Je Me Souviens - American-French Genealogical Society

Je Me
Souviens
A Publication of the
American-French Genealogical Society
Vol
No
VI
2
Winter
1983
PRESIDENT
L u c i l l e F. Rock
463 So. Main S t .
Woonsocket R I 02895
( 4 0 1 ) 769-8079
VICE-PRESIDENT
P a u l i n e Lemire
543 So. Main S t .
Woonsocket, R I 02895
( 4 0 1 ) 766-7132
SECRETARY
Lea Berard
7 Willow Way
L i n c o l n , RI 02865
( 4 0 1 ) 725-1977
TREASURER
Therese P o l i q u i n
88 Woodward dve.
Seekonk, MA. 02771
( 6 1 7 ) 336-9648
,
EDITOR
Rev. Dennis M. Boudreau
St. Joseph's Rectory
1200 Mendon Road
Woonsocket, RI 02895
( 4 0 1 ) 766-0626
QiM!C!tohs
--,
( i n c l u d i n g t h e above o f f i c e r s )
Paul D e l i s l e
A l f r e d Gaboury
Rachel Gaudet
Vivian Greer
J e a n n e t t e Menard
Robert Q u i n t i n
G i l l e s Rock
J e a n n e Theberge
W i l l i a m Thibeault
MENBERSHIP: P a u l D e l i s l e
RESEARCH: P a u l i n e Lemire, C e c i l e Martens
gabl2e ob Contents
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
by Lucille Fournier Rock
A JOURNEY INWARD, TOWARD HOME*
by Irene A. Peloquin
LE COIN DE NOS ANCETRES
DAVID LETOURNEAU
by Armand Letourneau
LOUISE CLOUTIER
by J. Richard Lebel
THE GILL FAMILY
by Gerard J. Gauthier
GENEALOGICAL NOTES
IN KEEPING WITH A RELIGIOUS TRADITION
by Rev. Dennis M. Boudreau
CALIXA LAVALLEE
by A1 Berube
A REMARKABLE WOMAN
by Lucille F. Rock
LA CUISINE DE MA GRANDMERE
MY LAST HOLIDAY ON THE FARM
by Marie Ange B a r r e t t e Lescault
ANTOINE LAVALLEE:
THE FINAL PUZZLE PIECE
RASSEMBLEMENT DES BELLIVEAU-BELIVEAU
THE CHARTIER FAMILY REUNION
CATHOLIC PARISHES OF
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
FROM THE MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
LIBRARY ADDITIONS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ANCESTOR CHARTS
...
1
7
13
26
36
42
43
65
67
68
69
75
76
78
80
84
91
96
99
This year, t h e American F r e n c h Genealogical
Society is c e l e b r a t i n g i t s f i f t h anniversary. Because i t
is a marking point in i t s history, i t is a n occasion t o
reminisce.
T h e s o c i e t y was n o t founded through t h e
acquisition of a donated library as many o t h e r societies
were. R a t h e r , i t began with t h e d r i v e a n d p e r s e v e r a n c e
of Henri Leblond, who was proud of his h e r i t a g e and
had a s t r o n g d e s i r e n o t only t o t r a c e his genealogy, b u t
also to p r o m o t e F r e n c h Canadian culture. Through his
untiring - e f f o r t s , t h e s o c i e t y was born in ~ e b r u a rof~
1978.
L e Foyer played a major r o l e in t h e society's
development. This f r a t e r n a l organization's purpose is
to p r o m o t e and develop t h e intellectual, social,
religious, economic, civic, a n d national a c t i v i t i e s of
Americans of F r e n c h d e s c e n t as well as t o p r o m o t e
F r e n c h culture.
F a i t h f u l t o i t s creed, L e Foyer
unselfishly opened i t s doors t o t h e new found s o c i e t y
and g a v e i t a h o m e without financial reimbursement.
Under Mr. Leblond's leadership, a s t e e r i n g
c o m m i t t e e w a s f ormed, plans formalized, and o f f i c e r s
elected.
T h e f i r s t o f f i c e r s were: Henri Leblond,
president; R o b e r t J. Quintin, vice-president; L e o
Lebeuf, treasurer; a n d R o b e r t Goudreau, secretary. On
t h e board of d i r e c t o r s were: Alfred Gaboury, J e a n n e t t e
Menard, R o b e r t Michaud, Armand Demers, and Lucille
F. Rock.
T h e o f f i c e r s and t h e m e m b e r s of t h e board of
d i r e c t o r s w e r e a n ambitious and hardworking group.
They w e r e e a g e r to build a strong and viable society.
Their principal goal had to b e met, which was t h e
development of a library beginning with t h e most
necessary books, t h e marriage "repertoires".
T o fund
t h e s e expenses, t h e m e m b e r s w e r e charged yearly dues.
With a small membership, t h e money received was
hardly enough to even purchase t h e "repertoires" of t h e
oldest Quebec parishes.
T h e generosity of t h e
membership was called upon and their reply was
overwhelming.
From this point, t h e r e was no doubt
t h a t t h e society had solid roots in i t s dedicated
membership and t h a t i t would prosper.
T h e society was already experiencing a healthy
growth, a n essential ingredient to any organization.
Members w e r e enrolling f r o m s t a t e s as f a r south a s
Florida a n d as f a r west as California. It became vitally
important to find s o m e way to help our members who
could not use our library. T h e society responded t o t h e
needs of our distant m e m b e r s with a two-fold plan t h a t
would b e beneficial t o t h e e n t i r e membership; a
research c o m m i t t e e was organized and plans for a
publication w e r e initiated.
T h e publication was t i t l e d "Je Me Souviens" which
It is t h e m o t t o of t h e
t r a n s l a t e s t o "1 Remember".
Province of Quebec and i t is for t h i s particular reason
t h a t i t was chosen f o r t h e t i t l e of our publication.
T h e m o t t o was inspired by Monsieur Eugene
Etienne Tache, a r c h i t e c t , born in St. Thomas d e
Montmagny, on October 24, 1836. H e was t h e son of
Sir Etienne Pascal Tache, doctor, author, and twice
P r i m e Minister of Canada, and of Sophie Morency. H e
was educated in t h e Quebec Seminary and l a t e r at U.C.
College. H e continued his studies of surveying and civil
engineering under Walter Shanly, C.E. H e held several
positions: a s a surveyor on t h e O t t a w a Ship Canal; for a
few
years,
in
the
Canadian
Public Service; and a s
Commissioner of C r o w n Lands and F o r e s t s in t h e
Province of Quebec.
He designed t h e parliamentary
a n d public buildings of Q u e b e c City, t h e Champlain
T e r c e n t e n a r y Medal t h a t was s t r u c k in P a r i s by o r d e r
of t h e National Battlefield Commission in 1909, a n d t h e
f a c a d e s of t h e new c o u r t house in Q u e b e c City.
Monsieur T a c h e was a l s o appointed by t h e mayor of
Q u e b e c C i t y as a m e m b e r of t h e advisory board t o
embellish a n d p r e s e r v e t h e landmarks a n d e s t h e t i c s i t e s
of t h e city.
His d e a t h in 1912 closed his brilliant
c a r e e r a n d s e r v i c e to his country.
T h e m o t t o "Je M e Souviens" b e c a m e official o n
F e b r u a r y 9, 1883, when t h e c o n t r a c t was signed f o r t h e
construction of t h e new c o u r t house in Quebec. T o his
design, Monsieur T a c h e had incorporated t h e a r m s of
t h e province a n d t h e motto, " J e Me Souviens".
T h e words "Je Me Souviens" h a v e a symbolic
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a n d h a v e been well explained by Sir Louis
Jette, past lieutenant-governor of Quebec. In speaking
a b o u t C a n a d a h e said, "Our f a t h e r s , when coming t o
found New F r a n c e , had brought with t h e m t h e i r
a n c e s t r a l f a i t h and language, with t h e i r ways and
customs, t h e i r laws, a n d t h e i r civil and religious
organization; in a word, a l l t h a t had m a d e F r a n c e t h e
g r e a t e s t nation in t h e world.
Also, in changing
allegiance, our people, s o strongly allied, so united, s o
homogenous, h a v e proven to t h e e n t i r e world t h a t a
c e n t u r y of vicissitude, and of s t r i f e , s o m e t i m e s bloody,
could n o t injure h e r nor diminish her, nor e v e n a b a t e
"Je Me Souviens", I
her marvelous development".
r e m e m b e r my heritage.
T h e f i r s t f e w issues of "Je Me Souviens" had our
logo o n t h e cover. Our logo is also v e r y symbolic a n d
i t was designed by Mr. Henri Leblond. H e chose t h e
f o r m of a s e a l b e c a u s e official d o c u m e n t s h a v e always
been a u t h e n t i c a t e d with seals and genealogy deals with
official documents. T h e symbols within t h e s e a l a r e
especially appropriate: t h e s t a r reveals t h a t w e a r e
Americans; t h e fleur-de-lis boasts of our F r e n c h
Canadian heritage; t h e t r e e d e n o t e s t h a t w e a r e
involved in searching our roots; t h e oak leaves and
a c o r n s a f f i r m t h a t "mighty oaks f r o m l i t t l e a c o r n s
grow"; and, of course, t h e m o t t o "Je Me Souviens".
With our beautiful logo adorning t h e c o v e r of our
f i r s t publication, w e stood back with pride.
In
r e t r o s p e c t , w e r e a l i z e w e w e r e neophytes and t h a t
much had t o b e learned.
T h e year had been hectic. I t was already fall a n d
t i m e f o r our second election. Henri Leblond, who had
fully d e d i c a t e d himself t o t h e birth of t h e society,
withdrew his n a m e f r o m nomination because of ill
h e a l t h a n d o t h e r personal reasons.
H e acknowledged
upon his leaving t h a t h e w a s pleased at w h a t had been
accomplished in so s h o r t a time. T h e newly e l e c t e d
o f f i c e r s were: R o b e r t J. Quintin, president; Lucille F.
Rock, vice-president; L e o Lebeuf and R o b e r t Goudreau
w e r e re-elected t r e a s u r e r a n d s e c r e t a r y .
With t h e
e l e c t i o n of Mr. Quintin, t h e s o c i e t y had a n o t h e r
hardworking and devoted leader at t h e helm. During
his administration, t h e s o c i e t y did n o t r e m a i n s t a g n a n t
b u t continued t o develop a n d grow.
T h e s t r u g g l e t o p u r c h a s e a basic r e s e a r c h library
w a s s t i l l in i t s infancy a n d a l l available funds w e r e
d i r e c t e d t o w a r d t h i s goal.
Books w e r e s e l e c t e d very
carefully b e f o r e being purchased and w e r e chosen in
order of importance; in o t h e r words, t h e "repertoires"
of older parishes w e r e purchased first. Increasing t h e
library holding w a s a prime concern. Members could
n o t t r a c e t h e i r genealogies without t h e proper tools.
T h e r e was also our publication. We had voted to
publish t h e issue f o u r t i m e s a year, b u t we soon
realized t h a t t h i s w a s not only a formidable t a s k f o r
such a s m a l l group, b u t a l s o t h e cost of printing a n d
mailing w a s c u t t i n g deeply i n t o our finances. T h e four
issues a y e a r i d e a was quickly abandoned a n d w e voted
on publishing t w o issues a year, a spring and a f a l l
issue.
We f e l t w e could o f f e r a b e t t e r publication
under t h e s e circumstances.
Finally, l a s t year, t h e
f o r m a t was changed f r o m 8f1'xll" pages stapled
t o g e t h e r t o a m o r e professional 5f"x8ft1 s o f t bound
book.
Smaller a n d lesser a r e n o t synonymous. T h e
book i s indeed smaller, b u t because i t is single spaced
with a double s p a c e b e t w e e n paragraphs, e a c h page
contains 718 of t h e original 8411x1111p a g e which w a s
double spaced. T h e publication h a s been increased t o
100 pages, t h e r e f o r e e a c h issue contains much m o r e
information t h a n t h e older issues.
Reverend Dennis
Boudreau h a s been t h e e d i t o r f o r s o m e time. It is to
his c r e d i t t h a t "3e Me Souviensl' has b e c o m e such a
viable publication.
T h e r e s e a r c h d e p a r t m e n t w a s ' n e v e r neglected. I t
always h a s b e e n a n d still i s of major i m p o r t a n c e t o t h e
society. Our a i m is t o a c q u i r e m o r e r e s e a r c h m a t e r i a l s
t o help o u r members. As you know, t h e Loiselle Index
w a s purchased l a s t year. On microfilm, i t contains
o n e a n d o n e q u a r t e r million F r e n c h Canadian m a r r i a g e s
a l m o s t e n t i r e l y f r o m t h e Province of Quebec. This
year, w e h a v e ordered t h e Rivest Index and a r e e a g e r l y
awaiting i t s delivery.
Although n o t a s e x t e n s i v e a n
index, i t will b e a valuable r e s e a r c h asset. Pauline
L e m i r e is t h e c h a i r m a n of this c o m m i t t e e .
I am
c e r t a i n t h a t t h o s e of you who h a v e utilized our
r e s e a r c h s e r v i c e will join m e in applauding t h e
magnificent job s h e is doing. Mrs. L e m i r e spends many
hours e a c h week helping our m e m b e r s a n d s h e does s o
with conscientiousness and i n t e g r i t y and very o f t e n
a b o v e and beyond w h a t is e x p e c t e d of her. O n e of her
untiring a s s i s t a n t s is Mrs. C e c i l e Martens who has a n
We are
a l m o s t psychic a p t i t u d e to find marriages.
indeed privileged to h a v e such a n outstanding research
committee.
We h a v e m a d e major strides in t h e past f i v e years
not because of o n e person, nor because of a small group
of people, but rather, i t was a combined effort. L e
Foyer's generosity in housing t h e society without
financial reimbursement m a d e i t possible f o r us t o
develop and grow at a n a c c e l e r a t e d pace.
Their
generosity was without bounds, but not without
sacrifice. Besides helping t h e society in this financial
manner, L e Foyer also had to relinquish s o m e of their
valuable s p a c e t o m a k e room for t h e society's e v e r
increasing library. For their e f f o r t in our development,
w e a r e truly grateful. T h e general membership also
played a n important role in our growth. Every appeal
for funds was answered by a n overwhelming number of
members.
These fund raisers m a d e i t possible to
increase t h e library holding as well as t o purchase t h e
Loiselle Index.
We also h a v e a group of diligent and
tireless workers who give f r e e l y of their t i m e and
energy t o t h e needs of t h e society.
With such a
winning combination, how could w e possibly have failed.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY A.F.G.S.
A JOURNEY INWARD,
TOWARD HOME*
by Irene A. Peloquin
The c e l l a r door i n o u r o l d house
would n o t remain s h u t . E i t h e r because
t h e f l o o r was n o t l e v e l o r because t h e
w a l l was n o t s q u a r e , t h e door would
o f t e n swing open, untouched by anyone,
r e v e a l i n g t h e darkened s t a i r c a s e t h a t
l e d t o t h e basement rooms.
One s t i l l , moonless n i g h t I heard
a c r y a r i s e from t h o s e rooms.
It was
a deep, w a i l i n g sound, a s mournful a s
a dove and i t compelled me t o follow.
I passed through t h e open doorway t o
t h e c e l l a r , somehow knowing who would
be there.
"C1est t o i , Louis?" I c a l l e d .
11Oui,"
t h e v o i c e moaned.
"Louis, c ' e s t t o i ? " I c a l l e d a g a i n ,
descending t h e s t a i r s and t r e m b l i n g
because I could n o t b e l i e v e what I
heard.
I n a c o r n e r of t h e c e l l a r a s o f t
yellow l i g h t shone around t h e wooden
f i g u r e of an o l d , bald-headed man w i t h
a f i d d l e . I marvelled t h a t he could
move and speak. The s p e c t r a l c r i e s
had ceased and t h e r e he s a t , s m i l i n g ,
w i t h e y e s surrounded by many deep l i n e s
of l a u g h t e r s o t h a t t h e y seemed t o
twinkle above his high, rounded cheekbones. Then all doubt left me and tears
of recognition filled my own eyes.
11
Je suis Irene", I whispered, approaching the small figure.
"I know", he replied in French.
"And I just want my granddaughter to
know that I am proud of her and I am
pleased to know she is happy."
This strange tale is an account of a dream I
had after visiting Quebec Province three years ago.
The small wooden figure, like others by Caron
which many of you have seen, was one I purchased
in Quebec's lower city and nicknamed "Louis" after
a maternal ancestor who arrived in New France from
Ige in 1644. Though the dream of "Louist'was eerie,
even silly in its way, it meant a great deal to me
then and remains important now. I awoke from it
feeling that my genealogical search had come full
circle. Yet, who could understand the emotional
intensity of this dream and this feeling who had
not also been bitten by the genalogy bug and gone
upon a pilgrimage?
I was bitten by the bug in 1979 while on vacation near my hometown. I did not realize then
how deeply personal the search would be. After
all, my efforts appeared to be directed outward,
towards records and dates that pertained to other
people. Even the family history resulting from
the search was to be a gift to my mother, not one
to myself. But almost immediately I experienced
a level of emotion that belied my dispassion. The
thrill was palpable when, seated in the dreary
records room of the t o m hall, I opened an old
volume filled with pages of an elegant, but faded
script and found the name I recognized as an ancestor.
"Wow! This is it!" I cried. And what did it
matter if the executive-looking gentleman across
the table peered at me over his reading glasses?
I was too elated to care, for here, in black and
white, were records of the people in my mother's
stories, evidence of the continually unfolding
history of which I am a part. These people belonged to me and I was excited to find them.
From that moment the research took on a new
dimension. No longer merely a hobby, it became
something more and drew me onward in an eagerness
to find additional names. I felt almost dutybound to find these ancestors of mine in order to
release them from anonymity; to give them back
their voices despite the decades or centuries between us. My commitment helped me over the inevitable hurdles of fatigue and frustration, when I
began to feel I'd been dealing with too many ghosts
or when records proved to be irretrievably lost.
But again, the gift I was to offer became a gift
to myself because the more I discovered about
them, the more I learned about me.
I learned why we lived where we lived and why
we used certain words or expressions. Old photographs revealed why 1 look as I do with my long
nose and my dark hair against pale skin. Perhaps
I even learned why it is I love to garden! This
is not to argue that history is destiny, but to
illustrate that there is a history for each of us,
providing roots that can be reclaimed to flourish
anew.
At this point in my own search I made plans
to visit Quebec, particularly ~ e a u ~ r gBaie
,
St-Paul,
and Les Eboulements where my forebears lived. The
trip was to be a pilgrimage, for it was a journey
into an alien land and yet a land hallowed by its
association in my mind with the lives of my many
great-grandparents. Maybe, unconsciously, I was
looking for that unifying experience that would
bring me full circle (or fully into the circle).
Alex Haley, the author of ROOTS, had such a
unifying experience when he made the pilgrimage
to his ancestral home in West Africa. There he
met with an old villager called a griot who confirmed that Haley's ancestor had, indeed, been a
member of the Kinte clan and had gone one day to
chop wood, never to return. (He had been taken as
a slave to America). Then a remarkable thing happened: the whole village quietly gathered around
him, moving in a circle and chanting softly.
Women held their babies out to him to be touched
by him. It was their way of saying, "We are you,
and you are us"? Later they took Haley to a
mosque where they thanked Allah for returning one
who had been lost to them2.
I did not expect to find an experience so vivid and emotional awaiting me in Quebec. Tn fact,
the land did turn out to be more alien than I had
imagined. It was difficult to communicate in a
language I had not heard since my childhood. Because I was unable to grasp the directions in
French, I had to be led by my busy hostess to my
room in the small guest house where I stayed.
Between currency exchanges and late evening meals
I was very aware of being a visitor in a foreign
country. Nevertheless, I continued to hope it
would feel, in a sense, like "coming home".
It was easy to feel at home in the beautiful
countryside, especially in the area north of Quebec
City with its mountains and miles of evergreen forest. I fondly recall the sight of the mist lingering among the hills at Baie St-Paul and the
opalescent waters of the bay itself. However, it
where I experienced
was at ~te-~nne-de-~eau~rg
the most emotional moment of my pilgrimage.
Expecting nothing, I cam5 upon a plaque at
the "Souvenir de la rem mi are Eglise" that dedican g
ted the site to my ancestors, Louis ~ a ~ and
Marie Michel. It was a stunning moment for me,
much as it must have been for Alex Haley listening
to the griot, for here was confirmation that my
great-...-grandparents had actually lived their
lives very near the place where I then stood.
Later, in the basilica of Ste-Anne, I lit a candle
in thanks for finding these ancestors who had been
lost to me through time's erosion of tradition
and memory. Unlike ~aley's experience, though,
there were no villagers to accept me into the
circle of their lives as one of their own.
It was a powerful moment, lacking only that
element of completion. It is no wonder, then,
that my unconscious went to work, creating my own
unifying experience with my dreams of the little,
old fiddler with the twinkling eyes and the kind
words of acceptance.
Today, I have perused the genealogical guide
books which can be so helpful in tackling the
technical problems of research. They do not address the feelings we have as we go through various stages of this work. The eagerness and excitement, the impatience and fatigue, as well as
the thrill of discovery are all part of it. So
is acceptance, both of the history we unveil and
of ourselves. Genealogy is an intensely personal
adventure, one which our own identity comes more
clearly into focus. It is, ultimately, self-discovery; a journey inward, toward home.
SOURCES
*
The title of this article is derived from
Bill Moyers' CREATIVITY program aired on
PBS, April 17, 1983, with Maya Angelou as
guest.
Haley , Alex. ROOTS, THE SAGA OF AN AMERICAN
FAMILY. New York,NY: Doubleday & Co., 1976.
pp.679-680.
Ibid., p.680.
Coin de nos dnc6thes
DAVID LETOURNEAU
by Armand L e t o u r n e a u
David Letourneau, t h e f i r s t Canadian a n c e s t o r of a
g r e a t number of people who t o d a y b e a r t h e n a m e
LETOURNEAU in C a n a d a a n d in t h e United States, w a s
a man of courage, resourcefulness a n d ability. H e w a s
a l s o a m a n devoted to his f a m i l y and t o his religious
principles as t h e unfolding of his l i f e in t h i s brief
s k e t c h will d e m o n s t r a t e .
David w a s born in 1616, a t Muron, in t h e Diocese
of X a i n t e s (Saintes), D e p a r t m e n t of Charente-Maritime,
C a n t o n of Tornay-Charente,
in t h e D i s t r i c t of
Saintonge. Muron s t r a d d l e s t h e r o a d b e t w e e n R o c h e f o r t
a n d ~ u r ~ e r ae nsd today b o a s t s of a population of a b o u t
o n e thousand inhabitants.
It was in t h i s town t h a t
J e a n n e Dupen g a v e b i r t h to a m a l e child who w a s
destined t o b e c o m e t h e f i r s t Letourneau. pioneer in t h e
New World. H e w a s c h r i s t e n e d David m o s t likely a f t e r
his f a t h e r . Very l i t t l e i s known of t h e e a r l y y e a r s of
t h i s child. In f a c t , e v e n t h e d a t e of his birth had t o b e
d e t e r m i n e d f r o m his d e c l a r a t i o n of being f i f t y y e a r s of
a g e a t t h e t i m e t h e census w a s t a k e n in C a n a d a in
1666.
T h e y e a r s w e n t by quickly and David had b e c o m e a
A t Larochelle, o n
young m a n r e a d y to s e t t l e down.
J u n e 10, in t h e y e a r 1640, b e f o r e a n o t a r y named
Balanguay, David signed a m a r r i a g e c o n t r a c t with
Sebastienne Guery.
They undoubtedly w e r e married
soon a f t e r . F r o m t h i s union, t h r e e children w e r e born:
Marie: b. 16Q1
David: b. 1643; m. 6 J u n e 1664 Chateau-Richer to
Fraricoise Chapelain, daughter of Louis Chapelain and
Francoise D e Chaux; d. 2 3 February 1709, Quebec (Q).
Jean: b. 1645; m. 1 8 April 1673 Ste. Famille to Anne
Francoise Dufresne, daughter of P i e r r e Dufresne and
Anne Palin; d. 2 3 April 1722 (Q).
Sometime a f t e r t h e birth of Jean, Sebastienne
Guery passed on from this world.
Aware t h a t t h e
children needed m a t e r n a l c a r e and unwilling t o burden
relatives and friends for t h e i r c a r e when a w a y f r o m
home earning a living, David would not remain widowed
for long. And so, on July 6, 1654, before t h e notary
Andre Casfint, David c o n t r a c t e d t o marry J e a n n e Baril,
t h e daughter of Francois Baril and of C a t h e r i n e
Ligneron. T h e marriage vows w e r e exchanged a t Saint
Germain dlAunis in t h e Diocese of L a Rochelle.
In 1655, a daughter named Elizabeth was born t o
them.
Two years later, in 1657, a son christened
Philippe was added t o t h e family. T h e household now
numbered seven. It would n o t b e s o f o r long, for e a r l y
in May of 1658, David accompanied by his t w o oldest
sons, David Jr. and J e a n , embarked on a ship bound f o r
New France.
What motivated David's decision t o leave his
country, his w i f e a n d s o m e of his children t o venture
into a n unknown land? It certainly was not a light and
quick decision to make. F i r s t of all, David wanted t o
s e c u r e g r e a t e r opportunities f o r his family, e v e n at t h e
sacrifice of a n absence of indefinite duration. Most
opportunities w e r e unobtainable to t h e average
inhabitant of F r a n c e during t h e middle of t h e
seventeenth century. F r a n c e was in turmoil and t h e
ministries of Mazarin and of Fouquet had l e f t t h e
country in financial and economic trouble. Also, F r a n c e
was almost constantly at war in o n e a r e a or another.
T h e uneasiness resulting f r o m t h e s e situations caused
many to seek passage t o t h e New World with t h e hope
of finding g r e a t e r freedom and b e t t e r opportunities, a t
least m o r e so t h a n in France.
Another consideration t h a t must have weighed
heavily in David's mind was his obligation to t h e family
a s a husband and father. I t is reasonable t o assume
t h a t h e m a d e a d e q u a t e provisions for t h e c o m f o r t and
needs of t h e loved ones t h a t h e l e f t behind.
A s was t h e case for most emigrants from France,
at t h a t t i m e , David must h a v e c o n t r a c t e d for t h e t h e n
customary t h r e e years of s e r v i c e t o a n individual o r a
company as payment for his passage and t h e assurance
of board and s h e l t e r for himself and his t w o sons a f t e r
their arrival in Canada.
Once this obligation was
satisfied, h e could t h e n s e t t l e s o m e w h e r e and l a t e r send
for t h e r e s t of t h e family t o join him in t h e new
country. Eventually, this would become a reality.
During t h e seventeenth century, i t took a n a v e r a g e
of t w o to t h r e e months to cross t h e North Atlantic
Ocean. Based on this f a c t , David must have reached
C a n a d a in t h e early summer of 1658. Soon a f t e r his
arrival, h e s e t t l e d a t C h a t e a u Richer t o s e r v e his
c o n t r a c t u a l t h r e e years of service.
C h a t e a u Richer
may t h e n b e considered as having been t h e c r a d l e of
t h e Letourneau descendants of David in North America.
O n c e his obligation had been satisfied, t h e f a t h e r
with his t w o sons moved t o t h e Island of Orleans where
on August 24, 1661, h e purchased f r o m Francois
Dupont, a piece of land located within t h e a r e a of
Sainte Famille. T h e t e r m s of t h e purchase called f o r a
price of 110 "livres" (a French monetary unit originally
equal in value to o n e pound of silver) to b e paid on t h e
t w e n t i e t h of t h e following month.
Cultivating a n d improving t h e property b e c a m e t h e
s o l e occupation of t h e t h r e e m e n f o r t h e n e x t t h r e e
years.
T h e long hours of work a n d t h e indomitable
pioneer d e t e r m i n a t i o n t h a t inspired t h e m m a d e t h e
property prosperous a n d valuable. I t was t h e n a worthy
p i e c e of land t h a t David Jr. inherited o n February 1,
1664, when his f a t h e r t r a n s f e r r e d t h e land t i t l e t o h i m
on t h e occasion of his m a r r i a g e c o n t r a c t t o Francoise
Chapelain.
T o t h e t i t l e t r a n s f e r , a condition w a s
a t t a c h e d which required of David J r . to t u r n o v e r to his
f a t h e r f i f t y bushels of w h e a t f o r t h a t y e a r a n d f i f t y
m o r e on t h e following year. Figuring in t h e d e a l w a s
a l s o t h e promise by t h e f a t h e r to help, with t h e
a s s i s t a n c e of his son, J e a n , in t h e sowing a n d harvesting
of t h e crops.
Within a month a n d a half a f t e r t h e t r a n s f e r of t h e
property to his son, David bought a n o t h e r parcel of land
which h e recorded in t h e n a m e of his son, Jean. This
land w a s l o c a t e d on t h e s o u t h s i d e of t h e island in t h e
a r e a of S a i n t Laurent. As a n e n c o u r a g e m e n t to J e a n
and t o help him if t h e occasion arose, David also
acquired t h e adjoining p i e c e of land. T h e Letourneaus
now owned t h r e e valuable properties.
This ownership
established t h e m as pioneer landowners on t h e beautiful
Island of Orleans. S o m e of t h i s land, t h e f i r s t parcel,
has been passed on f r o m g e n e r a t i o n to g e n e r a t i o n a n d
t o d a y i t is s t i l l occupied by a Letourneau.
On t h e s i x t h of J u n e in 1664, a s p e r t h e c o n t r a c t
previously mentioned, David Jr. m a r r i e d Francoise
Chapelain.
This w a s t h e f i r s t Letourneau m a r r i a g e in
C a n a d a as recorded in t h e r e g i s t r y of m a r r i a g e s of t h e
c h u r c h at C h a t e a u Richer.
T h e a c t u a l ceremony,
however, took p l a c e in t h e t h e n Mission Church of Ste.
F a m i l l e o n t h e Island of Orleans. David Jr. w a s t h e n
twenty-one y e a r s old a n d t h e bride was t h r e e y e a r s
younger.
I t is said t h a t s h e was a woman who could
make u p h e r own mind. T w o y e a r s e a r l i e r , s h e had
r e j e c t e d a n o f f e r of m a r r i a g e f r o m C h a r l e s Allaire,
e v e n though a marriage c o n t r a c t had been negotiated in
her n a m e by her parents. She also was a woman of
d e e p religious principles who would raise a family of
f i f t e e n children and see t w o of her daughters e n t e r t h e
Congregation of Notre Dame.
A passing n o t e h e r e is worth mentioning in view of
t h e canonization r i t e s t h a t took place in R o m e just
recently when Marguerite Bourgeoys was declared a
Saint (October 1, 1982).
Marguerite Letourneau,
daughter of David Jr., knew t h e new saint personally.
As earlier s t a t e d , Marguerite was t h e f i r s t Letourneau
vocation in Canada.
When s h e e n t e r e d t h e
Congregation of Notre D a m e in 1691, s h e took t h e
religious n a m e of Sister Saint P i e r r e and s p e n t her
e n t i r e life in a convent in Montreal. I t was h e r e t h a t
s h e died on O c t o b e r 31, 1721. Her body was p u t t o
r e s t under t h e ancient church of N o t r e D a m e in
Montreal.
Francoise, t h e younger sister, e n t e r e d t h e s a m e
religious congregation a t a very t e n d e r age. A t t h e
t i m e of her d e a t h in 1693, s h e was only f i f t e e n y e a r s
old. No information has been uncovered to indicate if
s h e w e r e a postulant, a novice o r a professed sister.
Because of her age, i t is assumed t h a t Francoise was
e i t h e r a postulant o r a novice. I t is also assumed t h a t
if d e a t h w e r e imminent t h a t s h e was allowed t o t a k e
t h e religious vows s o a s to d i e a full fledged member of
t h e congregation.
The body of young Francoise w a s
laid t o r e s t under t h e a l t a r of t h e Holy Virgin in t h e
Church of Ste. Famille.
Almost a year a f t e r t h e y w e r e married, David Jr.
and Francoise had their f i r s t child baptized o n May 24,
1665.
T h e child named Marie Anne was t h e f i r s t
Letourneau t o b e born on Canadian soil. The baptism
was performed in t h e Church of Ste. Famille by a
missionary priest called Pommier. The act, however,
w a s r e c o r d e d in t h e c h u r c h r e g i s t r y of C h a t e a u Richer.
Now t h a t his t w o sons w e r e well established o n t h e
Island of Orleans and h e a l s o owned property t h e r e ,
David f e l t t h a t t h e t i m e h a d c o m e t o send f o r his w i f e
a n d children who w e r e still in France. Soon t h e reunion
would b e c o m e a reality.
In 1665, four vessels l e f t L a Rochelle f o r Quebec.
They w e r e t h e Vieux Simeon d e Dukerdam, L e C a t d e
Hollande, L e J a r d i n d e Hollande a n d L a Paix. O n e of
t h e m c a r r i e d on i t s passenger list t h e n a m e s of J e a n n e
Baril a n d h e r t w o children, E l i z a b e t h and Philippe.
Daughter Marie of t h e f i r s t m a r r i a g e did n o t
accompany them.
No m o t i v e s could b e found t h a t
would shed light on t h i s m a t t e r . Several good reasons
could b e given t o explain Marie's f a i l u r e t o join t h e
f a m i l y in C a n a d a b u t a l l of t h e m would b e p u r e
conjecture.
In t h e census t h a t t o o k p l a c e in C a n a d a in 1666,
t h e r e a p p e a r e d t h e following notations, t h e n a m e s of
which a r e h e r e w i t h orthographically reproduced:
1. In Beauport
d'Avit Estourneau, a g e d 50 years, miller, f a r m e r
J e a n n e Barille, 33 y e a r s old, his w i f e
Igabeau Estourneau, 1 2 years old, d a u g h t e r
phillip Estourneau, 8 y e a r s old, son
2. Isle of Orleans
d'avit Estourneau, 2 5 years, f a r m e r
f r a n c o i s e Chapelin, 20 y e a r s old, his w i f e
Marie Estourneau, 1 y e a r old, t h e i r daughter
3. Isle of Orleans
J e a n I'estourneau, 22 y e a r s old, t a i l o r and f a r m e r
Judging f r o m t h e a b o v e e n t r i e s , i t is evident t h a t
David, his w i f e a n d t h e i r children w e r e at Beauport in
F e b r u a r y o r March of 1666, when t h e census w a s taken.
A question t h e n i s in order. Did David t a k e his family
t o t h e Island of Orleans a f t e r t h e i r a r r i v a l f r o m F r a n c e
o r did h e s e t t l e d i r e c t l y a t Beauport? T h e Reverend
F a t h e r C h a r l e s Letourneau, a u t h o r and genealogist of
g r e a t excellence, s t a t e s in his book " F e t e s d e s Familles
Letourneau", t h a t s i n c e David had n o o t h e r property
t h a n t h e o n e on t h e Island of Orleans, t h a t h e took his
family t h e r e when t h e y a r r i v e d in Canada.
The
Reverend F a t h e r Lebel t a k e s a d i f f e r e n t view in his
book, "Nos Ancetres" Volume 3 . H e holds t h e opinion
t h a t David n o t wishing to s u b j e c t his w i f e a n d young
children to live in t h e cabin s t y l e house t h a t h e built
f o r himself o n t h e island, o p t e d to bring his family
d i r e c t l y t o Beauport. Be i t a s i t may, w e know f o r
c e r t a i n t h a t t h e family w a s a t Beauport in February o r
March of 1666.
David w a s a n e x p e r t miller f r o m e a r l y childhood.
Milling had b e e n his occupation in F r a n c e and t h e
e x p e r i e n c e s acquired t h e r e s e r v e d him well in t h e new
world. Besides farming, h e e a r n e d his living f o r a t i m e ,
managing t h e flour mill of Seigneur Giffard in t h e
village of Beauport. P e r h a p s his experiences a s miller
helped him l e a r n something a b o u t t h e a r t of baking.
During t h e A t l a n t i c crossing in 1658, t h e c a p t a i n of t h e
ship sought his help in t h e baking of bread and in t h e
preparation of pastries.
Besides being a good miller, David w a s a l s o a n
e x p e r t a r c h e r who w a s known t o h a v e fashioned his own
equipment f r o m t h e bones of animals. A t a n e a r l y a g e ,
in Saintonge, h e used his skill a s a n a r c h e r t o s p e a r fish
t h a t had b e e n s n a r e d in wooden f e n c e enclosures placed
along t h e tidal shores of his n a t i v e province. Now, in
Canada, h e p r a c t i c e d t h e s a m e method of operation t o
o b t a i n fish f r o m t h e St. L a w r e n c e River. Also, s i n c e
gunpowder a n d f i r e a r m s w e r e n o t t h a t plentiful in t h e
colony, his m a s t e r y of a r c h e r y proved t o b e a n
e x c e l l e n t way of hunting f o r s m a l l g a m e which
abounded in t h e neighboring woods a n d which provided a
means of adding to t h e food for t h e table.
I t is n o t known how long t h e family remained in
Beauport nor o n what d a t e David returned t o C h a t e a u
Richer which had been his f i r s t home in Canada. On
August 15, of t h a t s a m e year, h e sold his property on
t h e Island of Orleans to Antoine Lacasse for 300
"livres". In s o doing, David had indicated his intention
of settling permanently in C h a t e a u Richer. H e soon
leased f r o m Mgr. Laval, t h e f i r s t bishop of Quebec, t h e
t w o flour mills within t h e village. In no t i m e at all,
h e was known a s t h e m a s t e r miller of t h e "Moulins d e
l a c o s t e et seigneurie d e Beaupre".
Twelve years a f t e r t h e birth of his son Philippe,
David was presented with another son whom h e named
J a c q u e s and o n t h e 17th of January, 1770, J e a n n e
presented David with o n e m o r e son. He was christened
Guillaume.
T h e joy of t h e birth of this l a s t child
turned quickly t o sadness however, as t h e baby lived f o r
only t w o days.
When h e f i r s t returned t o C h a t e a u Richer, David
must h a v e r e n t e d o r leased his living quarters. Always
a n independent man, h e lost l i t t l e t i m e in obtaining a
place of his own. On February 8, 1669, h e purchased a
house from Mace Gravel a s well as t h e land on which
t h e house stood. T h e purchase p r i c e amounted t o 700
"livresl'. T h e t e r m s w e r e f o r a n immediate payment of
300 lllivresll and t h e balance t o b e paid o n o r before t h e
t e n t h day of t h e following month. His property a b u t t e d
t h a t of Guillaume Thibault on o n e side and t h a t of
Barthelemy Verreau on t h e other. It was located along
t h e main road just below t h e land upon which stood t h e
church of t h e village. With a n e y e t o t h e future, David
had previously acquired land along t h e river from a man
named Michel Bouchard. T h e transfer deed bore t h e
d a t e of October 17, 1668. Apparently, h e intended t o
use this land f o r farming. H e was never a n idle man.
CHATEAU R!.CHER AT THE TIME Of DAVID
1. Property of Guillaume Thibault
2. Property of David Letourneau
3. Property of Barthelemy Verreau
4. The church and cemetery
5. Wind powered mill
-
Island of Orleans
A. Property of David Letourneau Jr.
B. Property of Jean Letourneau
C. Property of David Letourneau Sr.
Position of properties i s approximate
The f i r s t Letourneau family in Canada was now
living happily in its own house and on its own land.
J e a n n e was kept busy maintaining t h e household, while
David was successfully managing t h e mills and t h e
t r a d e they brought.
The married children w e r e well
established on t h e Island of Orleans and those at home
w e r e assured of c a r e and love. David had labored hard
all his life and now h e expected t o enjoy t h e results of
t h e long years of work. Events, however, would not
allow this to last. On May 15, 1670, David was struck
with a s t r a n g e sickness and within a f e w short hours, he
was dead. On t h e evening of t h e s a m e day, his remains
w e r e deposited in t h e c e m e t e r y next t o t h e church.
The h a s t e t h a t accompanied t h e internment has given
rise t o speculation t h a t David may have c o n t a c t e d a
contagious disease and t h a t prudence d i c t a t e d t h a t his
body b e disposed of quickly. T h a t could very well have
been t h e case, since it was t h e custom t o wait a t l e a s t
a day and sometimes t w o before burying t h e dead.
David had died in t h e midst of his loved ones and
with t h e full spiritual support of t h e church. F a t h e r
Fillion, missionary priest a t Chateau Richer, w r o t e t h e
following e n t r y in t h e church register:
"In t h e year of our Lord, one thousand
six hundred and seventy, on t h e sixteenth of
May, died David Estourneau, husband of
Jeanne Barille, a f t e r having received t h e
Holy Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist, and
E x t r e m e Unction.
He was buried t h e s a m e
day, in t h e evening, in c e m e t e r y of his
parish, Chateau Richer, t h e sixteenth of
May."
During his lifetime, David had planned carefully f o r
t h e security of his family and f o r their welfare. He
had acquired land on t h e Island of Orleans for his sons
David and Jean. He probably intended t o d o t h e s a m e
for his other younger sons. A t any r a t e , w e know t h a t
he did not leave his family destitute, if i t can be
judged by t h e goods and properties t h a t h e had
accumulated during his lifetime.
Shortly a f t e r his
death, t h e inventory of his e s t a t e was made by Notary
Vachon of Chateau Richer. David owned t h e following:
A farm near t h e St. Lawrence River in t h e
Seigneurie of Beaupre, which h e bought from
Michel Bouchard on October 17, 1668.
The lot and building a t Chateau Richer purchased
from Mace Gravel on February 8, 1669, for 700
"livres tournois". (A "livres tournois" was French
money stamped or minted in Tours, France.
It
had greater value than Canadian currency.)
A piece of land purchased on February 8, 1669,
From Zacharie Cloutier.
Furniture valued in excess of 900 "livres tournois".
Two animals valued at approximately 174 "livres
tournois".
Gold and silver coins amounting t o 200 "livres
tournoi~~~.
Assets expressed as accounts receivable, but with
no specific amounts listed in t h e inventory.
Offsetting t h e above assets was a n obligation of
130 "livres tournois".
If t h e properties on t h e Island of Orleans t h a t were
deeded t o his t w o sons, David and Jean, a r e added t o
this inventory, it becomes obvious t h a t David had been
a very successful pioneer in t h e New World.
In writing this brief biography of David Letourneau,
records from many sources, both civil and religious
were consulted. Most of them dealt with those events
t h a t generally govern t h e passage of one's life on earth.
However, from t i m e t o time, t h e r e appears somewhere
a notation t h a t reflects upon t h e character of a person.
Such was t h e case with David and i t is befitting t o
conclude this brief sketch of his life with a short
anecdote t h a t reveals his piety and charity.
Chateau Richer is only a f e w kilometers from t h e
famous shrine of Sainte Anne d e Beaupre. At t h e t i m e
of David, i t was a modest structure t h a t a t t r a c t e d even
then pilgrims from many of t h e neighboring areas.
David is known t o have visited t h e shrine and t o have
contributed toward its support, a s is a t t e s t e d by t h e
following entry recorded in t h e journal of income and
expenses, by t h e priests who then administered t h e
affairs of t h e church:
"Received from David Etourneau t w o bushels
of wheat."
May this example of charity be one of t h e legacies
of David Letourneau t o all of his descendants.
David Letourneau and Jeanne Baril had four
children:
Elizabeth: b. 1655; m. 23 September 1670 Chateau
Richer (CR) t o Mathurin Tessier, son of Thomas Tessier
and Elizabeth Poirier.
Philippe: b. 1657; lam. 14 February 1683 Contract
Rageot t o Marie Madeleine Simon, parents unknown;
2"m. 12 February 1685 Quebec t o Marie Madeleine
Vallee, daughter of Jean Vallee and Marie Martin.
Jacques: b. 1668; m. 8 February 1694 S t e Anne d e la
Perade t o Angelique Guyon, daughter of Joseph Guyon
and Genevieve Cloutier.
Guillaume: b. 17 January 1670 (CR); d. 19 January 1670
{cR).
Letourneau, L'abbe Charles. FETES DES FAMILLES LETOURNEAU, ILE
dlORLEANS,1654-1979.
Tanguay, Mgr. Cyprien. DICTIONNAIRE GENEALOGIQUE DES FAMILLES
CANADIENNES. 1982 Quintin-Rock Publications. Vol I, p. 390.
Vol. V, p. 382.
Lebel, Gerard, C.5s.R. NOS ANCETRES, VOL. 111. 1982 Ste. Anne
de Beaupre. pp. 97-102.
RAPPORT DES ARCHIVES NATIONALES DU QUEBEC. 1973 Quebec. Vol.
51, pp. 189-191.
Gariepy, Raymond. LE VILLAGE DU CHATEAU RICHER. Cahiers
d8Histoire. 1969 La Societe Historique de Quebec. pp. 25, 26,
39-42.
Douville, Raymond. LES PREMIERS SEIGNEUR ET COLONS DE SAINlE
ANNE DE LA PERADE (1667-1681). 1946 Editions du Bien Publique.
pp. 104, 161, 162.
Letourneau, Raymond. L'ILE dlORLEANSEN FETE. p. 392.
A facsimile of the signature
of Dabid Letourneau
A facsimile of the signature
of Marguerite Letourneau
Sister Saint Pierre in religious
life.
LOUISE CLOUTIER
by J. Richard Lebel
In much the same spirit that Queen Victoria is
often referred to as the "Grandmother of all
Europe", historians, such as Pierre-Georges Roy and
his son, ~ 6 o nRoy, call Anne Langlois and Louise
Cloutier the "Grandmothers of all Lower Canada".
Louise's parents, Zacharie Cloutier and Xainte
Dupont were married at Mortagne in the Perche region of France on the 18th of July 1616. Of this
marriage were born sih children: Zacharie-b. 16th
August 1617; Jean-b. 13th May 1620; Xainte-b. 1st
November 1 6 2 2 7 1 9 t h ~eptember1632; Anne-b. 19th
January 1626; Charles-b. 3rd May 1629; and Louiseb. 16311 Zacharie Cloutier (1590-1677) and his
wife, Xainte Dupont (1596-1680) migrated in 1634
from their native Perche to New France with their
five children, where they established themselves
at ~h3teau-~icher,
on the northern bank of the St.
Lawrence River. Cloutfer was a master carpenter;
his holding, a fief of land, was known as La
Clouterie (or La Cloutlererie).
The eldest son, Zacharie (1617-1708), whose
descandants still lived there as recently as 1970,
was twenty-four years of age when he married
Madeleine-Barbe Aymard (of Esmart), the daughter
of Jean and Marie Bineau (or Bureau), from Niort
in Poitou, France.
Jean (1620-1690) married Marie Martin (16351699) in the year 1648. She was the daughter of
Abraham Martin dit 1'Ecossais and Marguerite
Langlois. New findingrsuggest that Abraham may
have been a Frenchman who had sojourned to Scotland
where he may have left a son, also named Abraham,
whose grave as well as that of his wife lie in
the cemetery of Dundee. Abraham, the father was
granted land on the heights of Quebec, land which
has become known to history as the "Plains of
Abraham". No mention need be made of the sorrowful event which occurred there in 1759. As an
aside, Abraham Martin was imprisoned on 15 February
1649, when accused of improper conduct toward a
young girl in Quebec. He was sixty years old!
In 1659, Charles Cloutier (1629-1709) married
Louise Morin, the daughter of Noel and ~e'l\ene
Desportes. Although there is some disagreement,
it is generally recognized that Helene was the
first white child to be born in New France. Her
parents were Pierre and Fran~oiseLanglois, the
sfster of Marguerite and wefe of Abraham Martin.
Helene's first husband was Guillaume Hebert, of
Quebec's "first family".
But the main reason for this effort was Louise
Cloutier (1631-1699), less than three years of age
when she arrived in New France. Nothing is known
of her until, at the age of fourteen, she took as
her first husband, Fran~oisMarguerie, Sieur de
la aye, born in Rouen, Normandie in 1612, the
son of Fran~ois,bourgeois and oarmaker, and
Marthe Romain. An adventurer and explorer, some
historians claim that Fran~oiswas charged with
contacting the Indians to learn their languages
and to encourage them to trade with the Company of
the One Hundred Associates, established in 1627 by
Armand Cardinal Richelieu. Others believe that he
sought refuge among the Algonquins during the
English occupation of the French colony (1629-32)
by Sir David Kirke (or Kertk], a Scotsman in the
employ of England. In any event, Fransois
Marguerie earned t h e s o b r i q u e t "double man" from
t h e I n d i a n s , because he had adapted himself comp l e t e l y t o t h e i r customs and language. This took
p l a c e some time b e f o r e 1 9 6 , when h i s Qresence was
f i r s t recorded i n t h e RELATIONS DES JESUTTES.
A f t e r spending t h e w i n t e r of 1635-36 on
Allumette I s l a n d , he a r r i v e d i n t h e Huron c o u n t r y
on t h e 2 8 t h of March i n t h e company of f o u r
Algonquins. F r a n q o i s ' knowledge was v e r y u s e f u l
t o t h e J e s u i t m i s s i o n a r i e s t h e r e , f o r whom h e a c t e d
a s g u i d e and i n t e r p r e t e r on t h e i r t r i p s i n t o t h e
i n t e r i o r . Howeyer, d u r i n g 1637-40, he s c a r c e l y
l e f t T r o i s - R i v i e r e s , and we know t h a t h e was c h i e f
i n t e r p r e t e r a t t h a t p l a c e from 1642 t o 1648.
I n February of 1641, w h i l e h u n t i n g w i t h Thomas
de Godefroy, t h e y were t a k e n p r i s o n e r by t h e
I r o q u o i s , w i t h whom t h e y remained f o r s e v e r a l
weeks. The two i n t e r p r e t e r s a p p a r e n t l y made t h e
b e s t of t h e i r c a p t i v i t y by f a m i l i a r i z i n g thems e l v e s w i t h t h e I r o q u o i s tongue.
During t h i s p e r i o d of e n f o r c e d i n a c t i o n , t h e y
l e a r n e d t h a t t h e *oquois were p l a n n i n g t o a t t a c k
~ r o i s - ~ i v i k r eisn e a r l y sunrmer, and t h a t t h e two
Frenchmen would be used a s g u i d e s and b a i t . Reachi n g a p o i n t on t h e s o u t h e r n bank of t h e S t . Lawrence
d i r e c t l y a c r o s s from ~ r o i s - ~ i v i & e s ,Marguerie
v o l u n t e e r e d t o n e g o t i a t e w i t h t h e French authori t i e s , l e a v i n g de Godefroy behind a s h o s t a g e . T h i s
was p a r t of a p l a n d e v i s e d by t h e two men e a r l i e r .
Marguerie gave h i s word of honor t o r e t u r n f f he
was u n s u c c e s s f u l .
On 5 J u n e , he persuaded t h e
governor, M. de Champfleur, n o t t o a c c e p t t h e
I r o q u o i s ' p r o p o s a l s , as t h e y concealed a t r a p . Obv i o u s l y p l a c i n g h i s l i f e i n jeopardy, Marguerie
r e t u r n e d t o t h e I r o q u o i s camp.
Following some deliberations, the authorities
decided to send Jean Nicolet and Father Ragueneau
to negotiate. They reached an agreement with the
Iroquois, and the two captives were released. The
was spared because of
settlement at ~rois-~ivizres
the courage and boldness of a handful of men.
On October 26, 1645 Fran~oisMarguerie married
Louise Cloutier at Quebec, and brought her to Trois~ivikres,where she was widowed by a tragic accident
on 23 May 1648. An Indian canoe, in which Marguerie
and Jean Amyot, another interpreter, were riding,
capsized in mid-stream during a sudden squall off
~rois-~ivi&es, drowning both men. Two weeks later,
Marguerie's body was recovered at is, and that
of Amyot at Sillery on the north bank of the river.
Childless and widowed at the age of seventeen,
Louise returned to Qugbec.
Five months later, on 10 November 1648, she
married Jean Mignot dit Chatillon (1628-1680), the
son of Nicolas andNadeleine DeBrie of Bayeux,
Normandie. Settling in ~hGteau-~icher , they were
to have fourteen children, several of whom married
into the oldest pioneer families of New France.
These children and their alliances were:
1. Pierre, b.1649;married to (1) Jeanne
A~tin~(2)Catherine-Anne Ouellet, (3)
Marie Roy.
2. Jean-Aubin, b.1650.
3. ~h$r\ese,bpt. 9/9/1651-Que/bec;married
2/4/1665-~hheau-~icher
to (1) Nicolas
Lebel; and agafn on 6/2/1679 to (2)
Ouellet
en&
.
4. Sainte, b. 6/1/1653; married 14/8/1669
to Jeaq Grondin.
5. Marie-Madelellne, bpt. 221711654-QU~.;
married to Noel Pelletier, son of Jean
and Anne Langlois (previously mentionned).
7. Jeanne, b. 24/12/1658; marrfed 1679 to
Antoine Gaboury.
8. Charles, bpt. 19/9/1660.
9. Louis, bpt. 1663.
10. Nicolas, bpt. 21/2/1666.
11. Jean-Baptiste, bpt. 1/9/1669.
12. Marie, bpt. 2/2/1671; married 2/8/1694
at ~hgteau-~icher
to Jean Dionne (the
famed Dionne quintuplets are among their
descendants).
13. Marie-Charlotte, bpt. 19/3/1672.
14. Marie-Charlotte, bpt. 11/3/1674.
Jean and Louise removed from ~h2teau-~icher
and established themselves among the first settlers
not very long after
of ~te-~nne-de-la-~ocatiLre,
the birth of their last child. Their sons-in-law,
Nicolas Lebel (1633-1678), Jean Grondfn (1645-1714)
and Noel Pelletier (1654- ) had preceded them to
this locale.
The seigneuresse of Ste-Anne, 'Marie-Anne
Juchereau de Safnt-Denys, granted Nignot a conces-
sion of land of four arpents frontage on the St.
Lawrence immedaitely to the northeast of that of
Lebel and Grondin. For reasons which are unclear,
the Intendant Raudot issued an order on 16 March
1679 questionning Mignot about his land. He
ultimately abandonned his Grande-Anse concession
soon after.
The following entry is found in the 168? census
of the seigneury of La Bouteillerie at RiviereOuelle: "Marie-Louise Cloutier, 45 years old, with
three children- Louis, 19 years old; Charlotte,
11 years old; and Marie, 9 years old." (Author's
note: there is a conflict between the ages and
birthdates listed). They had two arpents of
cleared land and three cows. No mention is made
of Jean Mignot. Thus it is presumed that he died
between 1679 and 1681.
Louise and Jean's eldest daughter, The/r;se,
widowed by the death of her husband, NTcolas Lebel
in 1678, remarried ~ene/Ouellet in 1679. Their
Ouellet married
daughter, Ang&lique-~ar~uerite
Jean-Baptiste Pelletier, son of Jean and Anne Huot
dit St-Laurent in 1714. Anne Huot's father,
Nicolas is the ancestor of the Honorable Louis
St-Laurent, Prime Minister of Canada from 1947-56.
Canadian records tell us that on 8 November
1660, Jean an$ Louise Mignot sold their property
in Trois-Rivieres, which she had inherited from
her first husband, Fran~oisMarguerie. The deed
of sale, completed on 9 July 1662, shows that
Fran~ois~e~a?tre
purchased the six and two-thirds
arpents of land.
Another incident in Louise's life is recorded
in the "cow contract". On 12 September 1683,
Louise, widowed, and now living in her old home in
chgteau-~icher,agreed to deliver a cow to the city
of ~ue/bec. It was the final payment of an obligation of her late husband, Jean Mignot, to the then
attorney-general, the Sieur dlAuteuil,husband of
Marie-Anne Juchereau, for the sum of 33 to 36
pounds. The document describes the cow "with red
hair, about 6 years old, in gestation or with calf
by its side, the first week of next May". The
document also indicates that the Sieur d'Auteui1
'I
was content" with the cow since his wife "was
satisfied with the bargain"! The cow was to remain at the farm of Louise's son-in-law, ~ene/
Ouellet, until 1 May. It further states that the
instrument is "without prejudice neither to derogate to the mortgage of two oxen that the debtor
has already given to the Sieur Attorney-General,
as an insurance of her debt". The mortgage deed
was done in the presence of Nicolas ~etreh,bailiff,
and Jacques Memeu dit chgteauneuf. Because of
debts and the difficulties in discharging them,
the lot of these earliest pioneers could not have
been an easy one.
Recall that the 1681 census shows Louise with
three horned beasts. Are these the cow and two
oxen referred to? Also, dlAuteuilhad leased a
farm near that of ~ene/Ouellet, where the animals
were cared for, to Valiquet and Eoudon, and was
obliged to furnish them one cow and two oxen by
11 August 1684. Was the attorney-general depending on Louise's livestock to meet the obligations
of his own contract? Et would seem that way.
On 20 March 1685, Louise Cloutier-MarguerieMignot and her third husband, Jean-Pierre Mataux,
probably a saddle-maker, deeded to her son, Louis
Mignot of Beauport, "a residence of three arpents
at the La Bouteillerie seigneurie that as belonging
to the wife Cloutier, in exchange for a concession
at Beauport, in the fief of Duchesnay, of twentyfive arpents superficy - - as having one and a
half arpents of frontage and bounded by Robert
sons on one side and to the land of the
fief that was belonging to Louise Mignot, on the
other."
bin's
During Louise's last years at Grande-Anse,
only five households, comprising forty inhabitants,
were established at ~te-Anne-de-la-~ocat5hre. They
were the families of Noel Pelletier, Rene Ouellet,
Jean Grondin, and Guillaume Lizot (all brothers-inlaw) and of Nicolas Huot dit St-Laurent. The first
three were sons-in-law to Louise Cloutier. Guillaume
Lizot (1644-1706) was married to Anne Pelletier,
the daughter of Jean and Anne Langlois, and sister
of Noel, and had eight or nine inhab5tants in his
house. Noel Pelletier had five; Rene Ouellet had
eight; Jean Grondin, seven or eight; and Nicolas
Huot had ten or eleven.
By 1681, Louis Mignot and the families of
Jacques ~iville-~eschsnes
and Martin Fourquet, all
of whom had settled there in 1677, removed from
the area.
The Jesuit's journals contain an entry of particular interest to this author, about an event
which almost occurred in February of 1647. The
anonymous writer of the item wrote: "Barbe, a young
sauvagesse (Indian), a student of the Ursulines,
having resided there for four years, upon leaving
was much sought after- vigorously, diligently- by
this Frenchman Chatillon. He begged the nuns to
retain Barbe at the convent until his ship came in.
He even gave assurance of his willingness to give
the nuns 300 pounds, 100 of which would be for the
use of the girl in case he broke his word. But it
learned that the girl was unwilling and was in love
with a savage instead of ~hstillon. The following
year, he married Louise Cloutier". Had Barbe been
willing, no doubt this writer would never have been.
Another note of interest is that on 2 February
1660, Louise Cloutier's son-in-law, Nicolas Lebel,
was confirmed at ~h"aeau-~icher
by Monsigneur
Frangois de Lava1 de Montmorency. Among those being confirmed with Lebel was Louis Jolliet (16451700), the future discoverer of the headwaters of
the Mississippi River, and its explorer as far
south as the mouth of the Arkansas.
Louise Cloutier-Marguerie-Mignot dit ~h"ail1onMataux died on 22 June 1699, at the age of sixtyeight, after an eventful, and no doubt, memorable
life.
This writer has no quarrel with anyone who may
say that more was written about her husbands and
her family than about Louise herself. It must be
remembered that most pioneer women of her time, or
any time for that matter, toiled from dawn to dusk
maintaining a home and raising a large family,
working with their husbands clearing, sowing, and
harvesting their fields, and during all this,
somehow exerting a civilizing influence. Even if
the inclination and the opportunlty had been there,
there was precious little time for these sturdy,
self-sacrificing and indomitable women to go adventuring. Without such as these, then, Canada
might well have remained a vast wilderness.
NOTE
'~rchan~eGodbout. ORIGINE DES FAMILLES CANADIENNES
FRANSAISES. ~ontrgal:Edition Elysee, 1979,
p. 153.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
.
DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY.
Vols. 1 & 2.
Toronto, ONT: University of Toronto Press, 1966.
Hornstein, Marbey C. THE D'AMOURS FAMILY IN CANADA,
AND OTHER PIONEER FAMILIES OF NEW FRANCE.
Escanaba, MI. Photo Offset Printing, 1970.
Lebel, Alphonse. LEBEL 1665-1980.
Cap St-Ignace ,PQ: ~tgliersGraphique Marc
Veilleux, Inc., 1980.
Lebel, ~&ard. NOS ANC~TRES,ler Vol.
~ t e - ~ n n e - d e - ~ e a u ~ r e '1981.
,~~:
NOTICE
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1983. Contact your library for further details.
A t t h e present time, t h e 1790 t o 1900 censuses
Later this year,
schedules and soundex a r e available.
t h e 1910 census will be available.
THE GILL FAh4IL.Y
by G e r a r d J. Gauthier
T h e n a m e Gill is without d o u b t of English origin
a n d c a n b e found in t h e old r e g i s t e r s of New England a s
f a r back as t h e s e v e n t e e n t h century.
T h e f i r s t Gill in t h i s line w a s John, American
pioneer, y e t ironically a n c e s t o r t o a l l t h e Gills of
Canada.
Born a b o u t 1622, h e i m m i g r a t e d t o New
England while s t i l l a v e r y young m a n and s e t t l e d in
Salisbury, Massachusetts, w h e r e h e m a r r i e d P h e b e
Buswell, daughter of Isaac Buswell, o n May 2, 1645.
T h e following year, John bought a l o t f r o m Anthony
Sadler with t h e rights of common, in o r d e r t o build a
h o m e a n d establish residence.
T h e couple had e i g h t
children: Elizabeth, John, Phebe, Samuel, Sarah, Moses,
Benjamin, a n d Isaac. T h e t h r e e oldest sons married a n d
r e a r e d f a m i l i e s t h u s perpetuating t h e Gill name. In
1672, John s e r v e d with t h e t r o o p s led by Thomas
P r e n t i c e in t h e w a r a g a i n s t t h e g r e a t Nibenet war
chief, "King Philippew.
H e achieved t h e rank of
corporal. John w a s a s e e d s m a n a n d a m e m b e r of t h e
Anglican church. H e died on D e c e m b e r 1, 1690, only
t h r e e m o n t h s a f t e r having m a d e his l a s t will a n d
t e s t a m e n t . H e w a s a b o u t 6 8 y e a r s old. In March of
t h e following year, t h e will w a s proved.
John's son, Samuel, w a s t h e n e x t link t o t h e
Canadian Gill's. H e s p e n t his youth in Salisbury and i t
w a s most likely in t h i s s m a l l village t h a t h e married
Sarah Worth in 168611687. Samuel h a d inherited s o m e
of his f a t h e r ' s pioneering spirit.
In 1701/1702, h e
moved to a n undeveloped t e r r i t o r y l o c a t e d in northern
Massachusetts, n e a r t h e C o n n e c t i c u t River. There, h e
layed t h e foundation f o r t h e establishment of a new
s e t t l e m e n t , which l a t e r b e c a m e known as Gilltown.
Like his f a t h e r , h e s e r v e d in t h e military and achieved
t h e rank of sergeant.
Sarah presented her husband with a m a l e child on
September 16, 1687. T h e baby was christened Samuel
a f t e r his father. H e was destined t o become t h e Gill
colonizer in Canada. On J u n e 10, 1697, Samuel, t h e n
b u t a child of ten, was abducted from his home in
Salisbury by t h e Abanakis Indians and removed to St.
Francois d u Lac, w h e r e his c a p t o r s m a d e their home.
A short t i m e later, in another raid, t h e Abenakis took a
young girl hostage in Kennibunk, Maine, and s h e was
also taken t o St. Francois du Lac. The children w e r e
most likely adopted by t h e Abenakis, b e c a m e Indian
custom provided for replacing dead o r missing family
members with captives taken in war.
T h e story of t h e s e children has been handed down
by tradition and much of i t cannot b e substantiated.
O n e reason is t h a t t h e records of t h e Abenakis w e r e
destroyed in a f i r e in 1769. But i t is to t h e c r e d i t of
t h e Gills t h a t they k e p t their family history alive f o r
generations.
T h e t w o small children, s h e was perhaps seven,
adapted well to t h e Indian customs and language and
like t h e Abenakis w e r e baptized into t h e catholic faith.
Samuel was christened Joseph and t h e l i t t l e girl, whose
full n a m e has been lost, was christened Rosalie. It is
only tradition t h a t gives her t h e family n a m e of J a m e s
and makes her t h e daughter of a protestant minister.
T h e parents tried desperately t o find their young
children b u t a l l their e f f o r t s proved fruitless. D e f e a t
a f t e r d e f e a t did not hinder their drive and
determination. A f e w years later, their perseverance
brought t h e m success, b u t i t w a s too late. T h e children
would n o t leave. St. Francois du L a c had become their
home, catholicism their religion, and t h e Abenakis
rept esented friendship, family and security.
Their
natural parents had become strangers.
leave?
How could t h e y
Samuel and Rosalie w e r e brought up by t h e
Abenakis and consequently, in Indian fashion.
They
w e r e s o young when they w e r e captured t h a t they soon
forgot civilization.
The Indian village b e c a m e their
home; t h e teepee, a n a c c e p t a b l e house; t h e leather
garments, t h e mode of dress; and o t h e r Indian customs,
a natural way of life. The Abenakis w e r e good t o them
and a c c e p t e d them a s their own. The Indian children
b e c a m e their friends and Samuel and Rosalie grew up
as normal Indian children.
Samuel and Rosalie w e r e married around 1715 by
F a t h e r Aubery. An interesting story concerning their
marriage w a s handed down to us by tradition. It s e e m s
t h a t when t h e Indians thought it was t i m e for t h e m t o
marry, they held a council t o d e t e r m i n e how and t o
whom t h e y would b e married.
Some w e r e of t h e
opinion t h a t t h e t w o children should b e joined together
to k e e p a pure white r a c e within t h e tribe.
The
majority, however, wanted Samuel and Rosalie t o marry
Abenakis. In s o doing, t h e children would b e closely
united t o t h e t r i b e and their descendants would remain
with them. T h e Jesuit, F a t h e r Aubery, knew t h a t t h e
children w e r e deeply in love. Assisting at t h e council,
h e was successful in having t h e m adjourn before t h e
question could b e decisively settled. The very s a m e
night, h e joined t h e m in matrimony. The good F a t h e r
went t o t h e council t h e n e x t day and told t h e Indians
t h a t h e had received a n inspiration from t h e "Great
Spirit" and conforming t o His wishes, he had married
Samuel and Rosalie to e a c h other. Their w a s no need
t o deliberate any f u r t h e r h e told them, because no one
could break t h e t i e s t h a t God, Himself, had joined.
The Indians could d o nothing but submit to t h e Jesuit's
decision. F a t h e r Aubery's s t r a t e g y had been successful.
Samuel and Rosalie had seven children, four of
whom married Abenakis Indians:
J e a n n e Madeleine: b. 1716; m.
German origin; d. 1801.
1735 t o Hannis of
Joseph Louis: b. 1719; lorn. 1740 t o Marianne, a n
Abenakis Indian; ZOm. 1762 to Suzanne Gamelin d i t e
Chateauvieux, daughter of Antoine Gamelin and
Angelique Hertel; d. 5 May 1798.
Joseph: b. 1721; m. 1750 t o a n Abenakis Indian; d. 1789.
Josephte: b. 1725; m. 1755 t o a n Abenakis Indian; d.
1795.
Marie Apolline: b. 1729; m. 1755 t o Francois Annance,
a n Abenakis Indian; d. 1800.
Francois: b. 1734; m. 1 8 July 1768 St. Francois du L a c
(SF),arie
Anne Couturier d i t e Labonte, daughter of
J e a n Baptiste Couturier dit Labonte and Marguerite
Anne Babie d i t e Duperon; d. 1802.
Robert: b. 1737; m. 2 5 January 1774 (SF) to Marie
Louise Chenevert, daughter of Nicolas Chenevert and
Marguerite Camirand; d. 1807.
A precious document was found concerning this
family and reads as follows:
"We, Joseph Louis, Francois, Joseph Piche,
Robert, Madeleine, Josephte, and Marie, having
a
meeting
among
ourselves
and
had
consequently t o n a m e o n e among us to m a k e
investigations and researches of relatives on
t h e side of our l a t e f a t h e r who was a native of
New England.
We h a v e never known with
c e r t a i n t y t h e place f r o m which h e w a s taken.
W e know t h a t he was captured about 80 years
ago by t h e Abenakis Indians of t h e village of
St. Francois, when h e was about 7 o r 8 years
old, and h e had always resided in t h e said
village. His name was Same Gille. We also
know t h a t our grandfather Sagen Gille had
tried on t w o different occasions t o g e t him.
But having been captured s o young, h e had
become a t t a c h e d t o t h e Indians and never
wanted t o leave them. As w e would b e s o
greatly pleased t o know our relatives, w e
implore these men who could have knowledge
of this family t o introduce them t o our
brother, whom w e have named f o r this
endeavor, t o a f e w of our relatives."
" W e implore 'messieurs' t h e governors, who
have authority t o please have t h e g r a c e and
t h e charity t o p r o t e c t and assist us in t h e
research endeavor t h a t we a r e making
concerning our family, on our f a t h e r s side a s
Our mother was
well as on our mother's.
taken at Quenibanc s o m e t i m e a f t e r our f a t h e r
was captured, near a mill where all t h e family
was captured and brought t o Canada with t h e
exception of t h e f a t h e r and t h e mother, who
w e r e immediately dispatched."
" W e restpectfully implore 'messieurs' our
generals t o give us t h e g r a c e t o render
yourselves sympathetic t o our needs, by
protecting and helping us in this endeavor, and
w e will never c e a s e t o offer our prayers on
your behalf."
Signed: "Joseph Louis Gille, Francois Gille,
Joseph Gille."
Written below is t h e following:
"I, undersigned former missionnary (of t h e
region), certify t h a t t h e above named were all
baptized a t t h e village of St. Francois and t h a t
their f a t h e r and mother were married in t h e
catholic church a t a very young age. I have
known them and I have taught their children
and grandchildren. In Quebec, this 26th day of
February, 1768."
Signed: "M. L. Lefranc,
Company of Jesus."
Missionary of
the
Written in English below this is t h e
following:
"Francis Robert Gille is recommended t o all
whom t h e above may concern and t h a t can
assist him t o find out his relations near
Boston."
Signed: "Guy Carleton, Castle of St. Louis,
By t h e Lt.
Quebec. February 26th, 1768.
Governor's command J. Goldpap, secretary."
This document is valuable because it gives substance
t o many of t h e family traditions. Moreover, i t reveals a
lot of very important information concerning t h e family:
it proves t h a t they had at least seven children and i t
gives us their names; i t is interesting t o note t h a t Piche
was added t o Joseph's name; t h e children gave 80 years
a s a n approximate d a t e of their father's capture, in
reality, i t was 71; they believed t h a t their father was 7
or 8 years old when h e was captured, but proof exists
t h a t h e was ten; t h e words "Sagen Gille" in speaking of
their grandfather must certainly denote Sergeant Gille;
and Robert did not sign t h e document because h e was
t h e only son t h a t was illiterate. As a last point, i t
should be noted how unfortunate i t is t h a t no family
name was mentioned concerning Rosalie.
Samuel and Rosalie ended their days in St. Francois
du Lac. She died quite young, most likely in 1738, a t
approximately 48 years of age. Samuel followed her
some twenty years later, most likely in 1758.. He would
have been 71 years old.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Charland, Thomas-M.,
O.P.
HISTOIRE DE ST.
FRANCOIS DU LAC. 1942, Ottawa. College Dominicain.
Maurault, Rev. J. A. HISTOIRE DES ABENAKIS.
1866.
Sulte, Benjamin.
HISTOIRE DE ST. FRANCOIS DU
LAC. 1886, Montreal. Imprimerie d e "t'EtendardV'. pp
108- 109.
GENEALOGICAL NOTES
February 6, 1662. Lambert Closse, major in Montreal,
was buried.
He died in combat against t h e Iroquois.
Twelve other Frenchmen died with him.
January 5, 1701. The home of Jean Francois Hamel,
farmer from t h e parish of Sainte Foye, burned t o t h e
ground.
He had t h e heartache t o watch five of his
young children perish in t h e flames.
October 24, 1697.
Guillaume Page's triplets were
baptized. They were t h e f i r s t triplets in Quebec.
February 4, 1667. The first formal dance was held a t
t h e home of Sieur Chartier.
December 25, 1635. Burial in Quebec of Samuel d e
Champlain, founder of this city. He was born in Brouage
in Xaintonge, France. He was t h e son of Antoine Champlain, ship's captain, and of Marguerite LeRoy.
IN KEEPING WITH A RELIGIOUS TRADITION
by Rev. Dennis Boudreau
It was July 2nd, 1977, a hot Saturday morning.
The mailman had arrived quite late, towards 11:30,
bringing with him a most astonishing revelation.
In less than three hours I was to be ordained a
priest for the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island,
yet in these anxious moments, that thought seemed
so far away as I sorted the incoming letters, stopping to immediately open one of the envelopes postmarked from the Madeleine Islands.
Having remembered being told by my paternal
grandparents that they were the godparents of a
~oudreauon the Islands, who had later become a
priest, I was now holding in my hands a letter
from this cousin, which regretted the fact that he
was unable to attend my ordination that afternoon.
Quickly-changing weather conditions made it impossible for him to leave his Island home, where he
had spent 40 years of ministry in two or three of
its parishes, and lately, serving the sick and the
elderly as chaplain of the Islands' only hospital
and nursing care facility.
\
Pere Charles-Fran~oiswent on to write that
we were not the only priests in our family's history, but actually, the fourth and fifth to descend from our lines of these Madeleinien pioneers.
Three other Boudreau's preceded us to the priesthood over one hundred years earlier. They became
pastors of parishes in the Maritime area, spending
their lives selflessly in service to the Lord and
to his people. In fact, during their lives and
long after their deaths, they continued to be held
in high esteem by succeeding generations of those
whose spiritual needs they served. Without a doubt,
I was surprised by that letter's contents. It
could not have arrived at a more fitting moment in
my life.
As we left for the ordination that afternoon,
many questions continued to tumble in my mind. How
exactly were these men related to me? What made
them so great and what did they accomplish to deserve such ongoing emulation? What were they like
as persons? What were their characters like? How
could I look up to them as models for my own life?
For now, the answers would have to wait. Something
more important had to be completed, celebratedentrance into the ministerial priesthood of Jesus
Christ. That was the one bond that linked the
five of us together.
At 1 P.M. the hands of history took over. In
the humble surroundings of the parish church of
St. Lawrence in Centredale, which my mother's father had helped to build; the church were my parents were married and T had received all my sacraments; exactly seventy years to the day and
month of its foundation in 1907, I became the first
native parishioner to actually be ordained within
its hallowed walls. I remember the intense feeling of being caught-up in the historical significance of the moment, and I prayed to learn more
about my predecessors in this vocation to which I
had been called. That prayer was answered three
years later, in my first visit back to our ancestral home of Havre-Aubert on the Hadeleine Islands.
There in the parish's archives all my questions
were resolved.
Among the Acadian people, it is a well-known
fact that one's faith was the cornerstone of one's
life. Nurtured during the earlier years of its
establishment by various missionary priests, Acadia
grew strong spiritually with a fervent practice of
religion, with a vibrant spirit of "parish as family", and with a deep regard for their priests 1
This latter observation was clearly expressed by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, when in his epic poem,
EVANGELINE, he wrote:
.
Solemnly down the street came the parish
priest, and the children
Paused in their play to kiss the hand
extended to bless them.
Reverend walked he among them; and up
rose matrons and maidens,
Hailing his slow approach with words
of affectionate welcome...
Priest and pedagogue both in the village,
had taught them their letters
Out of self-same back, with the hymns
of the church and the plainsong2.
As the foreboding skies of exile loomed over
the Acadian nation, one by one, the presence of
its priests diminished from sight, until only a
rare visit from an itinerant missionary became the
normal situation in every far-flung stronghold to
which the Acadians had been dispersed. How could
their faith survive with such a lack of priestly
ministers?
To allay this need, it was in the years folthat the custom of
lowing the "Grand ~gran~ement"
appointing one or two of the oldest residents of
the community, known as an "ancien", evolved. In
the absence of a resident pastor and with ecclesiastical approval, these laymen led the community
each week in prayer, utilizing the service which
had come to be known as the "Messe Blanchet'(the
white Mass).
This was a simple ceremony which involved the singing of the Kyrie, Gloria and the
Nicene Creed by the people, and the reading of the
ordinary parts of the Mass, as well as the Gospel,
by the "ancien". The congregation .would then listen intently as the "ancien" delivered a pious
reading, which replaced the Sunday sermon. The
1'
ancien" of the community was also responsible for
witnessing the exchange of marriage vows between
a young couple, which would be solemnized later,
when a passing priest arrived. The "ancien" also
baptized the newly-born children, and assisted the
dying in prayer, as well as, led the deceased's
funeral rites. In many ways, their position in
the community was comparable to what has come to
be known today as the duties and ministry of the
lay diaconate.
In many Acadian establishments throughout the
Maritimes, "anciens" existed well into the early
1800's. No less was true of the situation on the
Madeleine Islands, where in the days of the itinerant missionaries, Thomas Leroux and William
Phelan, who were on circuit between Havre-Aubert,
che/ticamp and Arichat, Nova Scotia, this position
of "ancien" was held by Islanders such as: Charles
~e/bert,married to Rosalie Vigneau; Charles Boudrot ,
the son of Fran~oisBoudrot dit Manne and Jeanne
Landry, and husband of Madeleine Chiasson; and
also by Charles and ~adeleine's son, Louis Boudrot,
the husband of Louise Dugas.
Of this latter couple, on the 28th of July
1793, Louis Boudrot was elected the Havre-Aubert
parish's first syndic, along with Nicolas Cormier
and Joseph Bourgeois, as its first two trustees.
Louise Dugas, his wife, also had an ~llustrious
career as a midwife (sage-femme), who assisted at
the births of well over 300 of the Islands' pioneers' children. Likewise, she made it part of
her duty to see that each child she delivered into
the world was baptized as well, by being the godmother at all of their baptisms. In the span of
her 105 years of life, her singular achievement in
this fashion was truly outstanding. To this day,
her name appears in the registers of the HavreAubert parish more times than any other person,
priest or layman. Louis and Louise Boudrot were
the maternal grandparents of two of our family's
first priests, and the maternal great-grandparents
of still another. Certainly, these direct ancestors' religious involvement must have had a profound impact and influence on their descendants'
choice of a vocation.
Just as Christ called his first disciples
while they washed their nets at the edge of the
sea, so too our first three priests were called
forth from the same laborious occupation. Because
the land was really no good for farming, the Islanders turned their efforts to the sea, to find
there a way of making a living. No doubt, then,
each of our family's first priests, as young men,
helped their fathers who were local fishermen of
the village. How coincidental then that they
should be busy at their trade in the same environment as the Gospel story, when they heard the call
of the Master to leave everything behind and follow Him, to become fishers of men and women.
Towards 1765, with the opening of a sedentary
fishing post at Havre-Aubert by Richard Gridley,
several Acadian families from Ile St-Jean came to
settle and work there. Among them were two Boudrot
families: that of Joseph-Samuel married to Marguerite Chiasson; and Joseph Boudrot married to Louise
Arsenault. Joseph-Samuel and Joseph were first
cousins on both their fathers' and mothers' sides,
as their fathers had married two Landry sisters.
These families would be allied further, as JosephSamuel's daughter, Isabelle-Elizabeth, eventually
married Joseph's son, Joseph, towards 1782 at
Havre-Aubert.
If this weren't enough to complicate matters,
towards 1772, the elder Joseph's brother, Charles,
made his way to the Islands with his family from
Miquelon. Charles was married to Madeleine
Chiasson, the younger sister of Marguerite, and
thus, Charles was not only the first cousin of
Joseph-Samuel, but also his brother-in-law as well.
Charles was followed to Havre-Aubert by his son,
Louis, who had married towards 1777 at Arichat to
Louise Dugas. With them were their three daughters.
Thus, the Boudrot family was already well-represented in the settlement by three extremely well-related
branches of the family. But it goes further ...
JOSEPH BOUDROT & ELIZABETH BOUDROT
LOUIS BOUDROT & LOUISE DUGAS
I
BE~OIT
CHA~LES
1
JEAN-BA$TISTE
J O S ~ P H G E ~ E V I ~ ES O P ~ I E L O U ~ S E A N G ~ L ' I ~ U E
I
JEAN-BAPTISTE
cdLEs-NAzAIRE*
-I,
NAZAIRE-ANTOINE*
HYPdOLITE
EUG~NE
NECTAIRE
VIRGINIE
I
3
STmIsLAs*
I
I
CHARLES-FRANSOIS*
I
ROLAND
I
DENNIS MICHAEL*
ALPHONSE
Each P r i e s t i n the B o u d r e a u F a m i l y f r o m the M a d e l e i n e I s l a n d s i s m a r k e d w i t h
an a s t e r i s k (*).
Joseph and Elizabeth (Boudrot) Boudrot had four
sons: Benoit, Charles, Jean-Baptiste and Joseph,
who also married a Marguerite Chiasson. Louis and
Louise (Dugas) Boudrot had many children, among
\
whom were five daughters: Genevieve, Sophie, Louise,
hg<lique and Marie, who married Dominique Cormier
From the marriage of the second Joseph to Marguerite
Chiasson was born a son, Jean-Baptiste. Of all
these children, the regssters reveal that BENOTT
BOUDREAU married GENEVIEVE BOUDREAU on the 6th of
September 1803 at Havre-Aubert; CHARLES BOUDREAU
married SOPHIE BOUDREAU on the 16th of August 1814
at Havre-Aubert; JEAN-BAPT'ISTE married LOUISE
BOUDREAU on the 9th of September 1817 at HavreAubert; and JEAN-BAPTISTE BOUDREAU>the son of
Joseph and Marguerite, married ANGELIQUE BOUDREAU
on the 12th of November 1839 at Havre-Aubert. It
is from these alliances of second cousins that all
five Boudreau priests are related. Marie, the
wife of Dominique Cormier, became the 3 times
paternal great-grandmother of another priest, PLre
Yvon Cormier, the former Pastor of St-Franqois"
Xavier parish at Bassin.
.
Of Benoit and ~enevi\eve'smarriage were born
the following children, among whom was a son,
Charles-Nazaire, the first native Madeleine Islander to be ordained.
1. Benoit, b. 17/3/1807-Havre-Aubert;
married in 1833-Etang-du-Nord to
Louise HUBERT, d/o Jean-Fran~ois
& ~6licitLArseneau.
2. Elizabeth-Lucie, b.20/8/1809-Havre
Aubert; mg. 29/9/1834-Havre-Aubert
to P ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - B R Is/o
A NJoseph
D,
&
Genevieve Girardin.
3.. Jean-Baptiste, b. 29/9/1813-HavreAubert; mg. 10/11/1835-Havre-Aubert
to Rosalie BOUDREAU, d/o Lazare &
Rose Vigneau.
\
4. Genevieve,
b. 3/1/1816-Havre-Aubert;
mg. 2711011834-Havre-Aubert to
Simon GAUDET, s/\o Pierre & Appoline
Boudreau. Genevieve d. 61811897Havre-Aubert.
5. Suzanne, b. 23/10/1819-Havre-Aubert;
mg. 13/10/1840-Havre-Aubert to
~ortun6CORMIER, d/o Joseph &
Jacquette Destousse.
6. Charles-Nazaire, b. 101411822Havre-Aubert. Ordained in July 1846
at Rustico, PEI. He died 14/6/1888Havre-Aubert.
7. Hyppolite, b. 18/5/1825-HavreAubert; mg. 14/1/1851-Havre-Aubert
to dlanie BOURGEOIS, d/o Charles
& Fran~oise-AnneBourque. He died
in 1912-Havre-Aubert. (Hyppolite
is this author's great-great grandfather).
8. Narcisse, b. 271611829-Havre-Aubert;
died unmarried 41811848-Havre-Aubert.
The sixth child and third son of this marriage,
Charles-Nazaire Boudreau was born at Havre-Aubert
on the 10th of April 1822 and baptized the following day. After attending seminary, he was ordained at Rustico, Prince Edward Island in July of
1846. After his ordination, he was assigned to
the parish of St-Augustin in that locale, where he
served for three years as a curate, before being
named the pastor of Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation
Parish at Havre-Aubert in 1849. At his arrival
home, the atmosphere at the Islands was less than
enthusiastic.. Many challenges awaited him.
Charles-Nazaire was not yet twenty-seven years
old when he assumed the reins of spiritual government at the Islands. He had been away from the
situation there for over fifteen years, except for
the short visit home, two months after his ordination to perform the wedding of his first cousin,
Olive Boudreau to Antoine Doucet on the 15th of
September 1846. (This couple was to later become
the paternal grandparents of my father's mother).
In his desire to do something for his own people, his first impulse was to place himself at the
service of all of their causes. The new pastor
did not shrink from the energetic example of his
\
/
predecessor, Pere A.-Alexis Belanger, who was remembered among the people for his concern for
their welfare, for his interest in education, and
for the newly-constructed chapel at 1'Etang-du-Nord.
\
Pere Charles-Nazaire's rare goodness, his exquisitely jovial nature and good sense of humor quickly won for him the hearts of his parishioners?
He was said to have been a good listener and
a caring, compassionate man, opening his heart,
as well as his ears, to share in the Islanders'
sorrows and anxieties, which at that time were
many indeed.
The questions of increasing rents, decreasing
incomes, and loss of land were not just the issues
of the day, but part and parcel of his daily ministry among them. If one were to examine the diverse regulations which the land agents had to
execute in the name of the existing, yet oftenabsent seigneur, Isaac Coffin, one would realize
that they were indeed exacting, unreasonable, and
most unjust. The new pastor became the counsellor
of all in their personal struggle for survival,
and his ministry among them took on the dimensions
of one of striving for social justice.
In October of 1852, he wrote to the ~ugbec
government on behalf of his people; his remarks
formed part of a report of inquiry, conducted by
the Commissioner of Customs, Robert Blanchette.
In an official letter, he wrote:
Certain lands have been occupied for
forty years or more, without any tenure
whatever. The rent is over and above
moderation for the land absolutely
necessary to dry fish (the means by
which they paid their rent).
He went on to describe that
For several feet of beach that the
sea soon covers, for the dunes that
I compare to the shifting sands of
the Arabian deserts, the people are
not able to obtain any lease in good
or due fo m whatever4
To the expectation of eager fishermen awaiting
a response from the government, there followed a
bitter deception. Nothing changed, except for
the fact that the government entrusted to the
schooner 1'ALLIANCE the surveillance of fisheries
in the Gulf. In 1872, another more elaborate inquiry was conducted at the request of Captain Pierre
Boudreau,
Fortin, elected deputy of Gaspe.
along with Alexandre Cormier, spokesman for the
people, undertook an active part in seeking ameli-
re
orations for the Islanders' conditions. Again,
the questions were neglected, In 1885, Charles-A.
Lebel, a Montrgal lawyer, opened a third inquiry
into the unchanged way of life of the Islanders.
Again, there was governmental silence. Despite
his tireless efforts on their behalf, ~ 2 r eCharlesNazaire never saw any relief for his flock. Heartbroken, he would have to resign himself an even
greater tragedy, that of the emigration of families
who left in search of security and subsistence
elsewhere in the Province of Qugbec.
ere
A year after his arrival at Havre-Aubert,
Boudreau had assisted at the departure of fifteen
families from his parish, along with their former
pastor, whom he had been sent to replace. Another
fifteen families had already departed before them
for the shores of St-George Bay on Newfoundland.
During his thirty years of ministry, he, along
with
Cajetan Miville-~esch$snes, the pastor
of Havre-am-Maisons, saw their congregations decrease, as massive departures of people left for
Labrador and the ~8te-~ord
of Qugbec. No longer
were they able to endure the misery that their
future at the Islands held in store.
ere
-
-
During this period, more than 250 families
departed, 120 of which by 1865 were established
at the new settlements of Natashquan and Pointeaux-Esquimaw on the north coast. Among this
new wave of exiles were the young people, who
left to find work in the lumber camps and manufacturing plants of the mainland. Due to this
forced emigration, the Islanders and their descendants were scattered from one of the Province
to the other, as far west as llAbitibiand Montrgal,
and as far south as Halifax and Boston. At least
they would find there a better life for themselves,
free from the enslavement of poverty.
For those who stayed, there was always the hope
of better days ahead. By his patience and perser\
verence, Pere Boudreau, since he could change nothing about the situation from without, worked silently from within for the betterment of the Islands'
inhabitants.
Incapable of stopping the plague of emigration,
the venerable pastor was still more at a disadvantage when faced with the sea's devastation. In
1856, seventeen schooners perished at Blanc-Sablon,
in the strait of Belle-Isle, of which nine belonged
to Madeleinien fishermen. The 23rd of August 1873,
a furious storm surprised 84 boats anchored in the
Baie-de-Plaisance, just off the coast of the Islands,
of which 38 went ashore at Havre-Aubert, just below
the cliffs of Les Demoiselles. The history of this
shipwreck has conserved the names of ~ime/Nadeau
and James Cassidy, who, aided by a Labrador retriever, and by means of ship's rigging, saved 31 persons called to an imminent death. The in the winter
of 1875, there was the loss of eight schooners on
the return from Halifax with winter provisions. (cf.
31s-Spring 1983 issue). Then, there was the mysterious disappearance of the Flash in 1881, which sombered the last years of
Boudreau. It should
be noted here that a funny story concerns CharlesNazaire and a shipwreck which occured at the Islands
in 1871.
re
The S.S. WASP, commanded by Captain Talbot of
Montmagny was shipwrecked at the Islands during
this snowstorm, tossing upon its shores the frozen
body of Jean-Baptiste-Auguste LeBourdais. He had
managed to crawl under a haystack after making it
to shore, for beneath its weight, there was warmth.
However, he left his feet exposed to the elements,
and eventually, had to have them amputated. As the
storm continued to rage on the next day, he managed
to crawl out from beneath the haystack, only to be
covered with snow. Tt happened that two of
Boudreau's parishioners were searching the coast
for whatever remahed of the shipwreck, when they
saw this huge white mound of snow moving towards
them, groaning as loud as it could. Superstitious,
and thinking it was a demon, they ran to the rectory to inform the pastor, who after much questioning, organized a search party and saved the frozen
victim. Le Bourdais later married at Bassin, and
despite the loss of his legs, fathered a large
family, He was also responsible for setting-up
the first Island newspaper and telegraph system to
the mainland, and all this, thanks to the care he
\
received from Pere Boudreau, after being found.
ere
Charles-Nazaire's priesthood was not all one of
sorrow. It had its joyful moments as well, two of
which occured in 1875. That year, thanks to his
vigilance, his nephew Nazaire-Antoine Boudreau,
the son of his brother, Hyppolite and ~Llanie
Bourgeois, and older brother of my great-grandfather,
Nectaire, was ordained to the priesthood on the
25th of May at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Born the 9th of September 1852 at Havre-Aubert,
Nazaire-Antoine had prolonged his studies at the
Seminary thanks to the attentive concern of his
priest-uncle. Nazaire-Antoine became the pastor
of St-Jean-Baptiste parish at Miscouche, P.E.I.,
from March 1879 to 1889, succeeding the Rev. Ronald
B. MacDonald. Death surprised him at the age of
37 years old, on the 5th of January 1889, upon the
return from his journey to the bedside of his dying uncle at Havre-Aubert.
Also that year, his cousin Stanislas Boudreau,
born the 28th of May 1845 at Havre-Aubert, the son
of Jean-Baptiste and Angelique Boudreau, was or-
THE PARISH CHURCHES OF NOTRE-DAME-de-la-VISITATION,
HAVRE-AUBERT, P.Q.
I
A
(The 1875 Edifice - That of Today)
I
i
dained at Charl~ttetownon the 3rd o f December.,
After serving with his uncle as an assistant in
the parish at Bassin for two years, he too was
assigned to the pastorate of St-Jacques parish at
Egmont-Baie, P.E.I. His career there extended
Mivillefrom December 1882, after the death of
~esch$nesto the 27th of January 1921. During
nearly forty years of ministry, he placed himself
at the service of his parishioners with a zeal and
a love which is said will never be forgotten. Of
him, historian Henri Blanchard wrote: "his memory
will remain ineffacable in this parish"? He died
at the age of 77 years old.
ere
During his years at Havre-Aubert, ~ 2 r eCharlesNazaire preoccupied himself with the task of building two new churches for his parishioners, at HavreAubert and at Bassin. As well, he was also in
charge of servicing the small chapel at 1'Etang-duNord. More near the site of the first parish
church of 1793, which was demolished bit-by-bit,
he had built in stages a newer, better-structured
edifice, which he reopened on Christmas Eve of
1875. This was the church my paternal grandparents
were married in on the 1st of October 1919. It
has since been replaced by a more modern structure.
\
Also, towards 1871, Pere 0nLsime Hebert , the
new pastor of Havre-aux-Maisons, pursued the construction of a new church at 1'Etang-du-Nord, which
was begun in the 1830's by ~ Z r eGeorges Belcourt.
In 1876, the parishioners of this district were
\
able to worship in the new edifice at LaVerniere,
placed under the patronage of St-Pierre. This church
was completed in 1881, at the arrival of its first
resident priest, ~ 2 r e~ h e d ~ h i lAllard,
e
and is
reputed to be the largest wooden church in the
Province of ~ugbecto this day.
I
I
ST-FRANSOIS-XAVIER CHURCH
BASSIN, P.Q.
ST-P ~
~
LAVErnIERE, P.Q.
~
~
Now freed from responsibility to the 1'Etang\
du-Nord district, Pere Boudreau, despite his age
and fatigue, concentrated his efforts towards
the western end of Amherst Island, to the Bassin
section of his parish. Towards 1870, having purchased wood from a shipwrecked vessel, he gave it
to the parishioners of Bassin, who had already
bought a parcel of land on which to build a new
church. In 1873, the new parish of St-Franfois\
Xavier was born. It was serviced by Pere Boudreau
who journeyed there each week from his rectory at
Havre-Aubert, until the 9th of August 1877, when
a Belgian priest, Pire ~ g l i xVan Blerk arrived, to
become its first resident pastor.
With the construction of churches behind him,
\
Pere Charles-Nazaire now turned his energies to
other avenues. The Island was productive in yielding corn, oats and barley, yet the Islanders had
to have it shipped to Prince Edward Island to be
ground into flour. By means of a collection takenup among the less poor people of the parish, he
secured enough funds to have a grain mill built in
the center of Amherst Island to serve the needs of
both communities. This was built in 1856, and although no longer exists today, was known as the
"moulin du P$re Boudreau" , to recognize his effective contribution in the endeavor.
In his effort to promote more education of the
Islands' population, at each step of the struggle,
it seemed as though the pastor of Havre-aux-Naisons
beat him to the punch. Jean-Baptiste Painchaud,
the Islands' first inspector of schools, along
A
with P\eres Boudreau and Miville-Deschenes, and
Alexandre Cornier, secured enough teachers for the
Islands' children and set-up various school municipalities. However, in wanting to build a school
and secure a religious order to teach there, the
\
/
/
new pastor at Havre-aux-Maisons, Pere Onesime Hebert,
succeeded him in obtaining the Soeurs de la Congregation de Notre-Dame to send sisters from their order
to begin a school in his parish. He likewise built
\
a new convent for them, another dream of Pere
Boudreau, which never materialized in his lifetime.
It must also be said that in the days long before any thought of ecumenism, Charles-Nazaire was
a pioneer in this field, maintaining the most amicable of relations with the Anglfcans, who had
established about five churches in various parts
of the Islands.
\
Finally, Pere Charles-Nazaire became active in
the Acadian National Movement. On the 24th of
June 1880, he was in ~uLbec,where the Acadians were
invited to the National Convention of St-Jean-Baptiste. He was part of a committee formed of 24
members, charged with making an inquest among the
Francophones of the Maritimes. On the 20th and 21st
of July 1881, at the first Acadian Convention, he
was at Memramcook, New Brunswick with NazaireAntoine and Stanislas, where all three were placed
on the same commission to study colonization, and
to stop the emigration of people from Acadia. It
was also then that Nazaire-Antoine was chosen to
be secretary of the special commission which voted
to have the Feast of the Assumption as the Acadian
National Feastday.
On the 15th of August 1884, the Second Convention was held at Miscouche, PEI, where NazaireAntoine was pastor. Being the eldest of the Acadian
priests in attendance, Charles-Nazaire was appointed principal celebrant at the solemn High
Mass of this national, Marian Congress. By,the
time of the third Congress at. Pointe-de-ltEglise
(Church Point), Nova Scotia, the trio missed the
roll call, and with good reason: Charles-Nazaire
had died at Havre-Aubert the summer of 1888; and
Nazaire-Antoine had died the following winter of
1889. At the Fourth Congress at Arichat in 1900,
the Islands were again represented, but this time
by a newly-married couple, Alcide and Annie
(Arseneau) Gaudet, he being the newly-elected mayor
of Havre-Aubert. The awakening of Acadia had
sounded, and its song was the flowing melody of
the AVE MARIS STELLA.
\
The final years of Pere Charles-Nazaire's life
were difficult ones. In 1885, he painfully learned of a fire at the rectory in Bassin, in which
all the parish registers were lost. He also spent
much of his time helping the new pastor there,
~ 2 r eHenri ~hgriault,who, despite such good care
from the frail old man, died on the 9th of May
1888, after only three years spent as a priest.
~ 2 r eBoudreau was so weak, he could not even attend the young priest's funeral. Until the end,
he officiated at the church and went to help his
young,sick neighbor. He baptized with trembling
hand, which could no longer hold a pen. In fact,
his last baptism, that of ~e/daBourgeois, the
daughter of ~ r g ~ o i r ewho
, was born the 6th of June
1888, and who later married my grandfather's older
brother Charlts, was consigned to the register by
his nephew, Pere Nazaire-Antoine. Eight days
later, on the 14th of June 1888, the venerable
pastor died within his rectory at Havre-Aubert,
leaving the two parishes in great sorrow. They
had lost a true shepherd, a true friend.
After the funeral, which had brought together
all the people of the Islands, his body was interred under the church he himself had built in 1875.
When the church w a s demolished in 1962, ceding its
place to the actual new church, his remains were
removed to the eetrance of the parish cemetery at
Havre-Aubert. Peres Stanislas and Nazaire-Antoine
are buried in the respective parish cemeteries,
where they served as pastors.
As a final note, it must be said that many witnesses have attested to the fact that
CharlesNazaire had a beautiful voice, in fact, one of the
finest voices some people have said to have heard.
For Charles-Fran~oisand myself, we have much to
live up to in these ancestor-priests. Their generosity and humility, their joy and sorrow, their
defeats and loneliness made them powerful ministers
and instruments for the Lord's work. May the
courage, creativity and enthusiasm of their lives
continue to inspire us, and all who hold them in
such high regard.
re
NOTES
.
l~enaudS Albert. A FRANCO-AMERICAN OVERVIEW. I.
Cambridge, MA.: N.A.D.C.B.B.E., 1979, p.167.
2~enryW. Longfellow. EVANGELINE.
New York, NY: Washington Square Press, 1967.p.3.
.
/
3~ose-~e/lima
Gaudet ODYSSEE MISSIONAIRE,1720-1900.
Havre-Aubert ,PQ: ~ u s g ede la Mer, 1977. ,p. 63.
'~enri Blanchard. LES ACADIENS DE L'ILE DU PRINCE
EDOUARD., 192- p.24.
.,
CALIXA LAVALLEE
by A1 Berube
PAQUET, Mathurin (
FREMILLON, Marie (
of St-Jean-Montaigne, Poitou, France
PAQUET, Isaac (Mathurin & Marie Fremillon)
MEUNIER, Elizabeth (Mathurin & Franyoise Fafard)
mg. 30/6/1670 - ~h%teau-~icher,PQ
4
PAQUET-LAVALLEE, Charles (Isaac & Eliz.Meunier)
COULOMBE, Jeanne (Louis & Jeanne-Mgte.Boucault)
mg. 1/2/1694 - St-Laurent, Ile dlOrle/ans,PQ
4
PAQUET-LAVALLEE, Charles (Chas. & Jne. Coulombe)
ALLAIRE, Charlotte (Fran~ois& Anne abbe/)
mg. 29/10/1725 - Beaumont, PQ
.
PAQUET-LAVALL~E,~ n d r g(Chas & Charlotte Allaire)
COITOU-ST-JEAN, Agathe, (Jean-Bte. & Marie ~arri\ere)
mg. 15/2/1768 - Vercheres, PQ
/
.
PAQUET-LAVALLEE , Jn-Bte (~ndr: 6 $gathe St-Jean)
DANSEREAU, Josephte ( Fierre & Angelique Guyon)
mg. 23/9/1793 - Vercheres, PQ
/
PAQUET-LAVALLEE, Auguste-JB (JB & Jos.Dansereau)
LALU-LAMONTAGNE, Charlttte (Jos. & Frse. ~ A a r d )
mg. 6/11/1815 - Vercheres, PQ
/
PAQUET-LAVAL;LEE, Auguste-JB (Aug.JB & Charl. Lalu)
VALENTIN-GREGOIRE, Caroline (Jacq. & Lse. Leclaire)
dg. 5/4/1842 - ~erch\eres,PQ
/
LAVALLEE, Calixa (Aug.JB & Caroline Valentin-G.)
GENTILLY, .Jos&hine ( F r a n p i s & Elizabeth. )
mg. 21/l.2/1867 - Lowell, MA.
..
/
Calixa Lavallee was born, the son of AugusteJean-Baptiste ~avallgeand Caroline Valentin dit
~re/~oire
on the 28th of November 1842 at ~erch\eres,
~ugbec. He was a pianist, composer, professor and
author. Educated under the direction of Misters
Letondal and Sabatier, in 1857, they sent him to
pursue studies in music at the Conservatory of
Paris, where he studied piano under Marmontel, and
composition under Bazin and Boieldieu, fils.
He made his debut as a pianist at the ~hgatre
Royal. In 1881, he accompanied Madame Gerster as
solo-pianist in her first tour of the United
States, and gave many concerts in the principal
centers of Cleveland in 1884, and in Boston.
Named in 1886 President of the National Convention,
he became a renowned professor. In 1888, he was
chosen as the delegate to England for the Society
of Music Professors. He was the author of two
operas, of the oratorio "La Veuve", of thirty
studies for the piano, and finally, the author of
the National Anthem of Canada,"O Canada", written
and first performed fo5 the national feastday of
St-Jean-Baptiste at Quebec in 1880, by the
"Quatour Vocal"
.
Calixa ~avallgemarried the 21st, of December
1867 in Lowell, Massachusetts to Josephine Gentilly,
by whom he had only one son. The composer died
at Boston, Massachusetts on the 4th of February
1891.
A REMARKABLE WOMAN
As e a r l y as t h e f i r s t days of January 1839, many
p a t r i o t s w e r e condemned t o death. The tribunal which
d e a l t severely against t h e s e unfortunate political
prisoners did n o t t o l e r a t e a n y communication b e t w e e n
t h e prisoners who w e r e condemned to die and their
families o r friends, e x c e p t on t h e e v e before their
executions.
Madame J a c q u e s Longtin of St. Constant, arriving
with h e r t h i r t e e n year old daughter, Sohie, to visit her
husband who was condemned t o d i e on January 10,
could n o t obtain permission t o see him. Hearing t h e
news, both f e l l into uncontrollable sobs.
In order t o c o m f o r t t h e m as much as s h e could,
Madame Gamelin, founder of t h e Community of t h e
Sisters of Providence, placed a basket filled with
provisions around t h e a r m of t h e child. She, herself,
took d i f f e r e n t objects, and proceeded toward t h e prison
w i t h her small companion.
Obligated to cross t h e
prison yard b e t w e e n t w o rows of soldiers, t h e child
trembled in fright. Madame Gamelin reassured her and
led her t o her f a t h e r , who could n o t believe his eyes.
Pleased with their momentary happiness, Madame
Gamelin withdrew herself and went t o distribute
provisions and messages t o t h e o t h e r prisoners. She
prolonged her visit to t h e prisoners f o r as long as s h e
knew would b e t o l e r a t e d by t h e rules and regulations of
t h e prison, then s h e went a f t e r t h e child and t h e y
departed.
Madame Gamelin l e f t behind, not only a
pleased and happy f a t h e r , but also t h e admiration of
those t h a t had witnessed her ingenious charity.
Not only interested in t h e f a t e of t h e unfortunate
patriots, Madame Gamelin also looked a f t e r their
families. She became known as t h e "Angel of Political
Prisoners". Her devotion t o t h e needs of t h e victims of
t h e insurrection, f a r from hindering t h e well being of
her cherished old people, b e c a m e a source of good will
for her hospice.
It brought her not only public
admiration, but m o r e importantly, invaluable and
continual encouragement from everywhere.
Extract from "L'Institut de la Providence. Histoire des filles
de la charite, servante des pauvres dites Soeurs de la
Providence". Volume I.
b
g a Cuisine de
-
-
-
-
-
M @andmehe
p-$
' 4?$j
SEA CLAM PIE
2 tablespoons flour
4lat-ge s e a c l a m s
(quahogs)
4 Ib. salt pork, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon b u t t e r
pastry c r u s t
-
--
1 c u p c l a m liquor,
stra~ned
4 c u p milk
salt and pepper
Wash sand from c l a m s and s t r a i n liquor. Reserve.
Grind m e a t y p a r t s of clams. Discard rough portion.
F r y s a l t pork until crisp. Remove pork. Add
chopped onions and f r y until transparent and tender,
but n o t brown. Add b u t t e r , blend in flour. Add t h e
clam liquor, milk and cook, stirring until thickened.
Add clams, season with s a l t and pepper.
Line a d e e p dish with rich pastry c r u s t and fill
with above ingredients.
Prick t o p c r u s t with fork.
Bake in 450°F oven for 15 minutes; reduce h e a t t o
350°F and bake 20 minutes longer. Serves four.
MY LAST HOLIDAY ON THE FARM
WITH PEPERE DENIS BARRETTE
IN JOLIETTE ON RANG STE. JULIE
by Marie Ange B a r r e t t e Lescault
On t h e f a r m t w o weeks before Christmas was a
t i m e to g e t ready f o r t h e coming holidays. My father,
Joseph, would kill a big bull, a small milk f e d pig, and
a big rooster. These w e r e all especially fed animals for
t h e holidays.
On a designated day, all t h e neighbors would g e t
together in t h e barn for t h e slaughter. The children
w e r e forbidden to g o into t h e barn before w e w e r e
given permission t o d o so. We wanted to know what
they w e r e doing inside t h e barn, s o w e peeked through
a l i t t l e hole on t h e side of t h e barn. I saw my f a t h e r
hit t h e animals on t h e head with a sledge hammer.
Down t h e y went. I s t a r t e d to cry-, thinking how cruel
my f a t h e r was. I ran toward t h e house when my f a t h e r
yelled at m e to g e t a pan t o pick up t h e blood. I just
couldn't d o it. These w e r e t h e animals t h a t w e had
loved a n d raised. My mother c a m e to t h e r e s c u e with
a pan. I l e f t and went into t h e house and picked up my
baby brother who was crying and I said t o him, "I'm
glad you're not a n animal". But t w o months later, God
c a m e and took him away.
As I looked toward t h e barn, I saw a man raising
t h e animals against t h e barn wall s o t h a t t h e cold
would c u r e them. They would hang t h e r e for twenty
four hours. T h e men all c a m e into t h e house for a
lunch a f t e r t h a t and a l i t t l e nip before going home.
O n t h e n e x t day, t h e women of t h e neighborhood
c a m e to t h e house t o help in t h e preparation of t h e
feast. I t was snowing and t h e t e m p e r a t u r e was f i f t e e n
below zero. I c a n r e m e m b e r t h e women looking like
snowmen with their fur c a p e s and their matching
bonnets and with a big smile on their faces. They all
put on a big blue apron and w e r e ready to work. The
big k e t t l e was filled with boiling water. My f a t h e r
brought in t h e head of t h e pig. With it, they would
make "tete d e fromage". This is a kind of pate. While
this was simmering, they s t a r t e d to grind t h e m e a t for
sausages and blood pudding. We all had our chores,
some preparing t h e small intestines for t h e sausages
and t h e large ones for t h e blood pudding. These w e r e
used a s casings f o r t h e sausage and blood pudding. I
c a n recall my mother saying if they a r e not clean
enough, t o wash t h e m o n c e again in clear salty w a t e r
with baking soda. We would blow up t h e intestines t o
see if they w e r e clean enough to be filled. If they
looked as if you w e r e looking through a glass window
then t h e y w e r e f i n e t o b e filled.
Then c a m e t h e leaflard. We would c u t i t in small
pieces to b e melted in t h e oven. This lard was used f o r
pie crust. T h e remainder was used t o make "gortons".
This is a spread m a d e with ground pork and spices. The
pig's legs w e r e c u t and s t o r e d away for l a t e r use in a
"ragout a u x bouillettes". I t was m a d e of a thick brown
gravy with pig's f e e t and m e a t balls. What a treat! I
loved this dish. T h e shoulders, t h e ham parts, t h e side
part for bacon w e r e being cured in a brine solution. I t
was t i m e t o s t a r t t h e f i r e in t h e outside oven which m y
f a t h e r had built with bricks from t h e old house. It took
t w e n t y four hours t o smoke t h e ham and bacon, with
smoke from wood and corn cob. What a n a r o m a i t
would cast for t h e f a r m e r s who w e r e passing by. "Joe",
t h e y would say, "we will b e h e r e o n New Year's Day to
taste t h e food t o see if i t is properly cured1'.
Oh yes, w e had a l i t t l e room next t o t h e house
with just a cloth and screen serving as a door in order
t o keep t h e cold in. They would put all t h e m e a t s
t h e r e s o t h a t they w e r e k e p t frozen for t h e winter.
By now, t h e snow had stopped a n d looking down t h e
road, I s a w a n old m a n walking very slowly toward our
house.
I said t o my mother, "St. Nicolas is coming
down t h e road."
Mother laughed and laughed as s h e
said, "It is your Pepere, Denis B a r r e t t e , coming h e r e t o
spend t h e holidays w i t h us." H e was tall, w h i t e hair, a
mustache, rosy cheeks, and a f a t potbelly. H e did look
like St. Nicolas.
When h e c a m e i n t o t h e house, h e
kissed and hugged everybody. I immediately m a d e my
e x i t a n d hid under t h e bed. I didn't w a n t to kiss him.
His m u s t a c h e tickled when h e kissed a n d h e hugged s o
tightly t h a t you could hardly breathe.
Oh yes, h e
You would g e t a
always had a l i t t l e bag of candy.
piece f o r e v e r y kiss. I was r u d e and told him t o k e e p
his candy b e c a u s e I kissed f o r love and not for candy. I
w a s s e n t t o bed by my f a t h e r . My kind h e a r t e d m o t h e r
c a m e t o my r e s c u e and sneaked in a sandwich of bread
and b u t t e r for me. I hugged a n d kissed her and thanked
her f o r it.
C h r i s t m a s was a day t o thank God f o r everything
w e had received f r o m Him, especially f o r t h e good
h a r v e s t a n d a l l w e had t o eat. T h e r e was t h e Mass in
t h e morning a t church.
While t h e r e , w e visited t h e
manger a n d as w e did, w e always held on t o our
m o t h e r ' s hand. T h e noon dinner was a r o a s t e d milk pig
T h e r e w a s also t h e C h r i s t m a s
a n d a big rooster.
cookies which m o t h e r had managed t o b a k e without our
knowing a b o u t it. Also t h e r e was a big r e d apple a n d
a n o r a n g e f o r e a c h of us. This w a s a t r e a t f o r us. A t
night, a f t e r supper, t h e children would all kneel down
with t h e a d u l t s and r e c i t e t h e rosary together. This
m a y s e e m funny now, b u t as a child I thought t h e dog
m u s t h a v e b e e n p r o t e s t a n t because e v e r y t i m e w e knelt
down t o s a y our prayers, h e would ask t o g o o u t f o r t h e
night.
Between C h r i s t m a s and New Y e a r ' s Day, t h e
women made e tour tie re^^^ (pork pies), doughnuts, and
cookies.
I c a n still hear my P e p e r e saying, "don't
f o r g e t my molasses pie and my s u e t pie". T h a t was a
must f o r him. T h e molasses pie is like a custard pie.
You use molasses instead of sugar. The suet pie is
made of two cups of raisins, o n e q u a r t e r pound of s u e t
and g r a t e d maple sugar with cinnamon f o r flavoring.
T h e r e w a s also t h e "sucre a l a creme" and "la t a r t e a u x
beurre". This is fudge and taffy.
T h e midnight "reveillons" would comprise of a
"ragout d e p a t t e s d e cochon" and m e a t balls,
"tourtieres", home baked beans, ham, and home m a d e
hot bread. The "gortons" and t h e "tete d e fromage"
would b e on t h e t a b l e for those who wanted it. There
also w e r e all kinds of preserves and pickles f o r
everyone to enjoy. For dessert, t h e r e w e r e home made
pies, cakes, cookies, and c r e a m biscuits t h a t simply
melted in your mouth. The home m a d e wine filled t h e
glasses.
We all wore new dresses. For t h e most part, t h e y
w e r e hand-me-downs, but mother had put new c u f f s and
collars on t h e m to m a k e t h e m look like new. We didn't
h a v e much, but w e loved e a c h other. T h e big day, New
Year's Day, had c o m e for us and it was t i m e t o
celebrate. We w e r e on our best behavior. The older
boys and girls would g o t o Midnight Mass. They hitched
t h e horses t o t h e sled and t h e y m a d e c e r t a i n t h a t t h e y
had bells and also a lantern to light t h e road. It was s o
cold t h a t t h e y put their f e e t on t h e s t o v e t o k e e p t h e m
from freezing and t h e y covered t h e m with big fur
blankets. What a happy sound t o hear t h e ringing bells
on t h e horses a s t h e y t r o t t e d along down t h e road.
This was t h e t i m e for my mother t o set t h e big
table. T h e best tablecloth c a m e o u t of t h e linen closet
and t h e best china s e t and glasses w e r e used to s e t t h e
table.
Mother told us t o wipe everything clean. We
didn't like t h a t chore, but w e did what w e w e r e told t o
do. A t l a s t everything was ready. My mother took off
her apron, washed, and dressed like I had never seen
her before. She had long silky curly hair. Never would
you have believed t h a t she had worked s o hard t o
prepare all this food. Daddy and P e p e r e w e r e having
their l i t t l e nip in t h e corner of t h e room.
We
overheard m y grandfather s a y t h a t my mother was
spending t o o much money for food. My mother replied,
"They a r e your children and grandchildren. Is meeting
o n c e a year t o o much?" Suddenly, s h e turned around
and shoved t h e bread and beans in t h e oven. I knew
t h a t my mother was hurt by t h e remark t h a t my
grandfather had made.
All of a sudden w e heard t h e sound of t h e bells
coming f r o m f a r away. They w e r e coming closer and
closer. I c a n still picture t h e sleds coming down t h e
road. It was like a parade. As t h e neighbors went by,
they would shout at t h e t o p of their lungs, "Have a
prosperous New Year everybody."
As everyone c a m e
into t h e house, they wished e a c h o t h e r a "Happy New
Year" by kissing and hugging e a c h other. My mother
s t a r t e d singing t h e traditional song of thanking
God
for bringing us together on this f i r s t day of t h e year.
Everybody joined in t h e singing. What a day t o cherish
and remember! It was up to P e p e r e Denis t o bless t h e
table. H e relinquished this prerogative t o my f a t h e r , s o
my f a t h e r blessed t h e t a b l e and e a c h one of us.
O n c e t h e meal was completed, everything was put
away and t h e n w e began t o d a n c e and t o sing. I t goes
without saying t h a t P e p e r e w a s given t h e honor of t h e
f i r s t song and dance. So h e g o t up and danced a l i t t l e
jig, singing at t h e s a m e time. All t h e children sat on
t h e s t a i r s t e p s to w a t c h what was going on.
Incidentally, I didn't wish P e p e r e a Happy New Year. I
sat on t h e l a s t s t e p at t h e t o p of t h e s t a i r c a s e s o t h a t
I t was five in t h e
h e couldn't g e t a - hold of me.
morning before w e fell asleep. I c a n still hear t h e last
one leaving, my uncle
"Good-night everybodyu.
Louis
Barrette
saying,
P e p e r e Denis lived with us f o r about one year. A t
t h e t i m e h e was very sick, but not sick enough not t o
criticize us. H e would look through t h e window from
t h e second floor facing t h e barn which was quite a
distance away.
H e k e p t telling my mother t h a t w e
w e r e making t o o much noise and t h a t h e couldn't sleep.
H e finally l e f t t o g o t o live with my uncle Pierre.
L i t t l e did w e know t h a t i t would b e t h e last t i m e w e
would see him. H e died not long after.
This year, I went back to t h e f a r m with my cousin,
Reginald Barrette, and my husband, John. I wanted t o
s e e t h e house where I was born. I had really looked
forward t o it. I t was not a n exhilirating experience as
I thought i t was going t o be. The f i r s t glance filled my
h e a r t with sadness. The house had become s o old and
it was falling apart. T h e people who lived t h e r e didn't
seem t o care. T h e grass was t a l l where w e used to
play.
This told m e something.
Where t h e r e a r e
children, t h e r e is laughter and happiness. I l e f t my
home when I was eleven. A s w e g e t older, e v e r y s w e e t
memory s e e m s t o c o m e back to us. How w e wish w e
could relive those childhood days of long ago. Now I
know why P e p e r e had cried when h e l e f t t h a t day long
ago. I will always b e g r a t e f u l t o my cousin, Reginald,
for taking m e back t o memory lane.
ANTOINE LAVALLEE: THE FINAL PUZZLE PlECE
Thanks to the diligent research efforts of
Pauline Lemire, Cecile Martens, and our Loisel Index, the following solution to the Antoine Lavallge
problem from our last issue of JE ME SOUVIENS has
finally been unearthed. We share their findings
with our readers who may have this couple in any
of their lines. Thanks, ladies!!!
ANTOINE'S LINE
/
1. JEAN LAVALLEE m. 1672 MARGUERITE DUSSON
2.
JEAN LAVALL~Em. JEANNE-CATHERINE HUS
mg. 9 / 1 1 / 1 7 0 2 - St-Fran~ois-du-Lac,PQ
3.
MICHEL LAVALL~Em. MARGUERITE PETIT-BRUNEAU
mg. 2 5 / 5 / 1 7 3 6 - Contrat de Lafosse
MICHEL LAVALL~Em. JOSEPHTE HUS-MILLET
mg. 3 / 2 / 1 7 6 1 - St-Pierre-Sorel, PQ
4.
5.
ANTOINE LAVALL~Em. MARGUERITE LAVALL~E
mg. 2 9 / 1 0 / 1 7 9 8 - St-Pierre-Sorel, PQ
(NOTE:
- This marriage is not in Pontbriand's
/
Sore1 repertoire. Please add it in your
COPY).
MARGUERITE' S LINE
/
1.
JEAN LAVALLEE m. 1672 MARGUERITE DUSSON
2.
JEAN LAVALL~Em. JEANNE-CATHERINE HUS
m g . 9 / 1 1 / 1 7 0 2 - St-Fran~ois-du-Lac,PQ
/
PIERRE LAVALLEE m. MARIE PELOQUIN
mg. 2 8 / 4 / 1 7 4 9 - St-Pierre-Sorel, PQ
EMMANLTELLAVALL~Em. MARGUERITE DUPUY
mg. 1 6 / 1 / 1 7 7 5 - St-Pierre-Sorel, PQ
3.
4.
1
/
LAVALLEE m. ANTOINE LAVALLEE
mg. 2 9 / 1 0 / 1 7 9 8 - St-Pierre-Sorel, PQ
5 . MARGUERITE
Rassemblement
des Belliveau, B6liveau
C.P. 428, Trois-Rivihres, Qu6. G9A 5L3
\
Next summer the city of Trois-Rivieres will
celebrate the 350th anniversary of its foundation,
and one of the families scheduled to have their
reunion in the area will be that of the ~gliveaul
Belliveau Family. This family reunion will take
place the weekend of July 20-22, 1984, and will
comprise the following events:
Friday, July 20
A Mass, will be held in the parish church of
St-Gregoire de Nicolet, which will be filmed
by Radio-Canada and broadcast "coast-to-coast"
the Sunday after, the last day of the reunion.
Saturday, July 21
The unveiling of a commemorative monument
erected at St-Gregoire to honor the family's
ancestors:,ANTOINE BELLIVEAU and his wife,
MARIE-ANDREE GUYON; as well as to honor the
three pioneer ~e/l;veau families in ~ucbec:
those of JOSEPH BELIVEAU and, his wife, MARIE
GAUDET; and JEAN-BAPTISTE BELIVEAU and his
wife, MARGUERITE MELANSON (who settled in
tQe Nicolet region): and that of CHARLES
BELIVEAU and his wife, OSITE DUGAS (whose
family settled in the region of St-Jacquesde-1'Achigan near ltAssomption,PQ).
That evening will be capped by a soirge of
dance and recreation at the Parc-de-l'Exposi-
\
tion at Trois-Rivieres.
Sunday, July 22
A large family Mass will be held in the
Basilica at Cap-de-la-Madeleine, which will
be followed by a community dinner, as a
sign of fraternity. Naturally, there will
be time for sightseeing.
In September of this year, the Belliveaul
/
Beliveau Family Association will be making plans
to publish a family genealogical journal, and
will be looking for materials to make this a
success, both in English and French. If you
should have any stories or genealogies relating
to the Bgliveau family, please send it to them,
to get this endeavor off the ground. You may
use the address at the top of the previous page
to obtain more information concerning the family
reunion, which is open to direct descendants as
well as those descendants who have female Bgliveau
ancestors.
Other information can be obtained by writing
to the following:
.
1
Fr\ere ~ e r v dBLliveau, S C. , President
172, 7e Avenue Sud
Sherbrooke, PQ JIG - 2M7
or
M. Robert Be/liveau,Vice ~rgsident
917 Ste-Ursule
~rois-~ivi&res,
PQ G9A - 1P2
If anyone knows of other Family Reunions in
~ue/becor the Maritimes, both Canadian or Acadian,
please keep this journal informed, so that we may
spread the news to our members. Hopefully, other
Acadian families will follow this fine tradition
in the near future.
FAMILY REUNION
Many o f u s have t h o u g h t o f f a m i l y r e u n i o n s
and h a v e e n v i e d t h o s e who have had t h e p l e a s u r e o f
attending
them.
Family
reunions
require
l e a d e r s h i p , o r g a n i z a t i o n , and h a r d work.
The C h a r t i e r f a m i l y h e l d a m i n i - g a t h e r i n g
l a s t summer i n t h e Wauregan c h u r c h i n C o n n e c t i c u t .
Old movies were shown and a good t i m e was had by
all.
Andre C h a r t i e r and h i s sister, Suzanne
B o u r g e r y , f e l t t h a t b i g g e r would b e b e t t e r . They
s o u g h t t h e h e l p o f i n t e r e s t e d p a r t i e s t o see i f
t h e y c o u l d s u c c e s s f u l l y o r g a n i z e a large f a m i l y
reunion.
On t h e committee t o h e l p them i n t h e i r
e n d e a v o r were: J o s e p h Emile B o u t h i l l i e r , M.D.;
D o r i s B o u t h i l l i e r ; Yolande C h a r t i e r ; and Gerard
C h a r t i e r , M.D.
T h e i r h a r d work b r o u g h t them s u c c e s s .
The
f i r s t r e u n i o n was h e l d o n J u n e 26 o f t h i s y e a r , i n
B r o o k l y n , C o n n e c t i c u t , on t h e farm o f Dr. J. Emile
B o u t h i l l i e r , M.D.
A t t e n d i n g were d e s c e n d a n t s o f
t h e b r a n c h o f Moise C h a r t i e r - R o s a l i e G o y e t t e and
P i e r r e B o u t h i l l i e r - S e r a p h i n e Dubuc. C l o s e t o f i v e
hundred p e o p l e a t t e n d e d among whom was o u r
t r e a s u r e r , Therese Poliquin.
I n a t t e n d a n c e were
some p e o p l e who had t r a v e l l e d from r e g i o n s as f a r
away as F l o r i d a , V i r g i n i a , and Hawaii.
A t 11 :00 A.M.,
a mass was c e l e b r a t e d by
Reverend Armand Nadeau, M.S. u n d e r a huge t e n t .
Mass was f o l l o w e d by a p i c n i c l u n c h f o r which
e v e r y o n e had b r o u g h t t h e i r own f o o d , b u t g r i l l s
were p r o v i d e d as well as t a b l e s and benches.
T h e i r a l s o was e n t e r t a i n m e n t f o r young and o l d .
T h i s r e u n i o n was s o s u c c e s s f u l t h a t f u t u r e
r e u n i o n s are b e i n g p l a n n e d and may v e r y w e l l
emerge on a n a n n u a l b a s i s .
ABOUT THE CHARTIERS
Although s e v e n t e e n men by t h e f a m i l y name o f
Chartier
emigrated
to
Canada
during
the
s e v e n t e e n t h and e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r i e s , o n l y two
l e f t male d e s c e n d a n t s ,
who m a r r i e d ,
reared
f a m i l i e s and p e r p e t u a t e d t h e C h a r t i e r l i n e .
One
o f them w a s Guillaume C h a r t i e r who a r r i v e d i n
Canada i n 1653 w i t h t h e Grand R e c r u i t . The o t h e r
was Michel C h a r t i e r o f whom v e r y l i t t l e i s known.
However, i f y o u r f a m i l y name i s C h a r t i e r you do
n o t n e c e s s a r i l y descend from t h e above named
emigrants.
T h e r e r e m a i n two o t h e r p o s s i b i l i t i e s .
Another e m i g r a n t , Rene C h a r t i e r l e f t p o s t e r i t y i n
A l l of h i s sons, except one, died a t t h e
Canada.
hands o f t h e I n d i a n s as well as Rene h i m s e l f . The
r e m a i n i n g s o n , M a r t i n , was a wood r u n n e r , f u r
t r a d e r , and l e a d e r o f a band o f Shawnee I n d i a n s .
H i s d e s t i n y i s unknown.
However, Rene had a
d a u g h t e r , J e a n n e Renne, who m a r r i e d P i e r r e Durand.
Some o f t h e i r c h i l d r e n t o o k t h e f a m i l y name o f
Chartier.
A f o u r t h C h a r t i e r l i n e d e s c e n d s from
John C a r t e r , a n E n g l i s h boy, who was t a k e n h o s t a g e
a t t h e b a t t l e o f D e e r f i e l d , M a s s a c h u s e t t s and
removed t o Quebec.
He became known as J e a n
C h a r t i e r and h i s d e s c e n d a n t s c a r r y t h e C h a r t i e r
name.
CATHOLIC PARISHES OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
In an effort to help you to better locate genealogical records in the Southern New England area,
we present in this issue of JE ME SOUVIENS a listing of the major Franco-American Catholic parishes
in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut,
along with their years of establishment and their
location in each particular state. Hopefully, this
will be of some assistance to those of you who may
be impeded in your search to locate records of
lost ancestors, especially when you know when they
they arrived in a certain area and which churches
were in existence at the time of their arrival.
P.S.
Don't forget to try the Irish and Italian
parishes as well, as in some cases, our
Canadian ancestors allied themselves with
these other major groupings of Catholic
immigrants for worship.
RHODE ISLAND
1844
1853
1854
1872
1872
1873
1874
1873
1874
1875
1877
1884
1884
1886
1890
-
-
-
-
St. Mary
SS. Peter & Paul
St. Patrick
St. John
St. James
N.D. Sacre-Coeur
St-Jean-Baptiste
St. Joseph
st-~harles-~orrom60
Precious Blood
St-Jean-Baptiste
St-Jean-Baptiste
St. Joseph
Immaculate Conception
Ste-Anne
West Warwick. RI
West Warwick, RI
Harrisville, RI
Slatersville, RI
Manville, RI
Central Palls, RI
West Warwick, RT
West Warwick, RI
Providence, RI
Woonsocket, RI
Warren, RI
Pawtucket , RI
Pascoag, RI
Westerly, RI
Woonsocket, RI
1892 1895 1895 1897 1902 1902 1904
1906 1907 1909 1905 1910 1923 1929 1929 1931 1937 1953
1953
-
-
St-Ambroise
St. Michael
N.D. de la Consolation
N.D. de Bon-Conseil
Holy Family
St-Aloysius (~ouis)
N.D. de Lourdes
St-Mathieu
St. Lawrence
N.D. des Victoires
O.L. yf Good Help
Ste-Cecile
ste-~hgrLse
St-Joseph
St. Joan of Arc
Christ the Klng
St-Vincent de Paul
St. Agatha
O.L. Queen of Martyrs
Albion, RI
Smithfield, RI
Pawtucket, RI
West Warwick, RI
Woonsocket, RI
Woonsocket, RI
Providence, RI
Central Falls, RI
N. Providence, RI
Woonsocket , RI
Mapleville, RI
Pawtucket, RI
Nasonville, RI
Woonsocket, RI
Cumberland, RI
West Warwick, RI
Coventry, RI
Woonsocket, RI
Woonsocket , RT
MASSACHUSETTS
1 8 6 7 - N.D. de la Pitie
1 8 6 8 - St;Joseph
1 8 6 8 - Precieux-Sang
1869 - Ste-Anne
1869 - N.D. de Bon Conseil
1 8 7 0 - N.D. des Canadiens
1 8 7 0 - Sacred Heart
1870
St. Mary
1 8 7 0 - Ste-Anne
1 8 7 1 - N.D. du Scre-Coeur
1 8 7 2 - Notre-Dame
1 8 7 2 - Sacre-Coeur
1 8 7 2 - St-Joseph
1 8 7 3 - St-Joseph
1 8 7 3 - St-Louis
1 8 7 4 - N.D. d e L o u r d e s
1 8 7 8 - St-Joseph
-
Pittsfield, MA.
Lowell, MA.
Holyoke, MA.
Fall River, MA.
West Boylston, MA.
Worcestor, MA.
Webster, MA.
Marlboro, MA.
Lawrence, MA.
N. Adams, IU.
Southbridge, MA.
New Bedford, N4.
Haverhill, MA.
Springfield, MA.
Indian Orchard, MA.
Fall River, MA.
Salem, MA.
1880 - N.D. des Victoires
1884 - N.D. des 7 Douleurs
1884 - Ste-Anne
1884 - Holy Rosary
1884 - N.D. de llAssomption
1886 - St-Mathieu
1886 - Imnaculate Conception
1887 - St-Jean-Baptiste
1887 - Ste-Marie
1890 - O.L. Perpetual Help
1890 - St-Joseph
1890
St-Hyacinthe
1891 - St-Joseph
1891 - Sacred Heart
1892 - N.D. de la Pitie
1892 - St. Domenic
1893 - St-Georges
1893 - Holy Name
1894
St-Joseph
1895 - St-Antoine
1889
St-Roch
1901 - Blessed Sacrament
1902
Ste-Anne
1902 - St-Louis
1902 - St-Louis
1902 - Sacred Heart
1902 - St-Francis of Assisi
1904 - St-Jacques
1904 - Sacred Heart
1904
Good Shepherd
1904 - St-Jean-Baptiste
1904
St-Antoine
1905 - Sacred Heart
1905
St-Antoine
1905
St-Joseph
1905
Immaculate Conception
1906
O.L. of Good Help
1907 - N.D. de 1'Assompt2on
1907
St-Louis
-
-
-
-
-
Boston, MA.
Adams , MA.
Turner's Falls, MA.
Gardner, MA.
Millbury, MA.
Fall River, MA.
Fitchburg, MA.
Lynn, MA.
Spencer, MA.
Holyoke, MA.
Fitchburg, MA.
New Bedford, MA.
Worcestor, MA.
Brockton, MA.
Cambridge, MA.
Fall River, MA.
Chicopee Falls, MA.
Worcestor, MA.
Boston, MA.
New Bedford, MA.
Fall River, MA.
Fall River, MA.
Salem, MA.
Lowell, MA
Newburyport, MA.
Amesbury, MA.
Fitchburg, MA.
Taunton, MA.
N. Attleboro, MA.
Linwood, MA.
Ludlow, MA.
Worcestor, MA.
Lawrence, MA.
Shirley, MA.
Attleboro, MA.
Holyoke, MA.
Easthampton, MA.
Chelsea, MA.
Springfield, MA.
? 1907 1907 1907 1908 1908
1909
1909
1909
1909 1909 1911 1917 1923 1927 1927 1927 1929 1931
Ste-Anne
N.D. de Lourdes
Ste-Anne
O.L. of the Rosary
Sacred Heart
- St-Thomas-Aquinas
Ste-Rose
- St-Joseph
- St-Stanislas
N.D. de Mont Camel
St-Joseph
St. John
St-Alphonse
st-~eanne-d'Arc
Ste-Therese
Christ the King
Assump$i\on
St. Theresa
- St. Mary
-
Manchaug, MA.
Lowell, MA.
New Bedford, MA.
New Bedford, MA.
Southbridge, MA.
Springfield, MA.
Aldenville , MA.
Everett, MA.
Ipswich, MA.
Methuen, MA.
New Bedford, MA.
Newton, MA.
Beverly, MA.
Lowell, MA.
Dracut, MA.
Hudson, MA.
Bellingham, MA.
E. Blackstone,MA.
Lowell, MA.
CONNECTTCUT
1872
1880
1884
1886
1886
1886
1889
1889
1893
1903
1907
- N.D. de la Visitation
- St-Laurent
- Ste-Anne
- St-Joseph
- St. Mary
- Sacred Heart
-
Ste-Anne
St-Louis
St-Antoine
Ste-Marie
Ste-Anne
Putnam, CT.
Meriden, CT.
Waterbury, CT.
N. Grosvernordale,CT.
Putnam, CT.
Taftville, CT
Hartford, CT.
New Haven, CT.
Bridgeport, CT.
Willimantic, CT.
Bristol, CT.
.
%om
-
the Jlembenskip
--
CDi./tecton
-
-
I n t h e l a s t i s s u e of J E ME SOWIENS, I reported t h a t our membership was n e a r i n g t h e f i v e
hundred mark. A s it t u r n e d o u t , we reached 500 a t
about t h e same time t h a t t h e i s s u e went t o p r e s s .
By now you should have r e c e i v e d your renewal
n o t i c e . A l l c l a s s e s of membership e x p i r e on 30
September ( e x c e p t L i f e ) . Renewal membership c a r d s
a r e s e n t o u t by bulk mail. To do otherwise would
be an unnecessary expense. The c a r d s w i l l be
mailed n e a r t h e end o f October. U n t i l t h e n , your
c a n c e l l e d check w i l l s e r v e a s your proof of memb e r s h i p . I urge you t o renew e a r l y .
We a r e s t i l l having problems with members
who do n o t n o t i f y us of a change of address. Nine
copies o f t h e l a s t JMS were r e t u r n e d t o us a s und e l i v e r a b l e . We have no way of c o n t a c t i n g t h e s e
members u n t i l they w r i t e t o complain because they
have n o t r e c e i v e d t h e i r p u b l i c a t i o n .
The following l i s t of new members i s t h e
l o n g e s t t h a t I have e v e r had t o p r e p a r e f o r public a t i o n . To t h e s e new f r i e n d s I o f f e r my b e s t wishe s f o r successful research.
d e w iMembe~
C h r i s t i n e L . Gerbel, 315 S t . James D r . ,
Piedmont, CA 94611
0847 John B e c o t t e , 808 J e f f e r s o n D r . , Zumbrota, PlN
55992
0848 Donald E . Narsan, 09 Barber Ave., Worcester,
0846
0849
0850
0851
0852
0853
0854
0855
0856
0857
0858F
0859
0860
0861
0862
0863
0864
0865F
0866
0867F
MA 01606
E l l e n Zern, 51 P l e a s a n t S t . , Middlebury, VT
05753
Mary Ann Schicker, 1849 Claudine, S t . Louis,
MO 63138
Raymond F o r c i e r , 823 Old River Rd., blanville,
R I 02838
Robert A. ivlorrissette, 1 8 Talbot Ter.,
Uxbridge, PA 01569
Joan M. Paquin, 184 Sabin S t . , Pawtucket , R I
02860
Gerard E. Brousseau, 169 W i l l i a m s S t . ,
Cumberland, R I 02864
Alfred Dulude, Reservoir Rd., Cumberland,
R I 02864
M r s . L o r e l l Kressin, R R 1 , Box 183, Bloomer,
W I 54724
S t a n l e y E. Moore, 26 Hazelwood Ter.,
P i t t s f i e l d , VA 01201
Jean-Paul H. Noreau, 1 9 Charles S t . , South
Burlington, VT 05401
J a n i s Fulrner, R t . 1, P r e s c o t t , KS 66767
George F. Lake, J r . , 473 Glenwood Ave.,
Brickm N J 08723
Joseph L. Marsan, if17 Goodrich Apts.,
Goodrich S t . , Winchendon, Yl 01475
Lucienne Landry, 283 P u l a s k i Blvd.,
Bellingham, &IA 02019
Mary Lou P e t e r s o n , R . R . , Storden, E
m 56174
Vernon L . C h a r t i e r , 5190 S
W Dover Ln.,
P o r t l a n d , OR 97225
Thomas J . L a f o r e s t , 460 S. Woodlands D r . ,
Oldsrnar, FL 33557
Joan E . Carrnack, 5305 Jamestown, U t i c a , M I
48087
Denis Constantineau, 25 Hawley S t . , C e n t r a l
F a l l s , R I 02863
~-
~
0868
0869
0870
0871
0872
0873
0874F
0875
0876F
0877
0878
0879
0880
0881
0882
0883
0884
0885
0886
Talmage A. T i r r e l l , P.O. Box 322, k a t i c k , MA
01760
R o s e t t e P e t i t , 83 Palmer Ave., Warwic~,R I
02889
Aobert W. T e l l i e r , 204 Manila Hve.,
Woonsocket, R I 02895
Margaret M. Rayburn, 2305 Holman, Bremerton,
Wk 98310
John H. B r i n , 1152 Oakhill Ave., A t t l e b o r o ,
HA 02703
William G. T h e r r i e n , 1 8 Kuhn D r . , Furlong,
PA 18925
Raymond R. L a r o c h e l l e , 10076 Cabachon C t . ,
E l l i c o t t C i t y , W 21043
Mary Dominguez, 15950 V a l e r i o S t . , Van Nuys,
CA 91406
Edgar Dupuis, 76 lowry Ave., Cumberland, R I
02864
William Piarquis, 134D Oak S t . , P l a t t s b u r g ,
NY 12901
Lorraine V. Wnuk, P.O. Box 73, Cumberland,
R I 02834
Marcia P. k a t t h i e u , SRA Box 821, Anchorage,
AK 99502
John W. Doucette, 1045 Oneida S t . , Denver,
CO 80220
Raymond A. Dufresne, 1600 Old River Rd.,
blanville, R I 02838
Rosemary Michaud Lownds, 65 H i l l S t . ,
S u f f i e l d , CT 06078
Suzanne Jachem, Old Forge Rd., Cumberland,
R I 02864
J a n e t L . Modaffare, 1090 Daisy, Escondido,
CA 92027
Charles R. Menard S r . , 82 Wyvern S t . ,
R o s l i n d a l e , i4A 02131
Camiel E. Thorrez, 126 m o v e r S t . , Concord,
M I 49237
C l a r a M. F o s t e r , 975 Terrace D r . , NW,
Salem, OR 97304
0888 Robert G. P e l l e t i e r , Fennwood Rd., Winthrop,
I'JE 04364
3889 Rose F i t z g e r a l d , 8 1 S. Maple S t . , $4,
W e s t f i e l d , blA 01805
0890L Kay Walker Kenaga, 1281 N . Wagner Rd.,
E s s e x v i l l e , M I 48732
0891 I'larcia V . Lord, 114 Fleetvrood S t . , Presque
I s l e , ME 04769
0892 Marcel R. Leblanc, P.O. Box 251, Manchester,
NH 03105
0893 Sharon R u s s e l l , P.O. Box 382, Mackinaw C i t y ,
I\TI 49701
0894 D. Michael Ryan, Boston College, Dean o f Stud e n t s O f f i c e , Chestnut H i l l , MA 02167
0895 Carmen hl. Phaneuf, Box 264, Old Zundred Lane,
Middleton, iriA 01349
0896 Margaret T . Abbott, 1875 biaple Rd.,
W i l l i a m s v i l l e , NY 14221
0897 Gary A. Craver, 403 Sandy C r e s t C t . ,
Schenectady, NY 12303
0898 Susan Bowen Nudgins, P.O. Box 1332, Mount
Vernon, WA 98273
0899 James J . Whiteford, 18582 Asuncion S t . ,
Northridge, CA 91326
0900L David A. Nichols, Box 76, L i n c o l n v i l l e , ME
04849
0901 Mrs. Charles Owings, 6 Chipman H t s . ,
Middlebury, VT 05753
0902 Marcel L . Gagne, 8 Noyes T l . , Augusta, ME
04330
0903 Evelyn Lincourt, 2059 Huntington Ave.,
Alexandria, VA 22303
0904 John W. Benoit, P.O. Box 232, Jennings, LA
70546
0905 Richard Grant, 777 Daventry C i r . , Webster,
NY 14580
0887
0906
Constance BI. Reda, 388 Leonard Rd.,
Rochester, NY 14616
0907 Robert R. C h a r p e n t i e r , R t . 1, Box 464B,
S t o n e v i l l e , NC 27048
0908 Paul T . V e i l l e t t e , E l l i o t Rd., E. Chatham,
NY 12060
0909 B e a t r i c e 0. Boucher-Martel, 8 7 E l l i o t S t . ,
Apt. 3B, S p r i n g f i e l d , XA 01105
0910 Paul P. Desmarais, 7 Gary S t . , Mashua, NH
03062
0911 blark L . Debard, M i l , 3499 Pebble Creek D r . ,
Dayton, OH 45432
0912 S t e l l a L . Obeshaw, 1002 S t a t e S t . , Algonac,
M I 48001
0913F John Beauregard, 50 R u s s e l l S t . , Plymouth,
IU. 02360
09141 Gougeon Bros, I n c . , 706 Martin S t . , Bay
C i t y , M I 48706
0915 Robert N. P e r r y , 9 Adams Farm Rd.,
Westport, CT 06880
0916 Clyde I. Barrows, blain S t . , Box 427,
Farmington, &IE 04938
0917 Marilyn A. Aragosa, 2149 F o s t e r Ave.,
Schenectady, NY 12308
0918 John J . Audet J r . , 10801 Joyceton C t . ,
Largo, ME 20772
0919 Helen C . Boldra, 750 E. S t i l l w a t e r , #48,
F a l l o n , NV 89436
0920 Bernadette Clement, 5 Clement S t . , Nashua,
NH 03060
0921 S h i r l e y Bates, R t . 3 , 7305 H o l l i s t e r R d . ,
Laingsburg , b41 48848
3922 M r s . James Claycomb, 265 Ridgemont Rd.,
Grosse P o i n t e Farms, M I 48236
0923 J u l i e n A. B e s s e t t e , 31 Chester S t . ,
Woonsocket, R I 02895
0924 P a t r i c i a A. OIRourke, 134 ayron Blvd.,
Warwick, R I 02888
0925
0926
0927
0928F
0929L
0930
0931F
0932
0933
0934
0935F
0936
0937
0938
0939
0940
0941
0942
0943
Blanche Waleski, 27 Chestnut S t . ,
Southbridge, MA 01550
Timothy S. Dupy, 2101 Hayes Rd., #1010,
Houston, TX 77077
Mrs. Trenna L . Walther, 429 Kensington Park
C t . , San J o s e , CA 95136
James Canel, 40 L i l a c Ln., Levittown, PA
19054
Paul H. Munson, P.O. Sox 462, Goodyear, AZ
85338
Dorothy H a r t l e y , 17405 S. Woodland Rd.,
Shaker H t s . , OH 44120
F r a n c i s J . P e l l e t i e r , 362 W e s t h i l l Ave.,
Somerset, MA 02726
Thomas Sherby, 226 Durand, E a s t Lansing, MI
48823
S t e l l a P e t e r s , 134 Spofford Rd., Auburn, NH
03032
Joseph A. Idichaud, 350 r u e Marchand,
Drummondville, Que. J2C 4N9
Arthur R. Trahan, 167 Ifierrimac S t . , New
Bedford, blA 02740
Susan D. C a u l e t , 3331 Mendon Rd.,
Cumberland, R I 02864
Anne M. Welch, 163 Alfred S t . , Biddeford, NE
04005
R u s s e l l A. Plorisette S r . , 69 Western Rd.,
Auburn, ME 04210
Burton R. Knotts, 7316 Dahlia D r . , L i t t l e
Rock, AR 72209
Timothy J . P i l o n , 35702 14uirwood Sq.,
Farrnington H i l l s , M I 48018
S e f f e r y B. Lensman, 507 Sharon D r . , kemphis,
TN 38122
Denise Kledzik, 522 SW 324th S t . , Federal
Way, WA 98003
Raymond B r e s s e t t e , 2000 S. Van Buren S t . ,
Bay C i t y , M I 48706
.
0944
Warvene McGowen, P 0. Box 2884, IvicKinleyv i l l e , CA 95521
0945 Doris Anderson, 70 Pasco R d . , I n d i a n
Orchard, MA 01151
0946F Rene Theberge, 12 Commercial S t . , B e l f a s t ,
ME 04915
0947 Susan L . V a l l e e , 27 Whitney S t . , Winooski,
VT 05404
0948 Sandra LaCombe, 58 Woodlawn Ave., Massera,
NY 13662
0949 Bro. Roger Croteau, CSC, 4538 S t . Paul Blvd.,
Rochester, NY 14617
0890L Kay Walker Xenaga
0917L Lea Berard
0588L E r n e s t Lapre
0575L L i l l i a n Waclure
0929L Paul H. blunson
0900L David A . Nichols
0104L Therese P o l i q u i n
A DOG TALE
A peasant wanted t o sell his dog.
"Does h e have a pedigree, your d o
asked a very distinguished gent1
"A pedi what?" inquired t h e b
"A pedigree is like a genealogic
precised t h e client.
"My dog is like a l l other dogs," said t h e
merchant, "any old t r e e is suitable for
...
him."
gibhahy Additions
GIFTS
Tetreault Genealcgy donated by Eugene % t r o
Leblanc Genealogy donated by Marcia Valliere Lord
Index t o the 1851 Essex Co. . Ontario Census,
--compiled by Joel Zimmerman
Neuf Mille Trepanier,
-Tricentenaire
by Alexis Trepanier, C .S.s .r.
5 Fanrilles
3eme Centenaire
(1646-1946 ).
Lemoy
Naissance
(m
5 Pierre
Blanchet
I% Famille Le Cmpte-Dupre by Pierre Georges Roy
Antoine e t Jean Dionne
enfants by Leon Roy
dit Sanssoucy
e t leurs
U z o t t e 1670-1976. g i f t of Arthur P. U z o t t e
The Chartier Families, Volume I1 and 111.
-
--
The Quiet Adventures i n North America, by Marion
Turk.
Les Canadiens Francais -de l a Nouvelle U l e t e r r e
by E. Hamon
Louis Pillard
H. Presse
E.F. Rigaud
Daniel Normandin
Joseph Rouillard
Nicolas h c l o s
A.B. P l l l e t
J. LeProust
REPGRTOIRES
( a l l a r e marriages unless otherwisw
stated )
ST. MCIURICE COUNTY
St. Msthieu de lac Bellemare
1872-1981
st. '~ e a n - ~ a ~ t t -de
s t ela Salle
Veilles Forges
Notre Dame des Sept Allegresses
St. Gerard des Iaurentides
GATINEAU CGWTY
St. Dominique de Luskville (bms) 18&-1982
ST. JEAN COUNTY
La Cite de St. Jean ( 7 parishes)1951-1980
Burials of ND de Lourdes and S t Joseph
Cathedrale d ' % t a m
Ste Anne de Sudbury
MOlYTMrnNcY
coum
S t e Anne de Beaupre ( baptisms ) 1657-1980
C H A M P W N COURPY
St. Maurice
BWTHIER
c
m
Ste. Beatrice
St. Jacques
~a m t i v i t e
Sacre Coeur de Jesus
St. Jean-Baptiste
Tres St. Barn de Jesus
St. Henri
St. Clement de Viauville
Ste. Anne de Bellevue (bms )
1873-1910
1863-1910
1874- l 9 l O
1874-19
1889-1910
1868-1910
1895-1920
169-1911
LAC ST. JEAB-CUEST COUNTY
Hotre Dame de Roberval
Val J a l b e r t
S t . Jean de Bsebeuf
Ste. Hedwidge
1860-1980
1911-199
1931-1980
1907-1980
S t . Jacques de 1'Achigan
1774-1982
EIASKINONGE COUNTY
Ste. Angele de Premont
( bms ) 1917-1982
St. Frederic
S t Joseph de Grantham
St. Simon
Ste. Therese
SS. Pierre e t F'aul
St. Jean-Baptiste de Grantham
St. Wilippe
St. Charles de Borraaee
Immaculee Conception
Christ-Roi
St. Pie X
Ste. Henedine ( s )
QUEBEC
c
m
St. Francois d 'Assise
Notre Dame de P i t i e
RIMOUSKI CCUIEY
St. Valerian
1885-1931
ACADIA
Registre de L'Abbe % i l l y 1768-1773 a Caraquet
PAPINEAU
c
m
Buckingham ( bras )
EULL
c
m
Pointe Gatineau
1847-1973
ONTARIO PROVINCE
TiPrmins Diocese
RHODE ISLAND
La Paroisse d e S t . Jean-Baptiste 1877-1952
By Dr. Ulysse Forget
NEW HAla?3HIRE
Franklin
Franklin ( baptisms )
FRENCH-CANADIMJ GENEA-ICAL
* TAEUAY 'S
.H
* REPWTOIRES
* PARISH HISTORIES
MATERIALS FOR SAIE
NOTARIAL RECORES
MAPS
+w CANADIAlrlA
CURRENT ISST $ 1.00
28 Felsmere Avenue
ROBERT 3. QUINTCN
Pawtucket, Rhode Esland 02861
All queries submitted to
the Society must be accompanied by a self-addressed
stamped envelope, along
with your request and check.
Please address all correspondence: ATTENTION: RESEARCH COMM'CTTEE. Any requests not found by them
will appear in subse uent issues of this journal.
144.
Seeking marriage & parents of Pierre POIRIER
to ~e/licit&LEDUC. (Audrey Nieman, 1537
Fenton Hills Rd., Fenton, MO. 63026)
145.
Seeking marriage & parents of Guillaume S A W E
to Josephte POIRIER. (Audrey Nieman).
146.
Seeking marriage & parents of Damase GREGOIRE
to Virginie GIROUX. Their son, Joseph-Albert
GR~GOIREmarried 11/4/1920-Sacre-Coeur-deMarie, ~ue/bec,PQ to ~ose-~ime/e
MONTMIGNY
Also need birth & death data for Joseph-Albert.
(Douglas J. Miller, 27909 Youngberry Dr.,
Saugus, CA. 91350).
/
.
147. Seeking marriage &,parents of Ovila LUSSIER
to Victoria LABONTE. Their son, Louis-Adjutor
married 13/8/1925-Fall River, MA. to ~ g o n a
GODU/GODDU . (Douglas J Miller)
.
148.
Seeking marriage & parents of Fran~ois
MONTMIGNY to Rose DUBOIS, parents of ~ h e b ~ h i l e
MONTMIGNY who married Marie SYLVAIN on 26/41
1887-St-Patrice-Beaurivage, PQ. (Douglas J.
Miller).
149.
Seeking marriage & parents of Joseph SYLVAIN
to Marie MARCOUX. Their son Etienne SYLVAIN
married 27/1Q/1868-st-~illes,PQ to ~e/san~es
HAMEL. (Douglas J. Miller)
150. Seeking marriage & parents of Antoine HAMEL
to Rose DROUIN, parents of ne/sanges HAMEL in
Q. 149. (Douglas 9. Miller)
151. Need marriage & parents of Louis 5IROUX to
Henriette BEAUCHER/BOUCHER? BAUCHE? parents
GIROUX. They were married
of ~ir~inie-~ure/lie
c 1845 at St-Roch, PQ. (Douglas J. Miller)
152. Am compiling the genealogy of the BRANCHAUDI
BRANCHEM/BRANCHEREAU/BRANCHAUX/BRANCHO family.
I would appreciate receiving any informatton
regarding any descendants. (Douglas J. Miller)
153. Need marriage & parents of Frank ROY b.1854
married to Julia (?), parents of Joseph-Ovila
ROY married to Hazel Ellen BUCKLEY in Minn.
(Douglas 3. Miller).
ANSWERS TO PAST QUERIES
127. Frs-Louis BERTRAND (Jean-Bte. & Marie Homier)
M-Anne DESVOYAUX-LAFRAMBOISE-DENOYON-FRANCHE
(Ls. & M-Louise Langevin). m.18/4/1757-Ville
St-Laurent , Montreal (A1 ~&ube/).
129. Louis BOISVERT (Etienne & Josephte Aly) to
Lucie OUABARD-LANGLOIS (Joseph & ~enevi'eve
Richard) m. 10/1/1814-st-.Toseph-~~vis, PQ
(A1 ~grubg).
130. Jean-Guillaume PERRON (Joseph & Marie Olonne)
to M-Josephte ALLAIRE (Etienne & M-Madeleine
Fontaine) m. 14/2/1757-St-Joachim, PQ (A1
~e/rube/)
133. Please write to the llAssociationdes Familles
Ouellet, 181 Lessard, Apt. 206-C, Loretteville,
PQ G2B-4B6. You may get an answer from there.
(A1 Be/rube/)
136. Germain SOUCY (Frs. & Brigitte St-Pierre) to
M-Anne DESSEIN-ST-PIERRE (Pierre & Catherine
Soulard) m. 17/7/1791-St-Roch-Aulnaies, PQ
(A1 B&b&
BE'RARD)
140. ~glinaDACIER (Prosper & Marie
to
Octave LAVO'IE (Frs. & Julie Cornelier) m.
12/9/1854-Ste-Elizabeth-Joliette. Other relatives in Central Falls, RI. (A1 Bgrubg]
141. Charles GUYARD (GUIART-DTARD-LIARD) (Jean-Bte.
& Elizabeth Jobin) to M-Anne-Claire GUILBAULT
(Chas-T. & M-Catherine Jourdain) m. 12/2/17751'Assomption, PQ. (A1 BCrube/)
143. Augustin BESSET (Frs. & Charlotte Desroches)
to Marie POTVIN (Louis & Marie pare/) in,
14/10/1816-Longueuil, PQ CAl Be/rubg).
The editor and staff wish to thank A1 Berube for
the time and effort he put in to look up the answers to so many people's questions.
Name of Compiler
L - Brissette
293 Morin H ~ t s .Blvd.
State Woonsocket , RI 02895
Address
city,
A'cce&h&/cLut
Chart No.
Person No. 1 on this chart is the same
person as No. o
n chart No.
-.
I".
r n n t . MI chart
~~
m.
8 JOSEPH BRISSETTE
I
JOSEPH BRISSETTE
(Falher of No.
16
(Farher of No. 4)
Conc. on char1 No. -)
(Father of No. 2)
b.
p.b.
m.
d.
Date of Birth
pb. Place 01 B ~ n h
rn. Dace of Marnage
d DateofDearh
p d . Place of Death
b.
p.d
11868
St-Justin, PQ
11877-St-Didace, PQ
20/1/1919
Providence, RI
JOSEPH LOUIS BRISSETTE
2
(Father of No. 1)
d.
18
p.d
/
(Marher of
No.
4)
MARIE-VIRGINIE LAPRADE
(Mother of No. 2)
b.
p.b.
d.
D.d.
5/1/1870
St-Didace, PQ
5/10/1918
Woonsocket , RI
am.
b.
m.
d.
11
1- 3ORR LteBTf?BRESWYE
:'$ d.
..
2;
5:
(Mother of No. 10.
Conr. MI c h a n NO.
b.
d.
)
JOSEPH CHARPENTIER
(Father of NO. 11.
con^ on chart No.-
)
(hlocher of No. 11.
Cent. on chart No. --
)
E U P H ~ I ECHARPENTIER
MARIE PLANTE
231
b.
d.
d.
p.d.
24
b.
m.
12
(Father of ha. 12.
Conr. on charr No. )
( F n h e r of No. 6)
25
p.d-
(Mother of No. 12.
Cont. on chart No. )
a: s
m
)
(Mother of NO. 5 )
b.
'
(Father of NO. 10.
Conr. on c h a n NO.--.
T H ~ R ~ SGILBERT
E
21
22
d.
p.d
b.
p.b.
18/2/1938
~ . b Woonsocket
.
, RI
m. 71811965-Nasonville, RI
A
BASILE LAPRADE
20
7/1/1856-St-Didace, PQ
-)
1
-
I
-
(hlother of No. 9.
Cont. on chert No.
b.
d.
5)
(Fathrr of No. 9.
Conr. an chart No.
MARIE-AGNES BERNIER
19
b.
p.b.
d.
p.d
p.b.
5
JEAN-BAPTISTE GOUDREAU
b.
m.
d.
ZOE GOUDREAU
25/5/1897
p.b. Woonsocket, RI
11937-Damariscotta,
m.
M E i ~ JOSEPH LAPRADE
(Father of NO.
d. 16/5/1969
p.d Woonsocket, RI
b.
b.
V.
16/8/1865-St-Didace, PQ
m.
d.
~
8,
No. 2
.
k
4 JOSEPH BRISSETTE
~
-
-
6k
c-2
f$
;a z
-..
-+- 4-- -z
b.
p.b.
-:;
--
p.d
2s; 2.;
-
m.
d.
0
L A5
55 2
Y
20/3/1861
Booth Bay, ME.
26
(Father of No. 13.
Cont. on chart No. --)
1311935
Newcastle, ME.
(Mother of No. 6)
p.b.
d.
p.d.
E
$2;
3
pu 0
2 2 zLi
VIOLET FR&,hULq REEVES
(hlother of No. 1)
b. 24/11/1908
p.b. Newcastle, ME.
d. 20/1/1978
~ . d No.
.
Smithfield,
Lc y
=_Ma:
2 YI-9
L
O C V
uz:
a
<
b.
d.
28
(Father of No. 7)
RI
N'?
b.
m.
d.
OSCAR SIDELINGER
14
kz: 4
-
7
(Morher of No. 31
17/10/1863
P-b. Newcastle, ME.
d. 12/2/1938
p.d. Newcastle, ME.
LILLIAN C. BARRY
(Spouse of No. 1)
p.b.
m.
d.
p.d
15 I
(Farher of No. 14.
ConL on c h a n No. --
)
29
b.
E'2
4.3
(Mother of No. 13.
Cant on t h a n No. )
b.
(Mother 01 No. 14.
Conr. on chart No. __)
d.
(Father of No. 15.
Cont. on chart No.
D
A
A
I
N
(Mother of NO. 7)
311
b.
(Mother of No. 15,
Conr. on char1 N h -)
Name of Compiler Walter
Addresscity, State
-
Font& Person No. 1 on this chart is the same
person as N o . o n chart No.-.
J0546
J
1
b.
FRANCOIS-XAVIER FONTAINE
(Father of No. 4)
Date
( F a t k r of No. 2)
d. 9/11/1900
p.d Woonsocket, RI
b. 1/4/1870
p.b.Starchboro, VT.
b. Dare of Blrth
YRI 9 JULIENNE (JANE) ROY
pb. place of ~ ~ ~ m.
t 24/11/1892-W00n~0~ket
h
m. Dare of Msrnsge
(Mother of No. 4)
1/4/1930
d. Date of Death
d
.
~ d .Place of Death
~ . dWoonsocket, RI
b.
1411842p
.
b
.
2 OSCAR F. FONTAINE
(Father of No. 1)
d. 6/9/1925
b- 30/6/1906p.d Woonsocket, RI
p.b. Woonsocket , RI
m.19/10/1926-Blackstone,MA.
F R A N ~ I SGODON
(Father of No. 5 )
d. 7/7/1973
Carrabelle, FLA.
b.
p.b.
Z ~ P I S EGODON
m.22/11/1870-St-Prosper,
(Mother of NO. 2 )
(Father of No. 8,
C O ~ IM
. I chart NO. A
ma 29/10/1827-St-Cyprien, PQ
d.
17 MARIE BRUNELL
b.
11837
~.b.
St-Cyprien, PQ
m. 2311111858-Napierville,PQ
HENRI W. FONTAINE
Chart NO.-
113 BELLOME FONTAINE
(Mother d No. 8.
cant.on chart ho. -)
d.
18 JACQUES ROY
b.
(Father of ho. 9.
Cont. on chart No.
-I
m.15/2/1836-Lacadie, PQ
d.
19 FLORENCE CARON
(hlother of No. 9,
Cont. on chan No. 2
b.
d.
LOUIS GODON
(Father of No. 10.
'6.
C y t . on chan No.__
m.5/2/1833-La Perade, PQ
d.
21 MARIE-JOSEPHTE FRAZER
20
b.
)
(hlother of No. 10.
Cont. on t h a n No.-)
PQ d.
11876
p.b. St-Prosper, PQ
d.
11948
p.d. Woonsocket, RI
b.
31211846-La ~ & a d e ,PQ
p.b.
TM----
)
CODL on =hall NO.-
b.
d.
d.
-
p.d.
18/6/1931
p.b. Blackstone, MA.
m. 26/12/1952-Bryan, TX.
d !!
, B g d.
93
p.d
a
b.
12 FERDINAND DROUIN
(Maher of No. 11.
Conr. on chan No. --
24~ _ Q L S R W U T N
(Farher of ho. 12.
b.
Cont. on chart N 0 .
m. 10/8/1831-Batiscan, PQ
)
A
(Father of No. 6)
..
L
C a n t on chart No. )
..
x L
0
m
-
6 'd
d
.P
b. 13/10/1878
p.b.N.D. Visitation, PQ
-k 2.:5
2;
A.
;e
CON. on chan NO. ---)
17/5/1844-Champlain, PQ
----
fJm
+E J- 0*2
d.
-~k u- 2- %
p.d
Blackstone, MA.
S; E
~ 6 % 3
CZ
P
5
$w3
%gi
-
5~
- 8
kt22
-
8s m
u; :
N.2
C -3
&
,"jj
MARY JANE DROUIN
(Mother of No. 1)
b. 1/4/1908
p.b. Blackstone, MA.
d. 9/2/1946
p.d. Newton, MA.
7
14
(Mother of No. 3)
b. 10/3/1886
d.
d.
28 BRUNO BRUNEAU
(Father of No.
b.
CAN.
151
NAZAIRE BRUNEAU
(Father of No. 7)
b. 23/11/1874
p.b.Champlain, PQ
m.
d. 1/8/1899
p.d Attawaugan, CAN.
MARIE-MALINDA LEFEBVRE
(Mother of No. 7)
p.d.
(spotlse
of
b.
KO.
1)
b.
d.
p.b.
p.d.
(Morher of No. 13.
c o n t on chart No.-)
14.
Cont on chan No. ---)
MELVINA M. BRUNEAU
p.b. Ballowville,
MARCHAND
b.
p.b.
d.
p.d.
c
b. 18/3/1866
p.bNalone, NY
d. 19/11/1931
p.d. Blackstone, NA.
m. 14/1/1861-Sorel, PQ
d.
29 JOSEPBTE LAFLEUR
(Mother of N U 14.
b.
cont. on chart NO. __)
d.
JEAN LEFEBVRE
(Father of No. 15.
1b.
Cont. on charr Na.
- m.
d.
30
2
om
3 1 3 T T . T E r A M E T . T N(Mother
(RE
b.
d.
Conc. on chart N u -)