the construction of a fort at the forks of the Ohio (where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet), later the site of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

These developments convinced the French governor-general of Canada of the need to dominate the Ohio Valley militarily in order to protect France's strategic interests in the American interior. The French immediately reinforced their existing forts south of Lake Erie and expelled the British from the forks of the Ohio. At that strategic site, they built a new military post, Fort Duquesne, and established firm title to the region.

The French government realized that not only were the profits of the fur trade at stake, but also possession of the vast Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. These rival territorial claims in the Ohio Valley quickly led to violence. An armed party of Virginians under the command of George Washington defeated a small French force east of the Ohio River and built a log stockade that became known as Fort Necessity. The French gathered more troops and quickly laid siege to this small fort, forcing Washington and his troops to surrender on July 4, 1754. The French then sent Washington and his troops back to Virginia. The French and Indian War had begun.

The Albany Congress The British Board of Trade had anticipated the outbreak of war, and only weeks before had urged the colonial governors to seek an alliance with the Iroquois Confederacy, often referred to as the Six Nations. In June 1754 delegates from seven colonies met with 150 Iroquois leaders in Albany, New York. Some members of the Iroquois Confederacy already in alliances with the British colonies complained of poor treatment. The Native Americans also protested that the British governor of Virginia as well as the French governor-general of Canada had attempted to seize their lands. After receiving large presents of supplies and arms, the Iroquois grudgingly renewed their alliances with the British colonies. Delegates then moved on to plan other defensive measures. An important topic was a plan of union developed by Benjamin Franklin. The Albany Plan, as it became known, proposed a single institution to govern all of the British colonies in America. Under the plan, each colony would send delegates to an American continental assembly, presided over by a British governor-general. This council would assume responsibility for the western affairs of the colonies, including trade, Native American policy, and defense. The Albany Plan was never implemented because the British government feared the consequences of convening a great American assembly, and individual colonial assemblies refused to support the proposal because they wanted to preserve their autonomy.

IV. The last conflict with France, which ended in 1748, had depleted the British treasury, and Parliament refused to impose new taxes.

British leaders, such as William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who were intent on expanding British influence, demanded action. As a result, Britain dispatched two regiments of troops, under Sir Edward Braddock, to America. Eventually, however, many more troops were needed. During the next five years, the government sent thousands of regular troops under a succession of British commanders. In addition, Parliament financed the enlistment and supply of more than 20,000 American troops during the period of heaviest fighting from 1758 to 1760.

Phase One: Initial Skirmishes The French and Indian War had four distinct phases. The first began with the French capture of Washington and his troops at Fort Necessity in 1754 and lasted until 1756, when war was formally declared. During these two years both Britain and France hoped to avoid a general European war and so committed few troops or resources to the fighting in America. Each side primarily attacked enemy forts in unsettled areas along the frontier.

Two battles of considerable significance did take place during this phase, however. The French ambushed and defeated forces led by British General Edward Braddock as they attempted to drive the French from Fort Duquesne. The defeat was costly for the British: General Braddock lost his life, more than 900 of his men were killed or wounded, and British prestige among Native Americans in the region declined. British and colonial forces offset these losses by victories in Nova Scotia, where they captured two French forts. Subsequently, the British deported more than 6000 of the French inhabitants of Nova Scotia, known as Acadians, a signal of the growing brutality of the conflict.

Phase Two: French Successes The second phase of the war in America was fought with much larger armies and opened with a series of French victories.

In mid-1756 a French force captured the British fort at Oswego in northern New York. The French advance continued in 1757 with a victory over British regulars and New England militia at Fort William Henry, within striking distance of the important fur-trading town of Albany, New York. Then the French offensive faltered. France's regular troops and their Native American allies could not continue the war in populated areas of the British colonies. They had to travel vast distances, where there were few local sources of supply. Most importantly, the small French Canadian population was not large enough to provide food and soldiers for a lengthy campaign.

In the end, the British had the strategic advantage in North America. Britain could call upon a population more than ten times as large to provide troops and supplies for an all-out assault on Canada. The only other necessities were political support from the colonial assemblies, which were provided somewhat begrudgingly, and firm direction and financial assistance from the British ministry. Strong support by the British government began after William Pitt became secretary of state in June 1757. Pitt firmly believed the way to defeat France in Europe was to attack French possessions around the world, including India, North America, and the West Indies.

Phase Three: British Victories in North America In 1757 Pitt launched the third phase of the war by sending thousands of British troops to America and ordering a direct attack on Canada. A force of 16,000 British and colonial troops advanced from Albany toward Montréal, Canada, in 1758. This expedition, commanded by General James Abercrombie, stalled in the face of French opposition at Fort Ticonderoga in northeastern New York. However, British and colonial troops under General Jeffrey Amherst did capture the fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Additional British victories came at Fort Frontenac, on Lake Ontario, and at Fort Duquesne.

Bolstered by these successes, William Pitt ordered a new British offensive for 1759. He agreed to finance the mobilization of 20,000 colonial troops and elevated Amherst to the command of all British forces in America. Amherst's army promptly continued the advance on Canada, capturing Fort Niagara at the junction of lakes Erie and Ontario and forcing the French to abandon the strategic Fort Ticonderoga.

By early August 1759 the French had retreated to their inner line of defense which protected the major cities along the St. Lawrence River. The British quickly breached these defenses and dispatched a large fleet and an army up the river from Louisbourg. Late in 1759 British troops led by James Wolfe defeated a French army commanded by Louis Joseph Marquis de Montcalm de Saint-Véran on the Plains of Abraham, just outside of Québec.

The capture of the fortified city of Québec was the climax of the year of victories for Great Britain. Only Montréal remained in French hands, and it surrendered to British forces in September 1760.

Phase Four: Worldwide Conflict The fall of Canada began the fourth and last stage of the war. Only minor conflicts continued on the mainland of North America. Many of these occurred between British settlers in the Carolinas and Native American peoples like the Cherokee, who had sided with the French to protect their lands.

In Europe, the Seven Years' War had reached a stalemate, with neither the British nor the French alliances able to dominate. On many other battlefronts around the world, however, the British had great successes. The English East India Company captured French trading posts and dominated commercial markets in large sections of India. British forces seized French Senegal in West Africa, the French sugar islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and the Spanish colonies of Cuba and the Philippine Islands.

When warfare ended in 1763, William Pitt had left office, but his strategy of attacking the enemies' colonial possessions had extended British power all over the world.

RESULTS OF THE WAR - Warfare ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763, and the peace terms reflected British military successes. Britain gained control over half the North American continent, including French Canada, all French territorial claims east of the Mississippi River, and Spanish Florida. In return, Britain gave Cuba and the Philippines back to Spain, and France compensated its Spanish ally for the loss of Florida by giving it title to all of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River.

End of the French Empire in North America The French and Indian War had reduced the once-impressive French empire in North America to a handful of sugar plantations in the West Indies and two rocky islands off the coast of Newfoundland. It also ended the century-long threat of a French or Spanish invasion of the American mainland colonies and ensured that British institutions would dominate in eastern North America. But France's desire to avenge its humiliating defeat in the war prompted it to provide financial and military aid to the American rebels during the American Revolution. This aid was instrumental in the loss of Britain's American colonies, but it also contributed to the French financial crisis that climaxed in the French Revolution of 1789.

Reevaluation of the Colonial Relationship - Another result of the war was a British decision to reevaluate its relationship with its colonies. Before the French and Indian War, Britain had not closely controlled its colonies. British leaders regarded the colonial governments as subordinate bodies subject to the sovereign authority of king and Parliament. As long as few serious conflicts of interest arose between Britain and its American possessions, the British government permitted colonial assemblies to oversee enforcement of instructions of the royal governors or to pass new legislation suited to their own needs. In addition, the British did not always enforce their laws in the colonies. For example, the British Customs Service, which was inefficient, understaffed, and open to bribery, did not enforce the Molasses Act of 1733(see Sugar and Molasses Acts). This important measure required the colonists to pay a duty on the molasses they imported from the French West Indian islands. British leaders did not insist on strict enforcement of this tax or other commercial duties because booming American trade was making Britain a wealthy and powerful nation.

British statesman and political theorist Edmund Burke described his country's policies toward the colonies as "salutary neglect" because he believed their leniency was actually beneficial. As a result of this salutary neglect, the colonists developed a political and economic system that was virtually independent. They were loyal, although somewhat uncooperative, subjects of the crown.

The British became concerned about the colonists' lack of cooperation during the French and Indian War. The British initially resented the fact that the prosperous colonists were unwilling to undertake their own defense. Even the generous subsidies voted by Parliament at William Pitt's urging did not cause the colonists to respond as the British expected-colonial assemblies still refused to send their militiamen on expeditions to Canada. The colonists claimed that their militias were needed to defend home territory.

The British also suspected that the assemblies took advantage of the war to increase their own political power. Colonists demanded greater authority over finances and military appointments in return for their approval of war-related measures. The royal governors, under strict orders from the British ministry to support the war effort in America, often gave in to these demands without resistance. While the tactics of the colonial assemblies appeared opportunistic to the British, the actions of many American merchants seemed almost treasonable. British government officials were irate that many Americans continued to trade illegally with France. Smuggling was highly profitable and prolonged the war by sustaining the French sugar plantations in the West Indies and providing the French armies with food and supplies.

The continuation of this illegal trade led to British demands for more centralized control of the empire. American conduct during the war convinced many British leaders that the old imperial system, with its emphasis on voluntary cooperation between the home government and the colonies, had been a dismal failure. The British government also faced pressing financial problems. Britain began fighting in 1754 with a national debt of approximately 75 million pounds, but the war effort caused the debt to soar to 133 million pounds by 1763.

Americans had benefited substantially from these military expenditures. They had received a million pounds in direct subsidies and millions more in contracts for food, supplies, and transport for the British military forces in America. After these huge expenses, Britain was reluctant to offer additional subsidies for the peacetime defense of the colonies. Money was needed to maintain the British troops who occupied the conquered provinces of Canada and Florida and who defended a chain of western frontier posts.

Given the size of the British debt and the extent of American prosperity, British leaders saw no feasible alternative to taxing the colonists. For the colonists, the French and Indian War increased their concern over the permanent presence of a British army. They believed that a standing army threatened liberty and representative government. These fears intensified as the British demanded imperial reform, imposed direct taxes, and stationed army units in the colonial port cities. Britain's demands soon led the colonists to active resistance and paved the way for the American Revolution and the creation of the United States of America.

The Treaty of Paris - 1763

On February 10, 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years War. The Treaty was signed by the Kingdom of Great Britain, France and Spain with Portugal in agreement. Together with the Treaty of Hubertusburg, it ended the French and Indian War and the Seven Years' War. The treaties marked the beginning of an extensive period of British dominance outside of Europe.

In general, all conquered territories were restored to their pre-war owners. Preferring to keep Guadaloupe, France gave up Canada and all claims to territory east of the Mississippi to Britain. Spain ceded Florida to the British but later received New Orleans and Louisiana from France, and Cuba was restored to Spain. France retained Saint Pierre and Miquelon and recovered Guadeloupe and Martinique in exchange for Grenada and the Grenadines going to the British. In India the French lost out to the British, receiving back its factories but agreeing to support the British puppet governments as well as returning Sumatra and agreeing not to base troops in Bengal.

Britain returned the slave station on the isle of Goree to the French but gained the Senegal River and its settlements. Britain agreed to demolish its fortifications in Honduras but received permission from Spain to keep a log wood-cutting colony there. Britain confirmed in the treaty the rights of its new citizens to practice the Roman Catholic religion and received confirmation of the continuation of the British king's right as an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.

It is sometimes claimed that the British King George III renounced his claim to be King of France by the treaty. However, this a historical myth, and it is also falsely attributed to some of the treaties of the French Revolutionary Wars. Such a renunciation is nowhere in the text of the treaty, and in fact George III continued to be styled "King of France" and used the Fleur-de-lis as part of his arms until 1801 when Britain and Ireland united. It was dropped then because it was simply regarded as anachronistic, not because of French pressure.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - Present

Some Massachusetts Town Records

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Some Massachusetts Town Records

This is just a small number of Acadians

exiled to Massachusetts that

I have been able to extract

from town records.

· OLD ABBINGTON

The family of John White, French Neutral was given refuge during the French & Indian War period. The house still stands at 351 High Street and it was built by David Porter, a bachelor, about 1730. It is thought to be the oldest original house still standing in Whitman.

· LANCASTER

Of the thousand Acadians apportioned to the Province of Massachusetts, the committee appointed by the General Court for the duty of distributing them among the several towns, sent three Acadian families, consisting of twenty persons to Lancaster.

These were:

Benoni Melanson
Mary Melanson, his wife
Children:
Mary Melanson
Joseph Melanson
Simeon Melanson
John Melanson
Bezaleel Melanson, (Carrie)
A daughter not named

Geoffrey Benway (Benoit)
Abigail Benway, his wife.
Children:
John Benway
Peter Benway
Joseph Benway
Mary Benway

Theal Forre [Forest]
Abigail Forre, his wife
Children:
Mary Forre
Abigail Forre
Margaret Forre

The Forre family was soon transferred to Harvard, Mass. They arrived February 1756 and the accounts of the town selectmen for their support were regularly rendered until February, 1761. They were destitute, sickly and apparently utterly unable to support themselves and were billeted now here and now there, among the farmers at a fixed price of two shillings and eight pence each per week for their board. Sometimes a house was hired for them.

· WORCESTER

In 1755, eleven Catholic French "neutrals" were assigned to Worcester after the "shameful rape of Acadia". These Acadians arrived in Worcester suffering from wounds to the body, soul and spirit after enduring a winter on the deck of a military ship traveling from Acadia to Boston. Not much detail is given on this piece of history, but it states that these Acadians were warmly received by Worcester residents and some stayed here "broken-hearted" while others left for Canada in 1767.

· MENDON

Selectmen 1764, March 5th: Selectmen Census taken in response to an order given by Colonial Governor Bernard. The Selectmen of Mendon conducted a census of the town in the fall of 1764.

The census revealed that the town contained 336 families living in 284 houses. The population consisted of 2,339 persons of which 1,441 were adults and 898 were children under the age of 16. Contained within the counts included 9 persons of color listed as Negroes and Molattoes and **5 persons listed as French Neutrals**. Interesting that there were no Indians counted in the 8 square mile area of Mendon. The census was submitted on December 17, 1764 signed by Joseph Daniels and 4 other selectmen.

· WALPOLE

THE OLD HOUSE IN WALPOLE -Where Lived and Died in Exile Jacques D'Entremont (The Walpole Times - May 1966)

The following article, dealing with the early history of Walpole, was written by Rev. Clarence J. d'Entremont on 71 Center Street. Fairhaven. It is hoped that the people of Walpole will take interest in this article which tells them of a phase of their history of which they may not know too much. By Rev. Clarence J. d'Entremont.

The student of American literature knows through the study of Longfellow's poem Evangeline of the Expulsion of the Acadians. These people, of French origin, lived in Nova Scotia, then called "Acadie", where "the richest was poor, and the poorest lived in abundance." By the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, their land passed into the hands of England. Summoned by their conquerors to pledge allegiance to the crown of England, they asked to remain neutral in case of war so that they would not have to fight against their mother country. For this reason the whole population, about 18,000 of them, less some 2000 fugitives, were boarded on ships and vessels, between 1755 and 1759, even up to the Treaty of Paris, in 1763, and "scattered like dust and leaves" all along the American Atlantic coasts and the shores of England. Massachusetts received about two thousand of them and placed them, under its care, in its different towns.

There is in Walpole the remains of a cellar on which stood the house where lived in exile, with his family, one of these Acadians, Jacques d'Entremont (1680-1759), some of Jacques Mius d'Entremont and of Anne de Saint-Etienne de la Tour, and where he died July 28, 1759 (1). This house belonged at the time to Jeremiah Dexter. Isaac N. Lewis, in his history of Walpole (2), calls this house "the old house", although at the time of Jacques d'Entremont it must not have been so old, as Jeremiah Dexter, who probably built it, is mentioned for the first time in 1748 in the history of Walpole.

Jacques d'Entremont was, with the members of his family, among the 70 Acadians from Baccareau Passage, Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, whom Colonel Prebble, after burning all their buildings, 44 in all, brought to Boston on a Friday, the last day of April, 1756. They were destined to North Carolina; a vessel under the command of Thomas Hancock, was to take them there. But after embarkation, they came back on shore and refused to re-embark. May 11th, Jacques Amirault and Joseph d'Entremont addressed a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and his Council stating the reasons why the group refused to go to North Carolina, begging that they be allowed to stay in Massachusetts.

Three days later, May 14th, Thomas Hancock, who it would seem had written of his own hand the petition of May 11th, to which Jacques Amirault and Joseph d'Entremont affixed their marks, appeared before the lieutenant governor and his council to discuss this matter. It was decided to give to these Acadians a delay of 14 days, during which they would be under the care of Thomas Hancock. The 14 days having elapsed, it was decided to distribute these families in the several seaports of the "Province".

August 20th, 1756, we find in Marblehead, Jacques d'Entremont with his family, that is, his wife, nee Marguerite Amirault, and his children, Ann, (b. 1732), Marguerite, (b. 1734), Joseph, (b. 1739), Paul, (b.1742), and Benoni, (b. 1745). Jacques d'Entremont and Marguerite Amirault had had at least two other children, namely, Jacques, the oldest, married in 1753 to Marguerite Landry, exiled with his family to England and then to Cherbourg, France, where he died in or before 1767; and Marie, married to Rene Landry, brother of Marguerite.

In the summer of 1756, Anne d'Entremont married in Marblehead Abel Duon who had been among the 70 Acadians who arrived from Cape Sable to Boston April 39th and who was quartered at Marblehead with the d'Entremont family. The following year, that is June 1st, 1757, we find this family in Medfield, along with Paul and Benoni, sons of Jacques d'Entremont. March 1st, 1758, Jacques d'Entremont, his wife, his daughter Marguerite and his son Joseph are found in Walpole, where they had been transferred.

A few months later, on November 8th, 1758, Joseph d'Entremont sent a petition to the lieutenant governor, stating that being in Walpole with his aged father and mother, a brother and a sister, while another brother, a brother-in-law, a sister and her child were in Medfield, asking, for different reasons, if it would be possible for the family to be all united together at the same place.

January 2nd, 1759, this petition was sent to a committee who, January 13th, decided that the members of the family who were in Medfield would be removed to Walpole. It would seem that this decision was not carried out, not immediately at least, because June 1st of that year, Benoni, Abel and his wife are still in Medfield; these two last are still there August 22nd, 1760.

After the death of Jacques d'Entremont, July 28th, 1959 (13), his son Joseph and his daughter Marguerite are transferred August 22nd, 1760, to Chelsea (14), at which date Paul and Benoni are said to be "retained" in Walpole with their ......

We can recapitulate these events in the following chronological order: - April 30th, 1756, arrival in Boston of the family of Jacques d'Entremont;

- August 20th, 1756, this family is in Marblehead, along with Abel Duon;

- Summer of 1756, marriage in Marblehead of Abel Duon and Anne d'Entremont;

- June 1st, 1757, Abel Duon, his wife, Paul and Benoni are in Medfield;

- March 1st, 1758, Jacques d'Entremont, his wife, Marguerite and Joseph are in Walpole;

Between the preceding and the following dates, Paul is transferred to Walpole;

- November 8th, 1758, petition of Joseph so that all the family would be united;

- January 13th, 1759, it is decided that the family would be united in Walpole;

- July 28th, 1759, Jacques d'Entremont dies in Walpole;

- August 22nd, 1760: Paul and Benoni are "retained" in Walpole with their mother; Joseph and Marguerite are sent to Chelsea; Abel and Anne are retained in Medfield.

On August 23rd, 1866, "Captain Amiro" received a permit to clear his vessel from Boston for Quebec. Undoubtedly this captain was Ange Amirault, who, ten years earlier, in the month of February of 1756, being not yet 20 years of age, sailed in his small vessel from Cape Sable to the shores of Massachusetts to ask of his future father-in-law and mother-in-law, already in exile, the hand of their daughter, Natalie Belliveau, who, like himself, was still in liberty at Cape Sable. The fact is that the Amiraults, the Belliveaux, the d'Entremonts and the Duons arrived by sea to Nova Scotia, on their way to Quebec, at the end of the summer of 1766, 200 years ago, this very year. Having received from the civil authorities of Halifax the permission to stay in Nova Scotia and the promise of the service of priest, they settled the following year, in 1767, in Pubnico, the land of their ancestors.

While in Walpole, the d'Entremont family lived in "the old house" of Jeremiah Dexter. Lewis tells us that this house was near the old cemetery, corner of Main and Kendall streets. A couple of old people, well in their 80's, now deceased, maybe of the Everett family, whom we met in Walpole in 1957, residing across from the old cemetery where they had lived practically all their lives, told us that the old house of Jeremiah Dexter, which they had seen in their young days, was located west of the cemetery, of Main street and of Neponset River, about 100 feet north of the dam.

How long did this family occupy this house? Surely between March 1, 1758, and August 22, 1760, that is at least 2 1/2 years. Probably they had been there before, and surely after. But we have no documents to tell us precisely how long.

A fact worthy to be mentioned here, which is surely by a coincidence, is that at about 75 feet south of the cellar there is the distinctive marks of the Acadians: an apple tree.

· DEDHAM

Dedham Town Records [1743-1773]. Vol 7. 382 pages.

Among data included are selectmen’s records, town meetings, town payments, etc. Note, on page 138, that French Neutrals (Acadians deported from Nova Scotia) were received 28 Nov 1755 "for the Selectmen of this Town to Dispose of them in Such Method as they think best for this Government."

· Marshfield, Massachusetts

Province of the Massachusetts Bay
To his Excellency William Shirley Esq; Captain-General

& Governour in chief in & over his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England The Hon ble the Council & House of Representative in Genl Court assembled March the 30 th A.D. 175[6]

Humbly shews Joseph Mitchel One of the Neutral French Inhabitants late belonging to Nova Scotia now residing at Marshfield in the County of Plymouth That your Petitioner was a Dweller near the Garrison at Annapolis & had a good Farm there & above thirty Head of Cattle & always Lived in a friendly Manner with the English & used to supply the Garrison with Wood & a considerable Quantity of Provision which he had to spare annually - That by Reason of the Late Misconduct of the French who Lived near Minas your Petr was a great sharer with them in their Misfortunes tho not in their Crimes, and thereby Lost his whole Estate both real & personal, & in this distress'd condition was brought to Marshfield aforesd with his wife & Family of Children the Last Fall where He has ever Since resided & has been provided for so as that He, his Wife & Children have been upheld in Life to this Time -

That his Eldest Son Francis, being Twenty Three Years old, Labored this Spring with one Caleb Tilden a near Neighbour to your Petitioner, To whom ^ he Your Petr hired Himself out for a Pistarene a Day till the first Day of May next, after which he was to have more, and both He & his Master Tilden were well contented -

That the Last Week John Little Esqr & Seth Bryant Two of the Select Men of the Town of Marshfield Came & by Force, utterly against the Will of your Petr & his Said Son, took away your

[1]

your Petrs sd Son & put him out to Anthony Winslow of sd Marshfield, When at the same Time sd Tilden offered to bind his Estate to Save sd Town & the Province free from any charge on his Account -

That sd Select Men at the same Time bound out another of your Petrs Sons named Paul about Fifteen Years of Age, to Nathaniel Clift of sd Marshfield Mariner, whom by force they dragged away & sent to Sea, notwithstanding diverse persons would gladly have taken Him to work on Shore at Farming Business to which He was used, & tho at the same Time he begged he might work on Shore because the Sea did not agree with Him - In short all your Petrs and his Wife's Intreaties were in vain, the sd Paul was by Force taken from them & Sent to Sea - And the sd Select Men took Security for Thirty Pounds as the Price ^ of sd Lad -

Your Petr being a Stranger in a Strange Land has no where to go for Relief but to your Excell. & Honrs - Tho He has Lost all his Estate he do[es] not desire his ^ children should be chargeable to any Body while they are able to work, but that such Places may be found for those under age as may be agreeable to 'em, & That those, who are of full Age, may provide for Themselves, at such places as the Lik[e] best -

Wherefore you Petr prays That the Indenture of your Petrs Said Sons may be declared null & void, & That They may be allowed to maintain Themselves, or, That such other Relief may be granted as you Excy & Honrs shall think fit And your Petr as in Duty bound shall pray & c

Joseph Michelle

[2]

[Petition submitted to the General Court of Massachusetts by Joseph Michel, 30 March 1756. SC1, Series 45X, Massachusetts Archives Collection, 1603-1799, vol. 23, page 51. Massachusetts Archives.]

The Committee appointed to take under consideration the Petition of Joseph Mitchell are unable to make enquiry into the truth of the facts mentioned before the dissolution of the Court by reason of the distance of Place where they are alledged to have been done and therefore ^ thus are of opinion that the consideration of the Petition be referred until the next session of the Court. The Committee are further humbly of opinion that it would be acting very different from the intention of the Legislature if any Selectmen in the Province should cause any of the children of the French from Nova Scotia to be disposed of for any sum of mony or other consideration except for the immediate use & benefit of such child or children and that where any child or children are able & willing to support themselves, or ^ where their parents or friends will undertake for their support

[1]

such child or children ought not to be separated from their parents or friends and that the Selectmen should as far as may be consult the inclination of the Parent & children in the service for which ^ any children they may be disposed of

T Hutchinson p order

In Council 20 April 1756 Read & accepted & Ordered that the Selectmen of the several Towns where any French are placed govern themselves accordingly

Sent down for concurrence

Thos Clarke Dpty Secry

In the House of Reps April 20. 1756

Read and Concurred

T Hubbard Spkr

Consented to W Shirley

[2]

With the exception of the two eldest sons, who were relocated to Plymouth in 1760, the majority of the family remained in Marshfield, Joseph Michel dying there in 1763. The rest of the family continued on and it is likely that they integrated themselves into town life. The Meuse Family

Hailing from Cape Sable, the Meuse family arrived in Massachusetts sometime between the summer and fall of 1756. Residing in Plymouth, the Meuses provided for their own support, yet when this became difficult they petitioned the General court, complaining that they were not being provided for by the town as were other Acadians.

[Massachusetts General Court Committee report on the petition of Joseph Michel, 26 April 1756. SC1, Series 45X, Massachusetts Archives Collection, 1603-1799, vol. 23, pages 56-57. Massachusetts Archives.]

The General court responded by assigning them to Wareham. Meanwhile, the Meuses had contacted Nathaniel Ray Thomas of Marshfield in order to provide for their support. He agreed and permission was given for them to remain in said place. Later they complained of mistreatment by Thomas, so the family's indenture was cancelled and the family moved to Easton. Again unable to support themselves, several of thesons left town to find work elsewhere.

Paul Clement, Charles Meuse son-in-law signed the petition along with his father-in-law addressed to the General Court.

Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum, September 2005 Exhibit opened June 21, 2005 at Massachusetts Archives/Commonwealth Museum and is scheduled to be open until June 2006.

CHELMSFORD

Chelmsford Oct 24, 1757.
In obedience & pursuant to an Order of the Great and General Court of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, made & passed the 21st Day of January A. D. 1757

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2004 - Present

October 16, 1755 - Acadian Deportation Has Begun

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:06:00 +0000

Our Ancestors would not celebrate another Christmas in their homeland of Acadie.

October 16, 1755
The Pennsylvania Gazette BOSTON, October 6.

By letters from the Camp before Fort Cumberland, in Nova Scotia, of the 8th ult. we have Advice, That on the 27th of August, Major Fry, with several Officers and 200 Men, embark on board the Sloop York, Capt. Cobb, and the Schooner Warren, Captain Adams; and the same Evening, landed at Chipoudie, a Village about 8 Leagues up the River, having Instructions to bring off all the Inhabitants and set Fire to the Houses.--- That upon their first landing they marched with an advance and two flank Guards to the Village, but found all the Inhabitants were fled except 25 Women and Children, who were taken Prisoners. The next Morning they set Fire to the Buildings and burnt down 18 Houses and Barns, with all the Hay, Grain, &c. therein.--- After this they proceeded to the Mass house, which, with what was therein, was burnt to Ashes; --- then putting the Prisoners on board one of the Transports which lay ready for that Purpose, they embark again, and the next Morning two of the Officers with 62 Men, were ordered to proceed to Pitcoudiack; and having landed within Sight of the ArmVessels, they found the Houses entirely evacuated; and by the first of September, they laid the Buildings in Ashes, for fifteen Miles in Length on the northerly Side of the River; and about 6 on the other Side; and when they came in Sight of a Mass House, they discoverFoot Tracks lately made, and soon after perceived a Smoak; the Mass House being cloase to a thick Wood, they posted proper Guards, and as they were preparing to fire the House, a Signal Gun was fired by the Enemy;and before the Guards, and the few Men with them, could repair to the main Body, they found themselves almost surrounded by them; upon which they were obliged to rush thro' them as well as they could, firing their pieces, and receiving their Fire; and while thus retreating, the Indians gained Ground, shot lieut. March, and took and wounded some others. But a Serjeant with 6 Men coming from a Cops of Wood, stop their Pursuit, so that the rest of our Men gainthe Dyke and secured their Retreat. --- At this Time it was impossible for Major Fry to come to their Assistance, on Account of the Rapidity of the River, being driven by the Current 3 Quarters of a Mile below the intended Landing Place; but landing thee rest of his Men as soon as he possibly could, drew up the whole Body, and made a Stand; upon which the Enemy likewise drew up in a Body, besides the Dykes lined with Indians, and parties scouting in the Woods, supposed to be upwards of 300, but they were not inclined to engage our Forces in an open Manner, th'with such a Number they might have done almost as they pleased. --- At high Water the two armVessels got in as near the Shore as they safely could, and covering each of the Flanks, sent their Boats ashore, and took or Men and carried them on board; the Vessels during the Embarkation, fired their Cannon and kept the Rebels off.--- Several of the Enemy were killed, but how many is uncertain. --- 253 Houses and Barns, besides the Mass House have been burnt.

©Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home

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August 25, 1755 - Acadian Deportation

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:53:00 +0000

The Boston Gazette -Weekly Journal Boston
August 25, 1755

By a vessel arrived here last Wednesday, and another the Day following, both in 4 days from Halifax, we are informed, that a 50 and 20 gunShip were arrived there from Virginia; and that 19 + Men of War were in that Harbour when they came away. That a number of Transports were preparing to sail for the Bay of Fundy, which were to be convoyed by Capt. Rous, in order to carry off the French Inhabitants from Nova Scotia.
That a School was arrived there in 6 weeks from England ; but bro't nothing material. War was not declar'd when she sail'd.

By Capt. Bacon, who arrived here last Evening in 8 Days from Chignecto, we are informed, That the French Neutrals (Acadians) were lading a schooner and a Sloop up the Bay Vert, with Provisions, in order to send to Louisbourg: That upon Intelligence thereof to Col. Monckton he immediately dispatched away 250 Troops to said Bay by Land, but when got there could not find any Boats or Canoes; and upon asking the Neutrals whether they knew of any, they said they did (or would) not know; but the English threatening to hang two or three of them if they did not tell, thy soon procur'd them two, which 13 o four men took and went off to the above Vessels, but while they were going, they were constantly fir'd upon from the Vesssels with Swivels and Small-Arms, but those brave Fellows not minding their firing boarded and took them, with 13 Head of Cattle on board, and bro't them safe to Chignecto, without receiving any Damage.

That Col. Winslow had march'd with 400 Men to Pisguit [Pisiguit] in order to take off the Neutrals (Acadians) there; and from thence he was to proceed with them to Halifax.

©Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home Blog

2011 - Present

Cross posted from
Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home Web Site
2007 - Present

Interesting Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:10:00 +0000

Did you know? Did you know that the what appears to be a middle initial on an Acadian time is more than that? Actually, when researching Acadian ancestors, that middle letter often tells us who this ancestors father was or what the ancestral line itself is. When searching for my grandfather Damien LeBlanc, on my father's birth record in New Bedford, MA I found him listed as Damien S. LeBlanc - I haven't found that on any of the other 16 children's birth records. What that S really stands for is Damien's father's name, Sylvain and so it goes.

Interesting Notes on a Symbol of Acadia

On August 15, 1995, the star studded blue, white and red Acadian Flag was recognized by the Govenor General of Canada as a historic flag of Canada being the official symbol of the Acadian people since 1884. Thus antedating the Canadian flag by exactly 80 years and 6 months. The grant of arms and flag to the Société Nationale d'Acadie specifically names the Acadian standard as the National Flag of Acadia and it is now depicted and entered on page 74 of Volume III of the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada The Acadian flag originated in Miscouche 116 years ago and it may be the oldest existing emblem of a French people in North America, antedating the flag of Québec by 65 years, and the Acadian flag of Louisiana by nearly 81 years. The Acadian flag is not the French flag as some mistakingly call it. It was chosen by the people of Acadia gathered in Miscouche 11 years after Prince Edward island entered confederation. It is a made in Canada flag. What makes it purely Acadian is the gold star on the French colours of blue, white and red, which represents the Acadian patron saint, Our Lady of the Assumption, much the same way as Saint George, Saint Andrew, and Saint PAtrick represent the patron saints of England, Scotland and Ireland respectively. Acadians chose their patron saint in 1881, Pope Pius XI confirmed it by a decree on January 19, 1938. (From the Journal Pioneer, August 2000, "The Flutter of Flags - a Healthy Pride" by David LeGallant and sent to me by James Perry who lives on Prince Edward Island.)

This is a list of where the Acadians were deported from and where they were exiled to in 1755.

PLACE
EXILED FROM
Annapolis Royal

Minas Basin(Les Mines)
Chignectou
Pisiquid
Pré des Boudreau
Grand-Pré
Halifax
Port-Latour
Cap-Sable

PLACE
EXILED TO
So. Carolina/Massachusetts/Connecticut
New York/Ile St-Jean
Virgiania/Maryland/So.Carolina/Connecticut
So. Carolina/Pennsylvania/Georgia
Maryland/Virginia/Massachusetts/Pennsylvania
Connecticut/Virginia/Massachusetts
Maryland/Pennsylvania
North Carolina
Massachusetts
Massachusetts

In 1758, the British wanted to expatriate the Acadians from Ile St-Jean/Prince Edward Island. Three ships that sailed from Ile St-Jean for France were lost at sea and all of its human cargo perished. These ships were the Duke William, Violet and the Ruby.
OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

NEW BRUNSWICK

The Village of Memramcook was incorporated by Order in Council 95-343 on 8 May 1995. This village takes in the former Village of Saint-Joseph; and the Local Service Districts of Breau Creek, Cormier's Cove, La Hêtrière-McGinley Corner, Memramcook, Memramcook East, Pré-d'en-Haut, Shediac Road, and a portion of the Parish of Dorchester.

NOVA SCOTIA

Although applied first on September 29, 1621, when Sir William Alexander (1567?-1640) received a grant of "the lands lying between New England and Newfoundland ... to be known as Nova Scotia, or New Scotland", the name did not become fixed on the map until after the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Prior to this, the name Acadia was generally used by the French to denote the Maritime provinces along with adjacent portions of New England and Quebec. The origin of the word Acadia is in dispute. It is generally accepted to be from Archadia (Acadia), assigned by Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524 and suggested by the classical name for a land of rustic peace. The claim that it is of Mik'maq origin is probably coincidental. The Micmac word Quoddy or Cady was rendered by the French as cadie and meant a piece of land or territory.

Source: Hamilton, William B. (1978): The Macmillan book of Canadian place names, Macmillan of Canada, Toronto, p. 129.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

The island appears under the name Île de Saint Jean in Champlain's narrative (1604) and on his map (1632); however, according to Ganong, the name is of earlier origin. After its acquisition by the British in 1759 the island was known as St. John's Island until the name was changed in 1798 to honour Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1767-1820), father of Queen Victoria, then in command of the British forces at Halifax. Separated from Nova Scotia in 1769, Prince Edward Island entered Confederation on July 1, 1873.

Source: Hamilton, William B. (1978): The Macmillan book of Canadian place names, Macmillan of Canada, Toronto, p. 215.

How Did The Canadians Travel to Michigan?

In the days of Cadillac and thereafter for awhile they traveled by canoe. It is believed that they basically followed the St. Lawrence into Lake Ontario into Lake Erie and then here. Near the end of that century I have no idea how they changed things. After that there was no one pattern that they followed. I have gone to conferences the past few years to learn that info and the speakers don't really seem to know themselves. I know when the train arrived around 1850 the Grand Trunk went from the Riviere-du-Loup area to Sarnia. They have a good drawing of that in a museum I visited in Montreal. But I also know there was a pattern from the Isle Verte area to Belle River (near Windsor) then to Michigan and to Bay City and then to Alpena. I think there were a lot of different routes they took. Source: Gail Moreau, Researcher from Michigan

Oh Canada!

CALIXA LAVALLÉE (1842-1891) was initiated to the piano, violin, organ, and cornet by his father, a musical instrument maker. By 1855 he was studying piano in Montreal with Paul Letondal and Charles Wugk Sabatier. In 1857 he left Canada to perform as a musician in the USA and later toured in South America. After serving in the US Civil War he returned to Canada in 1863 to teach and give concerts in Montreal. During 1865-66 he spent some time in California, then married in Lowell, Mass. He settled in Boston, then moved to New York where he was appointed music director of the Grand Opera House from 1870-72. He returned to Montreal and a public subscription allowed him to spend 1873-75 in Paris where he studied piano with Marmontel, and composition with Boieldieu fils. Returning to Montreal Lavalleé opened a teaching studio with the violinist-composer Jéhin-Prume and served as choirmaster at St. James Church 1875-79. Best known as the composer of "O Canada", he was one of Canada's most active and versatile musicians of his day. His career eventually took him to Boston, where he remained until his death.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
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Saint Nicolas des Champs, Paris, France

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:53:00 +0000

Saint Nicolas des Champs
Church of the Abbey of Saint Martin des Champs

In August 2007, I traveled to Europe with daughters Sarah and Rebecca. A highlight of our time in Paris was finding the church of Saint Nicolas Des Champs, the place of origin for some of our ancestors before leaving France for Quebec, Canada.

At the time of its founding in 1067, the Abbey of Saint Martin des Champs was outside the walls of the City of Paris. It was incorporated into the city in the 14th century when it was enclosed by the new City wall constructed under the management of the Prefect of Paris, Etienne Marcel.

The church of Saint Nicolas des Champs was begun in 1420 and enlarged significantly in 1541.
In 1615, another building project was completed that gives us the church we see today.

The Church of Saint Nicolas des Champs was a center for charitable works and a refuge for pilgrims until its closing at the time of the French Revolution.

Closed in 1793, it was re-opened in 1795 as a temple dedicated to Faith.

In the 19th century it underwent a restoration and many works of contemporary artists were added to the interior along with works donated from other Paris churches.

The following ancestors lived at St. Nicolas Des Champs:

FRANCOIS BONNET was born abt. 1565 at St-Nicolas Des Champs. His date of death is unknown as is the name of his spouse. His granddaughter would be the first of his family to sail for Quebec some time after her marriage.

JEANNE BONNET was born Abt. 1600 in St-Nicolas Des Champs, Paris France, and died 23 April 1646 in St-Nicolas Des Champs, Paris France. She married NICOLAS RICHARD Abt. 1620 in Paris, France. He was born Abt. 1600 in St-Nicolas Des Champs, Paris France, and died Abt. 1632 in St-Nicolas Des Champs, Paris France. Their daughter MARGUERITE RICHARD (JEANNE1 BONNET) was born Abt. 1630 in St-Nicolas Des Champs, Paris France, and died 23 April 1708 in Lorette, Québec, Canada. She married JEAN (DIT LAVIGNE) LEVASSEUR 23 April 1646 in St-Nicolas Des Champs, Paris, France, son of NOEL LEVASSEUR and GENEVIEVE GAUCHER. He was born Abt. 1622 in Bois Guillaume, Rouen, Normandie, France, and died 31 August 1686 in Quebec, Canada.

The Architecture of the Church

The Church of Saint Nicolas des Champs is dominated by a beautiful tower which dates from the 15th century, the top portion dates from the 17th.

Parts of the nave date from the first construction of the present building in 1420. The Renaissance portail on the south side was built in the 16th century and was inspired by a drawing by Philippe de l'Orme, the architect to King Henri II.

Philippe de l'Orme was also responsible for the early design and beginnings of the Palais de Tuileries.

Although it now has a fairly rough exterior owing to its long life and to the rise and decline of the area, the interior of the church of Saint Nicolas des Champs is quite remarkable for its light and beauty.

Twenty five large windows account for the luminous quality and add greatly to the richness of the interior decoration.

The Works of Art

There are many wonderful masterpieces in the Church of Saint Nicolas des Champs from across the centuries attesting to her once prominent place in the life of the City.

Among these are:

Saint Vincent Taking the Place of the Condemned Mine Worker

This work was created in 1863 by the City of Paris and executed by the artist Leon Bonnat and tells of an episode in the life of Saint Vincent, the helper and protector of the poor.

The Baptism Of Christ

A work of the 16th century by Gaudenzio Ferrari, this painting is rich in allegory and symbol, retelling the story of Jesus' baptism in the river Jordan by John the Baptist.

Our Lady of Sorrows

The work of Georges Lallemant painted in 1620, depicts the scene of Jesus being taken down from the cross.

Saint Augustin

This work of Hilaire d'Olivet from the 18th century was for years attributed to another artist until the end of of the 19th century when a cleaning and restoration revealed the original signature and the error was rectified.
It is a wonderful painting depicting an episode in the life of the early 4th century saint and bishop of Hippo in present day Algeria.

Saint Nicolas Calming the Storm

The artist Jean-Baptiste Pierre was the First artist to the King in 1770. This painting was made to imitate a bas relief sculpture. It depicts one of the many miracles attributed to the great Saint.

Our Lady of Victory

This work by Frans Pourbus was painted in 1618 and is a magnificent and imposing work.

The Apostles at the Tomb of the Virgin and The Assumption

The retable is the work of the master Simon Vouet and was created in 1629. It depicts two scenes from early Christianity, the Burial of Mary and her Assumption into heaven. It is a remarkable work from the 17th century.
As can be seen from this wide array of works, this was once the center of a vibrant parish life and continues to this day as a presence in the area.

All photos the property of Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

Taken August 2007

©Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

Acadian & French-Canadian Blog & Web site

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Acadian History by Placide Gaudet

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:36:00 +0000

Acadian History by Placide Gaudet

Bridgetown, Nova Scotia

July 18th, 1922

The homestead of Antoine Belliveau, born in France in 1621, and married about 1651 to Andrée Guyon, was about one mile below the Allen river. Jean his only son, born at Port-Royal about 1652, married Jeanne Bourque about 1673 by whom he had three sons and two daughters. Jean Jr., his eldest son married in 1696 Madeleine Melanson and died September 13, 1707 of a wound he received in fighting the English, at the second attack of Colonel March against Port-Royal. He left three sons, of whom two settled at or near Carleton Corner opposite Bridgetown. Of these two I will speak, after I have related an episode relating to Charles, the eldest of the sons who was born in 1697, and married at Grand-Pré, November 3, 1717, Marguerite Granger, by whom he had ten children, of whom two where sons. Charles inherited his father's farm, and besides being a farmer, he was a ship carpenter and a good mariner. What I am going to say about Charles Belliveau, related to the year 1755, at the time of the Expulsion of the Acadians.

Writing on board his flagship the Torbay, then at St-Helen's, November 15 1755, to John Cleveland, Esq. Secretary to the Admiralty, Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen, speaking of the removal of the Acadians, says: I appointed the following ships to convoy the transports that were to carry them: the Syren, captain Proby, from Chignecto to Georgia and the two Carolinas; the Nightlingale, captain Diggs, from Mines to Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and then proceed to his station at New Yhork; the Baltimore, captain Owen, from Annapolis Royal to Newe York; the Hornet, captain Salt, from Annapolis Royal to Boston, and then the Spithead; the Mermaid, captain Shirley, to Connecticut. Captain Rous, of the Success, to assis in embarking them and to look into the St. John River.

Being short of provisions and the transports expected from Halifax not having yet arrived at Annapolis, captain Washington Shirley, commander of H.M.S., the Mermaid, sailed from Annapolis for Boston, with Sloop Hornet, captain Salk, November 10, and left T. Owen, captain of the Sloop Baltimore, in charge of the transports, five of which arrived at Annapolis Royal, between the 14th and the 17th of November. But the Pembroke Snow, with the provisions, having lost her main mast in a storm only reached Annapolis Royal between November 25, and December 1st.Her disabled mast had to be replaced, and Charles Belliveau was ordered to make a new one which he did. When it was finished he asked to be paid but on the refusal of the captain to do so, he at once lifted up his carpenter's axe and threatened to cut the new mast, and the captain had to pay him the price asked. But irony of fate he was embarked on board the Pembroke to be deported.

The Pembroke was of 42 tons, victualled for 139 days; she had on board 33 men, 37 women, 70 sons and 92 daughters forming a total of 232 persons. She sailed from Goat Island, December 8, 1755, bound for North Caroline. The other transports were the Helena, 3323 persons, for Boston; the Edwards, 278 persons, for Connecticut; the Two Sisters, 280, for Connecticut; the Experiment, 200 persons, for New York; the Hopson 342 persons, for South Carolina, and a Schooner, for South Carolina, with 9 persons. The grant total on the seven vessels was 1664 Acadian prisoners. With the exception of the Pembroke the transports reached their destination and landed their human cargo. The Baltimore convoyed them as far as New York, and Captain Owen approaching the Pembroke said to her captain: Be on your guard; on board your vessel you have some very able men and some good mariners, and so saying the captain of the Baltimore took another direction, whilst the Pembroke, which was only manned by eight persons went on her course towards North Carolina.

The 232 Acadian prisoners were kept in the hole of the Pembroke.

Just think of it, 232 persons packed in that part of the vessel where there was no ventilation of any kind! Was that an act of humanity, or of barbarity? I will not dwell on that subject; it is too heart rending. In order to prevent the unfortunate prisoners dying of suffocation, six at a time were allowed to come on deck every half hour alternatively. At last Charles Belliveau chose five of the strongest men among them, and told them what thy were to do, when the hatch-way would be opened, and instructions were also given to others to act promptly, at the proper moment. As soon as the half hour was over, and the six on deck ordered to go down in the hole, and six others called on deck, Belliveau and his five chosen companions came out quickly, and before the hatchway was closed they had mastered the captain and crew by stunning them with strong blows from their fists, and as the hatchway was left open many others came on deck to help their companions, if need be. At once Charles Belliveau took charge of the vessel, and as he was an expert mariner, he soon turned the direction of the Pembroke. The wind was very strong and the captain cried out: Stop! you are going to break the main-mast! To this Belliveau answered promptly: You lie; I made this mast and I know it will not break. Alternatively Captain Fontaine called Beaulieu and Belliveau, and some others were at the wheel. The Pembroke had sailed from Goat Island, December 8, 1755, and on February 8, 1756, she entered the port of St. John, New Brunswick where its human cargo was landed.

There are several documents relating to the capture of the Pembroke but the following extract of a letter from Governor Lawrence to Governor Shirley, of Massachusetts Bay, bearing date, February 18, 1756 is here appropriate. Here is what Lawrence says:

I lately sent a part of Rangers in a schooner to St. John River, as the men were cloathed like french soldiers and the schooner under french colours, I had hopes by such a deceit, not only to discover what was going there but to bring off some of the St. John Indians. The officer found there an English ship, one of our transports that sailed from Annapolis Royal with French inhabitants aboard bound for the Continent, but the inhabitants had risen upon the master & crew and carried the ship into that harbour, our people would have brought her off but by an accident they discovered themselved too soon, upon which the French set fire to the ship.

Amongst the Acadian prisoners onboard the Pembroke, besides Charles Belliveau and Captain Beaulieu, there were families of Boudreau, Dugas, Guilbeau, Granger, St-Seine, etc. There was also Prudent Robichaud, born in 1669 at Port-Royal, son of Etienne Robichaud and Françoise Boudreau, both natives of France. Prudent Robichaud married in 1691, Henriette Petitpas, and they had a family of twelve children, of whom five were sons. He was one of the prominent inhabitants of Annapolis Royal and rendered services to the English garrison, and yet notwhithstanding his old age - he was then eighty-six years old - he was embarked in December 1755 on board the Pembroke. In the summer of 1756, some of the 32 families left St-John River for Quebec. Robichaud was with them and died on the St-John River on his way to Quebec. On April 16 (N.S.) 1727, Lieutenant Governor Lawrence Armstrong had appointed him a Justice of the Peace for Annapolis, and on December 12 (N.S.) 1733, the same Lieutenant-Governor had given him the commission for collecting his Majesty's rents, etc., within the Banlieue of Annapolis Royal.

As to Charles Belliveau he succeded in reaching Quebec where he died in January 1758. His wife had predeceased him eight years and was buried at Annapolis Royal May 2, 1750.
Charles Jr. the eldest of the two sons, was born October 12, 1731, and on January 10, 1755, he married Osithe Dugas. He was deported in 1755 to Massachusetts Bay, and in 1767, he was permitted with his family to go to the province of Quebec, settled at St-Jacqaues de l'Achigan, where he died August 10, 1796, leaving several children, whose descendants are today numerous. As to Pierre, the youngest of the sons of Charles, the ship carpenter and mariner, he was born May 16, 1734, and therefore he was twenty one years old, at the time of the deportation which he escaped by taking to the woods, and succeeded in reaching, with others, an Acadian settlement at Coverdale, a few miles from Moncton. Amongst his companions in flight from Annapolis river, were three brothers, namely: Joseph, Charlitte and Bonaventure LeBlanc. They were all unmarried. They are, with Pierre Belliveau at their head, connected with the capture of the schooner in the summer of 1756, at Sackville, Westmorland County, New Brunswick. The Acadian families who had taken refuge, at the Acadian Village at Coverdale, about five or six miles from Moncton, being short of provisions Pierre Belliveau and the three LeBlanc brothers offered to go in search of cattle in the Chignictou district if a guide was given them. Cyprien Gautreau, a native of that district, offered his services which were acepted.

Pierre Belliveau and his four companions on arriving at Tintamarre River, at or near the town of Sackville, noticed at the bottom of the river, it was low tide, a schooner which Pierre Belliveau recognized at once, as belonging t his father, the hero of the Pembroke, and resolved to capture her. Having explained his plan to his companions, the five of them boarded the schooner on the pretext to buy some tobacco. The captain with a crea of four men had been sent from Annapolis, in search of Acadian fugitives, and to capture those he would meet. He therefore was delighted when those five young men went onboard of his schooner, and gave them free plenty of tobacco. But as the tide began to rise, Pierre Belliveau who could speak English well enough to make himself understood, thanked the captain and pretended to leave the vessel, but the captain told him that he and his companions were his prisoners, and then ordered three men of the cre to throw them into the hole. But this was not to be effected. Charlitte LeBlanc, on eof the three brothers and who had the strength of four ordinary men, had been told to keep himself close to windlass, and to make us of the windlass bar when ordered, consequently before the order of the captain could be obeyed, the cry of Strike, Charlitte, was heard, and the heavy bar of the windlass fell alternatively on the heads of the three sailors, who were killed outright. Then the captain called his first mate - a mighty strong man - who at the time was in the cabin, and ordered him to throw in the hole these Acadians whom he qualified with epithets unproper to be repeated here. Again was heard Strike, Charlitte! and the first mate fell overboard, holding Pierre Belliveau. The latter was promptly rescued, and the mate received another blow which finished him. Then came the turn of the captain who begged of them on his knees not to kill him but without avail. Having been told to recommend his soul to his Maker, he received a fatal blow from the hands of Charlitte LeBlanc. The schooner was taken up the Petcoudiac River, and hidden in a creek at Coverdale.

It was in the seventies of the last century that at Memramcook, I learned this last episode from the lips of some of the descendants of those who captured that schooner. Some twelve years later, Pierre Belliveau and the three LeBlanc brothers settled on the west side of the Memramcook River, where they died leaving large families. The descendants of Gautreau are at Barachois, near the town of Shediac.
Pierre Bellieveau was born 16 May 1734 and married Abt. 1760, Anne Girouard, and died at Memramcook, Febraury 16, 1820, and his wife on April 5th, 1823. They had a family of seven children whose descendants are today very numerous.

As I have said, two sons, of Jean Belliveau (who died in 1707, from the wounds he received at one of the sieges of Port-Royal by Colonel March) and brothers of Charles Belliveau of the Pembroke fame, settled at Carleton Corner after their marriage. Jean, the eldest of the two, born in 1699, married November 13, 1730, Marie-Madeleine Gaudet, and died at Belliveau's Cove, Digby County, Nova Scotia. He was the great-grandfather of Julie Vitaline Belliveau, wife of the late Luc LeBlanc and mother of the Right Reverend Dr. Edouard A. LeBlanc, Bishop of St-John, New Brunswick.
Pierre Belliveau, brother of Jean, who died at Belliveau's Cove, was born August 4, 1706, and on January 21, 1723, he married Jeanne Gaudet, sister of Marie-Madeleine, wife of his brother Jean. These two sisters were the daughters of Bernard Gaudet and Jeanne Terriot.

Pierre Belliveau had the surname Piau (pronounced Peeo) and was the uncle of the Pierre Belliveau who with four others made the capture of his father's schooner at Sackville, New Brunswick. This Pierre Belliveau surnamed Piau was the grandfather of my father's mother. Like his brother harles and Pierre, his nephew, his adventures at the time of the Expulsion deserve to be related.

Towards the end of August 1755, on the arrival of the first vessels ordered from Halifax to Annapolis Royal to transport the Acadians, all the French inhabitants residing above the fort fled to the wood. A few days later many returned to their dwelling houses, and there remained until they were embarked, on December 4, onboard the transports, but not on those which had arrived from Boston in the month of August. These had to be sent to Minas Basin where vessels were waiting to deport the population of that district.

But Pierre Belliveau surnamed Piau and several of his neighbors and a few families,from both sides of the river, below the fort, who had fled to Gaudet Village, thought it more prudent to abandon their homes and seek a temporary place of refuge, where they would be in in safety from the pursuit of the soldiery. Acordingly they took with them as much of their effects as they could conveniently carry, crossed to the North Mountain, and went to New Hampton, then called Anse de la Croix (Cross Cove). Here were several large fishing boats hidden there by the heads of the families living below the fort who fled to Gaudet Village. It must be remembered that Major John Handfield, commanding officer at Annapolis Royal, had ordered by a proclamation, dated July 12, 1755, that all fire arms, boats of all kinds belonging to the Acadians should be delivered at the fort, without delay. Fortunately for Belliveau and his companions this order was not unanimously carried out, and this is the explanation why fishing boats were hidden at Cross Point. These boats were used by Belliveau's caravan to ascend the bay, some twenty-four miles, till they reached a little port which afterwards was called French Cross on account of a cross erected there by Bellieveau and his Acadian companions but is now known as Morden. It is situated on the Bay of Fundy shore, and lies about seven miles from Hampton station, in a direct line. Here they remained until about the 9th dy of December, awaiting with great anxiety to learn what would be the fate of their compatriots who had returned to their homes in the beginning of September.

From their hiding place they noticed one day, about the middle of October, a fleet of ten ships, convoyed by an armed vessel, going down the bay. did they dream that onboard of these there was a human cargo of 1,045 Acadian prisoners from Chignictou district? There is no record to tell us. This fleet had sailed from Cumberland Basin, on the 13th of October, bound for Georgia, North and South Carolina, and put in the Basin of Annapolis, whence it sailed again on the 27th, which day, another fleet composed of thirteen vessels, convoyed by the frigate Nightengale, also sailed from Minas Basin, with 1,505 prisoners from that locality, and 1,100 from Pisiguit. These also, as they went down the bay, were noticed by Bellieveau and his companions.

At last they got information through some Indians met by their watching party, that the people of Annapolis had been shipped off on a fleet which sailed from Goat Island on Monday the 8th of December at five o'clock in the morning. this human cargo consisted of 1,664 Acadian prisoners.
Had Belliveau and his companions remained a few weeks longer in their hiding place, they would have seen other transports going down the bay with human cargoes, one on the 6th of same month with 150 prisoners, two on the 13th with 350 Acadians, and on the 20th December, two other vessels left Minas Basin with 230 prisoners.

Summing up the above figures, we have a total of 6,080 Acadians of Annapolis, Kings, Hants, Colchester and Cumberland counties, who were shipped off in thirty-four vessels. Minor deportations took place from time to time for several years.

What a terrible catastrophe had fallen on the Acadian people. Pastors and flocks were being tossed at the same time on the rolling waves of an angry sea. The members of families were separated and embarked on different transports. Their houses and churches were given to flames. The inhabitants of the peninsula who had escaped deportation were wandering in the forest and shivering with cold and exposure, whilst the perpetrators of these misfortunes and miseries were rejoicing over the result of their inhuman and cruel work. The heart-rending sufferings of the unfortunate Acadians were nothing to Lawrence and his associates. They thought the Acadian race was forever banished from Acadie. How great mistaken they were!

About the 9th of December, 1755, after having erected a cross as a momento of their sojourn at Morden, Belliveau and his companions left their hiding place at French Cross to seek a safer one. Fortunately, they had the few fishing boats which I have already mentioned, and having embarked onboard, they coasted the shore of the Bay of Fundy as far as Digby Neck, and then enterred by Petit Passage, nearly opposite Ste-Anne College, at Church Point, into St-Mary's Bay, which they ascended as far as the entrace of Belliveau's Cove, five miles from Petit Passage. Here there was then a small island, and they decided to land and encamp on it for the rest of the winter. When I first visited that locality, in February 1885, that island was called Ile-à-Piau (Piau's Island) by the old people of the neighbourhood. that name is now in oblivion, and the island itself is no more, it has since joined the mainland and forms a part of the picturesque landscape now called Major Doucet's Point. With Church Point this is the most historic spot in the whole municipality of Clare or French Town, as the Acadian settlements on the estern shore of St. Mary's Bay were formerly known to their English-speaking neighbors. As several deaths occurred among Pierre Belliveau's caravan, soon after their arrival and during the winter 1755-6, they were buried here. This spot was in September, 1768, the cradle of Clare Settlement by Acadians. For twenty years, from 1771 to 1791, the first Acadian settlers of Clare buried their dead alongside of those interred there during the winter of 1755-6, and thus Piau's Island became the first Acadian burial ground in Digby County.
I will not endeavor to portray the sufferings and miseries the Acadian fugitives endured during that winter. They are more easy to be conveived than to be described. One of their cares was to build rough huts. This I know by family tradition. These unfortunate one, poorly clad, sleeping on bed of fir twigs spread on bare ground for pillows, often covered with snow after stormy nights, destitute of proper food and starving, were often visited by the angel of death, which mercifully ended the sufferings of many. Thus passed the bleak winter of 1755-6.

Spring came at last and Pierre Belliveau and his companions bade adieu to the small island which had given them shelter, and embarked in their fishing boats to seek another place of refuge. Having crossed to the other side of the Bay of Fundy they followed its shores to Chignictou Bay which they ascended, entered Shipody Bay then Petcoudiac River went to its bend, now Moncton, and proceeded to the Acadian Village at Coverdale. Here they found every one in complete misery and that decided them to seek another refuge. They went through the woods to Cocagne, and on foot reached Boishebert's camp, at Nelson, on the Miramichi River, a distance of nearly one hundred miles. The caravan found here as much miseries if not more than at Coverdael. The Acadian refugees there were daily dying of starvation, and many of Belliveau's caravan were buried at Nelson. Belliveau and his companions soon left the place and went to Ristigouche where they remained a few years and then returned to Coverdale. Thjis was before Captain McKenzie's raid at Ristigouche in 1761.

About the year 1768, Pierre Belliveau surnamed Piau, with his son Joseph, settled on the western side of the Memramcook River, nearly opposite where is now the University St-Joseph (today in 1999 a museum exists here). For many years that locality was called Le Village-des-Piaux, (Piaus' Village) but now it is St-Joseph. A few years later, Joseph Belliveau became one of the first settlers of Belliveau's Village on the eastern side of the Petcoudiac river, and it is there that his father died in 1800, and himself in 1840, both of them approaching one hundred years of age. Their descendatns are very numerous

Placide Gaudet ended this presentation by saying: Dear Denis Gaudet, first settler of this locality, may you rest in peace. Your race shall never become extinct, since your numerous descendants are to be found in nearly every province in the Dominion and even in the United States. Placide Gaudet
SOURCE: La Société Historique Acadienne, le 30ième Cahier, Vol. III no. 10, January, February, March 1971.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - 2004

1752 Acadian Census

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:31:00 +0000

January 1752
General List of Inhabitants of French Acadia
By Names, Families, Villages and number of Boys and Girls
in Each Family

1752

VESKAK

Jean ARSENAU, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl Francois DOUCET, his wife, 2 boys 1 girl
Michel HACHÉ, père [father or Sr.], his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls
Jean HACHÉ, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls
Jean-Bte [Baptiste] SAVOYE, his wife, 2 boys, 7 girls
Michel HACHÉ, fils [son or Jr.], his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls
Michel GIROUARD, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls
Jean DOUCET, his wife, 1 girl
François DOUCET, his wife, 1 girl
Jean CORMIER, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls
Bte. [Baptiste] BERNARD, his wife, 5 boys, 3 girls
Jean MIGNEAU, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls

PRÉ DES BOURGS (BOURQUE)

Michel BOURG, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls Belonie BOURG, bachelor
Rene BERNARD, the elder [l'ainé], his wife, 3 girls, 1 boy
Rene BERNARD, the younger [le jeune], his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls
Joseph DOUCET, bachelor, with his brother and sister.

DES RICHARDS

Martin RICHARD, widower, 2 boys, 1 girl. Jean RICHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Pierre RICHARD, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Pierre BOURGEOIS, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph RICHARD, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Francois BERNARD, his wife, 1 boy.
Francois BOURG, his wife, 7 boys, 3 girls.

TINTAMARRE

Michel GODET, his wife, 2 boys. Germain GIROUARD, his wife, 1 girl.
Pierre GODET, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Ambroise POIRIER, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph GIROUARD, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph GODET, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Jean-Bte. [Baptiste] BERTRAN, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Louis GODET, his wife, 1 girl.
Pierre DEVAU, his wife, 1 boy.
Michel NUIRAT, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Rene POIRIER, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Germain GIROUARD, his wife, 2 boys, 6 girls.
Maire BOURG, widow, 2 boys.
Joseph BELLIVAU, widower, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Augustin GODET, widower, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Pierre GIROUARD, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Jean GODET, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Francois ARSENAU, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Francois POIRIER, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Pierre BERNARD, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Pierre GODET, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Charles DOUCET, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph GODET, his wife, 1 boy.
Charles DEVAU, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Charles GAUDET, widower, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Jean GAUDET, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Paul BERNARD, his wife, 2 boys.
Claude ARSENAU, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph BERNARD, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls.

LA COUPE

Pierre CARÉ, his wife, 2 boys, 5 girls. Jean DEVAU, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls.
Jean DEVAU, le jeune, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
The widow POIRIER, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Joseph CARRÉ and his wife.
Jean-Bpt. [Baptiste] ORILLON, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.

LE LAC

Joseph CORMIER, his wife, 3 girls. Charles POIRIER, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Jean CARRE, widower, 1 girl.
Germain CARRE, bachelor.
Joseph GRANGE [Granger], his wife, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Alexis LANDRY, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls.
The widow CORMIER, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Alexis CORMIER, widower, 1 girl.
Marin LEBLANC, his wife, 1 boy.
Pierre BOURGEOIS, his wife, 5 boys, 3 girls.
Alexis LEBLANC, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Paul OLIVIER, his wife, 5 boys.
The widow GRANGE [Granger], 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph DOUCET, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls.
Jean TERRIOT, his wife, 1 boy.

LA POINTE À BEAUSÉJOUR

Charles BRUN, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls. The widow POIRIER, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Jean-Baptiste ORILLON, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Michjel POIRIER and his wife.
Pierre VIGNEAU, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Charles HEAN [Heon], his wife, 1 boy.
Jean CORMIER, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Charles GIROUARD, his wife, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Louis HUGON, his wife, 6 boys, 4 girls.
Louis HUGON, fils [son or Jr.], and his wife.
Jacques HUGON and his wife.
Francois POIRIER, his wife, 3 boys.
Ignace NUIRAT and his wife.
Magloire HEBERT, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Michel BOURGEOIS, his wife, 1 girl.
Joseph BOURGEOIS.
Michel CORMIER, fils [son or Jr.].
Jean-Bte [Baptiste] GIASSON [Chiasson], his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Pierre GIASSON [Chiasson], his wife, 1 boy.
Paul MARTIN, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls.
Augustin DEVAU, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Joseph KESSY, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Alexis KESSY, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.

MEMERAMKOOK(MEMRAMCOOK)

Pierre BLANCHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls. Joseph RICHARD, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Michel LANOUE, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Honore LANOUE, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Pierre DUPUIS.
Jean BENOIST, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Claude BENOIST, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph LANDRY, his wife, 3 girls.
Paul LANDRY, his wife, 3 girls.
Alexis LANDRY, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Bte. [Baptiste] LANDRY, his wife, 1 girl.
Pierre AUCOIN, his wife, 2 boys, 5 girls.
Jean AUCOIN, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Gregoire MAILLET, his wife, 2 boys 2 girls.
Pierre GIROUARD, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Guillaume GIROUARD, his wife, 2 girls.
Pierre FOREST, his wife, 1 girl.
Joseph BLANCHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Pierre GODET, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Michel DUPUY, his wife, 1 girl.
Benjamin THIBODEAU, 1 girl.
Joseph THIBODEAU, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls.
Rene DAIGLE, his wife, 9 boys, 1 girl.
Charles SAVOYS [Savoie], his wife, 2 girls, 1 boy.
Prudent ROBICHEAU, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Jean BASTARACHE and his wife.
Bruno ROBICHEAU, his wife, 1 boy.
Joseph ROBICHEAU, his wife, 1 boy.
Policarpe ROBICHEAU.
Gregoire RICHARD, his wife, 1 girl.
Michel HÉBERT, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Belonie HÉBERT, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
François HÉBERT, his wife, 1 girl.
Amant HÉBERT, his wife, 1 girl.
Claude HÉBERT, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
The widow HÉBERT.
Olivier HÉBERT.
Charles DESLAURIER.
Jean SIRE, his wife, 2 boys, 6 girls.
Pierre SIRE, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Joseph GIROUARD, his wife, 1 girl.
Honore BLANCHARD, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls.
Jean RICHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Honore SIRE, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Honore LANDRY, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Joseph SIRE, his wife, 2 girls.
Joseph RICHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Jean BLANCHARD, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Paul BLANCHARD, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Pierre BLANCHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Joseph BOURG, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.

PETKOUDIACK(PETITCODIAC)

Jacques BONNEVIE, his wife, 6 boys, 3 girls. Pierre VINCENT, his wife, 4 boys, 5 girls.
Jean VINCENT, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Rene LEBLANC, his wife, 5 boys, 3 girls.
Pierre SURET, his wife, 4 boys, 5 girls.
Paul MELANCON, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Honore MELANCON, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Jean DESLAURIERS, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Simon DARROIS, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Jean DAROIS, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Silvain BREAU, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Germain BOYE, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Paul TRAHAN, his wife, 1 girl.
Jean TRAHAN, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Rene TRAHAN and his wife.
Joseph BROUSSARD, his wife, 1 girl.
Jean DESLAURIERS, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Charles THIBODEAU, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Pierre LALANDE, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph LALANDE, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph LAPIERRE, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Pierre SAUNIER, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Jacques SAUNIER, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Etienne SAUNIER, his wife, 4 boys, 4 girls.
Charles SAUNIER, hiw wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Jean BOYE, his wife, 1 girl.
Alexandre BROUSSARD, 5 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph BROUSSARD, his wife, 8 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph LANDRY, his wife, 2 girls.
Jean LANDRY, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Pierre THIBODEAU, widower, 7 girls.
Paul THIBODEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 4 girls.
Pierre SAUNIER, his wife, 4 boys, 4 girls.
Francois COMMEAU, his wife, 5 boys, 4 girls.
Toussaint BLANCHARD, his wife, 4 boys, 4 girls.
Pierre SAUNIER, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Joseph SAUNIER, 3 boys, 2 girls.
Paul MARTIN, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls.
The widow MARTIN, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Jean BISSON, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Jean DUBOIS, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph DUBOIS, his wife, 1 girl.
Jean DUBOIS, the younger [le jeune], 2 boys, 2 girls.
Paul LÉGER, his wife, 1 girl.
Joseph PINET, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph LÉGER, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Pierre LÉGER, his wife, 1 boy.
Louis ALLAIN, his wife, 2 boys.
Pierre, COMMEAU, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Jean LÉGER, his wife, 2 girls.
The widow OMIRAU [Amirault], 3 boys, 2 girls.
Olivier BLANCHARD and his wife.
Simon MARTIN and his wife.
The widow LÉGER, 4 boys, 2 girls.
Jean BERTRAN, widower, 4 boys, 2 girls.
Claude MATHIEU, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.

CHIPOUDY

Martin AUCOIN, his wife, 2 boys, 5 girls. Louis LABAUVE, his wife, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Jean LABAUVE, his wife 1 boy, 3 girls.
Joseph LABAUVE and his wife.
Simon COMMEAU, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Honore SAVOYE, his wife, 1 boy, 4 girls.
Pierre COMMEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 5 girls.
Jean-Bte. [Baptiste] COMMEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 5 girls.
Francois COMMEAU, his wife, 5 boys, 4 girls.
Jean COMMEAU, his wife, 5 boys, 1 girl.
Rene BLANCHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Ambroise COMMEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Morice COMMEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 4 girls.
Joseph COMMEAU, his wife, 1 girl.
The widow LURON.
Jean SAUVAGE, his wife 1 girl.
Jean-Bte. [Baptiste] LEVRON, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Charles BRUN, his wife 2 girls.
Pierre PITRE, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
The widow PITRE, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph PITRE, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Simon SAVOYE, his wife, 3 girls.
Claude THIBODEAU, his wife, 1 boy.
Charles THIBODEAU, his wife, 2 boys, 5 girls.
Michel THIBODEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 4 girls.
The widow MIRE, 2 boys, 4 girls.
Jean THIBODEAU, his wife, 1 boy, 4 girls.
Jean PREJEAN, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls.
Olivier THIBODEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Jean BREAU, his wife, 3 boys, 6 girls.
Jean SAVOYE, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Jean LAVOYE, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Paul LAVOYE, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Olivier SAUNIER, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Jean-Bte. [Baptiste] SAVOYE, his wife, 3 boys, 5 girls.
Charles PELLERIN, his wife, 1 girl.
Bernard GODET, his wife, 1 girl.
Pierre MARTIN, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Pierre MARTIN, l'aine, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Amant PREJEAN, his wife, 1 boy.
Charles MARTIN, his wife, 1 boy.
Jean BLANCHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 5 girls.
Paul BLANCHARD, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls.
Jean LORD, his wife, 1 boy, 6 girls.
Alexandre COMMEAU, his wife, 1 boy.
Charles SAVOY, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Ambroise BREAU, his wife, 5 boys, 3 girls.
Jean-Bte. [Baptiste] SAVOYE, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Jean BROUSSARD, his wife, 1 girl.
Michel SAUVAGE, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
The widow PELLERIN, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Jean LÉGER, his wife, 2 boys, 6 girls.
Joseph LORD, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
François BRUN, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls.
Jean BRUN, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Simon LAVRON, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Charles BRUN, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Pierre MIRE.
Joseph SAVOYE.
Pierre SAVOYE.

January 1752
General List of Refugee Families by Their Names,
Villages, and Number of Boys and Girls in each Family

GASPARAUX [Gaspereau]
Jean HAMON, his wife, 2 boys.
Charles BOURG, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Silvain BOURG, his wife, 2 boys.
Joseph BOURG and his wife. (Cobequit)
The widow LEBLANC, 1 girl.
Francois LEBLANC, his wife, 1 girl.
Francois BOURG, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls.
Pierre RICHARD, Jr., his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl. (Planches)
Pierre RICHARD, Sr., his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl. (Planches)
Paul SIRE, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls. (Mesagouche)
Pierre BOUDROT, his wife. 5 boys, 3 girls.
Paul LANDRY, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls. (Mines)
Joseph MELANCON, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Charles CHAUVET, his wife, 1 boy, 4 girls.
The widow CATHARY, 1 boy, 3 girls. (Pisiquit)

BAYE VERTE

Jean KESSY, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls. The elder Claude BOURGEOIS and his wife.
Francois ARSENEAU, dit Bresle, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls.
Pierre GRAVOIS, his wife, 2 boys.
Claude BOURGEOIS, his wife, 5 boys, 1 girl.
Pierre SIRE, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls.
Abraham POIRIER and his wife.
Jean SIRE, his wife, 3 boys, 4 girls.
Michel SIRE, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls. (Mesagouche)
Claude POIRIER, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
The widow HONET, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Abraham ARSENEAU, his wife, 1 boy.
Jean VIGNEAU, dit Morice, his wife, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Francois ARSENEAU, his wife, 1 boy, 5 girls.
Jacques VIGNEAU, Jr., and his wife.
Jean SIRE, dit mon fils (?).
Francois HEBERT, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Jean HEBERT, his wife, 1 girl. (Riviere des Heberts)
The younger Jacques HEBERT, his wife, 7 boys, 3 girls.
The widow Marie Joseph HEBERT with 1 boy. (Riviere des Mines)
Jean-Jacques BOURGEOIS, 1 boy, 2 girls. (des Planches)
The older Jean CORMIER and his wife.
Francois CORMIER, dit Palet, his wife, 4 boys. (Veskak)

PORTAGE

Pierre CORMIER, dit le grand, his wife, 6 boys, 5 girls. Francois LEBLANC, dit le Maigre, his wife, 4 boys. (Veskak)

POINTE BUOT

Jean HEBERT, widower, 2 boys, 3 girls. (Riviere des Mines)

Jean SIRE, his wife, 6 boys, 1 girl. (Veskak)

Vincent DEVAU, his wife, 1 boy, 4 girls.

Paul DEVAU, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.

Morice DEVAU and his wife.

Paul SIRE, widower, 4 boys, 3 girls.

Pierre COTARD, his wife, 3 girls. (Mesagouche)

Michel BOURGEOIS, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl

Francois BOURET, his wife, Z boys, 4 girls.

Olivier BOURGEOIS, widower, 1 boy, 1 girl.

Paul BOURGEOIS, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls. (des Planches)

Pierre DOUCET, son, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.

Pierre DOUCET, his wife 4 boys, 4 girls. (Nanpan)

Anne MATHIEU, widow, 4 boys, 4 girls.

LA COUPE

Jean CORMIER, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls. (Nanpan) The elder father HEBERT, widow.
Paul HEBERT. his wife, 1 boy. (Riviere des Mines)
Charles FOREST and his wife.
Rene FOREST and his wife. (Menoudy)

LE LAC

Michel BOURGEOIS, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls. (des Planches) Francois BOUDROT, his wife, 1 girl.
Francois GIROUARD, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls. (de la bute)
Jacques GIROUARD and his wife.
Francois POIRIER, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph POIRIER, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl. (Mecan)
Michel POIRIER, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Paul BUJEAU, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Bernard POIRIER, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph POIRIER, his wife, 4 boys, 4 girls.
Belonie DOUCET, his wife, 4 boys.
Paul POIRIER, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Jean POIRIER, his wife, 2 girls.
Paul DOUAIRON [Doiron], his wife, 5 boys, 3 girls. (Mecan)
Paul DOUAIRON [Doiron], fils [son or Jr.], his wife, 1 girl.
Claude POIRIER, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Joseph CORMIER, his wife, 7 boys, 2 girls.
Anne CORMIER, widow, 3 girls.
Jean BOURG, his wife, 4 boys. 3 girls.
Jean RICHARD, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Pierre POIRIER, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Pierre BOURG, his wife, 3 boys. 3 girls.
Jean BOURG and his wife. (Nanpan)
Michel RICHARD, his wife, 7 boys, 4 girls.
Joseph POIRIER, his wife, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Paul POIRIER, his wife, 1 hoy, 1 girl.
Joseph POIRIER, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Paul BOUDROT, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls.
Rene LEBLANC, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls.
Jean CORPERON.
Charles BREAU, his wife, 1 boy.
Alexandre DAVID, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
Alexis PROVENCAL.
Ambroise MELANCON, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls. (Mines)
Joseph HEBERT, his wife, 1 boy.
Pierre HEBERT, widower, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Marie HEBERT, widow, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Jacques BABIN, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Cecile THIBODEAU (widow?), 6 boys, 2 girls.
Joseph TERRIOT, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Pierre THIBODEAU, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls. (Veskak)
Jean-Charles DUPUY, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Pierre POIRIER, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls.
Paul TERRIOT, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Alexandre FOREST (widower?), 1 boy, 2 girls.
Guillaume POIRIER, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls.
Jean FOREST, his wife, 1 boy, 4 girls.
Joseph FOREST (widower?), 2 boys 4 girls.
Francois FOREST, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Jean BLANCHARD, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Margueritte FOREST (widow?), 3 boys, 1 girl. (Menoudy)
Jacques FOREST and his brother. (Menoudy)
Pierre DOUAIRON [Doiron], his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Joseph POIRIER, 5 boys, 3 girls.
Abraham GIASSEN [Chiasson], his wife, 6 boys, 3 girls.
Olivier LANDRY, his wife, 1 boy.
Germain FOREST, his wife, 1 boy.
Charles-Bte. [Baptiste] FOREST, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Jean-Augustine HEBERT, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Pierre POIRIER, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Pierre FOREST, his wife, 2 boys, 3 girls.
Pierre LAMBERT, widower, 1 boy.
Jean THIBODEAU, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls.
Germain DOUCET, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Jean PITRE, his wife, 3 boys, 5 girls. (Cobequit)
Jacques KESSY, his wife, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Jacques MOUTON, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Michel POIRIER, his wife, 1 girl.

LA POINTE DE BEAUSÉJOUR

Francois LEBLANC, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls. Joseph PROVENCAL, his brother, his sister.
Charles PROVENCAL widower, 1 girl. (Mines)
Pierre THEBEAU.
Charles LEVRON.
Francois LAPIERRE, his wife, 5 girls.
Ignace VREZ his wife, 1 boy.
Joseph KESSY, his wife 4 boys, 2 girls.
Michel LAPIERRE, his wife, 6 boys 3 girls.
Francois LABAUVE, his wife, 1 boy 1 girl.
Charles HEON, his wife, 3 boys, 4 girls.
Pierre ARSENAU, his wife, 2 girls, 1 girl. (de la bute)
Jean MOUTON, 2 boys, 2 girls.
Claude TENDON, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl.
La CANADIENNE, widow, 3 girls, 1 boy.
Claude KESSY, his wife, 1 girl. (de la Bute)
Marie GIASSON, widow.
Pierre DOUAIRON, his wife, 2 girls. (Menoudy)
Claude BOURGEOIS. (des Planches)
Joseph GIROUARD. (Port Royal)
Jean HEBERT and his wife. (Mines)

VESKAK

Pierre HEBERT, his wife 4 boys, 5 girls. (Riviere des Mines) Le Vieu [Old] Claude GAUDET, his wife, 4 boys, 5 girls. (de la Bute)
Charles GOUDET, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls. (de la Bute)
Pierre HEBERT, dit la Prade, and his wife. (Riviere des Mines)
Jean BLANCHARD. (Port Royal)
Pierre CORMIER and his wife. (Veskak)
Etienne MIGNEAU and his wife. (Mesagouche)

LA PRÉ DES BOURG

Jacques HEBERT, his wife, 2 girls. Pierre ARSENAU and 2 sisters.
Jean BABIN, his wife, 1 boy. (Riviere des Mines)
Marie BERNARD, widow, 3 boys, 1 girl.
Jacques BOURGEOIS, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls.
Jean-Bte. [Baptiste] BOURGEOIS, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls.
Pierre CORMIER, his wife, 1 girl.
Francois CORMIER, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.

DES RICHARD

Jean-Bte. [Baptiste] CORMIER, his wife, 3 boys, 4 girls. Antoine LANDRY, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls. (Veskak)
Joseph RICHARD, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls. (Nanpan)

TINTAMARRE

Pierre POITIER, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls. Michel BERNARD, his wife, 4 boys, 3 girls.
Jean BERNARD and his wife.
Francois HEBERT, his wife, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Paul ARSENAU, his wife, 3 boys, 6 girls. (Riviere des Mines)
Pierre RICHARD, his wife, 3 boys, 2 girls. (Nanpan)
Claude BABIN, his wife, 2 boys, 1 girl. (Veskak)
Anselme BOUDROT, his wife, 4 boys, 1 girl.
Claude GAUDET, his wife, 3 boys, 3 girls. (de la Bute)
Charles POIRIER and 2 brothers.
Pierre DERAYE, his wife, 1 boy, 3 girls. (Mesagouche)
Joseph ARSENAU.
Joseph HEBERT, his wife, 3 boys, 4 girls.
Claude HEBERT, his wife, 1 boy, 1 girl.
Pierre SIRE, his wife, 1 boy, 2 girls.
Joseph DOUARON, his wife, 4 girls. (Menoudy)
Jean DOUARON, his wife, 1 boy, 4 girls. (Menoudy)
Philipe LAMBERT.
Michel LAMBERT (widower?), 2 boys, 1 girl.
Joseph GARSO, his wife 2 boys, 5 girls.
Jean HEBERT and his wife. (des Hebert)

MEMRAMKOUK [Memramcook]

Pierre AROSTEGIN, his wife, 4 boys, 2 girls. The widow ROBICHEAU.
Pierre BOUDROT, his wife, 2 girls.
Jean-Bpte. [Baptiste] BOUDROT, his wife, 2 boys, 4 girls. (Cobequit)
Alexandre BOURG, his wife, 5 boys, 3 girls.
Jean GIROUARD and his wife.
Joseph LEBLANC his wife, 1 girl.
Rene BLANCHARD.
Louis LEVRON.
Justinien DUPUIS
Joseph LEBLANC. (Port Royal)
Bazile GIROUARD.
Charles MAILLET.
Marie POIRIER, unmarried woman.
Joseph LANDRY.
Charles HEBERT.
Francois HEBERT.

CHIPOUDY

Michel GIROUARD, widower, 2 boys, 5 girls.

PETKOUDIAK

Francois LEVRON.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - Present

Amesbury Public Library - October 29th, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Dear Cousins and Friends,

On Saturday, October 29th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. I will be speaking at the Amesbury Public Library. Topic: Acadian History & Genealogy - I will also speak about the Acadians exiled to Amesbury from 1755-1763.

To register please go to the library site at:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=AMESBURY&curApp=events&curID=50162&tEvt=2242512

I hope to see you there!

Lucie

Acadians of Tintamarre

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Sometime around 1708, the sons of Pierre Gaudet l'aîné [meaning the elder] along with his sons Pierre, Abraham and Augustin, were the pioneers of Tintamarre. This became the center of the whole settlement on the Tintamarre River.

They would later be joined by their Gaudet cousins as well as Germain Girouard who had left Port-Royal. The Haché, Bernard, Bourg and Richard families would pioneer other villages downriver. About 1717, the Arsenault, Poirier and Chiasson families would do the same upriver.

Building dykes to reclaim the fertile soil of the marshlands, they planted crops and raised livestock. Around 1723 they built a chapel. Once the deportation of the Acadians was underway, the British and New England military from Forts Cumberland [Beauséjour before it fell to the British] and Lawrence destroyed the surrounding villages, including Tintamarre in September of 1755. Despite all odds, the Acadian culture has survived and remains an important part of today's Tantramar's history. Map used with permission of the Tantramar site - "Yes, by all means use the map from the Tantramar Historic Sites web site for your own Acadian site. - Best wishes, Charlie Scobie.

©Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
Blog & Website

2006 - Present

Third Anniversary of the Acadian Ancestral Home Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:03:00 +0000

Time certainly does fly when we enjoy what we are doing. I cannot believe it has been three years since this blog was launched.

Sincere thanks to all who have supported me over the years in all of my endeavors be it the Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home web site, this blog as well as my other two blogs Lucie's Legacy and Whispers Through The Willows.

Deepest gratitude to my family for the all of their support and a shout out to our oldest daughter Rebecca who one day while home from college suggested I start a web site, gave me a few tips on how to do that and I've had an online presence for some fifteen years when I launched my first web site. Another shout out goes to our daughter Sarah for all of her encouragement as well as my husband Tony. Without all of their encouragement and support I probably would have never "dared" to try the Internet..goodness it seemed so overwhelming all those years ago when the best email (and almost only) was with AOL and the best free web sites were with geocities.

With time, I became an Internet "grown up" and no longer feared what might go wrong if I did this or that and I then purchased server space with ICDSoft in 2002 as well as a domain name. Without realizing it I guess those of us with early web sites were sort of pioneers - I remember when my web site was only one of perhaps 4 or 5 Acadian sites.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention our son-in-law Tyler who has been my computer guru when something went wrong and I couldn't figure it out. He always came to the rescue. I now have two sons-in-law. So I also tap Corey once in a while when I have questions.

Since the day I came online I've met cousins I never knew existed and have made some good friends. I love being online. All in all, it is just wonderful to be doings that I love to do at this time in my life. I'll be doing lots of blogging so stay tuned.. admittedly, I take some time off during the summer months but it is September and I am back with lots of discoveries to share.

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home

6 September 2011

Acadian National Holiday - August 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:41:00 +0000

National Acadian Day 1909 - Shediac, New Brunswick

The National Acadian Day is observed in Canada each year on August 15, celebrating the Assumption of Mary. It was during the first National Convention of the Acadians held at Memramcook, New Brunswick, in 1881 that the Acadian leaders received the mandate to set the date of this celebration.

The choice of the date was the object of a debate at the convention between those wishing for Acadians to celebrate June 24, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, and National Day of French Canadians since 1834 and National Holiday of Quebec since 1977, and others wishing the celebration to occur on August 15.

The arguments put forth by those who favored June 24 were:

Acadians must unite with the other francophone Canadians in common objectives before the anglophone majority of Canada.
August 15 occurs during harvest, so it would be difficult for all to be free for the celebration.

The arguments put forth by those who favored August 15 were:

The Acadians constitute a distinct nationality and must adopt their own national day.
The adoption of a national day distinct from that of French Canadians will not prevent unity between the two peoples.
June 24 occurs during seeds, so it would be equally difficult for all to be free for the celebration.
August 15 is Assumption Day, Catholic celebration of Virgin Mary, patron saint of the Acadians.

During this period of time, a good number of people among the Acadian leaders were traditionalists wishing for the conservation of the values and customs of pre-revolutionary France. This did not however prevent the Acadians from adopting a tricolor flag three years later at the Miscouche convention.

Abbot Marcel-François Richard, who favored August 15, is believed to have had an influence on the decision with the speech he gave at the convention. His arguments were:

... In fact, it seems to me that a people who, for over a century of hardships and persecutions, was able to preserve its religion, language, customs and autonomy, must have acquired enough importance to affirm its existence in a solemn way; and this could not be accomplished better than by being able to celebrate its own national holiday... Allow me, at this time, to point out a few of the motives that will encourage you to choose Our Lady of Assumption as National Acadian Day instead of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Since Canadians have chosen Saint-Jean-Baptiste as their patron, it seems to me that unless you wish to mistake our nationality with theirs, it is crucial that Acadians choose a particular holiday. It is important to stress that we are not descendants of Canada, but of France. Consequently, I see no reason why we should adopt the Saint-Jean-Baptiste as our national holiday... We must choose a holiday that reminds us of our origin. I am even going to go as far as to affirm that the Assumption has always been, and must always remain, National Acadian Day, since Acadians are descendants of the French race. Louis XIII vowed to give his empire to the Blessed Virgin and he wanted the Assumption to be the kingdom's national holiday. However, not long afterwards, he sent colonists to take over Acadia. They did, however, have to bring the customs of their homeland along, and if unfortunate circumstances prevented them from celebrating their national holiday in a regular manner, it is true that the national devotion of the Acadians is their devotion to Mary.

In the end, the members present at the convention decided on August 15.

The Vatican ratified the choice of the Acadian convention many years later in a proclamation issued on January 19, 1938.

Since June 19, 2003, a National Acadian Day officially exists in virtue of a law of the Parliament of Canada

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home

2011

Jacques dit Jacob Bourgeois - Founder of Beaubassin 1672

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:07:00 +0000

A Tribute to

Jacob (Jacques) Bourgeois

(This should read: Jacques dit Jacob Bourgeois

Founder circa 1672, of Beaubassin first establishment in the region of Missiguash River and initiator of salt marsh farming in Acadia Jacob Bourgeois arrived at Port-Royal in 1641 as surgeon for the Acadian colony. He is a common ancestor, with Jeanne Trahan, to the whole Bourgeois family from Acadian descent.

L'Association des Bourgeois de Descendance Acadienne Louis Bourgeois, président 14 août 2004

Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home Bog

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

2011

Acadians of Tintamarre - Early Acadian Settlement

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:48:00 +0000

Sometime around 1708, the sons of Pierre Gaudet l'aîné [meaning the elder] along with his sons Pierre, Abraham and Augustin, were the pioneers of Tintamarre. This became the center of the whole settlement on the Tintamarre River. They would later be joined by their Gaudet cousins as well as Germain Girouard who had left Port-Royal. The Haché, Bernard, Bourg and Richard families would pioneer other villages downriver. About 1717, the Arsenault, Poirier and Chiasson families would do the same upriver.

Building dykes to reclaim the fertile soil of the marshlands, they planted crops and raised livestock. Around 1723 they built a chapel. Once the deportation of the Acadians was underway, the British and New England military from Forts Cumberland [Beauséjour before it fell to the British] and Lawrence destroyed the surrounding villages, including Tintamarre in September of 1755.
Despite all odds, the Acadian culture has survived and remains an important part of today's Tantramar's history.

Map used with permission of the Tantramar site - "Yes, by all means use the map from the Tantramar Historic Sites web site for your own Acadian sites. - Best wishes, Charlie Scobie.

Acadian Timeline

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:48:00 +0000

• EXPLORATION

1604 First Acadian settlement on Saint-Croix Island
1605 First Acadian settlement in Port-Royal
1607 Jamestown is established
1608 French settlement of Quebec
1620 Pilgrim Fathers land at Plymouth Rock
1632 Treaty of St Germain-en-Laye.
July: Isaac de Razilly departs from LaRochelle with Charles de Menou and 300 settlers
September 8: Isaac de Razilly arrives at Le Heve

• PRE DEPORTATION

1636 1 April: The St. Jehan arrives in Port-Royal with French settlers
that includes both men and women.
1655 Fort Port-Royal is captured by the British
1667 First successful French settlements in North America: Port Royal (1606), and Québec (1609). English settlements in Virginia begins (1606-07). French and English territorial claims overlap Acadia. Acadia is recognized as French possession by the Treaty of Breda (1667). 1670 Treaty of Breda.
1671 The population of Acadia numbering 340 is enumerated for its first census.
1672 Beaubassin in the Chignecto Region is established
1682 Grand-Pré located in Minas is founded. It will become the bread basket
of Acadia.
1687 St-Charles des Mines Church is built at Grand-Pré
1690 Port-Royal is captured by the British. It will be renamed Annapolis Royal,
Nova Scotia
1697 Treaty of Ryswick.
1701 Petitcodiac is founded
1703 With a population of 1,450, the Acadians are enumerated again.
1708 Queen Anne's war breaks out and there is unrest with the British
1710 Port-Royal falls to the British one last time and now called Annapolis Royal
after Queen Anne.
1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Acadia now belongs to England and never again returns to
France
1720 The fortress at Louisbourg begins construction
1749 The English found Halifax and bring 2,576 English settlers to populate and
settle the land
1755 The Acadian Diaspora/Deportation begins and will go on for years.
1758 Acadians who had gone to Ile Ste Jean/Prince Edward Island earlier in
agreement with the British Government or who had fled there later are
deported to France. A group escapes to Malpèque and is not discovered.
Later they will be part of the founding families of Tignish.
Three ships go down at sea while deporting the Acadians. Whole families are
were never heard from again.
1758 Acadians on Ile Royale/Cape Breton are deported to France.

• POST DEPORTATION

1763 Treaty of Paris. The Seven Years War between France and England ends.
All of France's North American possessions now belong to England.
1765 First Acadians settle in Louisiana
1773 The 2,370 Acadians in France are enumerated
1776 22 Acadians under the command of Captain Isaie Boudreau fight under
Colonel Jonathan Eddy
(the Eddy Rebellion) in an effort to retake Fort Cumberland.
1785 Acadians numbering 1,600 sail from France to settle in Louisiana. Some of
their relatives had gone there earlier. They will become known as Cajuns.
1847 The poem Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longefellow is published
A spirit of pride and hope is rekindled among the Acadians.
1881 First Acadian Convention at Memramcook . The Feast of the Assumption of
the Blessed Mother is voted as the Acadian National holiday and is
celebrated each year on August 15th.
1884 Second Acadian Convention at Miscouche on Prince Edward Island. The tri-
color with gold star is approved as the Acadian flag and the hymn is Ave Maris
Stella becomes the national anthem of the Acadians.

Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home

2004 - Present

Excerpts from the Nova Scotia Archives Regarding the Acadians

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:10:00 +0000

        Governor's Letter-Book, Annapolis, 1719-1742.

        Mascarene to the Deputies of Piziquid.

        On petition of Charles Boudrot and his wife Marie Rivet, M. sends power to summons Etienne Rivet and Réné Landry to appear here at the time mentioned. Refusal to obey will be considered rebellion and treated accordingly, Deputies are to assist government in preserving order. Mentions this specially at this time, as some of the habitans seem to defy all government. Order to be sent to all districts.

        (initialed.) P. M.

        Réné Landry, Charles Meuse, Francis Meuse and James Amiraux, inhabitants of Pobumcoup have taken the oath of allegiance and "hitherto Behaved Themselves Loyally Like Good Subjects and on all Occasions been Ready to Assist the promotion of his Majesty's Service by their Obedience"; and are therefore British subjects under the fourth article of the Treaty of Utrecht, All civil and military officers are to accord them protection.

        (signed.) P. Mascarene

        "N. B. That one of The Same Ten or & Date Was Given to James & Peter Molaisons with Their Names Inserted They having Taken the Oath to his Majesty."

        Order for Division of Lands.

        To A. Bourg, notary at Minas. Francis LeBlanc and Réné Landry have complained to H. M. Council against Anthony Landry, Anthony Depuis and James Leblanc, in relation to lands at River Canard. Judgment given by H. M. Council as appears by Minute of Council of July 29, "which the Partys will give you to be Kept in Your Office." Land in question is to be divided by arbitrators mentioned in minute, and Bourg is to be arbitrator. B. ordered to make the division and report in writing.

        Annapolis, July 29, 1740.
        (signed.) P Mascarene

        Order Prohibiting Settlement.

        To Joseph Landry, Dennis Pettitot, Joseph Doucette, James Bertram, Michael Doucette, James Saverne, Peter Doucette, Germain Doucette and all whom it may concern. Their petition of July 7, asking permission to go and winter at Tibogue, with their families, taken into consideration by H. M. Council this day. They have not waited for Council's decision, but in direct opposition to the advice of tbe President of the Council, "that in the mean time

        Commission Book, 1720-1741.

        with proper certificates, in order that the same may be considered by the Council. In case of claims to this land, the Isle de Bout, B. is to summon the parties to appear here to show cause &c., at the time appointed in the minute.

        Annapolis, May 5, 1738,
        (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Order to Bourg & Mangeant to Visit Chippody.

        Several persons who merely got leave to visit and mark out lands "laying about Chippody, Memramcoup and Petitcoutiak" and report on them, have taken possession of and improved large portions of the crown lands, disobeyed repeated orders and defied the Government, to the prejudice of one another and causing "great Confusion and Disorder amongst the inhabitants." B. and M. are ordered to visit these districts "to take an Account of all the Inhab’ts of those parts, their Settlements, to Examine their pretentions the Quantity of land they have as in manner aforesaid Posessed themselves of, their Buttings and Boundaries and how they are Situated in Respect to One Another." Then they are to cite said inhabitants to appear before the Governor on or before July 25 next to make good their claims, &c. They are also to make a faithful report of all "your Remarks and Proceedings."

        Annapolis, May 5, 1738.
        (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Order Regarding Dykes and Unruly Cattle.

        Preamble notes disregard of previous orders of Ap. 17, 1735 and March 15, 1735/6. Complaints have since been made that unruly cattle have not been secured but still damage gardens crops in other inclosures.

        Notice of Declaration of War.

        In French. Notifies the Indians and inhabitants of this province of Nova Scotia that the King of England has declared war with the King of Spain, and at present we have no war with any other nation.

        Annapolis, May 15, 1740.

        (signed.) P. Mascarene

        Order to Pay.

        Preamble refers to two Minutes of Council having been laid before the Governor. Petitioner has again complained that James Giroard has positively refused to pay her what was therein ordered, she having by the accidents of fire lost a former copy. Minutes hereby confirmed in Council and Giroard is ordered to comply with the said sentence as be will answer at his peril.

        Annapolis, May 27, 1740.

        (signed.) P. Mascarene

        Commission to Bourg as Notary.

        Preamble rehearses the particulars of Philipps's appointment of A. Bourg as Procurator at Minas and of Armstrong's appointment of Mangeant in his place. All which being considered, and finding that, notwithstanding all care and precautions hitherto taken for the preservation of H. M. interest, the inhabitants, contrary to the tenor of the grants by which they hold their lands, daily impair and encroach thereupon, by passing deeds of sale and exchange of their land; it has been judged proper to re-establish Bourg as Notary "at The Grand Pre" Order to Give Possession.

        Preamble rehearses case of Stephen Rivett and his children vsClaude Brossard, all of Piziquid. Brossard bought land from Cécile Rivett, sister of Stephen R., being her share of her father's estate. Case heard before Governor-in-Council, Aug. 7, 1736. Both sides agreed to submit to the judgment of arbitrators chosen by themselves; and entered into a bond to that effect "under the pain of one Thousand Livers Tournois” to be paid by the party not agreeing to the party observing, as appears by the act of arbitration, dated Oct. 9, 1736. Whereas Rivett has not complied with the judgment of the arbitrators, notwithstanding the sentence of the Gov.-in-Council, March 7, 1738/9, "But Obstinately and Very Unjustly Keeps the said Brossard out of possession of Said Lands By him Purchased as Aforesaid as Appears by the said Arbitrators Report bearing the Date the 31st of October, 1738." These authorize "you," the Deputies of Piziquid, to put Brossard in possession of said lands immediately or at most within ten days from the time they receive this order. They are also to use their utmost endeavors to make Rivett pay costs to Brossard; "the said Dispute Occasioned by The Contempt of The Said Rivett as it Appears by the Report of The Arbitrators and Their Act of Submission." In case Rivett submits to the orders of the Govt. and he has any cause to bring forward, other than what has been already considered and decided on, he may produce them according to the letter sent herewith, after submitting to the present orders.

        Annapolis, May 27,1740.

        Order to Deputies to Inquire.

        Dispute exists between Claude Thibadeau and the widow of Michael Thibadeau of Round Meadow, regarding a piece of fence (?) which has been used by the said C. T.

        Governor's Letter-Book, Annapolis, 1719-1742.

        Mascarene to Deputies of Piziquid.

        Pierre Breaux and Charles LeBlanc of the one part and Estienne Hebert on the other having disagreed regarding the division of their lands, and the case having been settled by arbitrators chosen by themselves, and their decision having been confirmed by the Council, the Deputies are to settle the case in a friendly manner. Pierre Landry having complained that Pierre Benoit molested him in the possession of a meadow, B. was summoned to attend the court now sitting: he has not appeared. Council therefore considers his case not valid and orders the said molesters to make good their damage and annoyance to Landry. M. would be much pleased if the Deputies could effect a friendly settlement of the case. Deputies to notify the habitans that if they do not obey a properly signed summons, the case will be given against them by default; besides they will suffer the consequences of their disobedience.

        (signed.) Wm Shirreff Sec.ry. P. Mascarene.

        1740.
        Nov. 28. Annapolis.

        Mascarene to Deputies of River Canard.

        Sieur Gautier of River Canard having complained that Michael Vincent having been summoned to the court now sitting and having failed to appear, the Council has ordered that the Deputies or upright persons nominated by them valuate the horse, and that Vincent pay the valuation to Gautier. It is to their interest, as well as their duty, to see justice done. They are to warn the habitans that if they fail to obey a summons, their case goes by default and they will be punished for their contumacy.

        (signed.) Wm Shirreff Sec.ry. P. Mascarene.

        Nov. 28. Annapolis.

        Mascarene to Deputies of Chignecto.

        Jean Forrest has complained of neighbors settling on land he claims and cannot attend the court now in session

        June 18. Mascarene to Bourg.

        Has received B.'s by [blank] informing M. how B. has returned from Cobequid, having gathered the King's dues; which M. would like as soon as B. can conveniently send them. Wants wheat not for the King's advantage or his own (money would be better) but for the sake of several families here in distress, "who have no bread to eat & whom I would fain assist if I could." The two strangers not to be encouraged to remain: M. and Council order that the surgeon may stay some time and practise his profession as there is some need for it, but as there is no need of the tailor, he is to take the first fit opportunity to leave the province. Both strangers have been informed of the order; and B. is to inform the Deputies of the different settlements of it. Strangers are to be kept out of the province rather than encouraged to remain. Papers and proclamations of unauthorized persons are not be be regarded. Wants to know how long Duplessis has been in the country, by whose authority he exercises his function or has settled here "for I have no knowledge of him." Could not read a word in B.'s letter about Terriot and showed it to Jacques, with some others, but saw his mistake and stopped. Jacques may talk and B. must not think that he (M.) showed the whole letter. Those who have anything to discuss before the court here, especially the Landrys and Terriots of River Canard, are asked to defer their cases until the meeting in October, because the number of councillors at Annapolis now is small.

        (signed.) Wm Shirreff Sec.ry. Paul Mascarene.

        P. S. Warns the habitans against exporting any kind of produce out of the province, Would caution them "not to..

        Armstrong to Board of Trade.

        Merely an enclosure with the case of Alexr Le Borgne Sr. De Bellisle, drawn up in accordance with the B. of T.'s instructions, touching the pretensions of the seigneurs. Has "nothing as yet from any of the Rest"; but will forward it as soon as received. "This Alexr is the son of Mary the Daughter of Seignr James Latour (alias St. Estien) by Madam Daunay; She after ye reduction of this Province Retired to Canada for about three Years and then returned"; B. of T. can always refer to A.'s previous account of the seigneurs, which A. has not yet found to be contradicted by any here. Leaves it to judgment of B. of T. whether those who remained and are now present have any claim to the "shares of those who departed."

        (signed.) Wm Shirreff Secy. L. Armstrong

        1733-34.
        Jan. 5. Annapolis. Shirreff to John Duon.

        Received D.'s by John Prince's son: laid before the Govr, whose answer is as follows: He is surprised at the inhabitants making so many frivolous excuses and difficulties, where none exist. It is as easy for them to bring their rents on horseback as it is to ride daily hither. If the debts were due the Govr, he might be lenient; but as they are due the King, his master, he must insist on payments. For their own sake, they are ordered to comply. On Monday morning next at 10 of the clock, he intends to " fire three Guns with a. whift in the flagg for a signall to Speak with you": and also on Tuesday: when he expects the inhabitants to come with their

        Nov. 30.
        Annapolis. Shirreff to Bernard and Réné Le Blanc.

        As a reward, B. & R. Le Blanc are nominated and included among the proprietors of the mine they have discovered at

        Governor's Letter-Book, Annapolis, 1719-1742.

        Mascarene to Deputies of Piziquid.

        Pierre Breaux and Charles LeBlanc of the one part and Estienne Hebert on the other having disagreed regarding the division of their lands, and the case having been settled by arbitrators chosen by themselves, and their decision having been confirmed by the Council, the Deputies are to settle the case in a friendly manner. Pierre Landry having complained that Pierre Benoit molested him in the possession of a meadow, B. was summoned to attend the court now sitting: he has not appeared. Council therefore considers his case not valid and orders the said molesters to make good their damage and annoyance to Landry. M. would be much pleased if the Deputies could effect a friendly settlement of the case. Deputies to notify the habitans that if they do not obey a properly signed summons, the case will be given against them by default; besides they will suffer the consequences of their disobedience.

        (signed.) Wm Shirreff Sec.ry. P. Mascarene.

        1740.
        Nov. 28. Annapolis.

        Mascarene to Deputies of River Canard.

        Sieur Gautier of River Canard having complained that Michael Vincent having been summoned to the court now sitting and having failed to appear, the Council has ordered that the Deputies or upright persons nominated by them valuate the horse, and that Vincent pay the valuation to Gautier. It is to their interest, as well as their duty, to see justice done. They are to warn the habitans that if they fail to obey a summons, their case goes by default and they will be punished for their contumacy.

        (signed.) Wm Shirreff Sec.ry. P. Mascarene.

        Nov. 28. Annapolis.

        Mascarene to Deputies of Chignecto.

        Jean Forrest has complained of neighbors settling on land he claims and cannot attend the court now in session on

        Philipps to the Inhabitants of Minas.

        Sends the King's orders in the enclosed proclamation, which grants them the exercise of their religion and guarantees them their possessions and civil rights. Invites them to take the oaths of allegiance and fidelity now, especially as the King will allow them to retain what they hold most precious, the free exercise of their religion. Expects their answer by Father Felix and four deputies. If they cannot agree on the latter, M. would nominate "Alexandre Bourg, Jaques Ie Blanc, Paul Melanson & Pierre Breaux." Proclamation to be read before the largest number of habitans possible and Adams and Blin.

        (signed.) R: Philipps.

        Certificate of Having Taken Oath of Allegiance.

        Alex’r Le Borgne "hath submitted himself and taken the Oath of Allegiance to his Most Sacred Majesty, Geo. II. "and acknowledged him the only True and Sovereigne Lord and Proprietor of this Said Province."

        Annapolis, Sept. 27, 1733 (signed.) L. Armstrong

        Order to Deputies of Shickanecto.

        Whereas, John Hebert, John Bapt. Terriot and Oliver D' Aigre have represented that Noel Pinet, Granjan Commaux and others have taken possession of their land, the Deputies are ordered to examine unto the case and report to the Gov. that Justice may be done.

        Annapolis, Oct. 29, 1734 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        0rder to John Dyson, Store-keeper.

        As a hospital is an absolute necessity for such of the troops as fall ill, and as the building set apart by the French and still reserved for that purpose, is entirely out of repair, Dyson is ordered to rebuild and repair and make the house fit for the purpose.

        Annapolis, Oct, 24th, 1734. (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Order for Arrest.

        John Hamilton, Naval officer for the province, in the performance of his duty at Minas, was "most audaciously & insolently Insulted & Affronted by one Petit Jacque Le Blanc"

        Commission Book, 1720-1741.

        for having robbed M. Dolobora of "une Demi Chaloupe & quelques Merchandises d'un grande Valeur,"

        Annapolis, Nov. 29, 1736. (signed.) Otho Hamilton Sec.

        "N. B. That there was one of the same tenor and Date sent to the Deputys of Chicanecto."

        Order to Repair the Road up the Cape.

        In French. Governor informed the roads towards the Cape are in bad condition from the rain, and that the people are careless about mending them. Deputies ordered to set the inhabitants to work on them; all to take an equal share according to their ability and circumstances, or to be fined a pistole apiece.

        Annapolis, Nov. 3rd, 1736. (signed.) Otho Hamilton Secr.y L : Armstrong.

        Order to Appear Before Council.

        In French. Guillaume Bourgeois and other inhabitants of Chippody have complained to the Governor-in-council that Jean Leger "fils de In Rosette" has taken possession of a field belonging to Pierre Tibadeau, his father-in-law, "sur laquelle les Suppliant avoit meme fait faire de Travail." Governor cannot decide the case without seeing both parties to it. Jean Leger summoned to appear before the end of March next, "pour Repondre à la Requete Incuse."

        Annapolis, Oct. 15, 1736. (signed.) Otho Hamilton Sec.taire

        Order to Joseph and Alexandre Broussard of Chippody to Summon Jean Leger.

        In French. As there are no Deputies at C., J. & A. Broussard are requested to summon Jean Leger to appear before

        Order for Arrest.

        John Hamilton, Naval officer for the province, in the performance of his duty at Minas, was "most audaciously & insolently Insulted & Affronted by one Petit Jacque Ie Blanc"

        Order to Deputies of Shickanecto.

        Whereas, John Hebert, John Bapt. Terriot and Oliver D' Aigre have represented that Noel Pinet, Granjan Commaux and others have taken possession of their land, the Deputies are ordered to examine unto the case and report to the Gov. that Justice may be done.

        Annapolis, Oct. 29, 1734 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Order to Priest and Settlers at River St. John's.

        As it is not from ignorance but presumption that they have settled so long in a British province without leave, in the first place, and without taking the oath of allegiance, they are ordered to repair to the port of Annapolis Royal and take the oath or answer for their misconduct.

        Annapolis, March, 1732 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Permit to Leave Settlement.

        Paul Melanson, Joseph Surett, Peter Surrett, Josesh Cadett Jr., Martin Aucoin Jr. and Joseph Babin have leave to go and make report of the soil of both upland and marsh grounds and also of the woods, the river and the state, condition and depth of the harbour of that part of the province on the north shore of the bay of Fundy called and known by the name of Mushquash Cove. They are to return to this his Majesty's garrison as soon as possible, without marking or laying out any portion of said land, either for themselves or any others whatsoever, as they will answer at their peril.

        Annapolis, March 28, 1732 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Order for Release of an Englishman at Minas.

        Letter from Mr De Godalie priest, to Mr. Gaulen priest at Annapolis of the 8th inst. informs Armstrong that said Godalie has a young Englishman in his custody. The deputies are charged and commanded to procure his release and to send him to Annapolis at once.

        Annapolis, Ap. 20, 1732 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Warrants for Preparing Material for Granary.

        Réné Le Blanc of Minas authorized to have in readiness timbers fit for building a "magazine or granary, 26 ft. broad

        1. Below is note “N. B. There was another permitt of the same tenor and date to Go to visit some ground lying at Apple River Given to Paul Le Blanc, John Le Blanc, (alias S. Lappin) James Tibau and Benjamin Le Blanc.

        Réné Landry, Charles Meuse, Francis Meuse and James Amiraux, inhabitants of Pobumcoup have taken the oath of allegiance and "hitherto Behaved Themselves Loyally Like Good Subjects and on all Occasions been Ready to Assist the promotion of his Majesty's Service by their Obedience"; and are therefore British subjects under the fourth article of the Treaty of Utrecht, All civil and military officers are to accord them protection.

        (signed.) P. Mascarene

        "N. B. That one of The Same Ten or & Date Was Given to James & Peter Molaisons with Their Names Inserted They having Taken the Oath to his Majesty."

        Order for Division of Lands.

        To A. Bourg, notary at Minas. Francis LeBlanc and Réné Landry have complained to H. M. Council against Anthony Landry, Anthony Depuis and James Leblanc, in relation to lands at River Canard. Judgment given by H. M. Council as appears by Minute of Council of July 29, "which the Partys will give you to be Kept in Your Office." Land in question is to be divided by arbitrators mentioned in minute, and Bourg is to be arbitrator. B. ordered to make the division and report in writing.

        Annapolis, July 29, 1740. (signed.) P Mascarene

        Governor's Letter-Book, Annapolis, 1713-1717.

        Considerable quantity of furs brought in by the Indians and sold by the French to our traders. Copper mines there of which the inhabitants make spoons, candlesticks and other necessities, They have between 30 and 40 sail of vessels, built by themselves, which they employ in fishing. Their harbors are but indifferent: there are about 500 men, of which 200 are settled inhabitants. Checanectou is situate N. about 30 leagues away; a low country, used mostly for raising black and white cattle. Were supplied from C, in our necessity with about 70 bbls. of extraordinary good beef. The greatest resort for the Penobscot and St. John's Indians, who barter to the French great quantities of furs and feathers for provisions. Oxen and cows about 1,000, sheep about 1,000, hogs about 800, corn to support their families (about 50), computed to be 6,000 bushels. Very good coal mines there, which have formerly been used by this garrison. Masting may be had there, but the best places are "Pesmecoddy Mages and St John," for masts of all sizes and with rivers for the embarkation of them. N. from here about 14 leagues. Harbors to the eastward from this place to the "Gutt of Canco, beginning at Pugmacou1 Cape Sables, Port Rossway, La-Have, Marligash, Chebuctou, Bay of Vert, Restubuctou &c. to ye Gutt of Canco." Masting to be had, with convenient water carriage; but few inhabitants in any of them. They are accounted good harbors, resorted to by N. E. fishermen and ours on all occasions, and are capable of improvement, "especially La Have Port Rosway, and chebuctou, being most Convenient for trade and ffortification." Canso recommended particularly, because it has the richest fisheries, and the French design building a fort at St. Peter's not above seven leagues away; which will make it impossible to protect British vessels. If2 the French remain in this country, it will tend to its improvement: their numbers are considerable, and if they quit us we strengthen the enemy.

        Mascarene to Bourg and Deputies of Piziquid.

        As a dispute is likely to arise between Peter Bennit, Martin Bennit "and Their associates" on the one side, and the family of the Forrests on the other, in regard to a piece of marsh and the channel of a mill at Piziquid, which caused M. "Upon the Representation of Mr. Peter Landry of Said Place" to send the Bennits an order of this date forbidding them to disturb the Forrests in possession of the estate they have purchased, until they appear before the Commander-in-chief and Council and obtain permission, in case the Bennits do interfere, B and the Deputies are to "Examine into the state Of Their Difference" that the nature of it may be more easily comprehended and decided by the Council.

        (signed.) Wm Shirreff Sec.ry. P. Mascarene.

        Aug. 23. Annapolis. Mascarene to Bourg.

        Received B.'s letter by Hautbois an hour ago: is glad to learn that the division of River Canard between the Landrys

        May 26. Annapolis. Philipps to Craggs.

        Arrived here in the middle of April after wintering at Boston. Garrison found in good condition except a few old men; but fortifications bad. Several practicable breaches which ten men might enter abreast. Visited three days after arrival by priest at head of one hundred and fifty men. Made him read proclamation. Priest stated that in Gen. Nicholson's time the people had agreed to remain subjects of France and retire to Cape Breton; they also feared the Indians. They can march off at their leisure, as the garrison is too weak to prevent them. Next day sent proclamation to priest to read to his congregation. Prompt answer returned. King's Council chosen, which ordered six deputies to be chosen to represent the inhabitants. Priest went to Minas the same night that he sent the letter. Two of the six deputies rejected as having no effects or possessions to lose. Inhabitants refused to alter their choice, and wished to send two of their number to C. B. for advice. Permission granted. Intrigues with the Indians. Chief of the River Indians (a small tribe) has come in, and been satisfied with Philipps' replies to his questions. Has not sent for other chiefs, as presents have not arrived. Inhabitants clearing a road to Minas, in order to retreat thither. Forbidden to do so. Deputies returned from Minas. Council resolved to send them away with smooth words, in order to gain time, and obtain instructions from England. Situation difficult. People cannot be made English, and will not remain quiet if the peace is broken. Believe only their priests, who are opposed to the Regent: danger also from the Indians. Two hundred Mohocks should be brought from New York to operate against them. Land at Minas very productive; but may be drowned by cutting dykes. Advises bringing in settlers from Newfoundland, and has sent invitations to this effect by ...

        Order for Peaceable Possession.

        Claude Gautrau not to be disturbed in the possession of his estates adjoining the common of Minas. He is also to occupy peaceably one fourth of the point of land, "as is mentioned and Agreed on by a Contract Given for the Same the 4th of July, 1688."

        Annapolis, May 11, 1732. (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Order for Possession.

        Whereas the Depuis have been at Annapolis again, complaining that the Boudrots and Landrys will not conform and submit to the sentence of the court in relation to the land lying between the two brooks called the Ruisseaux de l' Aigle, although both parties have agreed to a plan and signed it, which was witnessed by Francis Landry one of the Deputies, the Deputies are ordered to divide the land as already directed; the Depuis to have the half of wood and marsh-land nearest their plantation.

        Annapolis, May 11, 1732. (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Commission Book, 1720-1741.

        Minas, together with the persons interested, particularly Philip Melanson and Réné Landry are ordered to appear at Annapolis and explain their misconduct.

        Annapolis, Jan. 31, 1732/3 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Proclamation Regarding Half-Bushel.

        Preamble refers to order of Aug, 20 'last,' requiring all half- bushels to be brought in. The new standard measure is now ready. The Deputies of Annapolis river are ordered to bring in all half-bushels that can be found amongst the inhabitants, within twenty days. New half-bushels are to be made according to the standard, which also must be brought in to receive the legal stamp, declaring that all grain hereafter bought or sold and measured by the said half-bushels now ordered to be destroyed shall be confiscated and sold for the benefit of the poor. Those who will not comply are to be reported to the Governor,

        Annapolis, Feb. 5, 1732/3 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Order to Deputies.

        Claude Gautrot of Minas has obtained an order for possession of part of the Common of Minas, representing that it was an inheritance. Sworn statements of respectable inhabitants deny the allegation of inheritance. The Minute of Council of Feb. 6, 1731, in relation to the quarter part of the point of land then in dispute, is to remain in force till Gautrot can obtain his vouchers. He is to quit at once the portion of the common occupied by him.

        Annapolis, Feb. 16, 1732/3 (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        1. NOTE. "It does not appear as yet to the Board that Claud Gautrot has any manner of legal right or pretension to the land lying on the Southern Side of the River Gaspero."

        Armstrong to Deputies of Minas.

        House to be built "on the Grand Pré at Menis" to shelter anyone sent on Government errands, to secure provisions, stores or other necessaries "to be purchass'd of the Inhabitants for the Service of this Garrison, or for any publick Store-House in time of Scarcity, for the poor Inhabitants of Menis, and for the Indians Residing thereabouts, under Such Regulations as to prevent any Exaction at such a time Reinstatement of an Outlaw.

        Insolent conduct of Etienne Rivett to the Government, in stirring up the savages to depredations. In consequence, His Excellency has outlawed him and confiscated his estate. Rivett has appealed, shown that the information is false and malicious, attested by fifty-five of the principal people of Piziquid. On this consideration, and since he has comported himself peacefully and was the chief means of inducing the inhabitants to take the oath of allegiance, he is formally reinstated.

        Annapolis, Sept: 21, 1731. (signed.) L. Armstrong.

        Menis, Piziquet, & The River Canard, Cobaquit & Chignectou."

        French translation of foregoing [139]

        Order Forbidding Work on Crown Lands.

        Governor's previous order of Oct. 29, 1734, forbidding Noel Pinet, Grandjean Commeaux and others who had "of their own Accord" taken possession of some Crown land at or near Chignecto, has been disregarded. They are in contempt of H. M, govt. by continuing to work thereon. Deputies have not sent report, as ordered. Hereby directed to forbid anyone to trespass on disputed property, until further orders or Armstrong's arrival. Deputies to cause this order to be published at the church door after mass for three Sundays, that none may pretend ignorance.

        Annapolis, Sept. 20, 1735. (signed.) L : Armstrong.

        Order for Keeping Dykes, &c., in Repair. See order [135] relating to repairs of dykes at Piziquid. Literally the same; except that it is now made applicable to the entire province. "Strictly & Expressly to Require Every Inhab’t & all & Every Other person or persons Whatsoever Residing in this Province who have Property in lands therein Situated to keep their Dykes, &c.," as before, Same penalty.

        Annapolis, March 5, 1735\6. (signed.) L : Armstrong.

        Order in regard to Réné Guillot. Directions to Charles Duron and Deputies of Piziquid not to disturb or molest Réné Guillot in possession of his house

Acadians Exiled to France from Louisbourg and Ile St-Jean - Where Did They Go?

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:35:00 +0000

Lists of names exist regarding the Acadians of Louisbourg and Ile St-Jean who were repatriated to France in the Treaty signed about 1757 at the fall of Louisbourg between Britain and France. Because so many Acadians being deported from Ile St-Jean/Prince Edward Island died when their ships went down at sea, we do not necessarily have all of those names. These Acadian families are being reconstructed by Stephen A. White. What is posted here is the research of Father Patrice Gallant. Father Gallant went France in search of what had happened to the Acadians who had been exiled to France.

First of all, he querried as to what had become of all and any Acadians when they went to France and then what had become of them after that. This, whether they went to France as exiles from Louisbourg and Ile St-Jean, or if they had been expatriated to France at the Treaty of Paris in 1767. What he found was the following information:

1. 1,500 of the Acadians who had been captured in Mines (Grand-Pré) in 1755 had been sent to the New England Colonies and then onto England where they would have arrived in 1757. After the Treaty of Paris, they went to France and were predominantly settled at Morlaix. In Morlaix there are three parishes: St. Martin, St. Mathieu and St. Mélaine. Most of the Acadians were placed especially at St. Martin on Bourret Street. Father Gallant found 86 acts involving the Acadians the first one being a marriage celebrated on 7 November 1763 and the last on 19 January 1780. At St. Mathieu, he found 22 acts from 21 July 1763 to 9 August 1770; there were no Acadian records following that date. At St. Mélaine, there were only 4 acts - the first was the baptism of Anastasie-Prudente, daughter of Mathurin Granger and Geneviève Terriot, born and privately baptized in England.

2. The second group of Acadians to be exiled were captured at Cap-Sable, that is to say, at Pubnico; taken to Halifax, they were then expedited to Europe on 9 November 1759. In Cherbourge, France, Father Gallant was able to find 246 Acadian records that were of greatest interest; the first, a marriage on 29 May 1759 and the last, a baptism on 8 February 1775.

The Acadians arrived on at least two ships: the first on 30 November 1758 coming from Louisbourg transported the inhabitants of Ile St-Jean; the second ship, on 14 January 1760 came from Halifax where it had departed on 9 November 1759. Two children were born aboard this ship: Louis-Marie Dubois, born 16 December 1759 on the ship that had left from Halifax and disembarked on 14 January 1760 - he had been validly baptized aboard the ship by Joseph Landry. Isidore Viger, born 20 December 1759 on the British transport that arrived 14 January 1760. Another, Joseph-David Hébert was born at Halifax on 27 October 1759, just prior to departure. Recorded in the registers from 15 to 30 January 1760, were 8 baptisms, born either at Cap Sable, at Halifax or aboard ship; one was born 8 December 1758; another was 8 months old. On 26 January 1760, at the end of the same year, more than 40 deaths were recorded of the Acadians who had arrived on this ship.

On the arrival of an earlier shipload of Acadians from Cap-Sable, the first Acadian burial was that of Marie Doucet, daughter of Joseph and Marguerite Moulaison, on 15 February 1759. She was a native of Ste-Anne au Cap Sable, 2-1/2 years of age. That means that this ship would have left Cap Sable about the end of 1758.

3. The third ship to arrive came from Ile St-Jean. Many writers have said that nine vessels deported the Acadians from Ille St-Jean (Prince Edward Island) to France, from the Fall of 1758 to the Spring of 1759. Thus, over 2,200 Acadians would have been deported. According to rameau de St-Père Une Colonie Féodale, page 224, a ship entered the port of Boulogne, taken there by a storm on 26 December 1758 and it had come from Ile St-Jean with 179 passengers aboard.

On 30 November 1758, another ship arrived at Cherbourg. Many records mention the following: Transferred to France because the English gained control of Louisbourg, living in this city since the St-André of the last year. There was a marriage on 2 June 1759 between Léonard Giraud, surgeon, and Madeleine Boudrot, daughter of deceased Pierre Boudrot and Marie Douaron, deceased during the trip from Louisbourg to France. This ship had remained at sea off Plymouth for three months with its 130 passengers having hardly any food and dying of thirst. At Cherbourg, on 12 August 1760 Joseph Deveau married widow Marie De la Croix who died at Plymouth where her body was thrown into the sea. During 1759, there were 30 Acadian burials at Cherbourg.
However, it is especially St-Malo that received the largest contingency of Acadians who had been deported from Ile St-Jean. Records in France mention 5 British ships. The Acadians sought refuge in the following locations:

ST-SERVAN - 700 Acadian records were found here by Father Gallant. It is possible that this is where the greatest number of Acadians could be found. From 31 January 1759 to 27 July of the same year, there were 44 burials. The first burial on 31 January was that of Hélène Leblanc, child of Claude and Marie-Josèphe, 8 years of age having arrived a short time ago from Louisbourg. In the following records, February 1759, the deceased people are said to have arrived on the last transports. The dead were said to have come from either Ile St-Jean or from Louisbourg. The last records on the Acadians were at the end of 1773.

ST-ENOGAT - Here all of the Acadians were from Ile St-Jean (Prince Edward Island).

ST-SULIAC - There were some records on the Acadians who had been here from May 1759 through 29 October 1773. The following places received a fewer Acadians and those who went to these locations were there for a very short time...

PLEURTUIT - Records from 7 August 1759 to 27 May 1767.

CHATEAUNEUF - Records here show mostly burials at this location (16) from 15 April 1759 through 13 September 1761.

ST-MELOIR DES ONDES - 12 records dated 30 June 1761 to 8 December 1768.

ST-COULOMB - 23 records from 4 April 1760 through 22 May 1771.

PARAME - Only 6 records at this location however, the following one is quite interesting. On 17 June 1760, Nicolas Bouchard, native of Canada, St. Thomas Parish, Québec, son of deceased Nicolas and Anne Sylvain, widower of Marie Chiasson, married Cécile Caissy, daughter of deceased Jean and Cécile Hébert, widow of Pierre Grossin, originally from Beauséjour; Pierre Grossin died at the hospital of St-Malo. Also included in this report was a Certificate from Sir Commissioner of the Marine attesting to the death of Marie Chiasson on the report of passengers disembarked from the five english packboats who saw the said Marie Chiasson die on the transport. (Source: Tanguay, vol II. page 366: marriage of Nicolas Bouchard and Marie-Anne Chiasson, daughter of François and Anne Doucet, at St-thomas de Montmagny on 10 October 1746.)

PLOUER - 169 records from 12 March 1760 through 9 December 1774.

PLEUDIHEN - 222 records from 14 December 1759 through 17 April 1774.

PLESLIN - 38 records from 28 June 1760 through 11 February 1774.

TRIGAVOU - 65 records from 6 March 1760 through 26 February 1774.

PLOUBALAY - 15 records from 3 May 1759 through 9 May 1768. Interesting details here on the first burials. Burials on 3 May 1759 of François Robichaud husband of Agathe Turpin, fugitive of Acadia because of the invasion of the British and relegated to this parish, 62 years of age, died from smallpox, a sickness unheard of in Acadia. Present at the burial, Jean-Pierre Robichaud, her son. Burial on 5 May 1759 of Joseph Robichaud, 13 years of age, son of François, transported to St-Malo by the British, after they overtook Cap Breton, died of smallpox. On 7 May there were two more burials with the same details.

LANGROLAY - only 5 reports from 18 August 1760 through 28 March 1763.

TREMEREUX- 29 reports from 1 May 1762 through 12 December 1775.

What Became of the Acadians?

I. TO THE FRENCH COLONIES IN GUYANA

Lauvrière Tragédie d'un Peuple, Vol. II, page 201, cites a detailed census of Sinnamari, in Guyana, dated 1 May 1765. On this census there were 138 Acadians of which 62 truly originated from Acadia, 50 from Louisbourg and 26 from Ile St-Jean. The Rochefort Census of 8 January 1770 gives interesting details on these Acadians, in as much as it helps to establish the history of several families who were brought from Ile St-Jean to Louisbourg then transported from Louisbourg to England and from England to France, then from France to Guyana in 1764; then returned to France once again in 1765. It would seem that all of this was accomplish with women and children as well. (Rameau, page 227)

II. AT BELLE-ILE-EN-MER

Another attempt with serious results was the installation of the Acadians at Belle-Isle-En-Mer. Father Le Loutre worked with a great deal of zeal so that the 78 families numbering 400 persons in November 1765 would be successful; most of these Acadians were coming from Morlaix and a few from St-Malo. On 12 January 1767, the Rennes Parliament stipulated to the parish rectors of Belle-Isle that they were, in the presence of Father Le Loutre, to make known the state of these immigrants, containing as much as possible, all of the details relative to each individual: the birthplace for himself, for his wife and for his children; the death dates and the marriage dates. These declarations (which are referred to even today as the Declarations of Belle-Ile-en-Mer) were recorded in a register that still exists today. At the end of the Declarations Register is found a note signed by Father Le Loutrte, containing in substance, the history of these unfortunate families: The Acadians placed on this island were transported by the British to Boston and other British colonies in the month of October 1755; from these colonies, they were trasferred to Old England (versus the New England colonies) and dispersed in different locations in the kingdom, during the year 1756. In 1763, after the peace treaty, they were transported to France on the King's Ships and placed in two ocean ports: Saint-Malo and Morlaix. In 1765, during the month of October, they came to this island by order of Mgr le duc de Choiseul.
At the Vendée departmental archives at Roche-sur-Yon, in the LANCO records, are found the very precious manuscript on the Acadians at Belle-Isle.

III. AT POITOU

On 15 September 1772, a list was drawn up of all of the Acadian families, on the eve of the departure of the Acadians for Poitou. This list consists, at the date indicated above, of 626 families comprising 2,370 persons. There is a supplement to this list that brings the total to 2,563 persons, including those of Belle-Isle. In addition to this 1,500 are destined to go to Poitou; 497 have already left. The first convoy, coming from St-Malo, according to Rameau, would have arrived in 1774. This endeavor was a total failure. Except for twent-one families, as of 1775, the Acadians left Poitou for Nantes. M. André Blanchard de La Puye (Vienne) provided Father Patrice Gallant with 250 Acadian records for this time frame. The first contingent left Poitou for Nantes 24 October consisting of 28 families; the second contingent left 15 November 1775 with 62 families; the third contingent left 7 December 1775 with 103 families; the fourth contingent left from 6 through 13 March 1776 with 78 families. In all 271 families left Poitou for Nantes.

IV. IN LOUISIANA

These families settled at Nantes, especially in the parish of St-Martin de Chantenay, at a location called the Hermitage; a few settled in the parishes of St-Nicolas, St-Sébastien, St-Léonard and at Paimboeuf, in the region of Saint-Nazaire. There were 292 records at Chantenay from 1776 through 1785. Finally, from Nantes, most of these families went to Louisiana. Seven vessels sailed for Louisiana in 1785. These ships are all listed as are the ships' lists on another page of this web site accessible at the sidebar. 371 families totalling 1,633 persons sailed for Louisiana.

V. TO CANADA

It is very interesting and most important to know that many Acadian families from the region of St-Malo, in particular from Pleudihen and Plouër, instead of going to Poitou, chose to return to Canada, by passing by Jersey or England. On the list for 1772, it is stated that some of these families escaped to England. What this simply means is that they left without authorization of the French government. In a letter from Lemoyne to the Minister of Bertin, 18 April 1773, it was said the 8 families that had settled at Plouër and Pleudihen deserted and went on to England. Hired by the Robin family, some of them are found in the Gaspésie, others on Ile St-Jean (Prince Edward Island), before going - for the most part - to settle permanently at Cap-Breton. Here is an incomplete list that Father Gallant proferred -
Returned to Gaspésie:
Olivier Bariault, the elder of the Bariaults of Carleton and of St-Louis-de-Kent. His brother Jean-Baptiste and his 4 sisters prefered to go to Poitou and then to Louisiana.
Michel Bourg: Father Bourg's family.
Widow of Olivier Daigle: Olivier Daigle died at St-Servan on 3 July 1774; 40 years old.
Grégoire Daigle, brother of Olivier.
Simon Henri
The widow of Pierre Landry
Jean-Baptiste Lavache (single)
Marin Leblanc
Amand Leblanc - brother of Marin
Joseph Leblanc dit Bourquet
Michel Quessy
The widow of Joseph Robichaud (Claire LeBlanc)
Charles Terriot, son of Joseph and Marie Melanson, from Pleudihen, married at Paspébiac 28 February 1808 to Anne Dickson.
FAMILIES THAT RETURNED TO ILE ST-JEAN, and to CAP BRETON, especially CHÉTICAMP, and POMQUET on the Nova Scotia peninsula:
Alexis Doiron
Josaphat Doiron, son of Alexis
Pierre Aucoin
Jean Commeau
Jean Landry
Joseph Melanson**

[From Michael Melanson: Joseph Melanson did not return to Pomquet, he died some time before 1784, his widow remarried in 1784 and she along with her new husband and sole surviving son Charles Marie Melanson moved to Pomquet, Nova Scotia. Here is their outline and dates: I have a copy of the 1810 census of Pomquet showing Charles and his family:
Descendants of Elizabeth Broussard
1 Elizabeth Broussard b: 1749 in Isle St Jean, now: Prince Edward Island d: Aft. 1785 in Pomquet, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
+Joseph Melanson b: 25 October 1747 in Grand Pre, Kings County, Nova Scotia m: 14 January 1772 in Pleudihen, Cotes du Nord, France d: Bef. 1784 in La Coquenais, St. Malo, France Baptised: Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, St. Charles Church Reference #: PGJA Father: Etienne Melanson Mother: Francoise Granger
2 Joseph Marie Melanson b: 17 November 1772 in La Ville de Cain, France d: 29 March 1780 in La Coquenais, St. Malo, France Baptised: 18 November 1772 Pleudihen, Cotes du Nord, France Burial: 30 March 1780 Pleudihen, Cotes du Nord, France
2 Charles Marie Melanson b: 14 December 1776 in La Coquenais, St. Malo, France d: Aft. 1822 in Pomquet, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
.... +Marie Doiron b: Abt. 1778 m: Abt. 1794 in Pomquet, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia d: Aft. 1822 in Pomquet, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
2nd Husband of Elizabeth Broussard: . +Jean Cyprien Boudreau b: Abt. 1747 m: 22 November 1784 in Pleudihen, Cotes du Nord, France*]

Charles Broussard
Grégoire Maillet
Pierre Duon
Germain Boudrot
Georges Charpentier

SOURCE other than information from Michael Melanson: Father Patrice Gallant in an article written in 1968 in French and translated into English by this webmaster.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
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Acadians Die At Sea on the Duke William

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:04:00 +0000

British Ships in the Stormy Sea

The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743 in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin, is the oldest scholarly society in the United States. Among the Society’s holdings is Franklin’s newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, which he founded in 1728. Published until 1800, the Gazette is regarded as The New York Times of the 18th century. During a recent visit to the Society, we had the opportunity to search for references to the Acadians in the Gazette. In an issue dated April 19, 1759, we found the following letter from "A.B." as an introduction to the extract he sent to the Gazette by William Nicholls, captain of the Duke William. It is his account the sinking of the Duke William, which at the time of its loss was carrying all of the Acadians being deported from Ile St-Jean/Prince Edward Island to France in 1758. I believe its inclusion in the Gazette may be its earliest publication in North America.

Note: A.B. was Anthony Benezet. Mr. Benezet was a French Huguenot who became a Quaker once settled in Philadelphia. Anthony Benezet was instrumental in helping the exiled Acadians from the moment of their arrival. Deploring what had happened to them and perhaps aligning himself with them since he too originated from France, he found them housing and clothing. He petitioned the Council for funds to take care of them. I have visited Pine Street where the "Acadian Huts" as they were called once stood.

April 19, 1759

To the Printers of the PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE
GENTLEMEN:
You will very much oblige some of your Reader, in giving a place in your Gazette to the inclosed Letter, wrote by the Master of the Duke William Transport, which it is hoped may have a Tendency to lessen, if not remove, the strong prejudices which prevail in the Minds of many with respect to those distressed People, known amongst us under the Name of French Neutrals; as they are in a great Measure the same Sort of People with those mentioned in this Letter; many of the Inhabitants of the Island of St. John having retired from Nova Scotia, especially at the breaking up of their Settlement, to that Island. And by Letters which our Neutrals lately received from Liverpool, they have an Account, that several of their Children and Relations perished on board the Duke William. It must be acknowledged, that the imprudent and self willed disposition which those unhappy People have repeatedly shewn amongst us, has justly rendered them obnoxious to those of this Province: Nevertheless, if, in a Spirit of Christian Charity, we will take the Pains to look into their Case, and fully consider it; especially the easy and plentiful Situation they formerly lived in, and the Straits and Difficulties to which they are now reduced, whereof the frequent Want of Health, so as often to disqualify them from Labour, is not the least; such will certainly be led to sympathise with them in their Distress; especially when it is considered, that what appears to us in them Imprudence and Self will, with respect to binding out their Children, arrises chiefly from a Want of Knowledge of Mankind, the Prejudices of Education, and their inviolable Attachment to their religious Persuasion; out of which they are taught to believe that there is not Salvation. In other Respects they are, especially the Old and Middle aged, generally a virtuous People; and that which appears Obstinacy in them, arises rather from a Stedfastness of Heart, which no worldly consideration will induce to forsake what they apprehend to be Truth; a Principle, which, tho' it requires Pity when, by the Force of Education, or Prejudice, it is fixed on the wrong Object, yet as it is noble in itself, so it strongly calls for Forbearance and Charity from every considerate Mind; And indeed, the Patience and Resignation to the Dispensations of Providence, which has appeared, in the Close of Life, in most all the grown Persons, who have died amongst us, is a plain Indication of their Fortitude of Mind, and of that Divine Support which the Almighty has favoured them with, in that most trying Hour. I remain, A. B.

Extract of a Letter from Capt. William Nicholls, of the Duke William Transport, Pensanze, (a Market Town of Cornwall, sit 8 Miles East of the Land's end, and 65 m. S.W. of Launceston) Dec. 16.

UNDER the greatest Affliction, I acquaint you. I have been obliged to leave the Duke William, with 300 French inhabitants on board, from the Island of St. John's, North America, to sink about 35 Leagues from the Land's end, Wednesday the 13th inst. about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and believe she could not keep above water till eight at night. We sailed from St. John's on the 5th of November, and on the 29th out ship sprung a leak, and in a short time had five feet of water in the hold, but having two spare pumps on board, and a great many hands to bail, in about 24 hours gained on her, and kept her in this situation about eight days. On the 9th, being more moderate, hoisted out the boats, and soddered the ship, by which means the leak stopped, so that we could keep her with one pump continually going, having hove everything off the decks, and out of the hold, we possibly could, to ease her, but on Monday the 11th, the leak broke out again, and notwithstanding the four pumps, and such a number of hands bailing from every hatchway, they could not keep her, so that by Wednesday morning about five o'clock her hold was full of water, and left off pumping, and hoisted out the boats with great difficulty, that in case any ships came in sight, we might save our lives: At nine in the morning we saw two ships steering towards us, which gave us great hoopes; we hoisted the signal of distress, and fired a great many guns, but they hoisted their ensigns, and kept away from us; we then cut away our mainmast, to shew them ore perfectly our distress, but they took no notice of us, going clear away. At eleven a Snow passed by, viewing our unhappy situation, and hearing our guns as plain as we could see their men on the decks, but he behaved as the other had done before, by running away from us. The French then gave over all hopes, and said, God had foresaken them, and they were resigned to death. As in the term of the Voyage under our misfortunes, they had behaved with the greatest intrepidity, so in their last moments they behaved with the greatest fortitude; for seein our attempts were frustrated, they came and embraced me saying, they were truly sensible that I, with all mh people, had done all in our power to save the ship, and their lives, but as I could be of no farther service to the, begged I would save my own life and my men. Taking their priest with me, whom I put into the boat before I went myself over the stern, there being so much sea the boats could not lie along side her, after we were in, the boats laid off the s hip about half an hour, when their cries, and waving us to be gone, almost broke our hearts. We then left them about four o'clock in the afternoon, being ourselves in a most unhappy situation, being persons in number, upwards of thirty leagues from the Land's End by our reckoning, and our whole provisions amounting to about either or nine pounds of bread, our provisions in the gun room being all expended, and the hold full of water, our mainmast cut away, could get nothing from thence. In this melancholy situation it pleased God to conduct us safe to this place.

On Tuesday captain Sugget, in the Violet, with 500 French on board, hoisted a signal of distress, his fore yard was gone in the sling, and his mizen mast cut away; I spoke to him the night before, he told me he could not keep her with his pumps, so I'm afraid he suffered likewise.

All I have to comfort myself under this misfortune is being sensible I did all in my power to save the s hip and lives, which the poor unhappy sufferers were truly sensible of, and which made themm so willing to let us go; if they had not, so great a superiority as 300 to 34, might easily have hindered us.

The Ruby Lost at Sea

[A third transport deporting the Acadians from Ile St-Jean also went down with 200 Acadians lost.]

March 29, 1759
The Pennsylvania Gazette PHILADELPHIA, March 29.
The same Day Capt. Wright arrived here from Fyal, and brought Advice, that the Ruby Transport, William Kelly, Master, bound to St. Maloes, with 310 of the Inhabitants of the Island of St. John [Ile St-Jean] on board, sprung a Leak in a Gale of Wind, and being in great Distress, the Captain made the best of his Way for the Western Islands, and thought to have got to Fyal; but the Wind shifting, they were obliged to stand for the Island of Pico, where the Ship struck on the Rocks, and soon went to Pieces, when 200 of the French perished. They had no Advice at Fyal of Commodore Keppel putting into Madeira, nor of his receiving any Damage at Sea.

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Acadian Pioneers of 1693

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:04:00 +0000

Pisiguit
Bernard Daigle and Marie Bourque
Jean Gaudet, widower of Jeanne Henry
Jean Doiron and Marie Trahan
Nicolas Barrilot and Martine Hébert
Ernest Rivest and Marie Comeau

Rivière-des-Habitants
Antoine Leblanc and Marie Bourgeois
Étienne Hébert and Jeanne Comeau
Philippe Pinet and Catherine Hébert
Claude Landry and Catherine Thibodeau
Claude Boudreau and Anne-Marie Thibodeau
Jean Hébert and Anne Doucet

Rivière-des-Gaspareaux
Claude Gautreau and Marie Thériault
Martin Dupuis and Marie Landry
Michel Hébert and Isabelle Pellerin

Grand-Pré
André LeBlanc and Marie Dugas
Germain Thériault and Anne Richard
Vincent Longuépée and Madeleine Rimbault
François Rimbault and Marie Babin
Louis Labauve and Marie Rimbault
Charles Babin and Madeleine Richard
Vincent Babin and Anne Thériault
René LeBlanc and Anne Bourgeois
Jean Doucet and Françoise Blanchard
Pierre Richard and Marguerite Landry
Pierre Granger and Isabelle Guilbeau
Michel Vincent and Marie Richard
Pierre Melanson and Marguerite Mius
Jacques LeBlanc and Catherine Hébert
Jean Landry and Cécile Melanson
Guillaume Trahan and Jacqueline Benoit
Alexandre Trahan and Marie Pellerin
Michel Forest and Marie Petitpas
Pierre Forest and Cécile Richard

Rivière-aux-Canards
Pierre Thériault and Cécile Landry
Germain Thériault and Anne Pellerin
Jean Comeau and Catherine Babin
Charles Boudreau and Marie Corporon
Jean Thériault and Jeanne Landry
Martin Aucoin and Marie Gaudete

Rivière-des-Habitants
Jean Trahan and Marie Boudreau
François Lapierre and Perrine Rimbault
Louis Saulnier and Louise Pelletier

Unknown Villages
Robert Henri and Madeleine Godin
Antoine Greau and Marguerite Babin
Pierre Thibodeau and Anne Richard
Guillaume Lejeuge and Marie Mercier
Gabriel Chiasson and Marie Savoie
Jacques Corne (Carne) and Marie Grilard
Widow Marguerite Hébert
Widow Joseph Prétieux

Credit & Source: Acadians Before 1755 By Regis Brun, University of Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick.

Posted with permission. This book is sold out.

Acadian Census of 1671

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 17:34:00 +0000

1671

PORT ROYAL

Jacob BOURGEOIS, Surgeon, 50; his wife Jeanne TRAHAN 40; Children: (one son and one daughter are married): Jeanne 27, and Charles 25; then Germain 21, Marie 19, Guillaume 16, Marguerite 13, Francoise 12, Anne 10, Marie 7, Jeanne 4; cattle 33, sheep 24, more or less 20 arpents of cultivated land at two different locations.
Jehan GAUDET, laborer, 96, his wife, Nicolle COLLESON 64; Child: Jehan 18, cattle 6, sheep 3, 3 arepents of land at two locations.
Denis GAUDET, farmer, 46, his wife, Martine GAUTHIER 52; 5 Children (the first 2 married): Anne 25, Marie 21; other children: Pierre 20, Pierre 17, Marie 14; all five are without trades, except aslaborers; cattle 9, sheep 13 more lambs than mature sheep; 6 arpents of cultivated land.
Roger KUESSY, farmer, 25, his wife, Marie POIRIER 22; their daughter Marie 2; cattle 3, sheep 2 and no cultivated land.
Michel De FOREST, farmer, 33, his wife, Marie HEBERT 20; their 3 children: Michel 4, Pierre 2, Rene 1; cattle 12, sheep 2, 2 arpents of cultivated land.
Marie GAUDET, Widow of Étienne HEBERT, 38. She has 10 children, two married children: Marie 20, Marguerite 19; Emmanuel 18, not yet married, Etienne 17, Jean 13, Francoise 10, Catherine 9, Martine 6, Michel 5, Antoine 1; cattle 4, sheep 5 and 3 arpents of cultivted land.
Antoine BABIN, farmer, 45, his wife, Marie MERCIER 25; Children: Marie 9, Charles 7, Vincent 5, Jeanne 3, Marguerite 1; cattle 6, sheep 8 and 2 arpents of cultaved land.
Olivier DAIGRE, farmer, 28, wife, Marie GAUDET 20; their 3 children: Jean 4, Jacques, 2, Bernard 1; cattle 6, sheep 6, 2 arpents of cultivated land.
Antoine HEBERT, cooper, 50, wife Genevieve LEFRANC age 58; their 3 children: Jehan 22, Jehan 18, Catherine 15; cattle 18, sheep 7, 6 arpents of cultivated land at two locations.
Jehan BLANCHARD, farmer, 60, his wife, Radegonde LAMBERT age 42; their 6 children, 3 are married: Martin 24, Magdeleine 28, Anne 26; those not married: Guillaume 21, Bernard 18, Marie 15; cattle 12, sheep 9, 5 arpents of cultivated land.
Widow of François GUDCIN (GUERIN), 26; Children: Anne 12, Marie 9, Frivoline 7, Huguette 5, Francois 2; cattle 6, sheep 3, 6 arpents of cultivated land.
Michel DUPONT (DUPUIS), farmer, 37, wife Marie GAUTROT 34; Children: Marie 14, Martin 6, Jeanne 4, Pierre 3 months; cattle 5, sheep 1, 6 arpents of cultivated land.
Claude TERRIAU, farmer, 34, his wife, Marie GAUTROT 24; Children: Germain 9, Marie 6, Marguerite 4, Jehan 1; cattle 13, sheep 3, 6 arpents of cultivated land.
Germain TERRIAU, farmer, 25, his wife, Andree BRUN 25; their child: Germain 2; cattle 5, sheep 2, 2 arpents.
Jehan TERRIAU, farmer, 70, wife, Perrine RAU 60; Children (married): Claude 34, Jehan 32, Bonaventure 30, Germain 25, Jeanne 27, Catherine 21; (not married): Pierre 16; cattle 6, sheep 1, 5 arpents.
François SCAVOIS (SAVOIE), farmer, 50, his wife, Catherine LeJEUNE 38; children: (one married daughter) Françoise 18, (unmarried children) Germain 16, Marie 14, Jeanne 13, Catherine 9, Francois 8, Barnabe 6, Andree 4, Marie 1-1/2; cattle 4, 6 arpents.
Jehan CORPORON, farmer, 25, hiswife Francoise SCAVOIS (SAVOIE) 18; Child: one daughter 6 weeks of age not yet named; cattle 1, sheep 1, no cultivated land.
Pierre MARTIN, farmer, 70, his wife Catherine VIGNEAU 68; Children (four are married): Pierre 45, Marie 35, Marguerite 32, Andre 30; (unmarried): Matieu 35; cattle 7, sheep 8, 2 arpents.
Francois PELERIN, farmer, 35, wife Andree MARTIN 30; their three children: Hugette 5, Marie 2, Daughter 2 days; sheep 1, 1 arpent of land.
Pierre MORIN, farmer, 37, his wife Marie MARTIN 35; Children: Pierre 9, Louys 7, Antoine 5, Marie 3, Ann 10 months; cattle 3, sheep 4, 1 arpent.
Mathieu MARTIN, weaver, 35; Not married; cattle 4, sheep 3.
Mathieu MARTIN 35; 4 cattle and three sheep.
Vincent BRUN, farmer, 60, wife Renee BRODE 55; Children (three married): Magdeleine 25, Andree 24, Francoise 18; (unmarried): Bastien 15, Marie 12; cattle 10, sheep 4, 5 arpents of land.
François GAUTROT, farmer, 58, his wife Edmee LeJEUNE 47; their children (married): Marie 35, Charles 34, Marie 24, Rene 19, Marguerite 16; (unmarried): Jehan 23, Francois 19, Claude 12, Charles 10, Jeanne 7, Germain 3; cattle 16, sheep 6, 6 arpents of land.
Guillaume TRAHAN, 60 (actually he was approximately 70), his wife Madelaine BRUN 25; Children: Guillaume 4, Jehan-Charles 3, Alexandre 1; cattle 8, sheep 10, 5 arpents of land.
Pierre SIRE, gunsmith, 27, his wife Marie BOURGEOIS 18; one son: Jean 3 months of age; cattle 11, sheep 6.
Pierre THIBEAUDEAU, farmer, 40, his wife Jeanne TERRIAU 27; Children: Pierre 1, Marie 10, Marie 9, Marie 7, Anne Marie 6, Catherine 4; cattle 12, sheep 11, 7 arpents of land.
Claude PETITPAS, farmer, 45, his wife Catherine BAGARD 33; their children: Bernard 12, Claude 8, Jehan 7, Jacques 5, Marguerite 10, Marie 2-1/2, Elisabet 1; cattle 26, sheep 12, 30 arpents of land.
Bernard BOURG, farmer, 23, his wife Francoise BRUN 19; one daughter Marie; cattle 6, sheep 9, no cultivated land.
Bonaventure TERRIAU, farmer, 27, his wife Jeanne BOUDROT 26; one daughter: Marie 4; cattle 6, sheep 6, 2 arpents of land.
Michel BOUDROT, farmer, 71, his wife Michelle AUCOIN 53; three married children: Francoise 29, Jeanne 25, Marguerite 20; (Unmarried): Charles 22, Marie 18, Jehan 16, (Habraham) Abraham 14, Michel 12, Olivier 10, Claude 8, Francois 5; cattle 20, sheep 12, 8 arpents of land.
Pierre GUILLEBAULT, farmer, 32, his wife Catherine TERRIAU 20; one daughter: Marguerite 2; cattle 6, sheep 5, 15 arpents of land.
Jehan LaBATTE, farmer, 33, his wife, Renee GAUTROT 19; no children; cattle 26, sheep 15, 15 arpents of land.
Martin BLANCHARD, farmer, 24, his wife Francoise LeBLANC 18; no children; cattle 5, sheep 2, 15 arpents of land.
Jehan BOURG, Laborer, 26, his wife Marguerite MARTIN 27, two children: Anne 3, Margueritte 1-1/2; cattle 3, sheep 5, 15 arpents of land.
Antoine BOURG, Laborer, 62, his wife Antoinette LANDRY 53; eleven children four of them married: Marie 26, Francois 27, Jehan 24, Bernard 22; Unmarried: Martin 21, Jeanne 18, Renee 16, Hugette 14, Jeanne 12, (Habraham) Abraham 9, Marguerite 4; cattle 12, sheep 8, 4 arpents of land.
Laurent GRANGE, Seaman, 34, his wife Marie LANDRY 24; their two children: Margueritte 3, Pierre 9 months; cattle 5 sheep 6, 4 arpents of land.
Perrinne LANDRY 60, widow of Jacques JOFFRIAU. No children.
Pierre DOUCET, mason, 50, his wife Henriette PELTRET 31; their five children: Anne 10, Toussaint 8, Jehan 6, Pierre 4, and 1 unnamed daughter 3 months of age; cattle 7, sheep 6, 4 arpents of land.
Francois BOURG, farmer, 28, his wife Marguerite BOUDROT 23; their two children: Michel 5-1/2, Marie 3; cattle 15, 5 sheep, 5-1/2 arpents of land.
Marie SALÉ 61, widow of the late Jehan CLAUDE.
Germain DOUCET, farmer, 30, wife Marie LANDRY 24; their three children: Charles 6, Bernard 4, Laurent 3; cattle 11, sheep 7, 3 arpents of land.
Francois GIROUARD, farmer, 50, his wife Jeanne AUCOIN 40; their five children three married: Jacob 23, Marie 20, Marie-Magdeleine 17, Unmarried: Germain 14, Anne 12; cattle 16, sheep 6, 8 arpents of land.
Jacques BELOU, cooper, 30, his wife Marie GIROUARD 20; one daughter: Marie 8 months; cattle 7, sheep 1, no land.
Jacob GIROUARD, farmer, 23, his wife Marguerite GAUTROT 17; one son: Alexandre whose age was not recorded; cattle 7, sheep 3, no land.
Pierre VINCENT, farmer, 40, his wife Anne GAUDET 27; their four children: Huguette 7, Thomas 6, Michel 3, Pierre 2; cattle 18, sheep 9, 16 arpents of land.
Pierre MARTIN, farmer, 40, his wife Anne OUESTNOROUEST 27; their four children: Pierre 10, Rene 8, Andre 5, Jacques 2-1/2; cattle 11, sheep 6, 8 arpents of land.
Vincent BROT, farmer, 40, his wife Marie BOURG 26; their four children: Marie 9, Anthoine 5, Margueritte 3, Pierre 1; cattle 9, sheep 7, 4 arpents of land.
Daniel LeBLANC, farmer, 45, his wife Francoise GAUDET 48; their seven children: Married: Francoise 18; Unmarried: Jacques 20, Estienne 15, Rene 14, Andre 12, Antoine 9, Pierre 7; cattle 18, sheep 26, 10 arpents of land.
Michel POIRIE(R), bachelor, 20, son of the deceased Jehan POIRIE(R); cattle 2 no sheep, no cultivated land.
Barbe (Baiolet) BAJOLET 63, widow of Savinien de COURPON (Savien de Courpon, Sieur de La Tour); their children: 6 children in France and elsewhere and 2 daughters in this country. The two in this country are two married daughters Marie PESELET 26, Marianne LEFEBVRE 21; cattle 7, cow 1, sheep 6.
Antoine GOUGEON, farmer, 45, his wife Jeanne CHEBRAT 45; one child: Huguette 14; cattle 20, sheep 17, 10 arpents of land.
Pierre COMMEAU, cooper, 75, his wife, Rose BAYON; their eight children: married: Etienne 21; unmarried: Pierre 18, Francoise 15, Jehan 14, Pierre 13, Anthoine 10, Jeanne 9, Marie 7, Jehan 6; cattle 16, sheep 22, 6 arpents of land.
Jean PITRE, edge tool maker, 35, his wife Marie PESSELEY 26; their three children: Marie 5, Catherine 3, Claude 9 months; 1 cow, no sheep, no land.
Estienne COMMEAU, farmer 21, his wife Marie LEFEVBRE, 21; one child: Catherine 3 weeks of age; cattle 7, sheep 7, no cultivated land.
Estienne COMMEAU, farmer, 21, his wife Marie Anne LEFEBVRE 21; un child, Catherine 3 weeks; cattle 7, sheep 7.
Charles BOURGEOIS, farmer, 25, his wife Anne DUGAST 17; one child: Marie 1-1/2; cattle 12, sheep 7, 2 arpents of land.
Barnabe MARTIN, farmer, 35, wife Jeanne PELLETRET 27; their two children: Marie 4, Rene 8 months; cattle 3, sheep 2, 2-1/2 arpents of land.
Clement BERTRAND, carpenter 50, his wife Huguette LAMBELOT 48; no children; cattle 10, sheep 6, 6 arpents of land.
Antoine BELLIVEAU, farmer, 50, his wife Andree GUYON 56; their two children: Jehan 19, Magdeleine 17; cattle 11, sheep 8, no land.
Rene LANDRY, farmer, 52, his wife Perrine BOURG 45; their seven children: four are married: one known as Henriette PELLETRET 30, Jeanne 28, Marie 25, Marie 23; unmarried; Magdeleine 15, Pierre 13, Claude 8; cattle 10, sheep 6, 12 arpents of land.
Thomas CORMIER, carpenter, 35, his wife Magdelaine GIROUARD 17; one daughter age 2; cattle 7, sheep 7, 6 arpents of land.
Rene RIMBAULT, farmer, 55, his wife Anne-Marie [UNKNOWN surname] 40; their five children: Philipe 16, Francois 15, Jeanne 11, Marie 10, Francoise 5; cattle 12, sheep 9, 12 arpents of land.
(Habraham) Abraham DUGAST, gunsmith, 55, his wife Marie Judith DOUCET 46; their eight children: married: Marie 23, Anne 17; unmarried: Claude 19, Martin 15, Abraham 10, Margueritte 14, Magdeleine 7, Marie 6; cattle 19, sheep 3, 16 arpents of land.
Michel RICHARD, farmer, 41, his wife Madeleine BLANCHARD 28; their seven children: Rene 14, Pierre 10, Martin 6, Alexandre 3, Catherine 8, twins Anne and Magdeleine 5 weeks; cattle 15, sheep 14, 14 arpents of land.
Charles MELANSON, 28, wife Marie DUGAST 23; Children: Marie 7, Marguerite 5, Anne 3, Cecille 6 months; cattle 40, sheep 6. Pierre MELANCON, tailor - He refused to answer. (He had a wife and 7 children.) (Pierre MELANSON, tailor, would not give his age nor the number of animals but his wife's answers concerning their possessions was just as crazy.)
Estienne ROBICHAUD, farmer, did not want to see me. He left and told his wife that he not to tell me the number of his livestock or land.
Pierre LANOUE, cooper; when asked his age, he said he felt fine but would not give an answer.
Your most obedient servant
Laurent Molins, religieux Cordelier

THE SETTLEMENT OF POBOMCOU [Pubnico]
NEAR THE ISLAND OF TOUSQUET

Phillippe MIUS, squire, Sieur de Landremont, 62, his wife Madelein HÉLIE; their daughter is Marguerite married to Piere Melanson; their son is 17, other children: Abraham 13, the younger Phillippe 11, the younger daughter Madeleine is 2; cattle 26; sheep 29, goats 12, hogs 20.

THE SETTLEMENT AT CAPE NEIGRE

Amand LALLOUE, squire, sieur de Derivedu, 58, his wife Ellisabet NICOLLAS; their children: Jacques 24, Amant 14, Arnault 12, Jeanne 20, Ellisabet 12; goats 20, hogs 29; 2 arpents of land.

AT RIVIERE AUX ROCHELOIS

Guillaume POULET, wife and 1 child.

TOTAL MEN, WOMEN and CHILDREN: 392

TOTAL CATTLE: 482

TOTAL SHEEP: 524

Founding Mothers of Acadia mtDNA Project

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:42:00 +0000

The following list was compiled by
Stephen A. White, Genealogist

Centre d'études acadiennes, Université de Moncton,
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Updated 10 June 2010

The following list has been revised in order to incorporate into it the haplotypes that have been determined to date by mtDNA testing of descendants, as well as an indication of those women for whom it is known that there would be no female-line descendants living. In the following, the latter situation is marked with "nflp" for "no female-line posterity."

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but has only been compiled to give a general idea of how small a number of women became forebears of the Acadian people, while at the same time showing for which of these women mtDNA test results either have been obtained to date, or may be hoped to be obtained in the future. Unfortunately, a dozen women on this list are believed to have no female-line posterity (nflp), so no such results may be expected for them.

1. AIMÉE, Jeanne (m1 v 1685 Julien Aubois dit Saint-Julien; m2 1719 Julien Guyon dit Saint-Julien).
2. ARNAULT, Marie (m1 v 1688 Jacques Carne; m2 1729 Martin Lejeune dit Briard).
3. AUBOIS, Marie (Christine) (m v 1686 Jean Roy dit Laliberté).	A2i
4. AUCOIN, Jeanne (m v 1647 François Girouard)	H
5. AUCOIN, Michelle (m v 1641 Michel Boudrot)	H
6. BAJOLET, Barbe (m1 v 1629 Isaac Pesseley; m2 1647 Martin Lefebvre de Montespy; m3 1654 Savinien de Courpon)	X2b
7. BASILE, Perrine (m v 1685 André Célestin dit Bellemère).
8. BASTINEAU dit PELTIER, Louise (m v 1684 Louis Saulnier).
9. BAYON, Rose (m v 1649 Pierre Comeau)	J*
10. BERNON, Anne (m v 1693 Pierre Lavergne).	H
11. BERTEAU (BERTRAND), Cécile (m v 1703 Jean Denis).
12. BILLOT, Geneviève (m 1670 Jean Denis)	nflp
13. BISSOT, Marie (m1 1682 Claude Porlier; m2 1691 Jacques Gourdeau)	nflp
14. BOILEAU, Marguerite (m v 1663 Jean Serreau de Saint-Aubin).
15. BOURG, Perrine (m1 v 1640 Simon Pelletret; m2 v 1645 René Landry l'aîné)	H14
16. BOURGET, Françoise (m 1714 Jean Doucet)	nflp
17. BREAU, Renée (m v 1644 Vincent Brun)	H13a1a
18. BRUNET, Marie (m 1710 Nicolas Pugnant dit Destouches).
19. BUGARET, Catherine (m1 v 1658 Claude Petitpas; m2 v 1692 Charles Chevalier dit LaTourasse)	H1
20. CANOL, Marie-Anne (m v 1671 Jean Doiron)	W3
21. CAPLAN, Catherine (m v 1730 Pierre Huard).
22. CAPLAN, Madeleine (m v 1740 Olivier Michel)	nflp
23. CAPLAN, Marguerite (m v 1719 François Laroque)	C
24. CAPLAN, Marie-Louise (m1 v 1729 François Hyard dit Saint-Louis; m2 v 1740 Claude-Louis Lalande dit Saint-Louis)
25. CHAUSSEGROS, Marie (m v 1672 Martin Benoit).
26. CHEBRAT, Jeanne (m1 v 1647 Jean Poirier; m2 v 1654 Antoine Gougeon).	HV*
27. COLLESON, Nicole (m v 1652 Jean Gaudet)	nflp
28. CORBINEAU, Françoise (m 1627 Guillaume Trahan)	H1
29. (D'AMOURS) de CHAUFFOURS, Louise (m v 1703 Jean Auger).
30. DOUCET, ------ (m v 1650 Pierre Lejeune dit Briard)	nflp
31. DOUCET, Marguerite (m v 1647 Abraham Dugas)	T2b
32. DUGARD, Marie-Antoinette (m 1692 Pierre de Saint-Vincent).
33. FOREST, Geneviève (m1 v 1689 François Savary; m2 v 1692 Louis Mazerolle).
34. GAUDET, Françoise (m1 v 1644 ------ Mercier; m2 v 1650 Daniel LeBlanc)	J1b2
35. GAUDET, Marie (m1 v 1650 Étienne Hébert; m2 v 1676 Dominique Gareau)	J1b2
36. GAUTHIER, Martine (m v 1645 Denis Gaudet).	J1b1
37. GAUTROT, Anne (m v 1688 Joseph Prétieux).
38. GUYON, Andrée (m1 v 1644 ------ Bernard; m2 v 1651 Antoine Belliveau)	T2
39. GUYON, Louise (m1 1684 Charles Thibault; m2 1686 Mathieu D'Amours de Freneuse)	nflp
40. HÉLIE, Madeleine (m v 1649 Philippe Mius d'Entremont)	J*
41. HENRY, Jeanne (m v 1680 Jean Gaudet).
42. HOUSSEAU, Marguerite (m 1670 Jean Meunier).
43. JAROUSELLE, Susanne (m1 1655 Simon Lereau; m2 1671 Robert Cottard).
44. JEANNE, Andrée-Angélique (m 1690 Gabriel Godin dit Bellefontaine).
45. JEAN dit MADELON, Isabelle-Madeleine (m v 1709 Martin Giboire Duvergé dit LaMotte).
46. JUDIC, Madeleine (m v 1660 Jean Huret dit Rochefort)	nflp
47. KAGIGCONIAC, Jeanne (m v 1684 Martin Lejeune).
48. LAMBERT, Radegonde (m v 1642 Jean Blanchard	X2b
49. LANDRY, Antoinette (m v 1642 Antoine Bourg).	H
50. LAVACHE, Anne (m v 1712 Louis Labauve).
51. LEFRANC, Geneviève (m v 1648 Antoine Hébert)	W1
52. LEJEUNE, Catherine (m v 1651 François Savoie)	U6a7a1
53. LEJEUNE, Edmée (m v 1644 François Gautrot)	U6a7a1
54. LEJEUNE, Jeanne (m v 1673 François Joseph)
55. LEJEUNE, Marie-Josèphe (m v 1689 Pierre Cellier dit Normand)	nflp
56. MARTIN, Marie-Madeleine (c 1683 Guyon Chiasson and 2 c 1693 Michel Deveau dit Dauphiné).	nflp
57. MICHEL, Jacquette (m1 1660 Jean Gardin and 2 23 October 1668 André Mignier dit Lagassé)	T1
58. MOTIN de REUX, Jeanne (m1 v 1638 Charles de Menou d'Aulnay de Charnisay; m2 1653 Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour)	H3
59. NICOLAS, Élisabeth (m v 1646 Amand Lalloue)
60. OUESTNOROUEST dit PETITOUS, Anne (m v 1660 Pierre Martin)
61. PATARABEGO, Anne (m v 1680 Richard Denys de Fronsac)
62. PÉRAUD, Marie (m v 1635 Robert Cormier)	nflp
63. PIDDIWAMISKWA, Marie (m v 1685 Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin)
64. RAU, Perrine (m v 1636 Jean Thériot)	H4
65. ROUSSELIÈRE, Jeanne (m1 1654 Pierre Godin dit Châtillon; m2 1686/1693 Pierre Martin)	H
66. SAINT-ÉTIENNE de LA TOUR, Jeanne de (m v 1655 Martin d'Aprendestiguy de Martignon)
67. SOUBIROU, Isabeau dite Judith (m v 1685 Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste)
68. TOUPIN, Françoise (m avant 1702 Pierre-Paul de Labat)
69. VIGNEAU, Catherine (m 1630 Pierre Martin)	T*
70. -------, ------ (m v 1678 Philippe Mius d’Azy)	A
71. -------, Anne-Marie (m1 v 1653 ------- Pinet; m2 v 1655 René Rimbault)	A2f
72. -------, Catherine (m1 v 1680 Jean Labarre; m2 v 1691 Étienne Rivet
73. -------, Marie (m v 1701 Nicolas Denys de Fronsac)	nflp
74. -------, Marie (m v 1635 François Gautrot)	J1b1
75. -------, Marie (m v 1687 Philippe Mius d’Azy)
76. -------, Marie-Thérèse (m v 1686 Claude Petitpas)
77. -------, Mathilde (m v 1670 Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin)	A
78. -------, Priscilla (m1 v 1631 Pierre Melanson dit LaVerdure; m2 1680 William Wright)	nflp

Does your maternal line go back to one of the Mothers for whom an mtDNA test has not yet been done? If so, and if you are interested in participating in the Mothers of Acadia mtDNA Project, please contact me at LucieMC at gmail dot com. (Change the at to @ and dot to .)

Acadian Exiles in MA 1755-1763

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Abington
Acton
Amesbury
Andover
Arundel [now part of Maine]
Attleborough
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Berkley
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Beverley
Biddeford [now part of Maine]
Billerica
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Danvers
Dartmouth
Dedham
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Dudley
Dunstable
Duxbury
Eastham
Easton
Falmouth [Barnstable County
Falmouth [York County now part of Maine]
Framingham
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Haverhill
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Holliston
Hopkinton
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Leicester
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Lexington
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Lynn
Malden
Manchester
Marlborough
Marblehead
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Medford
Mendon
Medway
Methuen
Middleborough
Middleton
Milton
Nantucket
Natick
Needham
Newbury
Newton
New Braintree
Norton
Oxford
Pepperell
Pembroke
Petersham
Plymouth
Plympton
Raynham
Reading
Rehoboth
Rochester
Rowley
Roxbury
Rutland
Salem
Salisbury
Sandwich
Scarborough [now part of Maine]
Scituate
Sherburne
Shrewsbury
Southborough
Spencer
Springfield
Stoneham
Stoughton
Stow
Sturbridge
Sudbury
Sutton
Swansea
Taunton
Tewksbury
Topsfield
Townsend
Truro
Upton
Uxbridge
Walpole
Waltham
Wareham
Watertown
Wells [now part of Maine]
Wenham
Westborough
Westford
Westminster
Weston
Weymouth
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Woburn
Worchester
Wrentham
Yarmouth
York [now part of Maine]

Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home

2004 - Present

Acadian Survival in New England by Reverend Clarence J. d'Entremont

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:19:00 +0000

This New England flag was created by Bill Cork

Acadian Survival in New England

By Reverend Clarence J. d'Entremont

Acadian survival in New England - some will find it presumptuous of me to undertake to write about such a topic. It is of course true that many descendants of old Acadia have forgotten their origins and have voluntarily allowed themselves to blend into the "melting pot". There are some who prefer not to be identified as Acadians. Basing themselves solely on persons such as these, others have made of them a general rule: "De uno, dice omnes." i.e. what can be said of one can be said of all. I have observed that people in certain areas of old Acadia have the impression that a person ceases to be Acadian after moving to New England. More than once, when I still lived in the United States, I would be scowled at for introducing myself as an Acadian. I was considered to be a renegade, a traitor. No, the Acadians of New England are not renegades of old Acadia, just as their ancestors who came to Acadia were not renegades of old France.
It is true that living in a milieu that is not French presents a grave danger to Acadians, just as it does for the French Canadians - that of losing the heritage left to them by their forebears. The worst of these losses, you will agree, is that of one's mother tongue, which is, as Acadians would say, "quasiment inévitable" almost inevitable. Robert Rumilly, in his book Histoire des Franco-Américains (1958), writes that in the United States, the preponderance of English quickly reduces French to the role of a second language, a foreign language, a dead language, or a luxury language. Please note, however, that it is not only in the United States that one can find many Acadians who no longer speak French; unfortunately, the very same thing happens in too many areas of the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

The question which needs to be raised here is whether or not there can be an Acadian survival without the French language. In other words, should we apply to the concept of Acadian survival what used to be said about the preservation of faith, namely, that one's language is the guardian of one's faith? Not necessarily. Language is certainly a great advantage; no one can deny that fact. But there are other factors which can contribute to the survival of a spirit, of traditions, and of an attachment to the past. In this regard, Rve. Édouard Hamon, in his book Les Canadiens-Français de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, assigns to religion a role equal to that of language as the guardian of the nationality of a people. When I was still living in New England, my purpose was to make their own history known to Acadians, in order to make them love their past and the Acadia of their ancestors.

It is true that, were one to base oneself on authors, one would have to conclude that Acadian survival is non-existent in New England. In fact, almost no historian of the Franco-Americans mentions Acadian survival. Worse than that, all of those historians, almost to a man, seem to be completely ignorant of the very presence of Acadians in New England. Brother Antoine Bernard, C.S.C., for instance, who in his book L'histoire de la survivance acadienne, devotes a chapter or two to each of the Maritime provinces, as well as to Quebec, the Magdalen Islands, Gaspé, even Labrador, writes not one single word about the Acadians of New England, not only in this book, but also in all the others he has wriitten on the history of the Acadians, except for one brief reference to La Société Mutuelle l'Assomption which was founded in New England. [Initially a mutual benefit society founded in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1903, as an insurance society for the protection of the Acadians.] Hamon is just as silent. In his 550 pages on Franco-Americans, Rumilly did not think he owed more than five short paragraphs to the Acadians. In the second edition of his La Tragédie d'un peuple, Emile Lauvrière, devotes thirty-four pages to the topic of the "Acadian renascence", in New England. In thirty-one of the thirty-four pages, he writes about the French Canadians. Only three pages refer to the Acadians. It is useless, therefore, to look for anything pertaining to the Acadian survival in New England in these works. Either their authors did not believe it to be possible, or they knew nothing about it.

And yet Acadia has not died in New England. It lives on, if not among all Acadians, at least among a good-sized group of them who, while being very good Americans, are proud to call themselves Acadians. Those who remain attached to their country of origin, its traditions, its customs, and especially its history are quite numerous. One must not say, Loin des yeux, loin du coeur i.e. out of sight, out of mind, for many of these Acadians are more truly Acadian than many of their counterparts in today's Acadia.

Let us examine what has transpired since the first contingents of Acadians arrived in New England. According to my research on the demographic statistics of the Acadians in Massachusetts at the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Boston, there were a few marriages of Acadians during the decade of the 1850s, particularly in the fishing ports. There were about twenty in the 1860s. Then, in 1870, and especially in 1871, Acadian immigration started to expand, with the number of births, marriages, and deaths increasing constanly. These were mostly fishermen coming to seek their fortune along the American coast. The early ones came from Cape Breton, especially from Arichat, and then from the southern part of Nova Scotia. Consequently, Acadian women being rare at first, some of the marriages contracted were with American women. However, during the 1860s, especially in the second half of the decade, Acadian women accompanied their men at the start of the fishing season in order to come to Massachusetts to work in the cod industry. But almost all would return home to Nova Scotia at the end of the fishing season.

I studied the marriages contracted in Massachusetts between 1854 and 1880 by Acadians, from the southern part of Nova Scotia in particular, to which I added a few from Madame Island on Cape Breton. I found that during those twenty-seven years there were one hundred twenty-seven marriages of which only thirty-five, or 27.5%, wee contracted by Acadian men with Acadian women. Of the other ninety-two, or 72.5%, a few marriages were contracted with persons from the province of Quebec, the rest were with Anglophones. In all likelihood, this ratio also applies to the marriages of all Acadian immigrants of the same period. It is, therefore, difficult to imagine that there could have been an Acadian survival one hundred years ago for three quarters or so of the Acadians who had married in New England.

Those were not, however, the only Acadian families in New England. In the early 19870s, already-constituted families of Acadians began to migrate as family units to New England. In all likelihood, the lifestyle of these families continued much the same as had been the case in Acadia before their departure, at least within the home - a family does not change its customs overnight. But away from home, on the strets or in the factories, Acadians had to act like Americans. They could not do otherwise in an era when President Theodore Roosevelt was writing: We must be Americans and nothing else; or again when he stated that the United States must become an immense house of polyglot boarders. This was an era when Acadians could see signs displayed in store windows, or on the walls of factories, which read: Help wanted. Catholics or aliens need not apply. It is during this period that the Aucoin name became Wedge, Chiasson became Chisholm, Doiron became Durant, Fougère became Frazier, Girouard became Gillwar, Leblanc became White, Poirier became Perry - to mention but a few. Acadians at home, but on the street or at work, Americans only. Could the Acadian spirit survive in such an atmosphere?

It is, therefore, useless to look for any Acadian activity during those early years, since the newcomers were fishermen, factory workers, or laborers whose first thought was to ensure the basic necessities of life. I found the records of eighty-two Acadians living in Massachusetts between 1854 and 1880, and exactly half of them, i.e., forty-one, were fishermen; twenty-one, or one quarter, were hired hands or farmers; there were also thirteen carpenters, five shoemakers, and four carters. Of the remaining either, one was a boat builder, one a mason, one a painter, one a sail-maker, one an iceman, and so forth. There were no professionals, unless you want to classify a male nurse as such.

One can understand then why Rameau de Saint-Père, during his journey to America, in 1860-61, having gone to Boston, lauded the efforts of the French Canadians to remain Catholic and to preserve their hereditary language while making no mention of Acadians, the study of whom was, nonetheless, one of the principal reasons for his journey. He does, however, name one Acadian, probably the only one he visited, name Louis Surette, a native of southern Nova Scotia, whose mother was a d'Entremont. He says of Louis that he built up his own fortune, first as a sailor, fisherman, and coaster, trading from port to port along the coast, then as a store clerk in Boston, before adding, He is at the head of an important enterprise and sends his ships to all parts of the world. Louis Surette is the only Acadian of the period to have left us, in writing, an account of his participation in Acadian affairs, as revealed by the large number of his handwritten letters, as well as many newspaper articles, which I have in my possession. Most of his letters and the newspaper articles deal with Acadian matters: history, genealogy, customs. I have the reports of Acadian meetings which took place at his home in Concord, Massachusetts, as early as the 1860s, but more especially from 1870 on.

Louis Surette notwithstanding, it can be said that, in the early period, one has to go to Maine, especially, if not solely, to ascertain the efforts of the New England Acadians to remain Acadian. The proximity of Maine to New Brunswick made this possible. Thus, in 1880, when forty or so Acadians from the Maritimes responded to the invitation of the Société St-Jean-Baptiste of Quebec to attend their national convention, the State of Maine is mentioned. We should point out, however, that when one speaks of Acadians of Maine at that time, we are referring especially to those people of the American Madawaska who are usually considered historically as belonging to the New Brunswick group. They are the descendantas of the two thousand or so Acadians that the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 severed from New Brunswick to incorporate them into American territory. Additionally, during the 1840s, numerous Acadians of the Madawaska Region, along with French Canadians from the Beauce Region drifted to the lumber camps and mills of Skowhegan, Waterville, Augusta, and Belfast, and then later on toward Lewiston and Biddeford, where their descendants can still be found.

At the first Acadian Convention held at Memramcook, New Brunswick, in 1881 - the year following the Quebec Convention - the feast of the Assumption, August 15, was chosen as the national holiday of the Acadians. It would seem that New England was not represented, and for good reason: only the parishes of the Maritime Provinces had been invited. If the letter of Rameau de Saint-Père, responding to the invitation he had received, had not arrived too late, New England might have been represented, at least the State of Maine. For, in his answer, Saint-Père wrote: I think it would be helpful to make contact with the Acadians of Maine who are your next door neighbors... They should, on every occasion, be considered as belonging to your group. Had they been present, I wonder what their reaction would have been to the statement of one of the orators, Sir Hector Langevin, Minister of Public Works for Canada, who told the delegates: Do not emigrate to the United States; stay in your beautiful Acadia, especially you intelligent young men... don't go... ruin your health in the enslaving labor of American factories and mills.

At the second Convention held at Miscouche on Prince Edward Island, when the Acadian flag and national anthem were chosen, Rameau de Saint-Père's letter had been heeded. An invitation to attend had been sent to the Acadians of the State of Maine. However, I could not find the name of any Acadian delegate from that State, nor, it stands to reason, from any other part of New England. Would that have bedn why they believed t hat Acadians who had gone to the United Stated had already lost their identity and did not care to be recognized as Acadians any long? Whatever the reason, from the very first session, the plague of emigration to the United States was brought to the fore when a resolution was adopted to use every means possible to stem thetide which was reaching alarming proportions.

As one can readily see, there could not have been any significant Acadian activity in New England in comparison to the activity of the French Canadians from the province of Quebec, who, more numerous and generally coming from a more developed culture, were organizing themselves and expanding rapidly. In fact, these Canadians atracted a number of Acadians into their societies by showing them the benefit they could derive for their own improvement and perhaps even for the preservation of their Acadian spirit.

It seems, then, that during the 1880s, the Acadians of New England began to awaken, especially with the arrival of alumni from le collège Saint-Joseph of Memramcook, founded in 1864, by Holy Cross Fathers from Montreal, and those of le collège Saint-Louis, founded in 1874, by Monsignor Marcel-François Richard.

[The old system of collèges classiques consisted of a course of studies lasting eight years, roughly corresponding to the American high school and college systems combined. Thus, one could enter a collège as early as age twelve or thirteen-Editor]

Confining ourselves for the moment to the Acadian Conventions, according to the reports of the time, we finally find some Acadians from the United States at the third one, which was held at Church Point, Nova Scotia, in 1890. They are not identified by name; what is mentioned is the presence of a representative group from Haverhill, Massachusetts. Acadians were thus beginning to take cognizance of themselves even though this was true of a small number only.

The contacts which the Acadians of New England were beginning to set up at that time with the Acadians of the Maritimes greatly contributed to the awakening of the Acadian spirit among the former. I am referring at this point, not so much to social contacts with family and relatives, but to contacts pertaining to Acadian matters, such as history, genealogy, culture, language, in a word to anyhting t hat touched upon the Acadian issue in New England as much as in the Maritimes. Acadian newspapers, such as L'Évangéline, Le Moniteur Acadien, Le Courrier de Bathurst already had a number of subscribers in New England. In the voluminous corresonpondence exchanged before 1890 hbetween my uncle Léander d'Entremont of Peabody, who always took an interest in the history of the Acadians, and Louis Surette, whom I mentioned earlier, I find references to articles on Acadian topics published by the one or the other in those newspapers. I still have some copies of these articles. Both men also corresponded with the old-timers of their region, and elsewhere even, in order to learn more about the history and genealogy of Acadians. They then provided information to authors who were proposing to write, or indeed did write the history of the Acadians. In the case of Mr. Surette, he kept up a correspondence with several pastors of Acadian parishes in the the Maritimes. All this was taking place before 1890.

Although means of communication had already long existed, travel was becoming easier between New England and the Maritimes. Already, in 1855, there was steamer service between Boston and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. In New Brunswick, a railway opened between Moncton and Saint John in 1860; then, in 1871, it was extended all the way to Bangor where it connected with the American rail system. As for Prince Edward Island, an oceanic link was established in 1864 between Charlottetown and Boston.

In 1890, the collège Sainte-Anne opened its doors at Church Point in Nova Scotia and some Acadian families of New England egan to enroll their young boys. The trip from Boston was easy since the collège was only a few miles from Yarmouth. From my own experience, I can tell you that when I entered the collège about thirty years later, a certain number of Acadian students from New England still studied there: ten in 1911, twenty-three in 1923, sixteen in 1924, ninteen in 1925. That practice continued for many more years. During the first three of the years listed above, the students came from different areas of Massachusetts, namely Beverly, Boston, Cambridge, Cape Cod, Chelsea, Dorchester, East Boston, Fitchburg, Gardner, Ipswich, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford; there were also some from Waterville, Maine, from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and one from New Hampshire.

Among the students who attended le collège Sainte-Anne, at least from 1897 up to 1954, all told, the seventy who attended came from thirty-four different cities of Massachusetts. There were a few from Brownsville and Waterville, Maine, and from Dover and Portsmouth, New Hampshire; some also came from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and from Hartford and Cromwell, Connecticut, and we must not forget that there were also a number of young Acadians from New England attending le collège Saint-Joseph of Memramcook.

This leads us to ask ourselves where the Acadians from the Maritimes settled in New England. At first, they chose Massachusetts, particularly Lynn and Salem, in addition to Gloucester and Boston. A little later, toward the beginning of the twentieth century, and more particularly at the end of World War I, when imigration reached its apogee, Acadians from Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, chose the northern suburbs of Boston, beginning with East Boston; then came Andover, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Reading, Saugus, Stoneham, Wakefield and Wilmington. The Acadians of Digby County chose instead the southern suburbs of Boston; Braintree, Dorchester, Milton, Quincy, and Weymouth. As for the Acadians of Cape Breton, particularly those of Cheticamp and Arichat, they settled mainly in Cambridge, although a sizeable number from Madame Island are found in Gloucester. The Acadians of New Brunswick tended to settle in manufacturing centers. Those from the Memramcook area grouped themselves in Waltham and Lynn; those from Saint Paul likewise went to Lynn, and also to Leominster and Gardner. In Gardner you can still find Acadians from Bouctouche and Saint-Antoine; those from Saint-Louis de Kent settled especially in Waltham and in Worcester. In addition, many Acadians from Westmorland County and the southern part of Kent County went to southeastern Massachusetts, to Brockton, Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford mainly, because of the many textile mills. Sixty years ago, there were already six hundred Acadian families in New Bedford, five hundred in each of Lynn, Fitchburg and Gardner, two hundred in Cambridge, one hundred fifty in Newton and Waltham, and so on.

At first, the Acadians of northern New Brunswick did not emigrate proportionally in such great numbers as those mentioned above. Those who came settled in Cambridge along with those from Cape Breton, but subsequently, they were to be found in the area of Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke, Massachusetts. Even though one finds today a goodly number of Acadians in New Hampshire, as well as in Rhode Island and Connecticut, immigration to these States took place after the migration to Massachusetts and was never as large.

One can readily understand why organizations for the protection of Acadians as a people did not get their start in manufacturing centers; in such locations, Acadians were chilefly laborers whose love of culture was not higher than average. At the beginning of this century, though, there were already some Acadians who had climbed through the ladder of success in business. If a large number of Acadian professionals did not yet exist, we do find Acadians who had begun to exercise a beneficial influence on their own people.

The first attempt at organizing the Acadians of New England in a permanent fashion and on a large scale dates back to the early days of this century. The aim was to unite them, not so much by appealing to their patriotism, but by the more subtle means of playing up the financial benefit they might derive from joining. The goal was to create a financial institution, an insurance company which would be their very own. From this concept arose La Société Mutuelle l'Assomption. It has been said that the Acadians of New England, having already lived for a time in the United States, had become more adept at business matters than their counterparts in the Maritimes who had never hit upon this idea although they already had their own national society: La Société l'Assomption. Although this society had taken root in 1880 at the French-Canadian Convention of Quebec, which seventy Acadian delegates had attended, it was really founded in 1881 at the Memramcook Convention. From the beginning, the membership included Acadian names which, soon afterwards, would be found in New England. These are the people who dereamed of adding to it a society or company for insurance protection quite distinct from La Société l'Assomption itself.

In April 1902, Ferdinand Richard, who was the secretary of La Société l'Assomption, convened at Waltham a small assembly to which Fitchburg, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, and Worcester sent delegates. It was decided to meet again in Waltham, on the following August 15th to discuss the matter in convention. A very large number of Acadians from all parts of New England responded to the call. When Ferdinand Richard presented his plan of an insurance company for Acadians, he easily won the support of influential Acadians, such as Messrs. Jean H. LeBlanc and Clarence Cormier, president and secretary of the committee. Another meeting took place on May 30, 1903, this time in Fitchburg, at which it was unanimously voted to establish a mutual benefit society for Acadians. The name given to it, La Société Mutuelle l'Assomption was to distinguish it from La Société l'Assomption which had been founded more than twenty years earlier and which would later take the name La Société Nationale l'Assomption.

The new society held its first meeting on September 8, 1902, in Waltham where the national headquarters were located. The following year, in 1904, at the first congress of La Société Mutuelle, which was held on August 15 at Waltham, it was announced that the new society already numbered nine branches, seven in Massachusetts, one in Maine and one in Bouctouche, New Brunswick. It had 454 members in all. The second general meeting of the Mutuelle was held the following year, 1905, at Fitchburg. The next one, in 1906, was held in New Bedford, Ma and during all those years, the new society spread throughout New England. Even though it had an American founding, it was penetrating even more rapidly in the Maritimes than in New England. By 1907 there were already forty-two branches in the Maritimes compared with sixteen in the United States. Then the decision was taken to transfer the headquarters from Waltham to Moncton, New Brunswick. This took place in 1914. The transfer did not sit well with a number of Acadians in New England and two thousand of them withdrew from La Société Mutuelle l'Assomption to form a new mutual benefit society which was named La Société Acadienne d'Amérique, with Elphège Léger of Fitchburg at its head. At the start, the new organization met with great success and so did its annual conventions which were attended by representatives from all parts of New England. However, only a dozen branches were ever formed. La Société Mutuelle l'Assomption still remained too vigorous through New England for the newcomer to last. After a dozen years or so, fifteen at the very most, it went out of existence and was absorbed into La Société Mutuelle l'Assomption.

It is fair to say that during the first half of the twentieth century there was perhaps no other oganization that did as much for Acadian survival as did La Société Mutuelle in the Maritimes, as well as in New England, when each branch held almost monthly meetings. In Waltham and Gardner, two branches existed. There was one in each of the following cities: Amesbury, Cambridge, Everett, Fisherville, Fitchburg, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, New Bedford, Newton, Reading, Springfield, and Worcester, all in Massachusetts; Bridgeport, Hartford, and Norwich in Connecticut; Berlin and Nashua in New Hampshire; and Lewiston and Skowhegan in Maine. Sad to say, these branch offices were all suppressed in the 1960s. It can be stated that those years of the first half of the century were the most beneficial to the Acadian survival in New England.

Acadian activities were faltering when I arrived in New England in the first days of 1952. Some Franco-Americans were still maintaining the culture brought from Quebec. So, I did like other Acadians and joined these organizations and societies. By appearing at meetings, and by making myself heard, people began little by little to look upon Acadians as having a identity distinct from their own, an identity which should be acknowledged. Among these organizations, should be mentioned Le Comité de Vie franco-américaine, La Société historique franco-américaine, the Richelieu Clubs, the Franco-American federations of the various New England States, and more recently the national Franco-American conferences which initiated annual voyages between New England and Louisiana. These organizations have always included Acadians among their membership. Here I wish to make special mention of Le Travailleur; in this newspaper, Wilfrid Beaulieu, a descendant on his mother's side of the Acadian family of D'Amours, published a great many articles about Acadians and he did so over a long period of time.

However, the society which was destined to do the most for the preservation of the Acadian heritage in New England was not located in New England but in Moncton, New Brunswick. I am referring to La Société Historique Acadienne which was founded in 1960. Almost from its foundation, it included twenty-four members from New England and New York. These members could not, unfortunately, attend the meetings which were always held in the Moncton area. The Société did publish a magazine that the members derived the most benefit.

[Webmaster's Note: recently, the Société Historique of Moncton has set up a wonderful web site!] One day, I said to myself, why couldn't we have our own meetings in New England? So, in the Fall of 1966, two of us went to the annual meeting of the Society to present our proposal. The keen interest which it generated among the members present, and the enthusiastic approval accorded to it by the executive committee, were more than sufficient to launch our project. Subsequently, in 1966, the New England group of La Société Historique Acadienne was founded. This was not a new society but simply a grouping of the members residing in New England who already belonged to La Société Acadienne.

This organization was very successful during its twelve-year existence. Within a few years, one hundred eighteen new members joined the original twenty-six. I realized very quickly that the reason they joined us was to learn more about the history of their Acadian forebears. At this point I can say that many of these members were experiencing their first contact with Acadia. They subsequently often visited old Acadia, going to the places where their ancestors had settled either before the Deportation or after it, and from which they had emigrated to settle in New England.

For twelve years, we held four meetings each year in the vicinity of Boston, at which a formal lecture was delivered. I had noticed that only one-third of the members could speak French well. Another third understood it, but could speak it only with some difficulty. The final third could neither understand nor speak the language. For that reason, most of our meetings were conducted in English. But the call to each meeting and the minutes were always issued in both languages. The lectures always developed an Acadian topic history, genealogy, geography, customs, mores, language, literature, and so forth. There were about forty-five of them all told.

One of the goals which the group had set for itself from the start was the restoration of Saint Croix Island. We worked on that project with a will. The voluminous correspondence which I have kept is proof of this. We corresponded with senators and representatives in Washington, with the directors of the National Park Service, particularly Acadia National Park at Bar Harbor, and with individuals from Calais, Maine, just to mention a few. In November 1969, a number of us went to Saint Croix where we joined with members from Moncton who had come to meet us. We had gone there, not only to visit the island, but especially to promote the restoration project. We had agreed to meet in Calais with the authorities of National Park Service at Bar Harbor.

In Augusta, we held a meeting, at which the Governor's administrative assistant presided, with six directors of parks, museums, the arts, and the Historical Commission of the State of Maine; a representative of the University of Maine at Orono was also present as well as the librarian of the Maine Historical Society of Portland. I believe that our group had much to do with the ongoing efforts to succeed in restoring Saint Croix Island to the appearance it has at the time of De Monts and Champlain.

The greatest success of this group during its twelve-year existence occurred during the American Bicentennial Celebrations in 1976. On that occasion, then Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts decided that every ethnic group in that state should have its day of celebration at the State House in Boston. The last week in May was reserved for the francophone groups. Three weeks before, the governor had issued a formal written proclamation setting aside Monday, May 24, as Acadian Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Permission had even been obtained to fly the Acadian flag from morning to evening of that day in front of the State House, side by side with the American flag and the flag of the Commonwealth.

The New England Group of La Société Historique Acadienne was, nonetheless, moving toward intoning its swan song. After having organized, for the end of June and the beginning of July, 1979, one last excursion to Saint Croix Island, to mark the 375th anniversary of the arrival there of De Monts and Champlain and their party, there fell to me the painful and thankless task of announcing that the group no longer had the wherewithal to continue functioning.

[The group managed, nonetheless, to maintain itself for a few years as an affiliate of the American-Canadian Genealogical Society of Manchester, N.H., where it was known as L'Association généalogique et historique acadienne de la Nouvelle-Angleterre. Today, it is an independent group known as The Acadian Cultural Society/Société culturelle acadienne, with nearly seven hundred members. Its headquarters are in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, where it publishes a quarterly called Le Réveil Acadien-Editor's note]

After all that has been stated, it is not presumptious to speak of an Acadian survivance/survival in New England. The worthy sons and daughters of Acadian immigrants have forgotten neither the tragic history of their deported ancestors, nor the more immediate past, that of their families who came to New England within the last 100 years or so in search of a better life for themselves and for their children and grand-children.

N.B. This article was originally written by Father d'Entremont in french. It was translated by Reverend Alexis Babineau, A.A. for inclusion into Steeples and Smokestacks.

The above article first appeared as La survivance acadienne en Nouvelle-Angleterre in the French Institute's publication entitled L'Émigrant acadien vers les États-Unis 1842-1950.
Father d'Entremont approved its inclusion in the Institute's publication.

Permission to reproduce this article that was published in "Steeples and Smokestacks" A collection of essays on The Franco-American Experience in New England, Claire Quintal, editor, was received on 2 August 2000 from Leslie Choquette.
This work was published by the Institut Français of Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts. ISBN 1-880261-03-0

The following was sent to Leslie by Richard Fortin, a fellow-member of the American Canadian Genealogical Society.

"Hi Leslie,

I am contacting you on behalf of Lucie LeBlanc Consentino who has a website called Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home

I am requesting the Institute's permission to reproduce on her home page an article that appeared in Steeples and Smokestacks on the New England Acadians, originally authored by Father Clarence d'Entremont as presentation at an Acadian colloque some years back.

The article is probably the best documentation of the post dispersion emigration and settlement of the Acadians in Southern New England and could be of value to those researching and looking for families especially in Massachusetts.

Knowing Lucie as I do I am sure that if she was granted permission she would give appropriate credit where it is due.

Please advise if that is possible and I will forward your comments to her.

Thanks,

Richard Fortin"

RESPONSE: "Bonjour!
Yes, please feel free to reproduce the article. We ask only that you include a full reference to Steeples. Congratulations on what sounds like a very fine website.

Sincerely,

Leslie Choquette"
© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - Present

The Battles of Lexington and Concord 1775

noreply@blogger.com (Lucie LeBlanc Consentino) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:58:00 +0000

Today we remember the start of the war for Independence. Departing from what would ordinarily be posted to the AAH Blog, we are taking a look at "the shot heard 'round the world".

When on the night of the 18th of April, 1775, Paul Revere rode beneath the bright moonlight through Lexington to Concord, with Dawes and Prescott for comrades, he was carrying the signal for the independence of a nation. He had seen across the Charles River the two lights from the church-steeple in Boston which were to show that a British force was going out to seize the patriotic supplies at Concord; he had warned Hancock and Adams at Reverend. Jonas Clark's parsonage in Lexington, and had rejected Sergeant Monroe's caution against unnecessary noise, with the rejoinder, "You'll have noise enough here before long: the regulars are coming out." As he galloped on his way the regulars were advancing with steady step behind him, soon warned of their own danger by alarm-bells and signal-guns. When Revere was captured by some British officers who happened to be near Concord, Colonel Smith, the commander of the expedition, had already halted, ordered Pitcairn forward, and sent back prudently for reinforcements. It was a night of terror to all the neighboring Middlesex towns, for no one knew what excesses the angry British troops might commit on their return march..

Before five o'clock. on the morning of April 19, 1775, the British troops had reached Lexington Green, where thirty-eight men, under Captain Parker, stood up before six hundred or eight hundred to be shot at, their captain saying, "Don't fire unless you are fired on; but if they want a war, let it begin here." It began there; they were fired upon; they fired rather ineffectually in return, while seven were killed and nine wounded. The rest, after retreating, reformed and pursued the British towards Concord, capturing seven stragglers,--the first prisoners taken in the war.

Then followed the fight at Concord, where four hundred and fifty Americans, instead of thirty-eight, were rallied to meet the British. The fighting took place between two detachments at the North Bridge, where "once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard round the world."

There the American Captain Isaac Davis was killed at the first shot. It was he who had said, when his company was placed at the head of the little column, "I haven't a man that is afraid to go." He fell, and Major Buttrick gave the order, "Fire! for God's sake, fire!" in return. The British detachment retreated in disorder, but their main body was too strong to be attacked, so they disabled a few cannons, destroyed some barrels of flour, cut down the liberty-pole, set fire to the court house, and then began their return march. It ended in a flight; they were exposed to a constant guerrilla fire; Minute Men flocked behind every tree and house; and only the foresight of Colonel Smith in sending for reinforcements had averted a surrender. At two o'clock in the afternoon, near Lexington, Percy with his troops met the returning fugitives, and formed a hollow square, into which they ran and threw themselves on the ground exhausted. Then Percy in turn fell back. Militia still came pouring in from Dorchester, Milton, Dedham, as well as other nearby towns. A company from Danvers marched sixteen miles in four hours. The Americans lost ninety-three who were killed, wounded, and missing that day. The British lost two hundred and seventy-three.

Every colony now knew without a doubt that the war for Independence had begun.

Acadian Ancestral Home

Key Figures In The Fall of Acadia - Part I

Wars and Battles Pertaining to Acadia

The Wars to take Acadia

The Acadian People

The Wars including the French & Indian War

I. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) was the last of four North American wars waged from 1689 to 1763 between the British and the French.

The Treaty of Paris - 1763

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home 1998 - Present

Some Massachusetts Town Records

October 16, 1755 - Acadian Deportation Has Begun

August 25, 1755 - Acadian Deportation

Interesting Facts

Interesting Notes on a Symbol of Acadia

PLACE EXILED FROM Annapolis Royal Minas Basin(Les Mines) Chignectou Pisiquid Pré des Boudreau Grand-Pré Halifax Port-Latour Cap-Sable

PLACE EXILED TO So. Carolina/Massachusetts/Connecticut New York/Ile St-Jean Virgiania/Maryland/So.Carolina/Connecticut So. Carolina/Pennsylvania/Georgia Maryland/Virginia/Massachusetts/Pennsylvania Connecticut/Virginia/Massachusetts Maryland/Pennsylvania North Carolina Massachusetts Massachusetts

Saint Nicolas des Champs, Paris, France

Acadian History by Placide Gaudet

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home 1998 - 2004

1752 Acadian Census

January 1752 General List of Inhabitants of French Acadia By Names, Families, Villages and number of Boys and Girls in Each Family

1752

VESKAK

PRÉ DES BOURGS (BOURQUE)

DES RICHARDS

TINTAMARRE

LA COUPE

LE LAC

LA POINTE À BEAUSÉJOUR

MEMERAMKOOK(MEMRAMCOOK)

PETKOUDIACK(PETITCODIAC)

CHIPOUDY

January 1752 General List of Refugee Families by Their Names, Villages, and Number of Boys and Girls in each Family

GASPARAUX [Gaspereau]

BAYE VERTE

PORTAGE

POINTE BUOT

LA COUPE

LE LAC

LA POINTE DE BEAUSÉJOUR

VESKAK

LA PRÉ DES BOURG

DES RICHARD

TINTAMARRE

MEMRAMKOUK [Memramcook]

CHIPOUDY

PETKOUDIAK

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home 1998 - Present

Amesbury Public Library - October 29th, 2011

Dear Cousins and Friends,

On Saturday, October 29th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. I will be speaking at the Amesbury Public Library. Topic: Acadian History &amp; Genealogy - I will also speak about the Acadians exiled to Amesbury from 1755-1763. To register please go to the library site at:

Acadians of Tintamarre

Third Anniversary of the Acadian Ancestral Home Blog

Acadian National Holiday - August 15th

Jacques dit Jacob Bourgeois - Founder of Beaubassin 1672

Acadians of Tintamarre - Early Acadian Settlement

Acadian Timeline

Excerpts from the Nova Scotia Archives Regarding the Acadians

Acadians Exiled to France from Louisbourg and Ile St-Jean - Where Did They Go?

What Became of the Acadians?

I. TO THE FRENCH COLONIES IN GUYANA

II. AT BELLE-ILE-EN-MER

III. AT POITOU

IV. IN LOUISIANA

V. TO CANADA

Acadians Die At Sea on the Duke William

British Ships in the Stormy Sea

April 19, 1759

Acadian Pioneers of 1693

Posted with permission. This book is sold out.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home Blog & Website 2004 - Present

Acadian Census of 1671

1671

PORT ROYAL

THE SETTLEMENT OF POBOMCOU [Pubnico] NEAR THE ISLAND OF TOUSQUET

Phillippe MIUS, squire, Sieur de Landremont, 62, his wife Madelein HÉLIE; their daughter is Marguerite married to Piere Melanson; their son is 17, other children: Abraham 13, the younger Phillippe 11, the younger daughter Madeleine is 2; cattle 26; sheep 29, goats 12, hogs 20.

THE SETTLEMENT AT CAPE NEIGRE

Amand LALLOUE, squire, sieur de Derivedu, 58, his wife Ellisabet NICOLLAS; their children: Jacques 24, Amant 14, Arnault 12, Jeanne 20, Ellisabet 12; goats 20, hogs 29; 2 arpents of land.

AT RIVIERE AUX ROCHELOIS

Guillaume POULET, wife and 1 child.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - Present

PLACE
EXILED FROM
Annapolis Royal

Minas Basin(Les Mines)
Chignectou
Pisiquid
Pré des Boudreau
Grand-Pré
Halifax
Port-Latour
Cap-Sable

PLACE
EXILED TO
So. Carolina/Massachusetts/Connecticut
New York/Ile St-Jean
Virgiania/Maryland/So.Carolina/Connecticut
So. Carolina/Pennsylvania/Georgia
Maryland/Virginia/Massachusetts/Pennsylvania
Connecticut/Virginia/Massachusetts
Maryland/Pennsylvania
North Carolina
Massachusetts
Massachusetts

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - 2004

January 1752
General List of Inhabitants of French Acadia
By Names, Families, Villages and number of Boys and Girls
in Each Family

January 1752
General List of Refugee Families by Their Names,
Villages, and Number of Boys and Girls in each Family

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - Present

On Saturday, October 29th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. I will be speaking at the Amesbury Public Library. Topic: Acadian History & Genealogy - I will also speak about the Acadians exiled to Amesbury from 1755-1763.

To register please go to the library site at:

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
Blog & Website
2004 - Present

THE SETTLEMENT OF POBOMCOU [Pubnico]
NEAR THE ISLAND OF TOUSQUET

TOTAL MEN, WOMEN and CHILDREN: 392

TOTAL CATTLE: 482

TOTAL SHEEP: 524

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - Present