David, son of
Joseph Despoués and Jeanne
Badec, born at St.-Long Parish, bishopric of
Aix, Provence, France, in c1715, came to Île St.-Jean by
August 1737, when he married Anne-Geneviève, called
Geneviève, 19-year-old daughter of Étienne
Poitevin dit Parisien and Anne
Daigre of Port-Royal, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord,
the church for Havre-St.-Pierre, on the north coast of
the island. Geneviève gave him at least six
children, all born on the island: Marie-Madeleine
in c1739; Jean-François in c1741; Charles-François in
c1743; Jean in c1746; Appoline in c1747; and Ruffin in
c1750. In August 1752, a French official counted
Geneviève, now a widow, and her six children at
Havre-St.-Pierre, so David died soon after the birth of
son Ruffin. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.267
Jean dit
Bergerac, son of Jean Lucas and Marie
Pinaut or Penante,
born in the parish of Doué, bishopric of Sainte,
Saintonge, in c1709, was a soldier
of the Île St.-Jean garrison when, at the age of 29, he married Anne-Marie,
16-year-old daughter of Jean Doucet and Anne
Pinet of Grand-Pré, at Port-La-Joye in May 1738. Evidently they were that
rare Acadian couple who had no children. In August
1752, a French official found Jean dit Bergerac
on Rivière-de-Peugiguit, upriver from Port-La-Joye,
living alone, his wife having left him. Needless
to say, no member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.14
Joseph dit
Picard, son of Louis Fricour or
Fricourt and Catherine Andigué,
born at Aulten, Picardie, France, in c1722, came to Île
Royale in c1738 as a younger soldier in the company
Jean-Bapiste-Philippe d'Estimauville. Following
his discharge from the King's service, Joseph married
Marguerite, daughter of fisherman/habitant Guillaume
Le Prieur dit Dubois and
Madeleine Poitevin of Port-Royal and
Havre-St.-Pierre, at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in
November 1749. Marguerite gave the Picard at least
four children on the island: Joseph, fils,
born in c1750; Jean-Louis in early 1752; Pierre in
c1753; and Marie-Rose in c1755. A French official
counted Joseph, Marguerite, and their two older sons at
Havre-St.-Pierre, on the north shore of the island in
August 1752. Sadly, the entire family, along with
most of Marguerite's kin, perished aboard the British
transport Violet on its way to St.-Malo in
December 1758. Needless to say, no member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.265
Jacques
Perrain, born at Plouay, bishopric of
St.-Brieuc, France, in c1722, married Marie-Jeanne
Duport, born at Plouay in c1724,
probably in the late 1730s. She gave him at least
two children: Julien-François, born in c1740; and
Marie-Anne in c1744. A French official counted
them at Lorembec, near Louisbourg, in April 1752.
Jacques was not a fisherman, only a farmer who grew hay
and garden vegetables, yet the official referred to him
as Sr. Perrain. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.165
Pierre
Brisson, born at Nantes in c1700, came to Île
Royale as a fisherman and married Anne,
daughter of Pierre Bois and
Marie-Catherine Coste, in the late
1730s or early 1740s. Anne gave him at least three
children on Île Royale: Marie, born in c1741; Jean
in c1747; and Pierre, fils in c1751. They
settled at L'Ardois, down the coast from Louisbourg,
where a French official counted them in February 1752.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.34
Joseph, son of Pierre Jacquet
and Jacqueline Brie, was born in the parish of
St.-Michel-des-Loups, near Grandville, Normandy, in c1717. He came to Île
St.-Jean by November 1739, when he married Élisabeth, or Isabelle, daughter of
Noël Boulanger and Marguerite Moinette, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for Havre-St.-Pierre. Élisabeth was a
native of the harbor, having been born there in c1722. She gave her
fisherman husband eight children at the harbor: Georges-Noël, born in
February 1741; Marie-Françoise in January 1743; André-Joseph January 1745;
Thérèse in c1747; Antoine in c1749; Jacques in December 1751; Simon in April
1754; and Marie-Josèphe in September 1756. A French official counted
Joseph, Élisabeth, and five of their older children at Havre-St.-Pierre in
August 1752. Oldest son George-Noël, who would have been age 11 at the
time, was not with the family. Marie-Françoise married neighbor Pierre,
fils, son of Pierre Dubosq and Suzanne Le
Mercier, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in January 1758, on the eve of the
islands' dérangement. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.239
Pierre, son of Jean
Livois and Louise
Basile, born at Drago or Drayé,
Normandy, came to the French Maritimes in c1740 probably
as a young fisherman.
He married Anne, daughter of Denis Boudrot of
Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit, at
Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in May 1751. Their
daughter Marie-Anne was born at Port-La-Joye
in March 1752. The following August, a French
official counted Pierre and his daughter at Étang-St.-Pierre, on the north shore
of the island, west of Havre-St.-Pierre. For some reason, he
insisted that Pierre was the widower of "the late Marie Daigre." Pierre remarried to
Marie-Madeleine, daughter of Michel Poirier, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for Étang-St.-Pierre, in January 1753.
Marie-Madeleine gave him three more children, a son and
two more daughters, all born on the island:
Marie-Madeleine in c1753; Pierre in c1755; and Judith in
c1757.
Two of Pierre and Marie-Madeleine's daughters emigrated
to Louisiana, from France.305
Joannis, also called Jean-Baptiste, son of
Bernard Laborde and Isabelle Etcheverry, was
born at Bastide, province of Gascogne, bishopric of Bayonne, in the Basque
country of southwestern France, in c1719. He came to the French Maritimes
by November 1740, when he married Marie, daughter of Guillaume Le Prieur
dit Dubois and Madeleine Poitevin, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean. They had seven children, all born on the
island: Guillaume in c1741; Charles-François in c1742; Jean in c1745;
Jean-Baptiste, fils in c1751; Euphrosine in c1753; Louise in c1755; and
Pierre in c1757. In August 1752, a French official counted Joannis, Marie,
and five of their children at Havre-de-la-Fortune, on the eastern shore of the
island. According to Acadian genealogist Bona Arsenault, Joannis "ayant
eu la malheur de se noyer en passant la rivière dite du Loup-Marin"--had
the misfortune to drown in crossing the river called Loup-Marin, or Seawolf--but
Arsenault gives no date of his drowning. What is known is that Marie and
her children, along with her widowed mother, two of her brothers and their
families, and four of her younger siblings, perished aboard the British
transport Violet on the crossing to St.-Malo in December 1758.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.220
Simon, son Michel Gauthier
and Élisabeth Gasset, born at St.-Pierre-Devins, diocese of
Avranches, France, in c1702, probably not kin to the Gauthiers of
peninsula Acadia, came to the French Maritimes by February 1741, when, in his
late 30s, he married Françoise, daughter of Jean Debordieu,
fils and Françoise DesRoches of Plaisance and Lorembec, at
Louisbourg. The couple may have remained childless. Simon remarried
to Jacqueline, daughter of Jean Doyer and Françoise
Revers of Lancieux near St.-Malo in August 1751 at Louisbourg.
Jacqueline gave Simon a daughter probably at Louisbourg in c1754. Although
the British deported Simon and his family to La Rochelle, France, in late 1758,
and they resettled at St.-Servan near St.-Malo in March 1759, no member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana in 1785.318
Louis
Dantin dit La Joye, born in Paris in c1702, married Marguerite, 25-year-old
daughter of surgeoon Bernard Marres or
Mars dit La Sonde of Bordeaux and Judith
Petitpas of Port-Royal, probably at
Port-Toulouse in
c1741. They remained at Port-Toulouse, where Marguerite's father had held land
for many years. In 1752, a French official counted Louis, Marguerite,
and five of their children--Gabriel, born in c1742;
Jeanne in c1743; Louis, fils in c1745; Barthélémy in c1748; and Joseph in c1750--at
Port-Toulouse. Between 1752 and 1758, five more children were born to
them--Marguerite, Michel, Jean, Anne, and Agathe. Louis dit La Joye
died probably at Port-Toulouse by late 1758, in his late 50s. Five
members of his family emigrated to Louisiana from France.308
Charles-François, son of
François Laborde and Marie-Anne Lefebvre, born in the parish of SS. Pierre and Paul-de-Coulombe, archdiocese of Paris, in
1703, evidently was not kin to Joannis Laborde of the Basque
country. Charles-François came to Île St.-Jean in 1741 and worked as a merchant at
Havre-St.-Pierre, on the island's north coast. In October 1742, he married Anne-Dominique,
daughter of master surgeon Dominique Viarrieu dit
Duclos of Gascogne, France, and Marie Simon
dit Boucher of Port-Royal, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for the harbor. Anne gave him at least two
children on the island: Charles-François, fils, called François,
born in c1744; and Louis-Nazaire in c1750. A French official counted them
at Havre-St.-Pierre in August 1752. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.234
Mathurin, son of Bertrand
Tennier, Thénier, or Thénière
and Jeanne Macy, born at Marcé, bishopric of Avranches, France,
in 1692, came to the French Maritimes in c1742 probably as a fisherman. He
likely also was a widower. At age 50, he married--or remarried to--Anne,
64-year-old daughter of Olivier Daigre and Marie Gaudet
of Port-Royal and widow of Étienne Poitevin dit
Parisien of Havre-St.-Pierre, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in October 1743. Anne
had given her first husband a dozen children but, needless to say, she gave none
to her second husband. A French official counted the elderly couple, along
with one of Anne's granddaughters, at Havre-St.-Pierre in August 1752.
Mathurin died there in March 1757, in his mid-60s. Anne, along with her oldest daughter Marguerite, a widow, and
Marguerite's three sons, perished aboard the British transport Violet
on its way to St.-Malo in December 1758. Needless to say, no member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.227
Étienne-Charles, son of Pierre Philippe
dit LaRoche and Catherine Géraud,
born in the Parish of St.-Roch, Paris, in c1715, married Marie, daughter of
Louis Mazerole dit Saint-Louis
and Geneviève Forest and widow of
Pierre Darembourg, at Port-La-Joye, Île
St.-Jean, in November 1743. She gave him at least four sons:
Louis-Joseph, born in c1744; Charles in c1745; Joseph in c1747; and Jean-Pierre
in c1749. A French official counted them on Rivière-du-Nord-Est, Île
St.-Jean, in August 1752. With them were two sons from Marie's first
marriage. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.488
Charles Philibert,
a fisherman, born at Bellière, bishopric of Coutances, France, in c1719, came to
Île Royale in the early 1740s. He married Michelle, daughter of Joseph
Borny and Thérèse de Malvillain, and settled
near her kinsmen on Île Scatary. Michelle gave him at least three
children: Jean, born in c1746; Pierre in c1748; and Marie in c1750.
A French official counted them at Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore of Île
Scatary, in April 1752. With them were four of Michelle's unmarried
siblings and two "thirty-six months men" helping Charles with the fishery.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.143
Henri, son of Eugène
L'Hôtellier or L'Hostellier and Anne Dorothée,
born in the parish of Faulquemont, bishopric of Metz, Lorraine, in c1710, came
to the French Maritimes by July 1744, when he married Marie-Madeleine, daughter
of Jean Pichard and Claudine Devon of the
parish of St.-Léger, bishopric of Chartres, France, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord on Île
St.-Jean. Evidently the couple had no children. Henri died by August
1752, when a French official counted Marie-Madeleine living with her second
husband--Acadian Honoré Bourgeois of Chignecto, widower of
Marie-Jeanne Richard--on upper Rivière-du-Nord. No member
of this family emigrated to Louisiana.219
Pierre, son of Michel
Varenne and Marie Royer, born at Saupoyen, bishopric
of Puy, France, in c1712, came to Île Royale and worked as a ploughman on the
Farm of the Fathers of Charity at Rivière-de-Miré. He married
Madeleine-Josèphe, daughter of Acadians Antoine Labauve and
Catherine Lejeune, on the island in November 1744. She
gave him three daughters by April 1752, when a French official counted them at
Rivière-de-Miré: Marguerite-Angélique, called Angélique, born in 1746;
Marie-Madeleine in c1748; and Marie- or Madeleine-Josèphe, called Josèphe, in
c1750. Jean-Pierre was born later in 1752; Anastasie in c1754; and Jacques
in c1757. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.121
Jean Sabot,
probably a fisherman,
married Jeanne, daughter of Jean Borny and Marie
Commère, probably in Newfoundland in c1716, after the British took over
the fishery there. Jeanne gave Jean at least
nine children on the British-controled island: Charles, born in c1717; Jeanne in c1722; Antoine in
c1723; Guillemette in c1725; Marie in c1728; Barthélemy in c1727; Michelle in
c1728; Alexis in c1732; and Anne in c1736. Jean may have had a sister
named Anne, who married Antoine Le Berteau dit
Lyonnais in Newfoundland in c1727, but she died by c1740, when Antoine
remarried. Meanwhile, Jean died by c1739, when wife Jeanne remarried to
Pierre Le Berteau dit Lyonnais, fils,
Antoine's younger half-brother, at Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland.
Jeanne's oldest daughter Jeanne Sabot married into the
Le Maréchal family in May 1740. Pierre dit Lyonnais,
fils took Jeanne, her Sabot children, and their young
son Pierre III to Île Royale in c1745. Jeanne's son Antoine Sabot
married into the Le Grand family, and her daughters
Guillemette, Marie, and Michelle Sabot into the Fond,
Dubardier, and Grandville families, probably
on Île Scatary. The extended family settled at Anse-Darembourg, on
the north shore of Île Scatary, where a French official counted them in April
1752. Jean dit Lyonnais, fils died at nearby Lorembec the following year, and
Jeanne was a widow again. She evidently did not remarry. No member
of this family emigrated to Louisiana.141
Guillaume, son of Nicolas
Le Maréchal and Guillemette L'Hotellier, born
at Carolle, bishopric of Avranches, France, in c1712, was a fisherman. He
married Jeanne, daughter of Jean Sabot and Jeanne Borny
of Newfoundland, probably in Newfoundland in May 1740. Jeanne gave him at least six
children: Jeanne, born in c1740; Anne in c1742; Madeleine in c1744;
Guillaume, fils in c1745; Jean-Marc in c1749; and Marie in c1750.
In c1745, they followed her mother, stepfather, and siblings to Île Royale and
settled with them at Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore of Île Scatary. A
French official counted them there in April 1752 and noted that Guillaume owned
a boat. One wonders if he was kin to fisherman Jean Maréchal,
also of Carolle, who was counted by the same official at Petit-Dégrat, off Île
Madame, the previous February; or of Pierre Le Maréchal of
Châteauneuf, near St.-Malo, a hired fisherman counted at La Baleine in April.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.144
Jacques Cousin,
born at St.-Martin-de-Vondé, bishopric of Bayeux, France, in c1726, not kin to
the other Cousins in the region, came to Île
Royale as a young fisherman probably in the early or mid-1740s. He married
Marie Grossin, widow of ____ Algrain, and
settled at Lorembec, near Louisbourg, where she gave him at least five children:
Marie-Hauze in c1747; Pierre in c1749; Simone in c1750; Julien in c1751; and
Jacquemine in c1753. A French official counted Jacques, Marie, and three
of their children at Lorembec in April 1752. He did not own a boat but did
employ another fisherman to assist him in the local fishery. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.161
Nicolas Hango,
born at Verly, bishopric of Coutances, France, in c1716, probably not kin to
Robert Hango, fils of Rivière-de-Peugiguit, Île
St.-Jean, came to the island as a fisherman by the early 1740s. He married
Anne, daughter of Guillaume Gallet of Brittany and Françoise
Chiasson of Chignecto, soon after his arrival. Anne's
family had come to Île St.-Jean from Chignecto in the 1720s, and Anne was born
at Havre-St.-Pierre in c1727. She and Nicolas settled a league away from
the harbor along Rivière-à-Charles, where a French official counted them in
August 1752. With them were four children: Vincent, age 7; Simon,
age 5; Louis, age 32 months; and Marie-Rose, age 10 months. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.241
François, son
of Michel Harbour or Arbour of
St.-Charles, Canada, and Barbe Morin of Chignecto and Gaspésie, was born at Pointe-aux-Trembles near Montréal in January 1705.
François married Marie-Jeanne-Thérèse, called Thérèse, daughter
of Henri Picoron dit Descôteaux and
Marguerite Martin, at St.-Anne-de-la-Pocatière near Kamouraska
on the lower St. Lawrence in October 1740. Their son François, fils
was born in Canada in c1743. Perhaps before war broke out again between
Britain and France in 1744, François took his family to one of the French
Maritime islands, where he worked as a fisher/habitant. Four members of this family,
including François, fils, emigrated
to Louisiana from France in 1785.310
Michel dit Mignet, son of Michel Loyal
of Cambe Parish, Diocese of Bayonne, France, married
Marie, daughter of Dominique Vérieux
dit Duclos, master surgeon, and Marie
Simon, in 1730, place not given.
According to Bona Arsenault, between 1735 and 1743,
Marie gave Michel dit Mignet four children,
three sons and a daughter. They settled at
Havre-St.-Pierre on the north shore of Île St.-Jean in
1744, on the eve of King George's War. Arsenault
says Marie gave Michel dit Mignet two more
daughters in 1745 and 1748 probably on the island.
Oldest daughter Marie-Rose, at age 16, married Simon,
24-year-old son of Antoine Thibodeau
and Susanne Comeau of Annapolis Royal
and Rivière-Moulin-à-Scie, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in
November 1756. One wonders what happened to the
family in 1758. None of them emigrated to
Louisiana.321
The French Maritimes, 1740s-1752
On the Maritime islands, Acadian life had been
relatively peaceful during the first quarter century of
settlement there. Unlike their cousins in British
Nova Scotia, Acadians in the French Maritimes did not have to fret over an oath of
allegiance that would compel them to fight against their
fellow Frenchmen or their Mi'kmaq neighbors. When another colonial war broke
out in the region in September 1718, the closest it came
to Île Royale was the Canso area.
After a British force sacked the French fishing center
at Chédabouctou, the refugees
crossed the channel to Île Madame, and the Maritimes
were now home to dozens of more Acadians.
Meanwhile, Acadian families drifted from the Nova Scotia
settlements to Île St.-Jean, where they found dykable
marshes along some of the inlets and streams, and also
peace. The French paid little attention to the
island, concentrating their attention on Louisbourg and
the fisheries on Île Royale, but the self-sufficient
Acadians would have welcomed such "neglect" and a lack
of official scrutiny. When a larger war came to
North America in the spring of 1744, however, the old
imperial rivalry between France and Britain finally
caught up with the island Acadians, and the idyll on Île
St.-Jean soon ended. After the fall of Louisbourg
in June 1745, the French surrendered the rest of Île
Royale to the victors, who laid waste to much of the
island's Atlantic shore.
The British deported the French officers, troupes
de la marine, and most of the population of Louisbourg
to France, but some settlers escaped and found refuge in
Nova Scotia. In August,
a New English force appeared at Port-La-Joye on Île
St.-Jean, ran off the small French garrison under Joseph
Dupont Duvivier, burned the settlement, and
captured half a dozen Acadian militia who had the
temerity to fight back, holding them as hostages.
Commodore Peter Warren, the British lieutenant-governor
for St. John Island, as they called it, sent a combined
force of warships and redcoats back to Port-La-Joye to
shake from the locals their grain and cattle to feed the
garrison at Louisbourg. He made a truce with
the island Acadians, who offiered to swear to an oath of
allegiance if the British allowed to remain on their
lands, but the commodore nonetheless hoped
that by the following spring he could gather enough
force to round them up and send them on to France.
The deportation scheme, however, did not go beyond the
discussion phase. In July 1746, a force of troupes de
la marine and Mi'kmaq, after crossing unobserved
from Baie-Verte, surprised the redcoats at Port-La-Joye and killed most of them.
The British fled the island, but not before taking 40
more Acadians hostage. The following winter,
in February 1747, a
"group of Acadian insurgents from Île St. Jean"
crossed Mer Rouge and assisted
the force of French, Canadians,
Indians, and fellow Acadians who destroyed a garrison of New
Englanders at Grand-Pré.
More French and Indian raids followed in the
Maritimes, including
one in June 1748 led by Paul Marin de La Malque near
Glace Bay on Île Royale to secure a load of coal. The Treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle, signed in October 1748, ended
hostilities in the region and restored the islands to France.16
The British finally left the Maritime islands in
the summer of 1749. Migration had resumed not only
from Nova Scotia,
but also from France and Canada. One French
family arrived from Newfoundland, where they had
remained after 1714. Some of the
new arrivals married into established Acadian families:
Jacques Convenance,
Convenans, or Couvenance came
to the Maritimes probably from France. He married
Acadian Euphrosine Labauve in c1746.
Between 1747 and 1758, Euphrosine gave Jacques five
children, three daughters and two sons. Strangely,
the family does not appear in De La Roques's survey of
1752, so one wonders where they lived before moving to
the Maritimes. (That they were transported to
St.-Malo, France, aboard the ill-fated British transport
Le Duc Guillaume in 1758 attests to their
living on one the islands, most likely Île St.-Jean;
Jacques and all but one of his chilidren died at sea or
from the rigors of the crossing. Euphrosine
remarried to a Préjean in France, and
oldest daughter Marie-Jeanne married an Acadian
Henry.) No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.277
Julien, son of Bertrand Compagnon
or Compagna and Jeanne Trahan,
born at St.-Michel-des-Loups, bishopric of Avranches,
Normandy, in 1729, came to the French Maritimes in 1748
probably as a young fisherman. At age 23, he
married Cécile, 38-year-old daughter of Jean-Jacques
Nuirat and Marie-Jeanne
Bourgeois and widow of Pierre Poirier
and Louis Pothier of Chignecto, at
Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in January 1751. In
August 1752, a French official counted Julien, Cécile,
five of her children from her second marriage, and
their year-old daughter Marie at Havre-aux-Sauvages, on
the north shore of the island west of Havre-St.-Pierre.
Daughter Marie-Rose was born there in c1754. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.270
Louis Grandville, fisherman, born
at Calais, France, in c1717, married Michelle, daughter
of Jean Sabot and Jeanne Borny
of Newfoundland, probably on Île Royale in the late
1740s. Michelle gave him at least four children:
Louison, born in c1748; Barthélemy in c1749; Jean in
c1751; and Guillaume in c1757. They settled with
her extended family at Anse-Darembourg, on the north
shore of Île Scatary, where a French official counted
them in April 1752. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.147
Jean Dubardier, fisherman, born at
Bayonne, France, in c1719, married Marie, daughter of
Jean Sabot and Jeanne Borny
of Newfoundland, probably on Île Royale in the late
1740s. Marie gave him at least three children:
Marie-Jeanne, born in c1749; Jean in c1751; and Martin
in c1758. They settled with her extended family at
Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore of Île Scatary,
where a French official counted them in April 1752.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.145
Michel Ouvray, fils, born
at Vire, bishopric of Bayeux, France, in c1727, came to
the French Maritimes in 1749 probably as a young
fisherman. He married Élisabeth, daughter of
Michel Poirier and Jeanne
Bourgeois of Chignecto, probably on Île
St.-Jean in c1750. They settled at
Étang-St.-Pierre, on the north coast of the island,
where Michel worked as a fisherman/habitant.
A French official counted them there in August 1752 with
10-month-old son Jean-François. Élisabeth gave him
another son on the island, Pierre, born in c1753.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.269
Jacques, son of Jean Le Barbier du Plessis
and Françoise Le Rau, born at
Granville, bishopric of Coutances, France, in c1708,
became a master surgeon. He married
Marie-Françoise, daughter of Nicolas Ferté
and Jocelyne Deregazen of St.-Malo and
widow of Pierre-François Beaulieu, in
September 1749, probably on Île Royale. In April
1752, a French official counted them at Lorembec, near
Louisbourg, with six children from Marie-Françoise's
first marriage as well as her mother. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.164
François Bonnier, born in c1728,
married Marguerite Lavaudière of
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, probably in the late 1740s.
They settled at St.-Esprit, up the coast from
Port-Toulouse, where François worked as a fisherman.
Marguerite gave him at least two children: Barbe,
born in c1749; and Jean in c1752. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.63
Julien Bourneuf, a farmer and
carpenter, born at Merdrignac, Brittany, in c1716,
married Anne Hommette probably in the
late 1730s. She gave him at least four children,
all daughters: Anne, born in c1740; Jeanne in
c1743; Julienne in c1745; and Sophie in c1747.
Julien, perhaps a widower, emigrated to Île Royale in
c1749. With him came not only his daughters, but
also his older brother Sébastien, born at Combourg, near
St.-Malo, in c1713. They settled at Baie-de-Miré.
In January 1751, Julien remarried to Jeanne, 26-year-old
daughter of Augustin Guédry and Jeanne
Hébert of Cobeguit. She gave him
two more children: François, born in c1752; and
Françoise in c1754. A French official counted them
at Miré in April 1752. With them were Julien's
four children from his first marriage, so Jeanne likely
was pregnant with son François. Also counted with
the family was Jeanne's 17-year-old brother Joseph
Guédry. In 1754, Julien, along
with his brother, followed some of his Guédry
in-laws to British Nova Scotia. After taking an
unqualified oath of allegiance to the British king, they
followed their kinsmen to Mirliguèche, down the coast
from Halifax, where the Guédrys had
lived before October 1749. Julien did not remain
in Nova Scotia. A widower again, he, his children,
and older brother Sébastien returned to Île Royale by
the summer of 1758, when they, along with hundreds of
other islanders, were deported to France. None of
Julien's descendants emigrated to Louisiana.130
Nicolas, fils, son of Nicolas Bouchard
and Anne Sylvain, born at St.-Thomas-de-Montmagny, Canada, in
c1723, married Marie-Anne, 21-year-old daughter
of Acadians François Chiasson and Anne
Doucet of Havre-à-l'Anguille, on the
east coast of Île
St.-Jean, at St.-Thomas-de-Montmagny in October 1746.
Nicolas, fils took his family to Île St.-Jean
in c1749 and settled on the south bank of Rivière-du-Nord-Est,
in the interior of the island, where a French official counted then in
August 1752. With them were two children:
Nicolas, fils, born in c1748; and Marie in
c1750. Daughter Marie-Geneviève was born in 1752,
soon after the census was taken. No member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.02
Philippe Demarets or Desmarais,
born at Amiens, France, in c1697, married Marie-Anne
Rondeau of Québec, perhaps in Canada,
and took her to the French Maritimes in c1749. A
French official counted them at Port-Dauphin, Île
Royale, in March 1752. They had no children in
their household. One wonders if they ever had any.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.93
Laurent, son of Manuel Soly and
Catherine Mangnon, was born at
Majorque, bishopric of Andalusia, Spain, in c1719.
He married Jeanne, daughter of Thomas Lécuyer
dit Langlois of Hampshire, England, and
Marie-Françoise Langlois of Annapolis
Royal and Port-Toulouse, on Île Royale in October 1749.
She gave him at least four children:
Antoine-Thomas, born in c1750; Laurent, fils in
1752; Marie-Françoise in c1754; and Rose in c1756.
A French official counted them with their two sons at
Rivière-de-Miré in April 1752. Laurent remarried
to Théodose, daughter of Louis-Paul Girouard
and Marie Thibodeau of Cobegut, at
Restigouche on the Baie des Chaleurs in November 1760
while in exile. They settled
in Canada. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.124
Nicolas Le Borgne, no kin to the
aristocratic Le Borgne de Bélisle
family of peninsula Acadia, was born at Dieppe, France,
in c1716. He came to Île Royale as a fisherman and married Marie, daughter of Jean
Darembourg
and Marie-Anne Pichot of Petit-de-Grat,
probably in the late 1740s. They settled at
Petit-de-Grat off Île Madame, where Marie
gave him at least two children: Michel in
c1749, and Marie-Anne in c1751. A French official
counted them at Petit-Dégrat in February 1752 and
noted that Nicolas employed three other fishermen to
work his two boats. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.53
François, son
of Mathurin
Legendre and Marie Morel of Maillard (some
sources say St.-Malo), France, came to Île Royale
probably in the 1740s, where
he worked as a pécheur en
chaloupe, or fisherman. He was not kin to the Legendre dit
Bélaire family who also lived on the island and who were
Canadians. François
married Marguerite, daughter of Acadians Antoine Labauve
and Catherine Lejeune
of Minas, at Louisbourg in April 1750. Soon
after their marriage, they moved to Havre-Saint-Pierre
on the north shore of Île St.-Jean, where Marguerite
gave Françoise a daughter, Henriette, in c1751. In
August of the following year, a French official counted the
couple
with their 18-month-old daughter still at
Havre-St.-Pierre.
Marguerite gave François at least two more children
there: Jean-François in August 1754; and
Anastasie-Angélique in February 1757.
Of these three children, only Henriette survived
childhood. The couple had more more children in
France during Le Grand Dérangement. Five
members of this family emigrated to Spanish Louisiana in
1785.309
Thomas Poirée or Poiré,
a fisherman, born at Messy-de-Roy, bishopric of
Coutances, France, in c1719, married Marie,
granddaughter of Gilles Vincent dit
Desmarets of Newfoundland and Île Scatary, probably on
Île Scatary, off the Atlantic coast of Île Royale, in the late 1740s. She gave him at
least three children on the island: Marie in
c1750; Thomas, fils in c1753; and Marguerite in
c1758. A French official counted the family at
Anse-Darembourg on the north shore of Île Scatary in
April 1752. The official noted that Thomas had
hired "four thirty-six months men" to help him with the
fishery. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.142
Jean Guillaume, born at Leytoure,
bishopric of d'Aich, France, in c1720, married Marie
Boila probably in the early 1740s.
Their daughter Catherine was born in c1746. Jean
took his family to Île Royale in 1749, after "the
surrender of the place by the English." They
settled at Rivière-de-Miré, on the island's Atlantic
coast, where a French official counted them in April
1752. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.122
Louis Gascot, fisherman, born at Vire,
bishopric of Avranches, France, in c1702, married Jeanne
Desroches, born at St. Qua, bishopric
of St.-Breuc, France, in 1722. They emigrated to
Île Royale probably in the late 1740s and settled at La
Baleine, where a French official counted them in April
1752. With them was their 9-month-old daughter
Marie. The official noted that Louis employed nine
other fishermen; owned six boats, including a barque;
and held 90 toises, or 575 feet, of frontage on
the seashore. No member of this family emigrated
to Louisiana.149
Jean-Baptiste, fils, son of Jean-Baptiste
Périal and Anne-Antoinette
Pernet of Franch Comté, was born in the parish
of La Chapelle, bishopric of Besaçon, in c1728. He
came to the French Maritimes in 1749 as a young corporal
in the company of
Claude-Élisabeth Denys de Bonaventure and
followed his commander to Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean.
The corporal married Rosalie, daughter of Jean-Baptiste
Comeau and Anne-Marie Thibodeau
of Minas and widow of Michel Caissie
dit Roger of Chignecto, at
Port-La-Joye in June 1752. A French official
counted Jean-Baptiste and Rosalie there the following
August. Living with them was a son from Rosalie's
first marriage and a Caissie orphan.
Rosalie gave Jean-Baptiste at least three children, all
daughters, born probably on the island: Anne-Marie
in c1753; Marie-Madeleine in c1755; and Rosalie in
c1756. No member of this family emigrated
to Louisiana.197
François Chalot, a farmer, was born at
Caen, France, in c1703. Probably in the late
1720s, he married Marie Tanère, born at
Granville, France, in c1710. Their son Jean was
born in France in c1730. François took his family
to Île Royale in c1749 and settled at Baie-de-Miré,
where he, Marie, and Jean worked on a concession owned
by the colony's treasurer. A French official
counted them there in April 1752 and noted that the
family employed a 27-year-old domestic servant.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.133
Robert Mancel, born at Lucerne,
bishopric of Avranches, France, in c1720, married Jeanne
Goupil or Goupy, born
at Lucerne in c1720. He took her to Île St.-Jean
in c1749. She gave him at least five children:
Blaise in c1749; Jeanne-Suzanne, called Suzanne, in
1750; Anne in c1753; Charles in c1755; and Alexis in
c1768. A French official counted Robert, Jeanne,
and their two older children at Havre-St.-Pierre, on the
north shore of the island, in August 1752. Robert
was working there as a fisherman/habitant and
owned two boats and a share in a bateau.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.250
Charles Jousseaume, a
merchant/fisherman, born at St.-Martin-de-Villeneuve,
bishopric of La Rochelle, France, in c1722, came to
Havre-St.-Pierre, Île St.-Jean, in 1749 and married
Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine, 16-year-old daughter
of Paul Bugeaud and Marguerite
Doucet of Minas, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in July
1752. A month after their wedding, a French
official counted them at Havre-St.-Pierre and noted that
Sr. Charles, as he called him, owned no land
yet, but he owned two fishing boats, held an interest in
a bateau with neighbor Robert Mancel,
and was "purveyor for seven boats." Following the
census, Madeleine gave Charles four children on the
island: Louise-Claire, born in c1754; Charlotte in
1755; and Anne-Modeste and Suzanne in c1758. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.264
Louis Juneau or
Jonisseaux, a merchant, born in Canada in
c1722, married Marie-Thérèse Dauphin, a
fellow Canadian, born at Québec in 1715, probably in the
late 1740s. They moved to Île St.-Jean in 1749 and
settled at Port-La-Joye, where a French official counted
them in August 1752. With them was their
2-year-old son Louis-Marie. The official noted
that Louis and Marie-Thérèse owned two parcels of land,
at Port-La-Joye and at Anse-aux-Sauvages, on the north
shore of the island. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.196
André
Templé,
a Norman sailor, born near Avranches,
southwest Normandy, in c1728, settled at
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, in c1749.
Two years later, he married Marie, daughter of Pierre
Deveau and Marie Caissie of Chignecto, probably at Port-Toulouse.
Between 1752 and 1758, at Port-Toulouse, Marie gave
André four children, two
daughters and two sons. André remarried to
Marguerite, daughter perhaps of fellow Acadians François
LeBlanc and of Minas and widow of Charles Breau,
in France. She gave him a dozen more children
there, including
10 more sons. André and his large family emigrated to
Spanish Louisiana from France in 1785.311
Pierre Courtiau, a farmer, born at Monmorency,
bishopric of Dax, France, in c1721, not kin to the
aristocratic Courthiaus of Plaisance,
Newfoundland, married Marie
Cortien, born at La Rochelle in c1714.
They emigrated to Île Royale in c1750 and settled at
Baie-de-Miré. A French official counted them there in
April 1752 working on a concession owned by the colony's
treasurer, the Sieur de la Borde. With Pierre and
Marie was a 21-year-old male
servant and their 2-month-old son, not yet named.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.131
Mathurin Douin, a farmer, born in
St.-Nicolas Parish, Nantes, France, in c1705, married
Marie-Catherine Courté, born at Daste,
Italy, in c1715. She gave him at least three
children: Mathieu, born in c1747; Christine in
c1750; and Louis-Mathurin in late 1751 or early 1752.
They emigrated to Île Royale in c1750 and settled at
Baie-de-Miré. A French official counted them there
in April 1752. No member of this family emigrated
to Louisiana.134
Pierre Le Gros, a carpenter, born
at Paris in c1718, married Servanne Laman
or Lanoue of Petit-Bras-d'Or, Île
Royale, and settled with her at nearby
Baie-de-l'Indienne. When a French official counted
them there in April 1752, they were living with
2-year-old daughter Marguerite. No member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.115
Julien Fouré or Fourré,
born at Carbé, bishopric of St.-Malo, in c1719, married
Marie-Anne Ducharme of Québec perhaps
in Canada and settled at Port-Dauphin, Île Royale, where
he worked as a fisherman. A French official
counted them at Port-Dauphin in March 1752 with their
2-year-old son Julien, fils. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.94
Pierre-Mathurin dit Saint-Crispin, son of
Pierre Girard and Jeanne Deveau,
born at St.-Colomban, diocese of Nantes, in c1725,
served in the company of troupes de la marine
commanded by Claude-Élisabeth Denys de
Bonaventure during the
1740s. Pierre-Mathurin went to Île St.-Jean with
his old company commander in the summer of
1749. After completing his service, he married Marie, 24-year-old daughter of Louis
Closquinet and Marguerite Longuépée,
at Port-La-Joye in September 1751. When a French
official counted them
(he called her Marie-Marguerite) on the east side of
Riviève-de-Peugiguit, in the island's interior, in August 1752, they still had no
children. If any of the soldier's descendants
emigrated to Louisiana, none took the family's name
there.06
Joseph Gracia, a farmer, born at
Lerocque, bishopric of Biscaye, France, in c1718,
married Marie Depontigue, born at
Dourescan, bishopric of Bayonne, France, in 1720.
They emigrated to Île Royale in c1750 and settled at
Baie-de-Miré, where a French official counted them in
April 1752. They had no children at the time.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.127
Luc Le Chené, a farmer, born at
Bordeaux, France, in c1718, married Laurence
Seigneux, born at Dinan, France, in c1716.
They emigrated to Île Royale in c1750 and settled at
Baie-de-Miré, where a French official counted them in
April 1752. They had no children. No member
of this family emigrated to Louisiana.128
Ignace Tallement, a farmer, was born in
Prague, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, in c1726.
He married _____ Espercy, born in
Bordeaux, France, in c1730, probably in the late 1740s.
They emigrated to Île Royale in c1750 and settled at
Baie-de-Miré, where a French official counted them in
April 1752. With them were two daughters:
Marie, born in c1749; and Marie-Catherine, born in
c1751. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.129
François Gouret, a farmer, was born at
Provézieu, bishopric of Grenoble, France, in c1730.
Probably in the late 1740s, he married Toinette
Eviard, born in the same parish in c1729.
They emigrated to Île Royale in August 1750 and settled
at Baie-de-Miré to work on a concession owned by the
colony's treasurer. Their daughter Thérèse was
born probably at Miré soon after their arrival.
The French official who counted them there in April 1752
noted that François was "not fit to enter the militia,"
and that he had employed a 50-year-old fisherman as a
domestic servant. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.132
François
Cirier, Siriés, or Serrier, a farmer,
born at d'Albourg, bishopric of Cahors, France, in c1714, married Anne
Edon or Hudon, born at la Franche, bishopric of
Grenoble, France. They emigrated to "l'Acadie" probably in the late 1740s
before moving on to Île St.-Jean in 1750. A French official counted them
at Port-La-Joye in August 1752. With them was daughter Rose, born in 1751.
Anne gave him two more children: Anne-Marie, born probably on the island
in c1754; and François, fils in c1756. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.194
Joseph
Benet or Benay, a farmer, born at d'Albiac, bishopric
of Cahors, France, in c1722, married Jeanne, called Jennie, Diollet
or Douillet, born at Cognac, bishopric of Cahors, in c1717,
probably in the late 1740. She gave him at least four children:
Paul, born in c1747; Antoine in c1751; Rosalie, or Rose, in c1752; and Dorothée
in c1754. They came to Île St.-Jean in 1750 and settled at Port-La-Joye,
where a French official counted them with Paul and Rose in August 1752.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.195
Pierre
Duport, born in the parish of Sonneville, Abbeville, France, in c1720,
married Jeanne, daughter of Jean Métayer and Jeanne
Rousseau of Abbeville. Jeanne, born in c1728, gave Pierre at least
two children: Pierre, fils, born in c1746; and Jean in c1748.
The family emigrated to the French Maritimes in c1750 or 1751 and settled at
Gabarus Bay, just south of Louisbourg. A French official counted them
there in February 1752, working on land owned by Sr. Pierre Rondeau.
With Pierre and Jeanne were her mother, age 45, and Jeanne's 18-year-old sister
Élisabeth Métayer. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.88
Jean Balay or Baloy,
a fisherman, born at Mouviron, bishopric of Avranches, in c1702,
married Marguerite Beaumont, born at
Granville, France, in c1726. They emigrated to Île
Royale and settled at Petit-Dégrat, off Île Madame,
where a French official counted them in February 1752.
With them was a daughter, Marguerite, born in c1751.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.66
Jacques Chemin, a soldier, born in the
parish of Le-Mesnil-Brout, bishopric of Sez, France, in
c1715, deserted his unit either in France or New France.
He married Françoise Ange or
Auge, born at St.-Pierre d'Orléron, France, in
c1725, and settled at Baie-de-Miré, Île Royale, where a
French official counted them in April 1752. With
them was their 6-month-old daughter Jeanne. The
official noted that "The said Jacques Chemin
intends settling on the river" at Miré "if the King will
give him three years rations. He has received his
pardon as a deserter from the troops."
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.135
Pierre, son of Charles Boullot and Anne
Catelie, born at St.-Jean-des-Champs,
Diocese of Coutances, France, c1725, became a ship's
captain and merchant. He married Jeanne-Madeleine,
daughter of Jean Richard and Anne
Samson, at Louisbourg in August 1751.
Between 1752 and 1762, Jeanne gave Pierre seven
children, three sons and four daughters, on Île Royale
and at St.-Servan, France, where they settled in October
1759 after the British deported to La Rochelle in 1758.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.276
Nicolas Écard or Hecquart,
a fisherman of means, born at Serance, bishopric of
Coutances, France, in c1700, married Marie-Anne
Pichot of Plaisance, widow of
Jean Darembourg, at Port-Toulouse in c1751. One wonders if this was Sr.
Nicolas's first marriage and how long he had been in the
colony. He, Marie-Anne, and her many
Darembourg children settled at nearby Île
Madame. Nicolas owned two boats and was employing
four seasonal fishermen, all Basques, when a French
official counted him and his new family at nearby
Petit-de-Grat in February 1752.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.52
Louis
Latier, or
Lasté, perhaps a soldier in the garrison at
Louisbourg, married Anne, daughter of Étienne
Trahan and Marie-Françoise Roy of
Pigiguit and widow of Jean-Baptiste Benoit, at
the citadel in c1751. Anne gave Louis at least three
children, all born in Maryland during exile:
Antoine in c1762, Paul in c1763, and Élisabeth in c1765. Louis and his
family emigrated to Louisiana from Maryland.312
Jean
Daguerre, born at St.-Jean-de-Luz, in the Basque region of southwestern
France, in c1728, came to Île Royale as a young fisherman and married Marie
D'Etcheverry. They settled at Petit-de-Grat off Île
Madame, where a French official counted them in February 1752. With them
was their 4-month-old son, Jean, fils. One wonders if he was kin
to Jean-Baptiste Daguerre of Baie-de-L'Indienne, up the coast
from Petit-de-Grat; or to Étienne Daguerre, a fisherman, born at
Louisbourg in c1719 and counted at Gabarus Bay in February 1752. No member
of Jean's family emigrated to Louisiana.70
Jean Henry
dit Maillardet or Maillardé, described as a stone mason, master
tailor, and ploughman, born at Orvin, Switzerland, in c1726, was not kin to
the other Henrys in the region. In c1751, he married Anne Barbe,
a fellow Swiss born at Bienne in c1720, probably in British Nova Scotia. They likely were
among the hundreds of so-called Foreign Protestants who the British settled at
Halifax in the summer of 1750. Two years later, Jean and Anne deserted
Halifax to live among the Acadians. Anne gave Jean at least two children: Louis-Gervais, born
at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, only 17 days after a French official counted the
family there in August 1752; Anne-Barbe was born probably at Port-La-Joye in
c1754. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.192
Jean-Baptiste
Hent or Huot, born in the parish of St.-Jean,
Île d'Orléans, downriver from Québec, in c1733, came to Île St.-Jean in c1751
and settled at Malpèque, on the northwest coast of Île St.-Jean. The
following year, he married Thérèse, daughter of Pierre Arseneau
and Marguerite Cormier of Chignecto and Malpèque, probably at
the isolated community. A French official counted the young couple there
that August. They had no children. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.274
Pierre-Jean Vincent, born in
St.-Malo, France, in c1691, probably no kin to Gilles of Plaisance and Île
Scatary and Pierre of Nova Scotia, emigrated to Île Royale, date unrecorded, and
died there in December 1751, age 60. One wonders if he created a family of
his own on the island.320
François
Le Hardy, native of St.-Modé, diocese of St.-Malo, France, married
Marguerite, daughter of Jean Clément and Marie Druce,
and settled near her family at St.-Esprit, down the coast from Louisbourg,
where François worked as a fisherman. When a French official counted them
at St.-Esprit in February 1752, Marguerite was only 15 years old, and she and
François had no children. None of their descendants emigrated to
Louisiana.61
Julien
Rabagois, born at Vignac, bishopric of St.-Malo, in c1728, came to Île
Royale as a fisherman. He married Marie, daughter of Acadians Ernest
Lambert and Marie Longuépee, and settled at
Petit-Dégrat, off Île Madame, where a French official counted them in February
1752. They had no children. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.72
Sylvain-Jean-Sémidon Gation, surgeon, born at St.-Servan, near
St.-Malo, in c1726, married Françoise Faye, born in the Parish
of St.-Loy, Bordeaux, in c1720. They emigrated to Île Royale and settled
at Anse-Darembourg on the north shore of Île Scatary, where a French official
counted them in April 1752. They had no children. No member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.139
Jean-Pierre
St. Gla, a farmer, born at St.-Fristre, bishopric of Castres,
France, in c1722, married Jeanne De la Bonne of Begnac, France,
and emigrated to Île Royale. They had at least one child, Catherine, born
either in France or on the island in c1751. They settled at Baie-de-Miré,
where a French official counted them in April 1752 and noted their recent
arrival there. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.126
Charles, son of
Jean Henry and Jeanne Yvel, was born at Megrit
near St.-Malo, France, in c1708. He was not kin to any of the other
Henrys of greater Acadia. In his early 40s, he married
Jeanne, daughter of Antoine Perez and Marianne Pons,
at Louisbourg, Île Royale, in January 1752. One wonders what he did for a
living. Though Charles returned to France in late 1758, neither he nor any
member of his family emigrated to Louisiana.278
Jean, fils,
son of Jean Roussin and Geneviève Posé, born
in the parish of St.-Thomas-de-la-Pointe-à-Caille, Canada, in c1719, became a
navigator and emigrated to Île St.-Jean in early 1752. He married
Françoise, 21-year-old daughter of Jean-Baptiste Boudrot and
his second wife Louise Saulnier of St.-Famillie, Pigiguit, at
Port-La-Joye in April of that year. A French official counted them there in
August. Françoise gave Jean, fils at least four children:
Françoise in c1753; Marie-Geneviève in c1755; Jean-Baptiste in c1757; and Joseph
in c1761, during Le Grand Dérangement. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.198
Claude-Joseph,
called Joseph, son of Jean-Claude Billeray
and
Anne-Monique Godard, born at Vermier-Fontaine,
bishopric of Besancon, France, in c1730, married Brigitte, daughter
of Michel Forest, fils and his second wife
Marie Célestin dit
Bellemère, at
Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in June 1752. In
August, a French official counted them at nearby Anse-au-Matelot.
Having just married, they had no children. They had at least two children
on the island in the following years: Jeanne, born in c1753; and Charles in c1755.
One of Claude-Joseph's younger daughters, born in France, emigrated to Louisiana
in 1785.313
Jacques Nicolas, "master sugar
refiner," born at Beauvais, Picardy, in c1715, married
Marie Quilien, born at Neis, Ireland,
in 1733. They settled at Port-La-Joye, Île
St.-Jean, in the summer of 1752. A French official
counted them there in August. They had no
children. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.193
Pierre,
fils,
son of Pierre Neveu
and Jeanne Tarando of St.-Pierre-de-Sales Parish,
Bordeaux, France, probably not kin to Laurent of La
Rochelle, came to Louisbourg by November 1753, when he
married Catherine, daughter of Jean Vinette of
Rochefort, France. They
had at least one child, Catherine, born at Louisbourg in
1754. No member of this family seems to have
emigrated to Louisiana.314
Nicolas, son of Pierre LeBlanc and
Marguerite Routhier of the Parish of
St.-Romain-de-la-Vallette, bishopric of Périgeaux,
France, no kin to the descendants of Daniel
LeBlanc of Port-Royal, was born in France
c1730. Nicolas came to Île Royale by August 1754,
when he married Jeanne-Geneviève, called Geneviève,
daughter of Aimé Mieu and Jeanne
Négrier of Notre-Dame Parish, La
Rochelle, at Louisbourg. Geneviève gave Nicolas
three children, a daughter and two sons, between 1755
and 1757. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.319
Martin Porcheron, a weaver born in
Lyon, France, in c1731, came to Île St.-Jean by c1756,
when he married on the island Marie-Brigitte, called Brigitte,
38-year-old daughter of Noël Pinet and Rose
Henry of Minas and Île St.-Jean and widow of Louis
Valet dit Langevin. In
1757, Brigitte gave the weaver
a daughter, Madeleine. The
British deported the family to St.-Malo, France, in
1758-59. Brigitte was pregnant on the voyage.
Her daughter and newborn died at sea. Also
perishing on the voyage were two of her four daughters
from her previous marriage. In
November 1760, at St.-Suliac near St.-Malo, Brigitte
gave Martin a son, Martin-Charles, who died at
St.-Suliac in June 1770, age 9. When in the summer
of 1773 French officials encouraged the St.-Malo
Acadians to participate in a settlement venture in the
Poitou region, Martin was the first to sign up.
Hundreds of others followed. Brigitte died at
Archigny, Poitou, in September 1774, age 60. At
age 44, at Archigny, Martin remarried to Angélique, daughter of
Joseph Breau and Ursule Bourg,
in June 1775. She was the community's midwife.
The Poitou venture failed after two years of effort, and in
late 1775 and early 1776 most of the Acadians still
there
retreated to the port city Nantes. Martin chose to
remain in the interior province. Despite his skills as a weaver,
he did not prosper there. His second wife
Angélique died at Archigny in April 1779, age 31.
One wonders if she gave him more children. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana in 1785.275
Yves, son of
Guillaume
Crochet and Julienne Durand, born at
Mégrit, Brittany, southwest of St.-Malo, in September 1732, perhaps was a
soldier or a sailor when he arrived at Louisbourg in the
1750s. In February 1758, he married Pélagie,
daughter of perhaps Claude Benoit and Élisabeth Thériot
of l'Assomption, Pigiguit, at Louisbourg. Five months after their marriage, the
French citadel fell to the British.
Three months later, the British deported Yves and
Pélagie to France. They landed at the naval port
of Rochefort but soon moved on to St.-Malo. All of their children, five
sons and three daughters, were
born not far from Yves's
birthplace. This family--three sons and two
daughters, led by Yves's widow Pélagie Benoit--emigrated to
Louisiana from France in 1785.315
De La Roque's Survey, 1752
Charles
des Herbiers de La Ralière reached Louisbourg in June
1749 and served as its first post-war governor.
Scion of
a prominent family of naval officers, des Herbiers
himself held the Cross of St.-Louis and had served so
gallantly in Flanders during the War of the Austrian
Succession he earned not only promotion to the rank of
captain but also the post of King's commissioner for
reoccupying Île Royale. With him from Rochefort
came several warships and transports full of soldiers,
provisions, and settlers for the repatriated colony.
He wasted no time opening negotiations with the British
commander of Louisbourg and Île Royale, Colonel
Peregrine Thomas Hopson of the 29th Regiment of Foot,
for removal of the British garrison. Formalities
were completed on July 23, and Île Royale was officially
French again. As instructed, des Herbiers provided
some of his own vessels to transport the British
garrison to Halifax. French authorities were
impressed with the performance, and des Herbiers
remained at the citadel as commandant of the colony.
Replacing the corrupt François Bigot as the colony's
commissaire-ordonnateur was Jacques Prévost de la Croix.
Des Herbiers oversaw the reconstruction of the Louisbourg
fortifications, as well as the revival of the fisheries
and the colony's commerce, including a resumption of
trade with New England. He looked to Île Royale's
"enormous coal deposits" and encouraged their
development. Restoring the colony to its original
purpose, however, also would require a base of
settlement stronger than the one that had existed before
the war.19
Some of the
settlers who had come to Louisbourg with des Herbiers
evidently had been deported from the citadel in July
1745. Many were new to the colony. To
facilitate settlement, or resettlement, des Herbiers
"had unclaimed properties surveyed in order to award
them to new occupants."
The
largest influx of new settlers, however, came from the
usual source--the Acadians of peninsula Nova Scotia, who
had been drifting into the Maritime islands ever since
the colony began. After the British built Halifax in 1749 and
a petite guerre erupted between the redcoats
and the Mi'kmaq, the rate of immigration
from the peninsula to the islands increased perceptibly. At
Baie-des-Espagnols that year, families from Pigiguit
dramatically increased the population, and, as a result,
the Spanish Bay "temporarily, held one of the largest
populations outside of Louisbourg." Acadians
appeared on Île Royale also at Rivière-de-Miré, along on
the north
shore of Île Madame, at Rivière-des-Habitants west
of the island, and at Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse in the
island's interior. But most of the new immigrants
flooded into Île St.-Jean.20
In August
1749, des
Herbiers sent a new garrison to Port-La-Joye under the
command of Acting Major Claude-Élisabeth Denys de Bonnaventure, whose uncle and father-in-law, Louis
Denys
de La Ronde, had commanded on Île St.-Jean during the
late 1710s and early 1720s. Denys de Bonnaventure had
served there with him, so he was familiar with the
place. With him at Port-La-Joye, serving as
commissaire, was François-Marie de Goutin, a
native of French Acadia who had served for years at
Louisbourg in various positions, including head of the
citadel's Conseil Supérieur, before its capture
in 1745. De Goutin, like many French
officials in the colony, had been financially ruined by
the fall of the fortress. For a time, in fact, while
languishing as a refugee at St.-Malo, he and his large
family had subsisted on a government gratuity. The
office of commissaire for Île St.-Jean, held
for two decades by Robert Potier Dubuisson, had fallen
vacant in March 1744, when Dubuisson died at
Port-La-Joye. Upon the recommendation of the
colony's former commissaire-ordonnateur,
Sébastien-François-Ange Le Normant de Mézy, de
Goutin received the appointment. As subdelegate
to the King's commissary, he now answered to the
colony's new commissaire-ordonnateur, Prévost
de La Croix. With an annual salary of 600 livres,
de Goutin's fortunes had taken a turn for the better.
De Herbiers tasked him and Denys de Bonnaventure
with creating an
agricultural community on Île St.-Jean that would serve
as a bread basket for the rest of the colony.
De Goutin's connection to peninsula Acadia could
serve him well in encouraging more peninsula Acadians to
emigrate to the big island. From the late 1680s
until the fall of Port-Royal,
his father had served there as an important French official and also
had been a peninsula
seigneur. More importantly, François-Marie's mother was a
daughter of Pierre Thibodeau, so his list of
cousins in the Fundy communities would have been most
impressive.
He and Denys de Bonnaventure were authorized to
offer Acadian immigrants to Île St.-Jean
"free passage for themselves, their household effects,
baggage, and livestock...," as well as land on
which to settle.
De Goutin
would conduct a census of the island's current
inhabitants, some of them his kinsmen. He also
would
subsist the new arrivals from the island's storehouse at
Port-La-Joye, issuing them "implements and food for one
year." According to his biographer, de
Goutin "was also to protect former land grants and
to encourage farming in the fertile areas. Pasture
was to be made available to settlers, but codfishing
discouraged so as to safeguard the new agricultural
base," a policy long pursued by administrators in
Louisbourg. Denys de Bonnaventure "had
expected to be at Île Saint-Jean only temporarily,"
implying that Port-La-Joye
was considered to be a quiet post, a kind of military
backwater. After the autumn of 1750, however, the
post was anything but quiet. In April 1751, French
authorities promoted Denys de Bonnaventure to full major and
retained him at Port-La-Joye. Despite his frequent
calls to be relieved of this command, he remained at the
post for three more years. De Goutin met a
different fate. The severe winter of 1750-51, his
poorly constructed quarters, and the chronic shortage of
meat at Port-La-Joye took a toll on his health. He
fell seriously ill in November 1751 and died the
following January, in his early 60s.21
What so
burdened Commandant Denys de Bonnaventure and Commissaire
de Goutin after the autumn of 1750 was the sudden arrival
of hundreds of Acadians from the Chignecto region--not
immigrants so much as refugees, burned out of their
homes in the second round of a new conflict with the
British
in Nova Scotia.
When
Denys de Bonnaventure came to Île St.-Jean in 1749, he commanded
735 settlers scattered around the island in a dozen or
more communities. Among the new arrivals were
Acadian partisans who had fled Nova Scotia earlier that
year to avoid the clutches of British authorities. Nicolas Gauthier,
once the wealthiest man in Nova Scotia, was one of them. He took his
family to Rivière-du-Nord-Est, in the island's interior, where he attempted to
restore at least part of his fortune on a habitation he
nostalgically christened Bellair, after his estate near
Annapolis Royal. The French government compensated
Gauthier for part of his loss, but, "This assistance was
not altogether altruistic on the part of the
authorities. Earlier, [French Minister of Marine]
Maurepas had suggested that Gauthier's influence and
stature among the Acadians might help to attract even
greater Acadian immigration to Île Royale and Île
Saint-Jean." Sadly for the Acadians of Nova
Scotia, the minister's wish was soon fulfilled. In
1749, Governor Cornwallis's harassment of the Acadians
at Pigiguit motivated dozens of them to vacate their habitants
and relocate to the Maritimes. A year later, in September 1750, the
British built Fort Lawrence on the east bank of Rivière
Missaguash at Chignecto, and the resulting chaos on the French side
of the river led to the doubling of the population of
Île St.-Jean in only a few months time. By 1751,
hundreds of Acadians had left Nova Scotia and resettled
on the two big Maritime islands, most of them on Île
St.-Jean, which by the summer of 1752 held over 2,200
habitants. Governor des Herbiers of course encouraged the
migration, but he and Ordonnateur Prévost at
Louisbourg, as
well the two officials at Port-La-Joye, were hard pressed
to sustain them.
As
the Acadians faced "all the difficulties of establishing
themselves anew on what was uncleared land, having seen
their homes burnt and many of their personal possessions
destroyed,"
Prévost, a typical French bureaucrat, saw them only as
so many hundreds of new mouths to feed and "wrote to
France
complaining about Acadian indolence."
Conditions on Île Royale were just as dismal, as French
officials soon learned.22
.
In 1751, Jean-Louis, comte de Raymond, succeeded des Herbiers as governor. "Raymond
was an irrepressible
enthusiast for agricultural settlement who sincerely
believed that the island could develop a self-sufficient
agriculture...," Andrew Hill Clark informs us. In
early 1752, he ordered Joseph, sieur de La Roque, one of
the King's surveyors, to conduct a census of the colony.
De La Roque's counting would start on Île Royale before
moving on to Île St.-Jean, where the
population had been doubled during the past two years by
refugees from the mainland. One would be hard
pressed to find a more thorough census conducted during
this era. De La Roque not only counted the
people--their names, ages, origins, the size of their
holdings, the kinds and numbers of their animals, the
amount of food they had on hand, even the time they had
been in the colony--but, being a surveyor/engineer, he also
described in great detail the land itself.
After De
La Roque had finished his work and sailed to France,
Governor Raymond informed the Minister of Marine in a 5
December 1752 letter that he was entirely satisfied with the young
engineer's performance: "He is a very good man, full of
zeal and talent," the governor assured the Minister. "He
is the son of one of the King's Musketeers, of good
family, and ... rendered excellent service during the
last war. He has done wonderful things here for
me. It is he, who last year made a tour of Ile
Royale to inspect, according to my instructions, all the
ports and harbours, [and] search for a new route to Ile
au Justaucorps," which lay on the big island's west
coast, overlooling today's St. Georges Bay.
Raymond hoped that De La Roque's efforts would "shorten
the sea voyage between" Louisbourg and
Île-aux-Justaucorps by "more than fifty leagues."08
In his weeks-long survey of Île Royale, De La Roque
noted that
Acadians or their spouses living on the island bore the names
Alitra,
Allain, Amiot,
Amireau dit Tourangeau, Arete,
Arseneau, Balay,
Barrieau, Beaumont, Belliveau,
Bénard, Benjamin, Benoit,
Berbudeau,
Bertaud dit
Montaury, Bertrand,
Beaulieu, Blanchard,
Bodard, Bois, Bonin, Bonnier,
Boucher,
Boudrot,
Bourg, Bourneuf, Boutin,
Breau, Brisset,
Brisson, Broussard,
Butteau,
Caissie dit
Roger,
Carovent,
Carret, Chapin, Chauvet
dit La Gerne, Clément, Clergé,
Comeau,
Corporon, Coste, Coulon,
Cousin,
Daguerre,
Daigre, Daniqua,
Detcheverry, Diers,
Doiron, Druce, Dugas,
Dumas dit
Vandeboncoeur,
Écard or Hecquart,
Fardel,
Ferret,
Forest,
Fougère, Fournier,
Gaudet, Gautrot,
Girouard, Granne,
Guédry, Guérin,
Hamet,
Hébert, Henry dit
Robert, Hulin,
Labauve,
Lafargue,
Lambert,
Landry,
Langlois,
Lapierre,
Lavergne, Lavigne,
LeBlanc, Le Borgne de Bélisle,
LeChaux,
LeHardy,
Lejeune, LePrieur dit Dubois,
LeRoy,
LeSauvage,
L'Hermitte,
Lirard, Longuépée,
Marcadet,
Marchand, Marres or
Mars dit La Sonde,
Marteau, Martel,
Martin dit Barnabé, Mirande, Mius,
Nicolas, Olivet,
Ozelet,
Papon,
Petitpas, Picard, Pichot,
Pinet,
Pitre,
Poirier, Pouget dit
Lepierre, Préjean, Rabageois,
Radoux,
Rambourg,
Richard,
Rivet,
Roy, Samson,
Saux,
Sire, Tardiff, Tessé,
Testard
dit Paris, Thériot,
Thibodeau, Tompique, Trahan, Triel
dit Laperrière,
Turpin, Varenne,
Vigneau dit Maurice,
Vrigneau, and
Vincent. Many
of them were peninsula Acadians who had come to the
island from Pigiguit and Chignecto to escape the growing
conflict in Nova Scotia. Many had lived on Île
Royale for decades. De
La Roque
found small numbers of Acadians at St.-Esprit, L'Ardoise, La Briquerie,
Petit-de-Grat,
Île-de-la-Ste.-Famille, Baie-de-L'Indienne, Rivière-de-Miré,
and Lorembec. They were especially numerous at
Port-Toulouse,
on
the north shore of
Île Madame, at Rivière-aux-Habitants,
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse,
Baie-des-Espagnols, and Baie-de-Mordienne.10
From the first week of February into April 1752,
De La
Roque counted 1,500 to 1,600 settlers on
Île Royale living outside of the fortress of
Louisbourg, only a fraction of whom were peninsula
Acadians. At Louisbourg, an additional 3,500
officials, merchants, laborers, craftsmen, officers, soldiers,
and sailors dwelled, very few of them Acadians.01
Leaving the colonial capital on a rainy day in
early February, De La Roque and his surveying team
headed southwest on the Miré Road to
Gabarus Bay. Approaching the south shore of the
bay, where the harbor and its settlement lay, De La
Roque noted that, except for "a lake lying to the left
of the road we observed nothing worthy of note
throughout the whole distance of two leagues" from
Louisbourg. "This lake discharges its waters into
the stream of Pointe Plate, by which stream they are
carried to the sea at the harbour of Gabarus," he went
on. "The land is clothed with fir of all
description." After the rain stopped, De La Roque
and his companions "continued to follow the highway for
half a league, and then took a blazed road" cut from the
heavy timber, "which led us to the further end of the
gorge of the Montagne du Diable"--Devil's
Mountain--"on the sea shore at the harbour of Gabarus.
The length of this road is placed at three
leagues"--nine miles today--he determined. "All
the woods are of beech and the surface of the ground is
extremely rough," he added. He then described the
Bay of Gabarus in rich detail: "This bay is formed
by the Pointe du Dehors and the Pointe Blanche.
These points lie about north-east and south-west, at a
distance from each other of some three leagues, giving
the bay a circuit of six leagues inland on the
north-west of the island. Between Pointe Blanche
and Cormorandière, a good half league distant from
Louisbourg, lies Pointe Plate, the exact place on which
the English made a descent and landed the army in the
year 1745. The land between the town of Louisbourg
and this point is very rough and marshy, with ten to
twelve feet of peat, which neither dries up, nor
condenses owing to the great quantity of water with
which every part is usually covered. Nor would it
be easy to make practical drainage for the reasons that
nearly all the marshes are pierced by ridges which
partake of the nature of rocks. The bottom beneath
the ten or twelve feet of peat is a mixture of rich soil
full of and traversed by rocks, the whole producing a
petrified mass and extremely difficult to remove."
Employing the eyes of a military engineer, De La Roque
noted that "All these considerations lead to the
conclusion that should the enemy attempt to make a
descent on this part of the bay, they would find it very
difficult if not impracticable to transport artillery
across such rough country." And yet, nearly seven
years earlier, Pepperell's Yankees had done just that.
"The distance from Cormorandière to Pointe aux Basques,
or to Point du Dehors is estimated at four leagues," De
La Roque
went on. "Within this distance we find:-- 1. Between la Cormorandière and the gorge of the above
mentioned Montagne du Diable there lie several creeks
practicable for landing from boats. The creeks
are, respectively, half a league, a league, and a league
and a half distant from the site of one of the projected
redoubts on the said Cormorandière, on which a landing
could be made without running any risk of danger.
The distance between the gorge of the said mountain to
the Pointe du Dehors is about two leagues and (between
them) there rises a bank of sand half a league in
length, and from 40 to 50 toises in width,
extending from the foot of the said mountain to a stream
which forms the boundary of the homesteads of the Sieur
Duchambon, and the heirs of Pierre Rondeau. On
this bank it would be possible to effect a landing at
all times and tides except during a heavy gale, and the
redoubts to be thrown out on Pointe Plate and on the
Cormorandière would offer no opposition on account of
their distance. But it is probable that these two
projected redoubts will be very useful in preventing the
enemy from effecting a landing as near the place as they
did during the last war, and should a landing on the
said sand bank be effected, even then the impracticable
roads they must follow in order to attack the said
redoubts, and gain the road to Miré, are the true
guarantees for their security, seeing that it is mor[t]ally
impossible to transport any kind of artillery across the
lands in this locality or by way of the perpendicular
banks of the streams which intersect them. It is
estimated that the distance between the said sand bank
and the Pointe du Dehors is two leagues, and at a
quarter of a league to the south east lies a creek where
vessels anchor in four or five fathoms of water, and
sheltered generally from all winds except from the north
which blows off land." The young sieur then turned
his attention to a more peaceful use of the country.
"This bay," he noted, "where a very promising
commencement for the settlement of a colony has been
made is suitable for the cod fishery; there is also an
abundance of pasturage for raising a great quantity of
live-stock and the land is also good for cultivation."11
Most, if not all, of the land
De La Roque found on Gabarus Bay belonged to absentee landlords, all
colonial officials, including a recently deceased one. François-Marie, son of Mathieu de Goutin
and Jeanne Thibodeau and grandson of
Acadian progenitor Pierre Thibodeau,
was the oldest of 13 children. He had been born at
Port-Royal in c1690, when his father was serving as
French Acadia's lieutnant général civil et criminel.
François-Marie had married twice, to Marie-Angélique,
daughter of Charles Aubert de La Chesnay
and Marie-Angélique Denys de La Ronde,
at Louisbourg in May 1719, and then to Marie-Angélique,
daughter of Antoine Puypéroux de La Fosse
and Françoise Petit de Boismorel, at
Louisbourg in April 1736.
De La Roque likely knew that M.
Degouttin, as he called François-Marie, late
commissaire of Île St.-Jean, had died only a few
weeks earlier at Port-La-Joye on that island. De La Roque noted
that de Goutin's "lot" was "situated on
the Pointe du Dehors" and, understandly, was
"unimproved."
De La Roque also recorded unoccupied lots
belonging to T M. Daillebou, actually
d'Ailleboust, "a piece of land situated along the coast"
that was "Not cultivated"; M. Thierry, who
owned "a piece of ground situated on the coast,
(adjoining the above)," which also was Uncultivated";
former governor M. de St. Ovide, whose land
was "now occupied by M. St. de Chambon,"
another former governor; and M. Rondeau, who
held "a piece of ground situated in the middle of the said
bay," where "There is one settler at work thereon."
Despite his claim of "a very promising
commencement for the settlement of a colony," De La
Roque found only three settled families at Gabarus Bay,
none of them Acadian:
Sixton Huiker, age 42, ploughman,
"native of Switzerland," lived with wife Marie-Jeanne
Esteruine, age 35, "native of
Dailleban, Switzerland," and two children: Joseph,
age 16; and Angélique, age 9, "Both natives of
Louisbourg." De La Roque noted that Sixton
"occupies about two arpents of cleared land to
make a garden in which he will sow all kinds of grains
as an experiment to discover which will do best.
He has a skiff," and that "The land on which he is
settled belongs to M. du Chambon." He did
not note how long the Swiss and his wife had been in the
colony. De La Roque counted two more families on
the bay: Jeanne Baudry, age 45,
"native of Plaisance," Newfoundland, and widow of
François Clermont. She lived with
three Clermont children:
François, age 33, likely a son from her husband's first
marriage; Pierre, age 27, perhaps also from a first
marriage; and Jeanne, age 15. Also with the widow
were three hired fishermen: Étienne
Daguerre, age 33, "native of Louisbourg";
Pierre Tuillier, age 27, "native of
Dieppe"; and François Durand, age 27,
"native of Dinant." De La Roque noted that the
widow owned "Three boats, one sow and five young pigs,"
and that "The land on which she is settled is situated
on the creek au Major, a part of the homestead of M.
du Chambon." Pierre Duport, age
32, ploughman, "native of the parish of Sonneville in
Abbeville, diocese of La Rochelle," lived with wife
Jeanne Métayer, age 24, "native of the
same parish,": and three children: Pierre,
fils, age 6;
Jean, age 4; and a daughter "not yet baptized," so not
yet named. Also with them were Jeanne
Rousseau, age 45, "widow of Jean
Métayer, their mother," and Jeanne's sister
Élisabeth Métayer, age 18. De La
Roque noted that Pierre had been "in the Colony for one
year, having received rations for that time for himself
and his family," and that "The land on which they are
settled belongs to and forms part of the homestead of
Sr. Rondeau."12
Early on the morning of February 8, three days after leaving
Louisbourg, "we took our departure from the said Gabarus
to proceed to the harbour of Fourché," De La Roque
recorded. That afternoon they reached the harbour
of Fourché, today's Fourchu, which he observed
"lies on the south-west coast of the island about three
leagues distant from Gabarus." The coast road
having given out, he and his companions entered
a country where travel by birch canoe across ice-choked
lakes and streams was the only alternative to a coasting
vessel. "In leaving the said
harbour of Gabarus, we crossed the lake on the land of
Madame Rondeau, which lies behind the sand bank already
referred to"--what locals called a barachois,
from the Basque barratxoa or "little bar," a
"coastal lagoon separated from the ocean by a sand or
shingle bar." "In keeping to
the west for a quarter of a league," De La Roque
continued, "the lands are covered with hard wood fit for
fuel. Making west-south-west, during the second
stage we reached a portage of about 80 toises,"
or 500 feet, "which brought us to a second lake
with no outlet for its waters save that of filtration.
This is a very extensive sheet of water. Keeping
the same course we followed this lake for 200 toises,"
a quarter of a mile, "and entering a wood went
south-west for a quarter of a league," about
three-quarters of a mile, "which brought us out on the
Grand lac du Gabarus. This lake has three arms,
running well inland to the north, north-east, and
south-west. The river Barachoise de Bellefeuille
rises here, lying in the north arm and is the only
outlet from the said lake of Gabarus." They had
now reached the western edge of today's Gabarus
Wilderness Area. "On leaving the wood for the
first stage we followed the river in a south-westerly
direction for about 400 toises," about half a
mile, "and then west quarter north-west for a quarter of
a league, all the woods being composed of fir. At
the end of this distance we reached a small portage of
about 70 or 80 toises through hard wood, which
brought us to a fourth unnamed lake. In continuing
our journey," De La Roque went on, "we followed this
lake its entire length, which is not very great.
The timber in this locality is fir, and further on we
re-entered the wood going south-west for some 400
toises. This brought us immediately to the
further end of the Barachois de Bellefeuille.
Towards the end of the way we found all kinds of hard
wood." Between Gabarus Bay and this large
barachois, De La Roque encountered no settlement of any
kind. Nor would he find any to speak of for a number of
leagues down this barren coast.13
"The Barachois de Bellefeuille is very
extensive," the young sieur observed.
"It forms several arms, which run deep inland on the
north-east, the north and the north-west. We
crossed, at first holding south-west for about five
toises, and then going west, a quarter north-west
for a good quarter of a league. The banks as well
as the lands in the interior are wooded with inferior
fir. The entrance to the said Barachois de
Bellefeuille lies north and south. At high tide an
empty boat might succeed in making the passage, which is
hardly two toises," or 12 1/2 feet, "in width.
The land is mostly peaty and marshy, being only good for
pasturage. In front of the said barachois
a sand bank extends a quarter of a league in length by
30 to 40 toises in width. It runs
north-east and south-west. Besides the sand bank
lying outside the entrance, the water is full of shoals
and reefs; vessels would be unable anywhere to find
shelter from the winds, or to ride in safety in case of
a light wind springing up. Further, as everyone
knows, the weather on this coast is so changeable that
an enemy would never be so imprudent as to land without
making sure of being able to reembark in case of a
repulse or if the state of the weather should render
such a course necessary. But even with a
favourable wind what advantage would a landing offer?
If they should proceed inland to reach Gabarus Bay how
could they pass through a country so marshy as that
described above? Leaving this barachois going
west-south-west, we passed an alder plot of some 400
toises in extent, which brought us to the Barachois
Marcoche.
The Barachois de Marcoche is very
extensive, being a league across," De La Roque
noted. "We followed it, making many points of the
compass, which we reduced to the south-west. The
barachois has a number of arms running inland
for a league, and one running to the north-west a good
league and a half. There are several islets and
peninsulas on it, whilst the banks are covered with fir
trees. The entrance, which is perhaps fifteen
toises," about 96 feet, "across lies north and
south. Loaded boats pass at high tide. There
is a rock on the starboard side as one enters, and a
sand bank on the larboard, leaving room for only one
boat to pass. A sand bank very similar to that in
front of the Barachoise de Bellefeuille lies before the
entrance. About a league outside the two
barachois there are a number of reefs, visible only
at low tide. From the said lake we skirted the
coast which is full of reefs and shoals as far as the
mouth of the Harbour de Fourché, a distance of a quarter
of a league.
The harbour of Fourché is one of the finest
harbours for the cod-fishery on the coast," De La Roque
averred. "The only thing against it is the
difficulty of the entrance on account of shoals near it.
It is divided into two arms, the one running to the
west, north-west, and the other to the west. The
latter was well settle before the war," De La Roque
noted, "there being twelve or fifteen families all doing
well. The English burned the whole place with the
exception [of] a storehouse, 100 feet long, on the
homestead of the late M. Daccarette, still in
existence to-day and used for the raising of cattle,"
but he recorded no habitants there when he and
his party came through.15
On February 9, a Wednesday, De La Roque and
his party left Fourché, "holding north-west for a
quarter of a league, past spruce woods rendered
impracticable owing to their heavy growth, the route
brought us to Lake Ablin, which may be a quarter of a
league in length by 200 toises in breadth.
It divides at the further end into two branches, and
runs about north-east and south-west. The shores
are entirely covered with fir. The lake discharges
itself into the Barachois de la Grande Framboise by
means of a stream, which we followed until we came to an
arm of the said Barachoise de la Framboise. The
distance between the two points is possibly an eighth of
a league. The Barachois de la Grande Framboise is
situated half a league from the Harbour Fourché.
The entrance lies north-north-west, and
south-south-east; its width may be placed at 450
toises," a bit over half a mile. "There are
two reefs opposite the entrance. A boat of the
capacity of five or six cords of wood can pass, while
outside there is anchorage. It is estimated that
it runs inland for a league and a half, throwing out
several arms that extend, some deeper than others into
the land in a north-north-westerly direction forming
many islands and points, in its middle; its width may be
considered to be a good half league. The banks are
covered with poor fir. The chief product of these
Barachois, creeks and lakes consists of hay, seeing that
the country is very marshy," but, again, he recorded no
settlers there. "Leaving the Barachois we took a
westerly course past an alder plot of about 200
toises in extent, which brought us to the Barachois
de la Petite Framboise." This barachois,"
De La Roque noted, "lies two leagues from the Harbour
Fouché and four from that [of] St. Esprit. Its
entrance is not suited for anything more than a canoe.
The barachois is a league in width north-east
and south-west, and has several arms which run inland
for a distance of about two leagues, forming island and
points, and it is stated that the arm to the
north-north-east discharges its waters through a river
into the lake of the river Miré. All the shores as
well as the lands of the interior grow poor fir.
From the barachois we continued to skirt the
coast as far as St. Esprit. In this distance of
four leagues we found only two creeks where boats could
shelter in bad weather from winds blowing from
west-quarter-north-west to north-north-east. There
was much shelter in the creek that has been named the
Creek du Caplan. With these two exceptions the
rest of the coast consists of high lands and rocks which
was impracticable owing to their extreme abruptness."23
Finally, the surveying party came to
the harbor of St.-Esprit, which was "well settled," De
La Roque noted. "It is adapted to the cod fishery,
the raising of cattle, and for gardening, the soil being
sandy in character. The harbour of St. Esprit is
in truth an open roadstead. Its mouth lies
east-north-east and west-south-west. Vessels of
sixty to seventy tons can enter and anchor in the middle
of the roadway with from ten to twelve fathoms of water
at high tide. There are two reefs which one
leaves, the one on the starboard and the other on the
larboard. Behind the roadstead is a Barachois,"
today's Rorys Pond, "which runs inland in a
north-westerly direction for about a league. The
settlers cut what hay they require on the banks of this
barachois. Its mouth lies north-east and
south-west. There is sufficient water at high tide
to allow all of the passage of a boat laden with five or
six cords of wood. All the lands in the
neighbourhood of St. Esprit are covered with fir wood
only." He also noted that "there was a greater
number of boats" in the community "before the war than
to-day."24
The depredations of seven years earlier
still haunted this part of the coast.
De La Roque found 14 families at St.-Esprit, only
six
of them connected to peninsula Acadia: Le
Sieur Jean Perriez, or
Perrez, age 42, "native of Plaisance,"
Newfoundland, "conducting a fishery," lived with wife
Marguerite Dion, actually Guyon,
age 48, "native of La Cadie." They had no
children, but De La Roque noted that they "have three
hired fishermen," which he did not name, "two boats,
three cows, three geese, two turkey-hens and nine fowls.
The land that he occupies was granted him, verbally by
M. de St. Ovide, and M. Lenormant de
Mézy. It includes a beach and scaffolding for the
drying of the fish of two boats, and a large garden
where they grow all kinds of vegetable produce."
François Picard, age 39, fisherman,
"native of Pléhérel, diocese of St. Brieux," France,
lived with wife Anne Barbudeau, or
Berbudeau, age 28,
"native of the place," and four children: Julien,
age 8; Suzanne, age 5; Angélique, age 2; and Françoise,
age 1. De La Roque noted that François "has passed
24 years in the colony," that he and his family "have
been granted rations for two years," they "have no
dwelling" but owned "Two boats, a half boat, one cow and
sex fowls," and that Le Sieur François, as
De La Roque called him, has hired five fishermen, most
of them Malouins and one of them Sr.
François's eldest son--Jean Gauthier,
age 36, "native of Mandes, diocese of St. Malo"; Julien
Thomas, age 30, "native of Couet,
diocese of St. Malo"; Jean Colinet, age
22, "native of Trebedeau, diocese of St. Malo"; Pierre
Briand, no age given, "native of St.
Carlé, diocese of St. Malo"; and Toussaint
Picard, age 17; "native of Pléhérel, diocese of
St. Brieux." De La Roque noted that Sr.
François employed "Three other hired men who are at
Louisbourg," but he did not name them. Jean Granne, age 35, fisherman, "native of Tadé, diocese of St.-Malo,"
lived with wife Marie Papou, or Papon,
age 30, "native of St. Pierre," probably Port-Toulouse,
and four children: Isabelle, age 7; Agathe, age 5;
Augustin, age 3; and Geneviève, age 14 months. De
La Roque noted that Jean "has passed 17 [years] in this
colony," owned "Two boats, two cows, one calf and
six fowls," and has hired fishermen,
including a brother-in-law, who "are working for their
board." They included Jean Fougère,
age 39, "native of Châteauneuf, diocese of St. Malo";
André Groey, age 24, "native of
Caronne, diocese of Avranches"; Toussaint
Tramond, age 15, "native of Hebedau, diocese of
St. Malo"; Julien Papon, or
Papon, age 24, "native of St. Esprit"; Pierre
Jourgouche, age 22, "native of
Bayonne"; and Gabriel Touria, age 30,
"native of Bayonne."
De La Roque also noted that "The dwelling" Jean occupied
with his family "was sold to him by the widow Seau," and
that "In the deed of sale the number of toises
the land contains, either frontage or surface
measurement, is not mentioned." Georges
Barbudeau, or Berbudeau,
age unrecorded but he was 52, "master-surgeon of St.
Esprit, native of the island of Oléron, diocese of
Saintes," France, lived with wife Françoise
Vrigneau, age 52, "native of Plaisance."
They were Anne's parents. Living with the surgeon
was his 16-year-old nephew Simon Halbert,
"native of the island of Oléron." De La Roque
noted that Georges "has been 36 years in the colony,"
that "He is to remain in the country in the capacity of
a surgeon," and that "They have no grant of the land
they occupy. They have a garden but no livestock
or poultry." Herbe Desroches, age
35, fisherman, "native of Coral, diocese of Avranche,"
lived with wife Marie Barbudeau, or
Berbudeau, age 30, "native of this
place" and the surgeon's oldest daughter. With
them were four children: Marguerite, age 10;
François, age 8; Jean, age 3; and Pierre, age 3 months.
Also in the household was Louise Duneau,
age 14, "native of Louisbourg, in the capacity of
servant." Herbe had hired three fishermen--Yves
Galles, age 30, "native of the parish
of Guillé, diocese of St. Malo"; Alexis Renard,
age 30, "native of Ste. Broulade de Hol"; and Louis
Mange, age 23, "native of Carmel,
archdiocese of Paris." De La Roque noted that
Herbe "has been in the colony 22 years," that he owned
"One boat, one half boat, one cow and eight fowls.
The dwelling that he occupies was given, verbally, by
M. Bigot and contains platforms and
scaffoldings for drying the fish of two boats." Isabelle
Longue Epée, or Longuépée,
age 52, "native of the coast of Plaisance" and "widow of
the late Jean Papou" or Papon, lived with four unmarried Papon sons:
Charles, age 29; Julien, age 25; Jean, fils,
age 22; and François, age 18--all natives of St.-Esprit
and all brothers of Marie.
De La Roque noted
that "the land they occupy was given verbally by the
authories" and that "They have a garden." Jean
Clément, age 45, another fisherman, "native of
the parish of Jeffrets, diocese of Coutances," lived with wife Marie Brus, age
40, "native of la Cadie," and six children, all
natives of St.-Esprit: Jean, fils, age
20; Pierre, age 18; Jean, age 11; a second Pierre, age
9; Louise, age 4; and Chapin, age 10 months. Jean
and Marie also had a son named Hilaire, who would have
been age 6 when De La Roque appeared. The surveyor
misspelled Jeans wife's name. She was actually
Marie-Josèphe, only child of Benjamin Druce and Madeleine Henry dit
Robert of Minas. Her father was an English soldier
from Oxforshire who, while serving in the garrison at
Annapolis Royal, converted to Catholicism and married an
Acadian girl from Minas. De La Roque noted
that Jean "has passed 30 [years] in the colony," and that
he and Marie-Josèphe owned "One boat, one cow, one calf,
and six fowls." Georges Bonin,
age 28, fisherman, "native of the place," lived with
wife Marie Diers, age 19, "native of
Niganiche," and their 21-day-old daughter, not yet
named. Also living with them was Madeleine
Diers, age 9, Marie's sister. De La Roque
noted that Georges and Marie owned "One mare, three
fowl, two geese, and two turkey-hens," and that "The
land they occupy was granted to them by Messrs.
St. Ovide and Le Normand, but they lost the title deed
in the war." Jacques Lirard, fisherman, age 40, "native of the parish of Plerin, diocese of
St.-Brieux," lived with wife Catherine
Clément, age 22, native of Port-Toulouse and
Jean's daughter. With Jacques and
Catherine was their 14-month-old daughter Marie.
Also with them were two hired French fishermen--Nicolas Joasse, age 18, "native
of Quarolle, diocese of Avranche"; and Joannes
Dharouenaut, age 4, "native of Charau, diocese
of Bayonne." De La Roque noted that Jacques "has passed
26 [years] in the colony," that he owned "Five
fowls," and that he and Catherine "have no dwelling
place." François
LeHardy, age unrecorded, fisherman,
"native of St.-Modé,
diocese of St.-Malo," lived with wife Marguerite
Clément, age 15, "native of the place" and
another of Jean's daughters. De La Roque did not
record François's time in the colony, but he did note
that the entire wealth of this young couple "consists of
seven fowls," that "they
have no dwelling place," and so they likely lived with
Marguerite's family. Madeleine Robert,
actually Henry dit Robert, age 52
(actually 62), "native of la Cadie" and "widow of the late Jean Bradon,"
actually Jean-Baptiste Radoux, also was
the widow of Benjamin Druce,
Marie-Josèphe's father. Madeleine lived with three unmarried
Radoux children: Pierre, age 32; Jean,
age 24; and Marguerite, age 18--"All natives of Île
Royal." Also in the household was Étienne Porier
or Poirier, age 7, also born on Île
Royale, "her nephew." De La Roque noted that the
widow owned "One heifer, and five fowls," but "had no
dwelling place." Jean Beaulieu,
age 48, "native of Bourneuf, diocese of Nantes," lived
with second wife Marie Hulin, age 48,
"native of Grandville, diocese of Coutances," and two
sons, the older perhaps from his first wife, Madeleine
Rodon: Pierre, age 6; and Jean,
fils, age 2. De La Roque noted that Jean
"has passed 30 [years] in the colony," that he and Marie
owned "Four fowls, and they have no dwelling."
François Bonnieu, probably
Bonnier, age 24, fisherman, "native of the
place," lived with wife Marguerite Lavaudière,
age unrecorded, "native of Port Toulouse," and two
children: Barbe, age 3; and Jean, age 5 months.
De La Roque noted that the couple owned "one mare for
the whole of their livestock" and said nothing of their
land or dwelling. Anselme Blanchard, age 34, "farmer for M. Dola
Barras, Captain of the port, native of Cobeguy,"
that is, Cobeguit, was living with second
wife Marguerite
Doiron, age 32, and six children, the older
ones from his first wife Marie Robichaud:
Marie-Marthe, age 15; Joseph, age 10; Isabelle, age 7;
Marguerite, age 4; Jeanne, age 3; and Clothilde, age 2.
"They have not yet cleared any land," De La Roque noted,
and owned only "A cow with her calf," a hint that they
were recent arrivals.25
The surveying party left St.-Esprit on February 11 and
reached L'Ardoise, the next coastal community, late that day.
"The distance between the two points is estimated at six
leagues," De La Roque noted. "We noticed,
first, thay a bank of sand on which there is a great
deal of grass, extends from St. Esprit to the Creek de
la Choui, and, further, that this Creek de la Choui
affords excellent anchorage from the south-west;
north-west, and north-quarter-north-east winds, but it
is open to the full force of winds from other points.
It has an area of three quarters of a league, and in the
centre seven or eight fathoms of water. There are
two submerged reefs outside the said creek that are left
to starboard on entering. The Grande Rivière runs
into the said creek," which lies between today's
L'Archeveque and Point Michaud. "The narrow
entrance of the creek lies north and south. It
runs inland about three leagues and after dividing into
three arms penetrates inland to the west, north-west and
north. Vessels of seventy tons, if they could only
effect an entrance, might pass up the creek for two
leagues, but the passage is only practicable for vessels
drawing six or seven feet of water, and that only at
high tide. It's shores are covered with all kinds
of hard wood, with quantities of pine or, spruce on the
high ground, and on the banks of the three arms.
During the remainder of the distance, which is estimated
at four leagues, we did not find any place suitable as a
place of refuge for boats. It is all composed of
abrupt declivities and chains of rocks impracticable for
vehicles. All the land in the vicinity of the sea
is covered with fir and poor spruce." And then
they reached L'Ardoise, where the bay "is adapted to the
cod-fishery," De La Roque observed. "The family of
the Sieur Coste, who took took refuge
here at the time of the last war with the English, makes
good catches of codfish of eery merchantable quantity.
The bay is divided into two parts; the one that is
settled being very small and exposed to the winds
blowing in from the open sea, but it was preferred to
the larger arm seeing that that does not run so far
inland, and is therefore more exposed to the full force
of the wind. In the larger branch vessels find
shelter from winds from every point generally, and when
they are to lie there for some time, without proceeding
on their way, they can by using precaution find
anchorage. It runs inland for a good half league,
but the water is only deep enough for boats. The
banks are covered with hardwood. The soil is known
to be largely sandy in its composition and suited only
for the cultivation of hay, and garden stuff."26
At L'Ardoise, De La Roque found
nine more Acadian families, all related to Sr. François
Coste, native of Marseille and long-time
resident of the island who once had worked as a
carpenter at Port-Royal in "la Cadie." He had come
to Port-Toulouse in c1717, where he excelled as a
coastal pilot. Living with the 81-year-old sieur
(De La Roque recorded him as age 90) were his 78-year-old wife
Madeleine Martin dit Barnabé,
"native of Port Royal" (De La Roque insised she was
89), two orphaned
grandchildren--Joseph and Madeleine Dugas,
ages 21 and 12, children of daughter Marguerite, wife of Joseph
Dugas of Port-Toulouse--and Louis
Mercier, age 17, "native of Canada, engaged for
one year in the capacity of servant." De La Roque
noted that Sr.
Coste owned "Five cows, two mares, one
sow, six fowls, and a garden." Marie-Catherine
Coste, age 57, "native
of Port Royal" and François's daughter, lived with her
second husband Pierre Boy, or Bois, age 70,
a fisherman, "native of
St.-Jean des Champs, Diocese of Coutances," and
their seven
children, all from Pierre: Judith, age 27; Cécile,
age 21; Joseph,
age 19; François and Madeleine, age 17; Charlotte, age
14; and Geneviève, age 11. De La Roque noted that
Pierre had been "40 years in the colony" and that he owned "One ox, two cows, three calves, one bull,
two pigs, seven fowls, one boat and a large garden." François's daughter Madeleine Coste,
age 54, "native or Port Royals," was the widow of Barthélemy
Petitpas, who, like his father Claude, fils, had
served as agent-interpreter among the Mi'kmaq,
befriended the British, but later turned against them.
They captured him in 1745, about the time they captured Louisbourg,
and Barthélemy died in a Boston prison in January 1747,
age 60. His widow Madeleine was
living with six unmarried Petitpas
children in February 1752: Jean, age 24; Pierre, age 21; Claude, age 18;
Guillaume, age 17; Pélagie, age 14, and Paul, age
12--"All natives of Port Toulouse." De La Roque
noted that the widow owned "One ox, four cows,
one calf, two pigs, five fowls, one boat, and a large
garden." Madeleine Petitpas,
age 34, "native of Port Toulouse," probably Madeleine
Coste's oldest daughter, lived with husband Charles
Lavigne, age 34, coaster, "native of
Port Royal," and five children--Anne, age 9; Charles,
fils, age 6; Cécile, age 5; Benoit, age 3; and
Joseph, age 5 months. Also in the household was domestic servant
Gilles Poirier, age 13, native of St.-Esprit,
perhaps a kinsman of Étienne Poirier of
that village. De La Roque noted that Charles and
Madeleine owned "One
ox, four cows, one calf, two pigs, seven fowls, one boat
of the capacity of ten cords of wood and a garden."
Joseph
Petitpas, fisherman, age 29, native
of Port-Toulouse, probably Madeleine Coste's oldest son, lived with wife Anne Lafargue,
age 25, "native of Petit Degras," and a
15-month-old son whose name De La Roque did not record.
They owned "One cow, five fowls, and a garden." Jean Coste,
age 38, coaster, "native of
Port Royal" like his older sisters, lived with wife Madeleine Lafargue,
age 29, "native of Petit Degrat," and five
children: François le jeune, age 11; Pierre,
age 9; Jean, age 6; Geneviève, age 3; and Étienne, age 6
months. Also in the household was Ambroise Lebandon,
age 24, "native of Port Toulouse, in the capacity of
domestic." De La Roque noted that Jean and
Madeleine owned
"Six head of cattle, one mare, two pigs, seven fowls,
one boat of the capacity of 15 cords of wood and a
garden."
Gervais Brisset, age 50,
fisherman, "native of Condé, diocese of Bayou [Bayeux],"
Framce. lived with wife Marie-Josèphe LeRoy,
age 36, "native of Port Toulouse" and only
child of Marie-Catherine Coste and
her first husband Sébastien Le Roy
dit L'Espérance. With Gervais and
Marie-Josèphe were five daughters: Marie-Josèphe,
age 16; Catherine, age 12; Brigitte, age 8; Suzanne, age
6; and Gervaise, age 3. De La Roque noted that
Gervais "has passed 30 [years] in the colony" and that
he and Marie-Josèphe owned "One ox, four cows, one calf,
two pigs, six fowls, one schooner of the capacity of 15
cords of wood, and a garden like the others." Pierre
Brisson, age 52, a fisherman, "native of
Nantes," lived with wife Anne Bois, age
33, "native of Port-Toulouse and Pierre's daughter.
With them were three children: Marie, age 11;
Jean, age 5; and Pierre, fils, age 18 months.
Also living with them was Louis Minereau,
age 20, "native of Rochfort, as a domestic." De La Roque did
not say how long Pierre had been in the colony, but he
did note that he owned "Five head of cattle, one mare,
two pigs, five fowls, one boat and a garden." Noël Amiot,
age 40, fisherman, "native of Quiberon, diocese of St.
Malo," lived with wife Marguerite Bois,
age 30, "native of Port Toulouse" and another of
Pierre's daughter. With Noël and Marguerite were
four children: Marguerite, age 8; Jean, age 4;
Madeleine, age 2; and an unnamed son, probably Pierre,
age 1. De La Roque reported that Noël had been "in
the Colony since 1728" and that he owned "Seven head of
cattle, one pig, five fowls, one boat, and a garden."
De La Roque noted of the entire community: "The
land on which the family of François Coste is settled
was granted ... by Messrs.
de Saint Ovid[e] and de Soubras," the governor
and intendant of Île Royale in 1717. "It
extends a half a league on the seashore. The small
quantity of meadow land is situated on the banks of the
Grande Baye. They would not know where to obtain
sufficent hay for their live stock, unless they carried
it from the lands of Canseau," in Nova Scotia.
"The beach is naturally enclosed and there are
scaffoldings for drying the fish."
De
La Roque also noted that "all [these] settlers as well as
those at Saint Esprit and at Gabarus have received
rations for two years," such was the precarious nature
of farming and fishing along this coast.27
The survey party left L'Ardoise on
February 13 and reached Port-Toulouse "on the same day,
the distance between the two points being estimated at
two leagues. About two hundred toises
from the bay de l'Ardoise, settled by le Sieur François
Coste," De La Roque related, "we found a second
very extensive bay," near present-day Rockdale.
"The entrance to it lies south-east and north-west with
a depth of four fathoms of water; and vessels, once
inside the find anchorage in 15 or 16 feet of water, and
shelter from winds from the south-quarter-south-west;
west, north-west; north; and north-quarter; north-east.
In truth they are not secure in case of heavy weather,
for the bottom is composed of moving sands, and vessels
are liable to drag their cables, and drive on to the
rocks of the Cap de l'Ardoise, or run aground on a sand
bank that extends to the further end of the bay.
It is little frequented by the sailors during the
autumn, which is the seaon for gales, and vessels only
go there to load with cord wood. A quarter of a
league outside the bay to the south, quarter south-west,
lies an island of the same name, which may be hald a
league in extent. It is close to the lands [of]
Grand Isle, near the cape at the south-west of the said
bay. All the shore as well as the interior is
covered with hard timber. Leaving the bay we pass
through an alder plot about an eighth of a league in
extent, which leads to a species of barachois,
afterwards following the shore for half a league before
striking the Barachois des Sept Islots. This
barachois is not of much importance. It has a
little water and it seems probably that at some remote
date it was meadowland, which has been submerged with
the waters left by the incursions of the sea into the
island. One sees where in reality there is the
grass still at the bottom, and at low tide there is at
the most only a foot of water over it. The bottom
is very muddy. Outside there are seven small
islands which give to this place the name Sept Islots.
Finally a blazed road is taken which leads to the
further end of the barachois to the east of
Port Toulouse. All this part of the country is
covered with mixed timber, but fir is the predominant
wood."
"Port Toulouse is situated to the right as you enter the
little channel," De La Roque observed. "The mouth
is formed by the Pointe à Coste, on the lands of Isle
Royale, and the Cap de la Ronde, on the isles Madame.
The port extends three leagues running east and west.
The breadth varies at divers points but is estimated to
average from 150 toises to 200 toises.
Vessels of 150 tons could not pass on account of two
shoals that are in the centre of the said channel and it
would take good seamanwhip to work small vessels
through"--seamanship such as that displayed by harbor
pilot François Coste in days gone by.
"Port Toulouse is formed by the Point à Coste and the
Pointe de la Briquerie," De La Roque explained, "which
are reckoned to lie north-west and south-east, and to be
three quarters of a leage apart. There is one
channel which the King's vessels of 30 to 36 pieces of
cannon could enter, but it is winding, and it is
necessary to buoy the course on port and starboard in
order that vessels may pass up the middle of the channel
without fear of coming to grief. It is a pity that
this port is not practicable to vessels of all kinds; it
presents a charming perspective and could be easily
fortified, but it would be impossible to prevent an
enemy effecting the landing of troops without the
construction of several forts at the various points
suitable for that purpose, between the Pointe de
l'ancienne Intendance and the rivière à Tillard.
On this rivière à Tillard, in the creek de la Briquerie
defence is everywhere quite easy, and without being
visible from the present settlement. When near the
land one estimated la Briquerie is a good league from
the settlement, and the rivière à Tillard three-quarters
of a league. Vessels of 100 tons can enter and
find shelter in this river, secure from winds from all
points generally. The basin is not very large but
is well adapted for sheltering ships. The settlers
of Port Toulouse beach their boats and schooners here
for the winter. It is the only spot that is
concealed from observation from the King's Post.
From Pointe à Coste to the King's Post there lies a sand
bank which leaves a small space between it and the land
on the north side where the Post stands and between this
sandbank and the land on the north side, there is an arm
running inland to the east for about a good half league.
It is just as easy to effect a landing in this spot as
in the preceding."
The miliary engineer had good reason to be concerned about
the defense of this strategic French outpost.
Pepperell's Yankess had burned it during the previous war, and it was still in the
process of reconstruction. Tensions between Britain and France were heating up in
the Ohio valley. In Nova Scotia, the new British
stronghold at Chebouctou, now Halifax, lying on the same
coast as Port-Toulouse, was entering its third year, as
was the peninsula-wide petite guerre pitting the British
against the Mi'kmaq and Acadian paritsans.
The aggressive Edward Cornwallis, builder of Halifax and
several fortified outposts among the Acadians
in the Fundy settlements, was still governor of
British Nova Scotia and still determined to overawe the
French inhabitants there.
De La Roque proceeded with his survey. "The land of l'ancienne Briquerie
is found to be stony and not capable of producing
marketable stuff," he went on. "Half a league east-south-east
from Port Toulouse lies Grande Grave," today's Grande
Greve. "It is bordered by Pointe Pinet on the east
and by Pointe à Coste on the west. The entrance
lies north-east by south-west. Vessels can find
anchorage here and shelter from winds from almost every
point, only those blowing off shore being dangerous.
They anchor in five to six fathoms of water. Two
reefs lie opposite to pointe à Coste. They are
visible at low water and left on the starboard beam as
one enters. At the far end of the creek there is a
barachois running a good quarter of a league
inland in a north-westerly direction. All this
section is covered, with a mixed timber."28
Port-Toulouse, today's St. Peter's, had been
occupied by Europeans since the 1630s. De La Roque
found 44 families in and around the port, the largest
concentration of Acadians on the island. The first
30 families he counted were, for the most part, long-time
residents engaged in subsistence agriculture and the coasting trade.
Typical of Acadians, many, if not most, of them were
related by blood or marriage: Jean-Baptiste
Martel, age 42, "native of Québec," a
coaster, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Pouget,
age 48 (actually 44), "native of Port Royal," and five children: Charles,
age 18; Joseph, age 16; Baptiste, age 13; Madeleine, age
11; and Épotille, age 8. De La Roque noted that
Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Josèphe owned "Four oxen, eight cows, one
horse, eleven fowls, three ducks, six geese, and a
gander." Jean-Baptiste informed De La Roque
that "the land for his dwelling" had been sold to them
by Jean Clément, who the engineer had
visited up the coast at St.-Esprit. Jean-Baptiste
insisted he "did not know the extent" of the land around
his dwelling, "nor that of a meadow from which he
carried hay for wintering his live stock." Jean Bois,
age 22, a coaster, "native of
the neighbourhood" and son of Pierre of L'Ardois,
lived with wife Judith Coujet, actually Poujet,
age 23, "native of Port Toulouse" and Marie-Josèphe's
younger sister. De La Roque noted that "The
land they occupy was sold to them by le Sieur
Boudrot," likely Charles dit Charlot or
his brother
Michel dit Miquetau Boudrot, and
that Jean and Judith "have partly cleared a piece of ground for a
garden." Judith and Jean owned "one cow with a
calf, four turkey hens, five geese, three fowls, and one
schooner." Having
married only the year before, Jean and Judith had no
children. Nicolas
Beriot, actually Barrieau,
fils, age 49, a coaster, lived with second wife
Ursule Gotre, actually Gautrot, "native of des Mines,"
age 49, and six children: Marie, age 16; Joseph,
age 14; Olivier, age 12; Pierre, age 10; a second Joseph,
age 7; and Madeleine, age 4. The sieur
noted that Nicolas, fils and his family "have
taken refuge in the island for two years."
Also, that "The land they occupy was granted them in
1749 by M. Dubaget, then Commandant of Port Toulouse,"
that they "have made a small clearing for a
garden, and uncultivated land for a meadow." Pierre
Degré, or
Daigre, age 56, carpenter, "native of
la Cadie," actually L'Assomption, Pigiguit, lived with second wife
Marie-Louise Testard dit
Paris, age 41, "native of Port Royal" and widow of Charles dit Petit
Charles Pinet. Pierre
and Marie-Louise had married recently, in c1750, so
four of the five children living with them were Pinets;
another evidently was Pierre's daughter by his first wife
Madeleine Gautrot: Madeleine
Pinet was age 25; Joseph
Pinet, age 24; Marie-Josèphe
Daigre, age
23; Pierre Pinet, age 22; and a second Pierre
Pinet, age 12.
De La Roque noted that all of Pierre and Marie-Louise's children
were natives of Port-Toulouse, but he did not say how
long the family had been in the colony. De La
Roque did note that "The land they occupy was given to
them by M. de Rouville, then Commandant at Port
Toulouse," and that "The only clearings they have made
are one for a garden, and one for pasturage, where they
cut about thirty quintals of hay," a hint that
they were recent arrivals, and that they owned "Three
cows and nine fowls." Michel
Samson, coaster, age 40 (actually
45), "native of la Cadie," actually Port-Royal, lived with wife Anne dite
Jeanne Testard dit Paris, age
35, "native of Port Royale" and Marie-Louise's
sister. With Michel and Jeanne were seven
children: Jeanne, perhaps also called Anne, age 22; Jean, age 17; Jeanette,
age 15; Michel, fils, age 13; Sébastien, age
11; Judith, age 8; and Joseph, age 3. De La Roque
noted that Michel, père "has spent 25 years in
the colony," that "The land they occupy was granted
verbally by Messieurs de Saint Ovide and Le
Normand," that the family had "cleared two
or three arpents of land, which they have
turned into meadows, where hay comes up best, and a
garden where vegetables thrive best." They owned
"two oxen, eight cows and six fowls," but De La Roques
said nothing of a boat. De La Roque also noted
that "They have been granted two years rations." Charles Pinet, a
27-year-old coaster, "of Port Toulouse," probably an older son of
Marie-Louise Testard, lived with wife
Jeanne Samson, age 32 (likely 22),
"native of Port Royale" and Michel's daughter.
Charles and Jeanne lived with an unnamed son whose age
was not recorded, but the child likely was Jean, age 1
1/2 or 2. De La Roque did note that the land on
which the couple
lived belonged to Charles's
father-in-law "Sr. Samson,"
who "has given them land for building and to make a small
garden when garden products do best." The
couple owned "two cows and six fowls." Mathieu
Samson, age 42, coaster, "native of Port Royal," lived with wife
Marguerite Pouget dit
Lapierre, age 42, "native of la Cadie," actually
Annapolis Royal, and Marie-Josèphe and Judith's sister.
Mathieu and Marguerite lived with seven children:
Pierre, age 17; Jean, age 16; François, age 14;
Isabelle, age 13; Charlotte, age 8; Bruneau, age 7; and
Jeanne, age 3. De La Roque noted that the couple
"have been granted two years rations, and have been in
the colony since 1730," that "The land
they occupy was granted to them verbally by Messieurs de
St. Ovide and Le Normand," and that "They
have three oxen, two cows, and seven fowls," as well as
"a clearing for a garden and a piece of ground four
arpents in extent for a meadow." Abraham
Dugas, age 36, coaster, "native of
Mount[sic] Royal" (De La Roque meant Port-Royal),
lived with wife Marguerite Fougère, age
28, "native of la Cadie," actually Annapolis Royal, and five children: Marguerite, age 16; Jean,
age 13; Marie, age 11; Geneviève, age 9; and Joseph, age
18 months. De La Roque noted that "They have been
in the colony since 1719," that "They have been
granted rations conformably to the King's ordinance,"
that their land was granted to them "verbally, by Messieurs
de St. Ovide, and Le Normand," and that "They have made a
clearing for a garden, and the rest is in pasture, with
a second meadow above the dike of the Isles Madame."
De La Roque also noted that they owned "two oxen; three cows; one sow; seven fowls;
and one batteau." Marie Marchand,
age 43, "native of la Cadie," actually
Annapolis Royal, was widow of Charles Pinet
l'aîné, Charles dit Petit Charles's older
brother. With her were four of her Pinet children:
Jean, age 21; Jeanne, age 18; Jean-Baptiste, age 13; and
Angélique, age 12. De La Roque noted that "The
land she occupies was granted in form to Sr.
Louis Marchand," her father, "by
Messieurs de St. Ovide, and le Normand," but that
she and her husband had "lost their title deed during the
late war." De La Roque also noted that "She has no
clearing except for a small garden." Charles
Pinet, fils, age 25, coaster,
"native of the place" and another of Marie Marchand's
sons, lived with wife
Hélène Guédry, age 22, "native of la
Cadie." Evidently the young couple had no
children. "They have neigher live stock nor dwelling
place," De La Roque noted, so they likely lived with the
widow Pinet. Pierre
Le
Sauvage, age 27, coaster, "native of la
Cadie," actually Minas, lived with wife Jeanne Pinet,
age 22, "native of Port Toulouse" and one of Marie
Marchand's daughters. They, too,
had no children and "neither live stock nor dwelling
place." Louis Dantin dit
La Joye, age 50, native of Paris, lived with wife
Marguerite Marres dit
La Sonde, age 36, "native of Saint Pierre,"
that is, Port-Toulouse, and five children: Gabriel, age
10; Jeanne, age 9; Louis, fils, age 7;
Barthélemy, age 4; and Joseph, age 2. "Their
land," De La Roque noted, "is situated on the land of
Marc la Soude,"
actually Marres dit La
Sonde," their father," but De La Roque did not
record what Louis dit La
Joye
did for a living. Judith Petitpas,
age 60, "native of Port Royal," widow of
surgeon/fisherman Bernard Marres dit
La Sonde and Marguerite's mother, lived with two unmarried
sons: Jean-Baptiste, age 24; and Joseph, age 21.
De La Roque noted that Judith and her sons also had lost the deed to
their land "in the late war," that they owned
"One ox, three cows, two calves and four fowls," and "make their hay on the banks of the rivière à
Tillard, where their meadows lie, which "were granted to
them in the same deed as their homesteads." Honoré
Boucher dit Villedieu, age 36,
"native of la Cadie," probably Grand-Pré, lived with
wife Marie-Anne Marres dit La Sonde, age 24,
native of the area and one of Judith Petitpas's
daughters. With them were three children: Béloni, age 8;
Marie-Josèphe, age 4; and Jean, age 2. De La Roque
noted that Honoré "has passed 30 [years] in the colony,"
that he and Marie-Anne owned "two oxen,
two cows, and four fowls," and that their house "is on their mother's homestead." Michel Boudrot dit Miquetau,
fils, age 35, coaster, "native of la Cadie,"
lived with wife Anne dite Jeanne
Fougère, age 27, native of the area, and
Marguerite's sister. With Miquetau and Jeanne were
two children: Jeanne, age 2; and Joseph, age 2 months.
They owned "One ox, one sow; six fowls and one schooner"
and also had "made a small clearing for a garden."
Miquetau, born in c1717 probably at Annapolis Royal, had
been taken to Port-Toulouse soon after his birth, so he
was not a new arrival. Jacques dit Jacob Coste,
age 47, a "builder, native of Port
Royal" and son of François of L'Ardoise, lived with wife Françoise Petitpas,
"native of la Cadie," age 45, and son Claude, age 22.
De La Roque noted that "They hold in live stock, two oxen, three cows; two
pigs, one horse ten fowls; one bateau and a
skiff," and that "The
land on which they are settled was given them verbally
by Messieurs de Saint Ovide, and Le Normand. They know nothing as
to its extent, and have cleared ground for a
garden only." Joseph Dugas,
fils, age 38, coaster, "native of la Cadie," was
the widower of Marguerite LeBlanc, who
had died recently. (She was a daughter of Acadian
resistance leader Joseph LeBlanc
dit Le Maigre of Minas, who also lived at
Port-Toulouse.) Joseph, fils lived with five
children: Marguerite, age 10; Anne, age 8; Marie
and Joseph, age 5; and Françoise, age 3. Also
living with them was niece Marie
Breau, age 22, "native of la Cadie."
He owned "One ox, two cows, two pigs, and 12 fowls," had
inherited his land from his father but lost the land
deed "in the last war," and had,
with his late wife, "cleared about two arpents
of land where they have several times sown turnips, but
they have never come up well"--a big let down for a
man whose father, also a coaster, had been wealthy
enough to own West-African domestic servants at
Port-Toulouse, of which he was a pioneer settler. Pierre Bois,
fils, age 19, coaster, "native of the place"
and son of Pierre of L'Ardois, lived with wife
Jeanne Dugas, age 22, "native of
Louisbourg" and Joseph Dugas, fils's
youngest sister. Pierre, fils and Jeanne had no children, but they owned "two cows and
one hen." Claude Clerget or Clergé, age 60,
coaster, "native of the parish of Acre, diocese of
Langres," lived with wife Françoise Lavergne,
age 50, "native of Port Royal." With them were six
children, including two of Françoise's sons from her
first and second marriages to Claude Petitpas, fils
and Antoine Lavandier, and four
children by Claude Clergé: Joseph Petitpas,
age 21; Abraham Lavandier, age 17;
Gabriel Clergé, age 14; Félicité Clergé, age
12; Françoise Clergé, age 11, and Anne Clergé, age 10. De La
Roque noted that Claude and Françoise "have live stock consisting of two
oxen, two cows, two heifers and three fowls. The
land they occupy is situated at the further end of Bras
d'Or," and "They have cleared about two arpents
of ground, where they raise all sorts of garden stuff."
Jacques Petitpas, age 28, a coaster,
"native of Canceau," actually Port-Toulouse, Françoise Lavergne's son by her first
husband, lived with wife Françoise Breau,
age 28, "native of la Cadie," and their 9-day-old
daughter Marie. De La Roque noted that Jacques and
Françoise owned "one ox, one sow, four fowls and
a bateau," and "The land they occupy was given
them by their mother, out of her homestead." Anne
Baudreau, actually Gautrot, age 54, "native of la Cadie"
and widow of Jean Braud, or Breau, lived with six
Breau children: Joseph, age 26; Marie, age 22;
Ermant, age 20; Anne, age 18; Marguerite, age 15; and
Madeleine, age 14. De La Roque noted that the
widow "has no dwelling place," and that "Her children
follow the coasting trade." Jean-Baptiste
Petitpas, age 30, coaster, "native of la Cadie," actually Port-Toulouse, and Jacques's
older brother, lived
with wife Françoise Bertaud dit
Montaury, age 27 (actually 25), "native of la
Cadie," and their 5-month-old son Jean. They also
lived on Jean-Baptiste's mother's homestead. De La Roque noted
that "The character of the land in the further end of
Bras d'Or," north of and across a narrow peninsula from
Port-Toulouse, "is very well suited to the cultivation
of much garden stuff, such as peas and other vegetables.
Notwithstanding that the fogs are as prevalent as at
Louisbourg in the spring, the Sr.
Petitpas told me that one year his father,"
Charles, fils, "sowed wheat and that it came up
in fine condition and well nourished." Joseph
Vigneau dit Maurice, age 37,
coaster, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife Catherine
Arseneau, age 33, "native of Port
Royal," and seven children: Rose, age 15; Joseph,
fils, age 13; Nicolas, age 11; Jean, age 10;
Marguerite, age 7; Pierre, age 6; and Hippolyte, age 3.
Also in the household was a domestic, Baptiste
Bareu, perhaps Breau, "who intended "to settle in the colony,"
so he probably was not a native of the island. De La Roque noted
that Joseph and Catherine "have been settled in the
Colony 14 years," owned "two oxen, two cows, four pigs,
ten fowls, and one bateau," that they "have turned
the whole" of their land "into pasture,"
and "have verbal permission from Messrs. Desherbiers and
Prévost to settle on the land they occupy."
Madeleine Soret or Ferret, age 46, "native of
Québec" and widow of ____ Coulon and
Pierre Dumas dit
Vandeboncoeur, lived with three
children from her two marriages:
Dominique Coulon, age 20; Marguertie
Coulon, age 18; and Pierre-André
Dumas, age 12. De La Roque
noted that the widow "has been in the colony 29 years,"
that she, too, lost her land deed in the late war, and
that "She had turned all the forepart of her homestead
into meadow land from which she saves from 130 to 140
quintals of hay." He also noted that "She has no
live stock." Joseph Fougère,
fils, age
36, coaster, and Marguerite and Jeanne's brother, lived with wife Marguerite Coste,
age 32, "native of Port Toulouse" and Jacques dit
Jacob's daughter. With Joseph and Marguerite was
their own 4-year-old daughter, Modeste. De La
Roque noted that the couple had been "in the colony 28 years." Also
in the household was 12-year-old Marie-Madeleine ____,
"native of la Cadie," a domestic. Joseph and
Marguerite owned "one ox, one cow, one heifer, two
geese, four fowls, and a share in a vessel." Their
dwelling had been sold to them by neighbor Claude Dugas,
age 26, a coaster, "native of this place" and
evidently a kinsman of Joseph,
fils. Claude lived with his wife Marie-Madeleine,
called Madeleine, Belliveau, age 34
(actually 42), "native of Port Royal" and widow of Jean Fougère, père.
(She was Joseph Fougère, fils's
stepmother.) With Claude and Madeleine were six
children, most of them from her first marriage: Louison Fougère,
age 18; Isabeau Fougère, age 17; Barbe
Fougère, age 16; Jean Fougère,
age 10; Michel Fougère, age 9; and
Joseph Dugas, age 2 months. "In
live stock they have two oxen, two cows; one mare; one
goose, one pig, and five fowls," De La Roque noted.
"They have cleared a garden, and the remainder of the
homestead is in meadow land from which they draw 20 to
30 quintals of hay." Their land had been sold to
them "by the late Jean Robert Henry,"
but "The extent of the said land was not specified in
the deed of sale." Nicolas Préjean,
age 42 (actually 47), coaster, "native of Port Royal"
and widower of Marguerite Broussard,
lived with six children: Louison, age 18; Marie,
age 16; Jeanne, age 9; Rose, age 8; Cécile, age 4, and
Gabriel, age 1. Nicolas owned "Two cows, two fowls, and
a bateau." He, too, De La Roque noted,
lived on land sold to him by "the late Jean Robert
Henry," on which "There is a garden and
the rest of the land is pasture." (Later that
year, at Port-Toulouse, Nicolas remarried to Anne,
22-year-old daughter of Michel Samson
and Anne dite Jeanne Testard dit Paris.)
Nicolas Lavigne, age 68, coaster,
"native of St. Denis," near Paris, lived with second
wife Marie-Anne Demanceau, actually Clémençeau, age 43,
native of Port-Royal, and
six children: Anne, age 19; Marguerite, age 15;
Nicolas, fils, age 14; Madeleine, age 11;
Barbe, age 7; and Geneviève, age 2. De La Roque
noted that Nicolas "has spent 25 [years] in the colony,"
that "Of live stock," he and Marie-Anne "have two
oxen, two cows, two bulls, four geese, and seven fowls,"
that "They have made a clearing for a garden and the
rest of the land is in pasture," and that "The homestead
on which they are was merely granted to them verbally by
Messieurs de Saint-Ovide, and Le Normand." Orré,
actually Renée, Marchand, age 36,
"widow of the late Breau," actually Pierre-François
Briand of Paramé, near St.-Malo, lived with seven Briand
children: Jeanne, age 20; Joseph, age 15;
Pierre, age 14; François, age 11; Célestine, age 9;
Jean, age 7; and Georges-Cyprien, age 4. "In live stock
she had two cows, and one sow." De La Roque also
noted that the land the widow occupied "was granted to
her by Messieurs de Saint Ovide, and Le Normand."
However, "In the grant the extent of frontage of the
said land is not stated, but it is clearly specified
that its depth extends from the settlement to the
further end of Bras d'Or." Jean dit
Poitiers Marchand, age 40, "native of Port Royal,"
Renée's older brother, lived with wife
Geneviève Pouget, age 35, also "native
of Port Royal," and two sons--Eustache, age 2; and
Louis, age 1. "In live stock they have four oxen,
two cows, eight geese, five turkey hens, eight fowls,"
and they also owned a skiff. "Their meadows are
situated on the Grand Passage, from la Platriere to the
Isle de l'Ours," De La Roque noted, "the distance
between these boundaries being on league, where they
gather 60 to 70 quintals of hay. They have two
other dwellings, one granted verbally by M.
de la
Valière, subject to the good pleasure of Messieurs de
St. Ovide and de Mézy. The other was sold to them
by the widow Boudreau." As
at Gabarus, St.-Esprit, and L'Ardois, De La
Roque noted that "all the settlers enumerated
above, were given two years rations, with the exception
of several who complained of not having received their
supplies from the store house, because the storekeeper
had taken their orders from them, and gave them a supply
on account, telling them to return another time, and
when they went back for the balance le Sr. Lartigue did
not remember the occurrence, and they never received the
balance due to them."29
De La Roque then turned to the "new settlers,
refugee Acadians," found "throughout the command of Port
Toulouse"--10 families who, over the past few
years, had fled the chaos in Nova
Scotia. With few exceptions, these refugees were
related by either blood or marriage to many of the
established settlers at Port-Toulouse, as well as to one
another: Jean
dit Miquetau Boudrot, age 29,
"native of Port Royal" and younger brother of
Michel dit Miquetau, fils, lived with wife Françoise
Arseneau, age 23, "native of la Cadie"
and Catherine's younger sister. With Jean and
Françoise were
three children: Joseph, age 3; Jean, fils, age 2; and
Angélique, age 3 months. Also with them was
Nicolas La Treille, perhaps
Triel dit Laperrière, age 10, "a
relative," born in "la Cadie." De La Roque noted
that Jean dit Miquetau and Françoise have been in the colony two years and have
received rations during that period," that "They have
neither live stock nor dwelling," but they did
"have ten fowls, and a bateau they are building
to carry wood to Louisbourg." Jean-Baptiste, called
Baptiste, Vigneau dit
Maurice, age 25 (actually 35), "native of Port
Royal" and younger brother of Joseph dit
Maurice, lived with wife Agnès dite Anne
Poirier, age 28, "native of la Cadie," and six
children: Marie, age 12; Jean-Baptiste, fils,
age 10; Théotiste, age 8; Amand, age 6; Marguerite, age
4; and Nastazie, probably Anastasie, age 1. "They
have been in the colony half a year," De La Roque noted,
"and have been granted rations for two years."
They owned "one cow, one calf, one sow, eleven fowls,
and a bateau. They have no dwelling
place," the sieur added, noting that "The land
on which they are settled was marked out for them by M.
de Villejoint," and
that "They have made no clearing." Joseph Poirier,
age 47, "native of la Cadie" and Agnès dite
Anne's older brother, lived with wife Jeanne
Gaudet, age 35, "native of Port Royal," and
four children: Anne, age 18; Joseph, fils,
age 15; Marie, age 10; and Modeste, age 4. "They
have been in the colony two years," De La Roque noted,
"and have been granted rations for that time."
They owned "one ox, one cow, one calf, four pigs, eleven
fowls, and one bateau. The land on which
they are settled was given them by M. de
Villejoint. It was long ago
cleared by fire. They have done no clearing."
De La Roque said nothing of a dwelling. Vincent
Arseneau, age 32, "native of la Cadie,"
lived with wife Marguerite Poirier, age
21, "native of Port Royal" and Joseph's
daughter. Vincent and Marguerite had no children.
De La Roque noted that they have been in the colony two
years, and have been granted rations for that period.
They have only one cow. The land they have was
granted to them by M. de Villejoint. They have done no clearing."
Jean Vigneau dit
Maurice, age 48, coaster, "native of la Cadie"
and older brother of Joseph and Baptiste, lived
with wife Isabelle, also called Louise, Arseneau,
age 37, "native of des Mines" and Catherine
and Françoise's older sister. Jean and Isabelle lived with three
daughters and two orphans: Marguerite, age 18;
Anne, age 15; Marie, age 9; Charles Bourd,
probably Bourg, age 14; and Simon
Poirier, age 8. De La Roque noted
that they had been in
the colony for two years, had been given rations for
that time, and owned "two oxen, one cow, two pigs, three
geese, six fowls, and a bateau." Their
land also had been "marked out for them by M. de
Villejoint," and they had "made a clearing for
a garden." Jean Bte. Bouteau,
actually Jean-Baptiste Butteau, age 27,
"of Port Toulouse, native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Jeanne
Caissie, age 23, "native of Port Royal,"
8-month-old daughter Marguerite, and Anne
Clémençeau, age 7, probably Jeanne's
niece. "One ox forms their whole stock," De La
Roque noted. "They have been in the country for 18
months and have been granted rations for two years."
He also noted that "The land which they have improved
was given by M. de Villejoint," that
"They have cleared about two arpents to make a
meadow and a garden; for as regards grain not only is
the nature of the soil unsuitable for its growth but the
fogs that prevail in the spring prevent it from being
productive." André Temple, age
24, "native of the parish of Menibec," actually
Menibeaux, "bishopric of Avranches," Normandy, lived
with wife Marie Deveau, age 22, "native of la
Cadie," and
daughter Marguerite, perhaps Marie-Marguerite, age 3 months. "They have been
three years in the colony," De La Roque noted, "and have
received rations during that period.... The land
they occupy was marked out for them by M. de
Villejoint. They have made a clearing for
a garden, and another of about four arpents in
extent for a meadow." De La Roque said nothing of
their livestock. Marie Quéry,
actually Caissie,
age 55, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, "widow of Pierre Devot,"
actually
Deveau, was Marie's mother and
Jeanne Caissie's aunt. The widow lived with two younger
Deveau children: Pierre, age 18, and
Anne, age 13. "In live stock," De La Roque noted,
she owned "one ox, one
cow and calf, one sow, ten fowls, three geese. She
is in the country since the month of August last, and she lives in the house of André
Temple, her son-in-law." Charles Poirier, age 30, "native of la
Cadie," lived with second wife Marguerite Vigneau,
age 25, "native of Port Toulouse" and sister of Jean, Joseph,
and Baptiste. With them was 18-month-old son Charles, fils. "They have been in the country 18
months," De La Roque noted, "and have been granted
rations for three years.... In live stock they
have one sow and ten fowls. The homestead on which
they are settled is owned by a man named
Langlois [likely François], a settler in the Isles Madame.
When they came there he promised to give them the
freehold, but on seeing that they had improved the
property and built a house on it, he declined to fulfill
his promise and demanded the sum of 100 écus in
settlement," a substantial sum in that day.
The tenth family De La Roque counted among the recent
arrivals was that of Joseph
LeBlanc, age 55, known by his dit,
Le Maigre--"the Skinny One." LeBlanc
was native of Minas and one of the most famous
Acadians of his day. As early as the 1720s, soon
after marrying Anne, daughter of Minas notary and tax
collector Alexandre Bourg dit
Bellehumeur, Le Maigre chose to resist the British
authority then seated at Annapolis Royal. During
the war with Britain in the early 1740s, in fact, the
skinny merchant from Minas had become as active in the
Acadian resistance as the Broussard
brothers of Peticoudiac. Le Maigre was especially
adept at providing sustenance in the form of entire
cattle herds to French, Canadian, and Native forces
operating on the peninsula. For his efforts, Le
Maigre was thrown into the dungeon of the British fort
at Annapolis Royal. He escaped and continued his
activities, but, during the war's final days, Governor
Shirley of Massachusetts placed a 50-pound bounty on his
head. In 1748, Le Maigre gathered up his family
and headed for the safety of the French Maritimes.
De La Roque found him at Port-Toulouse with wife Anne
Bourg, age 53, and three children:
Alexandre, age 20; Paul, age 17; and Anne, age 10.
Nephew Joseph LeBlanc, age 6, also was
part of the household, along with nieces Anne and
Marie-Josèphe Allain, ages 18 and 15.
Living with the family was the redoubtable Alexandre
Bourg dit Bellehumeur, age 84,
a widow now, the judge and notary who once represented Minas before the
colonial Council at Annapolis Royal. De La Roque
reported that the family had "been in the colony three
years, and have received rations during that time.
In live stock they have twenty-five cattle," a fraction of the substantial herds Le Maigre
had controlled on the peninsula, and "ten fowls."
They also owned a skiff. "The dwelling in which
they are belongs to Joseph Dugas, their
son-in-law," De La Roque explained. Joseph
Dugas, fils was the widower of Le Maigre's daughter
Marguerite, who had died recently. Joseph,
fils allowed his father-in-law,
Bellehumeur, and the others "to occupy" the dwelling
"until such time as they are given land." The
French government had promised the banished resistance
leaders,
including Le Maigre, compensation for their losses in
the service of the King, but, as De La Roque's
survey reveals, that just compensation was slow in
coming.30
De La Roque next counted the "Old Settlers in
La Briquerie," near Port-Toulouse--four more
Acadian families related to one another: Honoré
Préjean, age 40, a coaster, "native of la Cadie"
and younger brother of Nicolas of Port-Toulouse,
lived with wife Marie
Brossard, or Broussard,
age 30 (actually 33), "native of Port Royal" and younger
sister of Nicolas's recently deceased wife Marguerite.
With Honoré and Marie were eight children: Félix,
age 11; Marie-Anne, age 9; Félicité, age 7; Cyprien, age
5; twins Julien and Madeleine, age 2; and two "not yet
named" twin sons, age 2 1/2 months. Also living
with them was Thomas Nolen, age 27, "native of Ireland,
in the capacity of a domestic." De La Roque noted
that Honoré and Marie owned "one ox, three
fowls, one bateau" that he "is in the colony since 1732,"
and that "The
land on which Sr. Honoré Prejean
has built was sold to him by Charles Boudrot.
He has done no clearing." Marguerite Dugas,
age 46, "native of Port Royal," was widow of Joseph Boudrot and
Abraham's older sister. She lived with
three Boudrot children: Louison,
age 19; Marguerite, age 16; and Charles, age 14.
Joseph Boudrot, fils, age 30,
coaster, "native of Port Toulouse" and Marguerite
Dugas's son, lived with wife Judith
Fougère, age 19, "native of said
place," and their 4-month-old daughter Jeanne.
Pierre Boudrot, age 25, coaster,
"native of the said place" and Joseph, fils's
brother, lived with wife Josette Dugas,
age 19, "native of petit Saint Pierre."
De La Roque noted that they owned
"two cows, two calves, and eight fowls."
Perhaps referring to the Boudrot clan,
De La Roque observed that "The land on which they are located was given them
verbally my Messrs. de Saint-Ovide, and Le
Normand, and is situate on the coast of Saint Pierre.
They have made a clearing for a garden, and the rest of
the place is pasture land. Their meadows are on
the Barachois à Descouts on the lands of the Isles
Madame. They could cut one hundred quintals of
hay, if only it could be well saved, but they only grow,
and cut grass sufficient for the live stock they have."
He added, perhaps referring to the entire community, that "The lands were granted to them by the
late Monsieur La Vallière, Commandant
at Port Toulouse."38
After a full week's effort, De La Roque and his
party "left Port Toulouse on the twentieth of February
and arrived at the rivière à Bourgeois ... in the
evening of the same day. The rivière à Bourgoies,"
he continued, "empties its waters in the little channel
a league and a half from Port Toulouse. It takes
its source in a large basin situated a quarter of a
league from its mouth in the northern part of Isle
Royale. It lies east and west, and is estimated as
being a half league in length. The breadth of the
river is unequal but its average width is estimated at
150 toises," or about 960 feet. "Its
entrance lies north and south. At high tide there
are 15 to 16 feet of water in the river throughout its
whole course of a quarter ofa league in extent, whilst
over the whole area of the basin already mentioned the
depth varies from three to five feet. Vessels of
100 tons burden can enter and load with the cordwood and
dimenstion timber, which is cut by the settlers of Port
Toulouse during the winter. All the shores of the
basin as well as the lands in the interior are covered
with hard wood."
The
following day, De La Roque and his party "left
rivière à Bourgeois, and," later in the day, "reached
the creek à Descoust, situated in the lands of the Isles
Madame.... On leaving the basin of the rivière à
Bourgeois one has to make a portage of about a quarter
of a league," or three quarters of a mile. "It is
covered with fir and leads to the large creek," he
noted. "This large creek would form part of the
little channel, if there were not two islands, close to
one another, lying in a line with the lands north of the
said channel, and causing a break in the connection.
The two entrances to the said creek lie at the two
extremities of these islands. The eastern entrance
is the most used; it lies north and south. Vessels of
100 tons burden can make the passage, and find anchorage
in from three to nine fathoms of water in any part of
the creek. The entrance to the west can only be
used by vessels drawing six or seven feet of water, and
at high tide. It lies north-east and south-west.
The length of this creek is estmated at three quarters
of a league. It runs east and west, with a breadth
of a quarter of a league, towards the northern lands.
All the banks are wooded with fir, but to compensate for
this, a quarter of a league inland from the creek there
is nothing but hard timber."
De La Roque and his party then headed to Île
Madame. "We next traversed the little channel
above the Isle Brulée, at which place there may be 150
toises of land," he continued. "Isles
Madame," as he called the big island, "lie to the
south-south-west of Port Toulouse, and are separated
from the islands of Ile Royale by the little channel,"
today's Lennox Passage. "Isle Madame is estimated
to be three leagues in length, by one league in breath.
Lengthwise it lies east and west, as does the channel,
whilst its breadth lies north and south. The
nature of the soil is not suitable for cultivation, as
in addition to the fact that fogs are constantly
prevalent during the whole of spring, the quality of the
soil can only be described as a mixture of earth largely
composed of clay, and an infinite number of rough stones
heaped one upon the top of another. The island in
the interior is wooded in places with beech-wood and the
wild cherry tree, the remainder being covered with
spruce and fir. The settlers on this island follow
various callings, in order to secure a livelihood.
Those who are not engaged in the cod fisheries, are
employed in navigation during the summer, whilst in the
winter they make cord wood, which they sell at 9
livres a cord, delivered at the coast, whilst as a
general rule all the settlers endeavour to add to their
earnings by finding keep for a few head of cattle.
The whole coast is practicable for small vessels, and a
landing can be very easily affected at almost any
point."39
De La Roque turned his attention first to "the old
settlers who are located on the north coast of the Isles
Madame only." Again, he found a dense web of
kinship connections among most of the 10 families he
counted there:
Pierre Bernard, actually Bénard,
age 66, coaster, "native of St. Malo," lived with wife
Cécile Longuépée, age 50, "native of la
Cadie" and sister of Isabelle, widow Papon,
of St.-Esprit. With Pierre and Cécile were eight
children: Anne, age 24; François, age 22; Nicolas,
age 18; Geneviève, age 17; Françoise, 15; Froisille, age
10; Charles, age 8; and Isaac, age 5. De La Roque
noted that "They have spent 30 years in this island,"
that "In live
stock they own one ox, two cows, two pigs and four
fowls," and that "The land on which he has been located since
1720 was granted to him verbally by Messieurs
de St. Ovide and Le Normand. He has done a large
amount of clearing and there is a fair amount of
improved land. Sr. Pierre Bernard[sic]
has made several attempts to grow wheat," De La Roque
added, "but though it has always come up well, it has
not ripened." Jean Bernard,
actually Bénard, age 30, coaster, "native of this
place" and Pierre and Cécile's oldest son, lived with wife Catherine Langlois,
age 28 years, also a "native of Isles Madame,"
and 16-month-old daughter Madeleine. Also with
them was
" a
man named Pancros, aged 20 years, a native of Dieppe,
who follows the fishery at Petit Degra, during the
summer." Jean and Catherine owned "one ox, one cow
and six fowls." François Langlois,
age 42 (actually 72), "a settler in the colony for 30
years, native of Paris," lived with wife Madeleine
Comeau, age 65, "native of Port Royal," and
their twelfth and youngest child, Joseph, age 18. Catherine
Langlois, wife of neighbor Jean
Bénard, was another one of their younger
children.
De La Roque noted that the old patriarch owned "a skiff, two cows, three calves, and two fowls.
The land on which he is settled was given to him
verbally by Messrs. Saint Ovide and Le Normand.
All the clearing he had made is containted in two
gardens, but he also has a large piece of cleared ground
which serves as a meadow." Pierre-Jacques
Pouget, age
40, coaster, "native of Port Royal," lived with wife
Madeleine Langlois, age 30, "native of
la Cadie" and one of the old patriarch's younger
daughters. With them were five children:
Madeleine, age 14; Pierre, fils, age 9; Jean,
age 7; François, age 2; and a 3-week-old daughter "not
yet named." "They are settled on land owned by
Langlois, père," De La Roque
noted. "They have made a clearing of about a
quarter of an arpent in extent for a garden.
In live stock they own, four cows, three calves, one ox,
one pig, and three fowls." François
Josse dit Saint-Breuic, age
56, coaster, "native of St. Glam, bishopric of
Dolle," France, lived with wife Marie Langlois,
age 48, "native of Port Royal" and François and
Madeleine's oldest daughter. With them were
seven sons:
Pierre, age 23; Joseph, age 22; Mathieu, age 17;
Guillaume, age 13; Gabriel, age 11;
Aimable, age 8; and Jean-Marc or Jean-Marie, age 6.
"In live stock they own, three cows, one calf, and three
fowls," De La Roque noted. Josse's
land "was given to him verbally by the authorities.
The quality of the soil renders it unsuitable for
cultivation, and the most they can do is, by using a
large amount of manure, to raise a little garden
produce." Mathurin Joseph,
age 45, fisherman, "native of Plangrenoy, bishopric of
St. Brieux," France, lived with wife Marie
Gourde, age 31, "native of Louisbourg," and
three daughters, all born on Île Madame: Louise,
age 11; Hélène, age 10; and Cécile, age 2. De La
Roque noted that Mathurin "has spent 23 [years] in the
colony ... has no land and is obliged to rent." François Josse,
fils, age
26, coaster, "native of Port Toulouse," lived with wife Marie-Marguerite
Tardiff, age 22, native of Louisbourg,
and their year-old-daughter Jeanne. They owned "a
cow, and a bateau." Their land,"
De La Roque noted, "was given to him verbally by the
authorities. He has clearerd about an arpent
of land to make a garden." Pierre-François, called
François, Langlois, age 44, fisherman
and "native of Port Royale," lived with wife Henriette
Bernard, likely
Bénard, age 33, "native of the place"
and probably Pierre's oldest daughter. With
François and Henriette
was their 14-month-old daughter Henriette. "They own
two cows, a calf, and three fowls," De La Roque
recorded. "Their house is built on land owned by
Langlois's father. They have
cleared land to make a garden." Nicolas
Langlois, age 29, fisherman, "native of Port Toulouse"
and Pierre-François's younger brother, lived with wife
Isabelle Pouget, age 27,
Pierre-Jacques's sister. With Nicolas and Isabelle
was their 2-year-old son
Nicolas, fils. "They own two cows; three
calves, an ox, a pig, and four fowls," De La Roque noted.
"Their house
is built on land owned by Langlois'
father." Jean Pouget, age 28,
ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and brother of
Pierre-Jacques and Isabelle, lived with wife Marguerite
Langlois, age 31, "native of Port
Royal" and François's youngest daughter. With
Jean and Marguerite was their year-old son François. "In stock they
own, four cows, three calves, two pigs, and four fowls,"
De La Roque noted. "Their land is the same as that
of their father Langlois.
Monsieur de Villejoint has given them a
meadow situated on the river à Dumolin at the little
channel. It is very extensive and they carry
sufficient hay from it to keep 24 head of cattle."
De La Roque then added: "All of the above named
settlers have been a long time in the colony, and have
had rations granted them for two years only."40
De La Roque then turned to "the new settlers,
refugees from la Cadie, on the Isles Madame," including
Île à Descoust, today's D'Escousse--a dozen more
families with the usual kinship networks: Herné, or René, Lambert, age 65,
plougman, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Marie Longuépée, age 54, "native of
Cobeyt," that is, Cobeguit, and four children: François,
age 21; Ambroise, age 19; Jeanne, age 15; and Isabelle,
age 14. De La Roque noted that "They have been
three years in the colony, and have been granted rations
for that time." He said nothing of livestock. Olivier Lambert,
age unrecorded, ploughman, "native of la
Cadie," likely a son of René and Marie, lived with wife Marie-Anne Pichot,
age 17, "native of Petit Degra." Referring to the extended
family, De La Roque noted that "The land they occupy was
located for them by Monsieur de Villejoint.
They have made a clearing, by cutting as much cord-wood
as they possibly could along the shore, choosing to work
on that part of the land, where they could make a living
by cutting cordwood, as the nature of the soil make no
return for cultivation," which must have been a
disappointment for these farmers. Claude
Giroir, or Girouard, age 55, ploughman, "native of la
Cadie," likely l'Assomption, Pigiguit, lived with wife Marie-Madeleine, called
Madeleine, Vincent,
age 44, "native of Port Royal," and seven children:
Joseph, age 23; Marguerite, age 21; Marie-Josèphe, age
16; Sylvain, age 14; Basile, age 11; Antoine, age 8; and
Proxède-Isabelle, age 5. "They have been in the colony
three years," De La Roque noted, "and have been granted
rations for that period. In live stock they own,
three oxen, two cows, one calf, one pig, and five fowls.
They are settled on land that was chosen for them by
Monsieur de Villejoint, but have found
that the nature of the soil would not repay cultivation.
They cleared ground, and made a garden, sowing cabbage
and turnip seed, but though they used a prodigious
quantity of manure, the seed did not come up very
well"--a sad commentary on the prospects for agriculture
in this part of the colony. Jean
Daniqua, age 40, fisherman, "native of
Grave, bishopric of Coutances," France, lived with wife
Marie Sire, perhaps Cyr,
age 26, "native of la Cadie," and two daughters:
Marie, age 2; and Rose, age 14 months. "He has no
homestead," De La Roque noted, "and no house built
except in the bush. He has been in the colony
since the month of August last. He has been
granted rations for one year." Jean Comeau,
age 37, ploughman, "native of la Cadie," was widower
of Marguerite Turpin, who had died the
year before. He lived with five children:
Jean, fils, age 16; Marguerite, age 14;
Isabelle, age 11; David, age 7; and Charles, age 4.
"He has two cows," De La Roque noted, "has been three
years in the colony and has been granted rations for
that period. He is settled on land located for him
by Monsieur de Villejoint. He
only took possession last autumn and made neither
clearing nor improvement." Pierre Guédry
dit Grivois, fils, age 28, ploughman,
"native of la Cadie," lived with wife Haniez Friel,
actually Agnès Triel dit Laperrière,
age 27, "native of la Cadie," and four children:
Marie, age 7; Simon, age 5; Marguerite, age 3; and
Charles, age 7 months. Also living with them was
niece Philippe Turpin, age 10.
"They are in the colony since the month of August last,"
De La Roque noted, "and have been granted rations for
one year." Pierre Friel, actually Pierre
dit Triquel dit Patron Triel
dit Lapierrière, age 74, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Port-Royal, lived with wife Catherine Bourg, age
68, "native of la Cadie," actually
Port-Royal, and Agnès's parents (she was, in fact, their
only child). De La Roque noted that Pierre dit
Patron and Catherine "live with Guédry their
son-in-law," that "They have one ox and two cows," and
"The land they occupy is situated on the Isle à
Descoust. It was chosen for them by Monsieur
de Villejoint. They have done no
clearing." Étienne Hamet, age 66,
ploughman, "native of Saint-Jean, bishopric of
Coutance," lived with wife Marguerite Benoit,
age 56, "native of la Cadie." De La Roque noted
that "They have been in the colony two years and have
been granted rations for a term of three years," that
they owned "a cow and calf and three fowls," and that
"The land he occupies is situated on the little creek."
They were "there by permission of Monsieur de
Villejoint" and have "done a little clearing, sufficient
for a garden." Jean-Baptiste Forin,
actually Forest, age 30, ploughman, "native of Des Mines,"
probably Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit, lived with wife
Marie-Madeleine LeBlanc, age 26,
"native of la Cadie," and three children: Olivier,
age 6; Marguerite-Théodose, age 5; and Étienne, age 1.
"They have been in the country two years," De La Roque
noted, "and have been granted rations for three."
Their land also was "situated on the little creek," and
they had "cleared land for a garden." Jacques
Barican, actually Barrieau,
age 47, ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and younger
brother of Nicolas of Port-Toulouse, lived with wife
Anne-Marie, called Marie, Turpin, age
43, "native of Des Mines" and Marguerite's
oldest sister. With Jacques and Marie were nine children:
Marie-Josèphe, age 22; Jean, age 20; Pierre, age 18;
Sifroy, age 16; Marguerite, age 14; Marie, age 12;
Précéde, age 7; Ursule, age 4; and Rosalie, age 2.
Niece Marguerite Turpin, age 7, also
lived with them. De La Roque noted that "They are
in the colony since the 16th of last July, and have been
granted rations for one year. Monsieur
de
Villejoint settled them on land at the Pointe à
Jacob. Since that time they have built, and have
cleared an arpent of land for a garden.
They have a horse and four fowls." Charles
Doiron III, age 33 (actually 36), ploughman, "native of la
Cadie," lived with wife Marie-Madeleine
Tibouday, actually
Thibodeau, age 35, "native of Port Royal," and
seven children: Marie, age 12; Baptiste, age 10;
Zacharie-Aimable, age 8; Joseph-Marie and Charles,
fils, age 6; Madeleine, age 4; and Marie-Anne, age
6 months. De La Roque noted that Charles "has been
in the colony three years with all his family, and he
had only a house built in the wood and two fowls."
Eustache Lejeune dit Briard,
age 37, coaster, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Minas, lived with wife
Marie-Anne Barrieau, age 25, "native of
Port Royal" and Jacques's daughter. Eustache and
Marie-Anne lived with two daughters: Agathe, age
4; and Marie-Josèphe, age 17 months. "They have
six fowls," De La Roque noted. "They have been
three years in the colony, and have received rations for
that time. The land on which he is settled was
located for him by Monsieur de Villejoint.
It is situated on Point à Jacob. He had made a
small clearing for a garden." De La Roque then
added: "Throughout this account it is made very
clear that if the settlers are obliged to clear the land
and are prohibited from fishing or embarking on vessels
engaged in the coasting trade, it is certain that they
will not be able to make a living."44
The survey party moved on to the next
settlement on Île Madame. "We left the creek à
Descoust on the 23rd of February," De La Roque
continued, "and, following the
shore, arrived at Petit Degrat," today's Petit-de-Grat,
"the same day. The
distance from the creek à Descoust, lying on the open
coast directly opposite to Port Toulouse, to the Cap à
la Ronde, is estimated at a quarter of a league," he
continued.
"Through this distance the coast rises so abruptly from
the open sea, and reefs and shoals are so numerous that
it is difficult to tell how to land. The Cap à la
Ronde and the Cap au Gros Né form the entrance to the
Great Creek du Petit Degrat. They lie about a
league apart [indecipherable] The entrance to this
creek [indecipherable] and it runs a league inland.
It makes a wide bend at the further end, where 200
toises," or a quarter of a mile, "from land,
vessels can anchor in five to six fathoms of water, and
is sheltered from all winds, except those from between
the east-north-east and south-east. With regard to
other winds, they blow off shore and in the heavy
autumnal gales that prevail here vessels would certainly
not be safe. So commodious is this creek that the
English, when they were in possession of the country,
took vessels of three hundred tons burden there to load
with cord wood. In the centre are three islands
lying together, and visible at any state of the tide.
Small vessels can shelter here from the east, north-east
and south-east winds. A shoal lies between those
islands and the land. There is a channel between
this shoal and the islands, and another between the
shoal and the land, one on either side of the reef.
At the entrance at an estimated distance of a quarter of
a league from Cap à la Ronde, there lies a shoal which
can be left either to starboard or larboard on entering,
a channel lies between this shoal and the Cap à la
Ronde. Throughout the whole of the district, to
the west-north-west, to the north, and to the north-east
there is nothing but hard timber, and throughout the
remainder is fir. The said creek lies only a
quarter of a league distant from the Petit Degrat.
Before the war the waters of these two places met by
means of a channel which has been filled, but at the
entrance only, by a surge of the sea. Vessels
carrying five or six cords of wood, or other cargo
formerly passed there loaded. The local fishermen
found this channel a great convenience, in taking their
boats laden with supplies to Louisbourg. Once out
of the great creek they found themselves crossing the
Barachois de l'Ardoise, instead of being obliged, as
they are to-day, to leave by the entrance to the harbour
of Petit Degrat, to double the Cap Gros Né which
projects far into the sea, and then go four or five
leagues outside to make l'Ardoise. The passage to
the point of crossing the harbour of l'Ardoise; by way
of the channed referred to, could be made in an hour,
whilst in doubling the Cap du Gros Né, the fishermen are
not sure of doing it in 24 hours and if they meet
contrary winds they have to be driven ashore rather than
run the risk of being driven ten or fifteen leagues out
to sea. It would be a convenience to the fishermen
if they were able to take their boats in and out of the
harbor of Petit Degrat, no matter what wind was blowing
at the time. It is estimated that the channel
could be made as practicable for navigation as it was
before for an outlay of not more than 300 livres,
a small amount in comparison with the benefit to be
derived. One is also led to believe that this
creek could be used by fishing vessels. This would
be a great benefit because fishing is not carried on in
the autumn, which is the season of the gales. Some
superb beaches for drying cod fish lie at the further
end of this creek on the edge of the plain."
De La Roque noted that "Petit Degrat is
suitable only for the cod fishery. None of the
peole who are settled there have any other occupations.
Fish are very abundant and none finer are found at Île
Royale. This place lies on the south-east coast of
the Isles Madame, opposite to the port of Canceau.
Petit Degrat harbour is formed by the Pointe à la
Rivière, lying to the north-west of the harbour, and by
the Cap de Fer lying to the south east. It is
calculated that the entrance is an eighth of a league in
breadth, that it lies north-east and south-west, and
that the harbour runs half a league inland to the south
east, preserving the same breadth, or thereabouts.
A shallow at the entrance lies about a hundred
toises from, and opposite to Cap de Fer. It
is left to starboard on entering, and after entering,
the land is coasted in taking the channel that passes
the reef. The channel to larboard is very
difficult to navigate even at low tide. The bottom
is composed of nothing but impracticable rock. The
harbour is practicable only to vessels of less than 150
tons burden. Vessels of heavier tonnage would
experience difficulty in entering. There are only
thirteen feet of water in the channel at high tide, but
when one has gained the harbour, he can anchor his ships
in the creek aux Navires, in four or five fathoms of
water. This creek runs inland for a short
distance. The lands in the neighbourhood of the
Petit Degrat are of a nature unsuitable for cultivation.
They are composed of rocky bluffs, with spongy soil
covered with a foot and a half of peat on the surface."45
As a result of the area's unsuitability for agriculture,
De La
Roque found no peninsula Acadians among the seven
families he listed in a "General census of men, women,
boys, girls, live stock, schooners, bateaux,
and boats of the Petit Degrat": Nicolas
Écard, or Hecquart,
age 52, fisherman, "native of the parish of Serance,
bishopric of Coutances," France, lived with wife Marie-Anne
Pichaud, actually Pichot,
"widow of the late Jean Embourg,"
actually Darembourg or Rambourg.
She was "native of Plaisance." All of the
children in their household were Darembourgs from Marie-Anne's first
marriage: Félix, age 19;
Jean-Noël, age 17; Jean-Pierre, age 16; François, age 14; Martin,
age 12; Jérôme, age 8; and
Isabelle, age 4. De La
Roque noted that "Le Sr Nicolas Écard
has four men engaged for the next fishery season"--Jean
Daribot, age 42; "native of Bayonne";
Martin D'Etcheverry, age 40, "native of
St. Jean de Luz"; Joannis Dorebida, age
25, "native of St. Jean de Luz"; and Bernard Le
Basque, age 36, "native of Bayonne"--all
Basques from southwestern France. "Le
Sieur Écard owns the following
live stock," De La Roque related: "two oxen, two
cows, three heifers, one pig, six hens, with their
rooster, and two boats. The homestead on which he
is settled was granted to the late Jean Embourg
in 1722 by Monsieur de Rouville then commandant
at Port Toulouse, without however, the quantity of land
he could enter upon, being determined." Marguerite
Rambourg, age 29, "native of the place"
and "widow of the late Emanuel," lived
in her mother's household with 14-year-old daughter
Marie-Josèphe. De La Roque noted that Marguerite's
"land lies at the further end of the great creek, and
she had ground for two gardens cleared, but she does not
cultivate them, as she had become dumb and is in her
second childhood." Nicolas Le Borgne,
age 36, fisherman, "native of Dieppe," lived with Marie
Darembourg, no age given, "native of
Petit Degra" and another daughter of Marie-Anne
Pichot. With Nicolas and Marie were two
children: Michel, age 3; and Marie-Anne, age 15
months. Also counted with the family was Jérôme
Darembourg, age 10, likely Marie's
younger brother and probably the same Jérôme counted
earlier. Also in the household was niece Françoise
Emanuel, age 8, sister Marguerite's
daughter. De La Roque noted that Nicolas employed
"Three men for the fishery"--Joannis D'Etcheverry,
age 19, "native of Dagitery, bishopric of Bayonne";
Dominique La Reide, age 36, "native of
Beatrix, bishopric of Bayonne"; and Joannis
D'Etcheverry, age 58, "native of Aquitary,
bishopric of Bayonne"--all Basques. "In live
stock," De La Roque noted, Nicolas and Marie "own one
bull, three cows, seven fowls and one boat," that "The
land on which they are settled was given to them
verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost
in 1749" and "Upon it are platforms, beach and
scaffoldings for drying the fish from two boats."
Jean La Fargue, "the elder,"
also called Joannis de Lafargue, père,
age 70 (actually 63), fisherman, "native of St. Jean de
Luz," lived with wife Marie-Anne
Osselette, or Ozelet, age 58,
"native of Plaisance," and four of their 13 children:
Jean, fils, age 22; Cécile, age 20; Charlotte,
age 16; and Jeanne, also called Anne, age 14. De
La Roque noted that the old Basque owned "three cows, nine
fowls, and two boats," that his "land, which he had
improved, was only granted to him verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost. He has on
it a platform, beach and scaffolding for drying the fish
from the two boats." Marc Vilalong,
or Villalon, age 47, fisherman,
"native of Trebeda, bishopric of Dol," France,
lived with wife Marie-Jeanne Ozelet, age 38, "native of
Plaisance" and Marie-Anne's younger sister. With
Marc and Marie-Jeanne were six
daughters: Marie-Jeanne, age 20; Cécile, age 18;
Marie-Anne, age 16; Marie, age 14; Marguerite, age 10;
and Madeleine, age 3. De La Roque noted that
"They have three fowls and a boat," that "The land they
occupy was given to them verbally by Messieurs
de St. Ovide and Le Normand in 1732," and "They had on
it platforms, scaffoldings and beach for drying fish
from two boats." Mathurin Picard,
age 35, fisherman, "native of Pléhéret, bishopric of St.
Brieux," France, probably a younger brother of François
Picard of St. Esprit, lived with wife
Angélique Romain, age 21, "native of
St. Esprit." They had no children, but Mathurin,
like his older brother, employed "four men hired for the
next fishing season"--Jean Desroches,
age 34, "native of Caret, bishopric of Avranches"; Jean
Dupont, age 31, "native of Vins,
bishopric of Avranches"; Pierre Nourry,
age 21, "native of Vins"; and Étienne Barbudeau,
age 16, "native of Saint Esprit." Jean
Baloy, or Balay, age
50, fisherman, "native of Mourvion, bishopric of
Avranches," lived with wife Marguerite Beaument,
or Beaumont, age 26, "native of
Grandeville," and their 16-month-old daughter
Marguerite. Also with them were Robert
Guitton, age 17, "native of Rennes"; and Allain
Reou, age "2 (?) years," "native of
Quimper Bossever, bishopric of Trégnier"--likely hired
fishermen. De La Roque did not say how long Jean
and Marguerite had lived in the colony or how they held
their land, but he did note that Jean "has two boats,
and three fowls," and that "His dwelling is adjoining
that of Maturin Picard."46
De La Roque then counted 10 families he
called "fishermen of Petit Degrat, who have no
house built at the fishery." Among them were a
hand full of peninsula Acadians: Antoine
Villalong, or Villalon, age
20, "native of this place" and Marc's son, lived with
wife Geneviève Darembourg, age 22,
"native of Petit Degrat," whose family was living at
Havre-St.-Pierre on Île St.-Jean. "They have no
dwelling here, but only a house in the woods," De La
Roque noted. They also had no children.
Étienne Saux, age 41, "native of
Plaisance," Newfoundland, lived with wife Marie-Anne
La Fargue, age 33, "native of the
place" and probably a daughter of Joannis. With
Étienne and Marie-Anne were five children:
Angélique, age 12; Marie, age 11; Marguerite, age 8;
Charlotte, age 3; and Jean-Baptiste, age 14 months.
De La Roque noted that Étienne "has been in the country
for 30 years" and "has four fowls." Louis
Saux, age 24, fisherman, "native of Saint
Esprit" and Étienne's brother, lived with wife
Marie-Jeanne Lafargue, age 27, "native
of the place" and Marie-Anne's younger sister.
With them was their 18-month-old son Étienne le
jeune. De La Roque said nothing of land and
livestock, so one suspects Louis and Marie-Jeanne lived
with his older brother. Jean Maréchal,
age unrecorded, a fisherman, "native of Carot, bishopric
of Avranches," lived with wife Marguerite Doiron,
age 23, "native of la Cadie" and sister of
Charles III of Île Madame. Jean and Marguerite had
no children. De La Roque noted that he "has been in
the country twenty years," that he and Marguerite "have
no dwelling at the fishery," but he "has a schooner,
which he uses to follow his calling."
François Cardet, actually
Fardel, age 55, fisherman, native of Rui,
bishopric of Vannes," France, lived with wife
Marie-Marguerite Pitre, age 40, "native
of la Cadie," actually Annapolis Royal, and two
children: Pierre, age 4; and Marie-Anne, age 2.
De La Roque noted that François "has been 35 years in
the colony" but said nothing of land and livestock.
Jean Daguerre, age 24, fisherman,
"native of St. Jean de Luz, bishopric of Bayonne," lived
with wife Marie Decheverry, or
D'Etcheverry, age 22, "native of Port
Toulouse," and their 4-month-old son Jean, fils.
De La Roque said nothing of Jean's time in the colony or
of his land and livestock. Jean Majet,
actually Jean-Baptiste, called Jean, Maillet,
age 35 (actually 38), fisherman, "native of Plaisance," lived with
wife Claire Langlois, age 47 (actually
42), "native
of Isles Madame" and "old settler" François's daughter (Claire's
first husband was Joannis D'Etcheverry
dit Miquemak, so she was living among her
former in-laws). With Jean and Claire were five
children: Jean-Marie, age 12; Jean-Pierre, age 8;
François, age 6; Marie, age 3; and an infant not yet
named. De La Roque noted that the couple "own
one ox, one cow, and four fowls" and that "They have
built a house on the Barachois à Villedieu." Pierre Giroir,
or Girouard, age 24, fisherman, "native
of la Cadie," lived with wife Cécile D'Etcheverry,
age 20, "native of the Isles Madame," their unnamed infant,
probably son Jean-Baptiste, and Madeleine
D'Etcheverry, age 17, "native of Port Toulouse"
and Cécile's sister. De La Roque noted that "They have
built their house in the woods" and own "two fowls."
He gave no details about their land. Julien Rabageois, age 24,
fisherman, "native of Vignac, bishopric of St. Malo," lived
with wife Marie
Lambert, age 22, "native of la Cadie" and
daughter of René of Île Madame. Evidently Julien
and Marie had no children. "They have neither
dwelling house nor live stock," De La Roque recorded.
Isabelle Toulon, age 36, "native of
Plaisance, widow and second wife of René dit
Renaud Pichot, lived with son François,
age 14. De La Roque noted that "She owns, jointly
with Madame Gerard, a dwelling situate on the
line dividing their lands. Le Sieur Herne
Pichot obtained a grant in form from
M. de St. Ovide, and from M. de
Soubras, of a parcel of land having a frontage on the
sea-shore of forty toises," or 256 feet, "and a
depth of sixty toises," or 383 1/2 feet.65
De La Roque noted ominously about the community: "There is more than sufficient land
around the harbour of Petit Degrat for the accommodation
of all these settlers, who have no houses on the
fishery, if once the boundary lines of the lands of
those who have dwellings are defined in comformity to
their letters of concession, and" Sr. Jean
Hiriart, a major concessionaire, "is once forced to make
restititution of all these concessions, which he has
appropriated on his own private authority. It can
be most truthfully affirmed that le Sieur Hiriart,
solely and also in common with his partner," Sr.
Pierre D'Aroupet, "holds possession of one half of the
harbour, and of two thirds of the remaining half, and it
is anticipated, unless the authorities take the matter
in hand, that these two men will expel all the settlers
one after the other, or contrive to enslave them, as
will be shown in the proper place, when the truth of
what is here stated will be duly manifested."
Here
was another reason why so few peninsula Acadians could
be found at Petit-de-Grat.
De La Roque then turned his attention to the dozens
of "fishermen engaged in the cod-fishery at Petit Degra,
but who are not domiciled there." None had family
connections to the Acadians in Nova Scotia or to the
other Maritime islanders. The great majority of
these itinerant fishermen were Basques from
St.-Jean-de-Luz. De La Roque also recorded the
so-called "Thirty-six Months Men," mostly natives of
St.-Jean-de-Luz, though two were from Bayonne and Agens,
probably Anglet, also in the Basque country.
None, like the others, held ties to peninsula Acadian.
At the end of the long
listing, De La Roque noted: "The Sieurs
Hiriart and D'Aroupet are partners in their cod-fishery
business. They have taken possession on their own
authority solely, of four fishing lots to which there
are heirs living." They included heirs "of the
late Jean Osselet, who for two years
engaged in the fishery on the concession with two boats.
The grant is for ground sufficient for drying the fish
of four boats." De La Roque further documented the
venality of the concession partners: "The only
source from which the settlers" of Petit-de-Grat "can
obtain hay for the subsistence of their cattle is from
Isle Verte, lying a quarter of a league out on the open
sea, opposite Cap au Gros Nez. They have no other
meadowlands whence they can carry hay. Le Sieur
Daroupet, however, some time ago became the principal
proprietor of Isle Verte, and claims that no one can go
there to make hay without previously obtaining his
permission."47
Having lingered at Petit-de-Grat for three days, De La
Roque and his companions headed overland to present-day
Arichat. "We left on the 26th of February and
arrived at the harbour of Grand Nerichac the same day,"
the seiur related. "In order to travel
from the harbour of Petit Degrat to the great harbour of
Nerichac one enters the bush, the road is estimated as
being half a league in length. The lands are
covered with timber of all kinds. The harbour of
Grand Nerichac makes one of the finest ports that there
is in the country. A survey shows that it is well
fitted for those carrying on the cod-fishery by means of
a vessel. It is enclosed by the lands of Isles
Madame, and an island called Isle de Punot (Pichot),
lying on the open sea. The harbour has two
entrances, that to the east being the better. This
entrance lies north-east and south-west, and is
estimated to be barely a quarter of a league in breadth.
At this entrance to the harbour, opposite the island are
three reefs which are left to larboard by boats going
in. In order to pass clear of these reefs, which
lie almost in the middle of the entrance, boats have to
sail close to the land. The second entrance, to
the westward lies west-north-west and east-south-east,
and is about half a league in breadth. Only
vessels from 40 to 50 tons burden can use this entrance.
The harbour is of great extent, running inland to the
north west for a good league. The harbour of Petit
Nerichac," east of today's West Arichat, "is entered as
one leaves that of Grand Nerichac," De La Roque
continued. "Only small vessels can make the
entrance. Its great area is composed of a vast
number of creeks and barachois, stretching
inland, and covered with hard wood." They then
left the south coast of Île Madame, where they had found
no inhabitants except at Petit-Dégras, and headed west
to a settlement on the coast of Île Royale that did
contain refugees from Nova Scotia.
"Then we hugged the shore as far as Cap Rouge," De La
Roque related, "whence we passed through the little
channel in order to reach the rivière des Habitants.
From the harbour of Petit Nerichac to Cap Rouge the
distance is estimated at a quarter of a league," or
three quarters of a mile, "and from Cap Rouge to rivière
aux Habitants is counted a five leagues," or 14 1/2
miles. "From the time we left the channel we
followed the right bank of the channel until we arrived
at the great basin of the rivière aux Habitants.
This river empt[ie]s itself into the little channel of
Froncak," near today's Lower River Inhabitants.
"The entrance to the basin lies east and west, and has
seven fathoms of water at low tide. There is not
the same depth of water in every part of the basin.
The area of the basin is one league in length, running
east-north-east, by a quarter of a league in breadth,
and the depth of the water, which is more in some places
than in others, is estimated as varying from nine to
four fathoms. There are three reefs in the said
basin, lying a quarter of a league to starboard outside
the rivière aux Habitants, but those entering the river
by tacking, do not consider them at all dangerous.
The settlers on this river make most of their hay on the
shores of this basin. The rivière aux Habitants
runs about six leagues," or 17 1/2 miles, "inland in a
direction which is about north-north-east by
south-south-west, but making a zig-zag course. It
is estimated that Isle Brulée," probably today's Birch
Island, :which lies in the centre of the basin that
forms the rivière aux Habitants, is situated half a
league from the mouth of the river. This island is
the highest point reached by vessels of sixty to seventy
tons burden. It cannot be said that they can
ascend no higher up the river, but they would not know
how to navigate the river above the house of one
Guillaume Benoist," an Acadian, "and so
winding and narrow is the channel that one requires to
be an experienced pilot to succeed in taking a vessel so
far up. Although throughout the channel there is
water to the depth of three or four fathoms, yet, on
account of the rapids which are estimated to be about a
league and a quarter above the mouth of the river,
sailors would not even know how to take a boat higher up
the stream than this island. On this island le
Sr. Guillaume Benoist has
constructed an ordinary saw mill. The banks on the
rest of the river are merely plateaux, where the
settlers make hay, and which might be turned into fine
meadow land, if only the residents would take the
trouble. The country is covered with all kinds of
hardwood and fine fir trees, out of which the people
make lumber for carpentry purposes, and boards two
inches thick, and 12 to 14 inches wide. The
government had no idea of making any outlay, or of
inducing the settlers to do so, in clearing the land, so
that the residents could grow wheat, or rye, or above
all buck-wheat, oats or peas but they should be directed
to lay out meadow lands on the banks of the river, so
that they could feed live stock."48
De La Roque counted "the settlers on the rivière
aux Habitants," all of whom--a half dozen families--were
refugees from Nova Scotia. Typically, they were
all related to one another by either blood or marriage: Joseph
Landry, age 36 (actually 34), carpenter, "native of la Cadie," actually Grand-Pré, lived with
wife Marie-Marguerite Breau, age 35,
"native of des Mines," and three daughters: Anne, age
11; Marguerite, age 9; and an unnamed 3-year-old.
Also in the household was Joseph's nephew Alexis
Lejeune, age 18. De La Roque noted that "In live stock they own,
two oxen, four cows; two heifers, a pig, and five
fowls," that "He has no dwelling
place and for that reason has made no clearing," and
that "They are in the colony since the 15th of last August,
and are granted rations for one year."
Jean-Baptiste Landry, age 60 (actually
62), ploughman, "native of la Cadie," probably Pigiguit,
Joseph's father, lived with wife Marie, actually
Marguerite, Bouherut, actually Gautrot, age 59, "native of
Pepeguit." Living with them was Jean
Daigle, age 20, a nephew, and
Marguerite Landry, age 18, a niece,
both "natives of la Cadie." De La Roque noted that
"In live stock" Jean-Baptiste and Marguerite owned
"two oxen, two cows, one bull,
one pig, and three fowls. They have been in the
colony since ___, and have been granted rations, as has
Joseph Landry their son." Alexis
Landry, age 29, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie," probably Pigiguit, and Jean-Baptiste's youngest son, lived with
wife Marguerite Aucoin, age 29, "native
of la Cadie," and two sons: Jean-Baptiste le
jeune, age 3; and Joseph le jeune, age 2.
De La Roque noted that "They have in live stock four oxen, five cows, one calf,
two pigs and three fowls. They are 18 months in
the colony, and have been given rations for one year."
Jean-Bapiste dit Labbé Landry,
age 39, ploughman, "native of la Cadie," actually
Grand-Pré, Jean-Bapiste's oldest son,
lived with wife Marie-Josèphe dite Josette
LeBlanc, age 32, "native of the same
place," and six children, "All natives of la Cadie":
Jean, age 13; Joseph, age 11; Charles, age 9; Marie, age
7; Pierre, age 4; and Marguerite, age 2. "Their
live stock consists of three oxen, two cows two pigs and
five fowls," De La Roque noted. "They have been in the colony eight
months, and have been granted rations for one year." Guillaume
dit Perrochon Benoist, or Benoit, age 46, "builder, and
owner of a saw-mill, native of la Cadie," lived
with wife Joseph Benoist, actually
Marie-Josèphe Gautrot, age 50,
"native of the same place" and Marguerite's younger
sister. With Guillaume and Josèphe were six children, "All
natives of la Cadie": Pierre, age 22; Michel, age
20; Boniface, age 15; Simon, age 13; Judith, age 15; and
Geneviève, age 9. "They have been in the colony
for three years," De La Roque noted, so Sr. Guillaume,
as he called him,
evidently was
the original settler at Rivière-aux-Habitants. He,
too, had received rations from the government in Louisbourg
during that period. "They have one ox, three cows,
five heifers, one bull, three pigs, and five fowls in
live stock." De La Roque concluded about this
small community of refugees: "This land which they
have improved is situated on the right," or west, "bank
of the rivière aux Habitants, but they will not continue
to cultivate it for any length of time on account of the
serious and frequent inundations of the river, caused by
the melting of the snows in the springtime. At
these times, not only are they prevented from working on
the land, but they find it almost impossible to prevent
the mouth of the river from being closed by silt."49
The survey party then endured a
week-and-a-half-long trek through the frozen interior of
Île Royale. "We left the rivière aux Habitants on
the 29th of February," De La Roque recorded, "and
returned to Port Toulouse that same day. On the
10th of March we left Port Toulouse taking the road for
the Isle de la Sainte Famillie, at which point we
arrived on the same day. The Isle de la Sainte
Famille lies on lake Bras d'Or"--the Arm of Gold--"at an
estimated distance of two leagues, or six miles, "from
Port Toulouse, and in 45 degrees north latitude.
The island," today's Chapel Island, "lies north and
south as regards its length and east and west as regards
its breadth, which latter, varying in different parts,
has been reduced to an average of 300 toises,"
or slightly over a third of a mile. "Whilst the
quality of the soil does not appear wholly bad, there is
no evidence supplies as yet, which could justify certain
assurance that any crops which might be grown would come
to maturity. The island is covered with all sorts
of timber, but chiefly beech and wild cherry.
There has been a settlement on the island, since the
date when M. l'Abbé Maillard moved his mission
to the Indians. The Indians do not live on this
Isle de la Sainte Famille, but they have their village
on the lands of Grand Isle, opposite the Isle de la
Famille, (the reason of this being that the wild dogs
devoured all their domestic animals). The arm of
the sea that separates these two islands is only a
hundred toises wide. The Indians only
live here during the summer, for there being no means of
subsistence for them on the island in the district to
the west of Bras d'Or and the district in the north of
the island. They only return to the Isle of Sainte
Famille in time for Easter and Whitsuntide when they
make their religious duty."
De La Roque found only three Europeans at
Île-de-la-Ste.-Famille, all of them island Acadians.
Louis Petitpas, age
26, "interpreter for the Indians, ... lives on this
island" with wife Madeleine Pouget, age
23, "native of the said place." Actually, both
Louis and Madeleine were natives of nearby
Port-Toulouse, where De La Roque had counted their
relatves the previous month. Living with the young
couple was Baptiste Roma, age 19, "native of Trois
Rivière de l'Île St. Jean," probably a
domestic. Louis and Madeleine's livestock
consisted of "one ox, two cows, one horse, two pigs, six
ewes and six fowls. They have made a clearing of
about 36 toises square for a garden where
cabbage and turnips have come up well, and they have
grown several ears of wheat of a quality above the
ordinary, and well filled, but it is considered that
while these ears of wheat and the cabbage and turnips
have done well on the cleared land where the manure of
the live stock rotted in during the year, which had
produced a hot-bed six inches deep, they have no
assurance that unless the same quantity of manure is
placed on all land where crops are sown they would come
up with the same beauty, the same quantity and so
perfectly matured," De La Roque noted.50
"We left the Isle de la Sainte Famille on the 11th of
March, and set out for the west
end of Bras d'Or," he continued. "We camped in the woods in the
evening for the night of the 11th and 12th, arriving at
the further end of Bras d'Or on the 12th. Here we
camped for the night. The distance from Sainte
Famille to the further end of Bras d'Or is counted to be
six leagues," just short of 17 1/2 miles. "We
walked nearly all the way on the ice, but in places on
the Bras d'Or where the ice had thawed we were obliged
to take to the brush, and put on our snowshoes in order
to get over the snow. All this region of the Bras
d'Or is covered with hard timber, mixed with a good deal
of fir. We took the road on the 15th[sic;
he meant 13th] day of the month of March, traveling
north-north-west. While traversing the bush we
came across a patch of spruce wood half a league in
extent. The soil did not appear to be of a marshy
character. Next we came to a growth of beech, but
only one of small importance, and in the third
place to a second patch of spruce wood. As a
matter of fact all sorts of wood are plentiful here, but
fir is the most plentiful, in the three-quarters ofa
league, which we traversed before reaching the spur of
the slope of the first mountain, where there is a stream
of some three or four toises," 19 to 25 1/2
feet, "in width. We climbed the mountain to its highest
point so as to make sure of our way. Its sides
though somewhat precipitous are not sufficiently so to
prevent the construction of a practicable road, by which
loaded vehicles could ascend and descend by making a
winding course. The slope is very even and covered
with hard timber through which a horse could gallop.
It is estimated to be 400 toises," or 2,556
feet, "in length at most, and then it rises for half a
league," or 7,676 additional feet, "forming a declivity
so gentle as to be just sufficient to determine the
direction in which the water will flow. It is
covered with all sorts of timber. In the third
piece of sprucewood, half a league in extent, the soil
appeared to be of a very moist character, nevertheless
one could not be sure seeing that it was on the highest
part of the mountain. Imperceptibly descending it
led us to a section of the mountain which is in all
respects impracticable, but turning aside from this
point and passing half a league to the west we found a
pass through which by making three zig-zags a road could
be constructed, which could be made more practicable
than those false roads over which 24 pounders [cannon]
have been taken. The land is covered with mixed
timber. Having descended the mountain we camped at
its foot. The whole descent may have been an
eighth of a league," about a third of a mile, "in all.
We estimated that we had travelled two leagues and two
thirds on the road which we had taken and in that
distance we took note of four small streams," De La
Roque reported.
"We resumed our journey on the 14th," he went on,
"in a direction
north-west a quarter west. In the first two
leagues we ascendend and descended several mountains
which require no special mention. The timber is
mixed wood. Next for a good half league we
descended an almost imperceptible slope until we came to
the river aux Habitants. In order to cross this
stream we had to cut down a fir tree and use it as a
bridge over the narrowest part of the river, which we
estimated at 30 feet at most, the depth of the stream is
barely 6 or 8 feet. Its bed, like that of all the
other streams we passed, is of a nature to lead use to
conclude that the land in this section of the country is
not swampy, even in the least. The bed is composed
of red sand and pebbles, the water being extemely clear.
The lands are known to be sandy. We followed one
of the arms of the river for a quarter of a league,
which brought us to the foot of the Grande Montagne.
We ascendend this mountain as it lay in our road.
The ascent is about a quarter of a league, through woods
of beech. Owing to the height of this mountain it
appears at first impracticable to build a carriage road
across it, but by following a circuitous route and
taking advantage of the passes between the small
hillocks a road could certainly be constructed by which
all, even loaded conveyances might ascend and descend.
It must be remembered that such a work would entail a
great deal of labour. We camped on the summit of
this mountain. On the 15th we resumed our journey
travelling northward for a league, after which we left
the river Judac," today's Judique, "on our left.
Leaving the river we continued on our way always
following the crest of the mountain, till it dies away
gradually as one nears the harbour of the Isle aux
Justeaucorps," today's Port Hood, on Cape Breton
Island's western coast. "The lands are covered
with hardwood. That day we kept to the crest of
the mountain for one league, being delayed by bad
weather, and on the 16th we resumed our road, keeping
north-north-wes, and continuted keeping to the top of
the mountain till it sloped down to the harbour of the
Isles aux Justeaucorps. We calculated that we made
a league and a half that day. The lands in this
section of the country are mostly covered with poor
spruce. On the two isles lying outside the harbour
there are some freestone quarries from which the stone
used in building the subterranean vaults, as well as the
gates of the King's bastion" at Louisbourg "was taken.
The stone was also used for the gates of the King's
hospital, but the builder, must have known how inferior
its quality was, since part of the stone used in these
buildings was brought from France. There is
another kind of stone found in these islands which is
suitable for grinding tools. These two islands,
situate in the open sea off the mainland, and one of
which is touching the land, make the harbour a safe one,
whilst it is said that a coal mine exists on the
mainland." From the Îles-aux-Justeaucorps,
De La Roque and his entourage spent March 17-20
returning south then east to Port-Toulouse, which they
reached on the 21st.
They then directed their attention, again, to the
island's interior to survey one of the largest refugee
communities on Île Royale. "We remained at Port
Toulouse during the 22nd, 23rd and 24th, leaving on the
25th day of March to proceed to the Pointe la Jeunesse,"
De La Roque related. "We slept the night of the
25th and 26th at the Isle de la Sainte Famille, and
reached Pointe la Jeunesse in the evening of the 26th.
The distance between he Isle de la Sainte Famille and
the Point la Jeunnesse is estimated at seven leagues,"
or a bit over 20 miles, "and this is travelled in the
winter on the ice, and in the summer by boat. The
Pointe à la Jeunesse is situate on the narrows of the
great lake of Bras d'Or," near present-day Grand
Narrows.
"The lands lie exceedingly
high and are covered with all kinds of mixed wood. The
settlers are unanimous in reporting the ground as
unsuitable for cultivation. It is freely traversed
with rocks, which prevent its being worked," De La
Roque added. He did not say it, but the founding of this community
was a significant moment in the history of the island's settlement. The year before the
engineer's arrival, Europeans appeared for the first
time in the interior of Cape Breton Island to settle
where only the Mi'kmaq had dwelled. All were
Acadian refugees, most of them cattlemen from Chignecto
and Minas. They brought with them the largest
importation of cattle since the colony was created, but,
Andrew Hill Clark avers, their beeves "largely
disappeared after one winter."74
At Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse,
De La Roque found 22 families trying
mightily to survive in a wilderness so
different from their homes on the Fundy shore.
Typically, most, if not all, of them were related to one
another either by blood or marriage: Jean
Benoit, age 69 (actually 71), ploughman, "native of Port Royal," who had come to the island
from Cobeguit, lived with second wife Marie
Amireau dit Tourangeau, age 67,
"native of cap de Sable" and widow of Joseph
Mius d'Azy. Of Jean's 14 children by his
first wife Marie-Anne Breau, four
of them resided in the community with their own
families. Marie had given him no more children, so
the couple lived alone. "They are in the colony eight months,"
De La Roque noted of the elderly couple, "and have been
granted rations for eighteen months." Jean
Bourg, age 36 (actually 39), ploughman, "native of la Cadie," from Cobeguit, lived with wife
Françoise Benoit, age 31, "native of
Port Royal" and one of Jean's youngest daughters.
With them were six children: Martin, actually
Marin, age 11; Luce-Perpétué, age 8; Gertrude, age 5;
twins Joseph and Anne-Marie, age 2; and an unnamed
children, likely Jean-Baptiste, age 4 months.
"They have in live stock, one ox, two cows and three
pigs," De La Roque noted. François LeBlanc, age 38,
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," from Minas, lived with
wife Isabelle Dugas, age 31, "native of
la Cadie," and five children: Joseph, age 11;
Marie, age 6; Isabelle, age 4; François, fils,
age 2; and an 18-day-old infant not yet named.
"They have an ox," De La Roque noted. Charles
Hébert l'aîné, age 45 (actually 49),
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," from Cobeguit, lived
with wife Marguerite Dugas, age 49,
"native of la Cadie" and Isabelle's sister.
With Charles and Marguerite were seven children:
Ambroise le jeune, age 22; Anne, age 19; François, age 17;
Isabelle, age 15; Luce, age 10; Olivier, age 7; and
Sixte, age 5. "In animals," De La Roque
noted, they owned "one cow." Ignace Caret,
actually Carret, age 75, ploughman,
"native of la Cadie," from Pigiguit or
Cobeguit, lived with wife
Cécile Henry, age 52, "native of Port
Royal," and eight children: Charles, age 28;
Joseph, age 25; Honoré, age 23; Marie, age 20; François,
age 18; Zenou, age 16; Anne, age 12; and Ignace,
fils, age 8. "In lived stock," De La Roque
noted, they owned "two oxen, two cows, ten sheep three
pigs, four fowls." Pierre Bourg,
age 25, ploughman, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Madeleine Hébert, age 24, "native of la
Cadie" and Charles l'aîné's daughter.
With Pierre and Madeleine was a child "not yet named. They owned two
oxen and one cow," De La Roque noted. Anne
Bourg, age 28, "native of la Cadie" and widow
of Jean Hébert, lived with three
children: Sarville, probably Serville, age 7; Basile, age 5; and
Jean-Bapiste, age 2. "She owns one cow," De
La Roque noted.
Antoine Henry, age 48, ploughman,
"native of la Cadie" and brother of Madeleine
of St.-Esprit, lived with wife Claire
Hébert, age 48, "native of la Cadie," and seven
children: Isabelle, age 26; Claire, age 24;
Joseph, age 22; Eustache, age 20; Madeleine, age 18;
Aimable, age 10; and Paul, age 8. De La Roque said
nothing of livestock for this family. Joseph
Hébert, age 42, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie," Charles l'aîné's younger brother, and widower
of Isabelle Benoit, lived with second wife
Cécile Nanson, actually
Melanson, age 48, widow of Charles
Bourg. Joseph and Cécile had married only two
years earlier. With them were seven children, all
of them his:
Joseph and Anne-Josèphe, age 17;
Françoise and Xavier, age 13; Marie, age 12; Isabelle, age
8; and Baptiste, age 7. "In live stock, they own,
one ox, one cow and two pigs," De La Roque noted. Pierre
Breau, age 26, ploughman, "native of la
Cadie," lived with wife Marguerite Guédry,
age 24, "native of la Cadie," and an unnamed 21-day-old
daughter. Also living with them as Pierre's sister
Marie-Josèphe, age 18, "native of la Cadie." De La
Roque noted that they "own one pig and four fowls."
Antoine Breau, age 29, ploughman,
"native of la Cadie," actually Cobeguit, and Pierre's
older brother, lived with wife Cécile Bourg,
age 29, and four children: Angélique, age 8;
Cécile, age 6; Blaise, age 4; and Suzanne, age 1.
"And in live stock," De La Roque noted, they own "one
ox, two cows, two calves, four pigs and six fowls."
Jean-Baptiste Guérin, age 33,
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Marie-Madeleine Bourg, age 32, "native
of Beaubassin," and two sons: Jean-Pierre, age 2;
and an unnamed son, Jérôme, age 2 months. "In live
stock," De La Roque noted, "they own one cow and two
pigs." Dominique Guérin, age
31, ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and Jean-Baptiste's
younger brother, lived with wife Anne LeBlanc,
age 25, "native of la Cadie," and three daughters:
Anne-Josèphe, age 5; Nastay, probably Anastasie, age 3;
and Marguerite, age 1. "They have two pigs," De La
Roque noted. Olivier Benoit, age
35, ploughman, native of "la Cadie" and Jean's son,
lived with wife Marie-Anne, called Anne, Part,
age 34, "native of Louisbourg," and four children:
Marie-Ange, age 9; Olivier, fils, age 7;
Clément, age 4; and Jean, age 18 months. "One pig
is all the live stock," De La Roque noted. Charles
Hébert le jeune, age 27,
ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and younger brother of
Charles l'aîné and Joseph, lived with wife
Marguerite-Josèphe Bourg, age 23,
"native of Beaubassin," and two sons: Charles,
fils, age 2; and an unnamed son, age 5 months.
"In live stock they own one ox, one cow and one pig," De
La Roque noted. François Hébert,
age 38, ploughman, "native of la Cadie" from Cobeguit
and brother of Charles l'aîné et al., lived
with wife Isabelle Bourg, age 32,
"native of la Cadie," and eight children: Olivier,
age 13; Françoise, age 11; Ursule, age 10; Joseph, age
8; François, fils, age 6; Tarsille, also called
Thérèse, age 5; Marie, age 3; and an unnamed daughter,
age 2 months. "They own in live stock, two oxen
and three pigs," De La Roque noted. Charles
Guédry, age 26, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie," actually Annapolis Royal, and Marguerite's
older brother, lived with wife Adélaïde-Madeleine,
called Madeleine, Hébert,
age 25, "native of la Cadie" and widow of Jean
Breau. With Charles and Madeleine were two daughters: Marie-Madeleine,
age 6, likely a Breau; and an 8-day-old
daughter not yet named, probably Marguerite-Victoire.
Also with them were three of Charles's younger brothers
and a sister: Joseph
Guédry, age 20;
Jean-Femilien
Guédry, age 17; Augustin
Guédry, age 12; and Aniez, actually Agnès,
Guédry, age
10. De La Roque noted that Charles and Madeleine owned "one ox and one
pig." Benjamin Mieux,
actually Charles-Benjamin, called Benjamin, Mius
d'Azy, age 24, ploughman, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Cap-Sable, and son of Marie
Amireau dit Tourangeau. Benjamin
lived with wife Marie-Josèphe, called Josèphe,
Guédry, age 30, "native of la Cadie," widow of
Amand Breau and Charles's first cousin.
With Benjamin and Josèphe were three daughters:
Marguerite-Pélagie Breau, age 6, from
Josèphe's first marriage;
Marie-Josèphe Mius, age 2; and Nastay,
probably Anastasie, Mius, age 1.
The owned "one ox," De La Roque noted. Charles Benoit,
age 26, ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and Jean's
youngest married son, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe
Estebondon, actually Thibodeau,
age 24, "native of Port Royal," and three children:
Marie-Madeleine, age 5; François, age 2; and Marguerite,
age 16 months. De La Roque noted that "in live
stock they own one ox, one cow and two pigs."
Martin Henry, fils, age 35,
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," Cécile's
younger brother and Antoine's nephew,
lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Benoit,
age 29, "native of la Cadie" and Jean's youngest
daughter. With them were five children: Basile, age 8;
Jean-Charles, age 6; Simon, age 4; Anne, age 2; and a
15-day-old son not yet named. "One pig is all
their live stock," De La Roque noted. Ambroise
Hébert, age 40, "native of la Cadie"
from Cobeguit and another brother of Charles l'aîné et al.,
lived with wife Marie-Madeleine Bourg,
age 36, "native of la Cadie," and six children:
Marie-Madeleine, age 16; Basile, age 12; Françoise, age
9; Ambroise, fils, age 7; Jean-Pierre, age 5;
and Isaac, age 2. Their livestock included "one ox
and three pigs." Jacques Arete,
age 30, "native of Port Toulouse," lived with wife Rose
Alitra, age 28, "native of la Cadie,"
and two daughters: Marie-Rose, age 2; and one
unnamed. De La Roque noted that "The only description of live stock they
have consists of five fowls."
Of the community, De La
Roque noted: "When all of settlers landed on their
arrival from la Cadie in August last, they owned between
them the number of 188 oxen or cows, 42 calves, 173
sheep or ewes, 181 pigs and 17 horses. A
comparison with the recapitulation will easily show how
many of these have perished from want of hay on which to
feed. The settlers had not even water to
give them within reach, and now all ask to leave fully
do they realize that they cannot live here." And
leave some of them did. According to A. H. Clark, these
Acadians
left the wilderness within the next year or two, though
most of them remained in the French Maritimes. Clark speculates
that the livestock at Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse perished not
only because of "want of hay," but "some considerable
number must have been killed for food and there was a
substantial export of horses to the West Indies from
Louisbourg in 1752." Clark insists that
"There were lands of moderately good agricultural
potential around the shores of Bras d'Or Lake, but these
Acadians from the easily worked, dyked tidelands of the
Bay of Fundy apparently were averse to clearing
forests."75
De La Roque and his party left Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse on the morning of March 28 "and
arrived at Port-Dauphin the same day. On leaving
the Pointe à la Jeunesse," De La Roque explained, "one
takes the ice in order to cross the little lake of Bras
d'Or, and then going north-quarter-north-east for three
leagues," nearly nine miles, "reached the Isle Rouge,
lying in front of the harbour of la Cadie, and then
holding north-east for a league, proceeds directly
forward on the Rouillé road. The Rouillé road runs
nearly north-east-quarter north, and south-west quarter
south. It is reported to be two leagues and a half
in length by teen feet in width. It is very
winding in is course, the bridges are not built, neither
are the bad places mended, nor the steep places cut
down. The bluffs at the two extremities of the
road are exceedingly steep, particularly the one lying
at the further end of the bay of Port Dauphin, which is
estimated to rise perpendicularly to a height of at
least thirty feet. The lands in the vicinity of
Port Dauphin," near present-day Englishtown, near
the site of Charles Daniel's Fort Ste.-Anne, constructed
in 1629, "are
extremely high and precipitous, and are traversed with
masses of stone heaped one on top of another and
crumbling away through the action of wind and weather.
The land is mostly covered with hard wood. The
nature of the soil as well as the position of the land
is not favourble to cultivation. Any settlers who
might be placed here for the purpose of improving the
land might be given full liberty to make their living as
best they could, they might subsist on the large herds
of cattle they could raise, the country having an
abundance of pasturage. The roadstead of Port
Dauphin is formed by the Cap Dauphin, situated on the
lands to the north, and the Pointe Basse on those to the
south. The Isles de Libore lie three quarters of a
league out to sea to the east-south-east of the
entrance. The island is estimated to be two
leagues in length, whilst the breadth between Cap
Dauphine and the Pointe Basse is estimated as being
more, though at the further end it is only half a
league. The harbour is formed by two banks of
sand; the one lying to the north and the other to the
south. The distance between these two banks is
only 70 to 80 toises," about 450 to 510 feet,
"and forms the entrance to Port Dauphin. The
entrance lies north-east and south-west. The depth
of water in the channel is twelve fathoms, whilst
throughout the whole extent of the harbour there is
fifteen to twenty fathoms of water."
De La Roque found only four families living at
Port-Dauphin, all headed by natives of Newfoundland or
France, one of them a colonial official: Le
Sr. Courtian, actually
Jean-Baptiste Courthiau, age 50,
"sub-delegate of the Admiralty authorities of the town
of Louisbourg, native of Bayonne," actually Plaisance,
lived with wife Marie-Geneviève, called Geneviève
La Forest, age 43, "native of Rochefort."
With them was Marie-Catherine, called Catherine,
La Forest, age 17, "their niece," De La Roque
called her, "native of Louisbourg." (In fact,
Catherine was Geneviève's half-sister and
Jean-Baptiste's sister-in-law.) De La Roque noted
that Le Sieur Courthiau "owns
two dwellings in Port Dauphin by grant of Messieurs
de Costebelle and De Soubras," the first governor and
first commissaire-ordonnateur of Île Royale.
"The first" parcel of land, De La Roque continued, "is
situate on the borders of the roadstead and contains 150
toises," or 959 feet, "front on the sea-shore;
with regard to its depth, it is not determined.
The second is above the pool, and has only 20 toises,
or 128 feet, "frontage. He occupies two meadows to
which he has not yet the titles. They are situated
on the Rivière de Rouville, and contain about seven
arpents. In live stock," the sieur
and his wife owned "one cow, one heifer, three ducks and
nine fowls." De La Roque noted that Antoine
Massé, no age given, was "in the
service of le Sr. Courtian in
the capacity of a 36-months man"; and Julien
Gomeriets, "native of Combourg, bishopric of
St. Malo," was "engaged for one years in the service of
Sr. Courtian." Maurice
Leveque, or Lévesque,
age 43, "native of Boulan, bishopric of Avranches,"
lived with wife Marie-Anne Bernard, age
35, "native of the place," and three children:
Marie, age 11; Joseph, age 8; and Jean-Baptiste, age 3.
Also with them was Mathurin Doulet, age
59, :native of St. Malo," Maurice's "fishing partner,"
who evidenltly had no family of his own. De La
Roque noted that Maurice "has spent 35 years in the
Colony," that he and Marie-Anne owned "One boat and nine
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled was
granted to their late father," Claude Bernard
dit Léveille of Poitiers and Québec," by
Messieurs de Costobelle and Soubras," that "They
lost the title deed in the last war" and "have made a
clearing for a garden in which they have grown all sorts
of garden produce, and to which they have six apple
trees bearing fruit. The fruit does not ripen
well." Philippe Demarets, or
Desmarais, age 55, ploughman, "native of Amiens,"
France, lived with wife Marie-Anne Rondeau,
age 58, "native of Québec." No children lived with
them. De La Roque noted that Philippe "is three
years in the colony," so one wonders where they lived
before 1749. "They have five fowls," De La Roque
recorded. "The land on which they are settled was
given them verbally only by Messieurs
Desherbiers and Prevost." Julien Fouré,
or Fourré, age 33, fisherman, "native of Carbé,
bishopric of St. Malo," lived with wife Marie-Anne
Du Charme, age 21, "native of Québec,"
and their 2-year-old son Julien, fils. De
La Roque did not say how long they had been in the
colony, but he gave a clue that they were recent
arrivals by noting "They have no dwelling house in the
country." He said nothing of land or livestock.76
"Left Port Dauphin the 31st March," De La Roque
continued, "and arrived the same day at Little Bras
d'Or. In leaving the King's Post [Fort Dauphin] we
ascended the mountain to the south. It is covered
with all sorts of wood, but chiefly fir trees. We
descended to the Great Bras d'Or. It is estimated
that there is one league of portage. We passed the
Great Bras d'Or on the ice at the imminent risk of our
lives, so rotten had the ice become owing to the effect
of five or six days of incessive thaws. The great
Bras d'Or lies between the lands of Port Dauphin and
those of the Isle de Verderonne. The distance
between the [mouth] of the great Bras d'Or and the
little lake of Bras d'Or is estimated at seven leagues,"
nearly 20 1/2 miles, "which constitutes the length of
the Isle de Venderonne, while its breadth is a good
quarter of a league, though its entrance is at most 400
to 450 toises," about half a mile, "in width.
There is a reef lying off the lands of Port Dauphin
which necessitates hugging the coast of the Isle of
Verderonne, and one makes the passage in 15 to 20
fathoms of water. Little Bras d'Or is settled my
M. [Louis-Simon] de la Boularderie," one of
the few seigneurs in the colony. "It is
suited for Cod fishery, for agriculture and for the
raising of quantities of live stock," De La Roque
continued. "The quality of the soil does not
appear absolutely poor."
De La Roque counted five fishing families on the
Boularderie concession at Petit-Bras-d'Or.
Most of the family heads were immigrants from Newfoundland, some of them natives
of France. None had connections to peninsula Acadia,
though some of them bore "Acadian" surnames:
Georges Biliart, actually
Dihars dit Estevin, no age given,
fisherman, "native of Chapeau Rouge, on the coast of
Plaisance," lived with wife Marie Coupeau,
actually Coupiau dit Desaleur,
age 47, "native of St. Pierre," Newfoundland, and eight
children: Alexandre, age 26; Marie, age 18; Jeanne
and Louis, age 17; Marguerite, age 12; Madeleine, age
11; Georges, fils, age 10; and Victoire, age 6,
"All native of Bras d'Or." With them were two
hired fishermen: Joseph Doex, age
20, "native of the bishopric of Bayonne"; and Nicolas
Richard, age 38, "native of Grandville." De La
Roque noted that Georges owned "Two boats and eight
fowls," that "The land he occupies was granted by the
late M. de la Boularderie,"
the Bras d'Or seigneur," that "He had built on
it a beach and staging for drying the fish of two boats,
and has made a clearing of about two arpents in
extent." Julien Durand,
age 42, fisherman, "native of Plaisance," lived with
wife Madeleine Vincent dit
Desmarets, age 22, "native of Niganiche," and their
15-year-old daughter Bernadine, "native of Niganiche."
With them were 10 hired fishermen, all but one natives
of Grandville, bishopric of Coutances, France:
Jean Trouvé, age 42; Vincent
des Roches, age 40; François Toré,
age 30; François Trogue, age 27;
Jacques La Troqué, age 28; Jean
Chesne, age 30; Jean le Moine,
age 26; Jacob ___, age 18; Jean
Catelier, age 22; and Jean Pierre,
age 19, "native of St. Malo." De La Roque noted
that Julien "has two boats, one-half boat and one small
boat for the fishery. The land he occupies was
granted to him by M. de la Boularderie.
It contains 45 toises", or 288 feet, "fronting
on the sea shore; but with regard to the depth the
extent is not determined. There are on it
platform, beach and scaffolding for drying the fish of
three boats and he has made a clearing of two
arpents in extent." François
Gouet, age 55, fisherman, "native of
Plairier, bishopric of Dol," lived with wife Marie
Montagne, age 45, "native of
Plaisance," likely his second spouse. With them
were nine children: Jean, age 25; Barthélemy, age
23; François, fils, age 21; Jean-François, age
14; La Chesne, age 16; Pierre, age 14; Marie, age 12;
Georges, age 10; Fauchon or Franchon, age 4. Also
with them was Jeanne Ouelle, age 18,
Marie's daughter from a previous marriage and widow of
Guillaume Messer. With the young
widow was her 4-year-old son who De La Roque did not
name. Also in the household were three "hired
fishermen": Pierre Michel, age
20, "native of St. Brieux"; Jacques Poussard,
age 23 "native of Plaisance"; and Jacques Gresse
de Grandville, age 45. De La Roque noted that "The
land" François "occupies was granted to him by M.
de la Boularderie. It has about
100 toises frontage on the sea shore.
There are on it platforms, beach and scaffolding for
drying the fish of two boats. There is a great
deal of land cleared, and still more uncultivated.
He owns in live stock, one cow, one bull, three goats
and twelve fowls." Jean Pichot,
age 32, fisherman, "native of Nerichac," was a bachelor.
De La Roque noted that "He has with him three men":
Jean Rambourg, age 27, "native of
Grandville," "and two others who live with De
Broise, master Smith. He has also two other
little boys to look after the kitchen and superintend
the platforms for drying the fish," as well as François
Pagnon, age 40, "native of Granville."
"All these people are at Louisbourg," De La Roque
continued. "He does not know their age. He
has two boats and fears that, for want of hands, he will
only be able to send one to the fishery. He came
here one year ago from Gaspé, where he was settled.
The homestead he occupies was given him by de la
Boularderie. It contains about 80
toises fronting on the sea shore. There are
on it platforms, beaches and scaffoldings for drying the
fish of two boats. He had made a clearing
sufficient for the sowing of a peck of wheat and for a
very good garden. He had had rations given him for
six months." Basile Borny,
age 50, fisherman, "native of the coast of Plaisance,"
lived with wife Marie-Jeanne, called Jeanne,
Pichot, age 33, "native of Nerichac," and their
12-year-old son Jean. With them also were two
hired fishermen: Joseph Pinçon,
age 55, "native of Britanny"; and Gilles Tosse,
age 33, "native of Combourg, bishopric of St. Malo."
De La Roque noted that Basile "owns one boat, one
schooner and eight fowls," that he and his family "are
in refuge at Labrador from Cap de Rés for a year, and
have been given rations for six months. The land
he occupied was granted him by M. de la
Boularderie. It has 100 toises
front on the sea shore. There are on it platforms,
beach and scaffoldings for the drying of the fish of two
boats and enough land cleared to sow a barrel of wheat."
Antoine Berteau dit Lyonnais,
age 50, "native of Port aux Basques," Newfoundland,
lived with second wife Joseph Lemare,
actually Marie-Josèphe Glamard, age 27,
"native of Niganiche," and seven children from his two
marriages: Antoine, fils, age 24, and Pierre, age
19, from his first marriage to Anne Sabot;
and Joseph, age 11; Françoise, age 7; Jean-Baptiste, age
4; a 2-year-old son whose name De La Roque did not
record; and a 9-month-old also unnamed. De La
Roque did note that Antoine was a "settler for one year
past at Bras d'Or," that back at his home in
Port-aux-Basques "he managed affairs of the English,"
and that son Pierre was "still at Boston with the
English." Also in the household were "two boys for
cooking hired at Niganiche, whose names and age he does
not known" and "his aunt" Marie Linier,
age 90, "native of Plaisance." "He has no live
stock," De La Roque continued, "but owns two boats and
is building a third. The place he occupies was
given him by M. de la Boularderie.
It consists only of a bank of sand on the sea shore,
sufficient for drying the fish of three to four boats.
There are on it platforms, beach and scaffolding for
drying the fish of the said boats. The only
clearing is for a garden."
"The land which
M. de la Boularderie has had
cleared on the little Brasdor is about 100 to 150
arpents with at least as much cultivated land," De
La Roque added. "There are two gardens which are
very large and which contain all sorts of fruit trees
particularly apple trees."77
De La Roque and his party then moved on. During
the first week of April, they lingered at
nearby Baie-des-Espagnols, where they found one of the
largest concentrations of Acadians on Île
Royale. "The baye des Espagnols," today's Sydney
harbor, "is situated at two leagues distance from the
narrows of the little Bras d'Or," De La Roque observed.
"It is formed by the Pointe aux Pommes, situate on the
lands to the north and the Point Basse on the lands to
the south. They lie north and south and at an
estimated distance of a half league, and are situate a
league and a half from the entrance, which is formed by
the sand bank de Brouillant, situated to the north of
the said entrance, and of that of Berrichon to the
south. The presence of these two banks leaves but
a narrow space for vessels to enter, but large enough to
leave nothing to fear. Boats can pass with a depth
of water of eight fathoms. Inside the entrance the
bay divides into two arms; one runs inland to the south
for a distance of about three leagues, the breadth in
sight of the mouth being a small league which gradually
diminishes toward the further end, where it is about 150
to 160 toises. It contains several small
creeks, isles and points. The timber on the banks
is mixed, hard wood, however, predominating. This
hard wood is mostly suitable only for fuel, but a small
proportion of it might be used in the construction of
schooners, bateaux and boats. The
settlers are unanimously of the assured opinion that the
nature of the soil is suited to the production of all
kinds of grains, vegetables and roots. The second
arm of the bay, as well as the narrow channel at its
entrance runs west, south-west. It runs inland for about
two leagues. The nature of the soil on this arm is
even better than of that on the other arm, and above all
of that which is found between the two arms, and which
forms a sort of peninsula jutting out from the mainland,
and having a breadth of half a league. From the
beginning of this point, separating the two arms, up to
the land at the north end this second arm of the bay
preserves an equal breadth. At the further end
there is a river navigable by boat for upwards of a
league. This stream rises in a large lake, which
may be two and a half leagues in circumference, and
which lies in the lands to the west. Around the
lake is a belt of hardwood mixed with a little fir.
A league and a half southward from the mouth of the lake
there is a limestone quarry. Vessels can enter the
bay with eight fathoms depth of water, and once inside
can anchor in eight to twelve fathoms. Throughout
the bay there is most secure anchorage. The bottom
is composed of strong tenacious mud, and the anchor can
only be weighed with a good deal of difficulty.
Frequently the anchor comes up with 200 pounds of bottom
clay attached to it, thus showing that vessels are not
likely to drag their anchors here as they do in the port
of Louisbourg. Winds no matter from what point
they blow can hardly imperil vessels anchored in this
bay, because even when winds from the east north-east
blow in at the mouth of the western arm and there is a
good deal of sea on, vessels have only to take refuge in
the southern arm which is generally safe from any wind.
No reefs or shoals exist in any part of the entrance."78
De La
Roque counted 36 families at Baie-des-Espagnols, the
great majority of them Fundy Acadians who had lived in
the colony for two or three years.
Also in the community were several
fishing families, one of them quite prominent, who had lived on the bay for
many more years. Only one of these fisherfolk, a
wife, was a native of British Nova Scotia.
Typically, most, if not all, of the Spanish
Bay Acadians were related by
blood or marriage: Jean Cousin, age 35,
navigator, "native of St. Malo" and recently
of Minas and Cap-Sable, lived with wife Judith
Guédry, age 30, "native of Boston."
Her birthplace, unusual for a peninsula Acadian, reflected her family's
participation in the maritime trade between New England
and British Nova Scotia. Jean and Judith lived
with four children: Bénoni, age 9; Marie la
Blanche, age 7; Jean-Baptiste, age 5; and
Marie-Madeleine, age 2. They owned "One ox, two
cows, two pigs and six fowls; one boat," De La Roque
noted. "The
dwelling they occupy was granted only verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost. They have made a small clearing on it
where they have grown a large quantity of beans and
turnips and have besides a large piece of fallow land,
about five or six arpents in extent. They
have no meadow land." Germain
Lejeune, age 50 (actually 59), ploughman,
"native of la Cadie," actually Port-Royal, lived with wife Marie
Guédry, age 40, "native of la Cadie," and five
children: Joseph, age 22; Marguerite, age 16;
Chrysostôme, age 12; Germain, fils, age 11; and
Paul, age 5. They owned "One cow and one pig,"
De La Roque noted. "The dwelling which they have improved, was given them
only verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prevost. They have made a clearing where half a
barrel of wheat could be sown, they have sown cabbage,
turnips, beans and pumpkins, all of which came up in
great abundance. In addition they have made a
large piece of uncultivated land of about 6 or 7
arpents in extent." Paul dit Gravois Guédry,
age 45 (actually 51), ploughman, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Port-Royal, Judith's father and Marie's uncle, lived with wife Anne-Marie dite
Nanette Mius d'Azy, age 43 (actually
47), "native of la Cadie," actually La Hève, and six children: Jean,
age 22; Marguerite, age 20; Thomas, age 19; Paul,
fils, age 10; Petitjean, age 9; and François, age
2. "They own two cows and seven pigs," De La Roque
noted. "The dwelling in which they are settled was
given them by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prevost. They have cleared land of about two
arpents in extent, where they have grown cabbage,
turnips and beans in abundance. In addition they
have a good deal of fallow land where they will sow seed
this year." Jean Olivet, age 35,
ploughman, "native of Pepiguit," that is, Pigiguit, lived with
wife Josette Hébert, age 25, "native of
la Cadie," and four children: Marie and
Anne-Josette, age 6; Anne-Angélique, age 2; and
Jean-Fournier, age 2 months. Also living with them
was Josette's mother, Anne-Josette Lejeune,
age 110[sic], "native of Port Royale." De
La Roque noted that "They will soon have been here in
the colony two years, and have been given rations for
that time." "The only live stock they own is
one pig," De La Roque continued. "The homestead on which they are settled was given to
them verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prevost. They have cleared land on it, of about
two arpents and a half, where they have sown
all sorts of roots which have come up well, and they
have fallow land of about the same extent." Joseph
Guédry, age 38 (actually 35), plougman,
"native of la Cadie," actually Grand-Pré, lived with
second wife Marie-Josèphe dite Josette
Benoit, age 24, "native of la Cadie," and three
children, two of them by his first wife, whose name has
been lost to history: Perrine,
age 13; Servant, age 10; and Jeanne, age 3. "They
are in the country two years and have had food from the
King for the said time," De La Roque noted. "Their
live stock consists of one pig. The dwelling or
the land in which they are settled, has been given to
them verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prevost. They have made a clearing of about twelve
arpents from which they have gathered a large
quantity of very fine turnips, cabbage and beans."
Antoine Boulin, actually Eustache
Boutin, age 40, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie," actually Pigiguit, lived with wife Agathe Viger,
age 40, "native of Cap de Sable," and seven children:
Jean-Baptiste, age 17; Ruffine, age 15; Qualier, age 12;
Angélique, age 9; Joseph, age 7; François, age 5; and
Agathe, age 18 months. "In the month of September
they will have been three years in the colony," De La
Roque noted. "They have been given rations for 33
months. The land in which they are settled was
given them by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prevost. They have made a clearing on it to sow
half a peck of oats and half a bushel of peas." De
La Roque said nothing of their livestock. Jean,
actually Joseph, Boutin, père,
age 76, "native of la Cadie" and widower of
Marie-Marguerite Lejeune dit
Briard, lived "alone in a small house that his
children"--Joseph, fils, Eustache, Charles, and
Paul--"have helped him build. He makes hand
barrows and other like things for his own amusement," De
La Roque noted.
Paul Boutin, age 25, "native of la
Cadie," actually Grand-Pré, and Joseph, père's youngest son, lived
with wife Eustache, actually Ursule, Guédry,
age 21, "native of la Cadie," and her younger brother
Pierre, age 11. "They have two sheep and one hen,"
De La Roque noted. "The land on which they are was
give to them verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers
and Prevost. They have made a clearing in which to
sow a peck of oats and a bushel of peas." Charles
Boutin, age 29, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie," lived with Marie-Josèphe, called Josèphe,
Guédry, age 28, "native of la Cadie"
and daughter of Paul dit Gravois, and three
children: Jean-Charles, age 5; Olive, actually Pierre-Olivier,
called Olivier, age 3; and Marie-Françoise, age 3
months. Living with them was Josèphe's sister,
Eleine, probably Hélène, Guédry, age
29, "native of la Cadie." De La
Roque said nothing of the family's land or livestock.
Joseph Boutin, fils, age 42,
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," actually
Pigiguit, Joseph, père's
oldest son, lived with wife Françoise Pitre,
age 42, "native of la Cadie," probably
Cap-Sable, and eight children:
Joseph III, age 20; Euphrosine, age 18; Ambroise, age
15; Bernard, age 13; Paul le jeune, age 9;
Marie, age 6; Anne, age 4; and Michel, age 1. De
La Roque noted that "The family ... have been thirty
months in the colony, and they have been granted rations
for 33 months," that T"he
land on which they are settled was given to them by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost. They have made a clearing of two
arpents, in which last year they sowed a quarter of
a bushel of oats fro which they gathered twelve bushels,
making 48 pecks, each grain thus producing 47 and one
more." Jean-Baptiste Lejeune,
age 26, ploughman, "native of the East coast"
of Nova Scotia, lived
with wife Judith Viger, no age given,
"native of Cap du Sable," and two children:
Claude, age 3; and Geneviève, age 5 months. De La
Roque noted that "They have been in the colony for two
years, and have been given rations for that time," that
they
owned "Two sheep, one pig and two fowls," that "The land
on which they are settled was given to them by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost," and "They have
made a clearing of one arpent in extent on it." Augustin
Benoit, age 24, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie" and brother of Guillaume dit
Perrochon of Rivière-aux-Habitants, lived with wife Marguerite Lejeune,
age 22, "native of la Cadie," and 16-month-old daughter
Marguerite. In livestock, De La Roque noted, they
owned "one pig and three fowls. The land on which
they are settled was given to them verbally by
Messrs. Desherbiers and Prevost. They have
made a clearing on which to sow a peck of oats."
Jean Lejeune, age 52, ploughman,
"native of la Cadie," Germain's brother and
Marguerite's father, lived with wife Françoise
Guédry, age 48, "native of la Cadie" and Paul
dit Grivois's youngest sister. With Jean
and Françoise
were eight children: Eustache, age 20; Jérôme, age
17; Grégoire, age 15; Félicité, age 13; Barnabé, age 11;
Eleine, probably Hélène, age 9; Anne, age 7; and Jean-Charles, age 3.
"They have been in the colony 18 months," De La Roque
noted, "and have been granted rations for two years.
In animal stock they own two oxen, one sow and two
sheep. The land on which they are settled was
given them by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prevost. They have made a clearing on it of two
arpents. They have no other pasturage
than [what] they can find in the wood." Olivier
Trahan, age 35 (actually 21),
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Isabelle Lejeune, age 26. Olivier
and Isabelle had married the
previous November so they had no children. "They
live with their father, Jean Le Jeune,"
De La Roque noted. He said nothing of livestock
for the young couple. Charles
Trahan, age 31, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie" and Olivier's older brother, lived with wife
Marguerite Boudrot, age 34, "native of
the same place." With them was their
3-year-old daughter Cécile, and Marguerite's
half-brother Jean-Baptiste Boudrot, age
25 (actually 29, who would marry Charles's sister Lucie
the following October). "They are in the colony
for three years, and have been given rations for that
time," De La Roque noted of Charles and Marguerite.
Their livestock consisted of "four oxen, four cows,
three calves and one pig. The land on which they
are settled has been given to them verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost. They have
made a clearing on it of about two arpents.
They do not know how to praise the beauty of the land
sufficiently. Such an abundance of vegetables of
very fine quality has been returned to them for the seed
they have sown." Jean
Trahan, age 66 (actually 69),
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," actually
Grand-Pré, lived with wife Marie
Giroir, or Girouard, age 60 (actually 54), "native
of the same place" and sister of Claude of Île
Madame. Jean and Marie were Olivier and Charles's parents.
Living with the older couple were the youngest of
their 12 children:
Paul, age 19; Lucie, age 18; Agathe-Blanche, age 15; and
Marguerite, age 9. Also in the household was
Allein Gredenguy, age 19, "native of Brest," probably a
domestic. "They have been in the colony for three
years and have been given rations for that time," De La
Roque noted. "In live stock," they owned "one ox,
two cows, two heifers, one pig and five fowls."
François Marteau, age 40, ploughman,
"native of Paris," lived with wife Françoise
Trahan, age 25, "native of la Cadie," and their
8-month-old son Joseph. "They have been in the
colony three years, and were given rations for that
time," De La Roque noted. Honoré Trahan,
age 26, ploughman, "native of la Cadie," actually
Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit, perhaps Françoise's brother, lived with wife Marie Corporon,
age 33, "native of the same place," and three children:
Marie, age 5; Pierre, age 2; and Marguerite, age 3
weeks. "They have been in the colony three years,
and have been given rations for that time," De La Roque
noted. "In live stock they own two oxen, two cows,
two calves, two pigs and one hen. The land in
which they are settled was given to them verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost. They have
made a clearing of four arpents."
Thomas Commère dit La
Chapelle, age 85, fisherman, "native of Plaisance,"
Newfoundland, lived with wife Charlotte Vincent
dit Desmarets, age 68, "native of the same
place." De La Roque noted that "They have been
given rations comfortably to the King's orders."
With them were two sons and their families. Louis
Commère, age 30, "native of Scatary,"
lived with wife Marguerite Grossin, age
24, "native of the harbour de Fourché," and two
children: Thomas, age 18 months; and Charlotte,
age 4 days. "Four goats are all their live stock,"
De La Roque noted. "Their dwelling place on the
fishery is at [Île] Scatary," down the coast. "It
was given to them in form by Messieurs de
Costebelle and Soubras. It contains 24 toises
fronting the sea shore, the depth not being determined."
Servan Commère, age 29, fisherman,
"native of Scatary," lived with wife Marie-Anne, called
Anne, La Forest, age 29, "native of
Louisbourg," and four children: Jean, age 9;
Louis, age 4; Marie, age 3; and Jeanne, age 11 months.
"They have four domestics including a 36 months man," De
La Roque noted of the Commère clan:
Yvon Brunet, age 28, "native of St.
Malo," lived with wife Marie Touze, age
30, "native of St. Jean, bishopric of St. Malo."
They evidently had no children. Yves
Carovent, age 23, "native of Brest," lived with
wife Marguerite Lejeune, age 21, "native of
la Cadie." They, too, had no children.
Nicolas Tenguy, age 22, "native of the
parish of Ecovignas, bishopric of St. Malo," was a
bachelor. As was Simon Godet,
age 17, "in the capacity of a 36-months man, native of
Plaisance," who, De La Roque noted, "has two years more
to complete his term and have his liberty." De La
Roque also noted that "They own one boat," evidently
referring to the Commères. Pierre Benoit,
fils, age 48, ploughman,
"native of la Cadie," lived with wife Anne-Marie
Godet, actually Gaudet, age
63, "native of the same place," and daughter Catherine,
age 20. "They have been three years in the colony
and have had rations for that time," De La Roque noted.
"The land in which they are settled was given to them
verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost.
They have one arpent cleared."
Jean-Baptiste, called Jean, Benoit, age
25, ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and Pierre,
fils's son,
lived with wife Anne Trahan, age 21,
native of Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit, and Honoré's younger
sister. "They have been two years in the colony
and have been given rations for the said time," De La
Roque noted. "The land they occupy was given to
them verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prévost. They have made a clearing on it of an
arpent square and has two arpents of
fallow land." Charles Roy,
age 34, "native of Port Royal," lived with wife
Marguerite Lejeune, age 30 (actually
32), "native of the same place," actually
Grand-Pré, who he had recently
married at Port-Orléans, up the coast.
They, too, had no children. "They have been in the
colony for one year, and have been given rations for the
said time," De La Roque noted. "The land that they
occupy was given to them by Messieurs
Desherbiers and Prévost. They have made a clearing
where they can sow half a peck in oats and peas."
Étienne Trahan, age 64 (actually 62),
ploughman, "native of la Cadie," actually
Grand-Pré, Honoré and Anne's
father, lived with wife Marie-Françoise, called
Françoise, Roy, age 46, "native of Port
Royal," and two unmarried sons: Charles, age 18;
and François, age 16. Also living with them was
"cousin" Ossite
Corporon, age 17, "native of Port Royal."
Ossite, in fact, was Marie-Osite-Anne, youngest sister of Étienne's son Honore's wife Marie
Corporon. "They have
been three years in the colony and have been given
rations for the said time," De La Roque said of Étienne
and Françoise. "In live stock, they have one cow,
one sow, three fowls. The land they occupy has
been given to them by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prévost. They have made a clearing on it of half
an arpent square. Jean-Baptiste
Lejeune, age 24, ploughman, "native of la
Cadie," lived with wife Marguerite Trahan,
age 24, "native of same place, another of Étienne's
daughters. With Jean-Bapitiste and Marguerite were three children: Jean, probably
Jean-Baptiste, fils, age 3; Blaise, age 2; and
Marguerite, age 2 months. "Two pigs are all their
live stock" De La Roque noted. "They are in the
colony two years and a half, and have been granted
rations for 33 months. They land they occupy had
been given them by Messieurs Desherbiers and
Prévost. They have made a clearing on it half an
arpent square." Paul Lejeune
dit Briard, age 50, ploughman, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Port-Royal, and brother of Eustache dit
Briard of Île Madame, lived with wife
Marie Benoit, age 47, "native of la
Cadie" and Augustin's sister. With Paul and Marie
were nine children: Josèphe, age 20;
Nastasie, age 18; Paul, fils, age 17; Pierre,
age 16; Reine, or Renée, age 14; Anne, age 10; Joseph, age 7;
Marie-Rose, age 5; and Eleine, probably Hélène, age 4 months. Paul
had a "partner in a skiff they have," François
Roy, age 50, "native of the parish of Plumeau,
bishopric of Brest," evidently not a fellow Acadian.
"The land on which they are settled, was given to them
verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost,"
De La Roque noted of Paul and Marie. "They have
made a clearing on it to be able to sow a peck of wheat
and a half peck of oats. They have a large piece
of fallow land." Pierre Le Roy,
age 28, ploughman, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Marie Lejeune, age 24, "native of the
same place," and three daughters: Henriette, age
3; Rose, age 2; and Suzanne, age 1 month. "They
are in the country 30 months, and have been granted food
from the King for 33 months," De La Roque noted.
"In animal stock they own one cow and one pig.
They land they occupy was given them verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost." Charles
Le Roy, age 52, ploughman, "native of
Paris" and evidently Pierre's father, lived with wife
Marie-Charlotte Chauvet
dit La Gerne,
age 52, "native of la Cadie," probably Pigiguit, and
seven children: Marguerite, age 24; Alexandre, age
22; Charles, age 18; Anne, age 16; Martine, age 14;
Alexis, age 10; and Osite, age 7. Also with
Charles and Marie-Charlotte were two of their married
daughters and their husbands. Jean Fournier, age 33,
fisherman, "native of Québec," lived wife Geneviève
Le Roy, age 26, "native of la Cadie."
They had no children. Charles
Lejeune, age 23, ploughman, "native of la
Cadie," lived wife Marie Le Roy, age
20, "native of the same place." They also had
no children. De La Roque noted of Charles and his
extended family: "They have in live stock three
oxen, six cows, four pigs and sixteen fowls. They
will have been two years in the colony on the 22nd
July, and have been given rations for the said time.
They land they occupy was given to them by Messieurs
Desherbiers and Prévost. He has made a clearing on
it for a garden of about half an arpent in
extent, and has a large piece of fallow land. He
has found pastorage situated at the distance of a league
to the east-south-east from their dwelling place for
feeding three or four head of cattle." Joseph
Lejeune, age 48, ploughman, "native of
the colony," actually Port-Royal, and Germain and
Jean's youngest brother, lived with wife Cécile
Pitre, age 45, Françoise's sister.
With Joseph and Cécile were seven children:
Joseph, fils, age 19, "unfit for militia duty";
Basile, age 17; Chrysostôme, age 15; Perpétué, age 13;
Olivier, age 7; Athanase, age 5; and Jacques, age 2.
"They own in live stock two oxen, two cows, one calf,
one pig and two fowls," La Roque noted. "They are
in the colony two years, and have been granted rations
for 33 months. The land they occupy was given to
them verbally by Messrs. Desherbiers and
Prévost. They have made a clearing of about one
arpent in extent, and have a large piece of
fallow land." Paul Benjamin, age
27, ploughman, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Cécile Lejeune, age 21, "native of la
Cadie" and probably Joseph's daughter.
With Paul and Cécile was their 4-month-old son Jean-Baptiste. They owned, in animals, "two oxen, one
cow, one calf and a pig," De La Roque noted. "They are in the colony
two years and have been granted rations for 33 months.
They land on which they are settled was located for them
by Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost.
They have made a clearing on it of about one arpent
in extent and have a large piece of fallow land." Marcel,
actually Marie-Marcelle, Trahan, age
27, "widow of the late Pierre Boutin,
native of la Cadie," lived with three Boutin
children: Marie-Josèphe, age 6; Anne, age 5; and
Alexis, age 3. "She had been in the colony for two
years and a half and has been given rations for the said
time," De La Roque noted. He said nothing of her
livestock or land. Alexis Lejeune,
age 27, ploughman, "native of la Cadie," lived with wife
Madeleine Lejeune, age 23, "native of
the same place," and two daughters: Marie-Josèphe,
age 3; and Madeleine, age 18 months. "In the month
of September," De La Roque noted, "they will have been
three years in the colony and they have received rations
for 33 months. They have two pigs, two sheep and
nine fowls. The land on which they are settlers
has been given them by Messieurs Desherbiers
and Prévost. They have made a small clearing on it
for gardening and have also a large piece of fallow
land."79
De La Roque had good reason to be concerned about
military landing places in this area.
Here at Baie-de-Miré, the barachois de
Catalogne, and other points down the coast, lay the
northern approach to the French citadel at Louisbourg,
only 10 miles due south of Rivière-de-Miré.104
De La Roque counted 10 families at
Anse-Darembourg, all from France or Newfoundland, many
of them related to one another:
Le Sr. Sylvain-Jean-Sémidon Gation,
age 26, surgeon, native of St.-Servan, near St.-Malo,
France, lived with wife Françoise Faye,
age 32, "native of Bordeaux, of the parish of St. Loy."
They had no children, but, De La Roque noted, "They have
three fowls. The land on which they are settled is
situated on the said Pointe Daranbourg. They have
made a small clearing on it." Marie
Borgne, probably Leborgne, age
54, "widow of the late Jean Nauguety,"
or Nanquety, was "native of the coast
of Plaisance." She lived with three
Nanquety children: Thomas, age 17;
Gabriel, age 16; and Marie, age 14. De La Roque
noted that the widow "owns one boat and six fowls," but
he said nothing of her land. Thomas Poirée,
age 33, fisherman, "native of Messy de Roya, bishopric
of Coutances," France, lived with wife Marie
Vincent dit Desmarets, age 25, "native
of Scatary," and their 19-month-old daughter Marie.
Also with them were four "thirty-six months" fishermen:
Jean Rabié, age 20, "native of Ray";
Étienne Tutier, age 19, "native of
Dompierre, en Annis"; ____ Bosseau, age
18, "who does not know where he is from"; and Jean
Michel, age 21, "native of Rochefort."
De La Roque noted that "These men complete their time in
the month of June next and are thinking of remaining in
the country." De La Roque also noted that Thomas
"owns three boats and four fowls." Charles
Philbert, or Philibert,
age 33, fisherman, "native of la Bellière, bishopric of
Coutances," France, lived with wife Michelle
Borny, age 26, "native of Scatary," and four
children: Jean, age 6; Pierre, age 4; Marie, age
2; and an unnamed 3-month-old. Also living with
the family were four of Michelle's unmarried siblings:
Joseph Borny, fils, age 30;
Anne Borny, age 25; Nicolas, called
Colas, Borny, age 19; and Thomas
Borny, age 18. Two "thirty-six months men"
also were with them: Guillaume
Beurrier, age 17, "native of the bourg
of Villedieu, bishopric of Coutances"; and François
Beurrier, age 15, "his brother."
De La Roque noted that "These men are to remain in the
colony" and that Charles "owns four boats, one yawl, two
sheep and eight fowls." Pierre Le Berteau
dit Lyonnais, fils, age 48, fisherman,
lived with wife Jeanne Borny, age 57,
"native of the same place," that is, Île Scatary, and
five children, the oldest from Jeanne's first marriage
to Jean Sabot: Charles
Sabot, age 35; Barthélemy Sabot,
age 25; Alexis Sabot, age 20; Anne
Sabot, age 16; and Pierre Le
Berteau III, age 12. Also living with
them was Pierre's mother Renée Carmel,
age 102 (actually 80). Also with them was Michel
Chaineau, age 20, "native of
Angoulème," "engaged in the capacity of a domestic.
He counts on remaining in the colony 3 to 4 years,"
De La Roque added. He also noted that Pierre "owns
one skiff of the capacity of ten cords of wood, one cow
with calf, one ship and thirteen fowls." Antoine
Sabot, age 29, "native of Cap de Rey,"
Newfoundland, and Jeanne's son from her first marriage,
lived with wife Jeanne Le Grand, age
23, "native of Scatary" and daughter of
Pierre-César-Alexandre, who lived on the other side of
the island With Antoine and Jeanne was their
3-month-old daughter Jeanne. De La Roque noted
that Antoine "owns two boats and five fowls."
Guillaume Le Maréchal, age 40,
fisherman, "native of Carolle, bishopric of Avranches,"
France, lived with wife Jeanne Sabot,
age 30, "native of Cap Breton" and Jeanne Borny's
oldest daughter. With Guillaume and Jeanne were
six children: Jeanne, age 12; Anne, age 10;
Madeleine, age 8; Guillaume, fils, age 7;
Jean-Marc, age 3; and Marie, age 1. De La Roque
noted that Guillaume "owns one boat."
Jean Dubarbier, age 34, fisherman,
"native of Bayonne," France, lived with wife Marie
Sabot, age 24, and two children:
Marie-Jeanne, age 3; and Jean, age 6 months. De La
Roque noted that Jean "has one yawl to sell, and three
fowls." Sebastia Fond, age 40,
fisherman, "native of St. Vincent de Piros, bishopric of
D'Ax," France, lived with wife Guillemette Sabot,
age 27, "native of Cap de Ré," Newfoundland, and three
children: Sebastia, fils, age 10;
Antoine, age 3; and Guillemette, age 1. De La
Roque noted that Sebastia had been "in the colony 20
years," and owned six fowls." He said nothing of a
boat. Louis Grandville, age 35, a
fisherman, "native of Calais," France, lived with wife
Michelle Sabot, age 24, "native of Cap
de Ré," Newfoundland, and three sons: Louison, age
4; Barthélemy, age 3; and Jean, age 1. Also with
the family was Pierre Trely, age 22,
"native of the parish of la Bellière, bishopric of
Coutances," France, who "lives with them in the capacity
of a domestic. He thinks of settling in the
country." De La Roque noted that Louis and
Michelle "have one boat, one yawl, three sheep and four
fowls." De La Roque observed of the community:
"All these settlers are without dwelling places at the
fishery with the exception of Poirée
and Philbert who are settled on the
Pointe Darambourg by verbal permission of Messieurs
Desherbiers and Prevost. The others hope to
establish themselves on the harbour of Chetecamps
[actually Chéticamp, on the upper shore of the island's
west coast, facing the Gulf of St. Lawrence]; at present
they make their home in the woods. The settlers of
Isle de Scatary in general have had rations for two
years."
De La Roque counted only a single family at
storm-ridden Anse-de-Bellefeuille: Jean-Nicolas
de Malvillen, or Malvillain,
age 48, fisherman, "native of St. Malo," France, lived
with wife Madeleine Durand, age 37,
"native of Scatary," and 11 children: Élisabeth,
age 19; Jean, age 18; Servant, age 15; Jeanne, age 12;
Charles, age 11; Basile, age 10; Barthélemy, age 8;
Adrien, age 5; Jeanette, age 4; Madeleine, age 2; and a
seventh son not yet name. Pierre Brontin,
age 22, "native of Prouvale, bishopric of St. Malo," was
"engaged for 36 months and who has still two years to
complete his time. He thinks of settling in the
colony." De La Roque noted that Jean-Nicolas "has
three fishery partners who neither know their names or
where they are from. He owns three boats and five
fowls."109
De La Roque and his party then returned to the mainland,
where they surveyed present-day Main-à-Dieu, the most
easterly community in present-day Nova Scotia. "The harbour of
Menadon is suitable for the cod fishery and the lands
are fertile in pasture. It is formed of the point
by the north-east of Menadon and by the Pointe au Chats.
They lie north-west and south-east, and are estimated to
be half a league distant from each other, the depth of
the harbour running west-south-west and east-north-east
being another half league. In the farthest recess
of the habour are several creeks. From the said
Pointe aux Chats running to the east-south-east extends
a bar a good quarter of a league in length with a
breadth of 100 to 150 toises. Mariners
distrust it much because it is so steep and there is
little water in it. The best anchorage in the
harbour is between an inlet and the bar aux Chats.
This islet is situated nearly in the middle of [the]
harbour and is seen at all states of the tide.
Vessels anchor off it in four and five fathoms of water
and are sheltered from the winds generally; that most to
be feared being from the north-east, and even this is
broken by the north-east point of harbour."
Despite the potential for agriculture, De La Roque found
only a single settler at Main-à-Dieu, a bachelor from
France with no apparent ties to peninsula Acadia:
Rémy Bussac, age 39, ploughman, "native
of Angoulème," owned "one ox, one cow with calf, and
eight fowls," De La Roque also noted that Rémy
"lives on land belonging to Madame
Carrerot."110
The surveying party then moved on. "We left
the harbour of Menadon on the 13th of April," De La
Roque recorded, "and reached the harbour
de la Baleine the same day. On leaving the harbour
of Menadon, and after doubling la pointe aux Chats, the
creek of that name is reached. This creek, as well
as the creek aux Cannes which adjoins it, but runs
further into the interior of l'Ile Royale, is formed by
the Pointe aux Chats and the Cap de Portanavo[.]
These points lie north and south at an estimated
distance from each other of two leagues. It is
found that the ance aux Chats is impracticable by sea,
owing to the chains of rocks existing there, but on the
other hand, the ance aux Cannes is well suited for
effecting a landing, and for the anchorage of vessels.
These vessels lie under the lea of the Isle aux Cannes,
sheltered from easterly and south-south-easterly winds.
The Isle aux Cannes lies in the middle of the creek of
that name, and is estimated to be 200 to 300 toises
in length and 150 to 200 toises in breadth.
The clear channel is on that on the north of this isle,
that on the south side being impassable even for boats.
A large bank of sand, well adapted to the drying of
codfish, lies across the further end of this harbour.
The creek is so situated as to be better suited to
cod-fishing by means of vessels than by boats, though on
the beach at the further end of the harbour of la
Baleine, there is a road to an established length of
about a quarter of a league, not altogher impracticable
to foot passengers, but good for all kinds of beasts of
burden. The reason for this is that over the whole
of this part of the country there is a layer of peat, in
come places ten to fifteen feet in thickness, and in
others so thick that it cannot be measured. The
distance between the Cap de Portanove, and the pointe à
deux Doights, lying at the entrance to the harbour de la
Baleine is places at one league. The Cape and
pointe lie south-east by north-west. Between these
points we found no creek, nor any place suitable for
putting men ashore. The coast is strewn with
shoals and reefs. A channel runs between Cap de
Portanove and the land, but though it is a quarter of a
league in length it is not considered safe for a boat to
navigate." Here, on this difficult coast, at the
Harbor of the Whales, was the site of the Scottish Fort
Rosemar, erected by Lord Ochiltree in 1629 and destroyed
by the French privateer Charles Daniel of Dieppe only a
few months later. "The harbour of la Baleine," De
La Roque continued, "is only suitable for the
cod-fishing industry. It is formed by the pointe à
Deux Doights lying to the north, and the pointe à
Marcoche lying to the south. They lie
west-north-west and east-south-east at an estimated
distance of 400 toises, one from the other.
Two large rocks, which when seen from a distance
resemble whales and were so named, lie immediately in
the centre of the entrance. These two whales are
left to the larboard in entering, but they can be safety
passed quite closely owing to their precipitous
character, whilst between lies a safe channel for a
boat. Between the two whales and the pointe à
Marcoche there is a channel good only for a boat, and in
fine weather. Only merchantmen of not more than
200 tons burden can enter the harbour de la Baleine.
The channel by which one enters turns to many points of
the compass. Vessels that enter have three feet of
water in which to anchor, and can have the same depth
even in the further end of the bay, and are sheltered
from nearly every wind. The habour runs north-east
by south-west for a distance of some 800 toises
inland."111
De La Roque counted a half dozen families at the Harbor of the
Whales, none of them peninsula Acadians, though one suspects that Marie Le Borgne
de Bélisle, widow Bertrand,
who De La Roque found "wintering ... with all her
family" at Miré, still held property La Baleine. Members of the families
actually living at La Baleine were
natives of France or Île Royale, with only one discernible tie
to British Nova Scotia: Louis Gascot,
age 50, fisherman, "native of Vins, bishopric of
Avranches," France, lived with wife Jeanne
Desroches, age 30, "native of St. Qua,
bishopric of St. Brieux," and their 9-month-old daughter
Marie. De La Roque noted that Louis and Jeanne
"employ nine men for the fishing, and have five boats,
one barque, three sheep with their lambs and ten fowls.
The fishery concession that he occupies was sold him by
the heirs of the late Georges Tasson
for the sum of one hundred quintals of cod, and includes
ninety toises," or 575 feet, "fronting the
shore of the harbour; the depth is not defined."
Marie Ostando, or Ostendeau,
age 60, "widow of the late Thomas Tompigue,"
actually Tompique, lived with four sons
and two orphans: André Tompique,
age 32, "native of the place" and "widower of the late
Cécile [daughter of Acadians Bernard Daigre
and Angélique Richard of Minas] his
wife [who had died the previous July]," and 9-month-old
son Étienne-André; Étienne Tompique,
age 30, "native of the country," lived with wife
Marguerite-Jeanne Tesse, age 21,
"native of St. Pierre," Newfoundland (they had married
in February, so they had no children yet); Thomas-Pierre
Tompique, age 24; Pierre-François
Tompique, age 22; Pierre
Bertrand, age 19, "unfit to bear arms"; and
Catherine Bertrand, age 10--"all
natives of la Baleine." (Pierre and Catherine were
children of Marie's oldest daughter Françoise
Tompique, widow of Pierre Bertrand;
Françoise had died at La Baleine in July 1749, so her
mother raised the children.) De La Roque
noted that the family owned "a schooner of the capacity
of eight cords of wood, and four fowls," and that "The
land occupied by them was granted to them by patent of
the court, dated the 24th June, 1718. It contains
60 toises," or 384 feet, "front by 25 in depth.
There are on it beaches and scaffolding for drying the
fish of three boats." André Paris,
age 40, fisherman, "native of the parish of Brouillant,
bishopric of Auch," France, lived with wife Perrine
Dupont, age 33, "native of Baleine,"
and five children: Marie, age 14; André, fils,
age 9; Jean-Baptiste, age 4; François, or Françoise, age
3; and François, or Françoise, age 6 months. With
them was Claude Rousset, age 24,
"native of Bourges, France, a "thirty six months man who
finished his time during the present month of April."
De La Roque noted that "Monsieur Imbert"--perhaps
Pierre Imbert dit Hébert of
Bayeux, Normandy, and Baleine, Newfoundland--"works his
[André Paris's?] fishery with four
boats of his own. He [André?] must ascertain the
names and numbers of his fishermen. The land of
their fishery concession, situated on a beach which lies
in the harbour, is for the fish of six boats and was
granted to them by Messieurs de St. Ovide and
de Soubras in 1715. It contains 100 toises,"
or 639 feet, "fronting the sea shore with a depth of
thirteen toises. There are on it two
platforms, a beach and scaffolding for drying the fish
of six boats. He has but one yawl with which he
followed the fishing last year. They own:
one cow, one ewe, one boat and fourteen fowls. He
seeks a grant of an additional 50 toises
frontage, which have never been granted to anyone and
which he has improved." Also with the family was
Catherine Gosselin, age 30, "native of
la Baleine" and "widow of the late Jean des
Roches." De La Roque noted that "She has
left no children and lives with le Sr.
Paris, her brother-in-law." Jacques
La Tourneur, age 70, fisherman, "native
of St. Jean des Champs, bishopric of Coutances," France,
lived with wife Catherine Roger, age
75, "native of Sirance, bishopric of Coutances," and
their 9-year-old grandson Jean-Philippe Guigoit,
age 9. De La Roque observed that "They are settled
in the colony since 1720." Catherine had married
in c1710, and her first husband did not die until May
1733, so she may have come to the colony before 1720.
She married Jacques in February 1734, when she was in
her late 50s, so she gave him no children.
Grandson Jean-Philippe likely was the child of one of
her daughters from her first marriage. Also with
them were nine employed fishermen, all natives of
France: ______, age 66, "native of the parish of
Gétary, bishopric of Bayonne"; Julien Le
Perchoix, age 56, "native of the parish of
Roulont, bishopric of Avrances"; Pierre Le
Maréchal, age 26, "native of the parish of
Châteauneuf, bishopric of St. Malo"; Antoine
Paris, age 38, "native of the parish of
Neudenenry, bishopric of Coutances," probably not a
kinsman of André Paris; François
Auger, age 25, "native of the parish of
St. Pierre de Lanzy, bishopric of Avranches"; Mathieu
Arieux, age 54, "native of the parish
of Gatary"; Martin Martigon, age 22,
"native of the parish of St. Père"; Martin Chaud,
age 21, "native of the parish of Gatary, bishopric of
Bayonne"; and Pierre Desmalet, age 22,
"native of the parish of St. Père." De La Roque
noted that Jacques "owns two boats and four fowls," that
"The land in" his and Catherine's "homestead is situated
on a creek at the farther end of their homestead.
It was granted to them by Messieurs de St.
Ovide and Le Normand in 1733. There are on it
platforms, beaches and scaffoldings for drying the fish
of four boats." Le Sr. Pierre Le
Cerf, age 37, "Master Surgeon," "native of
Dinan, bishopric of St. Malo," lived with wife Thérèse
Grandin, age 30, "native of
L'Indienne," Île Royale, and four children: Anne,
age 12; Pierre, age 10; Clément, age 4; and
Marie-Jeanne, age 18 months. With them also was
Julien Poulien, age 22, "native of the
parish of St. Targot de Sena, bishopric of Avranches,"
France, a domestic, who "is going to follow the fishery
this year at Madame Dupont's, of
Lurenbec." De La Roque noted that the surgeon "has
been in the colony since 1730," that "He owns five
fowls," and that "The land on which" he and his wife
"are settled has never been granted to anyone. It
is situated at the farther end of the harbour behind the
dwelling places. They received verbal permission
from Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost.
He has built a house there and cleared a piece of ground
for a small garden as well as a swamp in front for a
meadow." Le Sr. Dagueret,
De La Roque noted, without providing more information on
the sieur, "carried on the fishery here with
six boats and thirty fishermen," but he did not name the
fishermen. De La Roque was referring to Michel, fils, son of Michel
dit Miguel
Daccarrette and his second wife Catherine
de Gonillon. Michel, fils was
only 21 years old and still unmarried in April 1752.
His
father had been a shaker and mover in the
colony from its earliest days and had died in the siege
of Louisbourg seven years earlier. After returning
to the colony in 1749 from a five-year exile in France,
Michel, fils, his father's only surviving son,
inherited the family's fishing operation.112
"We left the Harbour de la
Baleine on the 15th of the month of April," De La Roque
continued, "taking road for the harbour of Laurenbec,"
or Lorembec,
today's Little Lorraine, "and arrived there the same
day. The distance between the pointe à Marcoche
lying to the south and point Bordieu lying to the
south-east of the harbour of Laurenbec is placed at a
quarter of a league, wherein there is only one large
creek which can be ascended by boats and barges.
This creek is strewn with reefs and shoals visibe at all
tides, whilst the remainder of the coast is
impracticable in every respect. This harbour,"
Little Laurenbec, as De La Roque called it, "is scarcely
suitable for the cod fishery. It runs inland a
quarter of a league in a north-north-westerly direction.
The harbour is in the form of a river. The breadth
is irregular but is averaged at 60 toises.
It is formed by a point to the south-east of the
harbour, and by that of Michel Vallet lying to the
west-north-west. The distance between these points
is placed at not more than 100 toises at most.
A large rock visible at all states of the tide lies
almost in the middle of the channel. It is left to
starboard in entering, and vessels hug the shore of the
pointe de Michel Vallet. The entrance lies north
and south, and the heaviest vessels that can enter the
harbour are merchantmen of a capacity of 200 tons at
most."113
At Lorembec, called Laurenbec in his report, only a few miles up the coast from
Louisbourg, De La Roque counted 18 families.
Family heads, including several widows, were natives of
France, Newfoundland, or Île Royale, and most were
long-time residents of the community. Five of the
community's residents, however, including two sets of
siblings, possessed kinship ties to peninsula Acadia: Pierre Le Tourneur, age
41, fisherman, "native of the parish of St. Aubin des
Préaux, bishopric of Coutances," France, lived with wife
Marie Le Prieur, age 31, "native of St.
Malo," and six daughters, the three oldest from
Marie's first marriage to Guillaume Valet:
Guillemette Valet, age 16; Marie
Valet, age 14; Perrine Valet,
age 10; Geneviève Le Tourneur, age 8;
Jeanne Le Tourneur, age 6; and Perrine
Le Tourneur, age 18 months. Also
with them were 11 hired fishermen, most of them born in
France: Julien Gasseau, age 40,
"native of Vins, bishoprics of Avranches"; Louis
Panear, age 35, "native of St. Brieux"; Servant
Le Prieur, age 24, "native of l'Isle
Royale," Marie's brother; Jean Le Noir,
age 25, "native of Charvé, bishopric of Dol"; Jean
Lapinet, age 45; "native of Avranches";
René Le Loquet, age 22, "native of St.
Aubin, bishopric of Coutances"; François Gourdon,
age 50; "native of Limoges." De La Roque noted
that "None of these men have a fixed residence with the
exception of Servant Le Prieur."
De La Roque further noted that Pierre "also hires"
Jean-Baptiste D'Arnault, no age given,
"native of St. Pierre de la Martinique"; and Barthélemy
Chapereau, no age given, "native of
Brive, bishopric of Saintes, in the capacity of
thirty-six months man." Pierre also employed Louis
Gaultier, age 20, "native of Dole"; and
François Collet, no age given, "native
of Hénaut, bishopric of St. Brieux, also a 36 months
man. These men have two years and a half to finish
their time, and are thinking of settling in the
country." De La Roque noted that Pierre "settled
in this country for twenty years," that "He owns three
boats and a half boat; eight fowls and two sheep," and
that "his dwelling place was granted to him by a a grant
in form by Messieurs de Saint-Ovide and Le
Normand de Mézy, dated May 15, 1736. It contains
72 toises fronting on the harbour by 90
toises in depth. On it are platforms, beaches
and scaffolding for drying the fish of three boats."
Perrine DesRoches, age 40, "native of
the coast of Plaisance" and "widow of François
Dupont, fisherman," lived with four children:
Françoise, age 23; François, fils, age 22;
Perrine, age 19; and Pierre, age 16--"all natives of
Laurenbec." "In her service," De La Roque noted,
"are three, thirty-six months men, who finish their time
at the end of the month": Pierre-Louis
Viellard, age 30, "native of Vailly, bishopric
of Soissons"; Jean Sonier, age 21,
"native of Tremuzon, bishopric of St. Brieux"; and
Mathieu Deniseau, age 19, "native of
Lion, bishopric of St. Malo." De La Roque also
noted that "He," meaning Perrine's dead husband," owns
two boats and ten fowls. They dwelling they occupy
was granted in the name of François Dupont
in 1733 by Messieurs de St. Ovide and Le
Normand. It carried 70 toises of front on
the harbour. With regard to the depth it is
defined by two lines of separation. There are upon
it one platform[,] one beach and scaffoldings for the
drying of fish of four boats." Simon
Gaultier, or Gauthier, age 46,
"native of the parish of Vins, bishopric of Avranches,"
France, lived with second wife Catherine Doight,
also called Jacqueline Dohier, age 32,
"native of Lancieux, bishopric of St. Malo," who he had
married the previous August. (Simon's first wife,
Françoise Dubordieu, was a niece
of his neighbors Perrine and Antoine DesRoches.)
Simon and Catherine had no children. Living with
them were "six fishermen, three of whom are at
Louisbourg. Those who are with him at present
are": François Le Bessot, age 40,
"native of Vins, bishopric of Avranches"; Louis
Le Bessot, age 33, probably François's brother;
and René Le Sellier, no age given,
"native of the same parish." De La Roque noted
that "There are also two thirty-six months men, who have
thirty months to finish their time": Jacques
Dupont, age 22; and Étienne
Dupont, age 22, "both natives of Vins."
De La Roche also noted that Simon and Catherine "are
settled in the colony since 1722" (he probably meant
Simon, since Catherine would have been born in c1720).
"The land he occupies," De La Roque said of Simon, "was
sold to him under a deed in the year 1738 by the late
Jean Durand, fisherman, for the sum of
465 livres. It contains 14 toises
4 feet facing the harbour and 66 toises 3 feet
in depth. There are upon it a platform, beach and
scaffolding for the drying of the fish of two boats and
a small garden." Antoine DesRoches,
age 32, fisherman, "native of the place" and Perrine's
brother, lived with wife Jeanne Simon
dit Boucher, no age given,
native of Petit Degra," and five children: Jean,
age 14; Jeanne, age 8; Antoinette, called Toinette, age
6; Antoine, fils, age 4; and Perrine, age 1
month. De La Roque noted that Antoine "has three
partners in the fishery, one workman who dries the cod
on the beach and one thirty-six-months man."
The partners were : Jean Lallemand,
age 24, "native of Lourendecus, bishopric of Coutances";
Jean Poulard de Rennes, age 22; and
Jean Galles, age 21, "native of Gennes,
bishopric of Genois." "They are thinking of
remaining in the country," De La Roque noted. "The
fishermen are:--": Joseph Dechery,
perhaps D'Etcheverry, age 45, "native
of Sibour, bishopric of St. Jean de Luz"; Bernard
Claverie, age 30, "native of Sard,
bishopric of Bayonne"; and Bertrand Le Gue,
age 50, "native of St. Pierre de Vins, Bishopric of
Avranches." De La Roque added: "They are
married in France." He also noted that Antoine
"has two boats. The dwelling place which they have
improved was sold to them by Pierre Noblet
for the sum of 450 livres and a ____ of Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost. It has
30 toises of front on the harbour, and 9 to 10
of depth. There are on it platforms, beach and
scaffolding for the drying of the fish of two boats."
Charles Yvon, age 55, fisherman,
"native of the parish of St. Jean des Champs, bishopric
of Coutances," lived with second wife Mathurine
Dohiels, or Dohier, age 36,
"native of the parish of Lancieux, bishopric of St.
Malo," and six of his children, the oldest from his
first wife, Louise DesRoches, Antoine's
sister: Étienne, age 17; Guillaume, age 15;
François, age 13; Louis, age 11; Pierre, age 3 (or
perhaps 9); and Jeanne, age 5 months. De La Roque
noted that Charles and Mathurine "employ one
fisherman": Jean Henry, age 46,
"native of Vignac, bishopric of St. Malo"; "and two
thirty-six months men. One finishes his time in
the commencement of the month of May, and the other his
in the month of September": François
Colant, no age given, "native of Canté,
bishopric of St. Malo"; and Jean Pras,
age 20, "native of Quesencé, bishopric of Treguier."
De La Roque also noted that Charles "has three boats of
which he lets two, following the fishery with the third;
and three fowls. His dwelling place was granted to
him by Messieurs de St. Ovide and Le Normand, in 1733.
It contains 23 toises front on the sea in the
harbour and 90 in depth. There are a platform,
beach and scaffold for the drying of fish of four
boats." Monsieur Didion, De La Roque
recorded, "is engaged in the fishery here with two
boats. He will give the name of his fishermen to
Pierre Lorent; he stays at Louisbourg. Marguerite
DesRoches, age 38, "native of St.
Pierre," Newfoundland, and Perrine' and Antoine's
sister. Marguerite was widow of Julien
Banet, or Bannet, her second
husband, and lived with three Bannet
children: Marie, age 17; Pierre, age 14; and
Jean-Pierre, age 12. Also with them was a 36-month
man, Jean-Nicolas Camus, age 20,
"native of the parish of Dinan," France. "He
finishes his time at the end of the month of May," De La
Roque noted, "and is thinking of remaining in the
country. The dwelling place" occupied by
Marguerite and her children "was granted to them by
Messieurs de St. Ovide and Le Normand by a
concession in form of the date of 25th May, 1733.
It contains 35 toises fronting the sea shore in
the harbour by 90 in depth. It has on it a
platform, three cabins, beach and scaffolding for drying
the fish for four boats belonging to Monsieur
Delort le Jeune [Guillaume
Delort, a merchant, marguillier, and
counselor at Louisbourg]. She has let her dwelling
to him, as she is not capable of improving it by herself
or to find fishermen by other means. She has seven
fowls." Jacques Cousin, age 26,
fisherman, "native of St. Martin de Condé, bishopric of
Bayeux," France, lived with wife Marie Grossin,
age 29, "native of St. Servan," near St.-Malo, France,
and "widow of the late Algrain."
With them were three children, all Jacques's:
Marie-Hauze, age 5; Pierre, age 2; and Julien, age 4
months. Also with the family was Mathurin
Briaud, age unrecorded, "native of St. May,
bishopric of St. Malo, a thirty-six months man, who
finishes this time on the 27th May next. They have
three fowls," De La Roque noted. "The land on
which he is settled was given to him verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost. He has
made a clearing on it of about one arpent in
extent, and built a beach and scaffolding for the drying
of the fish of two boats. He has no boat but hopes
to hire one." Françoise DesRoches,
age 48, "native of Plaisance" and Perrine, Antoine, and
Marguerite's oldsest sister, was widow of Jean
Dubordieu. Living with her were four of
her Dubordieu children: Félix,
age 24; François, age 22; Simon, age 20; and Marie, age
17. Also with them was Françoise's niece Josette
DesRoches, age 11. De La Roque
noted that t he widow "has working for her four
thirty-six months men who finish their time in the month
of July": Yvon de Kemaire, age
28, "native of Treverant, bishopric of Tréguier";
François Henry, age 22, "native of
Boco, bishopric of Tréguier"; Pierre Bellet,
age 26, "native of Painvenant, bishopric of Tréguier";
and Jacques Le Neveu, age 19, "native
of Morlais.." "They are to remain in the country
for some time. The concession which
they"--Françoise and her sons-- "have improved was
previously in the possession of a man named Le
Corps [probably Jean Le Cor of
La Baleine]. It was granted her by Messieurs
Desherbiers and Prevost, on the condition that in case
the heirs, or anyone on behalf of the heirs, should
appear to improved the concession her claim would cease;
but the time having passed without any claimant
appearing the said widow prays Messieurs le
Comte [Raymond] and Prevost to deliver her a grant in
form that she may be guaranteed the work she and her
children have done. There are on the concession a
platform, beach, scaffolding and cabins for the drying
of the fish of two boats. She has one boat and one
half-boat for the fishery. She has twelve fowls."
Joseph Mirande, fils, age 32,
fisherman, "native of L'Indienne, whose father was born
at Chignecto, lived with wife Marie-Barbe-Élie Le Grand, age 24,
"native of Labrasdor," probably Île Scatary, and two
children: Jean-Baptiste, age 3; and Josette, age 8
months. De La Roque noted that "The land on which
they are settled was given to the late Joseph
Mirande their father, [but] they could not tell
me by whom, nor its extent. They have three
fowls." Georges Chauvin,
age 52, fisherman, "native of the parish of Bassily,
diocese of Avranches," France, lived with wife Marie
Mirande, age 39, "native of L'Indienne"
and Joseph, fils's sister. With Georges
and Marie were two sons: Joseph, age 20; and
Pierre, age 12. De La Roque noted that Georges "is
in the colony since 1719," that he "employs three
fishermen: --" Pierre Poussin, age 48,
"native of Dinan, bishopric of St. Malo"; François
Norber, age 23, "native of La
Rochelle"; and Gabriel Lemarié, age 23,
"native of Vins, bishopric of Avranches. They have
no settled residence in the colony." Georges also
employed Guillaume Bresset, age 18,
"native of St. Brieux," a "domestic." De La Roque
noted that Georges "owns one boat and eight fowls," that
"The land of the concession was granted in 1733 by
Messieurs de St. Ovide and Le Normand to one named
Pierre Allain and his wife," Thérèse
Bornic, "and sold to said Georges
Chauvin for 70 quintals of merchantable
codfish, in 1738. It contains 38 toises
frontage on the harbour, the depth not being defined.
There are upon it a platform, beach and scaffolding for
the drying the fish of his boat." Le Sr.
Duplessis, actually Jacques Le
Barbier du Plessis, age 43, master surgeon,
"native of Grandville," France, lived with wife
Marie-Françoise Ferté, age 38, "native
of St. Malo" and "widow of the late Bealieu
Collet," actually Pierre-Françoise
Beaulieu. The master
surgeon and his wife lived with six children, all from
her first marriage: Anne and Françoise
Beaulieu, age 18; Gillette Beaulieu,
age 16; Thomas Beaulieu, age 12; Jeanne
Beaulieu, age 9; and Charlotte
Beaulieu, age 7. Also with them was
Josseline de Rioguain, also
Deregazen, age 60, "native of St. Malo,"
Marie-Françoise's mother. Louis Arnault,
age 20, assistant surgeon, "native of Orleans,"
France, also
lived with the family. "He is not thinking of
remaining in the colony," De La Roque noted. "The
land on which they are settled is situated to the west
of the dwelling of Monsieur [Pierre-Jérôme] Boucher,
Engineer to the King. They
have no grant in form, only a verbal permission from
M. le Comte de Raymond and M. Prevost.
They have one house on it and are building another.
They have a garden and fifteen fowls." Jacques
Perrain, age 30, "native of the parish
of Plené, bishopric of St. Brieux," lived with wife
Marie-Jeanne Dupont, actually
Duport, age 28, "native of the same parish,"
and two children: Julien-François, age 12; and
Marie-Anne, age 8. "He has six fowls," De La Roque
noted. "Their homestead has been sold to them by
M. Boucher for the sum of
____. On it they grow hay and garden produce." François
Mallé, age 45, fisherman, "native of
Bouillon, bishopric of Avranches," France, lived with
wife Anne-Marie Le Large, age 45,
"native of Grandville," France, and three sons:
François, fils, age 11; Pierre, age 6; and
Louis, age 3. With them were five hired fishermen:
François Le Moine, age 35; "native of
Saint-Jean des Champs, bishopric of Coutances"; Jean
Richard, age 17, "native of Kintenay,
bishopric of St. Brieux"; Louis Chauvin,
age 23, "native of Bassile, bishopric of Avranches";
François Bretet, age 20, "native of
Berepied, bishopric of Avranches"; and Justin
Megray, age 31, "native of Gipé, bishopric of
Rennes." "They are all without any fixed
residence," De La Roque noted. "He owns two boats.
The land they occupy was sold to them by the Sr.
[Jacques]
Perrain for the sume of 300 livres
and so small was the amount of land that le Sr.
Perrain would tell them that they would
not know where to dry the fish from two boats. The
contract is not legally completed, but they have placed
the purchase money in the the hand of M.
[Julien] Fizel [merchant at Louisbourg] as guarantee to
le Sr. Perrain. They
hoped their land would extend from one stream to another
according to the final agreement, but when the Sr.
Perrain saw that the Sr.
François Mallé could not withdraw
because the season was so far advanced he would only let
them have half the piece of ground between the said two
streams. They have made a platform[,] beach and
scaffolding for drying the fish of two boats."
Jean La Chou or de La Choux,
age 55, fisherman, "native of Prouvillain, bishopric of
St. Malo," lived with wife Marie-Anne Bourhis,
age 31, "native of Louisbourg," whose mother,
Marie-Josèphe Martin, was an Acadian
from Grand-Pré. With Jean and Marie-Anne was their 4-year-old
daughter Marie-Josèphe. Also with the family were
five hired fishermen: Jean Albane, age
20, "native of St. Jean de Luz"; Pierre Amelin,
age 50, "native of Montiville," married in France;
Jacques Canivet, age 28, "native of
Normandy"; and Julien Chapelle, no age
given, "native of Normandy." "They are going to
their homes at the close of the next fishing season, "De
La Roque noted. The fifth fisherman, François
Danosa, age 26, "native of Preiscalet,
bishopric of Quimper," Brittany, "is a thirty six months
man and will finish his time in two years. He will
remain in the colony. M. La Chou,"
De La Roque also noted, "owns one boat and three fowls.
The dwelling in which they are settled was granted to
them by Messrs. Desherbiers and Prevost.
It belonged previously to one named Jean Le Bessot.
He died in the English prison. The heirs have not
presented themselves to claim their inheritance, there
being a good many debts against the property; neither
have the creditors. A house has been built on the
property and a beach and scaffolding for the drying of
the fish of one boat built." Jean Le
Chau or Chaux, age 42,
fisherman, "native of Lasserne, bishopric of Avranches,"
France, lived with his second wife Marie-Madeleine,
called Madeleine, Corporon, age 36,
"native of Louisbourg," whose parents had come to the
island from British Nova Scotia in the 1710s. Jean's first wife
had been Isabelle Bourhis, sister of
neighbor Marie-Anne Bourhis.
Madeleine's first husband had been Jean Bourhis,
widower of Marie-Josèphe Martin, so
Madeleine was second husband Jean Le Chaux's
first wife's stepmother as well as the stepmother of
their neighbor's wife. With Jean and Madeleine was
Jean's 2-year-old son Jean, fils, from Jean's
first wife Also with the family were 15 hired
fisherman, "of whom eight have been boarded by the
family by him all winter, the remaining seven wintering
with other private persons": Louis Pepin,
age 22, "native of Sartilly, bihopric of Avranches";
Louis Noblé, age 32, "native of
Sartilly, bishopric of Avranches"; Jean-Charles
Corporon, age 30, "native of Île Royale" and
Marie-Madeleine's bachelor brother; Jean Baudry,
père, age 33, "native of Marenne, bishopric of
La Rochelle," a former Protestant; Michel Le Roy,
age 20, "native of Nantes"; François Riché,
age 14, "native of l'Ile Royale"; Jean Baudry,
fils, age 11, "native of Marenne, bishopric of
La Rochelle." "All these fishermen," De La Roque
observed, "are to remain in the country." Ther
also were: Thomas Cousin, age 17;
"native of Gené, bishopric of Avranches"; Jean
Benoist, age 42, "native of the parish of La
Rochelle, bishopric of Avranches"; Herné
Brindecamp, age 25, "native of Cau, bishopric
of St. Malo"; Guy Hernand, age 25,
"native of Laucalu, bishopric of Dol"; Jacques
Cacu, age 60, "native of Plau, bishopric of
Avranches"; Charles Cacu, age 22,
probably Jacques's son; René Hernand,
age 44; "native of Dinan"; and Mathurin Renouve
or Renauve, age 28, "native of
Dinan, bishopric of St. Malo." "The land they
occupy," De La Roque noted of Jean and Madeleine, "was
granted to them by Messieurs de St. Ovide and
Le Normand in 1733. It contains frontage on the
shore of the harbour of, ____ by ____ of depth.
There are on it two platforms, a beach and scaffolding
for the drying of fish from three boats and a smack,
which he actually owns." Jude Rode,
age 60 years, smith, "native of the parish of Lolif
Rode, archbishopric of Avranches," France, lived with
wife Angélique Aller, age unrecorded,
"native of the parish of St. Servant, bishopric of St.
Malo," and their two sons: Louis, age 33; and
Louis-Joseph, age 10 months. De La Roque noted
that Jude and Angélique "have been in the colony since
1720," that "They have no hired fishermen yet," but
"They are awaiting the arrival of two crews from France.
He owns two boats and two half boats; one ewe with her
young and five fowls." De La Roque noted that Jude
"has working for him three thirty-six months men":
Jean Heu, age 45, "native of St. Helen,
bishopric of Dol"; Joseph Malivet, age
22, "native of the parish of Derignac, bishopric of
Saint Malo"; and Julien Le Moine, age
20; "native of Plené, bishopric of St. Malo."
"Living with them"--Jude and Angélique? the
36-month-men?--was Marguerite Baudry,
age 10, "native of Marenne, bishopric of La Rochelle,"
France, "their god-daughter." De La Roque further
noted that "The land on which they are was granted to
them by Messieurs de St. Ovide and Le Normand
in 1733. It extends from the place of the heirs of
the late Rene [probably René Perré] to that of Desroches.
There are on it a platform, beach and scaffolding for
the drying of fish of three boats." Adam
Perré, age 36, fisherman, "native of
the coast of Plaisance," Newfoundland, and René's oldest
surviving son, lived with wife Marie-Hyacinthe, called
Jacinthe, Grandin, age 25, "native of
l'Indienne," and two sons: Thomas, age 18 months;
and Pierre, age 1 month. With them were two hired
fishermen: Jean Nalet, age 31,
"native of Canada"; and Martin Maurice,
age 36, "native of the parish of Tenac, bishopric of St.
Malo." The family also employed "two
domestics engaged until St. Michel's Day [September
29]": Jacques Amelin, age 19,
"native of Saint Jean des Champs, bishopric of
Coutances"; and Guillaume Berry, age
55, "native of the parish of Vignac, bishopric of Saint
Malo." De La Roque noted that Adam "owns two
fishing boats and six fowls," that Ther land was granted
to them [actually to Adam's father, René] by
Messieurs de Saint Ovide and LeNormand in 1733.
It contains 45 toises fronting on the sea in
the harbour, by 90 in depth. There are on it
platforms, beach and scaffolding for drying the fish of
two boats." Gabrielle Le Manquet,
age 70, "native of the coast of Plaisance" and widow of
Étienne DesRoches, lived with bachelor
son Guillaume DesRoches, age 27,
"native of Lorenbec," and two 36-month men: Herne
Herbert, age 19, "native of Carfanitin,
bishopric of Dol," and Guillaume Guiton,
age 18, "native of Montigu, bishopric of Avranches,"
France. De La Roque noted that "he--likely
Guillaume DesRoches--"has eleven men
hired for the fishery and three boats. He had made
use of the homestead of one named Adam Perré
having no dwelling place of his own, that on which he
built his house belonging to several brothers and
sisters who refused to assist him to improve it, telling
him that he could work on it himself if he chose.
He very humbly supplicated the authorities to give him a
written permit to work on said homestead so that if,
after he had improved the property, the heirs desired to
enter upon it they should be obliged to make good to him
what expense he had been at for the improvements.
They lost the title deed during the war; a copy is with
the clerk of the Conseil Superieur."
Guillaume's hired fishermen were: Jean
Gause, age 28, "native of the parish of Roulan,
bishopric of Coutances"; Pierre Bourg,
age 58, "native of the parish of Pleumondat, bishopric
of St. Malo"; François Loiselle, age
50, "native of St. Servant"; François Boulier,
age 47, "native of Vignac, bishopric of St. Malo"; Jean
Valleé, age 50, "native of the parish
of St. Servant, bishopric of St. Malo"; Jean Le
Pejoux, age 49, "native of the parish of Brou,
bishopric of St. Malo"; Pierre Goulier,
age 27, "native of the parish of Modet, bishopric of St.
Malo"; Nicolas Le Chenechal, age 24,
"native of the parish of Vezant, bishopric of
Avranches"; Raymond de Chegarey, age
32, "native of the parish of Bidart, bishopric of
Bayonne"; Betrie Choubecte, age 36,
"native of Sarre, bishopric of Bayonne"; and Joseph
Darostegay," age 36, "native of the
parish of Durogne, bishopric of Bayonne."114
.
That August, De La
Roque counted 2,223 people on Île St.-Jean, most of them recent refugees from the chaos in Nova
Scotia.
Peninsula Acadians or their spouses living on the
island bore the names Allain,
Apart,
Arcement, Arseneau, Aubin,
Aucoin,
Babin,
Barrieau, Belliveau, Benoit, Bertrand,
Bertaud dit Montaury,
Beurit,
Billeray,
Blanchard, Blanchard dit Gentilhomme,
Boisseau,
Bonnevie, Bonnière, Bouchard, Boudrot,
Bourg,
Bourgeois, Brassaud, Brasseur,
Breau,
Broussard, Bugeaud,
Caissie, Carret, Cellier, Cerié, Chauvet dit LaGerne,
Chenel,
Chênet, Chiasson, Clémenceau,
Clément,
Closquinet,
Comeau, Corporon,
Daigre, Darois, Deschamps dit
Cloche, De Glain, Deveau,
Dingle,
Doiron, Doucet, Dugas, Duguay, Duplessis,
Dupuis,
Duval,
Forest, Gallon, Gaudet, Gauthier dit
Bellair, Gautrot,
Gentil,
Girard dit Crespin,
Girouard,
Granger, Guédry,
Guérin, Guillot, Haché dit
Gallant, Hango dit Choicy, Hébert,
Hélie,
Henry, Hent,
Impérisse,
Jaquemin,
Join,
Labauve,
Landry, Langlois, Lapierre, LaVache,
Lavergne, LeBlanc, Léger, Lejeune,
LeJuge,
Le Marquis dit
Clermont,
LePrieur dit Dubois, Leprince,
Longuépée,
Lucas, Martin, Martin dit
Barnabé, Mazerolle, Mazière, Melanson,
Michel, Mius,
Naquin,
Nogues,
Nuirat, Olivier, Oudy, Périal,
Philippe dit LaRoche, Pichard, Pinet, Pitre,
Poirier,
Poitevin, Pothier, Prétieux,
Quimine,
Rassicot,
Raymond, Richard, Renaud, Robichaud,
Roussin,
Roy, Rullier dit Le Cadien, Saulnier,
Savary, Savoie, Ségoillot dit
Sans Chagrin, Simon,
Sire, Thériot,
Thibodeau, Tillard, Trahan,
Tureaud,
Valet dit Langevin,
Vécot, Viger, and
Vincent. De La Roque found Acadians on the
island at Port-La-Joye,
Rivière-du-Nord, Rivière-des-Blancs,
Anse-à-Dubuisson, Anse-aux-Morts, Petite-Ascension,
Anse-aux-Pirogues,
Anse-au-Comte-St.-Pierre, Pointe-au-Boulleau,
Anse-de-la-Boullotière, Havre-de-la-Fortune, Pointe-de-L'Est,
Havre-St.-Pierre and nearby Nigeagant, Étang-St.-Pierre,
Havre-aux-Sauvages, Tracadie, L'Étang-des-Berges,
Malpèque, La Traverse, Rivière-des-Blonds, Rivière-aux-Crapauds,
Anse-du-Nord-Ouest, and Anse-au-Sanglier. Refugees
from Nova Scotia were especially numerous at
Rivière-de-l'Ouest,
Rivière-du-Nord-Est,
Rivière-de-Peugiguit,
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie,
Anse-au-Matelot,
Grande-Anse,
Grande-Ascension,
Pointe-Prime,
Anse-à-Pinnet, and
Bédec. As De La Roque's "tour of inspection"
reveals, the island's new commandant, Major
Claude-Élisabeth
Denys de Bonnaventure, was
kept busy issuing land permits to hundreds of new
arrivals.18
Here, in the heat of summer, at the center of
Acadian life in the French Maritimes, the military
engineer conducted as
thorough a survey as he had done on Île Royale earlier
in the year. He began his efforts,
appropriately, at Port-La-Joye, today's
Rocky Point, where he described the surrounding
countryside in the usual detail: "The creek of
Port La Joye, known also under the name of Ance à la
Pointe Prime, is formed by the point of that name lying
to the south-south east of the entrance to Port La Joye,
and by the headland to the north-west of the lands on
the north-west quarter north of the entrance of Port La
Joye. These points lie south-east and north-west,
at a distance from each other estimated at two leagues
and a half in a direct line, by seven leagues around the
bay, and two in depth. The channels lies north a
quarter north-east by south a quarter south-west to Port
La Joye. It is a quarter of a league in breadth
and has an average depth of five, six, seven, eight and
nine fathoms of water at low tide. The most
experienced sailors in the country hold that when in
five fathoms of water they are not in the best channel,
and no matter which way they are going, must luff up
till they find it. The Isle du Governeur is left
to the starboard on entering, in order to avoid the
shoals which stretch out to sea and which are composed
of rocks. The island is of a round shape, being a
league and a half in circumference, and half a league
across. It lies low, and is wooded with all kinds
of timber." De La Roque was describing a small
island lying in the bay halfway between Pointe-Prime to
the south and the entrance to harbor at Port-La-Joye,
today's Governors Island. He goes
on: "The Isle de Compte Saint-Pierre, today's St.
Peters Island, "lies to the larboard on entering.
One can sail much closer to this island than the other
owing to the fact that the shoals are more
perpendicular. The island is a good quarter of a
league long by four hundred and fifty toises in
width, and wooded with pine, white spruce, fir, and
hemlock with but little of the last. At low tide,
one may walk dry shod from the head land on the
north-west to the Isle du Compte Sainte Pierre.
There is a bar that is uncovered at low tide." He
found no settlers on either of these small islands.
Port-La-Joye he found "situated
on the farther end of the creek of that name, fives
leagues," or 14 1/2 miles, "from Pointe Prime, making the circuit from
headland to headland and two leagues from the north-east
headland. It is formed by Point à la Framboise
lying to the east, and that of la Flame lying to the
west. It is estimated that these points lie east
quarter north-east by west quarter south-west; that the
distance between them is five hundred toises,"
3,195 feet, or 0.6 miles, "tthat the channel lies equi-distant from both
points, and that for a bare three hundred toises
there are at low tide but eight fathoms of water in the
channel. The roadstead is about a quarter of a
league from the entrance. It lies between the
points à Pierrot and à Margueritte. The distance
between these points is seven (hundred) toises,"
4,473 feet, or 0.85 miles. "In the harbour there
is good anchorage in a muddy bottom, where three rivers,
one from the west, the second from the north, and the
third from the north-east discharge their waters.
The mouth of river du Ouest," today's West River, "is
formed by Pointe à Pierrot, lying on the larboard going
up the river, and the headland to the north of the
river. The distance between these points is placed
at a quarter of a league, and they lay north by south.
The river runs west for four leagues perserving an
almost uniform breadth. In this stretch there are
sixteen settlers cultivating the land on its banks.
The river then runs north, north-west for three leagues
to where it makes its rise in fresh water." He was
describing, of course, the river's ascent. "Its
banks are covered with all kinds of timber, but hard
wood is the chief. The land is clayey in its
nature and affords fairly abundant pasturage. The
mouth of the river de Nord is formed by the point to the
north of the Rivière du Ouest, and by the point on the
east of the rivre du Nord," where today's
Charlottetown lies. "The distance between these
two points is seven (hundred) toises.
They lie east and west. The river runs four
leagues inland to the northward. Seven families
are settled on its banks, and engaged in agriculture.
The lands on its banks are equal in quality to those of
the river du Ouest, and the woods are also similar.
The mouth of the river du Nord-Est is formed by Pointe à
Margueritte lying to the starboard and by Pointe à la
_____," today's Charlottetown, "lying to the larboard.
It is estimated that these points are eight hundred
toises," just short of a mile, "apart. The
river runs nine leagues," or 26 miles, "inland; in a
north-easterly direction for three leagues; to the east
north-east for two leagues, to the north north-east for
one league, and to the east for half a league, being
navigable to this point by vessels of 50 tons burden, it
then runs north-east for a league and a half where it is
navigable for boats carrying ten cords of wood. At
this point the place called la Grande Source is
reached."170
At
Port-La-Joye, De La Roque found nine families who
were a combination of recent arrivals from France,
Canada, and British Nova Scotia. Oddly, at this
first community on Île St.-Jean where peninsula Acadians
had settled, there were no Acadians who
had lived there longer than three years:
Jean
Henry dit Maillardé, age 26, a master
tailor and farmer from Orbin, Switzerland, not kin to
the other Henrys of the area,
lived wife Anne Barbe, age 32, "native
of the town of Bienne, Switzerland," and their
17-day-old son Louis-Gervais. De
La Roque noted that the master tailor "has been in the
country two months, having deserted Chibouctou," now
Halifax. Jean likely was one of the Foreign
Protestants the British had brought into Nova Scotia
soon after the founding of Halifax in 1749. Unlike
the majority of his fellow immigrants, however, Jean
chose to live among the Catholic French. Also
living with Jean and his wife was Abraham Louis,
age 20, "bachelor, workman in cotton print, native of
Lideau, in Switzerland," probably another
Foreign-Protestant refugee. "The land on which
they are settled is situated on the road from the wood,"
De La Roque noted, "and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonaventure."
Jacques Nicolas, age 37, "master sugar
refiner, native of the dependency of the bishopric of
Beauvais in Picardy," lived with wife Marie
Quilien, age 19, "native of the town of Neis,
in Ireland." De La Roque noted that the couple
"has been one month in the country," so one suspects
that the Frenchman, perhaps a Huguenot, and his Irish
wife also may have been refugees from Halifax.
"The land on which they are settled is situated on the
road by which they go from Port La Joye to the wood, and
was given to them verbally by M. de
Bonaventure." Marguerite
Mius d'Azy, age 36, "native of Cap de
Sable" and widow of Michel Hébert, who
had died at Port-Lajoie the previous year, lived with
seven Hébert children: Cyprien,
age 15; Joseph-Nicodème, age 13; Ferdinand, age 11;
Madeleine-Barbe, age 9; Grégoire and Geneviève, age 7;
and Magloire, age 5. She "has been two years in
the country," De La Roque noted. "In live stock
she owns one sow and ten fowls. The land on which
she is settled was granted to her by Messieurs
Bonaventure and Degoutin,
and she has made a clearing for a garden." Germain
Henry, age 66, "native of l'Acadie,"
brother of Madeleine of St.-Esprit, Antoine of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, and Catherine of Rivière-de-Miré,
Île Royale, no kin to master tailor
Jean dit Maillardé, lived with wife Cécile
Deveau, age unrecorded but she was 51,
"native of l'Acadie," probably Chignecto. With Germain and Cécile
were six children:
Jean-Baptiste, age 25; Pierre, age 18; Rosalie, age 14;
Joseph, age 11; Madeleine, age 9; and Amand, age 7.
Also with them was Jean Cayssy,
actually Caissie, age 27, "orphan,
native of L'Acadie," and probably Cécile's kinsman since
three of her siblings had married into that family.
Germain had "been two years in the country," De La Roque
noted. "They have in live stock, one bull, one
mare, three sows, four pigs, five geese and eight fowls.
They own no land." François Seriés,
age 38, ploughman, "native of the parish of D'Albourg,
bishopric of Cahors," France, lived with wife Anne
Edon, age 37, "native of the parish of
la Franche, bishopric of Grenoble," France, and their
10-month-old daughter Rose. De La Roque noted that
"It is 22 months since he arrived from l'Acadie," that
"They have in live stock, one ewe, one lamb, one pig,
two geese and thirty fowls and chickens," and that "The
land on which they are settled was given them under
rental from the minors of Jean Baptiste Mazierre.
They have made a large clearing on it for a garden." Joseph Benet,
age 30, ploughman, "native of Albiac, bishopric of
Cahors," lived with wife Jeanne, called Jennie,
Diollet, or Douillet, age 35,
"native of Cognac, bishopric of Cahors," and two
children: Paul, age 5 1/2; and Rose, age 5 months.
De La Roque noted that Joseph and Jennie have been "in
the country 22 months," that "They have one pig and
eight fowls," and that "The land on which they are
settled was given them as above and on it they have made
a clearing for a large garden." Le Sr. Louis
Jonisseaux, or Juneau, age 30,
merchant, "native of the parish of Balergant, bishopric
of Québec," Canada, lived with wife Marie-Thérèse
Dauphin, age 37, "native of the town of
Québec," and their 2-year-old son Louis-Marie. De
La Roque noted that the merchant "has been in the
country 35 months," that They have in live stock one
horse, one cow, one heifer, one pig and thirty fowls,"
that "They hold the land by virtue of the following
purchases, namely: One of two arpents
front and forty in depth, from Charles Haché
Galland and Geneviève Lavergne
his wife," then living on the southside of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, "and another of two arpents
five perches front with a depth extending to
the bank of the Barachois or Ance aux Sauvages," on the
north shore of the island, "from Louis la Bauve
and Marie Landry his wife," then living
at Petite-Ascension, not far up Rivière-du-Nord-Est from
Port-La-Joye. Jean-Baptiste
Périal, age 25, "corporal of the
company formerly of Bonaventure" and
"native of Franche
Comté," lived with wife Rosalie
Comeau, age 32, "native of l'Acadie" and second wife and widow of Michel
Caissie dit Roger
of Chignecto, who had died the year before.
Jean-Baptiste and Rosalie had married on June 19, so
they had no children of their own. Living with
them, however, was her son Joseph Caissie,
age 8. Also with them was orphan Anne Caissie, age 15.
De La Roque noted that the former corporal "has been in
the country three years," that he and his wife "have in live stock one sow, one pig and twenty
fowls," and that "They hold their land
under rental from the children of the deceased Jean
Baptiste Mazierre. The said land
has three arpents of front with a depth of
forty." Jean-Baptiste, called Jean,
Roussin, age 38, navigator, "native of the
parish of St. Thomas de la Pointe à la Caille, bishopric
of Québec," lived with wife Françoise Boudrot,
age 21, "native of l'Acadie," actually Ste.-Famille,
Pigiguit, and younger half-sister of Marguerite of
Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale. Jean had married
Françoise at Port-La-Joye in April. De
La Roque noted that he was "for four months a
settler in the country," and that he and Françoise "have one
cow" but "no children and no land."171
Along Rivière-de-l'Ouest, which De La Roque called
Rivière-du-Ouest, today's West River; Rivière-du-Nord,
today's North Creek; and
especially in the valley of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, today's
Hillsborough River, De La
Roque found 127 families, a total of 136 counting the
families at Port-La-Joye--the largest concentration of
settlement on the island.
On Rivière-de-l'Ouest, De La Roque found 19 families,
all of them recent arrivals from
British Nova Scotia. More typically than the
Acadians at Port-La-Joye, most of the West River families
were related by blood or marriage:
Jean-Baptiste,
called Jean, Bourg, age 69, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, lived with second wife Françoise
Aucoin, age 64, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Minas, and four unmarried children: Françoise, age 28;
Anne, age 26; Marie-Josèphe or -Madeleine, age 23; and François, age 20.
De La Roque noted that Jean "has been fifteen months in
the country," that "They have in
live stock four cows, one calf, one sow, four pigs and
eight fowls or chickens," and that "The land on which they
are settled is situated on the south side of the said
Rivière du Ouest and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on which they have sown three
bushels of grain." Charles Bourg,
age 32, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Jean and
Françoise's oldest son, lived with wife
Madeleine-Marguerite Blanchard, age 25,
"native of l'Acadie," and three children: Joseph,
age 5; Ludivine, age 3; and Marguerite-Josèphe, 1 day.
They have "been fourteen months in the country," De La
Roque noted. "They have in live stock one cow, one
calf, one mare, one sheep, two sows and two pigs.
The tenure of their land and its location are as in the
preceding case," on the south side of the
river. "They have made a clearing for the sowing
of two bushels of wheat."
Joseph Braud, or Breau,
age 40, ploughman, of Cobeguit, "a native of l'Acadie,"
lived with wife Ursule Bourg, age 38,
"native of l'Acadie" and Jean's daughter by his first
wife Marie-Catherine Barrieau.
With Joseph and Ursule were 10 daughters:
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 16; Marie-Josèphe, age 15;
Ursule, age 12; Perpétué, age 10; Élisabeth-Françoise,
age 8; Luce, age 6; Anne-Josèphe, age 5; Angélique, age
4; Marie-Jeanne, age 3; and Rosalie, age 1. Also
living with them was Joseph's bachelor brother Charles
Breau,
age 26, "native of l'Acadie." De La Roque noted
that Joseph "has been in the country two years," that
"In live stock" he and Ursule "have two oxen, one cow, two heifers,
one bull, one ewe, two sows and two pigs. The land
on which they are settled is situated on the north side
of the said river du Ouest and was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of about
four bushels of wheat." Louis
Henry, age 30, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
lived with wife Madeleine Pitre, age
25, "native of l'Acadie," and two daughers:
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 2; and Hélène, age 2 months.
Louis "has been in the country two years," De La Roque
noted. "In live stock they have two oxen, one cow,
two heifers, three ewes, one sow and two pigs. The
land on which they are settled is situated as the
preceding case," on the north side of the
river," and was given to them, under similar conditions,
and on it they have made a clearing where they can sow
four bushels of grain." Joseph Pitre,
age 53, "native of l'Acadie" and brother of Cécile and
Françoise of Baie-des-Espagnols, lived
with wife Élisabeth Boudrot, age 51,
"native of l'Acadie," and four sons: Pierre, age
27; Joseph, fils, age 18; Paul, age 16; and
Jean-Baptiste, age 14. De La Roque noted that
Joseph "has been in the country fourteen months," that
he and Élisabeth "have in live stock three oxen, one cow, one calf,
one ewe, two sows and four pigs," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated on the north side of the
said river du Ouest, and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure," and
"on it they have made a clearing for sowing about four
bushels of wheat." Jean Henry
dit Le Neveu, age 48, "native of l'Acadie"
and brother of Cécile and Martin of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île
Royale, lived
with wife Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine,
Thériot, age 48, "native of l'Acadie"
and sister of five of the settlers at Baie-de-Mordienne
on Île Royale. With Jean dit Le Neveu and
Madeleine were five
children: Marie, age 22; Pierre, age 18; Charles,
age 16; Laurent, age 11; and François, age 6. The
Nephew "has been in the country two years," De La Roque
noted. "In live stock they have three oxen, one
calf, two sheep, two sows and one pig. The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case," on the north bank of the river, "and was given to
them under similar conditions. They have made a
clearing for the sowing of about twelve bushels of
wheat." François Pitre, age 25,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Rosalie
Henry, age 23, "native of l'Acadie,"
and 18-month-old daughter Victoire. De La Roque
noted that François "has been two years in the country,"
that "In live stock they have two oxen, one cow, one
calf, one wether, one ewe and four sows. The land
on which they are settled is situated on the north side
of the river du Ouest, and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of about
four bushels of wheat." Charles Guérin,
age 27, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
brother of Jean-Baptiste and Dominique at
Poine-à-la-Jeunesse, and Marie, Marguerite, Françoise,
and Pierre at Baie-de-Mordienne, Île Royale, lived with wife
Marguerite Henry, age 27, "native of
l'Acadie," and two children: Tersille, age 5; and Marin, age 2.
Also with them was Charles's mother, Élisabeth
Aucoin, age 74, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, widow
of Jérôme Guérin of Cobeguit and
Françoise's sister.
Charles "has been two years in the country," De La Roque
noted. "In live stock they have two oxen, one
wether, one ewe, two sows, one pig and fourteen fowls or
chickens. The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case," on the north bank of
the river, "and was given to them under similar
conditions. They have made a clearing for the
sowing of about four bushels of wheat." Jean
Henry dit Le Neveu, fils,
age 21, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Marie
Pitre, age 21, "native of l'Acadie"
and Joseph's daughter. She and Jean, fils had married in January,
so they had no children. De La Roque noted that Jean, fils
"has been in the country two years" and counted "one
pig" for the family's livestock. "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding case," on the north side of the river,
"and was given to them under similar conditions, and
they have made a clearing for the sowing of about four
bushels of seed[sic]." Charles
Pitre, age 23, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
Joseph's son and Marie's brother, lived with wife
Anne Henry, age 21, "native of
l'Acadie," who he had married in February. De La
Roque noted that Charles "has been in the country
fifteen months," that "In live stock they have one cow,
two pigs and one sheep. The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
north side of the river, "and was given to them under
similar circumstances. They have made a clearing
for the sowing of four bushels of wheat." Charles
dit Charlie Thibodeau, age 29,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Madeleine Henry, age 26, "native of
l'Acadie" and Anne's sister. With Charlie and
Madeleine was their 7-month-old daughter Hélène. De La
Roque noted that Charlie "has been in the country two
years," that "In live stock they have one cow, one calf,
one horse, one ewe, one sow and one pig. The land
on which they are settled is situated on the north side
of the Rivière du Ouest, and was given to him verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing for the sowing of about two
bushels of wheat." Jean Henry
dit le Vieux, age 68, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," brother of Madeleine of St.-Esprit, Antoine
of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, and Catherine of
Rivière-de-Miré, Île Royale, and Germain of Port-Lajoie, lived with wife Marie Hébert,
age 55, "native of l'Acadie" and sister of the late
Michel Hébert of Port-Lajoie.
With Le Vieux and Marie were five children: Marie-Josèphe, age 29;
Simon, age 23; Françoise, age 19; Charles, age 15; and
François, age 12. Le Vieux and Marie also were the
parents of Anne and Madeleine. De La Roque noted
that Le Vieux "has been in the country two years," that
he and his family "In live stock have five oxen, two cows, one calf,
three sheep, three sows and three pigs. The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north side of the river, "and
has been given to them under similar conditions.
They have made a clearing for the sowing of about ten
bushels of wheat." Joseph
Thériot, age 53, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Françoise Melanson,
age 44, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Grand-Pré, and seven children:
Étienne, age 21; Jacques, age 15; Marguerite-Suzanne,
age 12; Thomas, age 9; Marie-Madeleine, age 7; Ambroise,
age 4; and Paul, age 1. De La Roque noted that
Joseph "has been in the country two years," that he and
his family "have in live stock two oxen, two cows, one
heifer, one calf, two sows and one pig," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north side of the river, "and
was given to them under similar conditions. They
would be able next spring to sow about four bushels of
wheat, but he leaves this locality to go to Bedecq to
live, and Charles Henry, his
son-in-law[,] is coming to live on this lot."
Alexis Henry, age 30 1/2, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Marguerite
Hébert, age 23, "native of l'Acadie," and
26-month-old daughter Victoire. De La Roque noted
that Alexis "has been in the country nine months," that
he and Marguerite "have in live stock one cow, one ewe,
one sow, three pigs and two fowls. They have no
dwelling and are going to live near Bedecq," on the
southwest shore of the island. Joseph
Henry dit le Petit Homme, age 45,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Le Vieux's
younger brother, lived with wife
Christine dite Catherine Pitre,
age 40, "native of l'Acadie" and Joseph's younger
sister. With the Little Man and Catherine were eight children:
Marie, age 19, perhaps only 9; Joseph, fils,
age 17; Sephorose, age 14; Anne and Basile, age 13;
Jean-Baptiste, age 6; Marguerite-Modeste, age 2; and
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 3 months. De La Roque
noted that Petit Homme "has been in the country two
years and nine months," that "In live stock" he and his
family "have four oxen, one cow, one sheep, three sows
and two pigs. The land on which they are settled
is situated on the north side, of the said Rivière de
Ouest and was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have a
clearing on which they have sown two bushels of wheat
and one bushel of oats." Charles
Henry, age 20, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and son of Petite Homme, lived with wife
Françoise-Joseph Thériot, age 19,
"native of l'Acadie" and Joseph's daughter. De La
Roque noted that Charles "has been in the country nine
months," that his and his wife's "live stock all told
consists of two pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is that of Joseph Terriaud,
their father and father-in-law," and "They have sown a
bushel of wheat and hope to sow four more next spring."
Jean Pitre, age 55, ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie," likely Cap-Sable, and Joseph's older
brother, lived with wife Marguerite Thériot,
age 51, "native of l'Acadie" and Joseph's
sister. With Jean and Marguerite were six children: Marie, age 30;
Élisabeth, age 28, probably closer to 24; Jean, fils,
age 20; Pierre, age 18; Anne, age 15; and Anselme, age
14. De La Roque noted that Jean "has been in the
country fourteen months," that he and his family "have the following live stock:
two oxen, two calves, one wether, three ewes, one sow
and four pigs," that "The land on which they are settled
is situated as in the preceding case," on the north side
of the river, "and was given to them verbally.
They have made a garden on it."
Jean-Baptiste-Olivier Henry, called
Baptiste Olivier, age 24, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Susanne Pitre,
age 22, "native of l'Acadie" and Jean's
daughter. With Baptiste and Susanne were three
daughters: Marie, age 31 months;
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 18 months; and Madeleine, age 15
days. De La Roque noted that Baptiste "has been in
the country, fifteen months," that his and Susanne's livestock consisted of "two oxen, one cow, four
heifers, one bull, one ewe, one sow, two pigs and one
horse," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the north side of the Rivière du Ouest, and
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonaventure. They have made a clearing
on it for a garden only." Jean Henry,
fils of Chignecto, age 24, ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie" and Le Vieux's son, lived with wife Marie Carret,
age 30, "native of l'Acadie," and six daughters:
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 9; Marie-Rose, age 8;
Marie, age 6; Marguerite, age 4; Osite, age 33 months;
and Anastasie, age 4 months. De La Roque noted
that Jean, fils "has been in the country two
years," that he and Marie "have in live stock, two oxen,
one wether, three sheep, two pigs, two sows and nine
fowls," and "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case," on the north side of
the river, "and has been given to them under similiar
conditions. On it they have made a clearing for
the sowing of four bushels of wheat next spring."172
On Rivière-du-Nord, De La Roque counted the seven
families he had mentioned in his report, all recent arrivals related by blood or marriage:
François Landry, age 34 (actually 36),
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis
Royal, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Babin,
age 32, "native of l'Acadie," and six children:
Joseph, age 16; Jean-Charles, age 14; Germain, age 12;
Marie-Josèphe, age 10; François, fils, age 6;
and Claude-Raphael, age 5 weeks. De La Roque noted
that François, "has been in the country two years," that
the family's "live stock is as follows: Three
oxen, five cows, three calves, one horse, two ewes, one
sow, one pig and twenty-four fowls or chickens," that
"The land on which they are settled was given them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure,
Commandant for the King at Isle Saint-Jean. It is
situated on the north side of the river of that name.
They have made on it a clearing for the sowing of about
sixteen bushels of wheat the coming spring."
Benjamin Landry, age 54, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and François's first cousin, lived
with wife Marguerite Rabin, actually
Babin, age 45, "native of l'Acadie" and
Marie-Josèphe's oldest sister. With Benjamin and
Marguerite were six
children: Jean, age 19; Mathieu, age 16;
Madeleine, age 13; Marie, age 11; Joseph, age 8; and
Geneviève, age 4. Also with them was Benjamin's
widowed mother, Cécile Melanson, age 86
(actually 84),
"native of l'Acadie"; Daniel Lejeune,
age 30, "native of l'Acadie," probably a nephew; Rose
Landry, age 18, "native of l'Acadie,"
"their niece"; and Madeleine Dingle,
age 18, "native of Niganiche" on Île Royale,
another niece. De La Roque noted that Benjamin
"has been in the country two years," that he and
Marguerite "have the following live stock: Two
oxen, two cows, two heifers, one bull, one calf, one
ewe, one sow, three pigs and twenty-one fowls or
chickens," that "The land on which they are settled was
given them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
on it for the sowing of eight bushels of wheat next
spring." Augustin Landry,
age 26, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
Benjamin's son, lived with wife
Marguerite Granger, age 23, "native of
l'Acadie," and two children: Benjamin, age 18
months; and Marguerite, age 3 months. De La Roque
noted that Augustin "has been in the country two years,"
that he and Marguerite "have the following live stock,
two oxen, two cows, one bull, two ewes, two sows, one
pig and fifteen fowls or chickens," that "The land on
which they are settled was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure," and
"They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of
two bushels of wheat next spring." Charles
Landry, age 21, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and another of Benjamin's sons, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Granger,
age 19, "native of la Cadie," and their six-day-old son
Pierre. De La Roque noted that Charles "has been
in the country two years," that he and Marie "have in
live stock:--one ox, two cows, one ewe and eight fowls
or chickens," that "The land on which they are settled
was given them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure," and "They have made no clearing,
having been but a short time on their land." Amand
Daigre, age 40, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and brother of Pierre of Port-Toulouse,
Île Royale, lived with wife Élisabeth Vincent,
age 34, "native of l'Acadie," and six children:
Simon, age 15; Marguerite, age 10; Madeleine, age 8;
Osite, age 6; Pierre, age 4; and Marie-Josèphe, age 10
months. De La Roque noted that Amand "has been in
the country two years," that he and Élisabeth "have the
following live stock: one cow, two calves, one sow
and four pigs," that "The land on which they are settled
was given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure," and "They have made a
clearing on it for the sowing of four bushels of wheat."
Charles Daigre, age 38, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and Amand's nephew, lived with wife Cécile
Landry, age 36, "native of l'Acadie," and two
daughters: Marguerite-Cécile, age 2; and Marie,
age 9 months. Also living with them were Rémy
Daigre, age 25, "native of l'Acadie"
and Charles's brother; and Marie-Josèphe Daigre,
age 10, their sister. De La Roque noted that
Charles "has been in the country two years," that he and
his
family "have the following live stock: four oxen,
three cows, one bull, two calves, one heifer, three
sows, five pigs and twenty-two fowls or chickens," that
"The land on which they are settled was given them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure,"
and that "They have made a clearing on it for the sowing
of six bushels of wheat." Alexandre Daigre,
age 22, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
Charles and Rémy's brother, lived with wife
Élisabeth Granger, age 20, "native of
l'Acadie," and their 3-month-old son Charles-François.
De La Roque noted that Alexandre "has been in the
country one year," that "In live stock" he and Élisabeth
"have: one ox,
one cow and one sow," that "The land on which they are
settled was given to them verbally by M.
de Bonnaventure," and "They have made
no clearing, having been there only a short time."173
On Rivière-du-Nord-Est, first along its
north bank, where he counted 34 families, and then along
its south bank, where he counted 10 more, De La Roque
found a substantial concentration of Fundy Acadians--a
combination of recent arrivals and long-time settlers displaying the usual complex kinship patterns.
Along the north bank of Rivière-du-Nord-Est he found: Anselme Boudrot, age 33,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Geneviève Girouard, age 31, "native of
l'Acadie," and three children: Anselme, fils,
age 7; Marie-Henriette, called Henriette, age 7; and
Simon, age 1.
De La
Roque noted that Anselme "has been in the country
two years," that he and Geneviève's "live stock consists
of four oxen, four cows, four ewes, and two pigs," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated on the
north side of the said river, and was given verbally by
M. de Bonnaventure. They
have made a clearing on it for the sowing of
twenty bushels of wheat next spring." Denis
Boudrot, age 75 (actually 62), ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Minas, lived with wife Anne
Vincent, age 60, "native of l'Acadie," actually
St.-Famille, Pigiguit. They were Anselme's
parents. De La Roque noted that Denis "has been in
the country two years," that he and Anne "have the
following live stock: three oxen, two cows, two
pigs, one sow and two fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for sowing 29 bushels of
wheat." Isidore Daigre, age 27,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Agathe
Barrieau, age 21, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Pigiguit, and their year-old-son Firmin.
De La Roque noted that Isidore "has been in the country
two years," that he and Agathe's "live stock is as
follows: two oxen, two cows, one mare, three ewes,
two sows, three pigs and four fowls or chickens," that
"The land on which they are settled was given them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure,
and upon it they have made a clearing for the sowing of
six bushels of wheat." Marie-Josèphe
Boudrot, age 36, widow of Pierre-Toussaint
Richard, "very poor, native of
l'Acadie" and Denis's oldest daughter,
lived with six Richard children:
Pierre, fils, age 19; Paul, age 17;
Marie-Blanche, age 15; Joseph, age 13; Honoré, age 10;
and Thomas, age 6. De La Roque noted that the poor
widow "has been in the country two years," that she and
her children "have no live stock," that "The land on
which she is settled is situated on the north bank of
the said Rivière du Nord-Est. It was given to her
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure
and he resumes possession as they have made no
improvements." Marie-Madeleine Pitre,
age 39, "native of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis Royal,
was the widow of Pierre Gaudet, who had
died only a few days earlier. She lived with nine Gaudet children:
Étienne and Pierre, fils, age 23; Dominique,
age 19; Doratte, age 16; François, age 14; Cyprien and
Marie, age 12; Anne, age 9; and Joseph, age 6. De
La Roque noted that Marie-Madleine was "poor," that she "has been in the
country two years," that of "Live stock: she has
two oxen, one cow, one ewe, one sow and one hen," that "The land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north bank of the river," and
was given to them verbally by M. de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
for sowing thirty-two bushels of wheats."
Jean-Baptiste Blanchard, age 40,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with Anne
Bourg, age 30, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Minas, and three
children: Jean-Grégoire, age 7; Anne, age 5; and
Cécile, age 18 months. De La Roque noted that Jean
"has been in the country 14 months," that he and Anne
"have live stock as follows: four oxen, one
heifer, five sheep, one sow, four pigs, and three
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled was
given to them by M. de Bonneventure,"
and "They have made a garden on it." Joseph
Bourg, age 41 1/2, ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie" and son of Jean of Rivière-de-l'Ouest, lived with wife Françoise Dugas,
age 29 (actually 38), and eight children: Joseph,
fils, age 16; Agnès, age 14; Isabelle, age 12;
Bernard, age 10; Marie-Françoise, age 8;
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 6; François, age 40 months; and
Jean-Baptiste, age 3 months. De La Roque noted
that Joseph "has been in the country one year," that he
and Françoise "have live stock as follows: four
oxen, one cow, one calf, two sows and three pigs," that
"The land on which they are settled was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a garden." Paul
Doiron dit le Grand Paul, age 42,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Marguerite Michel, age 45, "native of
l'Acadie," and nine children: Marguerite-Josèphe,
age 17; Anne-Appoline, age 15; Pierre-Paul, age 12;
Blanche, age 10; Jean-Baptiste, age 8; Osite, age 6;
Joseph, age 4; Rose, age 2; and Hélène, age 8 months.
De La Roque noted that Grand Paul "has been in the
country two years," that "His live stock consists of
four bulls, three cows, two heifers, two sows, two pigs
and twenty-five fowls or chickens," that "The land on
which they are settled was given to them verbally by
M. de Bonnaventure. They
have made a clearing on it where they hope to sow eight
bushels of wheat next spring." Claude
Dugas, age 40, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and Françoise's older brother, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Aucoin, age 43, "native
of l'Acadie," and eight children: Joseph, age 16;
Jean-Baptiste, age 14; Marie, age 9; Victor, age 8;
Angélique, age 7; Théodore, age 6; Anne, age 5; and
Paul, age 4. De La Roque noted that Claude "has
been in the country twelve months," that "His live stock
consists of two oxen, two cows, two heifers, three sows,
four pigs and twelve fowls or chickens," that the land
on which he Marie-Josèphe "settled was given to them by
M. de Bonnaventure. They
have made a clearing on it for sowing two bushels of
wheat." Paul Aucoin, age 41,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Marie-Josèphe's
younger brother, lived with wife Marie LeBlanc,
age 37, "native of l'Acadie," and brother of
François of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale. With
Paul and Marie were four children:
Marie-Josèphe, age 8; Marguerite-Suzanne, age 6; Joseph,
age 4; and Tarsille, age 2. De La Roque noted that
Paul "has been 13 months in the country," that he and
Marie "have the following live stock:--One ox, one cow,
one wether, one sow, four pigs and seven fowls or
chickens," that "The land on which they are settled was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure, and they have made a clearing on
it for sowing a bushel of wheat." Michel
Aucoin, age 75, "native of l'Acadie"
and brother of Isabelle and Françoise of
Rivière-du-Ouest, lived
with wife Jeanne Bourg, age 69, "native
of l'Acadie." Michel and Jeanne were Marie-Josèphe and Paul's
parents. De La Roque noted that
"They have no children with them. They have in
live stock: one cow and one sow. They have
no land but are settled on the land of Paul
Aucoin and Claude Dugast their
son and son-in-law." Le Sr.
Louis-Amand, called Amand, Bugeaud,
père, age 51, merchant and navigator, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with his second wife Dame
Claire Dousetts, actually
Doucet, age 37 (actually 40), "native of
l'Acadie," and his mother-in-law, Françoise
Blanchard, no age given (she was 80), widow of
Jean Doucet and Jean-Baptiste
Blanchard's older half-sister. De La Roque noted
that Sr. Amand "has been in the country four
years," that he and Claire "have no children," that
"They have the following live stock: six oxen,
four bulls, nine cows, six calves, one horse, one sow,
three pigs, five sheep and twenty-five fowls; and a
vessel of twenty-five tons," that "The land on which
they are settled was granted to them by Messieurs
Bonnaventure and de Goutin,
comprising ___ arpents of front and forty of
depth. They have made a clearing of which they
hope to sow twelve bushels of wheat next spring."
Le Sr. Pierre Gautier, or
Gauthier, age 24, navigator, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Bellaire on haute rivière,
Annapolis Royal, lived with wife
Jeanne La Forest, "age 18, "native of
Louisbourg," who he had married on Île Royale in late
June. De La Roque noted that Sr. Pierre
"has been in the country three years" that "He has in
live stock, two oxen and six sheep," that the land on
which he and Jeanne "are settled is situated on the
north side of the said Rivière du Nord-Est, and was
given them verbally by M. Bonnaventure,"
and that "he has made no clearing." Le Sr.
Jean Bugeaud, age 24, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie"and Amand's nephew, lived with wife
Anne Douville, age 26, "native of the
harbour of Saint-Pierre, in the north of this island."
Anne's father, Nicolas, was the first European settler
on the island. De La Roque noted that she and
Sr. Jean "have no children. In live stock
they have two oxen, three cows, one horse, two wethers,
three ewes, one sow, three pigs, seven geese, seven
turkeys and thirty fowls or chickens," that "The land on
which they are settled was given to them by the Sr.
Joseph Bugeaud, their father and
father-in-law, on which the said Jean Bugeaud
has made a clearing where he has sowed four bushels of
wheat and five bushels of oats, and he hopes next spring
to sow sixteen bushels." Le Sr. Joseph
Bugeaud, age 53, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and Amand's older brother, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Landry, age 48, "native
of l'Acadie," and eight children: Charles, age 21;
Élisabeth, age 19; Marie-Rose, age 17; François-Placide,
age 16; Anne, age 15; Marie, age 11; Mathurin, age 10;
and Félicité, age 6. De La Roque noted that
Sr. Joseph "has been three years in the country,"
that he and Marie-Josèphe "have the following live
stock: two oxen, two cows, one calf, two ewes and
their young, one sow, two pigs and three fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated on the
north side of the said Rivière du Nord-Est, like the
preceding, and was given to them by permit from
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing where they have sown six
bushels of wheat and a half bushel of peas, and they
hope next spring to sow twelve bushels more." Joseph
Gautier, or Gauthier,
age 35, navigator, "native of l'Acadie" and Pierre's
older brother, lived with wife Demoiselle
Marguerite Bugeaud, age 24, "native of
l'Acadie" and Sr. Joseph's daughter. They
had two children: Joseph, fils, age 3; and
Élisabeth, age 11 months. Also living with them
was Baptiste Allain, age 12, "native of
l'Acadie" and one of Joseph's kinsmen. De La Roque
noted that Joseph "has been in the country three years,"
that "In live stock" he and Marguerite "have three oxen,
five cows, two heifers, one horse, four calves, four
ewes, three sows, three pigs, eight geese, thirty fowls,
and one vessel of 45 to 50 tons," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case," on the north side of the river," and was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
on which they have sown six bushels of wheat, and hope
to sow twelve bushels next spring." Paul
Broussard dit Courtiche, age 25,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Madeleine Landry, age 23 1/2, "native
of l'Acadie," and their 2-year-old son Jean-Baptiste.
De La Roque noted that Courtiche "has been in the
country 26 months," that "In live stock," he and
Madeleine "have four oxen, one cow, three bulls, one
horse, three ewes, four pigs and three fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is as in the preceding,"
on the north side of the river, "and was given to them
verbally by M. de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it where they have sown
eleven bushels of wheat and six of peas, and they hope
to sow twenty-five bushels next spring." Le
Sr. Louis-Amand Bugeaud, fils,
age 23, navigator, "native of l'Acadie," was
Louis-Amand's son by his first wife Catherine
Granger. The young sieur was still a
bachelor in August 1752. Living with him as domestics were Antoine-Amand
Gautrot, age 20, "native of l'Acadie," and his
brother Charles, age 17, also "native of l'Acadie."
De La Roque noted that Louis-Amand, fils "has been
in the country for four years," that "His live stock
consist of eleven cows, four calves, one sow, four pigs,
one wether, ten ewes and 25 fowls," that "The land on
which he is settled is situated on the north side of the
said Rivière du Nord-Est, and was granted him under
permit from Monsieur Benoist,
dated 1749, comprising seven arpents frontage
by forty in depth. This land is called 'la source
à Bellair." Nearby stood one of the island's four
churches. At Source-à-Bellair, De La Roque noted, was "a clearing on
which" the young sieur and his domestics "have
sown three bushels of wheat, two bushels of oats and
three bushels of peas, and ploughed land for sowing ten
bushels of wheat." Dame Marie
Allain, age 58, was the widow of Sr.
Joseph-Nicolas Gauthier dit
Bellair, "merchant," who had died the previous April
10--the navigator-turned-Acadian resistance-leader who
once had been the wealthiest man in British Nova Scotia.
Marie was the mother of
Pierre and Joseph Gauthier and
lived with four younger Gauthier
children: A second Joseph, age 19; Élisabeth, age
15; Marie, age 12; and Jean, age 11. "In her
employ" was Guillaume Lagneau, age
55, "of Indian nationality, native of Baston." De
La Roque noted that Dame Marie "has been three years in the
country," that "She has the following live stock:--six
oxen, four cows, three heifers, two bulls, three calves,
two wethers, two ewes and 80 fowls," that "The land on
which" she and her children "are settled is situated on the north side of
the Rivière du Nord-Est at Source à Bellair and was given them by
permit from Monsieur Benoist
dated 24th January, 1749. It comprises seven
arpents frontage by forty arpents in
depth. They have made a clearing and have sowed
there seven bushels of wheat and one bushel of oats."
Jacques Langlois dit Jacqui,
age 36, carpenter and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie"
and son of François of Île Madame,
lived with his second wife Marie-Josèphe
Darembourg, age 25, "native of l'Acadie," and
three children: Cécile, age 6;
Aimable, age 4 1/2; and Jacques-Mathieu, age 20
months. De La Roque noted that Jacques "has been
nine years in the country," that he and Marie-Josèphe
"have in live stock two oxen, two cows, one calf, three
ewes, two sows, five pigs, and twelve fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north side of the river," and
was granted to them verbally by Monsieur
Duchambon. They have made a
clearing and sowed on it ten bushels and a half of
wheat, one bushel of oats, two bushels of peas, and
ploughed land for sowing two bushels besides."
Joseph Michel, age 24, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Geneviève
Darembourg, age 19, "native of Port St. Pierre,
in the north of the island" and Marie-Josèphe's younger
sister. With Joseph and Geneviève was their 3-month-old daughter
Marie-Josèphe. De La Roque noted that Joseph "has
been 18 months in the country," that his and Geneviève's
"stock is as follows: one cow, two ewes, one sow,
one pig and six fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
north side of the river, "and was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it where they have sown
three bushels and a half of wheat and a half bushel of
peas." Étienne-Charles Philippe
dit LaRoche, age 37, "native of Paris," lived
with wife Marie Mazerolle, no age given but she would
have been 44, "native of l'Acadie," widow of Pierre
Darembourg and Marie-Josèphe and
Geneviève's mother. With them were six sons, two
by Marie's first husband, four by her second:
Jean-Baptiste Darembourg, age 15;
Jacques Darembourg, age 13;
Louis-Joseph Philippe, age 9; Charles
Philippe, age 8; Joseph
Philippe, age 5; and Jean-Pierre
Philippe, age 3. De La Roque noted that
Étienne-Charles "has been in the country ___ years,"
that "Of live stock," he and Marie "have two oxen, one
cow, one calf, three ewes, one sow, two pigs and ten
fowl," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the north side of the Rivière du Nord-Est,
and was granted to them by Messieurs de Pensens
and Dubuisson. They have made on it a clearing for
sowing thirty-two bushels of grain and this year they
have sown on it sixteen bushels of wheat, one of oats
and two of peas." Jean Hélie,
age 46, mastor tailor, "native of the town of Poitiers,
in Poitou," lived with second wife Françoise
Bonnevie, age 50, "native of l'Acadie."
With them was Jean-Baptiste Olivier, age 19,
Françoise's son by
her first marriage to Pierre Olivier. Also living with them was
Jeanne ____, age 30, "native of l'Acadie," perhaps a
domestic servant. De La Roque noted that Jean "has been in
the country three years," that he and Françoise's "live
stock consist of two cows, two oxen, one bull, two
heifers, eight pigs and one cow in calf," that "The land
on which they are settled, is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north side of the river, "and
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have sown on it
four bushels and a half of wheat, and have besides
fallow land sufficient for the sowing of another eight
bushels."174
Continuing up the north bank of Rivière-du-Nord-Est
to La Grande-Source, De La Roque found a number of families,
interspersed with recent arrivals, who had lived on the island for decades.
Two of these families, in fact, had helped pioneer
settlement on Île
St.-Jean:
François Duguay,
age 50, ploughman, "native of the parish of Pluvigné,
bishopric of Vannes in Brittany," lived with wife Marie
Bonnevie, age 48, "native of l'Acadie"
and Françoise's younger sister. With François and
Marie were
six children: Charles, age 14; Jean-Baptiste, age
13; Marguerite, age 10; Olivier, age 6; Jacques, age 4;
and Marie-Josèphe, age 19 months. De La Roque noted that
François "has been in the country 36 years";
he was, in fact, one of the pioneer European settlers of
the island. De La Roque also noted that François
and Marie's "live stock consist of two oxen, one horse,
one ewe, one sow, four pigs and ten fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north bank of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est. "They have made a clearing
for the sowing of five bushels of wheat in the coming
spring." François Haché
dit Gallant l'aîné, age 45, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, lived with wife Anne
Boudrot, age 33, "native of l'Acadie," and
eight children: François-Sylvestre, age 16; Louis,
age 14; Jacques-Ange, age 13; Jean-François, age 11;
René, age 9; Marie-Rose, age 5; Joseph, age 4; and
Charles, age 4 months. De La Roque noted that
François "has been 28 years in the country," that he and
Anne "have the following live stock: four oxen,
four cows, three heifers, two bulls, four sows, two
pigs, three fowls: Also, a corn mill made of
coarse stone, which is used at the most only half the
year. The land on which they are settled is
situated on the North side of the Rivière du Nord-Est,
and was given to them by grant from Monsieur
Duvivier, under date of the first July,
1745. It comprises four arpents frontage
by forty arpents in depth. They have sown
ten bushels of wheat and two of peas and have fallow
land sufficient for the sowing of sixteen bushels more."
Joseph Prétieux, age 63, ploughman,
"native of La Rochelle," lived with wife Anne
Haché dit Gallant,
age 48, "native of l'Acadie" and François l'aîné's
older sister. With Joseph and Anne were four children:
Louise-Marguerite, age 18; Pierre, age 15; Joseph, fils,
age 13; and Louis, age 11. De La Roque noted that
Joseph "has been 28 years on the country," that "Of live
stock" he and Anne "have four oxen, two heifers, one
wether, five ewes, one sow and six pigs and two cows
with four calves," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
north side of the river, "and is held by them under
grant by Monsieur Duvivier,
dated the first July, 1745. It is four arpents
in depth. They have made a clearing and have sown
seven bushels of wheat, two bushels of rye and have
sufficient fallow land for sowing eighteen bushels
more." Augustin Doucet dit
Justice, age 29 (actually 33), ploughman, "native of
Québec" but an Acadian, lived with second wife
Anne-Marie, actually Marie-Anne, Prétieux,
age 20, "native of Port La Joye, of this island" and
Joseph's daughter, who Justice had married in February.
With them were two sons by Justice's first marriage to
Cécile Mius d'Azy:
Joachim, age 9; and Joseph, age 7. De La Roque
noted that Justice "has been in the country eighteen
years," though he may have meant 18 months. "In
live stock," Justice and
Marie-Anne "have: one bull, one heifer, one ewe and one
sow. The land on which they are settled is
situated on the north shore of the Rivière du Nord-Est,
and was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. No clearing had
been made, permission having been given them to go on
the land only in the month of June." François
Haché dit Gallant
le jeune, age 25, ploughman, "native of Louisbourg,"
"son of Marie Genty," actually
Anne-Marie Gentil, and nephew of
François l'aîné, lived with
wife Françoise Olivier, age 20, "native
of l'Acadie," and their 17-month-old daughter Marie-Osite.
De La Roque noted that François le jeune "has been in the country
two years," that "in live stock" he and Françoise "have
two oxen, two cows, one ewe, nine fowls, and one cow in
calf," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case," on the north side of
the river, "and was given to them by Monsieur
Duvivier. They have made a
clearing on it where they have sown seven bushels of
wheat and they have fallow land besides for the sowing
of fifteen bushels." Jean-Baptiste Haché
dit Gallant, fils, age 32,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and François
le jeune's older brother, lived with wife Anne
Olivier, age 33, "native of l'Acadie"
and Françoise's sister. With Jean-Baptiste and
Anne were two
children: Anne-Marie, age 22 months; and
Pierre-Paul, age 4 months. De La Roque noted that
Jean-Baptiste "has been 29 years in the country," that
he and Anne "have in live stock: four oxen, one
cow, one horse, one wether, three ewes, one sow, one
pig, and five fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
north side of the river, "and is held under a grant
accorded to them by Monsieur Duvivier.
They have made a clearing for the sowing of seventeen
bushels of seed on which they have sown seven bushels of
wheat." Marie Genty,
actually Anne-Marie or Marie-Anne Gentil,
age 48, "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, was
the widow of Jean-Baptiste
Haché dit Gallant,
père of Chignecto, older brother of Anne and François l'aîné and father of Jean-Baptiste, fils and François
le jeune. De La Roque described his widow as
"very poor." She lived with seven Haché
children: Marie-Josèphe, age 25;
Marguerite-Louise, age 23; Antonine, actually Antoine,
age 18; Michel, age 16; Joseph, age 14; Louis, age 11;
and Georges, age 10. De La Roque noted that Marie
"has been 29 years in the country," that "Of live stock"
she and her children "have two oxen, one cow, one horse,
one wether, two ewes, two sows, four pigs, five geese
and ten fowls," that "The land on which they are settled
is situated as in the preceding case," on the north side
of the river. "They hold it by grant from
Monsieur Duvivier. They have
made a clearing for the sowing of thirty two bushels,
but have only sown seven not having been able to procure
more owing to their poverty." Michel
Deveau, age 33, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, lived with wife Marie Poirier,
age 25, "native of l'Acadie," and three children:
Marie, age 5; Michel, fils, age 3; and Louise,
age 10 months. De La Roque noted that Michel "has
been in the country twenty years," that "In live stock,"
he and Marie "have two oxen, one cow, one horse, one
wether, four ewes, five sows, four pigs and nine fowls,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding case," on the north side of the river,
"and was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. No clearing has
been made on said land owing to its not being good for
cultivation. They have made their clearing on land
situated at the harbour Au Sauvage," on the island's
north shore, "where they
have sown six bushels of wheat, one bushel of oats, and
one bushel and a half of peas and have fallow land for
the sowing of then bushels. They hold this land
verbally as they do the other." Charles dit
Charlit Haché dit
Gallant, age 27, ploughman, "native of Port La
Joye," Anne and François l'aîné's nephew, lived with
wife Anne Deveau, age 18, "native of
the harbour Au Sauvage" and Michel's sister.
Charlit and Anne
had no children. De La Roque noted that "They have
in live stock two oxen, one cow, one heifer, one calf,
two wethers, three ewes, two sows, one pig and seven
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the north shore of the Rivière du Nord-Est,
at the part called La Grande Source," that "It was
granted to them by Monsieur Dupont
Duvivier. They made no clearing, finding
the soil was poor in quality. They have made a
clearing on the Crown lands where they have sown eight
bushels of wheat." Pierre Deveau,
age 29, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Michel and
Anne's brother, lived with wife Marie Haché
dit Gallant, age 28, "native
of l'Acadie" and Charlit's older sister. With
Pierreand Marie
were three children: Blaise, age 5; Marie-Modeste,
age 2; and Charles, age 5 months. Also living with
them was Marie and Charlit's bachelor brother François
Haché, age 21, "native of l'Acadie."
De La Roque noted that Pierre "has been in the country
24 years," that "In live stock" he and Marie "have two
oxen, two bulls, one heifer, two mares, one wether, four
ewes, one sow, three pigs and seven fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north side of the river, "and
was granted to them by Monsieur Dupont
Duvivier. They have made a clearing for
it for the sowing of sixteen bushels and have sown
eight." Charles Poitier, actually
Pothier, age 27, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Île St.-Jean, and maternal
uncle of the Deveau siblings, lived with wife
Marie-Blanche Caissie, age 26, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and older sister
of Jeanne of Port-Toulouse, Île Royale.
With Charles and Marie-Blanche was their 3-year-old
daughter Modeste. Also living with them was
Marie-Blanche's sister Rosalie,
age 19, "native of l'Acadie." De La Roque noted
that Charles "has been in the country for three years,"
which likely referred to the land he was holding since he had
been born on the island in January 1725. "In live
stock," De La Roque noted, Charles and Marie-Blanche
"have two oxen, two bulls, one cow, one wether, two
ewes, one sow, three pigs and seven fowl," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north side of the river, "and
was given them by Monsieur Benoist.
They have made no clearing for it for similar reasons to
those already given in other cases. They have made
a clearing in the Crown lands for sowing eight bushels
of seed."175
Ten families De La Roque found along the south bank
of upper Rivière-du-Nord-Est were, with only two
exceptions, long-time residents of the island:
Nicolas Bouchard, age 29, ploughman,
"native of St. Thomas, bishopric of Québec," lived with
wife Marie-Anne Chiasson, age 29,
"native of l'Acadie," and two children: Nicolas,
fils, age 4; and Marie, age 2. De La
Roque noted that Nicolas "has been three years in the
country," that his and Marie's "live stock consists of
two oxen, two cows, two heifers, two bulls, two calves,
four wethers, three ewes, three sows, one pig and ten
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the south side of the Rivière du Nord-Est,
and was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing in which they have sown five bushels of
wheat, and fallow land for the sowing of another five
bushels." Pierre Haché
dit Gallant, age 27,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and younger brother
of Jean-Baptiste, fils and François le
jeune, lived with wife Marie Doiron,
age 22, "native of l'Acadie." They had no
children. De La Roque noted that Pierre "has been
in the country 16 years," that "Of live stock" he and
Marie "have two oxen, one bull, one mare, two ewes, one
sow and five fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
south side of the river, "and is held under grant, dated
third January, 1745, from Monsieur
Duvivier. It comprises four arpents
of frontage by forty in depth. They have made no
clearing having been only a short time on the land."
François Vescot, or Vécot,
age 37, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Chignecto, lived with wife
Anne-Marie Arseneau, age 26, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Chignecto, and three children: François, fils,
age 7; Michel, age 4; and Marie, age 2. De La
Roque noted that François "has been in the country 34
years," that he and Anne-Marie's livestock "consists of
four oxen, four cows, four bulls, one heifer, one calf,
one mare, eight wethers, three ewes, four sows, four
pigs and twelve fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated on the south side of the river
Rivière du Nord-Est. They hold it by grant from
Monsieur Benoist. They
have made a clearing on which they have sown fourteen
bushels of wheat, two bushels of oats, and one bushel
and a half of peas." Charles Haché
dit Gallant, age 53,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, brother of
Jean-Baptiste, père, Anne, and François
l'aîné, lived with wife Geneviève Lavergne,
age 42, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, and five children:
Louise-Geneviève, age 22; Anne, age 15; another Anne,
age 12; Joseph, age 8; and Jean-Baptiste, age 2.
Also living with them was Demoiselle
Louise-Marguerite Poitiers Dubuisson,
age 42, "native of Montréal, bishopric of Québec," a
spinster from a distinguished Canadian family; the
demoiselle was unrelated to either Charles or Geneviève, so one wonders
why she was counted with this couple. De La Roque
noted that Charles "has been in the country 30 years,"
that his and Geneviève's livestock "is as follows:
Five oxen, five cows, two heifers, three bulls, one
calf, eight wethers, fourteen ewes, four sows, six pigs
and five fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
south side of the river, "and was granted as follows, to
wit: One piece of land granted by Monsieur
Duvivier in 1745 under the date the
first of July, comprising five arpents, five
perches of frontage and forty arpents
in length; and another piece of land that the said
Charles Haché has purchased from Joseph
Haché, his brother, granted to said
Joseph Haché by Monsieur
Duvivier under date sixth July, 1745,
comprising four arpents of frontage and forty
arpents in depth, the two pieces of land lying
contiguous to each other and forming one estate of nine
arpents five perches frontage by forty
arpents in depth. They have sown on it
twenty-four bushels of wheat, three bushels of oats and
three bushels of peas." Pierre Haché
dit Gallant, age 51, ploughman
and navigator, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, and brother of
Charles et al., was widower of Cécile
Lavergne, Geneviève's sister. Pierre lived
with eight children: Louis, age 25; Pierre,
fils, age
23; Geneviève, age 21; Marie-Anne, age 19;
Jean-Baptiste, age 17; Louise, age 15; Anne, age 13; and
Marie-Josèphe, age 8. De La Roque noted that
Pierre "has been 30 years in the country," that "In live
stock" he and his children "have six oxen, four cows,
two bulls, two calves, two mares, five wethers, eleven
ewes, seven sows, two pigs and twenty-three fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated on the
south side of the Rivière du Nord-Est of Port La Joye.
They hold it by grant, and have made a clearing on which
they have sown thirty-two bushels of wheat, one bushel
of oats, and have made fallow land for the sewing of
sixteen bushels." Pierre Duval,
age 48, blacksmith and ploughman, "native of the parish
of Sougeal, bishopric of Rennes," Brittany, lived with
wife Marie-Madeleine Haché dit
Gallant, age 42, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, and sister of Charles et al.
With Pierre and Marie-Madeleine
were six children: Marie-Josèphe, age 17; Anne,
age 15; Jean-Pierre, age 10; Marguerite, age 7; Osite,
age 5; and Charles, age 6 months. Also living with
the family was orphan Jean-François, called François, Mazièrre,
or Mazière, age 6,
"native of this island." (François's
maternal grandmother was Marie
Haché, Marie-Madeleine's late older
sister, so the boy was Marie-Madeleine's grand nephew.)
De La Roque noted that Pierre "has been 22 years in the
country," that he and Marie-Madeleine "have in live
stock, four oxen, four cows, two heifers, one bull, two
calves, one mare with young, four wethers, ten ewes, two
sows, five pigs, and fifty fowls or chickens," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the south side of the river, "and
was granted them by Messieurs Duvivier
and Degoutin. On it they have
made a clearing where they have sown sixteen bushels of
wheat and eight bushels of oats, and made fallow land
sufficient for the sowing of seventeen bushels more."
Charles Martin, age 40 (actually 43),
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal,
lived with wife Françoise Carret, age
30 (actually 31), "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, and sister of Marie of Rivière-du-Ouest.
Charles and Françoise had no children. De La Roque
noted that he "has been in the country 30 years,"
that his and Françoise's "live stock consists of four
oxen, five cows, one calf, one mare, five wethers, two
sows, fourteen pigs and sixteen fowls or chickenks; and
a boat," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case," on the south side of
the river. "They hold it under grant from
Messieurs Duvivier and
Degoutin. On it they have made a clearing
where they have sown ten bushels of wheat, four bushels
of oats, and two bushels of peas." Bathélemy
Martin, age 42 (actually 48), ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and Charles's older brother, lived with wife
Madeleine Carret, age 39, "native of
l'Acadie" and Marie and Françoise's sister.
With Barthélemy and Madeleine were
10 children: Pierre-Paul, age 20; Charles-Michel,
age 18; François, age 16; Jacques-Christophe, age 14;
Marie-Josèphe, age 13; Joseph, age 12; Euphrosine, age
9; another Marie-Josèphe, age 7; Jeanne, age 3; and
Jean-Félix, age 1. De La Roque noted that
Barthélemy "has been in the country 30 years," that he
and Madeleine "have the following live stock: four
oxen, four cows, four heifers, nine wethers, eleven
ewes, five pigs, nine fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case,"
on the south side of the river, "and was given to them
by Messieurs Duvivier and
Degoutin. They have made a
clearing on it where they have sown forty bushels of
wheat, fifteen bushels of oats, and half a bushel of
peas, and made fallow land for the sowing of twenty
bushels more." Joseph Martin, age
50 (actually 55), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Port-Royal, and
elder brother of Charles and Barthélemy, lived with wife
Élisabeth Carret, age 32, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, widow of Joseph Doucet and
sister of Marie, Françoise, and Madeleine. Joseph
Martin had married Élisabeth at Port-Lajoie in
April 1750, when he was age 53; oddly, this was his
first marriage. They lived with six children, four
from her first marriage, two from their marriage:
Marguerite Doucet, age 13; Joseph
Doucet, age 12; Pierre Doucet,
age 9; Rose Doucet, age 6;
Marie-Josèphe Martin, age 17 months;
and Anne Martin, age 4 months. De
La Roque noted that Joseph "has been in the country 30
years," that he and Élisabeth's "live stock consists of
five oxen, one cow, two calves, two wethers, three ewes,
two sows, four pigs, and ten fowls or chickens," but he
said nothing of their land. Honoré
Bourgeois, age 52 (actually 50), ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, lived with second wife
Marie-Madeleine Pichard, age 48,
"native of the parish of Saint-Léger, bishopric of
Chartres" and widow of Henri L'Hôtellier.
Honoré had remarried to her only recently. With
them were two children by his first wife, Marie-Jeanne Richard:
Marguerite, age 17; and François, age 15. De La
Roque noted that Honoré "has been two years in the
country," so he must have married ...
Marie-Madeleine soon after he came to the island; a
native of Chartres, France, she had married her first
husband at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in July 1744, so she had
been on the island at least since that time. De La
Roque also noted that "In live stock" Honoré and Marie-Madeleine
"have four oxen, four cows, four calves, one horse, six
wethers, twelve ewes, two sows, four pigs and twelve
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the south side of the Rivière du Nord-Est of
Port La Joye, and they acquired it from Charles
Haché as guardian and curator of the children,
minor and major, of the late" René
Rassicot, second husband of Charles's
older sister Marie Haché.
De La Roque concluded: "They," Honoré and
Marie-Madeleine, "have made a clearing for the sowing of
forty bushels of seed where they have sown twelve
bushels of wheat, one bushel of barley, one bushel of
sprat[sic], four bushels of oats and six
bushels of peas."176
On
upper Rivière-du-Nord-Est, De La Roque found 13
families on both sides of Rivière-de-Peugiguit, today's
Pisquid River, a tributary flowing into the larger river
from the south, not far below its source. Most of these families also had
lived on the
island for decades.
On the east side of the tributary, he found: Jean-Baptiste Rassicot
dit Ratier, age unrecorded (he was 22), ploughman, "native of
Port La Joie" and elder son of Marie Haché
by her second husband, was still a bachelor (he would
marry Marie-Henriette, called Henriette, daughter of
Louis Pothier
and Cécile Nuirat of Chignecto and Havre-à-l'Anguille and
stepdaughter of Norman fisherman Julien
Compagnon of Havre-St.-Pierre, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord in January 1754). De La Roque
noted that Ratier had, in the way of livestock, "one
ox, one sow and one pig. The land on which he is
settled is situated on the east side of the Rivière de
Peugiguit. It was given to him under grant from
Monsieur Benoist, and on it he has made
a clearing sufficient for sowing ten bushels of seed of
which he has sown four." Pierre Galloa,
or Gallon, age 42, ploughman, "native of
the parish of St. Pierre Langers," bishopric of Avranches,
lower Normandy, France, lived with wife Marguerite Bertaud
dit Montaury, age 33, "native
of Port Toulouse," Île Royale," and five children:
Marie-Françoise, age 13; Henriette, age 11; Félix, age
7; Jean-Baptiste, age 5; and Joseph, age 2. De La
Roque noted that Pierre "has been in the country 30
years," that his and Marguerite's "live stock consists
of two oxen, two cows, two calves, one wether, six ewes,
three pigs and one hen," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
east side of the river, "and was granted to them by
Monsieur Benoist. They have
made a clearing on it sufficient for the sowing of nine
bushels of which they have sown three bushels of wheat
and one of peas." Paul Olivier,
age 25, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Annapolis Royal, lived with wife
Marguerite Poirier, age 27, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and two children: Jean-Baptiste, age 2;
and Marie-Madeleine, age 11. De La Roque noted
that Paul "has been in the country three years," that
"Of live stock" he and Marguerite "have two oxen, one
cow, seven pigs and five fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case,"
on the east side of the river, "and they hold it by
permission of Monsieur Duchambon
and M. Degoutin. They
have made a clearing where they have sown eight bushels
of wheat, and half a bushel of peas and have fallow land
sufficient for seven bushels more." Mathieu
dit Cadet Glin, actually
de Glain, age 58, fisherman and ploughman,
"native of the town of Bayonne," France, lived with wife Marie
Martin, age 54 (actually 57), "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Port-Royal, Joseph, Barthélemy, and Charles's
older sister, and Marguerite Bertaud
dit Montaury's mother.
Mathieu and Marie lived with four children, three from her first marriage to
Pierre Bertaud dit
Montaury, and one of their own:
Anne-Agathe Bertaud dit
Montaury, age 27; Jean-François
Bertaud dit Montaury,
age 25; Marie-Josèphe Bertaud dit
Montaury, age 19; and Marie-Louise
de Glain, age 16. De La Roque
noted that Mathieu "has been in the country 34 years,"
that his and Marie's "live stock consists of four oxen,
three cows, three calves, four wethers, three ewes, five
sows, one pig and two fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case,"
on the east side of the river. "It was given to
them by Monsieur Benoist. They
have made a clearing where they have sown ten bushels of
wheat, one bushel of peas and have fallow land for the
sowing of six bushels besides."
Pierre-Mathurin Girard dit
Saint-Crispin, age 31, "native of the parish of St.
Coulombin, bishopric of Nantes," and "soldier of the
former company of Monsieur de Bonnaventure," lived with wife
Marie-Marguerite Closquinet, age 25,
"native of the country." They had no children.
De La Roque noted that the soldier-turned-farmer "has
been in the colony three years," that he and Marie's
"live stock consists of two oxen, three cows, two
calves, three wethers, three ewes, three sows, three
pigs and eight fowls. The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case," on the
east side of the river, "and was granted by
Messieurs Duvivier and
Degoutin. They have made a clearing for
the sowing of twelve bushels of wheat next spring."
Jacques Haché dit
Gallant, age 25, ploughman, "native of the
country," lived with wife Anne Boudrot,
age 25, "native of Port Toulouse," and three children:
Pierre, age 4; Marie, age 30 months; and Geneviève, age
10. Also living with them was kinsman Louis
Racicot, or Rassicot, age 13, "native of the island"
and Jean-Baptiste dit Ratier's younger
brother. De La Roque noted that Jacques and Anne's
"live stock consists of the following: two oxen,
five cows, four calves, six ewes, one wether, two sows
and twelve fowls or chickens. The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case,"
on the east side of the river, "and was granted to them
by Monsieur Duvivier. On
it they have made a clearing and have sown ten bushels
of wheat and one bushel of peas, and have fallow land
for fourteen bushels in addition." Joseph
Poirier, age 31, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Ursule Renaud,
age 30, "native of l'Acadie," and daughter Marie, age 2.
Also living with them were his mother-in-law
Marie-Madeleine Lapierre dit
Laroche, no age given
but she was 56, widow of Louis Renaud
dit Provençal, who had come to the island from
Minas in the 1740s. With the mother-in-law were
four of Joseph's siblings-in-law: Pierre
Renaud, age 18, "native of l'Acadie;
Judith Renaud,
age 16, "native of the same"; Anne
Renaud, age 13; and Anselme Renaud, age 8. De La
Roque noted that Joseph "has been in the country one
year," that "In live stock" he and Ursule "have one cow
with calf, two sows, one pig and seven fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the east side of the river.
"It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made
on it a clearing sufficient for the sowing of twelve
bushels of seed the coming spring."177
De La Roque crossed to the west side of
Rivière-de-Peugiguit and counted seven
more families: François Dousset,
probably Doucet, age 26, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Marguerite-Catherine Jacquemin, age 26,
"native of Louisbourg." They had no children.
De La Roque noted that François "has been in the country
12 years," that "In live stock" he and Marguerite "have
one bull, one cow, one calf, one wether, seven ewes, and
one sow. The land on which they are settled is
situated on the west side of the Rivière de Peugiguit.
It was given to them by a grant from Monsieur
Duvivier. They have made a
clearing on it which they sowed eight bushels of wheat,
and have fallow land for 12 bushels more." Pierre
Closquinet, age 27, ploughman, "native
of Louisbourg" and Marie-Marguerite's brother, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Boudrot, age 20, "native
of l'Acadie," who he had married in January 1751.
They also had no children. De La Roque noted that
Pierre and Marie-Josèphe "have the following live stock,
two oxen, two cows, one calf, two wethers, nine ewes,
two sows, seven pigs and six fowls. The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case," on the west side of the river. "It was
given to them by a grant from Messieurs
Duvivier and Degoutin.
On it they have made a clearing where they have sown
sixteen bushels of wheat, six bushels of peas, six
bushels of oats, and have fallow land for sixteen
bushels additional." Louis Closquinet
dit Desmoulins, age 66, ploughman, native of
Reims, France, lived with wife Marguerite Longuépée,
age 52, "native of l'Acadie" and sister of the
Longuépées of Île Royale. She and
Louis were Marie-Marguerite and Pierre's parents.
The elderly couple lived with five of
their younger children: Louis, fils, age
22; Joseph and Jean-Baptiste, age 19; Louise-Geneviève,
age 17; and Aimable, age 13. De La Roque noted
that Louis dit Desmoulins "has been in the
country 25 years," that he and Marguerite's "live stock
consists of the following: nine oxen, six cows,
four heifers, one bull, one horse, one mare with colt,
eight wethers, fifteen ewes, fourteen pigs, eight sows
and twenty fowls or chickens. The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case,"
on the west side of the river. "It was given to
them by grant from Messieurs Duvivier
and Degoutin. They have made a
clearing on it for sowing sixty-four bushels of grain,
where they have sowed thirty-two bushels of wheat,
fourteen bushels of peas and ten bushels of oats."
Robert Hengo or Hango
dit Choicy, age 36, ploughman, "native of the
parish of Carolle, bishopric of Avranche," France, lived with
wife Marguerite Haché dit
Gallant, widow of Pierre
Jacquemin dit Lorraine; she also was
the sister of Charles et al. on
Rivière-du-Nord-Est and the mother of
Marguerite-Catherine. With Robert and Marguerite were five
children, two younger ones from her first marriage and three from her
second: Marianne Jacquemin, age
18; Marie-Louise Jacquemin, age 16;
Madeleine Hango, age 11; Jean-François
Hango, age 9; and Michel Hango,
age 7. De La Roque noted that Robert "has been 18
years in the country," that his and Marguerite's "live
stock consists of four oxen, four cows, three calves,
one horse, twelve wethers, twelve ewes, three sows,
seven pigs and ten fowls. The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding case," on
the west side of the river. "It was given to him
by grant from Monsieur Duvivier.
He has made a clearing sufficient for sowing thirty-two
bushels of grain, of which he has sown five in wheat and
three in peas." Louis Valet
dit Langevin, age 47, "extremely poor, soldier
formerly of the company of Monsieur Dangeac,
native of the town of Angers," France, lived with wife
Marie-Brigitte, called Brigitte, Pinet,
age 33, "native of Canada," and five children:
Marie-Marguerite, called Marguerite, age 17, probably 11;
Marguerite-Louise, called Louise, age 9; Rose, age 7; Marie,
age 5; and Louis, fils, age 18 months.
De La Roque noted that Louis "has been 19 years in the
country," that "The land on which" he and
Brigitte "are settled is
situated as in the preceding case," on the west side of
the river. "They acquired it for the sum of 70
livres from Michel Hébert.
They have made a clearing on it where they have sown six
bushels of wheat and two bushels of peas, and have
fallow land sufficent for the sowing of thirty bushels
this coming spring. In live stock they have fix
oxen, one cow, one calf, one mare with colt, three
wethers, eight ewes, three sows, four pigs and ten fowls
or chickens." (Noting the number of their
livestock, one wonders why De La Roque insisted
that the former soldier and his family were "extremely
poor.") Jean Lucas dit
Bergerac, no age given but he was 43, "soldier of the company of
Montalembert" and native of Doué Parish, bishopric
of Saintes, Saintonge, France, lived alone, "his wife,"
Anne-Marie Doucet of Grand-Pré, who he
had married in May 1738, "having left him.
The land on which he is settled," De La Roque noted, "was given by grant from
Monsieur Duvivier. He
has made a clearing on it for sowing thirty-two bushels
of seed of which he has sown five in wheat and three in
peas." Jacques dit Petit Jacques
LeBlanc, age 57, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, older brother of
resistance leader Joseph dit Le Maigre, now at
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, lived with wife Cécile
Dupuis, age 55, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, and six of their children: Françoise, age 26; Jean-Pierre,
age 25; Joseph, age 23; Dominique, age 21; Casimir, age
19; and Marguerite, age 16. De La Roque noted that
Petit Jacques "has been four years in the country," that
he and Cécile's "live stock consists of eight oxen, six
cows, one heifer, three calves, two bulls, two horses,
five ewes, three pigs and twenty-five fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the south
side of Rivier du Nord-Est; it was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On said land they have made a clearing of six arpents in
extent, where they have sown on it ten bushels of wheat,
one bushel of oats and seven bushels of peas, and they
have fallow land sufficient to sow twelve bushels of
seed; they also have a saw mill." One wonders
if Petit Jacques also had been a part of the Acadian
resistance during King George's War and had fled to Île
St.-Jean to escape persecution. Abraham dit
Chaques Landry, age 52 (actually 55),
native of Port-Royal, widower of Marie-Isabelle
Blanchard, and "inhabitant of l'Acadie," lived
with two unmarried sons: Charles, age 22; and
Joseph, age 18. De La Roque noted that Chaques
"has been four years in the country," that he and his
sons "have in live stock: two oxen, one cow, three
bulls, one sow, four pigs and eight fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the south side of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, that it "was given to him verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure,"
that he and his sons have "made a clearing of three
arpents in extent, where they have sown five
bushels of wheat and three bushels of peas, and have
fallow land for the sowing of six bushels of wheat."
De La Roque also located this family at
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, probably near its confluence
with the larger river.178
Lower down
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, half way back to Port-La-Joye,
De La Roque found 42 more families on the south side of
the river. With only a single exception, all were
recent arrivals. De La Roque
described them as "the settlers
of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie," today's Glenfinnan
River, which, like Rivière-de-Peugiguit, flowed into Rivière-du-Nord-Est from
the south.
Evidently 19 of these families, all recent
arrivals, lived on the south side of the larger river
near its confluence with Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, and
perhaps along that tributary as well:
Étienne Thériot,
age 26, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Grand-Pré, lived with wife Hélène Landry,
age 28, "native of l'Acadie" and Abraham dit
Chaques's daughter. With Étienne and Hélène were two children:
Joseph, age 4; and Françoise, age 10 months.
(Three years later, in c1755, Hélène would give birth to
son Olivier, who would loom large in Acadian history.)
De La Roque noted that Étienne "has been two years on
the island," that his and Hélène's "live stock consists
of two oxen, two bulls, two heifers, five ewes, five
sows, four pigs and seven fowl," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case,"
along the south side of Rivière-du-Nord-Est. This
land "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonaventure. They have made a
clearing on it three arpents in extent and have sown
four bushels of wheat and four bushels of peas."
Anselme Landry, age 34, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Marie-Madeleine
LeBlanc, age 32, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, daughter of Petit Jacques.
With Anselme and Marie-Madeleine was their 9-month-old son Jean-Pierre. De La Roque
noted that Anselme "has been two years in the country,"
that his and Marie-Madeleine's "live stock consists of
six oxen, five cows, two bulls, one horse, three ewes,
four sows, four pigs and fifteen fowls," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases; it was given verbally to them by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing of three arpents and
a half in extent on it where they have sown five bushels
of wheat and four bushels of peas." Prosper
Thibodeau, age 27, ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie," lived with wife Hélène Barrieau,
age 26, "native of l'Acadie," and three daughters:
Doratte, age 6; Marguerite, age 4, and Osite, 18 months.
De La Roque noted that Prosper "has been in this country
22 months," that his and Hélène's "live stock consists
of four oxen, one cow with calf, two sows, four pigs and
thirty fowls," that "The land on which they are settled
is situated on the south side of the Rivière dur
Nord-Est; it was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On this land they have made a clearing of four
arpents in extent." Joseph
Thibodeau, age 53, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually L'Assomption, Pigiguit, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe
Bourgeois, age 50, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Port-Royal. They were Prosper's parents.
With Joseph and Marie-Josèphe were six
younger children: Olivier, age 23; Eustache, age
20; Joseph, fils, age 18; Charles, age 15;
Firmin, age 10; and Rose, age 8. De La Roque noted
that Joseph "has been in this island 22 months," that
his and Marie-Josèphe's livestock consisted of "four
oxen, one sow and five pigs," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case;
and it was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made
on it a clearing of six arpents in extent."
Antoine Thibodeau, age 56 (actually
54), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
L'Assomption, Pigiguit, Joseph's older
brother, lived with wife Susanne Comeau,
age 47, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, and 10 children:
Ambroise, age 26; Blaise, age 23; Simon, age 20;
Sylvain, age 18; Bonaventure, age 15; Marie-Susanne, age
13; Élisabeth, age 10; Marguerite, age 8; Anne, age 6;
and Doratte, age 2. De La Roque noted that Antoine
"has been on this island only two months," that "The
land on which" he and Susanne "are settled is situated as in the
preceding one; and it was given them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure."
Jacques dit Norman Sellier, or Cellier,
age 55, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, lived with wife
Marie-Blanche, called Blanche, Hébert,
age 25, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Annapolis Royal, and four sons:
Pierre, age 7; Noël, age 5; Jacques, fils, age
4; and Jean, age 18 months. De La Roque noted that
Jacques ""has only been in the country two years," that
"Two oxen are all there[sic] live stock," and
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding cases; and it was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have not made any clearing." Claude
Gautrot, fils, age 35
(actually 38), ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Geneviève-Salomé
Hébert, age 35 (actually 39), "native of l'Acadie"
and Blanche Hébert's paternal aunt.
With Claude and Geneviève were five
children: Anastasie, age 13; Jean-Baptiste, age 7;
Joseph, age 5; Marie, age 3; and Michel, age 9 months.
De La Roque noted that Claude "has been in the country
two years," that he and Geneviève "have in live stock,
two oxen, two cows, two calves, three pigs and fifteen
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases; and it was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing of four arpents in extent." Jean Hébert, age 30; ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis Royal, and
Blanche's older brother, lived with wife Marie Lebert
dit Jolicoeur, age 20, "native of l'Acadie,"
and two children: Marie, age 5; and Jean-Baptiste,
age 3 months. De La Roque noted that Jean "has
been three years in the country," said nothing of
livestock, and noted that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases; it was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have not made any
clearing." Louis Hébert dit
Baguette, age 58 (actually 60), ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, Geneviève-Salomé's older brother
and father of Blanche and Jean, lived with wife Anne-Marie, called Marie,
Labauve, age 60, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Minas. With Louis and Marie were three of
their unmarried children: Jean, age 22; Théotiste, age
18; and Modeste, age 15. De La Roque noted that
Baguette "has been in the country three years,"
that he and
Marie "have one horse," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases," and that
"it was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing of two arpents in extent."
Alain Bugeaud, fils, age 24,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Marie-Madeleine Granger, age 21,
"native of l'Acadie," and their 9-month-old son whose
name De La Roque did not record (probably Simon).
De La Roque noted that Allain "has only been on the
island one month," that "In live stock," he and Marie
"own four oxen, one heifer and one calf," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure."
Alain Bugeaud, père, age 48,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," and younger
brother of Srs. Joseph and Louis-Amand of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, lived with wife
Madeleine Boudrot, age 47, "native of
l'Acadie" and younger sister of Denis of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est. Living with Alain, père
and Madeleine were nine of their younger children: Élisabeth,
age 21; Pierre, age 19; Marguerite, age 17; Anne, age
15; Simon, age 11; Marie, age 9; Joseph, age 7; Ursule,
age 5; and Osite, age 5 months. De La Roque noted
that Alain, père "has been in the colony one
year," that he and Madeleine's "live stock consists of:
two oxen, two cows, two heifers, two horses, one sow,
four ducks and twenty fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases"
and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing of six arpents in extent."
Joseph Sellier, or Cellier,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Grand-Pré, and Jacques dit Normand's younger
brother, lived with wife Anne Hébert,
age 32, "native of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis
Royal, another of Louis's daughters. With Joseph
and Anne were five children: Marie,
age 12; Élisabeth, age 10; Amand, age 8; Abraham, age 6;
and Marguerite, age 3. De La Roque noted that
Joseph "has been three years in the country," that "Of
live stock," he and Anne "have: one ox, four cows,
three heifers, four calves, one pig and nineteen fowls,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding case," and "was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it of three arpents
in extent." Michel Aucoin,
age 48, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
older brother of Marie-Josèphe and Paul of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Henry, age 41, "native of
l'Acadie" and sister of Cécile and Martin of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale, and Jean dit
Neveu of Rivière-de-l'Ouest. With Michel and
Marie-Josèphe were six daughters: Marie-Josèphe, age
22; Marguerite, age 18; Madeleine, age 15; Geneviève,
age 11; Élisabeth, age 8; and Osite, age 5. De La
Roque noted that Michel "has been on the island one
year," that he and Marie-Josèphe had for live stock
"five sheep, six pigs and nine fowls," that "They have
not yet fixed the extent of land on which to settle."
Michel Caissie, age 38, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and older brother of
Jeanne of Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, and Marie-Blanche and Rosalie of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, lived with wife Marguerite
Henry, age 21, "native of l'Acadie"
and daughter of Germain of Port-La-Joye. With
Michel and Marguerite were two
daughters: Marie, age 3; and Marie-Geneviève, age
1. De La Roque noted that Michel "had been in this
country two years," that his and Marguerite's "live
stock consists of one heifer, one sow, three pigs and
one hen," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the south shore of the Rivière du Nord-Est,
and was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it of two arpents in extent where
they have sown two bushels and a half of wheat and three
bushels and a half of peas." Pierre
Boisseau, age 30, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Madeleine Boudrot,
age 28, "native of l'Acadie" and daughter of
Denis of Rivière-du-Nord-Est. With Pierre and
Madeleine were two children:
Marie, age 3; and Pierre, fils, age 11 months.
With them also was Félix ____, age 29,
"a relative, native of l'Acadie," actually Félix
Boudrot, Madeleine's older brother, who soon
would marry Jeanne Boisseau, Pierre's
younger sister. De La Roque noted that Pierre "has
been in the country two years," that Pierre and
Madeleine "have in live stock: two oxen, one
heifer, two ewes, two pigs and twelve fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case, and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it two arpents in
extent and sown eight bushels of wheat." Thomas
Doiron, age 53, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Anne Girouard,
age 48, "native of l'Acadie" and sister of
Claude of Île Madame and Marie of Baie-des-Espagnols on
Île Royale. With Thomas and Anne were 10 children:
Rose, age 22; Paul, age 21; Madeleine, age 18; Charles,
age 14; Alexandre, age 12; Jacques, age 10; Anne, age 8;
Marie-Marthe, age 6; Élisabeth, age 5; and Marguerite,
age 3. De La Roque noted that Thomas "has been in
the country two years," that "In live stock" he and Anne
"have one ox, one heifer, two sows, one pig and
thirty-three fowls," that "The land on whic they are
settled is situated on the south side of the Rivière du
Nord-Est, and was given to them by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing of two arpents in extent and
have sown two bushels of wheat." Bénoni
Doiron, age 27, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie"
and Thomas and Anne's older son, lived with wife
Marguerite dit Blondin Boisseau,
age 26, "native of l'Acadie" and Pierre's younger
sister. With Bénoni and Marguerite were three
sons: Simon-Grégoire, age unrecorded; Pierre, age
34 months; and Ignace, age 6 weeks. Also living
with them were François dit Blondin Boisseau,
père, age 66, "native of Paris," Marguerite's
father, and Jeanne Boisseau, age 21,
Marguerite's younger sister. De La Roque noted
that Bénoni "has been in the country 2 years," that his
and Marguerite's "live stock consists of four oxen, one
cow, one heifer, one calf, one sow, one pig and
twenty-five fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case" and "was
given to them by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On the said land they have
made a clearing of three arpents in extent
where they have sown two bushels and a half of wheat and
a bushel of oats." Michel Hébert,
age 50, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with
second wife Claire Boisseau, age 39,
"native of l'Acadie" and another of François, père's
daughter. With them were nine children, six from
Michel's first marriage to Marguerite Gautrot,
and four from his current marriage: Joseph, age
22; Claude, age 19; Pierre, age 15; Benoît, age 14;
Amable, age 13; Jean, age 10; François, age 2;
Marie-Anne, age 18 months; and a second Joseph, age 7
months. De La Roque noted that Michel "has been on
this island three years," that he and Claire "have in
live stock four oxen, two cows, two heifers, three ewes,
four sows, three pigs and thirty fowls," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On the said land they have made a clearing of eleven
arpents in extent where they have sown thirty-six
bushels of wheat and one bushel and a half of peas."179
Lingering on the south side of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, De La Roque found four more families,
all recent arrivals, at
Rivière-des-Blancs, today's Johnstons River:
Paul dit Petit Paul Boudrot,
age 49 (actually 45), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe, actually
Madeleine-Josèphe, Doiron, age 40,
"native of l'Acadie," and five children:
Marguerite, age 17; Françoise, age 14; Jean-Charles, age
12; Anne, age 7; and Basile, age 4. Also living
with them was Charles Doiron, age 90
(actually 78), "their father, native of l'Acadie,"
actually Port-Royal, "infirm," and his wife Françoise
Gaudet, age 85 (actually 79), "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal. They were Madeleine-Josèphe's parents. De
La Roque noted that Petit Paul "has been two years in
the colony," that he and Madeleine-Josèphe have "in live
stock five oxen, four cows, one sow and four pigs," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated on the
Rivière des Blancs" and "has been given to verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it of five arpents
in extent where they have sown seven bushels of wheat
and eight bushels of oats." Pierre
Barrieau, age 45, "native of l'Acadie,"
brother of Nicolas, fils of Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, and
Jacques of Île Madame, lived with wife Véronique Girouard,
age 44 (actually 40), "native of l'Acadie," younger
half-sister of Claude of Île Madame and Marie of
Baie-des-Espagnols on Île Royale and sister of Anne of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie. With Pierre and
Véronique were nine
children: Jean-Baptiste, age 19; Marie-Blanche,
age 17; Olivier, age 15; Anne, age 13; Anastasie, age
11; Pélagie, age 9; Euphrosine, called Frosine, age 7;
Marie, age 5; and Hélène, age 1. De La Roque noted
that Pierre "had been in the country two years," that
"in live stock" he and Véronique owned "four oxen, one
cow, one calf, one wether, five ewes, two sows, five
pigs and twenty-five fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case,"
on Rivière-des-Blancs," and "was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made on it a clearing of eight arpents
in extent where they have sown seven bushels of wheat
and seven bushels of oats." Pierre Boudrot,
age 40, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, and Petit Paul's brother, lived with wife Marie Doiron,
age 35, "native of l'Acadie," and 10 children:
Marie-Blanche, age 18; Anne, age 16; Marie, age 14;
Madeleine, age 12; another Marie, age 10; Anastasie, age
8; Firmin, age 7; Euphrosine, age 6; Jacques, age 4; and
Judith, age 12 days. De La Roque noted that Pierre
"has been two years in the country," that "in live
stock" he and Marie owned "four oxen, three cows, three
heifers, five ewes, two calves, one sow, six pigs and
ten fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the Rivière des Blancs" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing of eight arpents in extent and have
sown five bushels of wheat, eight bushels of oats and
one bushel of peas." Jean Daigre,
age 54, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
brother of Pierre of Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, and
Amand of Rivière-du-Nord, lived with
second wife Marie-Anne Breau, age 46,
"native of l'Acadie," and 12 children: Françoise,
age 24; Catherine, age 23; Jean, fils, age 22;
Charles, age 19; Félicité, age 18; Rose, age 16; Marie,
age 13; Paul, age 11; Ursule, age 9; Marie-Marguerite,
called Marguerite, age 8; Jeanne- or Anne-Josèphe, age
4; and Élisabeth, age 3. De La Roque noted that
Jean "has been one year in the country," that "In live
stock" he and Marie-Anne owned "two oxen, five cows, one
calf and two pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing of eight arpents in extent and have
sown five bushels of wheat, eight bushels of oats and
one of peas."180
Still on the southside of Rivière-du-Nord-Est but
farther down, De La Roque found
eight more families, all but one of
them recent arrivals, at
Anse-à-Dubuisson, today's Curry's Cove: Paul
dit Petit Paul Doiron, age 39
(actually 36), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie"
and Charles's son, lived
with wife Marie Richard, age 40
(actually 34), "native of l'Acadie," and five children:
Marie-Josèphe, age 15; Paul-Michel, age 12;
Marguerite-Modeste, age 8; Élisabeth, age 5; and Judith,
age 7 months. De La Roque noted that Petit Paul
"has been in the country two years," that "in live
stock" he and Marie owned one pig and six fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated on the
creek à Dubuisson" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure; on
which said land they have made a clearing of two
arpents in extent." Antoine Barrieau,
fils, age 26, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
lived with wife Marie-Blanche Doucet,
age 19, "native of l'Acadie," and no children. De
La Roque noted that Antoine, fils "has been in
the country two years," that he and his wife "have in
live stock, two oxen, on pig and one hen," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure, and on
the said land they have made a clearing of one
arpent and a half in extent." Antoine
Barrieau, père, age 55, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and Pierre's brother, lived with wife Angélique
Thibodeau, age 48, "native of l'Acadie"
and sister of Antoine and Joseph of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie. With Antoine and
Angélique were seven younger children: Félicité, age 24; Simeon,
age 21; Marie, age 19; Jean-Charles, age 16; Eustache,
age 14; Marie-Blanche, age 12; and Marguerite-Josèphe,
age 10. De La Roque noted that Antoine, père,
"has been two years in the country," that "in live
stock" he and Angélique owned "two oxen, two calves and
one sow," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case" and "was given
verbally to them by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure, on which said land they have made
a clearing of three arpents in extent on which
they have sown five bushels of wheat." Pierre
Vincent dit Clément,
age 30, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
younger brother of Madeleine of Île Madame, lived with
second wife Rosalie dite Rose Barrieau,
age 30, "native of l'Acadie" and Antoine, père's
daughter, who Pierre had married in May.
With Pierre and Rose were two children from his first
marriage to Blanche Michel: Anne,
age 8; and Isidore, age 4. De La Roque noted that
Pierre dit Clément "has been
22 years in the country," but he probably meant two
years, and said nothing of Pierre's livestock. De
La Roque noted that "The land on which"
Pierre and Rose "are settled is situated in the preceding cases," and
"was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, on which said land they have
made a clearing of two arpents in extent."
Joseph Savary, age 33, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, lived with wife Françoise
Barrieau, age 27, "native of l'Acadie" and
another daughter of Antoine, père. With Joseph and Françoise were two
children: Joseph, fils, age 4; and Marie,
age 2. De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been two
years in the country," that he and Françoise had "in
live stock, two oxen and four fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
cases" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, on which said land
they made a clearing of three arpents in
extent." Jean-Baptiste Doiron,
age 27, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
brother of Charles III of Île Madame, Marguerite of
Petit-Dégrat, and Marie of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, lived with wife
Élisabeth Boudrot, age 27, "native of
l'Acadie," and three children: Marguerite, age 4;
François, age 3; and Geneviève, age 4 months. De
La Roque noted that Jean-Baptiste "had been in the
country two years," that "in live stock" he and
Élisabeth owned four oxen and one horse," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure, on which
said land they have made a clearing of three arpents
in extent." Jean-Baptiste, called Jean, Barrieau, age
22, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" another
son of Antoine, père, lived with wife Marguerite
Doiron, age 20, "native of l'Acadie," and
21-day-old daughter Marie. De La Roque noted that
Jean "has been two years in the country," that "All
their live stock consists of one pig," that "The land on
which" he and Marguerite "are settled is situated as in the preceding
cases" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, on which said land
they have made a clearing of three arpents."
Charles Boudrot, age 27, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, and
youngest brother of Petit Paul and and Pierre of
Rivière-des-Blancs, lived with
wife Marie-Josèphe Doucet, age 28,
"native of l'Acadie," and three daughters: Marie,
age 4; Marguerite, age 3; and Anastasie, age 18 months.
De La Roque noted that Charles "has been two years in
the country," that "in live stock" he and Marie-Josèphe
owned "two oxen and three fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, and on it they have
made a clearing of two arpents in extent."181
Still on the southside of Rivière-du-Nord-Est but
farther down,
De La Roque found two more families, both recent
arrivals, at Anse-aux-Morts,
today's Mermaid Cove: Charles Thériot,
age 60, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Minas, and oldest brother of the five
Thériots of Baie-de-Mordienne, Île Royale, lived with wife
Angélique Doiron, no age given, "native
of l'Acadie" and daughter of Charles of
Rivière-des-Blancs. With Charles and Angélique
were six children: Anne, age 25;
Honoré and Charles, fils, age 22; Marie, age 18; Jean, age 15;
and Joseph, age 12. De La Roque noted that Charles
"has been two years in the country," that "In live
stock" he and Angélique "own four oxen, two heifers, one
sow and one pig," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated on the Creek aux Morts" and was
"given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure, and on it they have made a
clearing of six arpents in extent and have
there sown eleven bushels of wheat." Honoré
Doiron, age 38, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and older brother of Jean-Baptiste of
Anse-à-Dubuisson, lived with
second wife Marie-Bonne, called Bonne, Savary,
age 27, "native of l'Acadie" and sister of
Joseph of Anse-à-Dubuisson. She and Honoré had married in
January. With
Honoré and Bonne were six children, all from his first
marriage to Françoise Boudrot:
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 19; Joseph, age 16; Alexis, age
14; Théodore, age 12; Cécile, age 10; and Marie-Josèphe,
age 8. Also living with them were Honoré's
youngest brother Claude Doiron, age 25;
and Bonne's younger sister Marguerite-Marie-Josèphe
Savary, age 23 (actually 21). De
La Roque noted that Honoré "has been two years in the
country," said nothing of his livestock, and related
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding case" and "was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure,
and on it they have made a clearing of six arpents."182
Still on the southside of Rivière-du-Nord-Est but
farther down,
De La Roque found four more families, all recent
arrivals, at Petite-Ascension, today's Fullerton Creek: François
Poirier, age 33, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, lived with wife Cécile
Labauve, age 35, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, and five children: Marie, age 6; Clotilde, age 4;
Marie-Madeleine, age 3; Pierre, age 20 months; and
Anne-Modeste, age 5 months. De La Roque noted that
François "has been two years in the country," that "in
live stock" he and Cécile owned "four oxen, three cows,
one heifer, one calf, one sow, five pigs, nine ewes and
seven fowls," that "The land on which they are settled
is situated in la Petitte Ascension. They acquired
it by purchase for 300 livres from François
Haché Galland," one of Cécile's
kinsmen, "and have made on it a clearing of five
arpents in extent." Louis Labauve,
age 38, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, and Cécile's
brother, lived with wife Marie Landry,
age 35, "native of l'Acadie," and five children:
Madeleine, age 19; Amand, age 11; Basile, age 8; Hélène,
age 6; and Étienne, age 18 months. De La Roque
noted that Louis "has been two years in the country,"
that "in live stock" he and Marie owned "two oxen, one
cow, one ewe, one sow and four pigs," that "They are
settled on the same lot as that of François
Poirier is. They have also made a
clearing on it of five arpents in extent."
Olivier Daigre, age 21, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Ursule
Landry, age 28, "native of l'Acadie," and their
6-month-old son Louis. De La Roque noted that
Olivier "has been two years in the country," that "In
live stock" he and Ursule had "two oxen, one calf, one horse, one
wether, four ewes and eight fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated on the south side of
Petitte Ascension. They have acquired it by
purchase for the sum of 300 livres from François
Haché Galland, and have made on it a clearing
of four arpents in extent." Bernard
Savary, age 40, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and brother Joseph et al. of
Anse-à-Dubuisson and Anse-aux-Morts, lived
with wife Marie Michel dit La
Ruine, age 35, "native of l'Acadie" and sister of
Marguerite of Rivière-du-Nord-Est. With Bernard
and Marie were seven children:
André lejeune, age 17; Jean-Baptiste, age 14; Agnès, age 10;
Isaac, age 9; Rose, age 7; Charles, age 3; and Louis,
age 13 months. Also living with them was Bernard's
widowed father André Savary, age 60
(actually 62), "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and six of his unmarried children: Charles,
age 25; Marguerite, age 23; Marguerite-Josèphe, age 21;
Jean-Baptiste, age 20; Françoise-Anastasie, age 18; and
Charles-Olivier, age 13.
De La Roque noted that Bernard "has been two years in
the country," that he and Marie "have in live stock:
two oxen, two cows, two pigs, and eight fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding case" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it of three arpents
in extent."183
Still on the southside of Rivière-du-Nord-Est but
farther down,
De La Roque found five more families, all recent
arrivals, at
Anse-aux-Pirogues, today's Stewarts Cove: Pierre
Hébert, age 35, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," De La Roque described as "imbecile."
Pierre lived with wife Marie Michel,
age 32, "native of l'Acadie," and four children:
Théotiste, age 17; François, age 10; Louis, age 8; and
Marguerite, age 6 months. De La Roque noted that
Pierre "has been three years in the country," said
nothing of his and Marie's livestock, noted that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the Anse
aux Piroques" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of six
bushels of wheat." Jean-Baptiste Le
Marquis dit Clermont, age 50,
ploughman, "native of Saint-Malo," lived with second
wife Marie-Josèphe Vincent dit
Clément, age 45, "native of l'Acadie,"
sister of Pierre of Anse-à-Dubuisson, and widow
of Paul Michel dit La Ruine.
Jean-Baptiste's first wife had died in May 1751, and he
remarried to Marie in May 1752. With them were eight
children, three from his previous marriage to Anne
Lapierre, and five from hers:
Jean-Baptiste Marquis, age 20;
Marie-Josèphe Marquis, age 18; Paul
Marquis, age 16; Jean Michel
dit La Ruine, age 18; Pierre Michel
dit La Ruine, age 16; Anne-Marguerite
Michel dit La Ruine; Judith
Michel dit La Ruine, age 10; and Rose
Michel dit La Ruine, age 7.
De La Roque said nothing of Jean-Baptiste's time in the
country (he had married his first wife probably at Minas
in c1730) or of his and Marie-Josèphe's livestock.
De La Roque did note, however, that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing of two arpents in extent." Paul-Michel
Hébert, age 27, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Rose Hébert,
age 22, "native of l'Acadie," and their 10-year-old
daughter Rose. With them also was Paul-Michel's
brother Jean-Michel Hébert, age 19.
De La Roque noted that Paul-Michel "has been two years
in the country," said nothing of his and Rose's
livestock, and noted that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case. It
was given them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On the said land, they have
made a clearing for the sowing of eight bushels of
wheat." Jean Vincent dit
Clément, age 40, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Annapolis Royal, and brother of
Pierre and Marie-Josèphe, lived with second
wife Marguerite Hébert, age 25, "native
of l'Acadie," and eight children, seven from his first
marriage to Isabelle Michel, and one
from his marriage to Marguerite: Marguerite, age
20; Jean, age 18; Blanche, age 15; Jérôme, age 13;
Marie-Josèphe, age 10; Anastasie, age 9; Élisabeth, age
6; and Joseph, age 2. De La Roque noted that Jean
"has been in the country two years," that "in live
stock" he and Marguerite owned "two pigs and eight
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On the said land, they have
made a clearing for the sowing of eight bushels of
wheat." Charles Hébert, age 60,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Minas, and brother of Marie of Rivière-du-Ouest, lived with wife
Catherine Saulnier, age 40, "native of
l'Acadie." They were Marguerite's parents.
With Charles and Catherine were seven younger children:
Marie, age 20; Joseph, age 19; Ursule, age 18; Simon,
age 15; Jean, age 13; Pierre, age 7; and François, age
3. De La Roque noted that Charles "has been two
years in the country," that "In live stock" he and
Catherine owned "two oxen and three fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing two arpents in
extent."187
Back at the mouth of the tri-river complex, across the channel
from Port-La-Joye, De La Roque
found four families, all recent arrivals,
at Anse-au-Comte-St.-Pierre, today's Keppoch. They
were, in fact, with one exception, a large extended
family:
François Gautrot, age 67, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Marie
Vincent, age 62, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit, and sister of Agnès of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est. François and Marie were the
parents of Ursule Gautrot of
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale. With them were six of
their younger children: Madeleine, age 30; François,
fils, age 28, a widower; Marie-Josèphe, age 26;
Marguerite, age 24; Charles, age 22; and
Pierre-Mathurin, age 18. De La Roque noted that
François "has been in the colony two years," that his
and Marie's "live stock consists of: one ox, two
cows, one horse, five pigs and three fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the Anse
au Comte St. Pierre" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing three arpents
in extent." Jean Gautrot,
age 43 (actually 41), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, and François and Marie's oldest son, lived with wife
Élisabeth Sire, or Cyr, age 34, "native of
l'Acadie," and five children: Marie-Josèphe, age
15; Anne, age 13; Marguerite-Tarsile, age 8; Françoise,
age 6; and Charles, age 2. De La Roque noted that
Jean "has been in the country one year," that his and
Élisabeth's "live stock consists of three pigs and ten
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of three bushels of wheat."
Jean Sire, or Cyr, age
36, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Grand-Pré, and Élisabeth's
brother, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Gautrot,
age 40, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Grand-Pré, and François and Marie's oldest daughter.
With Jean and Marie-Josèphe were four sons: Jean, fils, age 13;
Pierre, age 11; Joseph, age 4; and Charles, age 3.
De La Roque noted that Jean "has been in the country two
years," that "In live stock" he and Marie-Josèphe" owned
one horse, two pigs and four fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it of one arpent."
Joseph-Nicolas Deschamps dit
Cloche, age 42, was not "native of l'Acadie," as De La
Roque insisted, but of St.-Martin-de-Ré, diocese of La
Rochelle, France. He lived with wife Judith Doiron,
age 32, "native of l'Acadie," and eight children:
Euphrosine, age 18; Philippe, age 16; Louis, age 14;
Augustin, age 12; Jean-Baptiste, age 6; Françoise, age
4; Élisabeth, age 18 months; and La Blanche, age 8
months. De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been in
the country three years," that his and Judith's "live
stock consists of: eight pigs and twenty fowls,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding case" and "was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of three
bushels of wheat."188
De La Roque and his survey party then moved down and around the
island's southeast coast, working their way up to
Pointe-de-l'Est. Along this shore they found 93 families facing Mer Rouge and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
At Anse-au-Matelot, today's Alexandra Bay, east of Port-La-Joye, De La
Roque found two dozen families, all of them recent
arrivals and many of them related: Honoré LaVache, age
26, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Madeleine Daigre, age 27, "native of
l'Acadie," and two children: Jean-Baptiste, age 5;
and Marie-Modeste, age 2. De La Roque noted that
Honoré "has been in the country two years," said nothing
of his live stock, and noted that "The land on which
they are settled is situated on Anse au Matelost" and
"was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it for the sowing of two bushels of grain."
Louis Sire, or Cyr,
age 60 (actually 67), ploughman, was not "native of
l'Acadie," as De La Roque insisted, but of
Dunkerque, France. Moreover, he most likely was
not kin to the many descendants of Pierre Cyr
of Chignecto, including Jean Cyr of
nearby Anse-au-Comte-St.-Pierre. Louis lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Michel, age 50, "native
of l'Acadie" and oldest sister of Marguerite
of Rivière-du-Nord-Est and Marie of Petite-Ascension.
Louis and Marie-Josèphe were the parents of Jean and
Élisabeth
Cyr of nearby Anse-au-Comte-St.-Pierre.
With the older couple were five of their younger children: Marie-Josèphe, age 28; Charles, age 26;
Marguerite, age 25; and Paul, age 21. Also living
with them was Marie-Madeleine Prince,
age 30, "native of l'Acadie" and a
spinster. De La Roque noted
that Louis "has been on the island three years," that
"In live stock" he and Marie-Josèphe owned "one heifer,
two sows and twenty fowls," that "The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding case" and
"was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for a garden." Joseph Vincent
dit Clément, age 38,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and brother of
Pierre of Anse-à-Dubuisson and Jean and Marie-Josèphe of Anse-aux-Pirogues, lived with wife
Marguerite Hébert, age 36, native of
l'Acadie" and sister of Marie of Rivière-de-l'Ouest
and Charles of Anse-aux-Pirogues. With Joseph and
Marguerite were six children: Joseph, fils,
age 11; Marguerite, age 10; Alexis, age 8; François, age
6; Agathe, age 4; and Anne-Geneviève, age 20 months.
De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been on the island
two years," that "in stock" he and Marguerite owned one
horse, three pigs and three fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
cases" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for the sowing of eight bushels of
wheat." François Vincent dit
Clément, age 27, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and Joseph's youngest brother, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Doiron, age 29, "native
of l'Acadie," and two children: Amand-George, age
4; and Marie, age 18 months. De La Roque noted
that François "has been in the country two years," that
"In stock" he and Marie-Josèphe owned "one pig and three
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
on it for a garden." Jean Doiron,
age 23, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Anne-Marguerite Cerié, or
Cellier, age 17, "native of l'Acadie," who he
had married in February. They had no children.
De La Roque noted that Jean "has been in the country one
year," that he and Anne's "live stock consists of one
pig and one hen," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonaventure. They have made a clearing on
it for a garden." Philippe Doiron,
fils, age 32, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie"
and Jean's older brother, lived with wife Marie-Ursule,
called Ursule, Lejeune, age 33, "native
of l'Acadie," and five children: Marie-Josèphe,
age 10; Gertrude, age 8; Firmin-Joseph, age 6;
Madeleine, age 4; and Marguerite, age 15 months.
De La Roque noted that Philippe "has been in the country
two years," that "In stock" he and Ursule owned "two
cows, three pigs and one horse," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case"
and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing of one arpent in extent."
Claude-Joseph, called Joseph, Billerois,
or Billeray, age 26, ploughman, "native
of Verny Fontaine, bishopric of Besançon," lived with
wife Brigitte Forest, age 23, "native
of l'Acadie," actually St.-Famille, Pigiguit, who he had married in June. They had
no children. De La Roque noted that Joseph "has
been in the country three months," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for the sowing of two bushels of wheat."
François Rullier dit La
Cadien, age 43, ploughman, "native of Crideville,
bishopric of Bayeux," lived with wife Anne
Forest, age 43, "native of l'Acadie," and
Brigitte's sister. François and Anne also had no children
though they had been married since the early 1730s.
De La Roque noted that François "has been in the country
five years," that he and Anne had "in live stock:
two oxen, three cows, four calves, one heifer, five pigs
and three fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing of five arpents in extent." Pierre Aucoin, age 44, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Cobeguit, lived with wife
Élisabeth Breau, age 37, "native of
l'Acadie" and sister of Antoine and Pierre of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale, and Joseph and Charles
of Rivière-du-Ouest. With Pierre and Élisabeth
were eight children: Marie-Blanche, age
18; Madeleine, age 17; Pierre, fils, age 16;
Élisabeth, age 13; _____, age 10; Charles, age 7;
Véronique, age 5; and Jean-Baptiste, age 18 months.
De La Roque noted that Pierre "has been two years in the
country," that "In stock" he and Élisabeth owned "one
ox, one cow, four sows, one pig and six fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated like the
preceding" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
the said land they have made a clearing of one
arpent in extent." Claude Trahan,
age 58, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Minas, recently a widower and brother of Jean of
Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, lived with
nine children, all from his wife Marie-Louise Tillard: Osite, age 25; Marguerite, age 23;
Blanche, age 21; Madeleine, age 19; Auguste or Augustin,
age 17; Anne, age 15; Fiacre, age 12; Élisabeth, age 10;
and Rosalie, age 7. De La Roque noted that Claude
"has been in the country two years," that "In stock" he
owned "four oxen, three cows, one heifer, two calves,
one horse, five pigs, and two fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
cases" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for the sowing of radishes."
François LaVache, age 55, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Anne-Marie, called
Marie, Vincent, age 46, "native of
l'Acadie." They were Honoré's parents and lived with
five younger children: Alexis, age 21;
Jean-Charles, age 12; Marguerite, age 10; Joseph, age 7;
and Anne, age 4. De La Roque noted that François
"has been in the country two years," that "In stock" he
and Marie owned "four oxen, eight cows, one bull, eight
calves, two horses, four sows, three pigs and one hen,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of eight
bushels of wheat." Joseph Trahan,
age 38, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Claude's
youngest brother, lived with wife Anne Thériot,
age 33, "native of l'Acadie," and five children:
Joseph-Thériot, age 16; Mathurin, age 8; Marie-Modeste,
age 5; Jean-Baptiste, age 3; and Marguerite, age 3
months. De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been in
the country two years," that "In stock" he and Anne
owned "four oxen, two cows, one bull and two pigs," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On the said land they have a clearing for the sowing of
three bushels of wheat." Claude
Guédry, age 38, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Mirliguèche, and brother of Marie of Baie-des-Espagnols, lived with wife Anne Lejeune
(De La Roque called her a Terriaud), age 38, "native of
l'Acadie" and daughter of Germain Lejeune
of Baie-des-Espagnols. With Claude and Anne were three sons: Jean-Baptiste, age 5;
Joseph-Marie, age 2; and Pierre-Janvier, age two months.
De La Roque noted that Claude "has been in the country
two years," that "in stock" he and Anne owned "one cow,
one calf, one bull, one sow and five pigs," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of three
bushels of wheat." Joseph Lucas,
age 29, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and evidently
not kin to former soldier Jean Lucas
dit Bergerac of Rivière-de-Peugiguit, lived
with wife Marguerite Lejeune, age 24,
"native of l'Acadie," and two children:
Marguerite-Thérèse, age 5; and Joseph-Marie, age 2.
De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been two years in the
country," that he and Marguerite "have in stock one mare
and three pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for a garden." Paul Trahan,
age 49, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Minas, and Claude and Joseph's brother, lived with wife Marie Boudrot,
age 49, "native of l'Acadie" and older sister of
Marguerite of Baie-des-Espagnols. With Paul and
Marie were seven children:
Marie, age 16; Marguerite, age 15; Charles, age 12;
Étienne, age 10; Brigitte, age 8; Élisabeth, age 6; and
another Marie, age 3. De La Roque noted that Paul
"has been in the country two years," that "In stock" he
and Marie owned "two oxen, one cow, one calf, three pigs
and three fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for a garden." René dit
Renaud dit Potvin Roy, age 48
(actually 44), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Daigre,
age 35, "native of l'Acadie," and four children:
Marie-Josèphe, age 8; Marguerite, age 4; Anne-Madeleine,
age 28 months; and Jean-Baptiste, age 3 months. De
La Roque noted that René "has been in the country two
years," that "In stock" he and Marie-Josèphe owned "one
cow, one heifer, one calf, six pigs and two fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for a large
garden." Jean-Baptiste Trahan,
age 47, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
Claude, Joseph, and Paul's brother, lived with wife Catherine-Josèphe
Boudrot, age 47, "native of l'Acadie"
and sister of Denis of Rivière-du-Nord-Est and Madeleine
of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie. With Jean-Baptiste
and Catherine were eight children: Madeleine, age 16;
Marie-Monique, age 14; Rose, age 12; Charles-Joseph, age
11; Radegonde, age 9; Pierre-Élie, age 7; Élisabeth, age
6; and Marguerite, age 26 months. De La Roque
noted that Jean-Baptiste "has been in the country two
years," that "In stock" he and Catherine owned "two
oxen, two cows, two calves, one horse, five pigs and
fifteen fowls," that "The land on which they are settled
is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing of two arpents in extent."
Joseph Daigre, age 56, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and brother of Pierre of
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, Amand of Rivière-du-Nord, and
Jean of Rivière-des-Blancs, lived with wife Madeleine
Gautrot, age 53, "native of l'Acadie" and
sister of Anne of Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, and
François of Anse-au-Comte-St.-Pierre. Joseph and
Marguerite were Marie-Josèphe's parents. With them
were five younger children: Alain, age 28;
Marguerite, age 26; Jean-Baptiste, age 19; Anastasie,
age 17; and Simon-Joseph, age 13. De La Roque
noted that Joseph "has been two years in the country,"
that "in live stock" he and Madeleine owned two oxen,
twelve pigs and nine fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases"
and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it of two arpents in extent."
Claude Trahan, fils, actually
le jeune, age 34,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Anne LeBlanc,
age 32, "native of l'Acadie," and three sons:
Jean-Baptiste, age 5; Joseph-Firmin, age 3; and Joseph,
age 2. Living with them also was Pierre
Gautrot, age 58, "native of l'Acadie,"
Madeleine's brother and
widower of Marguerite Lejeune.
Marguerite was Claude le jeune's mother, so
Pierre was his stepfather. De La Roque noted that
Claude le jeune
"has been two years in the country." One suspects
that Pierre Gautrot and his mother had
come to the island with him. De La Roque also
noted that Claude le jeune and Anne owned "In stock, two
oxen, one cow and four pigs," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding case"
and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, and on it they have a
clearing of two arpents." Also
living with Claude le jeune and Anne
was Claude-André LeBlanc, age 56,
"native of l'Acadie," widower of Madeleine
Boudrot and Anne's father.
Claude-André lived with three younger children:
Madeleine, age 20; Geneviève, age 11; and Paul, age 9.
Jean-Baptiste Lejeune dit
Briard, age 30, "native of l'Acadie" and son
of Germain of Baie-des-Espagnols, lived with wife
Marguerite Clémençeau dit
Beaulieu, no age given but
she was 35, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Annapolis Royal. With them were five children:
Joseph, age 9; Jean-Baptiste, fils, age 7;
Marie, age 5; François-Olivier, age 3; and Victor, age 9
months. De La Roque noted that Jean-Baptiste "has
been in the country two years," that "in stock" he and
Marguerite owned "one cow, one calf and four sows," that
"The land on which they are settled is located as in the
preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure, and on
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of two
bushels of wheat." Charles
Benoist, or Benoit, age 58
(actually 39), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," brother
of Guillaume dit Perrochon of
Rivière-aux-Habitants, and Marie and Augustin of
Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, lived
with wife Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine,
Theriot, age 58 (actually 39), "native of
l'Acadie" and Anne's sister. With them were six children: Marie, age 16; Anne,
age 13; Françoise, age 11; Judith, age 8; Jean-Charles,
age 6; and Pierre, age 10 months. De La Roque
noted that Charles "has been two years in the colony,"
that "in live stock" he and Madeleine owned "one ox, one
cow, one calf and four pigs," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases"
and "has been given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for sowing three bushels of wheat."
Abraham Benoist, or Benoit,
age 42, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Charles's
older brother, lived with second wife Marie-Josèphe
Lejeune, age 34, "native of l'Acadie"
and Jean-Baptiste's sister. Abraham had married
her the year before. With them were
seven children, six from his first marriage to
Angélique Vincent, Anne-Marie's sister: Jean, age
18; Marguerite, age 16; Joseph, age 14; Marie-Madeleine,
age 12; Pélagie, age 10; Marie, age 5; and a second
Joseph, age 2 months. De La Roque noted that
Abraham "has been in the country two years," that "in
stock" he and Marie-Josèphe owned "two oxen, two cows,
two heifers, five sows and five fowls," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing of two arpents."
Claude Benoist, or Benoit,
age 31, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Abraham and
Charles's younger brother, lived with wife Élisabeth, or
Isabelle,
Thériot, age 27, "native of l'Acadie"
and Marie-Madeleine's sister. With them were six
children: Pélagie, called Lablanche, age 11;
Grégoire, age 8; Anne, age 6; Daniel and Marie-Josèphe,
age 4; and Marguerite, age 2 months. De La Roque
noted that Claude "has been in this country two years,"
that "in stock" he and Élisabeth owned "one horse and
one sow," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated in the Anse au Matelost. It was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
on it for the sowing of three bushels of wheat."189
Next came Grande-Anse, now Pownal Bay, where De La
Roque found 18 families,
all recent arrivals: Jean-Baptiste, called Jean,
Landry, age 51 (actually 32),
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré,
and brother of Anselme of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, lived with wife Marie-Blanche LeBlanc,
age 24, "native of l'Acadie," also Grand-Pré, who he had married the
year before. With them were nephew Charles
Landry, fils, age 19, of L'Assomption,
Pigiguit, whose mother
Marie LeBlanc was Marie-Blanche's older
sister; and niece Théodose Boudrot, age
15. De La Roque noted that Jean "has been in the
country two years," that "in stock" he and
Marie-Blanche owned "three oxen, five cows, two heifers,
one horse and one ewe," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated at the further end of the Grande
Ance" and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for the sowing of four bushels of
wheat." Honoré Landry,
age 38, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, and Jean's older
brother, lived with wife Madeleine
Gautrot, age 29, "native of l'Acadie,"
also Grand-Pré, and four
children: Anselme, age 9; Honoré, fils,
age 5; Madeleine, age 2; and Joseph, age 8 days.
De La Roque noted that Honoré "has been on the island
two years," that "in stock" he and Madeleine owned
"seven oxen, two cows, one calf and four pigs," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding case" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of six
bushels of wheat." Étienne Melançon,
or Melanson, age 30 (actually 28),
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré,
lived with wife Françoise Granger, age
24, "native of l'Acadie," and three children:
Joseph, age 4; LaBlanche, age 2; and Élisabeth, age 4
months. De La Roque noted that Étienne "has been
in the country two years," that "in live stock" he and
Françoise owned "two oxen, three ewes, two heifers, two
calves and five pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of six bushels of wheats."
Prospère Landry, age 26, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Anne-Josèphe,
called Josette, Boudrot, age 24
(actually 26),
"native of l'Acadie," probably Grand-Pré,
younger half-sister of Marguerite of Baie-des-Espagnols,
Île Royale, and Marie of Anse-au-Matelot and older sister of
Françoise of Port-Lajoie. With Prospère and
Josette was their 9-week-old daughter
Marguerite. Also living with them was Prospère's
brother Joseph, age 20. De La Roque noted that
Prospère "has been in the country two years," that "in
stock" he and Josette owned "three oxen, three cows and
two calves," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of four bushels of wheat."
François Raimond, or Raymond,
age 32 (actually 39), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Annapolis Royal, lived with wife Cécile Landry,
age 28, "native of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré,
sister of Honoré and Jean. With François and
Cécile was
their 2-year-old son Paul, and Catherine Boudrot, age 8, "native of
l'Acadie," no relation given. De La Roque noted that François "has
been in the country two years," that "in stock" he and
Cécile owned "two oxen, three cows, one calf, two ewes,
two pigs and eight fowls," that "The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding cases" and
"was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of two bushels of wheat."
Pierre-Claude, Herrement, actually
Arcement, age 58, ploughman, not a "native of
l'Acadie," as De La Roque insisted, but likely a native
of France, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Thériot,
age 52, "native of l'Acadie," probably Minas,
and sister of Joseph and Marguerite of Rivière-du-Ouest.
With Pierre-Claude and Marie-Josèphe were three of their younger
children: Pierre, age 21; and François and
Marie-Josèphe, age 17. De La Roque noted that
Pierre-Claude "has been in the country two years," that
"in stock" he and Marie-Josèphe owned "two oxen, one
heifer and one pig," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of three bushels of wheat."
Amand Pitre, age 28, ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie" and youngest brother of Cécile and
Françoise at Baie-des-Espagnols, and Jean, Joseph, and
Catherine on Rivière-de-l'Ouest, lived with wife Geneviève Arcement,
age 28, "native of l'Acadie" and
Pierre-Claude's oldest daughter. With Amand and
Geneviève were four children:
Basile, age 15, perhaps 5; Tranquille, age 4; Ambroise, age 3; and
Anne, age 1. De La Roque noted that Amand "has
been one year in the country," that "in live stock" he
and Geneviève owned "two oxen, three cows, one calf, two
pigs and three fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of three bushels of wheat."
Antoine LePrince, age 32, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and brother of spinster
Marie-Madeleine of Anse-au-Matelot, lived with second wife Cécile
Arcement, age 25, "native of l'Acadie"
and Geneviève's sister. Antoine had married Cécile
the previous November, so they had no children of their
own. With them were four children from his first wife, Judith
Boudrot: Marie, perhaps
Marie-Sophie, age 7; Firmin, age 6; Osite, age 5; and
Madeleine, age 3. De La Roque noted that Antoine
"has been in the country two years," that "in live
stock" he and Cécile owned "one cow and three pigs,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding cases" and "has been given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of three
bushels of wheat." Emilliant, or Émilien,
Ségoillot dit Sans Chagrin, age 35,
"formerly sergeant in the company of Monsieur
Benoist, native of Casthelineau, in
Bourgogne," France, lived with Élisabeth-Blanche
LaVache, age 17, "native of l'Acadie" and
daughter of François of Anse-au-Matelot. The old
sergeant would marry his teenage fiancée on September 1.
They had no children. De La Roque noted that the
couple "have in live stock, one
cow and three pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases," that it
"was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, and on it they have made no
clearing." Antoine Boudrot,
age 60 years (actually 58), ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Minas, brother of Denis of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, Madeleine of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, and Catherine-Josèphe of
Anse-au-Matelot, lived with wife Cécile
Brassaud, age 57, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Port-Royal, and five younger children: Joseph, age 31; Anne,
age 22; Prudent, age 18; Théodore, age 17; and Anaïse,
age 13. Also with them was Ignace Boudrot,
age 4, "their nephew, orphan, without father and
mother." De La Roque noted that Antoine "has been
in the country two years," that "in live stock" he and
Cécile owned "two cows, two pigs and three fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated like the
preceding" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for a garden." Alexis Breaud,
or Breau, age 30,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably
Cobeguit, a widower, or so said De La Roque, actually
was husband of Marie-Josèphe Guillot,
who also would have been age 30 at the time. With
the putative "widower" were four daughters: Madeleine, age 6; Anne, age 5;
Marie-Osite, age 3; and Marie-Victoire, called Victoire, age 11 months.
De La Roque noted that Alexis "has been on the island
one year," that he and his daughters "have in live
stock, two oxen, one cow and two pigs," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing of one arpent
square." Jean Doiron, age 25
(actually 22), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
L'Assomption, Pigiguit, youngest brother of Marie of
Rivière-des-Blancs, lived with wife Anne
Thibodeau, age 23, "native of l'Acadie," who he
had married in January. They had no children.
De La Roque noted that Jean "has been in the country two
years," that "in live stock" he and Anne owned "two
oxen, one cow and six pigs," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated at the farther end of
Grande Anse and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing of one arpent."
Alexis Doiron, age 29, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually l'Assomption, Pigiguit,
Jean's older brother, was widower of Marguerite
Thibodeau, Jean's wife's sister. Alexis
lived with three sons: Grégoire, age 8; Joseph,
age 6; and Théodore, age 3. Also living with them
was Alexis's mother Marguerite Barrieau,
age 58 (actually 63), "native of l'Acadie," actually
Minas, and widow of Louis Doiron of
L'Assomption, Pigiguit, her second husband. She
also was older sister of Nicolas of Port-Toulouse,
Jacques of Île Madame, Pierre of Rivière-des-Blancs, and
Antoine of Anse-à-Dubuisson. De La
Roque noted that her son Alexis "has been in the country two
years," that he held "the following live stock:
two oxen, one horse and two pigs," that "The land on
which he is settled is situated as in the preceding
case" and "was given to him verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. He has made no
clearing." Jean Hébert, age
42, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Grand-Pré, lived with second
wife Véronique Sire, or Cyr,
age 23, "native of l'Acadie," also Grand-Pré, and Louis
of Anse-au-Matelot's daughter, who Jean had married in
January. With him and his new wife were seven children
from his first marriage to Marie-Madeleine Doiron:
Pierre, age 17; Marie, age 16; Marguerite, age 15; Anne,
age 9; Rose or Rosalie, age 7; Joseph-Ignace, age 4; and
Jean-Baptiste, age 3. De La Roque noted that Jean
"has been two years on the island," that he and
Véronique held "in stock six oxen, six cows, two calves
and one pig," that "The land on which they are settled
is situated as in the preceding cases" and "was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
on it of one arpent square." Victor
Boudrot, age 24, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and Antoine's older son, lived with
wife Catherine-Josèphe Hébert, age
unrecorded, "native of l'Acadie," who he had married in
January. They had no children. Living with
them on "part of the homestead of Antoinne Boudrot
their father" was Madeleine Boudrot,
age 17, "native of l'Acadie" and "an orphan."
De La Roque said nothing of Victor and Catherine-Josèphe's livestock.
Olivier Daigre, age 34, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Angélique
Doiron, age 32, "native of l'Acadie" and
Louis and Marguerite's second daughter. With
Olivier and Angélique were eight
children: Marguerite, age 12; son ____, age 8;
Marie-Osite, called Osite, age 7; Charles, age 6; Rose,
age 5; Paul, age 3; Joseph, age 2; and Pierre, age 2
months. De La Roque noted that Olivier "has been
in the country two years," that he and Angélique "have
the following live stock: three oxen, three cows,
four heifers, two calves, one mare and one sow," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of three
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Joseph
Leprince, or Prince,
age 38, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
Antoine's older brother, lived with wife
Marie-Osite Melanson dit Pitre, age 23, "native of
l'Acadie," and their 20-month-old son Joseph-Olivier.
De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been one year in the
country," that "in stock" he and Marie-Osite owned "one
cow, one calf, two sows, eight ducks and twelve fowls,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding cases" and "was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of six
bushels of wheat." Alexandre Chauvel,
actually Alexandre dit Misgucess
Chauvet dit LaGerne,
age 32, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Pigiguit, and member of
the Acadian resistance, was the youngest brother of
Marie-Charlotte Chauvet dit
La Gerne of Baie-des-Espagnols.
Alexandre dit Misgucess lived with wife
Catherine-Josèphe, called Josette, Prince,
age 30, "native of l'Acadie" and Joseph's and
Antoine's younger
sister. With Alexandre and Josette were
three children: Mathurin, age 5; Jean-Baptiste,
age 3; and Marguerite, age 14 months. De La Roque
noted that Alexandre "has been in the country 26
months," that "in stock" he and Josette owned
"one sow, two pigs and one hen," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases"
and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for the sowing of six bushels of wheat."190
At Grande-Ascension, near today's Vernon Bridge, De
La Roque found 11 families, all recent arrivals, with
the usual kinship networks: Joseph dit Petit Jos
Dugas, age 50, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
brother of Marguerite and Isabelle of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale, and Claude and
Françoise of Rivière-du-Nort-Est, lived
with wife Anne-Marie Hébert, age 50,
"native of l'Acadie" and sister of Charles l'aîné,
Joseph, Ambroise, François, and Charles le jeune
of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse. With Petit Jos and
Anne-Marie were five of their younger children:
Marguerite, age 18; Françoise, age 13; Joseph, fils,
age 10; Jean, age 8; and Anne, age 5. De La Roque
noted that Petit Jos "has been 15 months in the
country," that his and Anne-Marie's "live stock consists
of the following: five oxen, three cows, seven
wethers, three ewes, four pigs and five fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated east of
the Rivière de la Grande Ascension," that "it was given
to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of two bushels of wheat during
the coming spring." François Henry,
age 36, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and brother of
Cécile and Martin of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Jean dit
Le Neveu of Rivière-de-l'Ouest, and Marie-Josèphe of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, lived with wife Marie
Dugas, age 30, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Cobeguit, and Petit
Jos's daughter. With François and Marie were five
children: Basile, age 11; Joseph, age 9;
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 7; Élisabeth, age 4; and
Victoire, age 18 months. De La Roque noted that
François "has been in the country 13 months," that "in
stock" he and Marie owned "three oxen, two cows, four
heifers, three ewes, one sow, three pigs and ten fowls,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding cases. It was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of two
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Ambroise Dugas, age 23, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," probably Cobeguit, and
one of Petit Jos's son, lived with
wife Marguerite Henry, age 23, "native
of l'Acadie," and their 10-month-old son Ambroise,
fils. De La Roque noted that Ambroise "has
been 13 months in the country," that "in stock" he and
Marguerite owned "two oxen, two cows, two heifers, one
mare, three wethers, five ewes, one sow, two pigs and
two fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases. It was give to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On the said land they have
made a clearing for the sowing of one bushel of grain in
the coming spring." Pierre Dugas,
age 20, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and one of Petit
Jos's son, lived with wife Anne-Josèphe, called Josèphe,
Hébert, probably Henry,
age 21, "native of l'Acadie." They had no
children. De La Roque noted that Pierre "has been
in the country 13 months," that "In live stock" he and
Josèphe "have only two cows," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, and on it they have
made a clearing for a garden." Marie-Claire,
called Claire, Dugas, age 46, "widow of
the late Jean Hébert" and Petit Jos's
sister, lived with eight Hébert
children: Françoise, age 21; Élisabeth, age 19;
Pierre, age 17; Anne, age 15; Jean, fils, age
12; Hélène, age 10; Marie-Josèphe, age 8; and Victoire,
age 5. De La Roque noted that Jean "has[sic] been
in the country one year," that "in stock" Claire and her
children "have three oxen, one cow, one bull, three
wethers, two sows and two pigs," but said nothing of
their land. Jean Lejeune,
age 28, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife
Marguerite LeBlanc, age 32, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, and two children:
Rosalie, age 3; and Mathurin, age 1. De La Roque
noted that Jean "has been in the country two years,"
that "in stock" he and Marguerite owned "two oxen, one
cow, one calf, two sows and one pig," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing of two arpents in
extent." François Guérin,
age 34, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and brother of
Jean-Baptiste and Dominique of Poine-à-la-Jeunesse,
Marie, Marguerite, Françoise, and Pierre of
Baie-de-Mordienne, Île Royale, and Charles of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest, lived with wife Geneviève Mius
d'Azy, age 32, "native of l'Acadie," probably
Annapolis Royal, and sister of Charles-Benjamin of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse and Marguerite of Port-Lajoie.
With François and Geneviève were two daughters:
Marguerite-Geneviève, age 5; and Marie-Rose, age 3.
De la Roque noted that François "has been two years on
the Island," that "in stock" he and Geneviève "have four
pigs and twelve fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled, is situated on the west bank of the east river
of the Grande Ascension" and "was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of four
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Éloi
Lejeune, age 28, ploughman, Jean's
brother, lived with wife Rosalie Mius d'Azy,
age 27, "native of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis Royal,
and Geneviève's sister. With Éloi and Rosalie were
three children: Françoise, age 5; Jean-Baptiste,
age 3; and Marie-Josèphe, age 11 months. De La
Roque noted that Éloi "has been two years in the
country," that "of stock" he and Rosalie owned "one cow,
one calf, three pigs and fifteen fowls," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of four
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Paul
Benoit, age 48, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and brother of Guillaume dit
Perrochon of Rivière-aux-Habitants, Marie and Augustin
of Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, and Abraham, Charles,
and Claude of Anse-au-Matelot, lived with second wife
Marie-Josèphe Viger, age 43, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and sister of Agathe of
Baie-des-Espagnols. With Paul and Marie-Josèphe,
who had married at Port-Lajoie only two years earlier,
were nine children, the oldest from her first marriage
to Martin Corporon, the others from his
first marriage to Anne Trahan:
Jean-Charles Corporon, age 19;
Françoise Benoit, age 17; Marie
Benoit, age 15; Élisabeth Benoit,
age 13; Antoine Benoit, age 11; Jean
and Josette Benoit, age 9; Rose
Benoit, age 7; and Scholastique Benoit,
age 5. De La Roque noted that Paul "has been in
the country two years," that "In stock" he and
Marie-Josèphe "have three oxen, four cows, one calf and
six pigs," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the west point of the Grande Ascension.
It was given to them by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On the said land they have
made a clearing for the sowing of twelve bushels of
grain during the coming spring." Paul
Benoit, fils, age 25, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Marie-Madeleine
Doiron, age 19, "native of l'Acadie,"
and two children: Joseph, age 3; and Agathe, age
2. De La Roque noted that Paul, fils "has
been 26 months in the country," that "in stock" he and
Marie-Madeleine owned "one horse, three sows and three
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases. It was given
to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On the said land they have
made a clearing for the sowing of six bushels of grain
in the coming spring." Pierre Carret,
age 25, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and son of
Ignace of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, lived with wife Anne
Gautrot, age 26, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, and their year-old son Firmin.
De La Roque noted that Pierre "has been in the country
three years," that "in stock" he and Anne owned "one
cow, one calf, two sows and four pigs," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for garden only."191
Farther south, at Pointe-au-Bouleau, today's Birch
Point, De La Roque found three more families, all recent
arrivals, and all related: Ambroise
Guillot, age 24, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Cobeguit, lived with wife Théotiste
Daigre, age 24 (probably 22), "native
of l'Acadie," probably Pigiguit, and their 5-month-old
daughter Marguerite-Blanche. Also living with them
was Paul-Séverin Bertrand, age 15,
"native of l'Acadie," perhaps a domestic servant.
De La Roque noted that Ambroise "has been in the country
26 months," that "in stock" he and Théotiste owned "one
heifer," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the Pointe au Boulleau. It was given
to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made on it a
clearing for the sowing of twelve bushels of grain in
the coming spring." François Daigre,
age 48, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," Théotiste's
father and brother of Pierre of Port-Toulouse, Île
Royale, Amand of Rivière-du-Nord, Jean of
Rivière-des-Blancs, and Joseph of Anse-au-Matelot, lived
with wife Marie Boudrot, age 40,
"native of l'Acadie" and sister of Petit Paul and Pierre
of Rivière des Blancs and Charles of Anse-à-Dubuisson.
With François and Marie were six of their younger
children: Marguerite, age 18; Françoise-Marie, age
16; Anne, age 15; Hélène, age 13; Marie, age 11; and
François, fils, age 9. De La Roque noted
that François "has been in the country 26 months," that
"in stock" he and Marie owned "three oxen, one cow, two
sows, one pig and two fowl," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it for the sowing of twelve bushels of grain
in the coming spring." Alexis Daigre,
age 24, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably
Pigiguit, and François's older son, lived with wife
Marguerite Doiron, age 19, "native of
l'Acadie" and daughter of Louis-Mathieu of Pointe-Prime.
Alexis and Marguerite had married the previous January,
so they had no children. De La Roque noted that
Alexis "has been in the country 26 months," that "In
stock" he and Marguerite "have: one ox, one cow and two
pigs," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases, and was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of two bushels of grain the
coming summer."199
De La Roque found only a
single family at Anse-de-la-Boullotière, today's Newtown:
Pierre Henry, age 46, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and brother of Cécile and Martin of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale, Jean dit Le
Neveu of Rivière-de-l'Ouest, Marie-Josèphe of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, and François of
Grande-Ascension, lived with wife Anne Aucoin,
age 46, "native of l'Acadie," and nine children:
Pierre, fils, age 19; Paul, age 18; Antoine,
age 16; Jeanne, age 14; Anastasie, age 12; Élisabeth,
age 10; Barthélemy, age 7; Timothée, age 5; and
Marie-Josette, age 17 months. De La Roque noted
that Pierre "has been in the country 14 months," that
"In stock" he and Anne "have: two oxen, two cows, one
heifer, one calf, four sows and five pigs," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the Ance
de la Boulottiere. It was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure,
and on it they have made a clearing for the sowing of
twelve bushels of grain this coming spring."200
At
Pointe-Prime, today's Eldon, De La Roque found 13
families, all recent arrivals, most of them kin to one another
(half of the families, in fact, belonged to the
ill-starred Doirons of Cobeguit and
Minas): François Doiron, age 38,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably Minas,
brother of Marguerite of St.-Esprit, Île Royale, lived
with wife Madeleine Tillard, age 35,
"native of l'Acadie, and six children:
Osite-Josette, age 12; Madeleine-Angélique, age 10;
Blanche, age 8; Ambroise, age 6; François, fils,
age 4; and Marie-Josèphe, age 5 months. De La
Roque noted that François "has been in the country 26
months," that his and Madeleine's "live stock consists
of one cow, one calf, one bull, one horse and one pig,"
that "The land on which they are settled is situated at
Pointe Prime. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of twelve
bushels of grain in the coming spring." Noël
Doiron, age 70 (actually 68),
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Minas, lived
with wife Marie Henry, age 72, "native
of l'Acadie." They were François's parents. With Noël and Marie was a 17-year-old grandson, Jean-Baptiste
Doiron, "native of l'Acadie." De
La Roque noted that Noël "has been in the country 16
months," that "in stock," he and Marie owned "two cows
with their calves," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases. It
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of twelve bushels of grain in
the coming spring." Joseph Doiron,
age 36, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and another of
Noël's son, lived with wife Marie, actually Marguerite,
Tillard, age 38, "native of l'Acadie"
and Madeleine's sister. With Joseph and Marguerite
were eight children:
Paul-Élie, age 17; Madeleine, age 14; Marie-Rose, age
12; Laurent, age 10; Joseph, age 8; Anastasie, age 6;
Anne-Marie, age 3; and Grégoire, age 2 months. De
La Roque noted that Joseph "has been in the country 26
months," that he and Marguerite "have the following live
stock: two oxen, four cows, four calves, two
mares, two pigs and five fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it for the sowing of twenty-four bushels of
grain during the coming spring." Claude
Leprince, age 24, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," brother of Marie-Madeleine of
Anse-au-Matelot, and Joseph, Antoine, and
Catherine-Josèphe of Grande-Anse, lived with wife
Madeleine Doiron, age 23, "native of
l'Acadie" and Louis-Mathieu's daughter. She and
Claude had no children. De La Roque noted that
Claude "has been 26 months in the country," that he and
Madeleine "have in live stock: two oxen, one cow,
one calf and three pigs," that "The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding cases.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it for the sowing of six bushels of grain in
the coming spring." Louis-Mathieu Doiron,
age 48, ploughman, "native of Baston," actually Boston,
and Noël's oldest son, lived with wife Madeleine
Pitre, age 47, "native of Cap de Sable,"
sister of Cécile and Françoise of Baie-des-Espagnols,
Île Royale, Jean, Joseph, and Catherine of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest, and Amand of Grande-Anse.
Louis and Madeleine were the parents of Marguerite of
Pointe-au-Bouleau. With them were their
18-year-old son Baptiste-Olivier, and their 12-year-old
niece Émilienne-Perpétué Doiron, an
orphan.
De La Roque noted that Louis "has been 26 months in the
country," that "In live stock" he and Madeleine "have:
four oxen, three cows, two calves, three sows and two
pigs," and that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases. It was given
to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made on it, a
clearing for the sowing of 16 bushels of grain in the
coming spring." Paul Doiron,
age 43, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and another of
Noël's son, lived with wife Marguerite Benoit,
age 42, "native of l'Acadie," sister of Guillaume
dit Perrochon of Rivière-aux-Habitants and Marie
and Augustin of Baie-des-Espagnols and on Île Royale,
Abraham, Charles, and Claude of Anse-au-Matelot, and
Paul of Grande-Ascension. With them were two
children, "one son and one daughter," who De La Roque
did name, and two orphans, both "native of l'Acadie":
Pierre-Paul Doiron, age 15, a nephew,
and Pélagie Benoit, age 11, a niece.
De La Roque noted that Paul "has been in the country 26
months," that "in stock" he and Marguerite "possess: two
oxen, three cows, one calf, one bull, one sow and one
pig," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases. It was given
to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
on it for the sowing of 16 bushels of grain in the
coming spring." Charles Doiron,
age 24, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and
Louis-Mathieu's older son, lived with wife Anne-Gertrude
Benoit, age 19, "native of l'Acadie,"
Paul of Grande-Ascension's daughter by his first wife
Anne Trahan and Marguerite's niece.
The young couple had no children.
De La Roque noted that Charles "has been in the
country 26 months," that he and Anne-Gertrude "have in
live stock one ox, two cows, two calves, one sow and one
pig," that "The land on which they are settled is the
same as that of their father," Louis-Mathieu, and "They
have made on it a clearing for the sowing of eight
bushels of grain in the coming spring." Jean
Arseneau, age 27, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Doiron,
age 26, "native of l'Acadie," and three children:
Alexis, age 6; Marguerite-Josèphe, age 3; and
Marie-Blanche, age 2. De La Roque noted that Jean
"has been in the country two years," that "in stock" he
and Marie-Josèphe owned "four oxen, one cow, three
heifers, and three pigs," that "The land on which they
are settled is situated east-south-east of the said Ance
de la Pointe Prime, and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made on it a clearing for the sowing of eight
bushels of wheat in the coming spring."
Jean-Baptiste Henry, age 44, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, lived with
wife Marie-Madeleine Mius d'Azy, age
42, and eight sons: Joseph, age 19; Jean-Baptiste,
fils, age 17; Paul, age 15; Louis, age 11;
Basile, age 9; Charles, age 7; Clément, age 4; and
Firmin, age 10 months. Also living with them was
Marie Boudrot, age 21, an orphan.
De La Roque noted that Jean-Baptiste "has been in the
country two years," that "in stock" he and
Marie-Madeleine owned "four oxen, one cow, two calves,
one sow and two pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases. It
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of thirteen bushels of wheat,
and four bushels of oats in the coming spring."
Michel Pitre, age 46, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," probably Cap-Sable, and brother of
Madeleine, lived with wife Marie-Madeleine
Doiron, age 44, "native of l'Acadie" and
another daughter of Noël. With them were seven
children: Théotiste, age 21; François, age 19;
Charles, age 17; Marie-Madeleine, age 16; Paul-Michel,
age 14; Simon, age 13; and Euphrosine, age 8. De
La Roque noted that Michel "has been in the country two
years," that "in stock" he and Marie-Madeleine owned
"two oxen, one cow, and six pigs," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceing
cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of ten
bushels of wheat and eight bushels of oats in the coming
spring." Claude Arcement, age 26,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Pigiguit, son of
Pierre-Claude of Grande-Anse, lived with wife Angélique
Doiron, age 24, "native of l'Acadie,"
and three children: Susanne-Angélique, age 5;
Théotiste-Hélène, age 3; and Firmin, age 2. De La
Roque noted that Claude "has been in the country two
years," that "in stock" he and Angélique owned "two
oxen, one cow, one calf and two pigs," and that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of six
bushels of wheat and six bushels of oats in the coming
spring." Herné, or Henri, Guillot,
age 59, ploughman, "native of Doix, bishopric of
Angers," France, a widower, lived with daughter
Marie-Josèphe, age 29, and nephew Jean-Baptiste
Guillot, age 31, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Grand-Pré, older brother of Amboise of
Pointe-au-Bouleau. Living with Jean-Baptiste were
three of his children by Marie-Madeleine
Arcement, Claude's sister:
Charles-Olivier, age 6; Élisabeth, age 4; and
Marie-Josèphe, age 2. De La Roque said nothing of
Henri's or Jean-Baptiste's time in the colony. He
did note that "in stock" they owned two cows and one
calf," that "The land on which he," most likely Henri,
"is settled is situated as in the precending case.
It was given to him verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure," which hinted at a
recent arrival. "On it," De La Roque continued,
"they have made a clearing for the sowing of four
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." René
Guillot, fils, age 26, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, Jean-Baptiste's
younger brother, lived with wife Marie-Rose Daigre,
age 20, "native of l'Acadie" and daughter of François of
Pointe-au-Bouleau. The young couple had no
children. De La Roque noted that René, fils
"has been in the country two years," that "in live
stock" he and Marie-Rose owned "one ox, one cow, one
calf and six pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case and was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of six bushels of wheat and six
bushels of oats in the coming spring."201
South of Pointe-Prime lay Anse-à-Pinnet, today's
Pinette, where De La Roque counted 17 more families, all recent arrivals
with the usual kinship patterns:
Olivier Boudrot, age 41, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and son of Denis of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, lived with wife Henriette
Guérin, age 40, "native of l'Acadie" and sister
of Jean-Baptiste and Dominique at Poine-à-la-Jeunesse,
Marie, Marguerite, Françoise, and Pierre at
Baie-de-Mordienne, Île Royale, and Charles of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest. With them were five children:
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 10; Madeleine-Josèphe, age 8;
Anne-Marie, age 7; Basile, age 6; and Mathurin, age 3.
De La Roque noted that Olivier "has been in the country
two years," that "in stock" he and Henriette owned "two
oxen, four cows, two calves, one bull, one heifer, five
pigs and twenty-three fowls or chickens," that "The land
on which they are settled is situated at the farther end
of Ance à Pinet to the south of the said ance. It
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for a garden only." Charles
Boudrot, age 42, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," and Olivier's brother, lived with wife Cécile
Thériot, age 45, "native of l'Acadie"
and sister of Joseph and Marguerite of Rivière-du-Ouest
and Marie-Josèphe of Grande-Anse. With them were
three children: Charles-Olivier, age 16; François,
age 14; and Cécile, age 6.
De La Roque noted that Charles "has been 14 months
in the country," that "in stock" he and Cécile owned
"four oxen, five cows, one calf, one horse, one ewe,
three sows, two pigs and four fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for a large garden."
Jean-Antoine Apart, age 32, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Minas, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Breau, no age given, and
two children: Marguerite-Josèphe, age 5; and
Jean-Baptiste, age 2. De La Roque noted that Jean
"has been two years in the country," that "in stock" he
and Marie-Josèphe owned "two oxen, one cow, one calf,
one sow and six fowls," and that "The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding cases.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for a garden only." François
Michel, fils, age 32,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis
Royal, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Bourg,
age 34, "native of l'Acadie." They had no
children. De La Roque noted that François "has
been in the country 14 months," that he and
Marie-Josèphe "have in live stock two oxen, one cow, one
heifer, two sows, four pigs and four fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of three
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Jean
Michel, age 27, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Annapolis Royal, and François's
brother, lived with wife Martine Bourg,
age 28, "native of l'Acadie," and two daughters:
Anne-Agathe, age 4; and Marguerite, age 2. De La
Roque noted that Jean "has been in the country 14
months," that "in stock" he and Martine owned "one ox,
one cow, three sows and three pigs," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of three
bushels of grain in the coming spring." François
Michel, père, age 63, "native
of l'Acadie," widower of Marie-Anne Léger
and François, fils and Jean's father, lived
with second wife Élisabeth Le Juge, age
65, "native of l'Acadie" and widow of Pierre
Benoit le jeune, who he had married
the previous November. Living with them were seven
children, the oldest from her first marriage, the others
from his first marriage: Anne Benoit,
age 22; Marguerite Michel, age 19;
Joseph Michel, age 17; Catherine
Michel, age 16; Pierre Michel,
age 14; Félicité Michel, age 11; and
Françoise-Perpétué Michel, age 9.
De La Roque noted that François, père "has been
in the country 14 months," that his and Élisabeth's
"live stock consists of two oxen, one heifer, one sow,
two pigs and one hen," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding cases. It
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of four bushels of grain next
spring." Ambroise Naquin,
age 27, "native of l'Acadie," probably Cobeguit, lived
with wife Isabelle Bourg, age 20,
"native of l'Acadie," and their 2-year-old daughter
Isabelle. De La Roque noted that Ambroise "has
been two years in the country," that "in stock" he and
Isabelle owned "two oxen, two cows, one calf, one horse,
one ewe, four pigs and two fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated on the south side of
Ance à Pinet. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of a bushel
and a half of grain." Jacques Naquin,
age 51, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, and Ambroise's father, was the "widower of
the late Jeanne Melançon." With
him were six of his younger children: Marguerite,
age 25; Jacques, fils, age 24; Joseph, age 20;
Élisabeth, age 19; Pierre, age 17; and Marianne, also
called Anne-Marie, age 14. Also with them was
Jacques Naquin's father-in-law Pierre dit Pedro Melanson, age
80 (actually 82), "native of l'Acadie," actually Minas,
widower of Marie Blanchard, brother of
Cécile of Rivière-du-Nord, father of Cécile of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale, and Françoise of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest. De La Roque noted that Jacques,
"has been one year in the country," that "in stock" he
and his children owned four oxen, two cows, one calf,
one mare, seven ewes and four pgis," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
case. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of two
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." François
Naquin, age 48, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and Jacques's younger
brother, lived with wife Angélique Blanchard,
age 45, "native of l'Acadie," and 10 children:
Jean-Baptiste, age 23; Angélique, age 21; François,
fils, age 19; Anne, age 18; Charles, age 14;
Joseph, age 12; Marianne-Anastasie, age 11; Ursule, age
7; Tarsille, age 4; and Marianne, age 2. Also with
them was Isaac Hébert, age 3, "his
grand-son." De La Roque noted that François "has
been in the country two years," that "in live stock" he
and Angélique owned "four oxen, two cows, three calves,
three ewes and five pigs," that "The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding cases.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for the sowing of three bushels of wheat
in the coming spring." Pierre
Dugas, age 43, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Cobeguit, lived with wife Élisabeth
Bourg, age 40, "native of l'Acadie" and sister
of Marie-Madeleine of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale.
With them were eight children: Marie, age 18;
Jean, age 16; Marie-Josèphe, age 15; Élisabeth, age 13;
Anaïse, age 11; Osite, age 10; Pierre, fils,
age 6; and Prosper, age 1. De La Roque noted that
Pierre "has been on the island one year," said nothing
of his and Élisabeth's livestock, but noted that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the south
side of Ance à Pinet. It was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of two
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Charles
Pitre, age 32, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and brother of Cécile and Françoise of
Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, Jean, Joseph, and
Catherine of Rivière-de-l'Ouest, Amand of Grande-Anse, and
Michel and Madeleine of Pointe-Prime, lived with wife
Anne Thibodeau, age 31, "native of
l'Acadie" and niece of Antoine and Joseph
Thibodeau of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie.
With them were three children: Marie-Marthe, age
6; Osite, age 4; and Jean-Baptiste, age 1. De La
Roque noted that Charles "has been one year on the
island," that "in stock" he and Anne owned "three oxen,
five cows and four pigs," that "The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding cases.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have
made a clearing for the sowing of four bushels of wheat
in the coming spring." Paul Henry,
age 29, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and brother of
brother of Cécile and Martin of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse,
Jean dit
Le Neveu of Rivière-de-l'Ouest, Marie-Josèphe of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, François of Grande-Ascension,
and Pierre of Anse-de-la-Boullotière, lived with wife
Théotiste Thibodeau, age 27, "native of
l'Acadie" and Anne's sister. With them were three
children: Athanase, age 6; Madeleine-Josèphe, age
4; and Firmin, age 2. De La Roque noted that Paul
"has been on the island one year," that "In stock" he
and Théotiste owned "two oxen, one cow, one ewe, one
bull and five pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated as in the preceding case. It
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it for the sowing of four bushels of wheat
in the coming spring." Alexandre Gautrot,
age 34, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Marguerite
Hébert, age 27, "native of l'Acadie,"
and four children: François-Hilaire, age 7;
Julienne, age 5; Alexandre, fils, age 3; and
Marin, age 1. Also with them was Victor
Gautrot, age 13, "native of l'Acadie, his
nephew." De La Roque noted that Alexandre "has
been one year on the island," that he and Marguerite
"have in stock one cow and four pigs," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of two
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." François
Gautrot, père, age 74,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal,
Alexandre's father, lived with wife Louise
Aucoin, age 72, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, and sister of Isabelle and Françoise of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest, and Michel, père of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est. With the elderly couple was
their 25-year-old daughter Marie-Madeleine, "native of
l'Acadie." De La Roque noted that François "has
been in the country one year" and that he and Louise's
"live stock consists of one cow and four pigs," but he
said nothing of François's land. François
Gautrot, fils,
age 28, "native of l'Acadie" and Alexandre's brother,
lived with wife
Marie LeBlanc, age 23, "native of
l'Acadie," and two sons: Jean-Baptiste, age 3; and
Joseph le jeune, age 19 months. With them
also was Charles Gautrot, age 17,
"orphan," "their nephew." De La Roque noted that
François, fils "has been on the island one
year," that "In stock" he and Marie owned "two oxen, one
cow and five fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated on the south side of Ance à Pinet.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made
on it a clearing for the sowing of three bushels of
wheat in the coming spring." René dit
Renauchon Aucoin, age 41, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," son of Michel, père of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est and Louise's nephew, lived with wife
Madeleine Michel, age 35, "native of
l'Acadie" and daughter of François, père.
With Renauchon and Madeleine were six children:
Marie-Madeleine, age 14; Osite, age 12; Élisabeth, age
9; Anne-Lablanche, age 6; Marguerite-Josèphe, age 5; and
François-Marin, age 8 months. De La Roque noted
that René "has been 14 months on the island," that "in
live stock" he and Madeleine owned "two oxen, one
heifer, three sows, four pigs and five fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of four
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Pierre
Gautrot, age 44, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie" and François, père's oldest son,
lived with second wife Élisabeth Thériot,
age 42, "native of l'Acadie," widow of ____
Landry and Pierre Melanson,
and Cécile's younger sister. Pierre and Élisabeth
had only recently married, so they had no children of
their own. Living with them were 10 children, two
from her first and second marriages, and the rest from
his first marriage to Agnès LeBlanc,
Marie's oldest sister: Pierre Landry,
age 20; Pierre Melanson, age 17; Anaïse
or Agnès Gautrot, age 18; Joseph
Melanson, age 15; Théodore,
called Théo, Gautrot, age 14; Basile
Gautrot, age 11; Honoré Gautrot,
age 9; Marie-Josèphe Gautrot, age 7;
Rose Gautrot, age 5; and Benoit
Gautrot, age 3. De La Roque noted that
Pierre "has been in the country 15 months," that he and
Élisabeth "have in live stock: three oxen, two cows, two
mares, one ewe, six pigs and three fowls," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of three
bushels of wheat and two bushels of oats in the coming
spring."202
De La Roque and his party then made their way
around the southeast bulge of the island towards
Pointe-de-l'Est, today's East Point, beyond which lay a
wide channel of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the western
shore of Île Royale. "Ance du Havre à Mathieu is
situated on the south shore of the Isle Saint-Jean," De
La Roque recorded, "three leagues," or a bit over eight
and a half miles, "from the peninsula of Trois-Rivières,"
now Brudenell Point,"
and six from Pointe de l'Est. It is formed by Cap
à David lying to the south and Cap à la Soury to the
north. The distance between these points is
estimated at one league. The creek lies north and
south and runs a half league inland to the west, having
an almost uniform breadth throughout. At its
extreme furthermost end it branches into two harbours.
One of which is called Havre à Matthieu," today's Rollo
Bay. "It is
void of any settler and lies to the north of the creek
running west one league inland. The width of this
harbour is ascertained to be irregular, but it is
estimated at an average of 200 toises," or a
fourth of a mile. "In the middle of the creek
there is a channel twenty toises," or 130 feet,
"in breadth, in which there is from eight to nine feet
of water at low tide. The lands surrounding the
harbour are covered with hardwood of every description.
At the other extremity of the said creek lies havre la
Fortune," today's Fortune Bay. "It runs south-west to a depth of a league
and a half inland. Its breadth at the widest part
is estimated to be frm 300 to 350 toises," or
nearly half a mile, "whilst the channel has seven to
eight feet of water on the bar at high tide. The
nature of the soil renders it profitable for
cultivation, and the settlers who took refuge here at
the time of the last war, praise it very highly.
The meadow lands are situated on the banks of these
rivers. They yield a sufficiently large quantity
of hay to serve as fodder for such live stock as the
settlers have in possession at present, but it is
thought that if the area was extended a large number of
head of cattle might be raised and fed. All the
surrounding lands are covered with different sorts of
mixed timber, but the settlers have not yet discovered a
quarry of any sort."203
At Havre-de-la-Fortune De La Roque found six more families, only two of them recent
arrivals from British Nova Scotia. The other,
long-established families, were more or less related: Joseph
Le Prieur, age 49, navigator, "native
of Port Royal, in l'Acadie," lived with second wife
Marguerite Olivier, age 29, "native of
Beaubassin," and four children, all from his second
marriage: Emmanuel, age 9; Roch, age 7;
Jean-Baptiste, age 5; and Marie, age 3. De La
Roque noted that Joseph "has been in the country 30
years," that "In stock" he and Marguerite "have the
following: six oxen, six cows, two heifers, four calves,
five ewes, five pigs, and twenty fowls; as well as one
schooner of 26 tons burden, and another of 15 tons.
The land on which they are newly settled is situated on
the right bank of the harbour of La Fortune. Their
only title is that of possession, and a verbal
permission from Monsieur de Bonnventure,
the King's commandant in the isle Saint-Jean. They
have made a large clearing and could have sown 28
bushels of seed if they had had it, but have only sown
nine bushels and a half of wheat, half a bushel of rye,
half bushel of barley, four and a half bushels of peas,
two bushels of oats, and they could have sown another
eleven bushels." Christophe Delaune,
age 47, ploughman, "native of the parish of Perier,
bishopric of Avranche, Normandy," lived with wife
Marguerite Caissie, age 25, "native of
Beaubassin," and sister of sister of Jeanne of
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, Marie-Blanche and Rosalie of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, and Michel of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie. With Christophe and
Marguerite were five children: Pierre, age 13;
Jean, age 9; Geneviève, age 7; Jacques, age 6; and Jean,
age 30 months. De La Roque noted that Christophe
"has been in the country 23 years," that "In stock" he
and Marguerite "have: four oxen, three cows, one calf,
four ewes, four pigs and four fowls," that "The land on
which they are settled is contiguous to that of Joseph
Le Prieur" (who, strangely enough,
would become Marguerite Caissie's second
husband, and she would become his fourth and final wife).
"They," Christophe and Marguerite, "have made a large
clearing on it where they have sown eight bushels of
wheat, four bushels of oats, one bushel and a half of
peas, half a bushel of barley, half a bushel of buck
wheat and a piece of land sufficient for two bushels of
sown seed with turnips, and they have sufficient land
for the sowing of another eight bushels of seed."
Pierre Le Prieur l'aîné, age
27, "native of St. Pierre in the north part of the
island" and Joseph's brother, lived with wife Judith
Chiasson, age 39, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, "widow of the late Charles
Lacroix dit Durel."
With Pierre and Judith were six children by her first
marriage and two by her second: Marguerite and
Marie-Élisabeth Lacroix dit
Durel, age 21; Anne Lacroix
dit Durel, age 18; Judith
Lacroix dit Durel,
age 16; Charles Lacroix dit
Durel, age 13; Marie-Anne
Lacroix dit Durel,
age 7; Pierre La Prieur, age 4; and
Marie La Prieur, age 2. De La
Roque noted that "In stock" Pierre and Judith "have
three oxen, two cows, and one heifer," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated to the south-west of
that of Joseph Le Prieur, his brother.
They have made a clearing where they were only able to
sow six bushels of wheat, having no more. Their
land is sufficiently large to sow eighteen bushes of
seed." Joannis, or Jean-Baptiste, Laborde,
age 34, ploughman, "native of the parish of la Bastide,
bishopric of Bayonne," lived with wife Marie La
Prieur, age 32, "native of St. Pierre in the
north of this island" and Joseph and Pierre l'aîné's
sister. With Joannis and Marie were five children:
Guillaume, age 12; Charles-François, age 9; Marie, age
6; Marguerite, age 3; and Jean-Baptiste, fils,
age 1. De La Roque noted that Joannis "has been in
the country 12 years," that "in live stock" he and Marie
owned "four oxen, five cows, four calves, one wether and
nine fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the left bank of the harbour of la Fortune.
They have made a clearing on it and sown ten bushels of
wheat and half a bushel of peas." Joseph
LeBlanc, age 40, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré but recently of
Cobeguit, brother of
Marie-Josèphe dite Josette of
Rivière-aux-Habitants, Île Royale, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Bourg, age 35, "native of
l'Acadie" and sister of Pierre of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse,
Île Royale. With Joseph and Marie-Josèphe were
five sons: Ambroise, age 14; Simon-Joseph, age 12;
Joseph, fils, age 8; Bénoni, age 3; and
Charles, age 4 months. De La Roque noted that
Joseph "has been in the country one year," that "In live
stock" he and Marie-Josèphe "have four oxen, six cows,
five calves, one horse, six pigs and fourteen fowls or
chickens," that "The land on which they are settled was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure, the commandant of this island, to
the south-west of the dwelling of Joannis
Laborde. They have made a clearing on it
where they have sown four bushels of wheat."
Abraham Daigre, age 47, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and brother of Pierre of
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, Amand of Rivière-du-Nord,
Jean of Rivière-des-Blancs, Joseph of Anse-au-Matelot,
and François of Pointe-au-Bouleau, lived with wife
Marie, also called Anne-Marie, Boudrot,
age 44, "native of the parish of St. Charles, bishopric
of Quebec," which was Grand-Pré. With Abraham and
Marie were nine children: Marguerite, age 23;
Aimable, age 21; Jean, age 20; Marie-Rosalie, age 16;
Jean-Éloi, age 14; François-Marie, age 12; Pierre, age
10; Joseph, age 5; and Nicolas, age 2. De La Roque
noted that Abraham "has been in the country two years,"
that "In live stock" he and Marie "have two oxen, two
cows, one calf, one ewe, three pigs and four fowls," and
that "The land on which they are settled is situated on
the right shore of the said harbour. It was given
to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure, commandant of Isle Saint-Jean.
They have made a clearing on which they have sown two
bushels of wheat, two bushels of peas and one bushel of
oats."204
De La Roque and his party then moved on, heading northeast up the coast. "We left Havre de la
Fortune on the 11th [of August]," he recorded, "and took the route for Pointe de
l'Est, situated, it is stated, six leagues from the
harbour [de la Fortune]. After having doubled the
point of Havre à Mathieu, we passed a little to seaward
of the harbour la Souris," today's Colville Bay, "and observed that it runs a
league and a half inland to the north, throwing out an
arm to the east. The entrance to the harbour is
practicable only for boats and wood boats of the
capacity of three to four cords. Next we noticed
the little habors that run, the one to the west and the
other to the north-west, which are practicable for boats
alone. In all this part of the country there is
but little hay made. The land seems to be of a
nature suitable for cultivation, and is covered with all
kinds of hard wood fit for the construction of small
vessels and boats. These two harbours lie a
distance of one league apart and two leagues from the
harbour de la Fortune. After having made another
two leagues, we found ourselves crossing Havre de
l'Echorie. Its entrance lies north and south, and
is estimated at one hundred toises in length.
Inside the entrance the harbour divides into two arms,
running east and west so that that on the starboard side
on entering may have a league in length, by a quarter of
a league of breadth, and that to the larboard
three-quarters of a league. There is a great deal
of grass on the banks of the harbour. The harbour
is practicable only for boats. It is considered
that this harbour would only have been a large creek but
for the sand dunes thrown up by the wind, which sand
dunes separate it from the sea. Next, after making
another two leagues, we doubled Pointe de l'Est.
This point has been reduced to a wilderness by a fire
which has passed through this section, and the settlers
have established themselves at a distance of two
leagues," not quite six miles, "from the point on the
north side," at Tranchemontagne, near today's North
Lake. "The land on which the people have settled
is of the best for cultivation. Nevertheless they
have sown no seed here, and the truth is that they lack
seed to sow, and if the King does not make a gift or
loan of seed so that they can sow it next spring they
will find it impossible to maintain themselves, being
to-day at the last stage of poverty through the great
mortality among their livestock."205
De La Roque now surveyed the island's north coast
almost to its western extremity. Beginning at
Tranchemontagne and ending at
distant Havre-de-Cascumpec, today's Cascumpec Bay, on the northwest coast of
the island, De La Roque counted 103 more families while
providing his superiors
the most detailed descriptions of the island's coastal geography.
Near
Tranchmontagne, De La Roque found only four
families, all part of the same extended family and all long-time residents of the
colony:
Noël Pinet, age 70 (actually 68),
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and
uncle of Charles, fils of Port-Toulouse, Île
Royale, and brother of Marie-Brigitte of Rivière-de-Peugiguit, lived
with wife Rose Henry, age 50 (actually
60, "native of l'Acadie" and sister of Madeleine of
St.-Esprit, Antoine of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, and
Catherine of Rivière-de-Miré, Île Royale, Germain of
Port-Lajoie, and Jean dit le Vieux and Joseph
dit Le Petit Homme of Rivière-de-l'Ouest.
With Noël and Rose were two of their younger children:
Charles, age 18; and Anne, age 13. De La Roque
noted that Noël "has been twelve years in the country,"
that "In live stock" he and Rose "have three oxen, two
cows, one heifer, one mare, seven wethers and nine
pigs," that "The land on which they are settled was
granted to him by Messieurs Duchambon and
Dubuisson. They have made a clearing on it where
they ordinarily sow forty bushels of grain yearly, and
will sow that quantity next spring if they are given the
seed." Antoine Dechevery, or
D'Etcheverry, age 40, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of Bayonne," France, lived with wife
Marie Pinet, age 30, "native of Canada"
and one of Noël and Rose's daughters. With Antoine
and Marie were six children: Denis, age 11;
Antoine, fils, age 10; François, age 8; Pierre,
age 6; Jean, age 4; and Marie, age 6 months. De La
Roque noted that Antoine "has been 25 years in the
colony," that "In stock" he and Marie "have six oxen,
one cow, one heifer, two calves, one mare, six ewes,
four pigs and three hens," that "The land on which they
are settled was given to them by Noël Pinet,
their father. They have made a clearing where they
could sow 36 bushels of grain in the coming spring."
Jean-Baptiste Pinet, age 41, fisherman
and ploughman, "native of Quebec" and Noël's oldest son,
lived with wife Jeanne-Isabelle Pillot,
actually Pilon, age 24, "native of La
Rochelle," France, who he married at Chignecto in
January 1746. With Jean-Baptiste and Jeanne were
three sons: Charles, age 4; Basile, age 3; and
Jean-Baptiste, fils, age 2. De La Roque
noted that "In stock" Jean-Baptiste and Jeanne "have:
two oxen, one cow, one calf and four pigs," and that
"The land on which they are settled is part of the
homestead of their father. They have made a
clearing where they could sow twenty bushels of grain if
it were given to them." Pierre Pinet,
age 24, ploughman, "native of Petit Degrat" and another
of Noël's sons, lived with wife Geneviève Trahan,
age 22, "native of l'Acadie," probably Pigiguit,
daughter of Jean of Baie-des-Espagnols and sister of
Brigitte of Baie-de-L'Indienne, Île Royale. With
Pierre and Geneviève were three sons: Jean, age 3;
Pierre, age 2; and Paul, age 6 weeks. De La Roque
noted that "They have in live stock two oxen, two cows,
one calf, one wether and one pig," and that "They are
settled on the homestead of Noël Pinet,
their father. They have made a clearing where they
could sow thirty bushels of grain if they had it."206
"We left on the 13th and took
the route for l'Etang du Noffrage," today's Naufrage,
De La Roque recorded,
"following the sea shore continually for the six
leagues"--17 1/2 miles--"at which the distance from
the Post at Pointe de l'Est to l'Etang du Noffrage is
estimated. In this distance we met with nothing
worthy of notice. The land is a desert owing to
the occurrence of the fire, but a short distance inland
the country is covered with hardwood and the soil was
good for the production of all kinds of grain and roots;
everything coming up in abundance. Owing to the
lack of seed grain the settler here," who he did not
identify, "was unable to seed his land this year, but
the small quantity of wheat which he was able to sow is
amongst the finest in the island. The ears are
long, large and well filled. The Etang du Noffrage
runs a quarter of a league inland to the south-west.
The breadth averages 80 toises," or a bit over
500 feet. "At the extremity of the étang,
a long brook, which never dries up, discharges its
water. This brook is supplied from two large
springs lying at a distance of two leagues and a half
inland to the west south-west. The brook contains
sufficient water to run flour and saw mills, but as
regards the latter they are considered useless, as there
is no timber suitable for sawing, all the hardwood,
growing in the surrounding district being good at the
best for the building of boats."
De La Roque then continued westward along the
island's north coast. "We left on the 14th for St.
Pierre du Nord," he recorded. "We counted the
distance between the two points as six leagues by the
road. We saw nothing on the way that calls for
description. The harbour of St. Pierre lies on the
north coast of the Isle St. Jean. It is well
suited for the pursuit of cod fishing, the fish being as
a rule more abundant here than at Ile Royale; but, in
truth, of a quality much inferior to those of the latter
island. A market for the cod is found at
Louisbourg, as well as with the merchants of that town,
for shipment with the consignments they make to the
islands of America. The lands around St. Pierre
are suitable for cultivation and the settlers
successfully follow the occupations of fishing and of
cultivating the soil. The lands that have been
seeded this year present one of the most beautiful
scenes that anyone could desire to witness. The
entrance to the harbour is formed by sand dunes.
It is estimated that the entrance is 350 toises,"
nearly half a mile, "across, the sand dunes lying east
and west. The channel is navigable only for
vessels having a draft of eight or nine feet, and at
high tide the channel runs north and south with a depth
everywhere of from 15 to 16 feet of water, and if it
were not for the bar and shallows that have been thrown
up by the different currrents, vessels of 300 tons
burden could make their passage without any difficulty.
In order to enter the harbour it is necessary to follow
the lines of the sand dunes at a distance of 100
toises, on the west side, afterwards passing at a
distance of 20 or 30 toises at the utmost the
fish-drying grounds of le Sieur Aubin. It
is believed that if an enbankment were constructed from
the foot of the sand dune on the east side of the
harbour to the border of the channel, sufficiently high
to force the currents to flow into and out of the
harbour, of St. Pierre as well as the main body of the
river of the river to pass through the said channel from
that point, the currents would be diverted from the flat
ground, and become sufficiently rapid to clear away the
bar which proves the greatest impediment to the
navigation of the harbour. The settlement at the
harbour of St. Pierre is deemed to be one of
considerable importance now, as much because of the
trade connected with the fisheries, as of that which
might be carried on in the interior of the Isle, were
it, as it seems likely to be, well settled. When
one considers seriously all that might be accomplished
to make this trade solid and durable, it becomes
apparent that the cultivation of the land, and the
raising of live stock of all descriptions must be
regarded as the pivot on which the whole ought to turn.
It must be remembered that so long as the fishermen are
obliged to procure all their fishing equipment, supplies
and food from the merchants of Louisbourg, or other
itinerant traders, they will, owing to the excessive
prices they have to pay for what merchandise they
require, and the moderate prices they receive for their
fish, always find themselves conducting their fishery
operations at a loss. On the other hand if the
settlers had the power of making from their own produce
the bread, butter, meat, clothes and linen, to supply
their principal wants, and the fishermen were obliged to
procure only their salt, lines, hooks, etc., from the
aforesaid merchants, they would be able to sell their
fish at the lowest price, and reap a substantial
profit."207
Here, in and around the island's oldest community,
today's St. Peters Harbour, De La Roque counted 57
families, most of them long-time residents. He
found them not only at the harbor, but also along
several tributaries and on the coast west of the harbor.
Only along the rivers above Port-La-Joye could one find more settlers on
the island.226
The first eight families De La Roque counted lived along the north bank of Rivière-St.-Pierre,
across from the harbor.
All were long-time residents of the area and, typically,
were all related: Louis
Beaulieu, age 54, ploughman, native of Calvados,
France, lived with wife Marguerite Oudy,
age 34, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and
seven children: Pierre, age 19; Jean-Louis, age
13; Marie-Jeanne, age 11; Hélène, age 7; Marie-Louise,
age 6; Marguerite, age 7; and Jacques, age 1. De
La Roque noted that Louiis and Marguerite "own the
following live stock: --four oxen, three cows, two
bulls, one sow, five pigs, one ram, twelve ewes and
three fowls," that "The land on which they are settled
is situated on the north bank of the river St. Pierre.
It was granted to them in 1736 by Messrs.
Despiet de Pensens and Dubuisson. The grant has
been homologated by Messieurs de Brouillant and
Le Normand. It contains five arpents,
eight perches, nine feet of front facing on the
said river with a depth extending from the bank of said
river to the dunes. They have made on said grant a
large piece of pasture land, with a clearing, on which
they have sown twenty bushels of wheat, two bushels of
peas, and there remains fallow land sufficient for the
sowing of twenty-four bushels of seed which they have
not seede for want of grain." Jean-Baptiste,
called Jean, Oudy, age 29, fisherman
and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto,
Marguerite's younger brother, lived with wife Marie
Blanchard dit Gentilhomme, age
23, "native of l'Acadie" and oldest daughter of François
dit Gentilhomme of Malpèque, which De La Roque
had not yet visited. François dit
Gentilhomme had come to British Nova Scotia in c1712 and
was not kin to the Blanchards who had
come to French Acadia in the early 1640s.
With Jean and Marie were their 10-month-old son
Jean-Baptiste, fils and Marie's 9-year-old
sister Rosalie. De La Roque noted that Jean "has
been in the country 22 years," that "in live stock" he
and Marie owned "two cows, one mare, ten ewes, two sows,
and eleven fowls or chickens," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated on the north side of the
river St. Pierre. They have been there since the
month of August last by the verbal permission of M.
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing on it where they have sown two bushels and a
half of wheat, one bushel of peas and half a bushel of
oats." Jean Lacroix dit
Canniche or Caniche, age 40, fisherman and ploughman,
"native of Bayonne," France, lived with Cécile
Oudy, age 39, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, and Marguerite and Jean's older half-sister.
With Jean and Cécile were five children, "three sons and
two daughters," which, strangely, De La Roque did not
name. He did note that Jean "has been 26 years in
the colony," that "In live stock" he and Cécile "have
six oxen, four cows, one bull, fifteen ewes, one calf,
six lambs, four pigs, two sows and five fowls," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated on the
north side of the river Saint-Pierre. It contains,
fronting on the said river ___ arpents ___
perches and ___ feet and in depth extending
[to] the back of the dunes. They have made a
clearing on which they have sown nine bushels of wheat
and one bushel of peas and there remains a piece of
fallow land sufficient for the sowing of nine bushels."
Martin Tchiparé, or
D'Etcheverry, dit Savate, age 38,
fisherman and ploughman, "native of Bayonne," lived with
wife Marie-Josèphe Oudy, age 36,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and Marguerite
and Jean's full sister. With Martin and Marie were
six children: Jacques-Martin, age 14; Marie-Anne,
age 13; Cécile, age 11; Pierre, age 8; Madeleine, age 4;
and Martin, fils, age 2. Also living with
the family was Guillaume Gallet, age
22, "domestic to the said Tchiparé." De
La Roque noted that Martin "has been 24 years in the
colony," that "in live stock" he and Marie owned "five
oxen, one cow, two heifers, one calf, five wethers,
three ewes, two lambs, two pigs, three sows, eight
geese, ten hens, together with one boat. The land
on which they are settled is situated on the north side
of the river Saint-Pierre. It was granted to them
by deed but they were unable to produce the title to us
having lost it. They have made a clearing on which
they have sown twelve bushels of wheat and a bushel and
a half of peas and they still have sufficient fallow
land for the sowing of nine bushels." Claude
Oudy, age 40, fisherman and ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, his father's
oldest son by first wife Cécile Blou,
lived with wife Marie-Angélique, called Angélique,
Pothier, age 29, also "native of
Beaubassin" and sister of Charles of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est. With Claude and Angélique
were eight children: Claude, fils, age
12; Marie-Henriette, age 8; Cécile, age 6;
Jean-Baptiste, age 5; Monique, age 4; Marie-Josèphe, age
3; Marie-Anne, age 2; and Marie-Madeleine, age 1 month.
De La Roque noted that Claude "has been in the country
30 years," that he and Angélique "have in live stock one
ox, six wethers, two ewes, one pig, and fifty-six fowls
or chickens," and that "The land on which they are
settled is situated on the north of the river
Saint-Pierre. It was granted to them by
Monsieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson, and homologated
by Messieurs de Brouillant and Lenormand.
They have made a clearing on it in which they have sowed
two bushels of wheat, and there remains fallow land in
which they might sow twenty bushels." The widow of
Jacques Oudy, père, his second
wife Marguerite Saulnier, age 55,
sister of Catherine of Anse-aux-Pirogues, lived with
seven of her younger children: Pierre, age 28;
Anne, age 24; Joseph, age 20; Marie-Madeleine, called
Madeleine, age 17; Étienne, age 16; and Cécile, age 12.
De La Roque noted that Marguerite "has been in the
country 24 years," that "In live stock she had eight
oxen, four sows, two bulls, two heifers, eight wethers,
ten ewes, eight pigs, thirty geese and eight fowl," that
"The land on which she is settled is situated on the
north side of the river Saint-Pierre. It was
granted by Monsieurs de Pensens and Potier
Dubuisson, and homologated by Messieurs de
Brouillant and Le Normant under date the 20th July,
1736. It contains 5 arpents, 6
perches facing on the said river with the depth
including all to the dunes. They have made a
clearing on it where they have sown twenty-four bushels
of wheat, six bushels of peas, six bushels of oats and
one of linseed, and still have sufficient fallow land
for another twenty-two bushels." Jacques
Oudy, fils, age 30, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and
Marguerite Saulnier's oldest son, lived
with Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine, Doucet,
age 26, "native of l'Acadie," and their 9-month-old
daughter Marie-Madeleine. De La Roque noted that
Jacques, fils "has been on the island 24
years," that "In stock" he and Madeleine owned two cows,
four ewes, one sow and three pigs," that "The land on
which they are settled is situated on the north of the
river Saint-Pierre. The only title they have is
that of possession, and permission from Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, the King's Commandant
on the Isle. On it they have made a clearing for
the sowing of three bushels of wheat and one bushel of
peas."
Jean-Baptiste Vescot, or Vécot,
age 62, ploughman, "native of the parish of Saint
Joachim, bishopric of Quebec" and father of François of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, lived with wife Marie
Chiasson, no age given but she was 56, "native
of Beaubassin." Marie's mother was Marie
Blou, older sister of Jacques Oudy,
père's first wife Cécile Blou,
so this couple, too, belonged to the Oudys'
extended family. With Jean-Baptiste and Marie were
six children: Angélique, age 24; Jean-Baptiste,
fils, age 22; Anne, age 20; Pierre, age 16;
Joseph, age 14; and Rosalie, age 8. De La Roque
noted that Jean-Baptiste "has been in the country 24
years," that "In live stock" he and Marie "have the
following: eight oxen, eight cows, eight calves, one
horse, one mare, thirty ewes or wethers, seventeen pigs,
twenty-one geese, eleven turkeys and twelve fowls and
also a flour mill situated between Saint Pierre and the
Pointe de l'Est. The land on which they are
settled is situated to the north-east of the harbour of
Saint-Pierre. They have made a clearing on it
where they have sown forty bushels of wheat, eleven
bushels of oats, three bushels of peas and four bushels
of rye, and there still remains fallow land sufficient
for the sowing of thirty-two bushels. They hold
the said land under grant from Messieurs de
Pensens and Dubuisson, under date of the 18th of July,
1736. The said land contains five arpents
frontage by a depth extending to the dunes, said to be
ten arpents. They enjoy another piece of
land which is a sort of a marsh, where they make their
hay, situated at Grand Etang in the north part of this
isle, under a certificate of the late Monsieur
Potier Dubuisson, dated the 22nd July, 1738, in which it
is stated that half of this land is given to them and
the other half to Jacques Oudy and that
with the consent of Monsieur de Pensens."208
De La Roque moved around to the south side of
Rivière-St.-Pierre, above the harbor, and found five families who,
with one exception, had come to the island recently: Pierre
Bonnière, age 43, tailor and ploughman, "native
of parish of Raquiel, bishopric of Rennes," France,
lived with wife Madeleine-Josèphe Forest,
age 35, "native of Cobequit, in the said Acadia" and
sister of Brigitte of Anse-au-Matelot. With them
were six children: Marie-Madeleine, age 19;
Michel-Joseph, age 17; Jean-Jacques, age 16; Rose, age
14; Anne, age 11; and Charles, age 8. De La Roque
noted that Pierre "came from l'Acadie with his family to
this isle two years ago," that he and Madeleine "have
the following live stock: three oxen, two cows, one
calf, one sow, four ewes, eleven fowls," and that "The
land on which they are settled is situated half a league
in the interior of the lands in the south part of the
settlement of said Pierre du Nord. It was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have only made a
clearing for a garden. The said Sr.
Bonnière occupies another piece of land
that he has purchased from Anne Daigre,
widow of the late Étienne Poitevin [and
wife of Mathurin Thénière] situated to
the south of the farm of Sr. François
Douville, at Pointe de St. Pierre. They
have made a clearing on it on which they have grown
eight bushels of wheat." Pierre Bonnière,
fils, age 21, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Pigiguit, lived with wife Anne Granger,
age 21, "native of l'Acadie." Recently married,
they had no children. De La Roque noted that
Pierre, fils "has been in the country two
years," that "in stock" he and Anne owned "one ox, one
cow and eight fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated to the south-west of the property of
Pierre Bonnière, their father. It
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing on which they have sown five bushels of wheat;
and they have fallow land besides sufficient for the
sowing of another five bushels." Mathurin
Thenière, age 60, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of Avranches, Normandy," lived with
wife Anne Daigre, age 80 (actually 73), "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and widow of Étienne
Poitevin dit Parisien.
With them was "their grand-daughter" Anne Noyer,
age 8, whose mother was Ursule Poitevin,
one of Anne's daughters by her first husband. De
La Roque noted that Mathurin "has been in the country 10
years," that he and Anne owned "one cow with her calf,"
and that "The land on which they are settled is situated
in the interior at half a league distance," about a mile
and a half, "from the parish on the King's Highway to
Grande Source," at the head of Rivière-du-Nord-Est.
"On it they have made a clearing on which they have sown
one bushel and a half of wheat." François
Legendre, age 27, ploughman, "native of
Saint-Malo, Brittany," lived with wife Marguerite
Labauve, age 25 (actually 26), "native
of l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, and their 18-month-old
daughter Henrietta. De La Roque noted that
François ""has been in the country two years"
(Marguerite's family had moved from Minas to Île Royale
by the early 1730s), that "he and Marguerite "have in
live stock two oxen, two cows, one pig and three
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the south of the havre Saint-Pierre.
It was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made
on it a large clearing and sown two bushels and a half
of wheat and one bushel and a half of peas."
Charles Emanuel, actually
Hébert dit Manuel, age 45 (actually
46), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, lived with wife Marie-Claire, called Claire,
Daigre, age 52, "native of l'Acadie,"
also Port-Royal--Anne's niece and sister of Pierre of
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, Amand of Rivière-du-Nord,
Jean of Rivière-des-Blancs, Joseph of Anse-au-Matelot,
François of Pointe-au-Bouleau, and Abraham of
Havre-de-la-Fortune. With Charles and Claire were
six children: Jean, age 18; Marie, age 16; Marcel,
age 15; Pierre, age 13; Alexis, age 10; and Paul, age 8.
De La Roque noted that Charles dit Manuel "has
been in the country two years," that "In stock" he and
Claire "have three oxen, three cows, one heifer, two
calves and two pigs," that "The land on which they are
settled is situated to the south of the havre Saint
Pierre, half a league in the interior. It was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
and sowed on it one bushel of peas, and they still have
fallow land for the sowing of 24 bushels the coming
spring."224
De La Roque counted nearly two dozen families and sundry
bachelors living on or near
Havre-St.-Pierre or along a nearby tributary, Rivière-à-Charles.
During his survey of the far-flung community, he venturend
into the "interior" southwest of the harbor and counted
one family living near the source of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, which
flowed away from the harbor towards Port-La-Joye.
Most of the families at the harbor were long-established, but a
few recent arrivals could be found among them:
Mr. Delaborde, actually
Charles-François Laborde, age 48,
merchant, "native of Coulombe, archbishopric of Paris,"
lived with wife Anne Verrien,
or Viarrieu dit Duclos,
age 27, "native of this place," and two sons:
Charles-François, called François, age 8; and
Louis-Nazaire, age 2. De La Roque noted that
Charles-François "has been in the country 11 years,"
that he and Anne "have in live stock four oxen, one
horse, eleven ewes and eight fowls," that "The land they
occupy was given to them verbally by Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson, in 1742. They have made a
clearing where they can sow thirty-two bushels of grain
the coming spring." De La Roque also noted that
"The said Sr. Delarborde owns
a boat." Pierre Dubocq, age 42,
ploughman, "native of Rouen," France, lived with wife
Suzanne Le Mercier, age 50, "native of
Saint-Machoux, bishopric of Rouen," and four children:
Pierre and Madeleine, age 16; Marie, age 11; and
Pierre-Jacques, called Jacques, age 9. De La Roque
noted that Pierre "has been in the country twenty
years," that his and Suzanne's "live stock consists of
two ewes and eight fowns," that "The land on which they
are settled was given to them verbally by Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson in 1743. They have made a
clearing on it where they can sow ten bushels of grain,
if they are given it for they appear to be in very great
indigence." Suzanne Berloin, or
Berlain, age 45, "native of the town
and parish of Saint-Jean d'Angelly," France, "widow of
the late George Mansel," or
Mancel, lived alone. De La Roque noted
that she "has been 33 years in the country," that "She
has the following live stock: seven oxen, two cows,
eighteen ewes, six pigs, three sows, twenty-four geese,
six turkeys and thirty-two fowls or chickens," that "The
land on which she is settled, was given to her verbally
by Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson in 1741,
the extent she does not know. She has made a
clearing on which she has sown ten bushels of wheat, one
bushel of peas, and one bushel of oats, and has
sufficient land remaining for the sowing of twenty
bushels of grain." François Durocher,
age 80 (probably closer to 67), ploughman, "native of
the bishopric of Rennes," France, lived with wife
Élisabeth Brunau, or Bruneau,
age 69 (probably closer to 58), "native of Sainte in
Xaintonge," France. They had no children. De
La Roque noted that François "has been in the country 33
years," which made him one of the earliest settlers on
the island. "All their live stock consists of one
cow with her calf," De La Roque continued. "The
land on which they are settled was sold to them by the
late Étienne Thomas in 1726, for the
sum of 112 livres. They have made a
clearing on which 24 bushels of wheat could be sown."
Guillaum Patris, or Patry,
age 38, fisherman and ploughman, "native of Saint
Brieux," actually St.-Brieuc, Brittany, France, lived with wife Françoise
Chiasson, age 45, "widow of the late Guillaume
Gallet" and sister of Judith from
Havre-de-la-Fortune. With them were six children,
two from Françoise's first marriage and four from her
marriage to Guilliaume: Guillaume
Gallet, fils, age 22; François
Gallet, age 12; Françoise Patry,
age 15, probably closer to 10; George Patry,
age 8; Angélique Patry, age 7; and Paul
Patry, age 5. De La Roque noted
that Guillaume "has been in the country 20 years," that
"in live stock" he and Françoise owned two oxen, two
cows, one calf, six wethers, one pig, two geese and
eight turkeys," that "The land on which they are settled
was granted to them in form by Messieurs Aubert
and Dubuisson in 1723, but they cannot produce the deed,
it having been burnt in the fire of 1724. They
have made a clearing, where they have sown three bushels
of wheat, and they have fallow land besides for the
sowing of thirty-seven bushels." Jean
Le Breton, age 63, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of Saint Malo," lived with wife Marie
Bertrand, age 50, "native of l'Acadie,"
and six children: Charles, age 25; Marguerite, age
24; François, age 23; Jean, age 20; Joseph, age 18; and
Bonaventure, age 12. De La Roque noted that Jean
"has been in the country 28 years," that "In live stock"
he and Marie "have two oxen, two cows, two calves, one
heifer, five ewes, three sows, three pigs and six
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled was
grante to them by Messieurs de Pensens and
Dubuisson, but they have lost the deed. They have
made a clearing where they have sown eight bushels of
wheat and two bushels of peas." Simon
Billard dit La Valeur, age 43,
locksmith, "formerly soldier of the company of Monsieur
de Bonnaventure" and "native of Paris," lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Charpentier, age 28,
"native of Havre, Saint-Pierre du Nord," and three
children: Marie-Rose, age 5; Louise, age 3; and
Simon, age 11 months. De La Roque noted that Simon
"has been 23 years in the colony," that "In live stock"
he and Marie-Josèphe have four oxen, two cows, two
calves, four wethers, four ewes, one mare and her colt,
one sow, four pigs; and they also own one boat," that
"They have made a clearing on which they can sow ten
bushels of grain," and that "The said Billard
possesses another piece of land in the wood, where he
has made a clearing for the sowing of eight bushels of
wheat. This last named homestead is situated on
Rivière à Charles, one league," or nearly three milies,
"from the harbour of St. Pierre. In live stock"
there "they have thirteen geese and eighteen fowls."
Joseph Jacquet, age 35, fisherman,
"native of Grandville, in Normandy," lived with wife
Élisabeth Boulanger, age 30, "native of
Havre Saint-Pierre du Nord," and five children:
Marie-Françoise, age 10; Joseph, fils, age 8;
Thérèse, age 5; Antoine, age 3; and Jacques, age 8
months. De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been 12
years in the country," that "In live stock" he and
Élisabeth "have two oxen, two cows, one heifer, two
calves, two ewes and two pigs," that "They bought their
house for 50 livres from Pierre Gallon and have
their land under a permit from Monsieur
Degoutins under date the 13th November, 1750.
They have made a clearing on it where they have sown two
bushels of wheat, and have fallow land besides for
sowing fourteen bushels in the coming spring."
Le Sr. Louis Bernard, age 52,
fisherman, ploughman, and perhaps still the King's
notary at the port, "native of Chartres in Beauce,"
France, lived with wife Marie-Madeleine, called
Madeleine, Simon dit
Boucher, age 34, "native of Louisbourg."
With them were five children: Louis, fils,
age 16; Anne, age 11; Pierre, age 10; Eustache, age 3;
and Simon, age 9 months. De La Roque did not say
how long Sr. Louis had been in the colony, but
he did note that Louis and Madeleine "have in live stock
two oxen and two ewes," that "They hold their land by
purchase for the sum of 80 livres from Jean
Chesnay, as appears by certificates from the
said Chesnay under date of 1738.
They have made a clearing for the sowing of twenty
bushels and have sown nothing for three years, having no
seed." Nicolas Hango, age 36,
fisherman, "native of Verly, bishopric of Coutance,"
France, lived with Anne Gallais, or
Gallet, age 23, "native of Havre
Saint-Pierre du Nord on this island" and daughter of
Françoise Chiasson. With Nicolas
and Anne were four children: Vincent, age 7;
Simon, age 5; Louis, age 32 months; and Marie-Rose, age
10 months. De La Roque did not say how long
Nicolas had been in the country, but he did note that
the fisherman and his wife "have in live stock three
ewes, one sow and one pig," that "The land on which they
are settled was given to them verbally by Monsieur
Deschambon [sic], commandant of this Isle" in the early 1740s.
"They have made a clearing and sown four bushels of
wheat and one bushel of peas, and have fallow land for
the sowing of four bushels in the coming spring.
Their homestead is situated on the river à Charles, one
league from the harbour of St. Pierre du Nord."
André Renauld, or Renaud,
age 60, "poor" ploughman, "native of the parish of
Mattes, in Xaintonge," France, lived with wife Jeanne
Roger, age 40, "native of La Rochelle."
With them were two sons: Mathurin le jeune,
age 10; and André, fils, age 8. De La
Roque noted that André "has been in the country 26
years," that "In live stock" he and Jeanne "have one cow
and her calf, one heifer, two ewes and two pigs," that
"The land on which they are settled is situated at Havre
Saint-Pierre. It was granted to them by deed from
Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson. They
have fallow land sufficient to sow twenty-four bushels.
Nothing has been sown as they had no seed." Le
Sr. Emard de Thezen, age 43,
merchant, "from Dauphiné," France, evidently had no
family. De La Roque noted that Sr.
Emard "has been in the country three
years." Living with him was Jacques
Meunier, age 18, "native of Balle, Switzerland,
an arrival from the British possession," in other words,
a deserter from the Foreign Protestant community at
Halfax, Nova Scotia, served as "domestic to the said
Sr. Emard." Also in the
Emard "household" was Basile
Boudrot, age 30, "his farmer, native of
l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, brother of Élisabeth of
Anse-à-Dubuisson, who lived with wife Marguerite
Girouard, age 30, "native of l'Acadie," also
Grand-Pré, half-sister of Claude of Île Madame and Marie
of Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, and sister of Anne of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie and Véronique of
Rivière-des-Blancs. With Basile and Marguerite
were three children: Pierre-Paul, age 8;
Marie-Josèphe, age 4; and Euphrosine, age 2. De La
Roque noted that Basile "has been in the country two
years," that "In live stock" he and Marguerite "have
three cows with their calves, four geese, one horse,
five ewes and ten fowls," that "The said Sr.
Emard holds his land by purchase from
Monsieur Saint-Vellemay. He has made a
clearing for the sowing of 96 bushels the coming
spring." Marie Ducloux,
actually Marie Viarreau dit
Duclos, age 38 (actually 36), "native
of Cap Breton," widow of Michel dit Miguel
de Loyal, and Anne's
older sister, lived with five children: Michel,
fils, age 13; Marie-Rose, age 12; Jacques, age
10; Charlotte, age 7; and Modeste, age 4. De La
Roque noted that Marie "has in live stock four oxen,
three cows, two calves, one mare, one ram, six ewes, one
sow, ten geese and eight fowls," that "The land on which
she is settled is situated at Havre of St. Pierre du
Nord, on this Isle, where she has sown five bushels and
a half of wheat, one bushel and a half of barley, one
bushel of oats, half a bushel of peas, and has fallow
land for the sowing of twenty-four bushels of
more. The said widow holds her land under deed
made by Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuison,
dated the 20th July, 1736, and homologated by Messieurs de Brouillant and Le Normant."
Robert Mancel, age 32, fisherman,
"native of the parish of la Luzerne, bishopric of
Avranches," France, lived with wife Jeanne Goupy,
or Goupil, age 32, "native of the same
place," and two children: Blaise, age 3; and
Suzanne, age 17 months. De La Roque noted that
Robert "has been three years in the country," that he
and Jeanne's "live stock consists of the following: one
cow with her calf, on wether, four ewes, one pig, one
sow, twenty geese, five fowls; with two boats and a
share in a bateau. They have no
dwelling." Jacques-Dominique Duclaud,
actually Viarreau dit
Duclos, age 31, fisherman, "native of this
place" and brother of Marie and Anne, lived with wife
Marie Vescot, or Vécot,
age 28, "native of l'Acadie" and daughter of
Jean-Baptiste of the north bank of Rivière-St.-Pierre.
With Jacques-Dominique and Marie were two daughters:
Marie-Françoise, age 2; and Marie-Josèphe, age 1.
Also with the family were Jacques-Dominique's mother,
Marie Simon dit
Boucher, age 55, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, widow of Jean-Baptise Dubois
dit Dumont and Dominique
Viarreau dit Duclos.
With her was a niece, Simone, no surname given, age 18.
De La Roque noted that "In live stock" Jacques-Dominique
and Marie "have: two oxen, six cows, five calves,
fifteen ewes, one horse, ten pigs, twenty geese, three
turkeys and forty fowls or chickens," that "The land on
which they are was granted to them by Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson. They have sown
ten bushels of wheat. They share a boat with
Joseph Dumont." Joseph
Dubois dit Dumont,
age 38, fisherman and ploughman, "native of Petit
Degrat," widower of Marie-Madeleine Vécot,
Marie's sister, and Marie Simon dit
Boucher's son by her first marriage,
lived with four daughters: Anne, age 13; Marie,
age 11; Hélène, age 5; and Suzanne, age 18 months.
De La Roque noted that Joseph, in livestock, Joseph
owned three oxen, three cows, two heifers, fifteen
wethers, three pigs, ten geese and four fowls," that "On
the land on which he is settled, he has sown four
bushels of wheat." Marie-Josèphe
Chenel, actually Chênet
dit La Garenne, age 50 (actually
54), "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, widow of
Charles Charpentier and Jean-François Morel,
lived with three sons, all from her first marriage:
Joseph, actually Georges, Charpentier,
age 22; Louis Charpentier, age 20; and
Joseph Charpentier, age 15. De La
Roque noted that, "In live stock," Marie-Josèphe "has:
four oxen, one cow, two calves, fifteen wethers, five
pigs, fifteen geese, eighteen turkeys, thirty fowls or
chickens," that "Her land, which she has improved, is on
the river. She had made a clearing on which she
has sown some ten bushels of wheat, and has besides
fallow land sufficient to sow twenty-four bushels; and a
second piece of land which she has improved for the
fishery, on the point of Havre Saint-Pierre du Nord."
Le Sr. Charles Jousseaume, age
30, merchant, "native of Saint-Martin de Villeneuve,
bishopric of La Rochelle, in France," lived with wife
Demoiselle Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine,
Bugeaud, age 16, "native of l'Acadie"
and niece of Joseph and Louis-Amand Bugeaud
of Rivière-du-Nord-Est and Alain Bugeaud
of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie. De La Roque noted
that Charles "has been in the country three years," that
he and Madeleine had been married only a month, hence no
children in their household, that "They have in live
stock, two oxen, three pigs, five geese, five fowls;
with two fishing boats and haf of two other batteaus,
one with Robert Mancel and the other
with Jacques Galland and his is
purveyor for seven boats. The said Sr.
Jousseaume has in his employ as a
domestic a 36 months boy named Claude Duriaud,
native of Quentin, bishopric of St. Brieux in Brittany,
age 16 years. The said Sr.
Jousseaume has no land yet except thirty feet
square that he has purchased from the widow
Morel." François Jolly,
age 69, fisherman, "native of Paramé, bishopric of St.
Malo," and Jean Le Vieux, age 60,
"native of Soubise, bishopric of Sainte, in Xaintonge,"
France, were "both bachelors and partners." De La
Roque noted that "In live stock they have two pigs and
four fowls," that "The land they occupy is situated to
the south quarter-south-west of the bay of Saint-Pierre"
and "was given to them verbally by Monsieur
_____. They have made a clearing on it where they
have sown eight bushels of wheat, one bushel and a half
of rye, three-quarters of a bushel of barley and four
bushels of peas, and they have sufficient fallow land
for the sowing of three bushels." Madeleine
Poitevin, age 50 (actually 55), "native
of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, widow of Guillaume
Le Prieur dit Dubois and
mother of Joseph, Marie, and Pierre l'aîné
Le Prieur of Havre-de-La-Fortune, lived
with her three youngest sons: Pierre le jeune,
age 23; Guillaume, fils, age 19 (actually 18);
and Pierre-Louis, called Louis, age 13 (actually 11).
Also living with the family was André Dugay,
age 7, "orphan." De La Roque noted that "he,"
probably meaning she, "has been in the country 32
years," that the "The land on which she is settled is
situated at Havre Saint-Pierre in the north part of this
Isle. She holds the said land under deed from
Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson. She
declares the said deed was burned at the time of the
fire fourteen years ago. Her live stock is as
follow: three oxen, four cows, one calf, eight ewes, two
pigs, five geese and five fowls," that "She had made a
clearing where she has sown two bushels and a half of
wheat and has fallow land for the sowing of sixty
bushels in the coming spring," and that "The said widow
and her sons enjoy in addition to the above land another
piece of land situated up the rivière du Nord-Est of
Port La Joye, where they have sown eight bushels of
grain." Jacques Le Prieur dit
Dubois, age 35, fisherman and ploughman, "native of the
Isles Michaud, near Ile Royale" and Madeleine
Poitevin's second son, lived with wife
Marguerite Michel dit La
Ruine, age 20, "native of l'Acadie," probably Annapolis
Royal. Jacques and Marguerite had married the
previous November and had no children. De La Roque
noted that Jacques "has been 32 years in the country,"
that "All the live stock they possess consists of but
one wether and three fowls," that "The land they occupy
is situated near the source of the rivière du Nord-Est
of the Port La Joye," probably the land De La Roque
mentioned in his survey of Jacques's mother's property,"
and that "On it they have made a clearing for the sowing
of eight bushels of wheat." Joseph
Tricoud, actually Fricour,
dit Picard, age 30, "settler, (discharged)
soldier in the company of Stimauville [d'Estimauville]
of the Department of Ile Royale, native of the burg of
Au, province of Picardie, in the jurisdiction of the
town of Eu," France, lived with wife Marguerite
Le Prieur dit Dubois, age 20, "native
of Havre Saint-Pierre" and Marguerite's Poitevin's
daughter. With Joseph and Marguerite were two
sons: Joseph, fils, age 2; and
Jean-Louis, age 5 months. De La Roque noted that
Joseph "has been 15 years in the colony," that he and
Marguerite "In live stock" owned two cows, one calf and
two fowls," and that "They have their portions of the
dwelling place of Magdelaine Poitevin,
widow Prieur their mother." Le
Sr. Claude-Antoine Duplessis, age
43, surgeon, "native of Saint Quentin, in Picardie,"
France, lived with wife Catherine Lejeune,
age 49, "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and
sister of Germain, Jean, and Joseph of
Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale. With the surgeon
and Catherine were three children: Anastasie, age
15; Marie-Louise, age 13; and François-Marin, age 3.
Also with them was Louis Labauve, age
12, "orphan, native of the east coast of l'Acadie,"
perhaps a relation from Catherine's first marriage to
Antoine Labauve. De La Roque
noted that "In stock" Claude-Antoine and Catherine "have
one mare, one cow, one calf and six fowls," that "Their
dwelling is situated at Havre Saint-Pierre, Ile Saint
Jean. They hold it by virtue of an application
they presented to Monsieur Prevost in 1750, which said
application would have been sealed up among the papers
of Monsieur Degoutins after
his death" the previous January. Claude
Chatel, age 38, fisherman, "native of
Saint-Michel des Loups in Lower Normandy, bishopric of
Avranche," was a bachelor. De La Roque noted that
Claude "has been in the country 18 years," that "He had
in live stock two oxen, one cow, one calf, ten wethers
and one sow," that "The land on which he is settled is
situated on the before mentioned harbour and he
purchased it for the sum of 35 livres from
Michael Duffaut, as it appears by the deed of sale made
on the 17th day of May, 1743. He had made a
clearing on it where he has sown eleven bushels of wheat
and a bushel and a quarter of peas, and has fallow land
besides sufficient for the sowing of eight bushels
more." Jacques Bertaud dit
Montaury, age 31, fisherman and
ploughman, native of Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, son of
Marie Martin of Rivière-de-Peugiguit,
lived with wife Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine,
Quimine, age 31, "native of l'Acadie,"
and four children: Marie-Rose, age 6; Grégoire,
age 5; Jean-Baptiste, age 3; and Joseph, age 1. De
La Roque noted that Jacques "has been in the country 25
years," that his and Madeleine's "live stock consists of
the following: eight oxen, three cows, two calves, five
ewes, seven pigs, five geese, six fowls and twelve
chickens," and that "The land on which they are settled
is situated on the aforesaid harbour of Saint Pierre of
the Ile Saint Jean and they hold it in half shares with
Mathieu Glain of Rivière de Peugiguit,"
his stepfather. "The said Montaury
has another piece of land at the placed called les
Etangs, where they have made a clearing and have sowed
there eight bushels of wheat and four bushels of peas,
and still have fallow land sufficient for the sowing of
twelve bushels of grain." Anne-Geneviève,
called Geneviève, Poitevin, age 36
(actually 34), "native of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis
Royal, Madeleine's younger sister, and widow of David
Despoués, lived with six children:
Marie-Madeleine, age 13; Jean-François, age 11; Charles,
age 9; Jean, age 6; Appoline, age 5; and Ruffin, age 2.
De La Roque noted that Geneviève "had been in the
country about thirty years," that she was "poor," that
"In live stock, she has two ewes, one heifer and two
fowls," that "The land in which she is settled is
situated at the harbour of Saint-Pierre, on the Isle
Saint-Jean and is hers by succession," and that "She
enjoys another piece of land situated at the placed
called les Etangs and which was granted to her late
husband by Messieurs de ____[de Pensens] and Dubuisson.
Dated ____. The said widow cannot seed her land
owing to her great poverty."228
At Nigeagant, near the harbor, De La Roque found
four more families, all long established, one of them headed by
the island's first permanent European settler:
Le Sr. Louis Aubin dit
LeBuffe, age 36, fisherman, "native of Saint-Michel des
Loups, in Normandy," lived with wife Anne
Quimine, age 30, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, and sister of Madeleine of Havre-St.-Pierre.
With Louis and Anne were two daughters: Modeste,
age 4; and Marie-Françoise, age 30 months. Also
living with them was Marguerite Quimine,
age 16, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto,
"sister and sister-in-law of Sr. Aubin
and his wife." De La Roque noted that Louis "has
been 22 years in the country," that "In live stock" he
and Anne "have four oxen, three cows, two heifers, two
calves, one mare with colt, ten ewes, six pigs and three
fowls," that "The land on which they are settled is
situated in that part of the harbour of Saint-Pierre du
Nord of the Isle of Saint-Jean called Nigeagant," that
"They hold said land by purchase from Sr.
Charles [dit] LeBuffe, brother of said
Aubin, as appears by a deed sale made under
date of 1749; signed Bernard, Notary
Royal. A clearing has been made by them, on which
they have sown eight bushels of wheat and they have
fallow land besides for the sowing of sixteen bushels
more. They hold another piece of land at les
Etangs, where they have a clearing for the sowing of
thirty-two bushels. They have one boat and have
lost one within the past few days. They also have
working for them three thirty-six-months men, all of
them native of Brittany." Charles Fouquet,
age 50, fisherman, "native of Avranche in Normandy,"
lived with wife Marie-Judith Poitevin,
age 37, "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and
sister of Madeleine and Geneviève of Havre-St.-Pierre.
With Charles and Marie were nine children: Louis,
age 24; Jean-Aubin, age 22 (actually 20);
Marie-Françoise, age 16; Jean-Martin, age 14; Anne, age
12; Élisabeth, age 8; Simon, age 6; Françoise, age 4;
and Charles, age 8 months. De La Roque noted that
Charles "has been in the country 30 years," that "In
live stock" Charles and Marie "have the following: four
oxen, three cows, two heifers, four calves, twelve
wethers or ewes, seven pigs, one mare and her foal and
fifteen fowls or chickens," that "They hold their land
under grant from Messieurs ____. On it
they have made a clearing where they have sown eight
bushels of wheat and have fallow land for the sowing of
another twenty-four bushels, none of which was seeded
for lack of grain." Le Sr.
François Douville, age 62, "fisherman,
navigator and ploughman," "native of St. Denis Le Gatz,
bishopric of Coutance in Normandy," lived with wife
Dame Marie Rogé, or Roger,
age 42, "native of La Rochelle," and seven of their
children: Jacques, age 24; Françoise, age 18;
François, age 17; Louise-Gabrielle, age 16;
Philippe-Charles, age 11; Pierre, age 9; and Marguerite,
age 3. De La Roque noted that Sr.
François "has been in the country 35 years"--he was, by
some accounts, the first permanent European settler on
the island. "In live stock," De La Roque
continued, François and Marie "have eight oxen, eight
cows, four heifers, eight calves, one horse, twenty-two
ewes, nine pigs, four geese, fifty fowls or chickens and
twenty turkeys or young turkeys," that "The land where
they are settled is situated at Nigeagant, on which they
have made a clearing and sown sixty bushels of wheat,
where they have fallow land for as much more. They
have another piece of land, situated at the place called
le fond des Etangs, on which there is a flour mill.
The said land where the flour mill is placed was given
to them under a permit from Monsieur de
Bonnaventure, dated 1750. The first-named
land and that which is hereinafter described were given
to them by Messieurs de Pensens and Potier
Dubuisson, of which they have the grant dated 1736.
the last-named piece of land belonging to them is
situated at the place called la Pointe du Havre
Saint-Pierre du Nord, where they have made a clearing
for a garden, the remainder serving as a kind of beach
for the cod fishery. They have a fishing
bateau and two fishing boats. They have had a
fire in which they lost all their effects and their
house which were burnt"--as well as two sons.
Le Sr. Louis Talbot, age 45,
fisherman, "native of Bar le Duc, in Barrois, province
of Lorraine, lived with wife Françoise Douville,
age 30, "native of Havre Saint-Pierre du Nord on this
Isle" and François and Marie's second daughter.
With Louis and Françoise were four sons:
Charles-Louis, age 9; Joseph, age 7; Jean-François, age
4; and François, age 7 months. De La Roque noted
that Sr. Louis "has been in the country twenty
years," that "In live stock" he and Françoise "have
eight oxen, four cows, two heifers, four calves, one
horse, sixteen ewes, seven pigs, thirty-four geese,
twelve turkeys and sixty fowls or chickens," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated at a place
called le Nigeagant, where they have a clearing for the
sowing of forty bushels of grain which they have seeded
this year. They have two fishing boats."229
At Étang-St.-Pierre, today's St. Peters Lake, on the coast west of
Havre-St.-Pierre,
De La Roque found six families and a bachelor, some long
established, some recent arrivals:
Michel Ouvray, fils, age
25, fisherman and ploughman, "native of the parish of
Vir, bishopric of Bayeux," lived with wife Élisabeth
Poirier, age 23, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, and their 10-month-old son
Jean-François. De La Roque noted that Michel,
fils "has been in the country three years," that he
and Élisabeth's "live stock consists of one cow, one
calf, one pig and four fowls," that "The land on which
they are settled is situated on the border of the pond
de Saint-Pierre. They have it by permission of
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing and sown six bushels of
wheat and a bushel of peas." Jean-Jacques
Quimine, age 23, fisherman and ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and brother of
Anne of Nigeagant, lived with wife Madeleine
Thériot, age 23, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Cobeguit, and daughter of Charles of Anse-au-Mort.
Jean and Madeleine had married the previous November and
had no children. De La Roque noted that Jean "has
been ten years in the country," that he and Madeleine
"have in live stock one cow, one pig and two geese," and
that "They have no dwelling yet and are living with
Jacques Quimine, father of said Jean."
Jacques Quimine, age 60, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of France," actually Pennemart,
Nantes, and formerly of Chignecto, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Chiasson, age 58, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and sister of Judith
of Havre-de-la-Fortune and Françoise of
Havre-St.-Pierre. With Jacques and Marie-Josèphe
were four of their unmarried children: Pierre, age
26; Judith, age 20; Françoise, age 18; and Marguerite,
age 14. De La Roque noted that Jacques and
Marie-Josèphe "have been in the country ten years," that
"Their live stock is as follows: four oxen, four cows,
two calves, three heifers, four wethers, eight pigs,
eight geese and eighteen fowls or chickens," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated to the east
of the pond of Saint Pierre, and was granted to them by
Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson. On it
they have sown nine bushels of wheat and four bushels of
peas, and there remains a piece of fallow land
sufficient for the sowing of sixteen bushels. The
said grant has been homologated by Messieurs de
Brouillant and Le Normant." Pierre
Grossin, age 44, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of parish of Carolle, bishopric of
Avranche," France, lived with wife Cécile
Caissie, age 38, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, and sister of Jeanne of Port-Toulouse, Île
Royale, Marie-Blanche and Rosalie of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, and Michel of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie. With Pierre and Cécile
were eight children: Michel le jeune, age
18; Cécile, age 15; Madeleine, age 15; Anne, age 12;
Jacques, age 8; Pierre, fils, age 7;
Marguerite, age 6; and Rose, age 3. De La Roque
noted that Pierre "has been in the country 25 years,"
that livestock for him and Cécile "consists of two oxen,
three cows, three bulls, two heifers, one calf, one
horse, eleven wethers, four pigs and three fowls," and
that "The land on which they are settled is situated at
les Etangs, and was granted to them by Messieurs
de Pensens and Dubuisson and homologated by
Messieurs Duquesnel and Bigot. It contains
four arpents frontage by forty in depth.
They have made on it a clearing for the sowing of
forty-five bushels of seed, but they have only sown five
bushels of wheat and eight bushels of peas."
Michel Grossin, age 47, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of Carolle, bishopric of Avranche,"
France, and Pierre's older brother, lived with wife
Marie Caissie, age 44, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and Cécile's older
sister. With Michel and Marie were nine children:
Marie-Louise, age 18; Marie, age 16; Jacques, age 13;
Louis, age 10; Henritette, age 7; Michel, fils,
age 6; Brigitte, age 4; Françoise, age 3; and
Marie-Madeleine, age 6 months. De La Roque noted
that Michel "has been in the country 25 years," that he
and Marie "have in live stock two oxen, one cow, one
calf, ten wethers, two pigs and six fowls," and that
"The land on which they are settled is situated to the
south of the ponds of Saint Pierre. On it they
have made a clearing for the sowing of thirty-two
bushels, one part of which they have sown with eight
bushels." Paul Caissie,
age 21, bachelor, fisherman and plougman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, was Marie and Cécile's
younger brother. De La Roque noted that Paul "has
been three years in the country," that "In live stock he
has two cows, one calf and five pigs," and that "The
land he occupies is situated to the south quarter
south-west of the ponds of Saint Pierre. He
acquired the said land for the sum of 100 livres
from Christophe Delanne," or
Delaune, "his brother-in-law on the 15th May in
the present year. There is a clearing on it for
the sowing of twenty-four bushels of grain, but none
have been sown, he not having any." Christophe was
Paul's sister Marguerite's husband and currently lived
on Havre-de-la-Fortune, on the island's eastern coast.
Pierre Livois, age 30, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of the parish of Dargues, bishopric
of Avranche, in Normany," was, according to De La
Roque, "widower of the late Marie
Daigre," but his wife actually had
been Anne Boudrot,
daughter of Denis of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, a short
distance southwest of Étang-St.-Pierre. Pierre
lived with his 5-month-old daughter Marie-Anne. De
La Roque noted that "he has been twelve [years] in the
country," that "In live stock he owns two oxen, two
cows, one calf, and three fowls," and that "The land on
which he is settled is situated on the south side of the
ponds of Saint Pierre. He acquired the land from
Jouannis Laborde, and has sown on it
five and a half bushels of wheat."231
At Havre-aux-Sauvages, today's
Savage Harbour, west of
Étang-St.-Pierre, and along
the road between
Havre-aux-Sauvages and Havre-St.-Pierre,
De La Roque found 11 more families, nearly all of them
long-time residents:
Jean Delaunois, actually
Delaunay, age 50, fisherman and ploughman,
"native of the parish of Saint-Quast, bishopric of Saint
Brieux," France, lived with wife Marie-Madeleine
Arseneau, age 32, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, and seven children: Eustache,
age 13; Jacques, age 12; Suzanne, age 11; Paul, age 5;
Marie, age 5; Jean, fils, age 3; and Madeleine,
age 1. De La Roque noted that Jean "has been
in the country 28 years," that "In live stock" he and
Marie "have four oxen, one cow, one heifer, two bulls,
one calf, seven ewes, six geese, twenty fowl or
chickens," and that "The land on which they are settled
is situated on the west side of the harbour auc Sauvages
and was given to them by grant from Messrs. de
Pensens and Dubuisson, homologated by Messieurs
de Brouant and Le Normand, under date of the 20th of
June, 1736. It contains four arpents
frontage by forty arpents in depth. On it
they have made a clearing where they have sown six
bushels of wheat and they have fallow land besides
sufficient for the sowing of another four bushels."
Jacques Devaux, or Deveau,
dit Dauphiné, père, age 50 (actually
53), fisherman and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, brother of Cécile of Port-Lajoie,
lived with wife Marie Pothier, age 50,
"native of l'Acadie," also Chignecto, and older
half-sister of Charles of Rivière-du-Nord-Est and
Marie-Angélique of Havre-St.-Pierre. Jacques and
Marie were the parents of Michel, Pierre, and Anne
Deveau of Rivière-du-Nord-Est.
Living with the older couple were three of their
unmarried children: Jean, age 25; Joseph, age 22;
and Marie, age 18. De La Roque noted that Jacques
"has been 28 years in the country," that his and Marie's
"live stock consists of six oxen, five cows, two
heifers, two bulls, three calves, twenty-eight wethers,
twelve pigs and fifty fowls or chickens," and that "They
land on which they are settled is situated on the west
side of the harbour aux Sauvages and was given to them
by a grant from Messieurs de Pensens and Potier
Dubuisson, in 1736, and homologated by Messieurs
de Brouillant and Le Normand. It contains four
arpents front by a depth of forty arpents.
On it they have made a clearing and sown twenty-four
bushels of wheat, and they still have fallow land
sufficient for sowing of fifty-six bushels more."
Jean-Baptiste Habel dit
Duvivier, age 50, "extremely poor,
native of St. Michel des Loups, bishopric of Avranches,"
France, lived with wife Madeleine Caissie,
age 34, "native of l'Acadie," and sister of Jeanne of
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, Marie-Blanche and Rosalie of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, Michel of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie,
and Marie, Cécile, and Paul of Étang-St.-Pierre.
With Jean-Baptiste and Madeleine were six children:
Pierre, age 15; Marie, age 13; Théotiste, age 11;
Jacques, age 8; Henriette, age 5; and Jean, age 3.
De La Roque noted that Jean-Baptiste "has been 29 years
in the country," that he and Madeleine "have in live
stock six oxen, one cow, one calf, one horse, six ewes,
six pigs and three fowls or chickens," and that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the west
side of the harbour aux Sauvages, and was given to them
by Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson in 1736,
and homologated by Messieurs de Brouillant and
Le Normand. On it they have made a clearing and
sown three bushels of wheat and have fallow land in
addition for the sowing of four bushels and a half."
Jacques Davaux, or Deveau,
fils, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably
Chignecto, lived with wife Madeleine Robichaud,
no age given, "native of l'Acadie." They had no
children. De La Roque noted that Jacques, fils
"has been 24 years in the country," that in livestock he
and Madeleine "have two oxen, one cow, one calf, one ewe
and one sow," and that "The land on which they are
settled is situated on the west side of the harbour aux
Sauvages, and they hold it only by verbal permission of
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing in which they can sow eight
bushels." Jacques-Christophe, called Chrisophe,
Potier, or Pothier,
age 38, fisherman and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
and Marie's younger half-brother, lived with wife Anne
Boudrot, age 29, "native of Port
Toulouse," Île Royale, and sister of Michel dit
Miquetau, fils and Jean dit Miquetau
of Port-Toulouse. With Christophe and Anne were
five daughters: Marie and Anne, age 11; Charlotte,
age 8; Marguerite, age 5; and Marie, age 18 months.
De La Roque noted that Christophe "has been in the
country 31 years," that "In live stock" he and Anne
"have two oxen, two cows, two heifers, one bull, two
calves, eight wethers, three pigs and ten fowls," and
that "The land on which they are settled is situated on
the east side of the harbour aux Sauvages, and was given
to them under a grant from Messieurs de Pensens
and Potier Dubuisson in 1736, and homologated by
Messieurs de Brouillant and Le Normant. It
contains four arpents frontage by forty in
depth. On it t hey have made a clearing and sown
ten bushels of wheat, and they have also land in fallow
for the sowing of another six bushels." Julien
Compagnon, age 23, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of the parish of Saint Michel des
Loups, bishopric of Avranche in Normandy," lived with
wife Cécile Nuirat, age 39, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and widow of Pierre
Poirier and Louis Pothier.
With them were six children, one from her first
marriage, four from her second marriage, and one with
Julien: Jean Poitier, probably
Poirier, age 22; Christophe
Poitier le jeune, age 18; Louis
Pothier, age 16; Marie-Henriette,
called Henriette, Pothier, age 13;
Suzanne Pothier, age 3; and Marie
Compagnon, age 1. De La Roque
noted that Julien "has been in the country four years,"
that "In live stock" he and Cécile "have two oxen, two
cows, two bulls, one heifer, one calf, six wethers, one
mare, nine pigs and thirty fowls or chickens," and that
"The land on which they are settled was granted to the
late Louis Potier, by Messieurs
de Pensens and Dubuisson in 1736, and the grant was
homologated by Messieurs de Brouillant and Le
Normant. On this land they have made a clearing
and sown twelve bushels of wheat, and they have besides
fallow land sufficient for the sowing of another
twenty-eight bushels." François
Chiasson, age 60 (probably closer to 55), ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and brother of Judith of
Havre-de-la-Fortune, Françoise of Havre-St.-Pierre, and
Marie-Josèphe of Étang-St.-Pierre, lived with wife Anne
Doucet, age 48, "native of l'Acadie,"
and seven children: Jean-Baptiste, called Baptiste, age 25; François,
fils, age 22; Joseph, age 19;
Anne, age 16; Louis, age 13; Marie, age 12; and
Chrysostôme, age 3. De La Roque noted that
François "had been 25 years in the country," that he and
Anne "have in live stock, six oxen, six cows, one bull,
two heifers, five calves, twenty wethers, twelve pigs
and twenty fowls and chickens," and that "The land on
which they are settled is situated on the west side of
the habour aux Sauvages, and was granted to them by
Monsieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of
sixty-eight bushels, and have sown twenty-four bushels
of wheat." Joseph Tudal,
age 40, fisherman, "native of Saint Malo," lived with
wife Anne Labauve, age 42, "native of
l'Acadie," and seven children, five of their own, and
two from her first marriage to Jean Boury:
Joseph Tudal, fils, age 13;
Marie-Josèphe Tudal, 11; Pélagie
Tudal, age 7; Louise Tudal,
age 5; François Tudal, age 2; Jean
Bourey, fils, age 22; and
Pierre Bourey, age 18. De La
Roque noted that Joseph "has been 21 years in the
country," that "In live stock" he and Anne "have one cow
and her calf," and that "The land on which they are
settled is situated at the harbour aux Sauvages, and was
given to them by Messieurs Duchambon and
Dubuisson. They have made a clearing on it for the
sowing of fifteen bushels, but have sown nothing for
want of seed." Jean Chainay,
actually Chênet dit La
Garenne, age 50 (actually 52), fisherman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and younger
brother of Marie-Josèphe of Havre-St.-Pierre, lived with
wife Anne Pothier, age 40 (actually
38), "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, older
sister of Charles of Rivière-du-Nord-Est and
Marie-Angélique of Havre-St.-Pierre. With Jean and
Anne were five children: Jean-Baptiste, age 22
(actually 20); Joseph, age 12; Charles, age 9;
Geneviève, age 5; and Marie, age 4. De La Roque
noted that Jean "has been in the country 25 years," that
he and Anne's "live stock consists of two oxen, two
cows, two calves, twelved ewes and eight pigs," and that
"The land on which they are settled is situated at the
harbour aux Sauvages. The hold it under a grant
from Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson.
They have made a clearing on it for sowing thirty-two
bushels of seeds, but have sown none."
Marie-Madeleine Chiasson, age 60,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, widow of Jean
Pothier and Joseph La Forestrie,
lived with two La Forestrie sons:
Joseph, age 22; and Jean, age 20. De La Roque
noted that Marie "has been in the country thirty years,"
that her and her son's "live stock is as follows: four
oxen, four cows, four heifers, four calves, two horses,
twenty wethers or ewes, five pigs, five turkeys and
fifty fowls or chickens," and that "The land on which
she is settled is situated on the road from Saint Pierre
to the harbour aux Sauvages, and was granted to her by
Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson, and
homologated by Messieurs de Brouillant and Le
Normand. She has had a clearing made where she was
sown thirteen bushels of wheat and one bushel of oats,
and has still a piece of fallow land sufficient for the
sowing of thirty-two bushels." Jean
Arnauld, actually Renaud
dit Arnaud, age 48, fisherman and ploughman,
"native of Rochefort," France, lived with wife
Marie-Madeleine Pothier, age 32
(actually 36), "native of l'Acadie, actually Chignecto,
and younger sister of Anne. With Jean and Marie
were seven children: Marie, age 18; Rose, age 16;
Colette and Jean, age 13; Véronique, age 5; Sevrienne,
age 3; and Madeleine, age 5 months. De La Roque
noted that Jean "has been in the country 28 years," that
"In live stock" he and Marie "have two oxen, three cows,
one heifer, five wethers, three pigs and thirty fowls,"
and that "The land on which they are settled is situated
on the road from the harbour of Saint Pierre to the
harbour aux Sauvages, and was granted to them by
Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson, and contains
four arpents frontage by forty in depth.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of ten
bushels. They have sown nothing."230
Continuing westward, De La Roque and his party
"left the harbour of Saint Pierre on the 17th of August
for Tracadie. The
distance between the two harbours is four leagues," or
slightly over 11 1/2 miles, De La Roque noted. "We did not come
across anything worthy of remark with the exception of
the harbour of au Sauvage, and the sand dunes that occur
all along the sea shore. One these dunes a
considerable amount of hay is made, and behind them
extensive meadows could be made at but small outlay, if
grants of small parcels of land were made to those who
may need them. The harbour Au Sauvage lies on the
north coast of the island and a league from Saint
Pierre. It is suited to the pursuit of the cod
fishing industry, but by boat only, and for the
cultivation of the soil. It runs inland half a
league to the south, afterwards dividing into two
branches. The first branch runs south-south-east
for a quarter of a league and then empties its waters
into a stream by which a flour mill is run; the other
runs west-north-west for half a league. Several
settlers," already identified, "are living on the banks
of this second branch, and it is here that the finest
wheat on the island is found. Eight families are
settled on the harbour of Tracadie, whilst two are
settled at the Etang des Berges, three quarters of a
league distant from Tracadie." The harbor at
Tracadie, De La Roque explained, "is like the harbour of
Saint Pierre, suitable for the cod fishery, and the
cultivation of the soil. The settlers who have
established themselves here follow both industries with
success. The entrance to the harbour is formed by
a break in the chain of sand dunes, and lies east and
west, the width being estimated at 200 to 250 toises,"
or up to a third of a mile. "In the middle of the
entrances lies a channel, sixty fathoms in width running
north-north-east by south-south-west, and having
throughout its length a deposite of fifteen to sixteen
feet of water at high tide. A bar of sand lying
partly across the outside of the entrance prevents the
passage of vessels having a draft of more than eleven or
twelve feet of water. The general course of this
bar is nearly east and west. The harbour is
very capacious and runs inland for a distance of two
leagues behind the dunes to the eastward, and a good
league to the south, preserving the same width to its
extreme limits. The inhabitants are settled on the
west coast of the said harbour. The lands that
have been improved by the settlers, are partly under
seed this year, and, generally, the crops appear to be
fair enough. The lands are covered with all kinds
of woods, whilst on the east-south-east and
south-south-east the shores of the harbour contain
plenty of pasture lands with a very good supply of
grass, and it would be a very easy task, without
incurring any great expenditure of labour to extend the
meadows so that more settlers could be located.
The most convenient method, for securing the extension
of these meadowlands that could be adopted, would be to
grant to each individual a portion of land sufficient
for the keep of as many head of live stock as is
necessary for the subsistence and requirements of each
family. When, in the course of time, the settlers
wish to maintain the increase of their live stock, they
will find themselves under the necessity of enlarging
the area of their pasturage and therefore of clearing
the adjoining land. In proportion as the settlers
increase the number of their live stock, they will be
forced to extend their pastureland."209
At Tracadie, sometimes called L'Acadie, De La
Roque found eight established Acadian families, many
having lived there since in the late 1720s. Typically, they
were all related: Jacques Haché
dit Gallant, age 40, navigator
and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto,
and brother of the Haché dit
Gallants of Rivière-du-Nord-Est and
Rivière-de-Peugiguit, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe
Boudrot, age 32, "native of l'Acadie"
and
sister of Anne of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, who was
married to Jacques's older brother François.
Marie-Josèphe's parents, in fact, also lived at
Tracadie. With Jacques and Anne were seven
children: Jacques-Philippe, age 14; Marie-Jeanne,
age 12; Joseph, age 10; Charles, age 8; Marie, age 5;
Cyprien, age 4; and Anne, age 1. De La Roque noted
that Jacques "has been in the country 16 years," that
his and Anne's "live stock consists of six oxen, one
cow, five ewes, four pigs, five geese and six fowls,"
that "The land that they occupy was given to them
verbally by Messieurs Duchambon
and Dubuisson, on it they have made a clearing for the
sowing of twenty-four bushels of grain, and they have
sown fifteen bushels of wheat, three bushels of peas and
half a bushel of oats." Charles Boudrot,
age 40 (actually 38), ploughman and navigator, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Annapolis Royal, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Fougère, age 29, "native
of Port Toulouse" and sister of Joseph, Marguerite, Anne
dite Jeanne, and Judith of Port-Toulouse, Île
Royale. With Charles and Marie were three
children: Jean, age 11; Théotiste, age 9; and
Marie, age 5. De La Roque noted that Charles "has
been in the country 39 years," a slight exaggeration,
though his parents had taken him to Port-Toulouse when
he was very young. De La Roque also noted that "In
live stock" Charles and Marie "have three oxen, four
cows, six calves, two wethers, three ewes, three pigs
and seven fowls," that "The land on which they are
settled was given to them verbally by Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson. On it
they have made a clearing on which they have sown seven
bushels and a half of wheat and one of peas."
Pierre Boudrot, age 30, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of Port Toulouse" and Charles's
brother, lived with wife Cécile Vécot,
age 26, "native of l'Acadie," probably Chignecto, and
daughter of Jean-Baptiste of Rivière-St.-Pierre.
With Pierre and Cécile were two children:
Marie-Josèphe, age 19 months; and Félix, age 2 months.
De La Roque said nothing of Pierre and Cécile's
livestock or their time in the country, but he did note that "The land on which they
are settled was given to them verball by Messieurs
de Pensens and Dubuisson. On it they have made a
clearing where they have sown ten and a half bushels of
wheat and three bushels and a half of peas, and they
still have fallow land for the sowing of eight bushels
more." Charles Bourg, age 58,
fisherman and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, lived with wife Anne Boudrot,
age 44, "native of l'Acadie," also Port-Royal, Charles
and Pierre's older sister. With Charles and Anne
were a dozen children: Charles, fils, age
25; Pierre, age 21; Louis, age 19; Anne, age 17;
Marguerite, age 15; Élisabeth, age 13; Paul, age 11;
Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine, age 8; Gertrude, age
5; L'Ange, age 4; and Joseph, age 18 months. De La
Roque noted that Charles "has been in the country 24
years," that his and Anne's "live stock consists of the
following: four oxen, four cows, three heifers, two
calves, eighteen ewes, nine pigs, seven geese, seven
fowls; together with one fishing boat. The land on
which they are settled was given to them verbally by
Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson. On it
they have made a clearing where they have sown
twenty-five bushels of wheat and five bushels of peas,
and they have fallow land for the sowing of twenty
bushels." Michel Bourg, age 60,
fisherman and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, Charles's older brother, lived with wife
Anne Boudrot, age 50 (actually 53),
"native of l'Acadie," also Port-Royal, and seven
children: Michel, fils, age 30; Anne, age
27; Joseph, age 25; Abraham, age 23; Marie, age 19;
Madeleine, age 14; and Pierre, age 13. De La Roque
noted that Michel "has been 24 years on the Isle," that
"In live stock" he and Anne "have four oxen, four cows,
three calves, eight ewes, fifteen pigs, two sows,
seventeen fowls or chickens; and one boat," and that
"The land on which they are settled was given to them
verbally by Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of
sixty-four bushels of grain," and "they have sown one
half of this quantity." François Boudrot
dit Manne, age 61, ploughman and fisherman,
"native of l'Acadie,"
actually Port-Royal, Anne, Charles, and Pierre's
paternal uncle, lived with wife Jeanne Landry,
no age given but she was 52, "native of l'Acadie," also
Port-Royal, Anne, Charles, and Pierre's maternal aunt.
With François and Jeanne were six children:
Joseph, age 29; Judith, age 20; Charles, age 18; Louise,
age 16; Élisabeth, age 10; and François, fils,
age 8. De La Roque noted that François dit
Manne "has been 25 years in the country," that "In live
stock" he and Jeanne "have four oxen, four cows, three
heifers, one mare, twenty ewes, twenty-seven fowls; and
one fishing boat," and that "The land on which they are
settled was given to them verbally by Messieurs
de Pensens and Dubuisson. On it they have made a
clearing for the sowing of eighty-six bushels of seed,
and this year they have sown thirty-two bushels of wheat
and six bushels of peas." Louis Belliveau,
age 44, navigator and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Port-Royal, lived with wife Louise
Haché dit Gallant,
age 35, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and
Jacques's younger sister. With Louis and Louise
were six children: Jean, age 16; Louise-Félicité,
age 14; Anne, age 12; Joseph, age 10; Athanase, age 5;
and Marie, age 3. De La Roque noted that Louis
"has been 23 years in the country," that "In live stock"
he and Louise "have four oxen, four cows, two heifers,
four wethers, one calf, six ewes, two sows, ten pigs and
two fowls," and that "The land on which they are settled
was given to them verbally by Messieurs de
Pensens and Dubuisson. They have made a clearing
on it for the sowing of fifty bushels of seed, and have
sown twenty-five bushels of wheat and five bushels of
peas." Claude Boudrot, age 50,
fisherman and ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, lived with wife Marie-Judith, called Judith,
Belliveau, age 46, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and Louis's older
sister. With Claude and Judith were six children:
Claude, fils, age 20; Michel, age 17; Marie,
age 16; Marguerite, age 14; Louise, age 11; and Pierre,
age 8. De La Roque noted that Claude "has been in
the country 31 years," that he and Judith "have the
following live stock: three oxen, three cows, one bull,
three calves, one mare, four pigs, one sow, five fowls
and one boat," and that "The land on which they are
settled was given to them verbally by Messieurs
de Pensens and Dubuisson. On it they have made a
clearing on which they have sown twenty-two bushels of
wheat, two bushels of barley and four bushels of peas."210
At Étang-des-Berges, today's Stanhope,
northwest of Tracadie, De La
Roque found two more families, both recent arrivals.
They, of course, were related: Joseph dit
Castor Boudrot, age 33 (actually 31),
fisherman and ploughman, "native of Cap Breton," now Île
Royale, brother of Michel dit Miquetau and Jean
dit Miquetau of Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, and
Anne of Havre-aux-Sauvages, lived with wife Marguerite
Chiasson, age 25, "native of l'Acadie,"
and their 2-year-old daughter Marie. De La Roque
noted that Joseph "has been in the country two years,"
that his and Marguerite's "live stock consists of one
ox, two cows, one heifer, three pigs, two hens, together
with one boat," and that "The land on which they are
settled is situated at the Etang des Berges, and was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they hae made a
clearing for the sowing of six bushels of grain."
Jacques Chiasson, age 69, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto,"
brother of Marie of Havre-St.-Pierre, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Arseneau, no age given
but she was 49, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Chignecto, and sister of Catherine and Françoise of
Port-Toulouse. Marie-Josèphe's sister Françoise
was Joseph dit Castor Boudrot's
sister-in-law, and Jacques and Marie-Josèphe were
Marguerite's parents. With the older couple were
nine of their other children: Pierre, age 27;
Paul, age 25; Jacques, fils, age 23; Michel,
age 21; Madeleine, age 18; Joseph, age 15; Élisabeth,
age 14; Jean, age 12; and Amand, age 7. De La
Roque noted that Jacques "has been in the country two
years," that "In live stock" he and Marie-Josèphe "have
ten oxen, nine cows, seven calves, one mare, nine pigs
and fifteen fowls," and that "The land on which they are
settled is situated at the Etang des Berges and was
given to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure."233
"We left Tracadie and took our way for Macpec,"
also called Malpèque, De La Roque recorded. "An hour
after starting we found ourselves crossing the harbour
of the petit Racica (Racicot)," today's Covehead Bay.
"The entrance to the
harbour lies north-north-east and south-south-west, and
is only navigable by boats, and even then only a high
tide, and in fine weather. The lands surrounding
the harbour are covered with all kinds of hard wood fit
for use in the construction of schooners, bateaux
and boats; whilst the soil is good in quality and fit
for cultivation. About six o'clock in the
eveining"--he did not reveal the date--"whilst passing
the harbour of the Grand Racico," today's Rustico Bay, "in a strong wind we were
forced to put into port there. This harbour lies
on the north coast eight leagues," or 23 1/4 miles,
"from Saint-Pierre. We found that the entrance to
the harbour lies north-east and south-west, that it is
about one hundred toises in width and that it
is only accessible to vessels of 30 to 40 tons burden.
Inside the entrance the harbour divides into two arms.
One runs inland three leagues to the east-south-east
towards Petit Racicot. The depth of the water had
not been ascertained. The other runs half a league
to the south-west and in it vessels anchor ordinarily in
three or four fathoms of water whilst two rivers empty
into this arm, the one in the centre and the other at
the extremity. Both these rivers take their rise
three or four leagues inland to the north-west-west.
Their currents are rapid throughout and they are well
fitted for the construction of flour and saw mills,
especially as the surroundings of the harbour and of
these rivers are full of all kinds of timber suitable
for every description of building purpose. We left
this harbor on the 23rd [of August] but a contrary wind
blowing from the north-north-west compelled us to take
to rowing, and the wind growing stronger we had to put
into port in the little harbour. This
harbour"--Petit Havre, today's French River--"is
situated similarly to the others on the north coast.
It is eleven leagues," or 32 miles, "from Saint Pierre
and three leagues," or 8 3/4 miles, "from the east
entrance to the harbour of Macpec. We found that
its entrance lay north-north-east and south-south-west,
with a breadth of 100 to 150 toises. A
channel flowing in the centre is 40 to 40 toises
in width with a depth of 10 to 11 feet of water at high
tide. We also found that formerly certain persons
had prosecuted the fishing industry here by means of
vessels. The harbour is formed something like the
gulf of a river, and so penetrates inland to the
south-south-west for a distance of a league. There
are two rivers on the west side of said harbour.
They take their rise in the interior to the
west-south-west, and they resemble the foregoing rivers
in character, fitted for the same purposes, and
possessed of the same facilities. The wind having
veered to the south-west, we resumed our journey, and
finally reached the habour of Macpec toward five o'clock
in the evening.
"The harbour of Macpec lies on the north
coast, at a distance of sixteen leagues," or 46 1/2
miles, "from the harbour of Saint-Pierre," De La Roque
continued. "Thirty-two families who follow the
cultivation of the soil as a means of livelihood, are
settled there. The harbour is also suitable for
the prosecution of the cod fishery, and it is certain
that too much encouragement to engage in the industry
cannot be given to the settlers, especially as the
conditions of the locality itself invite them to do so.
The situation is one of the best adapted on the Island
to the drying of codfish, owing to several small islands
that lie directly in front of the harbour, and which
give certainty of no lack of fresh air, whilst they also
add to the security of the harbour. We found that
the harbour of Macpec has four distinct entrances.
The first lies east and west, being formed by the
south-west point of the mainland of Isle Saint-Jean, and
the north-east point of the small isle at the eastern
entrance. The distance between these points is
estimated at 800 toises," or just short of a
mile. "They lie north-east and south-west, and
between them there is a quarter of a league in which
vessels drawing twelve or thirteen feet of water can
tack, there being usually about three fathoms of water
throughout the entrance at low tide. The second
entrance lies north-north-east, and south-south-west.
It is formed by the west-north-west point of the
aforesaid island at the eastern entrance, and the
east-south-eastern point of the isle at the
north-western entrance. This entrance is
considered to be wider throughout its whole length than
the former, with the difference, however, that the
channel in this entrance is estimated to have a width of
only 300 toises, in which there are from five
to six fathoms of water at low tide, and six to seven at
high tide. Only these two entrances are navigable
for vessels of any kind. As regards the other two
they are accessible by boats only. The Isle des
Sauvages lying in the harbour of Macpec is half a league
from the east and north-west entrances. Its
position greatly facilitates the entrance of vessels
into the harbour, as well as contributes to their
finding safe anchorage in good water. In order to
secure this when vessels at sea have reached a point at
which they can take one or the other of the two
entrances already mentioned, they have only to steer
directly for the cap on Ile aux Sauvages, in order to be
always certain that they are in the middle of the
channels, for both channels run together for a distance
from three to four hundred toises outside the
two entrances to where they meet again some five hundred
or six hundred fathoms from Ile aux Sauvages.
After that point vessels can approach the land to the
west as closely as they deem convenient, according to
their draft, and anchor anywhere they wish, there being
a depth of six to seven fathoms of water throughout the
harbour. To the west-south-west of the Ile aux
Sauvages lies a second isle which had been granted to
the late Monsieur Courtin, Priest and
Missionary to the Indians, from which fact it bears" to
this day "the name of Ile à Monsieur Courtin.
It lies about eight hundred toises distant from
the other island and to the west-north-west. Its
circumference is estimated at one league, with a
diameter of eight hundred toises. The
lands are high and wooded with all sorts of hard timber,
such as maples, red maples, black birch, oak, &c., but
not much oak. One sees at a glance that the
harbour of Macpec is shut in by an island that lies
directly facing the entrance, and which adds at once to
its value as a harbour, and to the security of the
shipping. As already stated the three entrances
that the sea has made into three different parts of the
island have subdivided it into three, that form with the
two extremities of the harbour the four entrances that
were referred to already. There is yet another reason, and a better, for concluding that the currents
of water caused by the rising and falling of the tide
are very strong throughout the whole of the capacious
harbour. The most westerly entrance was rendered
impassable in 1750, when during a huricane, the said
dunes were broken through, and the strength of the
currents of water has prevented their becoming re-united
since. It is estimated that from the north-west
point of the eastern entrance to the point west of the
western entrance is a distance of two leagues and a
half," or a bit over seven miles, "running
east-south-east and west-north-west, together making the
length of the isles and entrances to the harbour of
Macpec. Then, from the entrance on the east and
north-west to the further end of the bay, the distance
is put at two leagues, in which vessels of 100 to 150
tons burden can make the passage, afterwards the harbour
divides into two arms. One arm runs to the
south-south-east about one league, at the extremity of
which a small stream that rises about half a league
inland to the south, empties itself. The second
arm runs inland three leagues to the west-south-west and
is navigable by small vessels for two leagues.
From the west point of the harbour, a species of canal
or river runs north-west to the harbour of
Cachechampec," near today's Alberton, "and is
practicable only by boats. Nothwithstanding that
the distance between the two harbours is six leagues,"
nearly 17 1/2 miles, "there is inland communication
between all parts of the two harbours.
"The lands in the neighbourhood of the harbour
of Macpec are superior in quality to those of St. Pierre
and Rivière du Nord-Est, and even to all those we have
visited up to the present time. Nevertheless those
who have settled here have not been able to seed their
lands this year, but it must be taken into consideration
that this was due to the bad seasons, from which the
unfortunate settlers have suffered, during three
consecutative years. The first year the trouble
was caused by field mice. These animals resemble
in appearance those found in the rural districts of
France, especially in Champagne, where during the fall,
they store up, at a depth of two or three feet in the
earth, grain for their comfortable subsistence, and then
go to sleep for six months of the year. It is only
in this foresight that the field mouse of this country
do not resemble those of the old land, for here, after
they have devoured everything that they can find to
their taste in the country, they throw themselves into
the water where they are drowned in such prodigious
numbers that their bodies form a kind of dam to the
waters, by which they are carried down and accumulate,
so that the shores of the lakes, rivers, creeks and
streams are filled with them. A prejudiced,
ignorant and vulgar people did not long hesitate in
ascribing the coming of this plague to some evil spirit
working against the island. Suspicion fell on a
man named St. Germain dit Périgord. This
suspicion coming to the knowledge of the Indians, they
took the man Périgord, put him to death and buried him
on the Isle of the Comte Saint Pierre, which lies to
larboard as you enter Port la Joye. The second bad
season was caused by innumerable legions of locusts of a
prodigious size. They were so voracious a species
that they ravaged all the growing grain, vegetables and
even the grass and the buds on the trees. The last
year the wheat crop was totally scalded. These are
the events of those three years of anguish, that have
reduced these poor settlers to the depths of poverty, so
that for at least six months the greater number amongst
them had not even bread to eat, but subsisted on the
shell fish they gathered on the shores of the harbour
when the tide was out. It is certain that unless
the King makes them a gratuity, or a loan of seed grain,
to seed their land this coming spring, the settlers will
be under the bitter necessity of abandoning the
district, if they would escape death from hunger, as
they have no other source of livelihood. The
condition to which the settlers on the harbour of Macpec
have been actually reduced, demonstrates that it is an
important and absolute necessity, that they should be
permitted and encouraged to pursue the cod fishery
industry. There has for a long time been a
mistaken belief, founded on a lack of experience of the
conditions, that the settlers who follow the fisheries,
neglect the cultivation of the soil. The harbours
of Saint-Pierre and of l'Acadie [Tracadie] are a certain proof in
evidence to the contrary. Witness the extensive
clearings which the settlers have made in those places,
and I venture to affirm that the fishery is an
incontestable means of promoting the culture of the
soil, because it enables settlers to employ domestics,
and to raise cattle and live stock for lack of which
land will be allowed to remain idle. This is not
the only advantage that would accrue to the settlers,
for it can be stated as a certain fact verified by
experience that if ever again the people suffer such
hardship, as are said to return every ten years, in the
form of a plague of locusts, followed the ensuring[sic]
year, when beech nuts are plentiful, by one of field
mice, they will be enabled to support the losses these
animals occasion there, by means of the proceeds of the
fisheries. On the shore of the harbour of Macpec,
a vein of clay has been discovered on land belonging to
one Ambroise [Martin dit]
Barnabé.
The clay is proved to be of the quality required for
making bricks, being rich, soft, loamy and free from
stones. A peck has been placed on board a vessel
commanded by Joseph Boudrot, together
with a log of cedar, to be carried to Louisbourg, to the
address of Monsieur [Thomas] Pichon, secretary to
Monsieur le Comte de Raymond," the colony's
governor. "The timber in the environs of the
harbour of Macpec as well as of its rivers may be
described as very fine, and in a general way as
including well-nigh all the kinds found in this part of
the island such as pine, spruce, maple, red maple, black
birch, beech, ash, oak, white birch, cedar, &c.
Between the harbour of Cascampec, situated on the north
coast, six leagues from Macpec and seven leagues from
Pointe du Ouest and Grand Ance, situated on the south
side of the Isle Saint-Jean at a distance of ____
leagues from Pointe du Ouest and ____ leagues from the
harbour of Bedec, is a great cedar grove which is
estimated to be two to three leagues in circumference
and in which there are cedars of four feet in diameter
and two toises and a half," or 16 feet, "in
circumference."211
De La Roque's census revealed that the settlement at
Malpèque, near today's Port Hill, was one of the largest
on the island. Only the Rivière-du-Nord-Est valley
and Havre-St.-Pierre held larger populations than this
isolated community. Most of the 32 families at
Malpèque were long-established peninsula Acadians, with a
sprinkling of recent arrivals widening the kinship
circles.
Arseneaus and Boudrots were especially
numerous: Joseph
Arseneau, age 35, ploughman and
navigator, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto,
brother of Marie-Madeleine of Havre-aux-Sauvages, lived
with wife Marguerite Boudrot, age 29,
"native of Port Toulouse," Île Royale, and daughter of
François dit Manne of Tracadie. With
Joseph and Marguerite were five children: Pierre,
age 10; François, age 8; Cyprien, age 6; Joseph,
fils, age 4; and Anne, age 15 months. De La
Roque noted that Joseph "has been twenty-three years in
the country," that he and Marguerite "have in live
stock, two oxen, one cow, four ewes, one wether, three
pigs[,] six fowls, together with one bateau,"
and that "The land on which they are settled was granted
to them by Messieurs Duchambon
and Dubuisson, under date the fifth of September, 1742.
On it they have made a clearing and sown twelve bushels
of wheat and two bushels of peas and still have fallow
land sufficient for the sowing of twenty-five bushels."
Abraham Arseneau, age 34, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, and Joseph's
younger brother, lived with wife Marguerite
Nuirat, age 30, "native of l'Acadie," also
Chignecto, and younger sister of Cécile of
Havre-aux-Sauvages. With Abraham and Marguerite
were five children: Joseph, age 9; Marguerite, age
7; Pierre and Jean, age 4; and Rosalie, age 2. De
La Roque noted that Abraham "has been in the country 23
years," that "In live stock" he and Marguerite "have
four oxen, two cows, one calf, three wethers, three
ewes, four pigs and four fowls," and that "The land on
which they are settled was granted to them by
Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson.
They have made a clearing on it and sown twelve bushels
of wheat, one bushel of barley and one bushel of peas,
and have fallow land for the sowing of about eighteen
bushels." Julien Desroches,
age 35, ploughman, "native of the parish of Carolle,
bishopric of Avranche in Normandy," brother of Herbe of
St.-Esprit, Île Royale, lived with Marie
Arseneau, age 27, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Chignecto, and three sons: Julien,
fils, age 7; Félix, age 5; and Joseph, age 2.
De La Roque noted that Julien "has been 21 years in the
country," that "In live stock" he and Marie "have one
ox, one cow, six wethers, ten ewes and one fowl," and
that "They hold the land under a grant given by
Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson,
and homologated by Messieurs the Governor and the
Intendant-Commissary of Ile Royale. On it they
have made a clearing and sown four bushels of wheat and
have fallow land for the sowing of twelve bushels."
Louis Desroches, age 40, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of the same place as his brother
above described," lived with wife Marguerite
Arseneau, age 40, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, and Joseph and Abraham's sister.
With Louis and Marguerite were eight children:
Rosalie, age 20; Eustache, age 16; Marie-Josèphe, age
14; Alexandre, age 12; Marie-Anne, age 10; Joseph, age
9; Henriette, age 5; and Anne, age 2. De La Roque
noted that "In live stock" Louis and Marguerite "have
two oxen, one cow, one calf, two wethers, ten ewes and
four pigs," and that "They hold their land under a grant
from Messieurs Duchambon and
Dubuisson, and homologated by Messieurs the Governor and
Intendant-Commissary of Ile Royale, but from whom they
have only a certificate. On said land they have
made a clearing and sown two bushels of wheat and have
fallow land for the sowing of twenty-one bushels."
Jean Arseneau, age 23, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," probably Chignecto, "son
of Jacques" and Marie's
brother, lived with wife Madeleine Boudrot,
age 25, "native of Port Toulouse," and their year-old
son Joseph le jeune. De La Roque noted that Jean "has been
eleven years in the country," that "In live stock" he
and Madeleine "have one ox, two cows, one wether, one
ewe, two pigs, one sow," and that "They hold their land
upon verbal permission from Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing in which they have sown six bushels of wheat,
one half bushel of oats and one bushel of peas."
Alexis Dugas, age 45, smith and
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Cobeguit, and
brother of Marguerite and Isabelle of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale, Claude and Françoise
of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, and Petit Jos and Marie-Claire
of Grande-Ascension, lived with wife Marie Bourg,
age 42, "native of l'Acadie," actually Minas, daughter of Jean of Rivière-du-Ouest. With
Alexis and Marie were nine children: Pierre, age
20; Élisabeth, age 18; Jean, age 15; Madeleine, age 14;
Mathurin, age 12; Victoire, age 10; Régis, age 5;
Cyprien, age 3; and Marie, age 1. De La Roque
noted that Alexis "has been in the country one year,"
that "In live stock" he and Marie "have four oxen, two
cows, two calves, one heifer, one wether, one ewe and
one pig," and that "They hold their land upon verbal
permission from Monsieur de
Bonnaventure, but have not made any clearing on
it." Marguerite dite Magitte
Richard, age 45, "native of l'
Acadie," actually Chignecto, "widow of the late Claude
Arceneaud," Jacques's younger
brother, lived with nine
children: Claude, fils, age 24;
Madeleine, age 21; Paul, age 20; Anne, age 18; Judith,
age 16; Ambroise, age 14; Joseph, age 11; Rose, age 8;
and Anastasie, age 7. De La Roque noted that
Magitte "has been 15 years in the country," that "She
had in live stock, seven oxen, three cows, four heifers,
one horse, seven wethers, eight ewes, two sows, one pig
and one hen," and that she and her children "hold their
land under a grant given by Messieurs Duchambon
and Dubuisson under date the 6th September, 1742, and
homologated. On it they have made a clearing and
sown nineteen bushels of wheat, one bushel of barley,
three bushels of oats, one bushel of peas and have
fallow land sufficient for the sowing of thirty-two
bushels." Pierre Arseneau, age
27, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably Chignecto,
and Marie and Jean's brother, lived with wife Madeleine
Landry, age 25, "native of l'Acadie,"
and their year-old daughter Marie. De La Roque
noted that Pierre "has been 11 years in the country,"
that "In live stock" he and Madeleine "have two oxen,
one wether and two ewes," and that "They hold their land
under a grant from Messieurs Duchambon
and Dubuisson. On it they have made a clearing and
sown six bushels of wheat, and three bushels of peas.
They have no fallow land." Pierre Arseneau,
age 52 (actually 54), ploughman,"native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, widower of Marguerite Cormier,
and Marguerite, Joseph, and Abraham's oldest brother, lived
with seven children: Pierre, fils, age
24; Claude, age 21; François, age 17; Marguerite, age
15; Louis, age 14; Anne, age 11; and Henriette, age 9.
De La Roque noted that Pierre "has been 21 years in the
country," that "In live stock" he and his children "have
two oxen, four heifers, three wethers, two ewes and one
sow," and that "They hold their land under a grant made
to them by Messieurs Duchambon
and Dubuisson. On it they have made a clearing for
the sowing of about fifty bushels of wheat, and have
sown nothing this year, they not having the seed."
Pierre Poirier, age 42, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, lived with wife Louise
Caissie, age 35, "native of l'Acadie,"
and eight children: Pierre, fils, age 18;
Marie, age 15; François, age 12; Appolline, age 10;
Madeleine, age 8; Joseph-Isidore, age 6; Anne, age 4;
and Marie-Modeste, age 15 months. De La Roque
noted that Pierre "has been in the country 11 years,"
that "In live stock" he and Louise "have four oxen, four
ewes, two calves, thirteen ewes[sic], one sow,
four pigs and eight fowls," and that "They hold their
land upon verbal permission from Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson. On it
they have made a clearing and sown fourteen bushels of
wheat, two bushels of peas, and have fallow land for the
sowing of twenty-four bushels." Honoré
Comeau, age 37, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit, brother of
Rosalie of Port-La-Joye, lived with wife Marguerite
Poirier, age 38, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Chignecto, and Pierre's sister. With
Honoré and Marguerite were six children: Marie,
age 15; Rose, age 13; Anne, age 10; Monique, age 7;
Joseph, age 4; and Marguerite, age 18 months. De
La Roque noted that Honoré "has been in the country 11
years," that "In live stock" he and Marguerite "have two
oxen, two cows, three calves, eight wethers, two ewes,
and six pigs," and that "They hold their land under
grant made by Messieurs Duchambon
and Dubuisson, under date the 6th September, 1742, and
homologated by Messieurs the Governor and the
Intendant Commissary of Ile Royale. On it they
have made a clearing and sown ten bushels and a half of
wheat and five bushels and a half of peas, and have
fallow land for the sowing of eight bushels."
Alexandre Richard, age 57, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, Magitte's
older brother, lived with wife Marie-Madeleine, called
Madeleine, Thibodeau, age 47, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, and six of their
younger children: Anne, age 17; Jean, age 15;
Catherine, age 13; Joseph, age 11; Jeanne-Rosalie, age
9; and Victor, age 5. De La Roque noted that
Alexandre "has been in the country 11 years," that "In
live stock" he and Madeleine "have four oxen, two cows,
one heifer, six ewes, four pigs, seventeen geese, twenty
hens," and that "They hold their land upon verbal
permission from Messieurs Duchambon
and Dubuisson. On it they have made a clearing
where they have sown ten bushels and a half of wheat,
and three bushels of peas, and have fallow land for the
sowing of twenty bushels." Ambroise
Martin dit Barnabé, age 49
(actually 45), ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, and twice widowered, lived with nine
children, the older ones from his first marriage to Anne
Cyr, the younger ones from his second
marriage to Émilienne Comeau, Honoré's
younger sister: Marguerite, age 19; Ambroise,
fils, age 18; Joseph, age 16; Michel, age 14;
Pierre, age 12; Jean, age 10; Marie, age 8; François,
age 6, and Paul, age 4. De La Roque noted that
Ambroise "has been in the country ten years," that "In
live stock" he and his children "have two oxen, one cow,
one heifer, one wether, seven ewes and five pigs," and
that "He holds his land under a grant made by
Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson
under date the ____, 1742, and homologated by
Messieurs the Governor and the Intendant Commissary
of Ile Royale. He has made a clearing on it, and
sown sixteen bushels of wheat, one bushel of oats, one
bushel of peas, and has ploughed land sufficient for the
sowing of thirty-two bushels besides." Paul
Daigre, age 29, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," lived with wife Marie Hébert,
age 22, "native of l'Acadie," and two daughters:
Marie, age 4; and Agnès, age 18 months. De La
Roque noted that Paul "has been in this country two
years," that "In live stock" he and Marie "have two
oxen, three cows, one bull, two calves, one horse, seven
ewes, four pigs and four fowls," and that "They hold
their land upon verbal permission from Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have sown
eight bushels on a neighboring piece of ground, but have
made no clearing of their own beyond cutting a little
wood." Jean-Baptiste, called Jean,
Comeau, age 32, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit, Honoré's
younger brother, lived with wife Marie Henry
dit Robert, age 29, "native of l'Acadie,"
and daughter of Germain of Port-Lajoie. With
Jean and Marie were two children: Jean-Baptiste,
fils, age 7; and Madeleine, age 2. De La
Roque noted that Jean "has been in the country 2 years,"
that "In live stock" he and Marie "have three oxen, one
cow, one calf, two ewes and one sow," and that "They
hold their land under a grant made by Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson, under date of
_____ 1742, and homologated by Messieurs the
Governor and the Intendant Commissary of Ile Royale.
On it they have made a clearing and sown nine bushels of
wheat and have fallow land for the sowing of three
bushels." Michel Richard, age 20,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably Chignecto,
Alexandre's son, lived with wife Marie Dugas,
no age given, "native of l'Acadie," Alexis's daughter.
"They have no children yet," De La Roque noted. He
also noted that Michel "has been in the country 11
years," that "In live stock" he and Marie "have one cow
and her calf and two ewes," and that "They hold their
land under verbal permission from Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, but have not yet made
any clearing, being newly settled on it."
Pierre Richard, age 22, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," probably Chignecto, another of
Alexandre's sons, lived with wife Marguerite
Dugas, age 17, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Annapolis Royal. "They have no children, being
only recently married," De La Roque noted of the
young couple. He also
noted that Pierre "has been in the country 11 years,"
that "In live stock" he and Marguerite "have one cow and
her calf," and that "They hold their land under verbal
permission from Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made no
clearing." François Blanchard
dit Gentilhomme, age 66, "native of Saint-Marc de
Blanc, in Brittany," twice a widower, lived with seven
children, all from his second marriage to Marguerite
Carret: Marguerite, age 20;
Catherine, age 17 1/2; François, fils, age 14;
Cécile, age 12; Jean, age 10; Rosalie, age 8; and
Agathe, age 6. He was the father also of Marie of
Havre-St.-Pierre. De La Roque noted that François
"has been in the country," meaning greater Acadia, "40
years of which he passed 15 at Macpec," that "In live
stock" he and his children "have four oxen, one cow, two
heifers, one calf, thirteen ewes, two pigs and two
sows," and that "They hold this land under a grant made
by Messieurs Duchambon and
Dubuisson. For lack of seed they have sown none of
their land this year, but they have fallow land for the
sowing of twenty-four bushels." Abraham
dit le Petit Abram Arseneau, age
50, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto,
and uncle of Marie, Jean, and Pierre, lived with wife
Marie-Josèphe Savoie, age 42, native of
Port-Royal, and 10 children: Anne, age 20;
Marie-Josèphe, age 18; Jean-Baptiste, age 16;
Anne-Anastasie, age 14; Jacques, age 12; Marguerite, age
10; Joseph, age 8; Martine, age 6; Hilarion, age 4; and
Baptiste, age 2.
De La Roque noted that Petit Abram "has been in the
country 11 years," that "In live stock" he and
Marie-Josèphe "have two oxen, two cows, two calves, five
wethers, eight ewes and three pigs," and that "The land
on which they are settled is situated to the west of the
harbour of Macpec, and was given to them by
Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson.
On it they have made a clearing where they can sow
thirty-two bushels of wheat. They have sown only
six bushels and a half of wheat, having no more seed."
Charles Arseneau, age 50, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, brother of
Pierre, Marguerite, Joseph, and Abraham, lived with wife
Cécile Breau, age 48, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Minas, and five children:
Charles, fils, age 21; Claude, age 16; Joseph,
age 14; Urbain, age 12; and Auzite, age not given.
De La Roque noted that Charles "has been in the country
24 years," that he and Cécile "have in live stock two
oxen, three cows, three calves, one horse, three
wethers, twelve ewes, one sow, ten pigs and six hens,"
and that "The land on which they are settled is situated
to the west of the said harbour and was given to them by
Messieurs de Pensens and Dubuisson. On it
they have made a clearing and sown forty bushels of
wheat and one bushel of peas, and they still have
remaining fallow land sufficient for the sowing of
forty-eight bushels that they are unable to sow for want
of seed." Joseph Boudrot, age 35,
ploughman and navigator, "native of Port Toulouse," Île
Royale, and brother of Anne, Charles, and Pierre of
Tracadie, lived with wife Marie-Rosalie, called Rose,
Arseneau, age 30, "native of l'Acadie" and
Charles's daughter.
With Joseph and Rose were six children:
Joseph, fils, age 8; Marie, age 6; Charles, age
5; Anne, age 4; Marguerite, age 2; and Marie-Josèphe,
age 3 months. De La Roque noted that Joseph and
Rose "have in live stock three oxen, one cow and her
calf, five ewes, three pigs and one hen," and that "The
land on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the west side of the harbor," and
was given to them by Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson. They have made a
clearing on it where they have sown four bushels of
wheat and have fallow land sufficient for the sowing of
twelve bushels." Marie Poirier,
age 50, "native of l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, "widow
of Jacques Arcenaud," sister of Joseph
and Agnès dite Anne of Port-Toulouse,
sister-in-law of Petit Abram Arseneau
and Magitte Richard, and mother of
Marie, Jean, and Pierre, lived with two Arseneau
sons: Alexandre, age 20; and Paul, age 15.
De La Roque noted that "In live stock" Marie and her
sons "have four oxen, three cows, one heifer, one calf,
three wethers, three pigs and three hens," that "The
land on which they are settled is situated up the
Rivière du Ouest," probably a tributary of Malpèque
harbor, "and
had been granted to the late Jacques Arcenaud
by Messieurs Duchambon and
Dubuisson. They have made a clearing on it where
they have sown ten bushels of wheat, two bushels of peas
and one bushel of barley, and they have fallow land for
the sowing of twenty bushels." Jean
Arseneau, age 23, ploughman, "native of
Macpec" and Charles's son, lived with wife Madeleine
Boudrot, age 22, "native of Port
Toulouse," Île Royale, and daughter of Claude of
Tracadie. With the young couple was their
8-month-old son André. De La Roque noted that "in
live stock" Jean and Madeleine owned "two oxen, one cow,
two ewes and two pigs," and that "The land on which they
are settled was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure in 1751," soon after
their marriage. "On it they have made a clearing where
they have sown seven bushels of wheat." Pierre
Arseneau, age 23, ploughman, "native of
Macpec," also Charles's son, lived with wife
Marie-Judith, called Judith, Boudrot,
age 20, "native of Port Toulouse" and Madeleine's
sister. Pierre and Judith had no children.
De La Roque noted that "In live stock" the young couple
"have two oxen, one cow, one heifer, five ewes, three
pigs and two fowls," and that "They land on which they
are settled is the same as that of Jean Arcenaud,
his twin brother." Jean-Baptiste Hent,
or Huot, age 19, "native of Isle
d'Orléans, parish of Saint Jean, bishopric of Quebec,"
lived with wife Thérèse Arseneau, age
20, "native of Macpec." They had no children.
De La Roque noted that "The whole of their live stock
consists of one heifer, three ewes and three fowls" and
that "They are settled on the land of Pierre
Arceneaud, his wife's father." Paul Richard, age 27, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," probably Chignecto, yet another of
Alexandre's sons, lived with wife Marie-Renée, called
Renée, Boudrot, age 23, "native of Port
Toulouse," and three children: Joseph, age 5;
Charles, age 1; and Marie, age 2 months. De La
Roque noted that Paul "has been 11 years in the
country," that "In live stock" he and Renée "have one
ox, two cows, two calves and five ewes," and that "The
land on which they are settled was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of two
bushels of wheat." François Doucet,
age 58, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal,
lived with wife Marie Lapierre,
actually Carret, age 45, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Chignecto, sister of Marie of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest and Madeleine, Isabelle, and
Françoise of Rivière-du-Nord-Est. With François
and Marie were eight children: Marguerite, age 22;
Michel, age 17; Marie-Josèphe, age 16; Françoise, age
12; Christophe, age 9; Jean, age 8; Anaïse, age 5; and
Marin, age 3. De La Roque noted that François "has
been in the country 11 years," that "In live stock" he
and Marie "have two oxen, one cow, one calf, two
wethers, five ewes and three pigs," and that "The land
they occupy was given to them by Messieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson. On it they have
made a clearing where they have sown twelve bushels of
wheat and still have remaining follow[sic] land
sufficient for the sowing of fourteen bushels."
Charles Doucet, age 30, fisherman and
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," perhaps
François's son, lived with wife Jeanne
Boudrot, age 22, "native of Tracadie"
and Marguerite's sister, and two daughters: Anne,
age 4; and Marguerite, age 2. De La Roque noted
that Charles "has been in the country 11 years," that
"In live stock" he and Jeanne "have two oxen, one cow,
one calf, four ewes and five pigs," and that "The land
on which they are settled was given to them by Monsieurs
Duchambon and Dubuisson. On it
they have made a clearing and sown ten bushels of wheat
and one bushel-and-a-half of peas, and still have
remaining fallow land for the sowing of eight bushels."
Jacques Arseneau, fils, age
30, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and brother of
Marie, Jean, and Pierre, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe
Doucet, age 20, "native of the same
place," François's daughter. With
Jacques, fils and Marie-Josèphe were three
daughters: Euphrosine, age 4; Rose, age 3; and
Madeleine, age 2. De La Roque noted that Jacques,
fils "has been 10 years in the country," that
"In live stock" he and Marie-Josèphe "have two oxen, two
cows, one bull, two ewes and six fowls," and that "The
land on which they are settled was given to them by
Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson.
On it they have made a clearing where they have sown
eight bushels of wheat." Louis dit Paul
Girouard, age 36, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Minas, and brother of Véronique of
Rivière-du-Blancs and Marguerite of Havre-St.-Pierre,
lived with wife Marie Thibodeau, age 28
(probably older, considering the ages of her older
children), "native of l'Acadie." With Louis and
Marie were six children: Marguerite, age 15;
Anne-Théodose, age 13; Gervais, age 8; Marie-Josèphe,
age 6; Firmin, age 3; and Charles, age 8 months.
De La Roque noted that Louis "has been two years in the
country," that he and Marie "have one pig for the whole
of their live stock," and that "The land on which they
are settled is situated on the north shore of Rivière de
Macpec. They have only had it since the 25th of
July last, and have made a clearing of about one
arpent." Joseph LeBlanc, age
34, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," and brother of
François of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, Île Royale, and Marie
of Rivière-du-Nord Est, lived with wife Madeleine
Girouard, age 33, "native of l'Acadie"
and Louis dit Paul's younger sister. With
Joseph and Madeleine were six children: Basile,
age 11; Joseph, age 9; Marie, age 7; Élisabeth, age 5;
Marguerite, age 3; and Madeleine, age 8 months. De
La Roque noted that Joseph "has been in the country one
year," said nothing of his live stock, and noted that
"The land on which they are settled since last autumn,
is situated as in the preceding case," on the north
shore of Rivière-de-Malpèque. "On it they have
made a clearing of about two arpents in
extent." Joseph Arseneau,
actually Comeau, age 27,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and brother of
Honoré and Jean, lived with
wife Anne Doucet, age 27, "native of
l'Acadie," another of François's daughters, and their 18-month-old daughter Anne.
De La Roque noted that Joseph "has been in the country
15 years" (he probably meant months), that his and Anne's "live stock consists of
five oxen, two cows, two calves, six ewes, one wether,
five pigs, two geese and twelve fowls," and that "The
land on which they are settled was granted to them by
Messieurs Duchambon and
Dubuisson. They have made a clearing on it where
they have sown fifteen bushels of wheat and two bushels
of peas, and have fallow land for the sowing of fifteen
bushels."212
"We left the harbour of Macpec in a canoe, crossed
the three leagues of the bay and disembarked on a small
stream," De La Roque continued. "This streamlet,
which is of little account, is maintained by the
filtration of the waters from the surrounding lands
which are peaty and marshy. From the banks of this
stream a road was taken running one league to the south.
It is practicable for carts which can cross from one bay
to the other. The lands are covered with all kinds
of different woods, but the predominant is the hemlock."
They now were crossing the thin, wooded waist of the
western half of the island. "The harbour of
Bedec," today's Bedèque Bay, De La Roque continued, "is settled by eight
families, and is situated on the south side of the Isle
Saint-Jean, sixteen leagues distant"--46 1/2
miles--"from Pointe la Joye, and eight from Baye Verte,"
which lay across Mer Rouge, today's Northumberland
Strait, on the north side of the Chignecto isthmus.
"The lands around the said harbour are good for
cultivation, and the shores of the harbour abound in
pasturage. The entrance is formed by the point of
the Isle de Bedec lying on east and by the point to the
west-north-west lying on west. They lie
east-south-east and west-north-west, and are three
quarters of a league apart. The channel lies
north-east and south-west and is estimated at a quarter
of a league in width, with four to five fathoms of water
at low tide. After doubling the Isle de Bedec the
harbour is found to be divided in two parts, one running
to the north-east for about one league and a half; and
the other three quarters of a league to the south-east.
Vessels can anchor on either the one or the other, in
depth of four, five or six fathoms of water at low tide,
but for the greatest safety it is necessary to anchor in
the south-east branch which is generally sheltered from
all winds."213
De La Roque, now back on the island's south shore,
counted 25 more families from Havre-de-Bédec eastward to
the gut at Port-La-Joye--the island's smallest concentration of
settlement.
The eight families De La Roque counted at Bédec were recent
arrivals with the usual kinship ties.
Lejeunes were especially numerous in the
community: Jean
Robichaud dit Cadet, age 59 1/2,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal,
lived with wife Marie Léger, age 53
1/2, "native of l'Acadie," also Port-Royal, and seven
children: Joseph, age 34; Jean, fils, age
31; René, age 26; Pierre, age 22; François, age 18;
Marie-Josèphe, age 16; and Anne, age 13. Also with
the family was René Blanchard, age 5,
an orphan, "native of l'Acadie." De La Roque noted
that Jean "has been in the country 14 months," that "In
live stock" he and Marie "have four oxen, nine cows, one
heifer, four calves, one bull, one wether, two ewes and
five pigs," and that "The land on which they are settled
is situated on the north shore of Rivière de Bedecq.
On it they have made a clearing where they can sow
sixteen bushels of wheat." Jacques Guédry
dit Grivois, age 28, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," son of Paul dit Grivois of
Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, lived with wife Brigitte
Lejeune, age 34, "native of l'Acadie"
and older sister Jean and Éloie of Grande-Ascension.
With Jacques and Brigitte were three daughters:
Marie-Josèphe, age 6; Victoire, age 4; and Marie, age 2.
De La Roque noted that Jacques "has been in the country
14 months," that "In live stock" he and Brigitte "have
one cow, one heifer and four pigs," and that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case," on the north shore of
Rivière-de-Bédec," and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing and on it a large garden."
Alexis Thériot, age 26, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," probably Minas, son of Joseph
of Rivière-de-l'Ouest, lived with wife Madeleine
Robichaud, age 26, "native of l'Acadie" and
Jean dit Cadet's daughter. With Alexis
and Madeleine were three children:
Madeleine-Geneviève, age 4; Pierre-Alexis, age 3; and
Louis, age 17 months. De La Roque noted that
Alexis "has been in the country two years," that "In
live stock" he and Madeleine "have two oxen, two cows,
one calf, one horse and four pigs," and that "The land
on which they are settled is situated as in the
preceding case, and was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made no clearing having been constantly ill." Joseph
dit le Bonhomme Thériot, age
24, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie" and Alexis's
brother, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Pitre,
age 21, "native of l'Acadie," and their 7-month-old son
Pierre-Paul. Also with them was Paul Pitre,
age 10, "native of l'Acadie" and Marie-Josèphe's
brother. De La Roque noted that Bonhomme "has been
in the country 13 months," that "In live stock" he and
Marie-Josèphe "possess two oxen, one cow, one horse, one
wether and one pig," and that "The land on which they
are settled is situated as in the preceding case, and
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. They have made a
clearing where they hope to sow three bushels next
spring." Pierre Lejeune,
père, age 70 (actually 63), ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, lived with wife
Jeanne Benoit, age 60, "native of
l'Acadie" and sister of Jean of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse,
Île Royale. Since they were Brigitte's parents,
they also were the parents of Jean and Éloi of
Grande-Ascension.
The older couple lived with two younger unmarried children:
Marguerite, age 24; and Joseph, age 21. De La
Roque noted that Pierre, père "has been in the
country two years," that "In live stock" he and Jeanne
"have three oxen, one cow, and two pigs," and that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the south
shore of Rivière de Bedecq, and was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of four
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Pierre
Lejeune, fils, age 32,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," lived with wife Marie
LeBlanc, age 34, "native of l'Acadie,"
and four children: David, age 7; Anselme, age 6;
Anne, age 3; and Marie-Blanche, age 8 months. De
La Roque noted that Pierre, fils "has been in
the country 21 months," that "In live stock" he and
Marie "have two oxen, one cow, two pigs and one hen,"
and that "The land on which they are settled is situated
on the south shore of Rivière de Bedecq. They hold
it verbally from Monsieur de
Bonnventure. On it they have made a
clearing where they can sow four bushels of wheat." Jean
Fraiquingout, or Froiquingont,
age 37, ploughman, "native of Plouanne, bishopric of
Saint Malo," France, lived with wife Anne
Lejeune, age 35, "native of l'Acadie" and
another of Pierre, père's daughters. With
Jean and Anne were three chldren: Joseph, age 7;
Véronique, age 5; and Anne-Marie, age 6 months. De
La Roque noted that Jean "has been in the country two
years," that "In live stock" he and Anne "have one pig,
having lost all besides, during the past winter," and
that "They hold their land verbally from Monsieur
de Bonnaventure, and have made a
clearing for the sowing of three bushels of wheats."
Augustin Lejeune, age 26, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie" and another of Pierre, père's
sons, lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Chenois,
actually Chênet, age 27, "native of
l'Acadie," and their year-old daughter Marie-Josèphe.
De La Roque noted that Augustin "has been 21 months in
the country," that he and Marie-Josèphe "have no live
stock," and that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding case," on the south shore
of Rivière-de-Bédec. "It was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for sowing three bushels
of wheat."214
Farther east along the coast, directly across Mer Rouge
from Cap-Tormentine, De La Roque found five more families of recent
arrivals at La Traverse, today's Cape Traverse.
Again, they displayed the usual kinship patterns:
Pierre Blanchard, père, age
60, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually
Port-Royal, brother of Marie-Isabelle of
Rivière-de-Peugiguit and Jean-Baptiste of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, but not kin to François dit
Gentilhomme of Malpèque, lived with wife Françoise
Breau, age 59, "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Minas, sister of Cécile of Malpèque. With
the elderly couple were four of their younger children:
Marie-Madeleine, age 25; Jean-Baptiste, age 22; Joseph,
age 19; and Charles, age 16. De La Roque noted
that Pierre, père "has been in the country one
year," that "In live stock" he and Françoise "have six
oxen, two cows, one calf, three pigs and one horse," and
that "The land on which they are settled is situated on
the north-west bank of Rivière de la Traverse. It
was given to them verbally by Monsieur
de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing and out of that a large garden." Pierre
Blanchard, fils, age 31,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably Cobeguit,
lived with wife Marie-Madeleine Hébert, age 25,
"native of l'Acadie," and their 20-month-old son
Jean-Pierre. De La Roque noted that Pierre,
fils "has been in the country one year," that "In
live stock" he and Marie "have one ox, one cow and three
pigs," and that "The land on which they are settled is
situated as in the preceding cases," on the nortwest
bank of Rivière-de-la-Traverse. "It was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing and out of that a garden." Jean-Baptiste
Boudrot, age 70, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal, older half-brother of
Denis of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, Madeleine of
Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, Catherine-Josèphe of
Anse-au-Matelot, and Antoine of Grande-Anse, lived with
his second wife Louise Saulnier, age 58, "native
of l'Acadie" and sister of Catherine of
Anse-aux-Pirogues and Marguerite of Havre-St.-Pierre.
Through his first wife, Cécile Corporon,
Jean-Baptiste was father of Marguerite of
Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, and Marie of
Anse-au-Matelot, and he and Louise were parents of
Françoise of Port-Lajoie and Anne-Josèphe of
Grande-Anse. Living with the elderly couple were
three of their younger children: Honoré, age 24;
Anastasie, age 19; and Marie-Madeleine, age 16. De
La Roque noted that Jean-Baptiste "has been in the
country one year," that "In live stock" he and Louise
"have two oxen, two cows, one calf and two pigs," and
that "The land on which they are settled is situated as
in the preceding cases. It was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have a clearing on which they have made a garden."
Zacharie Boudrot, age 31, ploughman,
"native of l'Acadie," actually Ste.-Famille, Pigiguit,
and Jean-Baptiste's son by his first marriage, lived
with wife Marguerite Daigre, age 24,
"native of l'Acadie," and two children: Marie, age
3; and Paul, age 1. With them also was Marguerite
Boudrot, age 10, "orphan, native of
l'Acadie," who may have been a daughter of Zacharie's
older brother Jean. De La Roque noted that
Zacharie ""has been one year in the country," that "In
live stock" he and Marguerite "have four oxen, three
cows, three calves, one horse and two pigs," and that
"The land on which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding cases. It was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure
and on it they have made a garden." Antoine
Boudrot, age 35, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Minas, and another of
Jean-Baptiste's sons by his first marriage, lived with
wife Brigitte Apart, age 24, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Minas, and sister of Jean-Antoine of
Anse-à-Pinnet. With Antoine and Brigitte were
there 4-year-old son Jean-Baptiste le jeune,
and Alexis Apart, age 27, "infirm,
brother of the said Brigitte," and "native of l'Acadie,"
actually Minas. De La Roque noted that Antoine
"has been one year in the country," that "In live stock"
he and Brigitte "have two heifers, one horse and one
pig," and that "The land on which they are settled is
situated on the north-west shore of Rivière de la
Traverse. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure, and on
it they have made a garden."215
At Rivière-des-Blonds, today's Tryon River, farther down the coast, De La
Roque found five more families of recent arrivals, most
of them displaying the usual kinship patterns:
François Reneauld, or Renaud,
age 25, "native of l'Acadie," actually Minas, and son of
Marie-Madeleine Lapierre dit
Laroche of Rivière-de-Peugiguit, lived with wife
Françoise Comeau, age 30, "native of
l'Acadie," and three children, the oldest from
Françoise's first marriage: Marie Tompic,
probably Tompique, age 15; Théotiste
Renaud, age 20 months; and Rose
Renaud, age 5 months. De La Roque noted
that François "has been 21 months in the country," that
"In live stock" he and Françoise "have two cows, two
calves, three pigs and one hen," and that "The land on
which they are settled is situated on the north-west
shore of the said river. It was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of two
bushels in the coming spring." Pierre
Robichaud dit Cadet, age 45,
ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," actually Port-Royal,
and younger half-brother of Jean dit Cadet of
Bédec, lived with wife Susanne Brassaud,
age 45, "native of l'Acadie," probably Port-Royal, and
sister of Cécile of Grande-Anse. With Pierre
dit Cadet and Susanne were eight children:
Susanne, age 19; Marie-Rose, age 16; Pierre, fils,
age 15; Marie-Anne, age 14; Olivier, age 10; Anastasie,
age 8; Marie-Josèphe-LaBlanche, age 3; and Firmin-Félix,
age 19 months. De La Roque noted that Pierre
dit Cadet ""has been 21 months in the country,"
that "In live stock" he and Susanne "have one ox, one
bull, two cows, two heifers, four pigs and four fowls,"
and that "The land on which they are settled is situated
as in the preceding cases," on the northwest shore of
Rivière-des-Blonds. "It was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of six
bushels of wheat in the coming spring." Alexandre
Bourg, age 43, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," actually Grand-Pré, son of Jean of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest, lived with wife Ursule
Hébert, age 36, "native of l'Acadie," probably
Minas, and six children: Joseph, age 16;
Marie-Madeleine, age 14; Anne-Marguerite, called
Marguerite, age 10; Anne-Radegonde, age 8; Raymond, age
6; and Grégoire, age 30 months. De La Roque noted
that Alexandre "has been in the country 21 months,"
that "In live stock" he and Ursule "have two oxen, one
cow, two heifers, one calf and five pigs," and that "The
land on which they are settled was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
It is situated on the east bank of the said river.
They have made a clearing for the sowing of six bushels
of grain in the coming spring." François
Bourg, age 35, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Minas, Alexandre's younger brother, lived with
wife Marguerite, actually Marie-Josèphe, Hébert,
age 38, "native of l'Acadie," probably Minas, and
Ursule's younger sister. With François and
Marie-Josèphe were five children: Charles, age 12;
Jean le jeune, age 10; Françoise, age 6;
Marguerite, age 4; and Marie, age 1. De La Roque
noted that François "has been in the country one year,"
that "In live stock" he and Marie-Josèphe "have two
oxen, one cow, one heifer and four pigs," and that "The
land on which they are settled is situated on the east
bank of Rivière des Blonds. It was given to them
verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
They have made a clearing on it for the sowing of six
bushels of wheat." Jean Bourg,
age 45, ploughman, "native of l'Acadie," probably Minas,
Alexandre and François's oldest brother, lived with wife
Marie Pitre, age 46, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Ca-Sable, and five children:
Marguerite, age 18; Jean, fils, age 17;
François, age 14; Marie, age 8; and Charles, age 6.
De La Roque noted that Jean "has been in the country one
year," that "In live stock" he and Marie "have three
oxen, one cow, three heifers and five pigs," and that
"The land on which they are settled is situated as in
the preceding cases," the east bank of
Rivière-des-Blonds. "It was given to them verbally
by Monsieur de Bonnaventure.
On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of six
bushels of wheat in the coming spring."216
Two more families of recent arrivals lived at
Rivière-aux-Crapauds, today's Crapaud River, west of the Blonds:
Louis Bourg, age 65 (actually 62),
ploughman, "native of Port Royal, in l'Acadie," youngest
brother of Catherine of Île Madame and Jean-Baptiste of
Rivière-de-l'Ouest, lived with wife Cécile
Michel, age 58 (actually 50), "native of
l'Acadie" and sister of Marguerite of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, Marie of Petite-Ascension, and
Marie-Josèphe of Anse-au-Matelot. With Louis and
Cécile were seven children: Eustache, age 30;
Marguerite, age 25; Élisabeth, age 24; Louis, fils,
age 22; Marie-Madeleine, age 19; Charles, age 15; and
Anne-Josèphe, age 8. De La Roque noted that Louis
"has been 22 months in the country," that "In live
stock" he and Cécile "have two oxen, four cows, one
calf, four pigs and ten fowls," and that "The land on
which they are settled is situated on the east bank of
the said river," aux-Crapauds. "It was given to
them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing
on it for the sowing of four bushels of wheat."
Jean-Baptiste Bourg, age 29, ploughman,
"native of Acadie" one of Louis's son,
lived with wife Marie-Françoise, called Françoise, Douaron, or
Doiron, no age given but she was 21, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Pigiguit, and daughter of
Thomas of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie. With
Jean-Baptiste and Françoise was their 7-month-old son Jean-Casimir.
De La Roque noted that Jean-Baptiste "has been 22 months
in the country," that "In live stock" he and Françoise
"have two cows and two pigs," and that "The land on
which they are settled is situated as in the preceding
cases. It was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonneventure. On
it they have made a clearing for the sowing of four
bushels of wheat."217
De La Roque found three more families of recent arrivals at
Anse-du-Nord-Ouest, today's Nine Mile Creek, southeast
of the Crapauds: François Nogues,
age 50, ploughman, "native of the parish of Piriac,
bishopric of Nantes," France, lived with wife Madeleine
Doiron, age 47, "native of l'Acadie,"
probably Minas, half-sister of Charles of
Rivière-des-Blancs and Noël of Pointe-Prime, sister of
Thomas of Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, and aunt of
Françoise of Rivière-aux-Crapauds. With François
and Madeleine were six children: Marguerite, age
22; Catherine-Josèphe, age 19; François, fils,
age 15; Anne-Théotiste, age 12; François-Joseph, age 10;
and Marie-Madeleine, age 6. Also with the family
was Madeleine's mother, Marie Trahan, age 80, second
wife and widow of Jean Doiron, the
family's Acadian progenitor. De La Roque noted
that François "has been in the country two years," that
"In live stock" he and Madeleine have two oxen, three
cows, two heifers, one calf[,] one wether, one ewe, two
pigs, one sow and one hen," and that "The land on which
they are settled was given to them verbally by
Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On
it they have made a clearing where they can sow five
bushels of wheat." Mathieu Brasseux,
or Brasseur, age 50, ploughman, "native
of l'Acadie," actually Minas, not kin to Susanne
Brassaud of Rivière-des-Blonds, lived with wife
Anne-Marie Pitre, age 45, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Cap-Sable, and sister of Cécile and
Françoise of Baie-des-Espagnols, Île Royale, Jean,
Joseph, and Catherine of Rivière-de-l'Ouest, Amand of
Grande-Anse, Michel and Madeleine of Pointe-Prime, and
Charles of Anse-à-Pinnet. With Mathieu and
Ann-Marie were 11 children: Pierre, age 21;
Marguerite-Josèphe, age 19; Brigitte, age 17; François,
age 15; Mathurin, age 13; François-Xavier, age 11;
Élisabeth-Gertrude, age 7; Jean-Baptiste, age 6;
Marie-Josèphe, age 4; Anne-Théotiste, age 24 months; and
Pélagie, age 2 months. De La Roque noted that
Mathieu "has been in the country two years," that "In
live stock" he and Anne-Marie "have two oxen, one
heifer, two wethers, six ewes, two pigs and one hen,"
and that "The land on which they arer settled was given
to them verbally by Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing where they have sown six bushels of wheat."
Jean-Baptiste Godet, actually
Gaudet, age 50, ploughman, "native of
l'Acadie," probably Rivière-Kenescout, Minas, brother of
the recently-deceased Pierre of Rivière-du-Nord-Est,
lived with wife Marie-Josèphe Darois,
age 42, "native of l'Acadie," and six children:
Marguerite, age 21; Anne-Josèphe, age 18; Marie-Blanche,
age 16; Marie-Madeleine, age 11; Joseph-Ignase, age 9;
and Paul-Marie, age 3. De La Roque noted that
Jean-Baptiste "has been two years in the country," that
"In live stock" he and Marie-Josèphe "have one ox, two
cows, one calf, one sow, four pigs, and one hen," and
that "They hold their land as in the preceding case.
They have made a clearing where they can sow two bushels
of wheat."272
Moving northeast, De La Roque found two families of recent arrivals at Anse-au-Sanglier, now Holland
Cove, which lay on the west side of the entrance to the
harbor at Port-La-Joye. Both families were
described as "poor." Only the wives had been born
in British Nova Scotia: François Tureaud,
or Turcot, age 24, nailer, "poor ...
not having the means of buying the requisite to work at
his trade[,] native of the parish of Saint Pierre du Doy
in Enjou," actually Anjou, France, lived with wife
Catherine Douaron, or Doiron,
age 35, "native of l'Acadie," and four children:
Marie-Josèphe, age 11; Anaclet, age 9; Jean-Baptiste,
age 7; and François, age 3. De La Roque noted that
François "has been two years in the country," that "In
live stock" he and Catherine "have one pig and twelve
fowls or chickens," and that "They hold their land upon
verbal permission from Monsieur de
Bonnaventure. On it they have made a
clearing for a large garden." Michel Join,
age 46, ploughman, "extremely poor ... and formerly a
soldier, native of the town of Saint Maslo," actually
St.-Malo, "in Britany," lived with wife Marie
Impérisse,
age 46, "native of Port Royal, Acadia." They had
no children, but living with them was Marie-Marthe
André, age 20, "widow, daughter by a
previous marriage of the said Marie Impérisse,"
and Marie-Marthe's 5-month-old son François-Marie
Lecchis. De La Roque noted that
Michel "has been in the country 22 months," that he and
Marie "have no live stock," and that "They hold their
land upon verbal permission from Monsieur
de Bonnaventure and on it have made a
large garden."273
.
Sometime in late August, De La Roque completed his
circuit of Île St.-Jean.
Although he did not record dates and times as diligently
as he had done in his survey of Île Royale, the dates he
did record make it clear that his work on the colony's
western island consumed most, if not all, of August. As
in his report on Île Royale, he hints at the presence of
a survey team to assist him in his herculean task, but,
again, he does not record their number, nor does he name
his companions. And though, geographically, his report on Île
St.-Jean was not as detailed as that for Île Royale, his
descriptions of the harbors and creeks of the island's
north shore were more than adequate for the edification
of his superiors at Louisbourg, and his recommendations for the
island's development were just as incisive. He carefully documented
the growing number of refugees making their way to the island, though he and
his superiors could not know that over the next few
years this immigration would grow from a trickle
into a torrent, straining the island's already limited
resources.
Like their cousins on neighboring Île Royale, but
on an even larger scale, Acadian families on Île
St.-Jean, both old and new, found themselves
subsisting more on government handouts than on the
fruits of their own labor.
Worse yet, beginning in the summer of 1755 the war in Nova Scotia and
in the Ohio country spread like wildfire to the
rest of North America. Gabriel Rousseau de Villejoin,
fils, now commandant of Île St.-Jean, did what
he could to care for the
hundreds of additional Acadian refugees who fled to the
island in the autumn and winter of 1755, most of them
with little more than the shirts on their backs.
The entire population of Cobeguit, for instance,
escaped to Île St.-Jean across Mer Rouge from the late
summer of 1755, when they heard the
British were rounding up their fellow Acadians north and
west of them, into the spring of 1756. Apprised of
these developments, Governor-General Vaudreuil at
Québec promised to send relief.
In an August 1756 letter to the Minister of Marine, Vaudreuil
painted a dismal picture of conditions on the island: "Misery is
great on Île Saint Jean," he wrote. "Most of the inhabitants are without
bread, M. de Villejoin having fed 1,257 refugees since last
autumn." That same year, the harried commandant
informed the governor in Louisbourg that there were now
4,400 Acadians on Île St.-Jean!
After the fall of
Louisbourg in July 1758, hundreds of island Acadians, like their cousins in Nova Scotia, suffered
their own dérangement. Some of them,
especially on the western shore of Île St.-Jean,
escaped the British roundup, but most did not. By
early autumn, British soldiers began shuffling hundreds
of captives aboard another fleet of hired transports. This second round of mass deportations, almost as large
as the first one, was bound for the Breton port of
St.-Malo, though foul weather and other exigencies
forced some of the ships to land in England and at
other French ports.
By the spring 1759, practically if not officially, the French colony of Île
Royale ceased to exist.218