BOOK FOUR:
The French Maritimes
INTRODUCTION
BOOK ONE: French
Acadia
BOOK TWO: British Nova
Scotia
BOOK THREE:
Families, Migration, and the Acadian "Begats"
BOOK FIVE: The
Great Upheaval
BOOK SIX:
The Acadian Immigrants of Louisiana
BOOK SEVEN: French Louisiana
BOOK EIGHT: A New Acadia
BOOK NINE: The Bayou State
BOOK TEN: The Louisiana Acadian "Begats"
BOOK ELEVEN: The Non-Acadian "Cajun" Families of South
Louisiana
BOOK TWELVE: Acadians in Gray
Dry-cod
fishermen from northern France set up their "flakes" on the shore near Cape
Breton, mid-1500s. ...
Île Royale and Île St.-Jean,
1713-1730s
The treaties
signed at Utrecht in 1713 did not grant all of
French Acadia to the victorious British. France
continued to claim two large islands in the Maritimes
region.
Cape Breton, the Unimake of the Mi'kmaq, lay east of peninsula Nova Scotia across the
narrow Strait of Canso. Like the Atlantic and Gulf shores of the peninsula,
Cape Breton remained on the periphery of
Acadian life. What the Mi'kmaq called
Epekwitk, "land cradled by the waves," the French called Île
St.-Jean, today's Prince Edward Island.
Its French name derived from old accounts dating back to
Cartier. Though not as geographically close as
Cape Breton Island to peninsula Acadia, the south shore
of Île St.-Jean could be reached after only a day's boat
ride from the north shore of the Chignecto isthmus. The
French renamed Cape Breton Island Île Royale, which also
was the name of their new Maritimes colony. Île
St.-Jean, at the southern end of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, would serve as the western territory of the
new colony. The French
created a colonial administration for Île Royale at a fishing port
on the Atlantic side of Cape Breton Island--Havre-à-l'Anglois, or English Harbor, which they renamed
Louisbourg.
But, because of the treaty's failure to
establish clear-cut boundaries for the Maritimes region, the new
French colony existed at first where there was only a
claim of territory. This changed in
September 1720,
when French
diplomats, "with the Regent's full support, insisted
that Canso Island was a part of Île Royale, and the
British accepted that any islands lying north of the
mainland (i.e., peninsular Nova Scotia) and in the Gulf
of St. Lawrence were French possessions."245
The new Maritimes colony was intended to play an
important role in French imperial plans for North
America. First would be the resettlement of
Frenchmen in French-controlled territory, particularly
the Acadians of British Nova Scotia, who would create an
agricultural base on Île St.-Jean, where soil and
climate were more favorable to agriculture than on Île
Royale. For those Acadians who could not
be lured to the Maritimes, the islands would nonetheless
represent "a French presence on the Acadian doorstep"
which could do much to hold Acadian allegiance to France, "especially
through their ecclesiastical ties and the effective
control of the Indians who lived among them by the
government at Louisburg." The islands also
would serve as a base from which to protect the
lucrative cod fisheries in the region, which Cape Breton
had served for a century and a half. Cape Breton
also would guard the approaches to the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, the gateway to Canada, and would serve to
check the British presence in peninsula Nova Scotia,
especially the British base at Canso. Beginning in
1720, at great expense, the French constructed
fortifications around Louisbourg based on Field
Marshall, the marquis de Vauban's most elaborate
configurations. By the early 1740s, Louisbourg had
become one of the most formidable fortresses in North
America.252
.
The long history of European presence on Cape Breton
Island provided few clues as to its importance for
either of the imperial powers before 1713. Yet,
for two centuries, the big island had played a role in the
European exploitation of the New World.
Andrew Hill Clark describes it as "a place long and well
known to those who used its shores for a fishery and to
whom its resources of timber, coal, and gypsum were
familiar. Indeed," Clark continues, "Cape Breton may have been known to
post-Columbian Europeans as long as any other part of
the continent." The Vikings may have ventured
there hundreds of years before Cabot sailed along its
eastern coast in 1497 and may even have landed there.
Not long after Cabot's voyage, in deference to his sponsors, the point of land along
which he had sailed was referred to by cartographers and
later explorers as the English cape--Cape
Breton. Fagundes may have wintered there with his fellow
Portuguese in 1520. Verrazzano, sailing for
France, passed that way in
1524. Cartier sailed north of the cape on his first
voyage in 1534. And Richard Hore of London may have
visited the cape two years later.
According to Marc Lecarbot, Cartier and his superior,
Jean-François de la Rocque, sieur de Robeval, had
fortified themselves on Cape Breton Island during the
early 1540s. Clark notes that "the little cape ... that was to be attached to
the whole island, probably goes back in cartographic
record even beyond the certainty of the Maggiolo map of
1527." By 1600, it was well known that the cape
was part of a large island, not of the continent itself.253
The first "settlers" on Cape Breton were the dry-cod
fishermen, who found the island's Atlantic coast ideal
for their labors. They came as early as the
mid-1550s, established their seasonal settlements, and
returned for centuries to what Andrew Hill Clark describes as a "splendid array of harbors and
coves." By 1600 and into the seventeenth century,
many of these fishery sites were named, if not settled.
The fishermen "chose sheltered inlets with gravel
beaches and a good supply of wood for their flakes.
As the names on the
earlier maps of Cape Breton show, each nationality
tended to use specific harbours":
Havre d'Achpé, now Aspy; Niganiche, now
Ingonish, and Port-d'Orléans, were favored by the Portuguese
and then the French; Baie-Ste.-Anne,
originally Grand Cibou, today's Englishtown, was popular
with the French, who named it for the patron saint of
fishing;
Grand and Petit Bras d'Or, or Arm of Gold;
Baie-des-Espagnols, or Spanish Bay, now Sydney, was first
mentioned as a fishing station in a 1597 edition of Richard Hakluyt's
Principal Navigations; there was Baie-de-l'Indiane,
l'Indienne,
or Lingan, now Indian Bay;
Anse-de-la-Glace, now Glace or Frozen Bay;
Mordienne, now Port Morien or Cow Bay;
Baie-de-Miré, now Mira Bay;
Île Scatarie;
Main-à-Dieu Passage;
Cap-Breton, for which the entire island was named;
La Balaine or Baleine, also called
Havre la Baleine and Port-aux-Baleines, perhaps originally a whaling center;
Havre-à-l'Anglois, also Havre-aux-Anglais, or
English Harbor, now Louisbourg;
Petit and Grand Lorembec, also spelled Laurembec,
now the Lorraines; Baie-de-Gabarus; Havre
Fourché, now Fourchu; Grand and Petit Framboise;
St.-Esprit; Pointe Micheau; L'Ardoise,
named for its nearby slate quarries; Petit-Dégrat;
Nerichac, now Arichat; Rivière-des-Habitants; and Île
Madame, separated from Cape Breton Island by
Petite Passage de Fronsac, today's Lennox Passage.
West of Île Madame ran the Grand Passage de Fronsac,
also called the Strait or Gut of Canso, a deep, narrow
channel
separating Île Royale from peninsula Nova Scotia
and leading
to St. George's Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
During the early eighteenth century, the French found
gypsum deposits on the island side of the Gut at
Plaster Cove, today's Port Hastings. The
island's magnificent western shore, facing St. George's
Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, was
virtually uninhabited except for Chéticamp, far up the coast.
The cod ran there in the spring but in nothing like the
quantities found on the offshore banks along the
Atlantic side of the island. There, on the
Atlantic, the fishermen found deposits of coal imbedded
in the seaside bluffs from Baie-des-Espagnols around to Mordienne--"evidence of what was the best resource of
mineral fuel on the whole eastern seaboard of North
America." During the seventeenth century, fishing
vessels with excess hold capacity often were summoned
"to dig and carry off a few hundredweight, or tons, for
New France, New England, and the West Indies, or even
Europe." They also made note of the island's
timber resources. Gypsum deposits were discovered
in the highlands overlooking Lac Bras d'Or, the large
interior saltwater bay whose narrow inlet lay just up
the coast from Baie-des-Espagnols. Bras d'Or also
could be approached from its southern end via an inlet
that led to a narrow peninsula joining the two halves of
the big island.254
The first attempt to settle the island
permanently came in the late 1620s, during another war between France and
England. In September 1621, King James I of
England had awarded French Acadia, soon to be called
"Nova Scotia," to fellow Scotsman Sir William Alexander
the elder. Alexander, in turn, awarded Cape Breton
Island to court favorite Sir John Gordon of Lochinvar,
who renamed the island New Galloway. Lochinvar
produced a pamphlet, dated 1625, encouraging his fellow
Scotsmen to invest in his new settlement, but the
Scotsman's death soon afterwards ended the Cape Breton
venture. In the summer of 1629, while on his way
to construct a Scots settlement at Port-Royal,
Nova Scotia,
Sir William Alexander the younger
directed
his associate, James Stewart of Killeith, Lord Ochiltree, "to
set up a fort and settlement" on Cape Breton Island.
Ochiltree attacked a Basque fishing vessel at La Baleine
and used its guns to protect his new fort.
But Ochiltree and his 60 Scots did not remain long on New Galloway. They harassed French
fishermen in the area, extorting a ten-percent tax on
their catches. On September 18, perhaps while the
new post was still under
construction, Captain Charles Daniel of Dieppe, on his
way to succor Champlain at Québec and aware that
Ochiltree had harassed French fishermen after a treaty
of peace had been signed in Europe, attacked
La Baleine, captured Ochiltree and his men, and
destroyed Fort Rosemar. Using material from
the Scots fort, and likely the labor of the Scotsmen
themselves, Daniel constructed a settlement of his
own, up the coast at Baie Ste.-Anne, near the inlet to
the Bras d'Or Lakes. Before winter set in, he
deported the Scotsmen as prisoners to England
and France. He also left a small garrison at Fort
Ste.-Anne, making it "the first permanent European
settlement on the island--the first time that Europeans
had stayed for more than the fishing season."
Father Barthélémy Vimont was a member of the garrison
and the precursor of a short-lived Jesuit mission to
serve the local Mi'kmaq--the first Jesuit mission in
North America. First the mission and
then Daniel's post at Ste.-Anne were abandoned by 1641. During the
1630s, however, Cardinal Richelieu's
Company of New France, either under the aegis of Isaac
de Razilly, the new governor of Acadia, or under a
different grant, built Fort St.-Pierre at the head of an
inlet that led to the narrow peninsula south of Lac Bras
d'Or. This placed a new French post on the other side of the island from
Daniel's Ste.-Anne. In the early 1640s, Louis Tuffet commanded
Fort St.-Pierre. Evidently the site, with its
inlet on the Atlantic, was ideal for ship
building. In the spring of 1644, master ship's
carpenter Robert
Cormier of La Rochelle, having signed an indenture
for three years' service with Tuffet, along with 10
other engagés, arrived at Fort
St.-Pierre aboard Le Petit St.-Pierre;
Cormier was allowed to take his
wife and two sons with him, the only one granted the
privilege. The venture soon failed, and
Cormier and the others returned to La Rochelle. In 1647, Company associate
Guilles Guignard was in charge of the fort.
Earlier that year, the new French king, Louis XIV, had
named Charles de Menou, sieur d'Aulnay, a former
associate of the now-dead Razilly, as governor-general
of Acadia. Taking advantage of his new title and
privileges, d'Aulnay seized Fort St.-Pierre from
Guignard and added it to his own extensive holdings.255
In 1650 or 1651, during the chaos following d'Aulnay's sudden
death at Port-Royal, Nicolas Denys,
another former associate of Isaac de Razilly,
took control of Fort St.-Pierre. According to
Andrew Hill Clark, it was Denys who transformed the
place into the most important settlement on the island,
though its population was always small. In 1651,
agents claiming to represent d'Aulnay's widow disputed
Denys's claim to the
fort and burned it, but the determined Denys acquired a "good title" in 1653,
rebuilt the fort, and
remained there. That same year, Nicolas's older
brother, Simon Denys de La Trinité, resurrected Charles
Daniel's post at Ste.-Anne. As he revealed in his
memoirs many years later, Nicolas "cleared nearly one
hundred acres near his fortified post [at St.-Pierre] ... and built a
'road' on which to drag small vessels across the
isthmian portage" to the head of Lac Bras d'Or. "It
was a strategic location for trade with the Indians, for
this portage was used by most of the peripatetic groups
of Micmac who came and went between the Acadian mainland
and the interior of the island. Denys accurately
observed that the interior lake was surrounded by
mountains (some of them, he noted, contained gypsum)"
and a "mixed forest of spruce, fir, hemlock, pine, and
larch with birch, maple, and beech which, in somewhat
changing specific proportions, has dominated the island
ever since." Denys also explored
extensively the big island's outer coast, all of which
he believed lay within his large concession. At
Havre-à-l'Anglois, "he noted that the fishermen of La
Rochelle had come in old times to winter in order to be
fishing as early in the spring as possible--for it was
France's early market that paid most handsomely."
He inspected the hill of coal at Baie-des-Espagnols and
found more useful trees there: maple, ash, and
oak. He explored the harbor at Ste.-Anne, "with
its all-but-inclosing bar and the cliff of gypsum at its
foot." Up the coast, he visited Niganiche, rounded
Cape North, stopped at Le Chadye, present-day Chéticamp,
on the lonely western shore fronting the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, and continued down and around to the Strait of Canso and back to Fort
St.-Pierre.256
After the English seized Acadia in 1654, Denys made a
deal with the new overlords and retained control of Fort
St.-Pierre and his other holdings in the region.
His luck ran out in the winter of 1668/69, when Fort
St.-Pierre burned ... again. Unable to rebuild, he
retreated to Nepisiguit, his outpost on the Baie des
Chaleurs. According to Andrew Hill Clark, after
1669,
"we infer, rather than
know of, only wintering fishermen temporarily in one or
another harbor" on Cape Breton Island. "The
Indians, constantly on the move, fluctuated widely in
numbers and generally camped on the shores of Bras d'Or
Lake when they did winter there." In 1677, Denys
received from the intendant of New France an order
granting him control of the coal and gypsum beds on the
island, which others had accessed over the years without
paying him a fee, but the aging proprietor's hold on the
big island, for all practical purposes, had ended.
"Gargas' census of
1687/88 mentions one man and five engagés as the
European population on the island, along with some Indians. An
additional ninety Indians were listed for 'Canceau' and
'Isles St-Pierre,' the latter possibly the Isle Madame
area southwest" of Fort St.-Pierre. In other
words, after Denys and his fellows left Fort St.-Pierre,
the big island was virtually abandoned, at least by
European settlers. Clark goes on: "Until the
eighteenth century the claims of sovereignty over the
island or its parts, formal or informal, were of little
significance or effect: no country appeared to
want to make permanent establishments there and the
vessels of all the western European nations, and of
their North American colonies, visited it frequently.
Indeed, one is reminded of the 'hands off' attitude of
European powers, especially Great Britain and France,
toward New Zealand a century later." Cape
Breton essentially reverted to "an international haven
for drying fish, for a shore-based boat fishery, and for
obtaining supplies of wood, coal, or water."257
Queen Anne's War of 1702-13 changed all that, at least
from the French perspective. As early as 1706,
Jacques Raudot, the intendant of New France, envisioned
a role for Cape Breton Island in the evolution of French
imperial interests in North America. Seven years
earlier, far to the south on the Gulf of Mexico,
Canadian naval officer Pierre Le Moyne, sieur d'Iberville, motivated by La Salle's great vision of
French domination of the continent, established the new
colony of Louisiana on Biloxi Bay. Looking to the
east, Raudot "urged a French establishment on Cape
Breton to serve three main purposes: as an
entrepôt between France, Canada, Plaisance (Placentia,
in Newfoundland), and Acadia where cargoes could be
transshipped; as a location that would allow a winter
fishery (pêche d'automne) as well as a summer one
and a base for sealing and whaling; and as a haven for
French merchant and naval vessels and a base from which
to annoy the English" in the region. What
France lost in the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713
placed Cape Breton at the center of French imperial
plans. Peninsula Acadia was gone, as was
Plaisance, on Newfoundland's southeastern coast, then
the "only settlement base" for the French offshore
fishery. These losses, coupled with the
retention of Canada, Illinois, the pays d'en haut,
Louisiana, and the Maritimes, led to the creation of the
new colony of Île Royale, with Île St.-Jean as a western
component, and the construction of a fortress on Cape
Breton Island.258
French officials, consulting a survey of the island's
potential for defense conducted by military engineer
Jacques L'Hermitte of Plaisance, considered several
sites for a naval fortress on Île Royale, all of them
located on the Atlantic coast. They included Daniel's and Simon Denys's old post at Ste.-Anne, renamed Port-Dauphin; Nicolas
Denys's old post
at
St.-Pierre, renamed Port-Toulouse; Havre-à-l'Anglois,
renamed Louisbourg; and "the most
commodious harbor of all," Baie-des-Espagnols. Raudot
had favored the latter location: "Its spacious
harbor was protected by a largely submerged sandbar
which blocked much of the entrance; it had excellent,
sandy beaches and holding bottoms; there was adequate
space and depth of water for any size of fleet; the land
around it seemed more attractive (or less unattractive)
for agriculture than that near Louisburg; there were
both good timber and open-face coal mines nearby; and,
of great importance, it was fairly close to the fishery.
Finally, by way of a short portage to Bras d'Or Lake, it
had easy access to the interior and by way of St. Peters
[Port-Toulouse] a protected avenue of connection
with the Canso region and the Acadian (Nova Scotian)
mainland." St.-Pierre/Port-Toulouse also offered
many advantages, known since Denys's time there--a
potential for agriculture, close proximity to the
fishery at Île Madame and Canso, hardwood forests, and a
spacious harbor. However, "a narrow entrance and a
bar excluded ships of over 150 tons." Much
attention was given to Port-Dauphin,
especially by Île Royale's first governor, Philippe
de Pastour de Costebelle, formerly in command at Plaisance, whose headquarters were
at Baie Ste.-Anne.
He praised the local soil and vegetation there, and
especially the impressive
harbor at Port-Dauphin "with a bar leaving a narrow channel which,
adequate for peaceful entry, promised facilities for
defense." L'Hermitte also praised the
defensibility of the post, as well as its commercial
potential, noting that nearby stood deposits of gypsum
and coal and also impressive stands of timber.
However, as at other sites around the island, an
agricultural base there would have required clearing of
the steep uplands. Moreover, some of the fishermen, who would have
established its economic base, complained that it was "too far from the
fishing grounds for the use of shallops, and its
encircling hills cut off the breezes essential for
'making' of the dried codfish," though the
area had been used as a cod-fishing station since 1597. And then there was Louisbourg, favored by Costabelle's second in command, King's Lieutenant Joseph
Mombeton de Brouillan de Saint-Ovide.
Lying so near Cape Breton, Louisbourg "was the closest port to Europe
and one of the longest and best known to French sailors
in North America. As a major haven for the fishery
and port-of-call for the transatlantic traffic, with a
harbor that could handle a hundred ships, year-round
access to the open sea, and capability for defense from
naval attack, it served well, although as a site for a
naval fortress it faced the handicaps of a lack of
building stone and lime." There were other
disadvantageous at Louisbourg. Its foggy coast could pose a
problem for navigation, and agriculturally it had
nothing to recommend it, though this was the case for
the other possible sites as well.260
In 1715, after much deliberation and aided by the
opinion of shakers and movers in New France, including governor-general Philippe de Rigaud
de Vaudreuil at Québec, the Conseil de la Marine chose Port-Dauphin as the new colonial capital.
This suited Governor Costabelle just fine. In 1718, however,
soon after Costabelle had died
following a transatlantic crossing, the head of the
Conseil changed his
mind and ordered the capital moved to Louisbourg, much
closer to the center of the cod-fishing industry.
This
no doubt suited Saint-Ovide, who had succeeded Costabelle as
governor on 16 September 1717.260a
Construction of fortifications,
in stone, not wood, the first appearing in 1717, began in earnest at Louisbourg with the
erection of the King's Bastion in 1720. However,
until a town arose behind the fortified walls, the area's
population remained insignificant. Desperate for
new settlers, Intendant Raudot had proposed to
deny disabled soldiers their pensions in France and
force them to emigrate to Cape Breton, but the
Conseil de la Marine rejected the idea.
A wellspring of emigrants lay much closer to home.
By October of 1714, Andrew Hill Clark tells us, "all of
the settlers at Placentia (except the handful who chose
to take the oath of loyalty to Queen Anne and remain)
had been transferred and some 180 people were
established around Louisburg, or nearby in Baleine or
Scatarie Island." This was, as mandated by the
Treaty of Utrecht, the transference of the
French fishery of southern Newfoundland to Cape Breton
Island.
.
Although most of the immigrants from Plaisance were fishermen/habitants,
they were devoted more to fishing than to farming.
The fishery on Île Royale would thrive, but
no agricultural base for Louisbourg would come of it.
Most of the heads of these fishing families were
natives of France or Newfoundland, and one had sprung
from an Englishman! On Île Royale, these fisherfolk created a kind of
créole elite with a typically high rate of
endogamy. Few of them married into
families from peninsula Acadia.155
Jean-François, called François,
Bertrand married Ozanne,
also called Marie-Anne, Chevros of
St.-Martin-de-Ré, on
Île de Ré,
near La Rochelle, France, in c1650. During the
late 1650s or early 1660s, they emigrated to the French fishery at Plaisance,
Newfoundland.
Ozanne gave Jean-François six children, two
sons and four daughters, the older ones born in France,
the younger ones in Newfoundland: Anne on
Île de Ré in c1651; François, fils at Île de Ré in c1653;
Marguerite either place; Marie-Anne either place;
Ambroise at Plaisance in c1663; and Renée in c1664.
Jean-François died by c1667, when Ozanne remarried at
Plaisance. Their daughters married into the
Rogeon (Royon) dit Le Suisse,
Trotel dit Amus,
Gilbert (Gillebert), Jouglas,
and Balon dit Desfairens
families. Oldest son
François, fils married Jeanne Giraudet at Plaisance in
c1678 and served as harbor pilot and colonel
of militia at the fishery; he also was a chevalier in
the Order of St.-Louis. Jeanne gave the colonel
seven children, three sons and four daughters, all born
in Newfoundland: François III;
Marguerite; Renée; Marie-Josèphe; Pierre; Jean; and
Anne. François
and Jeanne's daughters
married into the Dangeac, Le Neuf de La Vallière,
Rousseau de Villejoin, and
d'Ailleboust d'Argenteuil families--all members
of the colonial aristocracy. Older sons François
III and Pierre married into the Lucas
and Tompique families. Youngest
son Jean married Marie, daughter of
Emmanuel Le Borgne de Bélisle and Cécile
Thibodeau, at La Baleine, Île Royale, in April 1717--another
connection to the aristocracy of greater Acadia.
Daughter Marie-Renée married into the L'Hermite
family. One of Jean's sons, Jean-Thomas, emigrated
to Louisiana.280
____ Commère married in c1662 a
woman whose name has been lost to history. She
gave him five children, a son and four daughters, all
born at Plaisance, Newfoundland: Jeanne;
Anne-Marie, born in c1664; Thomas dit La
Chapelle in c1667; Marie; and Simone. ____'s
daughters married into the Le Grand,
Laussois, Carmel,
Borny, and Spar (Haspart)
families. Son Thomas married Charlotte, daughter
of Gilles Vincent dit
Desmarets and Marguerite Durand, at
Plaisance in c1697. Charlotte gave him 11
children, only the oldest one at Newfoundland, the
others on Île Royale: Marguerite, born in c1698;
three sons who died as infants; Antoine; Charlotte;
Gillette; Louis at Scatary, Île Royale, in c1722; Servan
at Scatary in c1723; Adrien at Port-Orléans in c1724;
and Joseph at Port-Orléans in c1725. On Île
Royale, Thomas worked as a fisherman/habitant
and in the coasting trade. Three of his daughters
married into the Duval, Le
Barbier Duplessis, and Guyon
families. Sons Louis and Servan married into the
Grossin and La Forest
families. A French official counted Thomas,
Charlotte, and sons Louis and Servan and their families
at Baie-des-Espagnols in April 1752.
The official noted that Louis still maintained a
presence on his native Île Scatary. With the
family were "four domestics, including a 36 months man,"
an indication that Thomas dit La Chapelle and
his sons were doing well. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.103
Thomas Pitt dit
Tompique, born at Ringwood, England, in c1644,
emigrated to Newfoundland and married Anne
Raymond of Meschers-sur-Gironde, Saintonge,
France, at Plaisance in c1665. She gave him fives
children, four sons and a daughter, all born at
Plaisance: Pierre dit Petry dit
Pisk dit le Chevalier de l'Isle-Longue in
c1670; Marie in c1672; Gaspard; Jean-Pierre; and Thomas,
fils, born in c1685. Thomas, père
and Anne died at Plaisance by 1708. Daughter Marie
married into the Charpentier and
Carrerot families. Gaspard and
Jean-Pierre probably died in childhood. Oldest son
Pierre dit Petry became a successful fisherman/habitant
at Plaisance and Petit-Plaisance, but he did not marry.
Youngest son Thomas, fils married Marie,
daughter of Mathieu Ostendeau and Anne
Rogeon, at Plaisance in February 1708,
and emigrated to Île Royale after 1714 and settled at La
Baleine, near Louisbourg. Marie gave him at least
eight children, the first two born at Plaisance, the
others at La Baleine: Françoise was born in c1712;
Pierre in c1714; Catherine in January 1717; André in
April 1719; Marie-Josèphe in June 1720; Étienne in
August 1722; Thomas-Pierre in January 1727; and
Pierre-François in June 1729. Daughters Françoise
and Catherine married into the Bertrand
and Voisin families. Pierre
married Marie-Anne, daughter of Jean Bertrand
and Marie Le Borgne de Bélisle, at La
Baleine in October 1736. André married first to
Cécile, daughter of Bernard Daigre and
Angélique Richard, at Grand-Pré in
British Nova Scotia in January 1744, and remarried to
Anne, daughter of Jean Benoit and
Marie-Josèphe Thériot, also peninsula
Acadians, at La Baleine in April 1752. Étienne
married Marguerite-Jeanne, daughter of Jean
Tesse and Marie-Josèphe Bodart,
probably at La Baleine in February 1752.
Thomas-Pierre married Anne Bénard in
c1772 probably at Cayenne, French Guyane, where he died
in October 1772, age 45. Pierre-François survivied
childhood but did not marry. A French official
counted the extended family--Thomas, fils's
widow Marie; André, still a widower; Étienne and his
bride; Thomas-Pierre; Pierre-François; and two of
Marie's daughter Françoise's orphaned children--at La
Baleine in April 1752. The following August, the
same French official counted Françoise Comeau,
wife of François Renaud and widow of
____ Tompic, at
Rivière-des-Blonds, on the southern coast of Île
St.-Jean. With the family was Marie Tompic,
age 15, so her father and mother had been married in the
late 1730s. One wonders which Tompic
this may have been, and if he was a descendant of Thomas
Pitt dit Tompique.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.150
Abraham Pichot or Pichaud, master locksmith
and gunsmith, born in c1640, came to Plaisance,
Newfoundland, by c1669, when he married Madeleine,
daughter of Jacques Aubert and Anne
Rabellaud of La Rochelle, at the French
fishery. Abraham also worked as a fisherman/merchant
and died at Plaisance in c1691. Madeleine died
there in December 1713, on the eve of the fishery's
retrocession to Britain. Madeleine gave Abraham at
least eight children, five sons and three daughters, all born at Plaisance:
Isaac in c1670; Anne in c1672; Jean-Pierre in c1673;
Jean in c1674; Marie-Madeleine; Jean-François; René
dit Renaud, in c1680; and Jeanne. All
but one of their five sons married, but the name of
oldest son Isaac's wife, who he married at La Rochelle
in c1698, has been lost to history. Younger sons
Jean-Pierre, Jean-François, and René dit Renaud
married into the de Gonillon,
Melanson, Chevalier, and
Toulon families. Jean-François
was the only son who did not move on to Île Royale after 1714;
he married at
Grand-Pré in British Nova Scotia soon after the
retrocession, settled near his Melanson
in-laws, and died at Minas in c1726 or 1727.
Jean-Pierre, meanwhile, settled at La Baleine and
Lorembec on Île Royale; and René dit Renaud settled at nearby
St.-Esprit before moving down the coast to Petit-Dégrat,
off Île Madame. They both worked as fishermen/habitants. Abraham and Madeleine's two older
daughters, Anne and Marie-Madeleine, married into the
Dihars dit Estevin and
Lamoureaux dit Rochefort families at
Plaisance and also moved on to Île Royale.
Marie-Madeleine died on the island in 1718-19. Anne died at
Port-Orléans, on the Atlantic coast north of Louisbourg,
in c1733. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.73
Pierre Le Grand, born probably in
France, married Jeanne Commère of
Plaisance, Newfoundland, probably at the fishery in
c1681. She gave him two children there:
Pierre-César-Alexandre, born in c1682; and Marie.
Pierre died probably at Plaisance by August 1697, when
Jeanne remarried there. She died there in October
1711. Daughter Marie married into the
Boitier dit Bérichon family in
September 1706, place unrecorded, and died three years
later, place unrecorded. Pierre-César-Alexandre
went to Île Royale in late 1714 and, the following year,
was granted a concession at the fishery on Île Scatary,
off the Atlantic coast. He married Madeleine,
daughter of Étienne Dihars dit
Estevin and Anne Pichot and widow of
Gilles Laussois, on the island in
c1720; Madeleine also was a native of Newfoundland.
She gave him at least seven children, all born on the
island: Georges in c1726; Marie-Barbe-Élie in
c1728; Jeanne in c1729; Marie in c1730; Guy-Alexandre in
c1731; Louis in c1733; and Louise in c1735.
Daughters Marie-Barbe-Élie and Jeanne married into the
Mirande and
Sabot families. A French official counted
Pierre, Madeleine, and their unmarried children "on the
Great Harbour of the Isle de Scatary" in April 1752,
when Pierre-César-Alexandre was age 70. He owned
two boats and employed a domestic servant. His
concession included "grounds on which to make drying
sheds for the fish of six boats." Daughter Jeanne
was counted with her family a few days later at nearby
Anse-Darembourg, daughter Marie-Barbe-Élie with
her family at Lorembec a few days after that. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.136
Jean Dubordieu, born at Marennes,
Saintonge, France, in c1658, a fisherman/habitant,
married Marie Boucher probably at
Plaisance in c1683. She gave him five children,
all born at Plaisance: Jeanne in c1685; Jean; two
more sons who died young; and a second daughter who died
young. Daughter Jeanne married into the
Ricord and Rolland dit
Larivière families in Newfound, and into the
Chênet family at Port-Toulouse, Île Royale.
She died at Louisbourg in August 1741, in her mid-50s.
Jean and Marie also moved to Île Royale probably in
1714. Jean, père died at Louisbourg in
June 1736, age 78. Marie died at Lorembec in
February 1745, age unrecorded. Meanwhile, son
Jean, fils married Françoise, daughter of
Étienne DesRoches and Gabrielle
Le Manquet of Plaisance, probably at Lorembec
in c1717. Françoise gave him at least nine
children there: Perrine, born in c1727; Félix in
c1728; François in c1729; Simon-Louis in c1732; Julienne
in c1734; Marie in c1735; Françoise in c1738; Jean III
in c1741; and Guillaume in c1745. Jean, fils
died probably at Lorembec in the late 1740s, age
unrecorded. In April 1752, a French official
counted Françoise, still unmarried, and four of her
children--sons Félix, François, and Simon, in their
early 20s, and daughter Marie, age 17, none of them
married--at Lorembec, where they lived and worked on a
fishing concession their mother did not yet own.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.162
Gilles
Vincent dit
Desmarets, not kin to the Vincents of
peninsula Acadia, married Marguerite Durand
in Newfoundland in c1683 and settled at Plaisance and
St.-Pierre. Marguerite gave him nine
children, six sons and three daughters, all born in
Newfoundland: Charlotte at Plaisance in c1684;
Adrien, birth place and birth date unrecorded; Barbe at
Plaisance, date unrecorded; Jean probably at Plaisance;
Michel probably at Plaisance; Bernard at Plaisance;
Bernardine probably at Plaisance; Gilles, fils
at Plaisance in c1694; and Eustache at Plaisance.
Gilles took his family to the fishery at Île Scatary,
off Newfoundland, by 1716, and died at Port-Orléans, up
the coast, in
c1722. Three of his sons married, two of them,
Bernard and Gilles, fils, into the
Dihars and Maisonnat families.
The name of youngest son Eustache's wife has been lost
to history. Two of Gilles's and Marguerite's
daughters married into the Commère
dit La Chapelle and Le Manquet
dit Benjamin families and remained on Île Royale.
One of Gilles's granddaughters, Marie Vincent
dit Desmarets, married Thomas Poirée,
a French fisherman, and settled 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.99
Jean Borny married Marie Commère,
a native of Plaisance, Newfoundland, probably at
Plaisance in c1687. He likely worked as a
fisherman/habitant there. Marie gave him
11 children, five son and six daughters, most, if not
all, of them born in Newfoundland: Jean; Marie;
Joseph at St.-Pierre; Anne; Jeanne at Plaisance in
c1695; Marie at Plaisance in c1698; Basile there in
c1702; Thérèse at Grand-Banc in c1705; Agnès; Gabriel;
and Charles. After 1714, they settled at
Port-Orléans, on the upper Atlantic coast of Île Royale. Four of
their sons--Joseph, Basile, Gabriel, and Charles--married into the Malvillain,
Pichot, Le Bon, and
Vincent dit Desmarets
families. They settled at Port-Orléans, Île
Scatary, Petit-Bras-d'Or,
and Baie-de-l'Indienne on the island and also worked as fishermen. Five
of Jean and Marie's daughters--Anne, Jeanne, Marie,
Thérèse, and Agnès--married into the
Durand, Sabot, Le Berteau dit
Lyonnais, Anquetil dit La
Brutière, Le Caudé dit La
Fontaine, Allain, and Philippot
families. Joseph's older daughter Michelle married
into the Philibert family and settled
at Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore of Île Scatary,
where a French official counted Michelle, her husband,
three of their children, and four of her unmarried
siblings--Joseph, fils; Anne; Nicolas, called
Colas; and Thomas--in April 1752. None of Jean's
descendants emigrated to Louisiana.101
Étienne Dihars dit
Estevin, born at St.-Jean-de-Luz, in the Basque country
of southwestern France, in c1660, married Anne, daughter
of Abraham Pichot and Madeleine
Aubert of Plaisance, Newfoundland, probably at
Plaisance in c1689, and worked as a fisherman/habitant
there. Anne gave him eight children, three sons
and five daughters, all of them born at Plaisance:
Catherine in c1691; Jeanne in June 1692; Madeleine in
c1694; Marguerite in c1698; Georges; Étienne, fils in c1704; Marie-Anne; and Alexandre.
Étienne, père died in either Newfoundland or
Île Royale between 1711 and 1716. His widow
settled at Port-Orléans. Two of her
three sons married there, into the
Coupiau dit Desaleur and
Commère dit La Chapelle families.
Son Georges moved on to Petit-Bras-d'Or, down the
coast, where he, too, worked as a fisherman/habitant.
Four of Étienne and Anne's daughters married into the
Lartigue, Laussois,
Le Grand, Vincent
dit Desmarets, and Gonsalin
families on Île Royale. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.95
Jean
Lamoureux dit Rochefort, of Rochefort, France, married Marie-Madeleine,
daughter of Abraham
Pichot and Madeleine Aubert, at Plaisance, Newfoundland,
in c1693, where he worked as fisherman/habitant and served as a major
of the Plaisance militia. They also lived at
Grand-Grève, near Plaisance. Marie-Madeleine gave
Rochefort at least five children, a son and four
daughters, all born at Plaisance except the youngest:
Madeleine was born in c1694; Marie-Anne in c1698;
Marie-Jeanne's birth year is unrecorded; Jean-Baptiste
was born in c1704; and a daughter, born probably on Île
Royale in c1715, died as an infant. Jean dit
Rochefort became a merchant at Louisbourg. He and
his family also settled at Baie-de-l'Indienne up the
coast before moving to Île St.-Jean.
There they lived at Pointe-de-l'Est
at the far east end of the island and
at Havre-St.-Pierre on the island's north shore. Son
Jean-Baptiste married Marie-Claire, daughter of
peninsula Acadians Jean
Pothier and his second wife Marie-Madeleine
Chaisson, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for
Havre-St.-Pierre, in July 1740. Marie-Claire gave
Jean-Baptiste at least five children on Île St.-Jean, four sons
and a daughter: Jean-Baptiste, fils in May 1741, Louis in October
1742, Marie-Judith in July 1744, François in c1750, and Martin in November
1753. Jean-Baptiste died at Havre-St.-Pierre in May
1758, on the eve of the island's dérangement.
Meanwhlle, three of Jean-Baptiste's sisters married into the Morin
dit Langevin, Dutraque, and
Baudouin Le Cluzeau families at
Plaisance or on Île Royale, so the family endured its
own dérangement. At least three of Jean
dit Rochefort's descendants, all children of
son Jean-Baptiste, emigrated to Louisiana, from France.97
Pierre-Louis Courthiau, born at
Bayonne, France, in c1672, emigrated to Newfoundland, where, at Grand-Grave, Grande-Plaisance,
he worked as a fisherman/habitant. He
married Catherine, daughter of Jean Chevros
dit Colloque and Jeanne Aubert,
at Plaisance, in c1693 and served the fishery as
subdélégué des officiers de l'Amirauté, or
subdelegate to the Admiralty court. Catherine gave
him five children, all born at Plaisance: a son
born in c1698 who probably died an infant; Marie-Anne,
birth year unrecorded; another son who died an infant;
Jean-Baptiste, born in c1702; and Pierre-Louis in c1705.
After the family moved to Île Royale, daughter Marie-Anne married
Marc-Antoine de La Forest of Rochefort,
a widower, at Port-Dauphin in c1718.
Like her father, Marie-Anne's husband was a French
official, even more highly placed; he had served as
commissaire-ordonnateur of Plaisance in the early
1710s, and, after moving to Île Royale, was
named écrevain, or secretary, ordinaire de
la Marine et baillif of Port-Toulouse.
Marie-Anne's brother Jean-Baptiste married
Marie-Geneviève, called Geneviève, Marc-Antoine
de La Forest's daughter by his first wife, at
Port-Orléans, on the upper Atlantic coast, in c1734. When a French
official counted Jean-Baptiste and Geneviève at
Port-Dauphin in March 1752, they had no children in
their household, only Geneviève's 17-year-old
half-sister
Catherine La Forest. Marie-Anne
and Jean-Baptiste's younger brother Pierre-Louis died at
Louisbourg in March 1733, only 28 years old and still a
bachelor. No member of this familiy emigrated to
Louisiana.89
Guillaume Coupiau dit
Desaleur married Françoise Vriel of
Granville, Normandy, in c1696, probably at Plaisance, where he worked in the fisheries there and
at nearby St.-Pierre. Françoise gave him at least
nine children, including five sons and three daughters
who survived childhood: Geneviève, birth year
unrecorded; Guillaume, fils, born at Plaisance in
c1697; Jean at Plaisance; Denis at
St.-Pierre; Augustin-Servan at
Plaisance; Marie at St.-Pierre in
c1705; Louis probably at St.-Pierre;
Anne; and a child who died as an infant. Guillaume
died on Île Royale by
October 1719, when his wife remarried at Port-Orléans.
All five of Guillaume's sons married on Île
Royale, into the Hébert,
Melanson, Des Roches, and
Dingle families. Three of their
daughters married into the Glamard,
Dihars dit Estevin, and
Gassot families. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.96
Dominique Viarreau dit
Duclos, born at Béarn, France, in c1675, married Anne
Irlandoise in c1697, probably at Plaisance, where he served as a
surgeon. She gave him no children. In 1714, Dominique joined other
fisherman/habitants at Newfoundland in their movement to the new French
colony of Île Royale. He remarried to Marie, daughter of André Simon
dit Boucher and Marie Martin and widow of
Jean-Baptiste Dubois dit Dumont, at
Port-Toulouse, on the island, in c1715. They moved to Île St.-Jean in
1720, probably under the aegis of the Compagnie de l'Île St.-Jean.
Dominique served as a master surgeon at Havre-St.-Pierre, on the north coast of
the island, for the rest of his days. Marie gave him three children, all
born in the French Maritimes: Marie on Cape Breton Island in c1716;
Jacques-Dominique either on Île Royale or at Havre-St.-Pierre in c1720; and Anne
at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in June 1725. All three of their children
married on the island, Marie to Michel dit Miguel de Loyal
at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for Havre-St.-Pierre in c1730; and Anne to
Charles-François Laborde at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in October 1742.
Jacques-Dominique married Marie, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Vécot
and Marie Chiasson, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in October 1742.
She gave him at least four children, all born on the island:
Marie-Françoise in c1751; Marie-Josèphe in c1752; Anne-Charlotte in c1754; and
Angélique in c1756. In August 1752, a French official counted Marie
Simon dit Boucher, now a widow, and
her three children with their families at Havre-St.-Pierre. Daughter Marie
was a widow also. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.247
François dit Saint-Martin or Martain,
son of Pierre Baucher or Boschet and Marie
Labbé of Ste.-Croix, bishopric of Rouen, was born at Rouen,
date unrecorded. He emigrated to Plaisance, Newfoundland, by January
1703, when he married Marie-Anne, daughter of Pierre Baudry
and Jeanne Meschin of Plaisance. He worked as an
armateur, or shipowner, there, so he likely engaged in fishing and
commerce. In the early 1710s, after the British secured possession of
Newfoundland, François and his family, along with the other French fisherfolk
at Plaisance, relocated to Petit-Dégrat, a small island off the southeast
coast of Île Madame, then part of the French province of Île Royale.
Between 1704 and the mid-1720s, at Plaisance and Petit-Dégrat, Marie-Anne gave François nine children, five daughters and four sons. François died probably at Petit-Dégrat between 1724 and
1726, age unrecorded. Three of his daughters
married into the Hiriard, Auger, and
Morin de Fonfay families on Île Royale. Only one of his sons
created a family of his own, but not in greater Acadia. Third son Pierre dit Saint-Martin, born probably on Petit-Dégrat in c1723, was still very young when
his father died. In 1726 at Petit-Dégrat, his widowed mother was
counted with eight children, four sons and four daughters, a domestic
servant, 60 fishermen under her employ, nine chaloupes, and two
bateaux ou goélettes en pêches, a total of 11 fishing boats, so
her husband, and now she, ran a good-sized fishing operation. In
c1734, she remarried to Jean
Hiriard, père, father of her daughter Marie-Anne's
husband. Marie-Anne Baudry died at Petit-Dégrat in c1740, age unrecorded.
Son Pierre Baucher dit Saint-Martin, after he
came of age, evidently
followed his father's trade of fisherman, merchant, and sea captain.
Pierre does not appear in the Sieur de La Roque's census of Île
Royale in early 1752, so he may have been at sea at the time. He was the only member
of his immediate family to emigrate to Louisiana, in the 1750s.322
Étienne Des Roches, a native of Ploubalay near
St.-Malo, Brittany, France, married Gabrielle
Le Manquet of Plaisance probably at the fishery in c1703. He was in his
early 50s and she in her early 20s at the time of the
wedding. He worked as a fisherman/habitant.
On Île Royale, they settled
at La Baleine and Lorembec, near Louisbourg.
Gabrielle gave Étienne
nine children: Françoise, born at Plaisance in
c1704; Étienne, fils in c1709; Perrine in c1712; Marguerite in c1713;
Louise at La Baleine in February 1714; Jean in May 1716; Marie-Anne in July
1718; Antoine in April 1721; and Guillaume in October 1724. Their six daughters married into the
Dubordieu, Dupont, Coupiau
dit Desaleur, Bannet, Yvon,
Herpin, and Simon dit Boucher
families. Their four sons married into the Simon dit Boucher,
Gosselin, Coupiau dit Desaleur, Valet,
and Sollé families. In April 1752, a French official counted Gabrielle, now a widow;
son Antoine; son Guillaume, still a bachelor; son Étienne, fils's widow; daughters Françoise, Perrine,
and Marguerite; and their respective families, at Lorembec. The
DesRoches sisters, by then, also were widows. Each of the
families was actively engaged in the local fishery. However, Guillaume and
his siblings evidently were having difficulties. The French official noted
that Guillaume "had made use of the homestead of one named Adam Perré,"
his and his mother's neighbor, "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."
One wonders what Gabrielle thought of all this. Guillaume married the
following February. One wonders if he secured his permit. None of
Étienne's descendants emigrated to Louisiana.282
Gabriel-Louis, son
of Gabriel
Rousseau, sieur de la Gorre et de
Villejoin, gentlehomme servant son altesse royale
Gaston de France, and Dame Marie
Baudron, was born at St.-Honoré, Blois, France, in c1683.
Gabriel-Louis inherited his
father's title, sieur de Villejoin, and served as an officer
in the troupes de la marine at Fort-Louis, Plaisance. Gabriel-Louis married
Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Sr. François Bertrand,
colonel of militia and a member of the Order of St.-Louis, and
Jeanne Giraudet, at Plaisance in April 1708. Their
wedding must have been a big affair; Newfoundland governor Pastour
de Costebelle and dozens of other distinguished guests witnessed the
ceremony. Marie-Josèphe gave Sr. Gabriel-Louis six
children, at least two sons and three daughters, including two sons who married daughters of fellow French
aristocrats and who also were their cousins. Two of
Gabriel-Louis's daughters married into the Le Coutre de
Bourville and Tarride du Haget families at Louisbourg on Île Royale.
Two of his sons also married. Gabrie-Louis served not only at Plaisance,
Newfoundland, but also at the French citadel of Louisbourg, at Port-La-Joye on
Île St.-Jean, and at Port-Toulouse on Île Royale. He died in September 1718, in his mid-30s,
place unrecorded. Gabriel-Louis
and Marie-Josèphe's descendants served or settled at Louisbourg and on Île
St.-Jean. Needless to say, members of this family were not "typical" Fundy
Acadians. Gabriel-Louis's older son Gabriel de Villejoin, fils married Anne-Angélique, daughter of
Louis-Joseph de Gannes de Falaise and Marguerite Le Neuf de La
Vallière, at Louisbourg in January 1733, and remarried to Barbe, daughter of
Michel Le Neuf de La Vallière and Renée Bertrand and widow of
Louis Delort, at Louisbourg in December 1753. Soon after his
wedding, Gabriel, fils was named commander of Île St.-Jean with his
headquarters at Port-La-Joye. He remained as commander there until the
island's surrender to the British in the summer of 1758. Like his maternal grandfather,
Gabriel, fils became a chevalier of the Order of St. Louis. He died at
St.-Jean-d'Angély, Aunis, France, in November 1781, age 72, after serving the
King as a brigadier. Gabriel-Louis's younger
son Michel d'Orfontaine married Angélique, another daughter of Michel
Le Neuf de Vallière and Renée Bertrand, at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean,
in May 1757, on the eve of the islands' dérangement. Three of
Gabriel-Louis's descendants emigrated to Louisiana from Haiti, formerly
French-Domingue, via Cuba in the early 1800s.481
Jacques Daccarette married Marie
de Castaignal perhaps at Hendaye,
bishopric of Bayonne, in the Basque country of
southwestern France, in c1675. She gave him five
children, all born at Hendaye: Joannis or Jean;
Michel dit Miguel; Jacques, fils;
Marie; and Marie-Anne. Jacques took his family to
Newfoundland and was counted there in 1704. Oldest
son Joannis became a prominent fisherman/habitant and
merchant at Plaisance and an investor in privateers
during Queen Anne's War. He married Marie-Anne,
daughter of Pierre Gilbert and
Marguerite Bertrand and widow of
Jean-Louis de Gonillon, at the fishery
in September 1708. Marie-Anne gave him three
children, all born at Plaisance: Renée in c1709;
Jean; and Marie-Anne. Joannis moved his family
to Île Royale in 1714 and became an influential
fisherman/habitant at Louisbourg, La Baleine,
and Niganiche. Of his three children, only
daughter Renée married, into the d'Ailleboust de
Saint-Vilmé family on Île Royale.
Meanwhile, Joannis's sisters Marie and Marie-Anne married into
the de Morcoche and Milly
dit La Croix families, the older one in France,
the younger one on Île Royale. During Queen Anne's
War, in 1709, their younger brother Michel dit Miguel
saw action as a corsaire aboard La Marie.
In 1712, he served as captain of the 15-ton charroi Le
Trompeur. After 1714, Miguel joined older
brother Joannis in the fishery on Île Royale, where,
along with other fishermen/habitants from
Newfoundland, they occupied "a considerable position at
Louisbourg." From 1721-22, Miguel and partner
François Baucher dit
Saint-Martin, formerly of Plaisance, now of
Petit-Dégrat, "succeeded in breaking," or at least
challenging, "the fishing monopoly
held by the Comte de Saint-Pierre on Île St.-Jean and
the neighbouring islands." Between 1720 and 1740,
he "was involved in the sale of at least seventeen
vessels of between thirty and fifty tons, to buyers on
both sides of the Atlantic." In the
mid-1720s, he was operating his fishing establishments
with 34 chaloupes and shipping North Atlantic
cod as far as the West Indies. "He was one of Île
Royale's largest fishing entrepreneurs," his biographer
asserts, "and this trade provided the basis for numerous
other ventures." He served as a
marguillier, or church warden, at Louisbourg. Miguel married twice,
first to Jeanne, daughter of Jean-Louis de
Gonillon and Marie-Anne Gilbert,
his stepsister, probably in Newfoundland in c1712.
She gave him one child, Catherine, who married into the
Lagoanère family on Île Royale.
Miguel remarried to Jeanne's sister Catherine, widow of
Claude Dupleix dit Sylvain, in
October 1725; the birth of a child out of wedlock
compelled them to secure a papal dispensation in order
to marry in the church. Catherine gave him 10 more
children, nine daughters and a son, five of whom died
young: Marie-Charlotte was born in March 1724, a
year and a half before her parents' marriage;
Marie-Jeanne in June 1726; Marie-Anne in October 1727;
Marie-Madeleine in September 1728; Michel, fils
in October 1730; Renée in December 1731; an unnamed
infant in January 1733; Marie in June 1734;
Marie-Josèphe in August 1736; and another Marie-Anne in
June 1739. Only three of their nine daughters
married, into the Le Neuf de Beaubassin,
Denys de Bonaventure, Poitiers
de Pommeroy, and Le Neuf de Boisneuf
families--all members of greater Acadia's colonial
elite. With the outbreak of King George's War in
1744, failed investments, ever-growing debt, "and the
general decline of the sedentary fisheries in the period
1739-45" left Miguel "in financial difficulties."
He died during the siege of Louisbourg in July 1745,
probably in his late 50s. His family was among the
2,000 residents of Louisbourg and the surrounding area
deported to France that summer. Five years later,
after the retrocession of the colony to France, Miguel's family returned to Louisbourg.
Son Michel, fils
inherited his father's fishery concessions, including
the one at La Baleine,
where a French official counted him in April 1752.
The official called him Le Sr. Dagueret
and said he "carried on the fishery here with six boats
and thirty fishermen"; Michel, fils was only
21 at the time! He married Marguerite,
daughter of Jean Laborde, treasurer of
the marine and royal notary, and Louise-Marguerite Dupuis,
a Canadian, not an Acadian, at Louisbourg in January 1753.
Marguerite gave him at least seven children,
four born at Louisbourg and three in Bordeaux.
They included Louis-Philippe, born in c1754;
Marie-Marguerite in c1755; Françoise in c1757; and
Catherine in c1758. During the Seven Years' War,
Michel, fils, now a merchant as well as a
fisherman/habitant, engaged in privateering as his
father had done half a century earlier. During the
second siege of Louisbourg in 1758, he commanded the
militia company of merchants, who, according to his biographer,
"performed with distinction and energy." Afer the
fall of the fortress, he took his family to Bordeaux,
where he engaged in commerce and privateering. In
March 1763, at war's end, royal officials accused him of
helping his father-in-law mismanage goverment funds at
Louisbourg. They ordered his arrest and
imprisonment in the Bastille at Paris, but released him
in February 1764 after charges against him were dropped.
Meanwhile, his home
in Bordeaux burned to the ground, destroying his papers
and other valuable possessions. Hoping to
re-establish his fortune a third time, he ventured to Paris in 1767
but died on the way. He was only 37 years old.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.154
Noël Dauphin married Marie-Françoise,
daughter of Nicolas Blondel and ____ of
St.-Pierre, Newfoundland, in c1706. They evidently
returned to France: their son François was born at
St.-Pair, bishopric of Coutances, France, in c1707.
They may have returned to Newfoundland. If so,
they did not remain there: Noël died at
Port-Orléans, Île Royale, by c1715, when Marie-Françoise
remarried probably at Port-Orléans. François
worked there as a fisherman and married Perrine,
daughter of Joseph Mordant dit
Lanoy and Marie Hébert of
Petit-Bras-d'Or, at Port-Orléans, in c1739. She
gave him at least two sons: François, fils
in c1740; and Claude-Pierre in c1750. A French
official counted them at Baie-de-l'Indienne, near
Petit-Bras-d'Or, in April 1752. With them were
three hired fishermen. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.117
Jean Maillet dit Passepartout
married Marie-Madeleine, daughter of François
Dufaux and Anne Carmel, at
Plaisance in c1707. Marie-Madeleine gave Jean at
least four children, the oldest born in Newfoundland:
Marie-Angélique in 1708; as son in c1711; Jean-Baptiste,
called Jean, in c1714; and an unnamed infant, born
probably on Île Royale before c1719, the year Jean,
père died there. Marie-Madeleine promptly
remarried. Daughter Marie-Angélique married into
the Drouillet (Drullet)
and Mahau families at Louisbourg.
Son Jean-Baptise became a fisherman, settled at
Petit-Dégrat off Île Madame and married Claire,
daughter of Acadians François Langlois
and Madeleine Comeau of Annapolis
Royale and Île Madame and widow of Joannis
D'Etcheverry dit Miquemak and Jean
Pâté, at Port-Toulouse in c1743.
Claire gave Jean at least
five children: Jean-Marie, born in c1740; Jean-Pierre in c1744; François
in c1746; Marie in c1749; and fifth child in c1752. A French official
counted them at Petit-Dégrat in February 1752 and called Jean-Baptiste Jean
Majet. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.71
Julien Durand, perhaps a Canadian,
married Anne, daughter of Jean Borny
and Marie Commère, in Newfoundland in
c1708. They settled on Île Scatary, off Île Royale's Atlantic coast. Anne gave Julien at least
seven children, four sons and three daughters, the older
ones born in Newfoundland:
Jean was born in c1709; Julien, fils
at Plaisance in c1710; Servan's birth place and birth
date are unrecorded; Madeleine was born on Île Scatary
in c1715; two daughers were born probably on Île Scatary in
c1716 and c1717 but died as infants; and Nicolas's birth
place and birth date also was unrecorded. Julien,
père died probably on Île Scatary before October 1746.
His two older sons married into the Boissel
and Vincent dit Desmarets
families, Jean at Québec in October 1746, where he
remained, and Julien, fils probably on Île
Royale in c1747. Daughter Madeleine married into
the De Malvillain family and, like brother
Julien, fils, remained on Île Royale. She
and husband Jean-Nicolas settled at
Anse-de-Bellefeuille, on the north shore of Île Scatary,
where a French official counted them in April 1752.
The official noted that Jean-Nicolas owned three boats,
employed another fisherman, and had three fishery
partners whose name he did not give.
Julien, fils and wife Madeleine Vincent
dit Desmarets, a native of Niganiche, settled at Petit-Bras-d'Or, where, by April 1752,
Julien, fils also owned three boats and employed 10
other fishermen. The same French official, during his
survey of Île Scatary, noted that one of the fishermen
there was "settled at the farther end of the great
harbour, between the grounds of Pierre Le Grand
and one Philipot. It was granted
before the war to the late Jean Durand,
whose heirs have never yet presented themselves to take
possession of the land. Monsieur
Prévost," the colony's commissaire-ordonnateur,
"has given it to him on condition that if the heirs of
the deceased present themselves he will give them
possesson." One suspects that the French official
was referring to Julien, père, who may have
died during King George's War, and not son Jean, who
died at Québec in March 1772. No member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.98
Antoine, son of Jean Perré and
Marie Paris, born at St.-Plancher,
bishopric of Coutances, Normandy, France, in
c1680, married Marie-Anne, daughter of Charles Pons
or Ponce and Marie Du Bourg
of St.-Sauveur, bishopric of Beauvais, France, at Plaisance,
Newfoundland, in November 1706. Marie-Anne gave
him at least five children, the oldest born at
Plaisance, the youngest on Île Royale: Marie-Anne
in c1708, Jean c1710, Louise in c1711, Jeanne at La
Baleine in October 1715, and Antoine in c1724. The
family followed other fishing folk from Newfoundland to
Île Royale in 1714. Antoine died probably at La
Baleine in May 1727, in his late 40s. Oldest
daughter Marie-Anne married Charles, son of Jacques
de Saint-Étienne de La Tour and Anne
Melanson, a grandson of Acadian
governor Charles La Tour, at Louisbourg
in September 1727. Daughters Louise and Jeanne
married into the Joüet, Benoit,
and Henry families. Older son Jean worked
in the island's fishery and married Marguerite, daughter
of Joseph Guyon and Marguerite
Dugas and widow of Pierre
Bonin dit La
Chaume, at St.-Esprit, down the coast from Louisbourg, in January 1735.
They remained at St.-Esprit, where a French official
counted them in February 1752. Sr. Jean,
as he was called, owned two boats and employed three
fishermen to help him during the coming season.
Meanwhile, Antoine's brother René, born at Grandville,
France, in c1684, married Louise, daughter of Jean
Boucher and Anne Pinochon
of La Rochelle, France, at Plaisance in December 1709.
Louise gave René at least five children, the two older
ones born at Plaisance, the younger ones at La Baleine:
an unnamed infant; Adam in c1714; Thomas at La Baleine
in January 1716; and two more unnamed infants born in
the late 1710s and the early 1720s. René died
probably at La Baleine between 1724 and 1726, in his
late 30s. Son Adam married Anne-Hyacinthe,
called Jacinthe, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Grandin and
Anne-Hyacinthe Dupuis, at Port-Orléans
in c1749. They settled at Lorembec, near La Baleine.
A French official counted them there in April
1752. With them were two of their sons--Thomas
le jeune, age 18 months; and Pierre, age 1 month.
The official also noted that Adam had employed two
fishermen to help him in the fishery, in which he owned two
boats, and that his household included two domestic
servants. Younger brother Thomas l'aîné
married Toussainte dite Sainte, daughter of
Julien Houët and Gillette
Dagorel, at La Baleine in April 1752, a few
days after the census there.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.56
Joannis or Jean
de Lafargue, born at
St.-Jean-de-Luz, in the Basque country of southwestern
France, in c1672,
married Marie-Anne, oldest daughter of Jean
Ozelet and Madeleine Beaufet
of Newfoundland, at Plaisance in January 1713.
On Île Royale, they settled with her wife's family at Petit-Dégras, off Île Madame.
Marie-Anne gave Joannis at least six
children: Marie-Anne was born in c1719;
Marie-Jeanne in c1725; Jean, fils in c1730;
Cécile in 1732; Charlotte in c1736; and Jeanne in c1738.
The two oldest daughters married Saux brothers and
settled at Petit-Dégrat, near their parents, where a French official counted them in
February 1752. Jean, père was age 70 at
the time, and
wife Marie-Anne was 58. No member of this family
emigated to Louisiana.54
Marc-Antoine de La Forest, born
probably at Rochefort, France, in c1668, married in
c1700 to a woman whose name has been lost to history.
She gave him five children, all born at Rochefort, only
two of whom survived long enough to be given names.
The fate of oldest child Marc-Étienne has been lost to
history. Third child Marie-Geneviève, called
Geneviève, born at Rochefort in c1709, accompanied her
father to the French fishery at Plaisance, where he served as commissaire-ordonnateur, or
chief financial and judicial officer, in the early
1710s. On Île Royale, Marc-Antoine served as écrevain, or secretary,
ordinaire de la Marine et baillif of
Port-Toulouse. In 1718, he remarried to
Marie-Anne, daughter of Pierre-Louis Courthiau
and Catherine Chevros dit
Colloque of Plaisance and Port-Dauphin. She gave
him 10 more children, three sons and seven daughters,
all born probably at Port-Dauphin: Marc-Antoine,
fils in c1720; Marie-Anne in December
1722; Marguerite in December 1723; Pierre-Louis in March
1726; Marie-Louise in April 1728; Marie-Josèphe in March
1731; an unnamed daughter in April 1733; Jeanne in May
1734; Marie-Catherine in May 1735; and Philippe in
December 1736. Marc-Antoine, père died
likely at Port-Dauphin in June 1738, age 70. Two
of his three sons married into the Lafargue,
Rondeau, and Saint-Michel
Dunézat families. Only two of his many
daughters married, into the Commère and
Gauthier families. No member of
this aristocratic family emigrated to Louisiana.90
Louis dit
La Croix, son of François Saux,
du Sceau, or Sault and
Marie Aubert, born at Oléron, bishopric
of Saintes, France, in c1680, married Angélique,
daughter of Louis Dupuis dit
Parisien and Barbe Dubeau of Québec, at Plaisance in November 1710. (Angélique's
family was not kin to the Dupuiss of
peninsula Acadia.) She gave him at least five
children, the older ones born in Newfoundland: Françoise in c1708; Marguerite in c1710;
Étienne in c1711; Marie-Jeanne in c1714; and Louis,
fils, at Petit-Degrat, Île Royale, in c1726. They settled at
Petit-Dégrat, off Île Madame, in c1722, where Louis likely resumed
his life as a fisherman. Like their father, Étienne and Louis, fils
became fishermen. They married Lafargue
sisters and were counted at Petit-Dégrat in February
1752. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.67
Jean Papon
or Papou dit
Sans-Regret, native of Plaisance, married
Isabelle, daughter of Acadians Vincent Longuépée
and Madeleine Rimbault of Port-Royal,
Minas, and Cobeguit, at Port-Toulouse in
c1719. She gave him at least seven children:
Marie was born in c1722, Charles in c1723, Julien in
c1727, Jean, fils in c1730, Françoise in c1731,
Louise in c1737, and Vincent in c1743. They
settled at Port-Toulouse but son moved to L'Esprit, on
the island's Atlantic coast, where Jean likely worked as
a fisherman. Daughter Marie married into the
Granne family and settled at
St.-Esprit. Jean, père died before
February 1752, when a French official counted Isabelle,
now a widow, with unmarried sons Charles, Julien, Jean,
fils, and François at St.-Esprit. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.31
Pierre Le Berteau dit
Lyonnais, born likely at Lyon, France, married in c1697, probably
in Newfoundland, to a woman whose name has been lost to
history. She gave him at least three
children, all born in
Newfoundland: twin daughters in c1706 who evidently died in childhood;
and Antoine
dit Lyonnais at Port-aux-Basques in c1702. Pierre
dit Lyonnais remarried to Renée Carmel,
widow of Joannis Deriboyen dit
Valentin, probably at Newfoundland sometime after 1705.
She gave him another son, Pierre, born at Plaisance in
c1705. Atypically, the family remained in Newfoundland after
1714. Older son Antoine married twice, first to
Anne Sabot in c1727, and then to
Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Yves Glamard
and Geneviève Coupiau dit
Desaleur, in c1740. His wives
gave him at least seven children, all born in Newfoundland:
Antoine, fils in c1728; Pierre le jeune
in c1733; Joseph in c1741; Françoise in c1745;
Jean-Baptiste in c1748; ____ in c1750; and ____ in
c1751. In c1751, Antoine took his family to
French-controlled Île Royale and settled at
Petit-Bras-d'Or, where a French official counted them in
April 1752. The census taker
noted that Antoine was "settler for one year past at
Bras d'Or," and was "native of Port aux Basques, where
he managed the affairs of the English." The
official also noted that Antoine's son Pierre le
jeune,
age 19, was "still at Boston with the English."
Son Antoine, fils married into the
Lejeune family. Meanwhile, Antoine's younger
half-brother Pierre, fils married Jeanne,
daughter of Jean Borny and Marie
Commère and widow of Jean Sabot,
at Port-aux-Basques in c1739. Their son Pierre III
was born in Newfoundland in c1740. Pierre,
fils took his blended family to Île Royale in c1745
and settled at Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore
of Île Scatary, where a French official counted them in
April 1752. Jean, fils died at nearby
Lorembec in January 1753, age 48.
Older half-brother Antoine, père died before August 1761, in his late 50s, place
unrecorded. No member of this family seems to have
emigrated to Louisiana.102
.
Colonial officials could see that in order to create an
agricultural base for Louisbourg and the rest of Île
Royale it
was essential to lure farmers into the province.
In 1714,
King's
Lieutenant Saint-Ovide sent two trusted French officers to
British Nova
Scotia to solicit farmers for Île Royale.
Louis Denys de La Ronde,
age 39 and a native of Québec,
was a grand nephew of
Nicolas Denys. Jacques d'Espiet de Pensens
had served as aide-major at Port-Royal from
1705-08 and was considered a favorite of the Acadians.
Accompanying the two officers was
Denys de La Ronde's first cousin,
Lieutenant Michel Le Neuf de La Vallière, fils,
native of Trois-Rivières and youngest son of the former governor of French Acadia.
Michel, fils, age 37, was a
distinguished officer in his own right with deep roots
in French Acadia. Despite their collective persuasiveness,
however, their efforts garnered little success.259
Still, a
need to escape British authority in Nova Scotia, as
well as a desire for new opportunities, overcame
the hesitation Fundy habitants may have had about
moving to the new colony. It was, after all, French,
and their priests, especially Récollet missionaries
Justinien Durand and Félix Pain, encouraged by French
authorities, urged them to go.
But there were compelling reasons not to resettle on
Cape Breton Island.
In September 1713, Father Pain shared with the governor of Île Royale
reasons why Acadians would be reluctant to go there:
"'It would be to expose us manifestly (they say) to die
of hunger, burthened as we are with large families, to
quit the dwelling places and clearances from which we
derive our usual subsistence, without any other
resource, to take rough, new lands, from which the
standing wood must be removed.... One-fourth of
our population consists of aged persons, unfit for the
labor of breaking up new lands, and who, with great
exertion, are able to cultivate the cleared ground which
supplies subsistence for them and their families.'" The
following winter and spring, in fulfillment of the Utrecht provision which
allowed Acadians to resettle in French territory within
a year of the treaty's signing, and responding to the
blandishments of Louis Denys de La Ronde, Acadian heads of
family received permission from British authorities to
go to Île Royale and inspect potential settlement sites.
Among them
were Michel Caissie and his brother-in-law,
Joseph Mirande, a fisherman, both of Chignecto, who spent the
winter of 1713-14 at Baie-de-Miré, perhaps to check out
the fishing there.
Michel Haché dit Gallant and
one of his sons left Chignecto on 2 January 1714
and returned to the big island on May 18. Martin Aucoin and his unnamed brother from
Minas departed on 23 May 1714 and "went around the
island by the north and left again on June 3rd.'" Jean-Baptiste Corporon, his wife Marie Pinet,
and their three children; Rose Henry, wife of
Noël Pinet, and a child; and Catherine Hébert, widow of Philippe Pinet, with her four children,
all from Minas,
traveled
aboard
Bernard Marres dit La Sonde's sailing vessel in
late June (La Sonde, a surgeon as well
as a fisherman, was married to a Petitpas and
lived at Musquodoboit on the Atlantic coast).
Jean
Comeau l'aîné of Annapolis Royal also went in
mid-June, as did
Charles Doucet, Jean-François Flan, and
Nicolas Petitpas of Annapolis Royal;
Guillaume, Denis, and Bernard Gaudet of Annapolis
Royal, with their wives and children, all "in a
charroi" ;
François Coste of Annapolis Royal and Jacques
LeBlanc of Minas, "with their sailing vessel, a crew
of two men, and six passengers"; Jean
Doucet, Pierre Forest, and Germain Landry
of Minas, accompanied by Father Antoine Gaulin; François Amireau dit Tourangeau
and Jean Pitre, fils, his wife, and their
children, all from Cap-Sable; Sr. Joseph Guyon
(brother-in-law of Governor Antoine Laumet dit La Mothe de Cadillac, of Louisiana), Joseph's
wife Marguerite Dugas, and their two children,
and Jean-Baptiste Rodrigue dit de Fonds, a
Portuguese pilot and merchant who married a daughter of
Alexandre Le Borgne de Bélisle, and the
Rodrigue children, going "'from Acadia but coming by way of Canada'";
and
François Tillard went "with a boat" also in
late June. Charles Arseneau, François Arseneau, and
Abraham Gaudet of Chignecto went in July.
In August, Saint-Ovide sent the ship Marie-Joseph,
and probably other vessels, to Nova Scotia to transport Acadian families whose
leaders had liked what they had seen on the big island.
This was followed up by a letter from Île Royale's
deputy King's representative, Jacques L'Hermite, to
prospective Acadian settlers, dated August 25, granting
permission "'to settle on Île Royale at the good
pleasure of the King.'"
The passengers aboard Saint-Ovide's vessels and
those who received permission to settle in the colony
included Charles
Arseneau, Michel Caissie, Abraham
Gaudet, and Joseph Mirande from Chignecto;
Jean Doucet, Joseph Dugas, Pierre, both père and fils,
and René
Forest, Abraham, Germain, Pierre à René,
and Pierre, fils Landry, Jacques and
Jean LeBlanc, Pierre Richard, Germain
Thériot, and Jean Thibodeau from Minas;
François Amireau dit Tourangeau,
Jean Bastarache,
brothers Clément and Pierre Benoit, Abraham
Bourg, Charles
dit Charlot Boudrot, Pierre Broussard,
Pierre Chouteau dit Manceau or
Manseau, Alexandre and Joseph Comeau,
François Coste, Laurent Doucet, François
Girouard, Jean and Michel Hébert, Pierre
Lalande dit Bonappétit, Charles dit Charlot, Claude, and
François Landry, Jacques Levron, Louis
dit St.-Louis
Mazerolle, Étienne Pellerin, Pierre
Richard, François Testard dit Paris,
and Jean Vernier dit Gourville from the Annapolis valley;
Bernard Marres dit La Sonde from Musquodoboit; and Sr.
Joseph Guyon and Jean-Baptiste Rodrigue
dit de Fonds from Canada.
As Father Pain's letter anticipated, most of the Acadian
migrants, having second thoughts, returned to Nova
Scotia. Joseph Dugas of Minas, for example,
having lived on the big island since 1714, "obtained
permission from Major Alexander Crosby," acting for
Lieutenant-Governor John Doucett, "to return to Acadia
in his schooner La Sainte-Anne" in 1723.
Charles dit Charlot Landry of Annapolis
Royal, who had been granted permission to take his
family to Île Royale in 1714, was back at Annapolis in
1720, when he was chosen as one of the six delegates
from that settlement to stand before the Nova Scotia
Council. Seven years later, he ran afoul of
British authorities in a dispute over an oath of
allegiance, was thrown into the Fort Anne dungeon, and
died soon after, only 39 years of age. His cousin, François
Landry, also returned to Nova Scotia, in his case
Minas, where he and his wife raised a large family.242
But peninsula Acadians did choose to remain
on Île Royale.
Although the rocky island could never become a
farmer's paradise like the settlements along the Fundy shore, agriculture--that is, clearing of the uplands--was feasible
in some places for
limited grain cultivation and especially for the
production of livestock. Huge stands of timber waited to
be exploited. And Acadians on Île Royale, as some had done in
Nova Scotia, could turn to the sea for their living,
working as fishermen, navigators, coasters, and ship
builders. Especially enticing was Port-Toulouse,
luring maritime-minded Acadians to the flourishing
coastal trade there, as well as to the fishery at nearby
Île Madame.242a
An appealing characteristic of the new colony may have
been a dearth of seigneurial grants à
la Louisiana, in contrast to Canada and Nova Scotia, where
the habitants still endured the grasping hands of these
socioeconomic parasites.
But a seigneurie did exist on Île Royale.
Louis-Simon Le Poupet de La Boularderie, a native
of Paris, served
first under Costabelle at Plaisance during the late
1690s before moving on to Port-Royal, where he became a
captain. There, in November 1702, he married a
daughter of Acadians Pierre Melanson, fils and
Marguerite Mius d'Entremont and was
wounded in action during a siege of the Acadian capital in August 1707. La Boularderie
survived his serious wound and
took his family to France, but he returned to North America
in 1712, when he ferried Intendant Michel Bégon de La Picadière back to Canada. The
following year, Bégon coaxed La Boularderie to
take supplies and reinforcements from Québec to Île
Royale, the captain's first visit to the new colony. In
1715, it was La Boularderie who relieved the
starving garrison at Port-Toulouse. "This earned
him the favour of the admiral of France, the Comte de
Toulouse, who had ordered the relief action and to whom
La Boularderie subsequently proposed the
establishing of an agricultural settlement on Île Royale
at Île de Verderonne (Boularderie Island) and the
adjacent eastern shore of La Petite Brador (St Andrew's
Channel). He also asked for the right to establish
a fishery at Port d'Orléans, the harbour of the bay of
Niganiche [today's Ingonish], a cod-drying station some 30 miles north of
Île de Verderonne. The fishery would provide
return cargoes for ships provisioning Île Verderonne,
which would in time supply Louisbourg. La
Boularderie would undertake the necessary transport
of fishermen and colonists provided that a naval ship,
the Paon, were put at his disposal for two
years." La Boularderie's biographer goes
on: "The Comte de Toulouse lent his support to the
project, and La Boularderie received his
concession along La Petite Brador as the seigneury
of Boularderie by a brevet of 15 Feb. 1719.
He was granted priority right to beaches
sufficient for drying the catch of 100 fishermen at Port
d'Orléans and was made commandant there and in his
seigneury."242b
In 1716,
commandant Louis Denys de La Ronde conducted a census at
Port-Toulouse. Settlers' names included Étienne
Comeau; Jean-Baptiste Corporon, age 39;
François
Coste,
age 45; Joseph Dugas; Étienne Hébert; the
Widow Landry; Antoine, Jacques,
and René
LeBlanc; Nicolas
Petitpas; Jean Pitre, age 36;
the Widow
Richard; and Étienne Rivet, age
33--all peninsula Acadians who had chosen to resettle on
the island, and among the first families of Île Royale.
But the census must have been a sloppy one. Philippe, son of Jean Doiron of Chignecto,
married Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Claude Guédry
dit Grivois of Mirliguèche, at Port-Toulouse in
c1715, so one wonders why their names were not in Denys
de La Ronde's census. The same holds true for
Pierre dit Pierrot Simon dit
Boucher of Annapolis Royal, whose son Michel was born at
Port-Toulouse in c1715. Canadian Pierre Boucher
dit Desroches, who married an Hébert at
Minas in February 1714, took his bride to Port-Toulouse
by c1715, when their first child, Marguerite, was born
there, and moved on to Petit-Dégrat, off Île Madame, by c1720, so Pierre
dit Desroches likely was a fisherman.
Jean Martin and Madeleine Babin's
daughter Marie-Josèphe married Jean Bourhis at
Port-Toulouse in c1715; Jean and his family had
emigrated from Pigiguit. Louis Marchand
dit Poitiers and his Acadian wife Marie Godin
dit Châtillon moved from Annapolis Royal to
Port-Toulouse by c1716, when their fourth child was born
there.
François Coste,
native of Martigues near Marseille
and husband of one of Barnabé Martin's daughters,
was a carpenter who became "[a] very capable
navigator" and was an especially welcomed addition to the settlement.
In 1717, he "managed during a storm to enter a vessel
into Port-Toulouse, while Pierre Morpain, the colony's
port captain, could not do so." The following
year, Coste "received the commission of coastal
pilot."
Other Acadians, or Frenchmen with Acadian spouses,
also settled early on Île Royale. François Testard dit Paris and his
Acadian wife Marie Doiron moved from Annapolis
Royal to Louisbourg by 1715.
Pierre Bertaud dit
Montaury came to Île Royale by 1717 but moved on to Île
St.-Jean. Brothers Charles dit Charlot and
Michel dit Miquetau Boudrot, both
navigators and boat builders, moved from Annapolis Royal
to Port-Toulouse by 1717, when Charlot's fifth child was
born there. Philippe Pinet and his family
moved to Port-Toulouse by 1717. Marie, daughter of
Emmanuel, oldest son of former Acadian governor
Alexandre Le Borgne de Bélisle, and
Cécile, daughter of Pierre Thibodeau,
married Jean, son of François Bertrand
of Île de Ré, France, and Plaisance, Newfoundland, at
Havre la Baleine up the coast from Louisbourg in April
1717. Louis, son of François Moyse
dit Latreille of Annapolis Royal, married a daughter
of Claude Petitpas at Port-Toulouse in c1718.
In that same year, François Coste's
oldest daughter Marie-Catherine married Frenchman Pierre
Bois at Port-Toulouse. Cécile, youngest daughter of Vincent Longuépée of
Minas, married Pierre Bénard of
St.-Malo at Port-Toulouse in c1718,
and her older sister Isabelle married Jean Papon
dit Sans Regret there in c1719. Abraham Dugas came to
Port-Toulouse by 1719.
During the following decades, more families drifted from
British Nova Scotia to the big island. Their names
included Arseneau, Belliveau,
Broussard,
Girouard, Guédry,
Langlois,
Préjean,
Samson,
and Vigneau, who arrived by 1722;
Bouget, Breau,
Daigre, Darembourg,
Fougère, and
Mirande by 1724; Bourg
and Pouget by
1726; Lavigne by 1727; Lapierre and Lavergne by 1732;
Trahan by 1737; and Le Sauvage
by 1738. Maurice Vigneau's story
may have been typical among these island immigrants.
Along with other Port-Royal fishermen, he was compelled
by colonial authorities in late 1717 to take an
unqualified oath to the British king in order to fish in
Acadian waters. A few years later, between 1719
and 1722, he took his family to
Port-Toulouse, where he was addressed by French
authorities as Sr. Maurice Vigneau
and where he was no longer subject to the
British oath. His fellow Acadians settled on the
island not only at Port-Toulouse, but also at St.-Esprit
up the
Atlantic coast, L'Ardoise down the coast from
St.-Esprit,
La Briquerie near Port-Toulouse, and at Île-de-la-Ste.-Famille at the southern end of Lac
Bras d'Or, where Abbé Maillard's Mi'kmaq
congregated and where Claude Petitpas, fils,
married to a Mi'kmaq, served as interpreter.
Peninsula Acadians also settled at Havre la Baleine, Lorembec and Petit-Lorembec
near Louisbourg; Île Madame, including the islet of
Petit-Dégrat;
Baie-de-L'Indienne above Louisbourg; Port-d'Orléans, a
fishing center far up the coast near Niganiche; and
at Louisbourg itself, whose administrative,
military, and construction personnel, after 1720, made up more than
half of the island's population.246
Mathieu de
Goutin, former French official at Port-Royal who had
married into a prominent Acadian family, had been sent
to France with his wife and many children after the fall
of the Acadian capital in October 1710. Appointed
as King's scrivener for Île Royale in January 1714, he
returned with his family to greater Acadia, but he did
not serve long in his new office; he died on Île Royale the following Christmas
Day, only in his
early 50s. His widow, Jeanne Thibodeau,
settled at Louisbourg with her minor children, living
for a time on government handouts, and died there in
April 1741, in her late 60s. Many of her sons,
including Joseph de Ville, who was only nine years old
at the time of his father's death, became army officers.
Oldest son François-Marie, like his father, served also
as a colonial administrator, first on Île Royale and
then on Île St.-Jean.246a
The scion of
an even more illustrious Acadian family also moved to Île Royale
during the earliest days of the new colony.
Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour, fils,
son of the famous Acadian pioneer, was a hero in his own
right, having been severely wounded during the New
English attack on Port-Royal in October 1710. In
1714 Charles, fils, then in his late 40s and an
ensign in the colonial troupes de la marine,
turned his back on his family's seigneurial holdings in
British Nova Scotia and took up a post on Île Royale,
where he "served as official government interpreter to
the Indians there." In 1728, he received the Cross
of St.-Louis "for his services" and soon afterwards
became a captain in the troupes de la marine at
Louisbourg. He died at Louisbourg in August 1731,
age 68, having done justice to his name and the
reputation of his family. The year after his
death, Charles, fils's widow, Jeanne-Angélique,
called Angélique, Loreau of Paris, whom he had
married in c1700, "received a pension of 300 livres
in recognition of" her husband's "service to his
country." Charles, fils's nephew,
Charles le jeune, son of fils's older
brother Jacques, also settled on Île Royale and died at
Louisbourg after September 1746, in his late 40s, during
King George's War.263
French
troupes de la marine of lesser rank who had served
at Port-Royal and other French garrisons escaped
British control on the peninsula by moving to
Louisbourg. In December 1732, when he was reported
as "not in condition to serve, nor to earn his living,
because of a wound to his thigh he received in the
King's service," Jacques Bonnevie
dit Beaumont of Paris, former corporal in the
King's service at Port-Royal, whose wife was a
granddaughter of Philippe Mius d'Entremont,
sieur de Pobomcoup, was placed on half-pay at age 72 by
French authorities at Louisbourg. The old corporal
died at Hôpital de Louisbourg the following April.
His daughters, however, remained in the Maritimes,
settling on Île St.-Jean.263a
An especially
ambitious attempt to establish a settlement on Île
Royale occurred on Île Madame and its outlying islands
during the early 1720s. On 20 May 1719,
François-Madeleine-Fortuné Ruette d'Auteuil and his
associates, MM. Duforillon and Jourdan, received a grant
of the island and its environs. His land lying so
close to British Nova Scotia, the following January Ruette d'Auteuil submitted to the Regent in
France "a 'Secret Memorial ... regarding the boundaries
of Acadia.'" In August 1622, Ruette d'Auteuil,
"accompanied by sixty-six colonists and fishermen," some
of them perhaps Acadians, came to Île Madame.
"Considering the English establishment at Canso, and the
general absence of fish at the place where he was counting
on setting up his own operation," an historian
concludes, "M. Ruette d'Auteuil's project was destined
to fail utterly."184
Louisbourg, up
the coast, was
sustained by supply vessels from France, Canada, and Île
St.-Jean, but
these came too irregularly to supplement an agricultural
base that never developed on the island. As a result, illicit
trade with merchants from New England, and with Acadian
farmers from Nova Scotia, provided the citadel's basic
needs as well as a few luxuries. Most of the
Acadian goods came in by French vessels which picked up
livestock and other commodities at
Tatamagouche or Baie-Verte, along the Gulf
of St. Lawrence shore. A smaller network likely
connected Petit-Degrat and Île Madame with the British
fishing center at Canso.
One suspects that many Acadians on Île Royale
engaged in this illicit trade, and that their family connections
back in Nova Scotia were part of the commercial dynamic.
John S. Erskine asserts that "the Acadians [in Nova
Scotia] rejoiced in a triple achievement" while trading
with the French at Louisbourg: "a patriotic service,
good profits, and the pleasure of contraband business."
Except for the "patriotic" part, this sounds very much
like their motivation for trading illicitly with New
England during the seventeenth century. Sadly for the Acadians, however, Louisbourg's excellent harbor, with its attendant
infrastructure, became a perfect haven for French
privateers who were eager to prey on the New English
fishing fleet working the nearby cod banks.
Nothing could have angered the British more than this
threat to their economy. Should full-scale war
again break out between the imperial rivals, the French
citadel would be a likely target for
British retaliation, either from London, Boston, Annapolis Royal, or Canso.
And, again, the Acadians would be caught in the middle.261
.
Unlike Cape Breton Island, with its long history of
European presence, during the first century of French
settlement in the region only bands of Mi'kmaq lived on
Epekwitk--Île St.-Jean.
During his circuit of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in
1534, Jacques Cartier sailed along the
northwest coast of the island, but he and
subsequent French explorers did not establish
settlements there.
Beginning in the 1640s, Nicolas Denys received from the
Company of New France concessions for fishing and fur trading in the Gulf of
St. Lawrence. Denys established posts at Miscou and
Nepisiguit on the Baie des Chaleurs, but he did not
establish a post on Île St.-Jean. In 1663,
François Doublet, "a Norman who became involved in trade
along the St. Lawrence a few years before, managed to acquire the
right to exploit the Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Île
Saint-Jean...," near Denys's concessions in the Gulf
of St. Lawrence.
"Doublet visited Denys and outlined his
plans," Naomi Griffiths tells us. "The
latter accurately predicted failure for these projects
within three years."
By the late 1680s, even Denys was gone from
the area, and Île St.-Jean continued to be occupied only
by the Mi'kmaq.262a
In
1719, after the French created their new Maritimes
colony, the Compagnie de l'Île St.-Jean, headed by a
consortium of investors led by Louis-Charles-Hyacinthe
Castel, comte de
Saint-Pierre, "owner of Île St.-Jean," created a fishing station and settlement
at
Havre-St.-Pierre, on the north shore of the
island facing the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The
comte also was awarded fishing monopolies at Île
Miscou and adjacent islands. The French Court
insisted that the company could hold its monopoly only
if these islands were properly settled. Here, a
century later, was an iteration of French colonial
efforts begun in the time of Henry IV, when he
granted the sieur de Mons monopolies on fur and fishing
in La Cadie and Canada. After years of effort,
these concessions had failed to generate profits for de Mons and his investors and proved inadequate for
the creation of lasting settlement. Not until the
early 1630s, after Cardinal Richelieu's Company of the
Hundred Associates poured substantial resources into
France's northern realm, did settlement begin in earnest
in Acadia and at Québec. Decades later, this time
under Louis XIV, the French
tried again, this time at the southern edge of New
France. In 1699, under royal aegis, with
royal financing, Canadian Pierre Le Moyne, sieur de
Iberville, founded a French colony on the Gulf of
Mexico--Louisiana--which limped along for a dozen years. In 1713, the aging Louis XIV, through his
Ministry of Marine, awarded a 15-year proprietorship in
Louisiana to French financier Antoine Crozat. By
the summer of 1717, Crozat's efforts had failed to turn
a profit, and he begged to be released from his charter.
The new King's regent, Philippe II, duc d'Orléans,
authorized the creation of another Louisiana proprietorship, this
one to be controlled by his finance minister, John Law,
whose Company of the West would hold its charter for 25
years. The result was the notorious Mississippi
Bubble, which burst in September 1720. The
disgraced minister fled to nearby Belgium, never to
return to France, and the Regency was compelled to
reorganize Law's Company. It was
during the financial frenzy over Law-company
stock that the Regent awarded the comte de Saint-Pierre
his monopoly in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
In early 1720, two company ships filled with 300
fishermen/habitants, most, if not all of them,
recruited from France, landed at Havre-St.-Pierre.
Commanding for the comte on the island would be
naval Lieutenant-Commander Robert-David Gotteville de
Belile, who arrived from Louisbourg later in the year.
The fishermen/habitants settled not only at
Havre-St.-Pierre, but also at Port-La-Joye on the south
shore of the island, where the lieutenant-commander set
up headquarters, and at Tranchmontagne near Pointe
de l'Est on the eastern tip of the island. The ubiquitous Louis
Denys de La Ronde and military engineer Gédéon
de Catalogne dit La Liberté were tasked with laying out the settlements.
Determined to defend the company's fishery by enforcing
its monopoly, Gotteville de Belile "armed a small boat and a shallop." Soon after
the comte established the new fishery, a
consortium of codfishermen led by Michel
dit Miguel Daccarrette of Hendaye, Bayonne, and
his partner François Baucher dit
Saint-Martin, out of Île Royale, began fishing in
company waters. When Gotteville de
Belile seized their boats,
Daccarrette and his partners
successfully challenged the company's fishing monopoly
in the admiralty court at Louisbourg. On 22 March
1722, the King's council reversed the decision of the
admiralty court and granted the comte's company
"exclusive fishing rights in the waters enclosed by the
islands and within a league of their shores. The
decree also removed all litigation arising from these
fishing rights from the jurisdiction of the admiralty at
Louisbourg and ruled that all such cases would be heard
by the financial commissary of Louisbourg, Jacques-Ange
Le Normant de Mézy." That same month, the Minister
of Marine commissioned Robert Poitiers du Buisson,
a Canadian born in Staten Island, New York, as subdelegate of the King's
commissaire for Île St.-Jean, answering to Le
Normant de Mézy. With the power to hear civil and
criminal cases, it was Du Buisson's task to settle
disputes between the company and its detractors.
Commandant Gotteville de Belile, suffering poor health,
left the island in 1622 and was succeeded by
Jean-Maurice-Josué Duboisberthelot de Beaucour, then at
Louisbourg, who was commissioned to serve at
Port-La-Joye for two years. An engineer
holding the Cross of St.-Louis for decades of
distinguished service in Canada, Beaucour "was expected to use his
engineering talents to put the colony's three
settlements in a state of defensive readiness, and to
encourage Acadians to settle there with the island's 300
residents." After only a year on the island,
however, Beaucour was recalled to Louisbourg to
resume his duties there.
By 1724, depite the quality of
the area's fishery, the island's potential for
agriculture, and the victory at Court, the comte's company, now bankrupt,
abandoned its venture on Île St.-Jean. Few of the
company's settlers chose to remain. The next year,
following the revocation of the
company's monopoly, Jacques d'Espite de Pensens, the
lieutenant of troupes de la marine who had
accompanied Louis Denys de
La Ronde to British Nova Scotia a decade
earlier, was tasked with reasserting the King's interests
on Île St.-Jean. De Pensens, now a captain, was
directed to take only 25 or 30 men to the remote
outpost, which, a biographer notes, "must have seemed to
de Pensens a demotion." The captain, along with
his lieutenant, Alphonse Tonty, left Louisbourg for Île
St.-Jean in late June 1726 and set up headquarters at
Port-La-Joye, still the
"capital" of Île St.-Jean. Du Buisson
stayed on at Port-La-Joye as subdelegate to the King's
commissaire. Not until 1730, however, did the
island officially fall under royal control.
Meanwhile, de Pensens and Du Buisson did what they could to coax
peninsula Acadians to settle on the island, but few
agreed to go there. As long as there was a chance that
French authorities would surrender the island to another
grubbing monopoly, independent-minded Acadians
preferred to stay away.262
The "First inhabitant of the said island," that is,
the first permanent European settler on Île St.-Jean,
was not an Acadian but a Frenchman, one of the few who
had remained after the company abandoned the island. Jean-François, called François,
son of Mathieu Douville and Marie
Marquier of
St.-Denis-le-Gratz, diocese of Coutances in Normandy, like many Normans of his day may have
worked in the cod fishery on the Grand Bank of
Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence before
becoming a fisherman/habitant for the
Compagnie de l'Île St.-Jean. Still a bachelor in his
mid-30s, he settled on his first claim at
Havre-St.-Pierre in 1720. Fours years later, at
age 38, he married Marie-Élisabeth, teenaged daughter of Sr. Gabriel-Louis
Rogé or Roger of Ste.-Famille, Île d'Orléans, Canada, and Élisabeth Gautron
of La Rochelle, probably at Havre-St.-Pierre. Marie's father was one of the
first merchants at the harbor. Between 1728
and 1749, she gave François
11 children, all born at the harbor. In August 1752, a French official found the
couple at Nigeagant, near the harbor, in the
parish of St.-Pierre-du-Nord.
Living with them were seven of their children, four sons
and three daughters, ages 24 to 3. The census
taker addressed François as le sieur and Marie as
dame, so the 62-year-old fisherman, navigator, and
ploughman, and his 42-year-old wife
were upstanding members of the island's middle
class.
The census taker noted that François owned two
other parcels of land, one at nearby Le Fond des Étangs,
which included a flour mill, and another at
Pointe-du-Havre-St.-Pierre-du-Nord, granted to him in 1736
by Commandant de Pensens and Commissaire
Du Buisson. François also owned a
garden and a beach front for drying cod, which he caught
with a fishing bateau and two boats. The
census taker also noted that the family had recently
suffered "a fire in which they lost all of their effects
and their house was burnt"--the conflagration
caused by the accidental explosion of gunpowder that
evidently killed two of their sons, Jean-François, age
21, and Louis-Gabriel, age 12!
Oldest son Jacques, age 24, in 1752, would marry
Judith, daughter of Jacques Quimine and
Marie-Josèphe Chiasson, probably at
Havre-St.-Pierre in c1754. Next door to Sr. François and
Dame Marie lived
Sr.
Louis-Charles, son of Nicolas Talbot and
Marguerite
Aubry
of St.-Georges-de-Bar-le-Duc, Lorraine, born in the
parish of St.-Benoist, Paris. In November 1739,
Louis-Charles had married Françoise,
one of the
Douvilles' older daughters, at Havre-St.-Pierre. In 1746,
Louis-Charles and Françoise were counted at Québec, but
they returned to Havre-St.-Pierre. Between 1740
and 1759,
Françoise gave him eight children, most
born on the island. In August 1752, four of them,
all sons--Charles-Louis, age 9; Joseph, age 7;
Jean-François, age 4; and François, age 7 months--were
living with their parents.
Daughter Marie-Henriette, born in c1740, evidently
died young, and three of their children were yet to be
born: Charles in c1754, a second Marie-Henriette
in c1756; and Marie-Louise in c1759. The census
taker called Sr. Louis a fisherman and noted
that he had been "in the country twenty years."
Louis and Françoise owned only a single parcel of land,
at Nigeagant, but they raised even more livestock than
Françoise's parents, and they owned two boats as well.
François Douville lived to a ripe old age.
He died at Havre-St.-Pierre in January 1757, age
72--nearly two years to the day before his widow and
children landed at St.-Malo, France, as exiles from
their beloved island. Members of the
Douville family were
allowed to return to North America, but not to Île
St.-Jean. They resettled, instead, on the
French-controlled
fishery islands of St.-Pierre and Miquelon, off the southern
coast of Newfoundland. Marie Rogé,
widow Douville, died on Île
St.-Pierre in June 1785, age 75. One of her grandsons
served as a lieutenant in the Continental Navy during
the American Revolution.249
Another early settler was François Duguay of Pluvigné,
bishopric of Vannes in Brittany, who came to the island soon
after Douville. In c1737, Duguay married Marie,
daughter of retired army corporal Jacques Bonnevie
dit Beaumont of Paris and Françoise Mius
d'Azy of peninsula Acadia, and settled on Rivière-du-Nord-Est,
in the interior of the island. François and Marie
were still there in August 1752, with six of their children,
four sons and two daughters: Charles, born in
c1738; Jean-Baptiste in c1739; Marguerite in c1742;
Olivier in c1746; Jacques-Bernardin in c1748; and
Marie-Josèphe in c1751. The census taker, who
called him a Dugay and her a Bonneview,
said that François, a ploughman, was age 50, Marie age
48, and that François "has been in the country 36
years." This would have placed him there as early
as c1716, perhaps half a decade too early.249a
As Douville and Duguay could have testified,
Île St.-Jean held the promise of agricultural
sustainability. Many of the island's inlets
and rivers were lined by red sandstone cliffs. Farther inland,
however, where the cliffs gave way to more gentle
shores, the soil generally
was rich enough for growing wheat, peas, and fodder
once the forests were cleared.
Some of the island's many bays were bordered by
extensive coastal marshes, though the tides here were
not high enough to justify the time and labor in
building and maintaining dykes and aboiteaux.
Strangely, whatever agricultural potential the island
held was stymied by "recurrent plagues of mice."
Also, an island historian tells us, "Not infrequently
there were serious food shortages and even famine.
Sometimes settlers had no choice but to eat the grain
that had been reserved for planting the following
spring." The habitants, then, became
dependent on what government handouts they could coax
from the authorities at Louisbourg. Luckily for the Acadians, this island, like Île Royale,
also was ideal for those who made a living from the sea.
In fact, like the island's original French settlers, some of
the Acadian farmers, especially along the island's north
shore, owned their own boats, or a share in a boat, and
fished when they were not farming or battling
pesky voles. However, a long-standing policy
dictated by the King discouraged the
habitants on Île St.-Jean from engaging in the cod
fishery. Like on the other big island,
the virgin stands of timber on Île St.-Jean gave promise
of a lucrative lumber industry. However, one
drawback of this promising resource were occasional
forest fires in times of drought that "spread to the
farms, destroying not only crops, but homes and farm
buildings as well."249b
Acadian emigration
to Île St.-Jean began a few years after their kinsmen
moved on to Île Royale and soon after the comte de
Saint-Pierre's company sent 300 French settlers to its
island fishery. Michel
Haché dit Gallant of Chignecto was
one of Île-St.-Jean's "first European settlers" and
perhaps the first Acadian to go there. In early
January 1714, Michel and one of his sons were among the
peninsula Acadians who had sailed to Île Royale to look
at land there. They may have gone there twice,
setting out again the following May 18. They
evidently did not care for what they saw, but they were still determined to leave
British Nova Scotia. Around
1720, Michel and his wife, Anne
Cormier, went, instead, to Île St.-Jean, coaxed there,
perhaps, by an official of the Compagnie de l'Île St.-Jean.
Michel and Anne built their new home on a red sandstone
cliff now called Rocky Point, near the company's
headquarters at Port-La-Joye. When the company
abandoned the island a few years later, Michel, Anne,
and their hand full of Acadian neighbors chose to
remain. Michel served as harbor master at
Port-La-Joye and died after falling through the ice there in April 1737,
age 74.
Not until 1727 did a priest come to the island--Récollet
Father Félix Pain, so familiar to the Acadians--but there were not enough habitants
living there for him to remain year round.
Nevertheless, peninsula families followed the Hachés to
the island,
some of them via Île Royale. Acadians bearing the
surnames Boudrot,
Le Prieur,
Poitevin, and
Vécot also had come in 1720; Duvivier
by
1723. Abraham
Gaudet of Chignecto, who had settled on Île Royale
in 1714, moved on to Île St.-Jean and "was among the
witnesses at the burial of Pierre Neau at Port-Lajoie"
in late August 1723.
Acadians named Oudy and Prétieux
came by
1724, and Pothiers from Chignecto by
1725.
Jean Belliveau of Annapolis Royal, after
emigrating to Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, in c1721, moved
on to Tracadie west of Havre-St.-Pierre in c1728.
Acadians named
Arseneau, Bertaud, Bourg,
Chênet or Chesnay, Chiasson,
Deveau, and Labauve came to
Île St.-Jean by
1728;
Martin
by
1732; Blanchard dit
Gentilhomme
by
1737;
Caissie
by the 1730s; Doucet and Pinet
by
1740; Comeau and Richard
by
1741;
Martin dit Barnabé and Quimine
by
1742; and Langlois
by
1743.
In 1726, when de Pensens and his hand full of
troupes de la marine came to the island, there were 18 shallops and a
single schooner "engaged in the cod-fishery on the island." The following
year, the commandant reported that "only seven colonists sowed any grain, but
that the yield was promising." A census in 1728 counted 336 persons on the
island. In 1730, the number had fallen to 325! In that year, de
Pensens "reported that he had hired an Acadian who had a boat to tranport goods
and livestock from Baie Verte," which lay across Mer Rouge from Port-La-Joye in
territory still controlled by France. Evidently this effort enhanced the
island's settlement as well as its commerce. De Pensens reported 572
persons on the island in 1734, the year after he had been named King's
lieutenant there. That same year, de Pensens counted 39 shallops and
a schooner participating in the island's fishery. Acadians also
established a coasting trade between the island and Île Royale. By then,
settlements could be found at Havre-St.-Pierre, still the most
populous; at Port-La-Joye, still the administrative center; at Pointe de
l'Est; at Rivière-du-Nord-Est above Port-La-Joye; at
Havre-aux-Sauvages and Tracadie on the north shore west
of Havre-St.-Pierre; at Malpèque farther west; and at Trois-Rivières and
Havre-à-l'Anguille on the
island's remote eastern shore. Havre-St.-Pierre remained the center of the
island's fishery, but fishing also continued at Port-La-Joye and Pointe de l'Est
and out of the newer coastal settlements. Most of the cultivation on the
island could be found at Port-La-Joye and on
Rivière-du-Nord-Est, but grain fields also could be found at Malpèpue, Tracadie,
Havre-aux-Sauvages, and Havre-St.-Pierre. Despite the growing European
population, the Mi'kmaq maintained a presence on the
island. Malpèque served as "a permanent headquarters" for the nation and
as an important center of corn production. A source of "recruitment" for the island's
settlement came from a troubling quarter. In 1735, Île Royale's longtime
governor, Joseph Membeton de Brouillon de Saint-Ovide, complained to his
superiors that soldiers on Île St.-Jean "thought of themselves as
'galley-slaves' and were convinced that they would spend the rest of their lives
on the island." Desertions to British Nova Scotia "were frequent--as were
desertions to the French colonies from the English garrison" in Nova Scotia.
"De Pensens himself," his biographer reveals, "does not seem to have been too
fond of living on the island; he was reprimanded several times for spending the
winter at Louisbourg." In 1736, illness forced him to retire from the
King's service, and Lieutenant Robert Tarride Duhaget, who had first come to the
island in 1728, served as interim commander. De
Pensens died in France in April 1737, and Louis Dupont Duchambon,
married to a Mius d'Entremont whose mother was a daughter
Charles La Tour, succeeded de Pensens as the island's
commander. According to Duchambon's biographer, his
command was "uneventful." He was joined on the island by a son, Louis
Duchambon de Vergor, and a nephew, Joseph Dupont
Duvivier, whose mother was a sister of Duchambon's
wife. Like a number of Acadian settlers on the island, young Joseph was a
native of Port-Royal. The new commandant "maintained a farm" on the island "where he
raised livestock and in 1741 purchased a bateau for 3,000 livres,"
which was put to good use in the coming war. On the eve of that war, in
March 1744, after two decades of distinguished service on the island,
Commissaire Robert Poitiers du Buisson died at Port-La-Joye, age 61. He
was replaced as subdelegate to the King's commissaire by another member of the Acadian aristocracy, François-Marie
de Goutin, who, like Joseph Dupont Duvivier,
was a native of Port-Royal. Duchambon
was promoted to King's lieutenant of the Maritimes colony in April 1744, and nephew
Joseph replaced him
at Port-La-Joye. After Duchambon surrendered Louisbourg to
the British in June 1745, a detachment of New Englanders attacked
Duvivier and his garrison at Port-La-Joye. With the help of Mi'kmaq and Acadian
militia, Duvivier and his troupes de la marine bloodied the Yankees
before retreating to Québec. A British naval force occupied Port-La-Joye,
and Commodore Peter Warren, British commander in the region, seriously
considered deporting the island's inhabitants, as he had done at Lousbourg.
Luckily for the St.-Jean islanders, Warren lacked the resources to do it. In July 1746, a French force from Baie-Verte ambushed
the redcoat garrison at Port-La-Joye, bloodying them severely, and the island
fell quiet for the rest of the war.
In 1749, following the erection of Halifax, which was accompanied by British threats against Acadian
partisans, more peninsula families, especially from Annapolis and the Minas
Basin, came to the island bearing the surnames Allain,
Bugeaud, Carret, Cellier, Chauvet
dit La Gerne, Cyr, Deschamps
dit Cloche, Gauthier, Hébert, Landry, LeBlanc,
and
Olivier.
Beginning in the fall of 1750,
Acadians escaping the chaos at Chignecto more than tripled the island's population.
New communities sprang up at Rivière-du-Ouest,
Rivière-de-Peugiguit, Rivière-du-Moulin-à-Scie, Rivière-des-Blancs,
Anse-à-Dubuisson, Anse-aux-Morts, Petite-Ascension, Anse-au-Comte-St.-Pierre,
Anse-au-Matelot, Grande-Anse, Grande-Ascension, Pointe-au-Boulleau,
Anse-de-la-Boullotière, Pointe-Prime, Anse-à-Pinnet, Havre-de-la-Fortune,
L'Étang-des-Berges, Bédec, La Traverse, Rivière-des-Blonds, Rivière-au-Crapauds,
Anse-du-Nord-Ouest, and Anse-au-Sanglier. Island
farmers in these myriad settlements raised cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese,
and turkeys for food, employed oxen and horses as beasts of burden, and grew
oats and peas as well as wheat, the island's principal crop. Without
meaning to, or even realizing it, these islanders, whether new arrivals or
long-time settlers, were contributing to a fracturing of the Funday Acadian culture
that would only deepen in the years
ahead.243
.
During the brief
history of the Maritimes colony, new
arrivals--fishermen, sailors, soldiers, farmers,
craftsmen of every kind--settled among the fisherfolk
from Newfoundland and the itinerant farmers from Nova
Scotia. Most of the newcomers came from France and
Canada and settled on Île Royale, while others chose to
go to Île St.-Jean. They were still coming to the
islands into the 1740s, up to the eve of a new war
with Britain. Some married
into established Acadian families:118
Pierre Bois, born at St.-Jean-des
Champs, Diocese of Coutances, in c1682, came to the
French Maritimes in c1712 and worked as a fisherman on Cape Breton
Island. He married Marie-Catherine, oldest
daughter of harbor pilot François Coste
and Madeleine Martin dit
Barnabé and widow of Sébastien Le Roy
dit L'Espérance, at Port-Toulouse,
Île Royale, in c1718. She gave him at least nine
children: Judith, born in c1725; Jean in c1730;
Cécile in c1731; Pierre, fils and Joseph in c1733; François and Madeleine in c1735;
Charlotte in c1738; and Geneviève in c1741. Pierre
took his family to L'Ardoise, up the coast from
Port-Toulouse, where he worked as a fisherman.
In February 1752, a French official counted him there
with Marie and seven unmarried children.
Pierre was age 70 at the time, and the official noted
that he had been in the colony 40 years. His older
sons Jean and Pierre, fils married into the
Poujet and Dugas
families and settled at Port-Toulouse. Youngest
son François married into the Desaleur
family and settled on Île Miquelon after Le Grand
Dérangement. Pierre's daughter Cécile married
Pierre, son of Jean Babin and
Marguerite Bourg of Ste.-Famille,
Pigiguit, in c1760 probably at Restigouche on the Baie
des Chaleurs during exile. None of Pierre's
descendants emigrated to Louisiana.186
Jean, fils, son of Jean
Bourhis and Marie Demers, born probably at Montréal, became a master
carpenter. He married Marie-Josèphe, 15-year-old daughter of Jean
Martin and Madeleine Babin of Grand-Pré and Île Royale, at Port-Toulouse in c1715. She gave him at least six
daughters, all born on Île Royale: Élisabeth, or Isabelle;
Marie-Charlotte; Marie-Anne in c1721; Catherine in c1725; Marie-Jeanne in c1727;
Marie-Madeleine in c1730; and Gabrielle in c1732. Isabelle,
Marie-Charlotte, and Marie-Anne married into the Le Chaux,
Corporon, and Le Choux famliies. Jean
remarried to Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine, daughter of Jean-Baptiste
Corporon and Marie Pinet of Minas and Île
Royale and sister of Jean's daughter Marie-Charlotte's husband Jean-Baptiste
Corporon, in August 1734. Madeleine gave Jean, fils
two sons, born on the island: Jean-Baptiste in c1735, and Jean III in
c1743. Jean, fils died by c1749, when Madeleine remarried.
She settled with her new husband, Jean Le Chaux, Jean, fils's
daughter Isabelle's widower, at Lorembec, near Louisbourg, where a French
official counted them on their substantial fishing concession in April 1752.
If any of Jean Bourhis, fils's descendants emigrated
to Louisiana, none took the family's name there.167
Jean Philippot, born at Lande, bishopric of Coutances, France, in c1702, came to Île
Royale as a young fisherman in c1716. He married Agnès, daughter of Jean
Borny and Marie Commère of Newfoundland and
Île Royale, in c1724. She gave him at least six children: Marie,
born in c1727; Basile in c1728; Jean, fils in c1730; Guillaume-Jean and
Guy-Adrien in c1732; and Gabriel in c1734. They settled at the fishery on
Île Scatary. Agnès died in the 1740s, and Jean remarried to Julienne
Bassin or Bossin, native of St. Michel des
Loups, bishopric of Avranches, France, in the late 1740s, perhaps in France.
She gave him two more children. Jean's daughter Marie married into the
Jourdan or Jourdau family and settled on Île
Scatary. A French official counted Jean and his five sons "on the Great
Harbour of the Isle de Scatary" in April 1752 and noted that Jean's "other two
[children] are in France with their mother." Daughter Marie and her
husband lived not far from her father. No member of this family emigrated
to Louisiana.138
Georges Berbudeau or
Barbudeau, born on Île d'Oléron, bishopric of Saintes, France,
came Île Royale as a surgeon in c1716 and married Françoise
Vrigneau of Plaisance, Newfoundland, in c1723. She gave him at
least six children: Marie, born in c1723; Jean-Baptiste in c1725; Anne in
c1728; Jeanne in c1731; Pierre in c1732; and Étienne in c1734. They
settled at St.-Esprit, down the coast from Louisbourg, where Georges served as
the fishing village's master surgeon. Daughters Marie and Anne married
into the Desroches and Picard families.
A French official counted all three families at St.-Esprit in February 1752.
Evidently soon after the census was taken Georges took his wife and younger
children to Île St.-Jean. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.58
Claude dit Léveillé, son of Jacques Bernard and
Louse Rabier of Montamisé, Poitiers, France, not kin to the other Bernards
of greater Acadia, was a soldier in the company of de Rouville
in Canada. Claude married Angélique, daughter of Louis Coulombe, at
Québec in c1713. Later in the decade, probably after finishing his time in
the King's service, he took his family to Port-Dauphin, Île Royale, where he
worked as an inn-keeper. Angélique gave him five children, including a son
born in the mid-1720s who did not survive
childhood. Older daughter Marie-Anne, born at Port-Dauphin in c1717,
married Frenchman Maurice Lévesque probably at Port-Dauphin in
c1740; they settled on land Claude gave to them. Youngest daughter Anne, also born at Port-Dauphin, married Pierre, fils,
son of Pierre Martin and Marguerite
Suche, at Port-Dauphin in June 1752; Pierre, fils's
father probably was not Acadian. None of Claude
dit Léveillé's descendants emigrated to Louisiana.92
Pierre, son of François Benoist or
Benoit, master
apothecary, and Marie-Anne Tibierge, was
born at St.-Médard-de-Verteuil, Poitier, France, in c1695. He was not kin to the Benoit
dit Labriere family of peninsula Nova Scotia.
Pierre married Anne, daughter of
Acadians François Levron and Catherine Savoie, in
c1713, place unrecorded, and took her to Île Royale. She gave him two
daughters, born probably at Louisbourg: Annette in
c1718, and Marie-Anne in May 1725. Neither of them
married. By May
1723, Pierre was serving as a second ensign in the
garrison at Louisbourg. He was promoted to ensign
of foot in 1730 and to lieutenant in April 1738.
Meanwhile, in January 1734, Pierre remarried to
Marie-Anne, daughter of cannonier Thomas Jacau de Fiedmont
and Anne Melanson,
at Louisbourg. Marie-Anne gave Pierre six more
children, all born on the island: Geneviève at
Louisbourg in November 1734; Henri in October 1736; Anne
at Port-Toulouse in September 1738; Émilie-Jeanne at
Louisbourg in November 1739; Pierre-François at
Port-Toulouse in c1742; and Jeanne-Gervaise in in August
1744.
Only daughter Geneviève married, into the
Dupleix dit Sylvain family at
Lousbourg. In 1748-49, following King George's War and the
retrocession of the Maritimes colony to France, Pierre
evidently served as interim commandant on Île St.-Jean. In April 1750,
he was promoted to captain and became
a chevalier de St.-Louis in February 1760.
None of his descendants emigrated to Louisiana.283
Jean-Baptiste, called Jean, Radoux
married Madeleine, daughter of Robert Henry and Marie-Madeleine
Godin of Minas and widow of Benjamin Druce, in
c1715, place unrecorded. They settled at St.-Esprit on Île Royale, where
Jean likely worked as a fisherman. Madeleine gave Jean at least three children:
Jean, fils, born in c1728; Pierre in c1730; and Marguerite in c1734.
When a French official counted the family at St.-Esprit in February 1752,
Madeleine was a widow again. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.64
Pierre
Jacquemin dit Lorraine, a carpenter,
born probably in Lorraine, then a part of France,
married Marguerite, daughter of Acadians Philippe
Pinet and Catherine Hébert,
in c1715, place unrecorded, and remarried to Marguerite, daughter of
Acadians Michel Haché dit
Gallant and Anne Cormier
of Chignecto and Île St.-Jean, probably on that island
in c1729. His first wife gave him at least four
children: Pierre, born in c1721; Marguerite in
c1722; Marguerite-Catherine in c1726; and
Pierre-François in c1727. His second wife gave him
at least five more children: Jean, born in c1730;
Marie-Louise in c1732; Marianne in c1734; Anne in c1735; and
a second Marie-Louise in
c1737. Two of his daughters married into the
Doucet and Closquinet
families. Pierre dit Lorraine died on Île
St.-Jean in November 1737. His children were
raised by his widow and her second husband, Robert
Hango dit Cloisy of Avranche,
France, who she married at Port-La-Joye in January 1739.
None of Pierre dit Lorraine's descendants
emigrated to Louisiana.07
Jean-Baptiste
Villedieu, fils, a carpenter,
was born at Grandville, bishopric of Coutances, France,
in 1694. He came to Île Royale by c1717, the year
he married Anne Michel, place
unrecorded. She died in c1721, and he remarried to
Anne, daughter of Étienne Hébert and
Jeanne Comeau of Minas and widow of
Pierre Boucher dit DesRoches,
at Port-Toulouse in c1721. Anne gave him at
least five children: Pierre-Martin, born in c1726;
Jean-Baptiste, fils in c1731; Bernardine in
c1733; Nicolas in c1734; and François in c1738.
Anne died on the island in October 1739, age 42, and
Jean-Baptiste remarried--his third marriage--to
Catherine-Marie Grosset, widow of Sr.
Jean-Charles Cruchon dit
Latour-Cruchon, in September 1740. She gave him
four more children: Laurent, born in c1742;
François in c1743; Jean in c1744; and Louis in c1750.
Oldest son Pierre-Martin married Marie-Perrine
Cruchon, his stepsister, and settled with his
father, stepmother, and siblings and step-siblings at
Rivière-de-Miré, up the coast from Louisbourg, where a
French official counted them in April 1752. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.120
François
Fardel, also called Fardet and
Cardet, born at Rieux, bishopric of Vannes,
France, in c1697, came to Île Royale in c1717 as a young
fisherman. He married Marie-Marguerite,
35-year-old daughter
of Claude Pitre and his second wife
Anne Henry, on the island in c1747,
when he would have been age 50, and settled at
Petit-Degrat off Île Madame, where he pursued his
trade. Marie gave him at least four children on
the island:
Pierre, born in c1748; Marie-Anne in c1750; Marie in
c1752; and Angélique in c1756. No member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.69
Jean-Pierre
David dit
Saint-Michel, born in St.-Nazaire Parish below Nantes,
France, in c1699 or 1700, probably not kin to the
Canadian Davids who settled at Minas in British
Nova Scotia, became a master blacksmith. He married
Marie-Madeleine, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Monmellian
dit Saint-Germain and Hélène Juineau, probably at Québec in c1717.
They settled at Louisbourg, where
Jean-Pierre, called Sr. David, worked his trade.
According to Bona Arsenault, between 1718 and 1743, Marie-Madeleine gave the blacksmith 13 children,
nine sons and four daughters, most, if not all of them, born at Louisbourg. Second
son
Étienne-Michel, called Michel, born at Louisbourg in c1720 and a
blacksmith like his father, left Île Royale in the early
1740s and moved to Grand-Pré, British Nova Scotia, where
he married and created a family of his own. Michel
and his family emigrated to Louisiana from Maryland in 1766.284
Maurice Lévesque, or
Leveque, born at Bouillon, bishopric of
Avranches, in c1709, came to Île Royale in
c1717 as a young fisherman. He married Marie-Anne,
daughter of Claude Bernard dit
Lévielle and Angélique Coulombe of
Québec, probably at Port-Dauphin on the island and
worked as a fisherman/habitant on land granted
to them by his father-in-law, a former soldier and local
inn-keeper. Marie-Anne gave Maurice at least three
children, all born at Port-Dauphin: Marie in
c1741; Joseph in c1744; and Jean-Baptiste in c1749.
A French official counted them at Port-Dauphin in
February 1752. With them was Maurice's fishing
partner, Mathurin Doulet, age 59, a
native of St.-Malo. None of Maurice's descendants
emigrated to Louisiana.91
Pierre Bénard, born at St.-Malo in
c1686, married Cécile, 15-year-old daughter
of Vincent Longuépée and Madeleine
Rimbault of Minas, at Port-Toulouse,
Île Royale, in c1718 and worked in the coasting trade.
Cécile gave him at least nine children: Jean, born
in c1722; Anne in c1728, Françoise in c1730; Nicolas in
c1734; Geneviève in c1735; Françoise in c1737; Froiselle
in c1742; Charles in c1744; and Isaac in c1748.
They settled on Île Madame, where a French official
counted them in February 1752. Oldest son Jean
married Catherine Langlois
in the early 1750s. None of Pierre's descendants
emigrated to Louisiana.41
Mathieu dit Cadet, son of Pierre
de Glain and Catherine Duverger,
born at Bayonne, France, in c1694, came to the French
Maritimes in c1718, probably as a fisherman. At
age 40, he married Marie, daughter of Acadians Pierre
Martin and Anne Godin
dit Châtillon and widow of Pierre
Bertaud dit Montaury,
at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean, in February 1734.
She gave him at least one daughter, Marie-Louise, born
in c1736. The family moved down from
Havre-St.-Pierre to the east side of
Rivière-de-Pegiguit, a tributary of Rivière-du-Nord-Est,
and were
counted there in August 1752. None of Mathieu dit
Cadet's descendants emigrated to Louisiana.05
Georges Chauvin, born at
Bassilly, bishopric of Avranches, France, in 1700, came to Île Royale in 1719 as
a young fisherman. He married Marie, daughter of Joseph Mirande
and Marie Gaudet of Chignecto and Baie-de-l'Indienne, on the
island in c1728. They purchased a fishing concession at Lorembec, near
Louisbourg, in 1738. Marie gave him at least six children, all of them
born on the island: Louis in c1729; Joseph in c1732; Gillette in c1736;
Pierre in c1739; Julien in c1741; and Georges, fils in c1744. In
April 1752, a French official counted Georges, Marie, and two of their
sons--Joseph and Pierre--at Lorembec. The official noted that Georges
employed three other fishermen and a domestic servant and owned his own boat.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.163
François and Joseph, sons of Pierre
Durocher and Guyanne Renaud, born in the parish of
St.-Christophe-de-Valein, bishopric of Rennes, France, in c1685 and c1687, came
to Île St.-Jean in c1719, perhaps as fishermen/habitants for the Compagnie de l'Île St.-Jean.
François married Élisabeth Bruneau, a 27-year-old widow from
Sainte, Saintonge, France, at Port-La-Joye in
August 1721. Five years later, they settled at Havre-St.-Pierre on land
they had purchased from a fellow colonist for 112 livres. When a
French official counted them at Havre-St.-Pierre in August 1752, they lived
alone, so one wonders if they were that rare Acadian couple who had no children.
Brother Joseph married Françoise, daughter of merchant François Giraud
and Anne de Lavant, at Port-La-Joye in August 1721.
Françoise was "servante chez le gouverneur" at the time of her
marriage. She gave Joseph at least one child: François-Joseph, born
probably on the island in 1725. Joseph remarried to Françoise
Pivain at Charlebourg, near Québec, in February 1748. She gave
him two more children: Joseph-Marie, born in c1749; and Geneviève in
c1751. Joseph remarried again--his third marriage--to Marie-Anne
Dumont at Kamouraska on the lower St. Lawrence, in June 1752.
She gave him two more children: Louise-Geneviève, born in c1754; and
Marie-Exupère in c1756. One suspects that Joseph did not return to the
French Maritimes. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana, at
least none who identified themselves as Acadian.236
Jacques, son of Jean Le Tourneur
and Jeanne Marion, born at St.-Jean-des-Champs,
bishopric of Coutances, France, in 1682, emigrated to Île Royale in
1720 and worked in the fishery at Havre-la-Baleine, near Louisbourg. At
age 52, Jacques married Catherine Roger, widow of Jean
Goupil, probably at La Baleine in February 1734; she was five years
older than Jacques, so they had no children of their own. A French
official counted them at La Baleine in April 1752. With them was "their
little grandson," 9-year-old Jean-Philippe Guigoit, son, most
likely, of one of Catherine's children by her first marriage. The official
also noted that Jacques employed nine other fishermen and owned two boats.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.152
Jude Rode, born at
Avranches, France, in c1692, married Angélique Aller and
emigrated to Île Royale in 1720. They settled at Lorembec, where they were
granted a fishing concession in 1733. She gave him at least two sons:
Louis, born probably in France in c1719; and Louis-Joseph in 1751. A
French official counted them at Lorembec in April 1752, noting that Jude
employed three 36-month-men and was "awaiting the arrival of two crews from
France." No member of the family emigrated to Louisiana.169
Pierre-Jérôme Boucher, born
in France in c1688, was an army engineer assigned to the fortifications of
Louisbourg, Île Royale, in c1721. He married Madeleine, daughter of
former colonial official Mathieu de Goutin and his Acadian Jeanne Thibodeau,
at Louisbourg in c1730 and remained at the fortress, where he continued his
career. He was promoted to "reformed" lieutenant in 1737 and to "reformed"
captain two years later. In 1747, he received the Cross of the Order of
St.-Louis for his service to France. Madeleine gave him at least seven
children, including two sons, born at the French citadel between 1734 and 1745:
Madeleine-Hélène in c1734 Jeanne in c1736, Anne in c1737, Louise in c1740, Marie
in c1742, Pierre in c1743, and Charles-Joseph in c1745. Pierre-Jérôme died
at Louisbourg in July 1753. One wonders what happened to his widow and
children in 1758. Evidently none of his descendants emigrated to
Louisiana.316
Pierre
Arbour dit Carrica, native of Bayonne, France, married
Susanne
Moreau probably in c1721. They settled at
Havre-St.-Pierre on Île St.-Jean, among the
first to settle there. Susanne gave
Pierre seven children, three sons and four daughters, on
the island: Michel, born in c1724; Mathurin in c1725; Dominique in c1727;
Isabelle in c1730, Suzanne in c1732; Marguerite in c1734; and Marie-Thérèse in
c1736. Some of the family moved to Canada in the 1740s. Second son
Mathurin married Félicité, daughter of André Archambault and
Cécile Adhémar, at Pointe-aux-Trembles near Montréal in July
1748. Youngest son Dominique married Angélique, daughter of Pierre
Pelletier and Marie-Charlotte Chavigny, at
L'Assomption on the upper St. Lawrence between Montréal and Québec in August 1755, on the eve of the
Acadian Grand Dérangement. Pierre dit Carrica's oldest
daughter Isabelle married into the Turenne family at
Louisbourg, Île Royale, in June 1750. Youngest daughter Marie-Thérèse
married into the Savoie family, place unrecorded, in c1756.
Evidently Pierre's descendants settled in Canada, and none of them--at least
none who identifed themselves as Acadian--emigrated to Louisiana.285
Pierre, a
carpenter, son of Jean Bordages or
Bourdages, master
tailor of St.-Jean in Angoulême, married Marie-Anne,
daughter of Guillaume Chevalier, master
shoemaker, and Jeanne Ménard of
St.-Saveur Parish, La Rochelle, at Port-La-Joye, Île
St.-Jean, in August 1721. Their son Raymond, born
on the island in c1728, married Esther, twin daughter of
Acadians René LeBlanc, the notary of Grand-Pré, and his
second wife Marguerite Thébeau, on
Rivière St.-Jean, present-day New Brunswick, in 1756,
two years before the British attacked the river
settlements. Between 1756
and 1780, Esther gave Raymond 11 children, seven sons
and four daughters. After taking refuge on the
Gulf of St. Lawrence shore, they escaped the British
again in 1760 and settled at Bonaventure in Gaspésie, present-day Québec Province. Raymond died there in
c1787. His many descendants remained at
Bonaventure and other communities in Gaspésie. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.285a
Laurent, son
of Jean
Neveu
and Catherine Cayer of Santon, La Rochelle,
France, widower of Louise Ros, remarried to Jeanne, daughter of Pierre
Robin and Marie-Anne Guaritan of St.-Jean, La Rochelle, at Port-La-Joye, Île
St.-Jean, in November 1721. Laurent and Jeanne
settled at Tracadie on the north shore of the
island. One of their descendants may have
emigrated to Louisiana from France.286
Honoré dit
Villedieu, son of Pierre dit Desroches Boucher and
Hélène Gaudry dit Bourbonnière
of St.-Nicolas Parish, Québec, was born probably at Grand-Pré in c1716.
In c1722, he followed his family to Port-Toulouse, Île
Royale, and married Marie-Anne, daughter
of Bernard Marres
dit La Sonde and Judith Petitpas, there in c1743. Marie-Anne
was a native of the port. In February 1752, a French official
counted the couple at Port-Toulouse with three children: Bélonie, age
8; Marie-Josèphe, age 4; and Jean, age 2. Evidently no member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.317
Mathurin, fils and André, sons of Mathurin
Renaud and Jeanne Raval,
were born in the parish of de Mattes, bishopric of
Sainte, France, in c1687 and c1692. The older
brother came to the French Maritimes by June 1722, when
he married Marie-Anne, daughter of Jean Favreau,
master tailor, and Marie LeGrand of
St.-Sauveur, La Rochelle, at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean.
Mathurin, fils died at Havre-St.-Pierre, on the
north side of the island, in October 1743, in his
mid-50s (though his burial record says he was age 65 at
the time of his death). He and his wife may have
been that rare Acadian couple who had no children.
Meanwhile, younger brother André came to Île St.-Jean in
c1726 and evidently joined his brother at
Havre-St.-Pierre. André married Marie-Jeanne,
called Jeanne, daughter of Mathieu Roger
and Simone Servant of La Rochelle, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for Havre-St.-Pierre, in
October 1740. Jeanne gave him five children, all
born on the island: Suzanne-Marie in October 1741;
Mathurin le jeune in October 1742; André,
fils in October 1744; Anastasie in c1750; and Marie
in June 1751. A French official counted André, who
he described as a "poor" ploughman, Jeanne, and their
two sons at Havre-St.-Pierre in August 1752. One
wonders what happened to their daughters. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.244
Jacques Arete, born at
Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, in c1722, married Rose
Alitra, "native of la Cadie" probably
in the late 1740s. One wonders whose Jacques's
parents may have been, or who were Rose's parents.
The couple settled on Île Royale, where a French
official counted them with 21 Acadian families at
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, in the center of the island, in
late March 1752. With them were two daughters:
Marie-Rose, born in c1750, and an unnamed infant
daughter. The census taker called Jacques a
"ploughman." One wonders if he originally had
worked as a coaster or a fisherman. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.85
Jean
Clément, born at Jeffrets, bishopric of
Coutances, France, in c1707, was not kin to the Vincent dit
Cléments of British Nova Scotia and Île St.-Jean. Jean came to Île Royale by
c1722 probably as a young fisherman.
He married Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Englishman
Benjamin Druce of Oxfordshire and Acadian
Madeleine Henry dit Robert of Minas, at
Port-Toulouse in c1726; Marie-Josèphe was a native of
Grand-Pré. She gave Jean at least 10 childern, all
born at nearby St.-Esprit on the island's Atlantic coast: Jean, fils in
c1732; Pierre in c1734; Jean in c1741; Marie in c1742;
Pierre in c1743; Aimable in c1744; Louise in c1748; Chapin in c1751;
Hilaire in c1753; and Claude in c1754. Two
of Jean and Marie-Josèphe's daughters married into the Lirard
and LeHardy families from France. The
extended family
settled at St.-Esprit, on the Atlantic side of the
island, where a French official counted them in February
1752. Jean was still working as a fisherman. Their son Hilaire, along with two of his children,
both born in France, were the only Acadian Cléments
who emigrated to Louisiana.287
Pierre, son of Jean Gallon and
Marie Basire, born in the parish of
St.-Pierre-L'ange, bishopric of Avranches, France, in c1710, came to the French Maritimes in c1722,
perhaps with his family or as a young fisherman.
He married Marguerite, daughter of Pierre
Bertaud dit Montaury
and Marie Martin, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean, in October 1739. (A clue that Pierre came to greater
Acadia with his family is found in the remarriage of
Marguerite's older sister Marie-Josèphe to François
Gallon, perhaps Pierre's brother, at
Louisbourg, Île Royale, in October 1741.)
Marguerite gave Pierre at least six children, all born
on Île St.-Jean: Marie-Françoise, called
Françoise, in c1739; Marie-Marguerite in c1741;
Henriette in c1742; Félix in c1745; Jean-Baptiste in
c1747; and Joseph in c1750. In August 1752, a
French official counted them on the east side of Rivière-de-Peguiguit,
a tributary of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, in the interior of
the island.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.04
Louis
Closquinet dit Dumoulin, a
carpenter, born at Verrier, Reims, France, married
Marguerite, daughter of Vincent Longuépée and
Madeleine Rimbault, at Louisbourg in
c1722. In c1737, they resettled on
Rivière-du-Nord-Est in the interior of Île St.-Jean. They had at
least eight children, most, if not all, of them born on
that island: François in c1723; Pierre in c1725;
Marie-Madeleine, also called Marie-Marguerite, in c1727;
Louis, fils in c1730; Joseph
and Jean-Baptiste in c1732; Louise-Geneviève, also called Marie-Louise, in
c1735; and Amable in July 1739. Louis and Marguerite's daughters married
into the Girard dit Saint-Crispin, Comeau,
Savary, and Trahan families,
one of them in France.
Louis, père and Marguerite were still alive in
August 1752, when they were counted with five of their
younger children on the west side of
Rivière-de-Peugiguit. At least three of their sons
created families of their own: Pierre married Marie-Josèphe, daughter
of Paul Boudrot and Madeleine-Josèphe Doiron, at
Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in January 1751. Louis, fils,
counted with his parents and younger siblings in August
1752,
married Anne Jaquemin probably soon after. Joseph married Françoise,
another daughter of Paul Boudrot and Madeleine-Josèphe Doiron,
probably on Île St.-Jean in c1756. Three of Louis dit
Dumoulin's descendants, a son, a daughter, and a
granddaughter, emigrated to Spanish Louisiana from France
in 1785.288
Charles,
fils, son of Charles Fouquet and
Claude Duvivier, born at St.-Jean-de-la-Haize, Avranches,
Normandy,
in c1702, came to the French Maritimes in c1722 as a
young fisherman. He married
Marie-Judith, daughter of Étienne Poitevin
dit Parisien and
Anne Daigre of Annapolis Royal, at
Havre-St.-Pierre, Île St.-Jean, in September 1724.
They remained at the north coast harbor
and raised a dozen children there: Jean-Baptiste
born in c1727; Louis in December 1728; Charles l'aîné in August
1730; Jean-Aubin, called Aubin, in May 1732; Marie-Judith or -Françoise in April 1736; Jean-Martin, called Martin, in November 1738;
Anne in July 1741; Élisabeth or Isabelle in c1743; Simon in November 1747; Françoise in
c1748; and Charles le jeune in November 1751. In August 1752, a
French official counted Charles, Marie, and nine of
their children at Nigeagant near Havre-St.-Pierre.
Charles's son Jean-Aubin emigrated to Spanish Louisiana from
France in 1785.289
Gervais Brisset, born at Condé,
bishopric of Bayeux, in c1702, came to Île Royale as a
fisherman in c1722. He married Marie-Josèphe,
daughter most likely of Sébastien Le Roy
dit L'Espérance and Marie-Catherine
Coste, in the early or mid-1730s probably on
Île Royale. She gave him at least five daughters:
Marie-Josèphe, born in c1736; Catherine in c1740;
Brigitte in c1744; Suzanne in c1746; and Gervaise in
c1749. They settled at L'Ardois, down the coast
from Louisbourg, where a French official counted them in
February 1752. None of Gervais's descendants
emigrated to Louisiana.33
Jean, fils, son of
Jean Beaulieu and Marie-Louise
Beaulieu, born at Pluion, bishopric of
Nantes, France, in c1720, evidently followed his family
to Île Royale in c1722, where he
worked as a fisherman. Jean, fils married
Madeleine, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Rodon
and Madeleine Henry of Port-Toulouse
and widow of Julien Poirier, probably
at Port-Toulouse in November 1743. The settled at
St.-Esprit, up the coast from Port-Toulouse.
Madeleine died in August 1749, but not before giving
Jean, fils a son, Pierre, born in c1746.
Jean, fils remarried to Marie Hulin,
born at Grandville, diocese of Coutances, in c1720 and
probably a widow. When a French official counted
them at St.-Esprit in February 1752, they had not only
Pierre, age 6, but also Jean III, age 2--remarkable for
a woman her age. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.62
Simon, son of Michel
Gauthier or Gaultier and
Élisabeth Gassot, born at
St.-Pierre-Devins, bishopric of Avranches, France, in
c1706, probably was not kin to the Gauthiers
of British Nova Scotia. He came to Île Royale as a young fisherman
in 1722 and married Françoise, daughter of Jean
Dubordieu and Françoise DesRoches
of Plaisance, on the island in October 1741. She
gave him no children. Simon remarried to
Jacqueline, also called Catherine, daughter of Jean
Dohier or Doight and
Françoise Rever of Lancieux, bishopric
of St.-Malo, on the island in August 1751. She
gave him a daughter, Jacqueline, born probably at
Lorembec, near Louisbourg, in c1754. A French
official counted Simon and his second wife at Lorembec
in April 1752. Living with the family were six
hired fishermen. The official noted that Simon
owned two boats and possessed a substantial fishing
establishment facing the harbor that he had purchased in
1738. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.158
Joseph
La Forest,
later La Forestrie and De La Forestrie,
born at Angers, France, reached Havre-St.-Pierre on
Île St.-Jean in c1722.
He probably
was not kin to Marc-Antoine de La Forest,
commissioner-paymaster and King's attorney "at the head
office of the Admiralty" on Île Royale.
In c1726, Joseph
La Forest
married Marie, daughter of Guyon Chiasson
dit
La Vallée and Marie-Madeleine Martin of Chignecto and widow of Jean
Pothier.
Marie gave Joseph three sons, all born on the island:
Étienne in c1727; Joseph, fils in June 1728;
and Jean in c1732. The younger sons married, into
the Robichaud, Duvivier,
Duboscqs, Bonnière,
and Herve families in greater Acadia
and France. Marie Chiasson was listed in a census as a widow in
at Havre-St.-Pierre on the north shore of Île St.-Jean
in August 1752.
Three of her De La Forestrie granddaughters
emigrated to Louisiana from France in 1785.290
Jean Darembourg, also Rambourg, married Marie-Anne Pichot
of Plaisance, Newfoundland, in c1722 and settled at
Petit-de-Grat off Île Madame. Marie-Anne gave him at least nine
children: Marguerite, born in c1723; Marie; Félix,
born in c1733; Jean-Noël in c1735; Jean-Pierre in c1736;
François in c1738; Martin in c1740; Jérôme in c1744; and
Isabelle in c1748. Their older daughters married
into the Emanuel and Le Borgne
families. Jean died at Petit-de-Grat in
the late 1740s or early 1750s. Marie-Anne
remarried to fisherman Nicolas Hecquart
or Écard at nearby Port-Toulouse in
c1751 but settled on her deceased husband's grant at
Petit-de-Grat. No member of this family emigrated
to Louisiana.51
Pierre
Darembourg, born probably in France, married Marie,
daughter of Louis Mazerolle and Geneviève
Forest of Annapolis Royal, at Port-Toulouse, Île
Royale, in c1722, when she was only in her mid-teens.
They settled at Petit-de-Grat, down the coast from
Port-Toulouse, before moving on to Havre-St.-Pierre on
Île St.-Jean, where Pierre died in May 1742. Marie
gave Pierre had at least five children, most, if not
all, of them born at Petit-Dégrat: Marie-Josèphe
in c1727, Geneviève in c1730, Anne in c1734,
Jean-Baptiste in c1736, and Jacques in c1739.
Marie-Josèphe and Geneviève married into the
Langlois and Villalon
families, Marie-Josèphe at Havre-St.-Pierre, Geneviève
at Petit-de-Grat. One wonders if
Pierre was kin to Jean Darembourg of
Petit-de-Grat, or to Sr. André Darembourg
of Plaisance,
Newfoundland. Pierre's son Jean-Baptiste emigrated
to Louisiana from France.307
Charles Charpentier, born
in France in c1688, came to the French Maritimes as a fisherman/habitant by
c1723, when he married Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Louis Chênet
dit La Garenne and Jeanne Martin
dit Barnabé, at Port-Toulouse on Île Royale. She gave him at least
five children: Marie-Josèphe, born in c1724; Suzanne in c1727; Georges in
c1730; Louis in c1732; and Joseph in c1737. They moved on to Île St.-Jean
in the 1720s or 1730s. Charles died at Port-Lajoie, on the south shore of
the island, in December 1738, age 50. Marie-Josèphe promptly remarried to
Jean-François Morel of St.-Malo, who gave her no more children.
In August 1752, a French official counted Marie, again a widow, and three of her
Charpentier sons--Georges called Joseph, age 22; Louis, age 20;
and Joseph, age 15--at Havre-St.-Pierre. Georges married Anne, daughter of
Jean-Jacques Cyr and Marie-Josèphe Hébert of
Chignecto, probably at Havre-St.-Pierre in c1755. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.251
Jean-Baptiste dit Duvivier,
fils, son of Jean-Baptiste Habel, sieur de Larnos, and
Marguerite de La Bellière, born at Granville, bishopric of
Coutances, France, in c1702, came to the French Maritimes in c1723 as a young
merchant, perhaps under the aegis of the
Compagnie de l'Île St.-Jean. He settled at
Havre-St.-Pierre, on the north shore of the island, and may have had a son by a
first marriage: Jean-Hector, born in c1723. Jean-Baptiste married,
or remarried to, Madeleine, daughter of Jean Caissie and his
second wife Cécile Hébert of Chignecto, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord,
the church for Havre-St.-Pierre, in November 1733. Madeleine gave him
eight children on the island: Pierre, born in c1736; Marie-Anne in c1738;
Théotiste in c1739; Jacques in c1741; Marie-Madeleine in c1744; Henriette in
c1747; Jean in c1749; and Michel in c1753. In August 1752, a French
official counted Jean-Baptiste, who he called a Duvivier,
Madeleine, and six of their children at Havre-aux-Sauvages, on the coast west of
Havre-St.-Pierre. The official noted that Jean-Baptiste was "extremely
poor." He died probably at Havre-aux-Sauvages in July 1753, in his early
50s, and Madeleine remarried a year later. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.232
François Le Breton, born
at St.-Léger, bishopric of Coutances, France, in c1704, came to Île Royale in
c1723 to work in the fisheries there. His younger brother Nicolas, born at
St.-Léger in c1728, joined him probably in the late 1740s. Meanwhile,
François married Marie, daughter of Joseph Mordant dit
Lanoy and Marie Hébert, probably in the late 1730s.
Marie, born at Petit-Bras-d'Or on Île Royale in c1720, gave him at least three
children: François, fils, born in c1740; Charles in c1745; and
Isabelle in c1750. They settled at Baie-de-l'Indienne, where a French
official counted them in April 1752. With the family were three of
François's fishing partners, including younger brother Nicolas, still a
bachelor. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.116
Georges
Bonin, born at St.-Esprit, Île Royale, in
c1724, married Marie
Diers, born at Niganiche, Île Royale, in c1733,
probably during the early 1750s. They settled at St.-Esprit, where Georges
worked in the fishery. A French official counted them at St.-Esprit in
February 1752. They had a 21-day-old daughter, not yet named. One
wonders if they had anymore children on the island. No member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.59
Jean, son of
Eustache and Jeanne Delauny, also Delaunois, born at St.-Ca
or La Casse, St.-Brieuc, on the north coast of Brittany, in c1702, came to the
French Maritimes in c1724 probably as a young fisherman. He married Marie-Madeleine, daughter of Pierre
Arseneau and Anne Boudrot of Chignecto, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean, in May 1735. Marie-Madeleine's family
was from Malpèque, farther west along the island's north shore.
Marie-Madeleine gave Jean at least eight children on the island: Marie-Josèphe in October 1742; Eustache in February 1738; Susanne-Marie in November 1739; Jean-Jacques in
August 1741; Marie-Élisabeth in November 1744; Polycarpe or Paul in September 1746;
Jean, fils in November 1749; and Madeleine in c1751. In August 1752, a French official
counted Jean, Marie, and seven of their children at Havre-aux-Sauvages on the
coast west of Havre-St.-Pierre. Jean died there the following November, age 50.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.302
François
Josse dit Saint-Brieuc, born at
St.-Glain, bishopric of Dole, France, in c1696, came to
the French Maritimes by c1724, when he married Marie,
daughter of François Langlois and
Madeleine Comeau of Port-Royal, at
Port-Toulouse. Marie gave him at least
nine children on the island: François, fils was born in
c1726; Pierre in c1729; Joseph in c1730; Mathieu in
c1735; Guillaume in c1739; Gabriel in c1741; Amable in
c1744; Jean-Marc in c1745; and Jean-Marie in c1746.
He and Marie settled on Île Madame, where he worked as a
coaster. Evidenly François ran afoul of the
British at the beginning of King George's War; he was
counted at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1745. Oldest
son François, fils married into the
Tardiff family of Louisbourg. They were
at Restigouche in 1761 during Le Grand Dérangement
and settled at Gabarus, down the coast from Louisbourg,
in 1771. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.42
Robert, son of
Gilles
Heusé or Huezé
and Jeanne Rose of
Presde, Dole, France, came to the French Maritimes by
February 1724, when he married Françoise, daughter of
Pierre Gatinant and Marie Girardeau of St.-Nicolas, La Rochelle,
France, at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean. Putative
son Ignace was born probably on Île St.-Jean soon after the marriage.
Ignace worked as a seaman as well as a
farmer in the Maritimes before moving to peninsula Nova
Scotia. In March 1748, he stood as godfather at
Beaubassin for Joseph Caissie. Ignace married Marie-Josèphe Renaud
in c1752. They had at least one son, Jacques, born at Rivière-aux-Canards, Minas, in c1753.
Oddly, no member of the family appears in the French survey/census of the French
Martimes islands in 1752. Returning to the Maritimes,
perhaps to escape the British roundup at Minas in 1755, Ignace remarried to Cécile Bourg,
widow of Joseph Longuépée, on the island in c1758.
Six of Ignace's descendants emigrated to Louisiana from France in 1785.291
Jean Le
Breton, born at St.-Malo, France, in c1689, was
not kin to the brothers of Île Royale. Jean came
to Île St.-Jean by c1724, when he married Marie,
daughter of Claude Bertrand and
Catherine Pitre of Port-Royal and widow
of Alexandre Comeau. Marie gave him
seven children, all born on the island: Charles in
c1724, Pierre in c1726, Marguerite in c1728, François in
c1729, Jean, fils in c1732, Joseph in c1735,
and Bonaventure in c1739. They settled at
Havre-St.-Pierre, on the north shore of the island,
where a French official counted them in August 1752.
François married Anne, daughter of Jacques Oudy
and his second wife Marguerite Saulnier,
at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for Havre-St.-Pierre,
November 1754. Charles married Marie, daughter of
Pierre dit Pierrot Simon
dit Boucher and Marie
Pinet of Louisbourg, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in
November 1755. Sadly, during the island's
Grand Dérangement, Jean, Marie, and their entire
family perished aboard the British transport Violet
on its way to St.-Malo in December 1758. No member
of this family emigrated to Louisiana.237
Jean
dit Arnaud, son of Pierre
Renaud and Marie-Madeleine Gainné of
Rochefort, France, probably not kin to the other Renauds
of greater Acadia, came to Île St.-Jean in c1724.
Jean dit Arnaud
married Marie-Madeleine, daughter of Jean Pothier
and Marie Chiasson of Chignecto,
at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in October 1733 and settled at
nearby Havre-au-Sauvage.
From 1734 to 1758, Marie-Madeleine gave Jean dit
Arnaud at least 10 children, all born on the island:
Marie in December 1734, Rosalie in January 1737, Collette in February 1739,
Jean,
fils in April 1741, Anne in October 1743, Véronique in c1747,
Madeleine-Josèphe in March 1752, Jean-Charles in August 1754 but died at age 3
months the following November, Jacques was born in December 1755, and Marie-Anne
in August 1758. Oldest daughter Marie married Raphaël La
Clair at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in January 1754. Two of Jean dit
Arnaud's daughters, Colette and Véronique, emigrated to Louisiana from France.292
François
Clermont, probably a widower, married, or
remarried to, Jeanne, daugher of Pierre Baudry
of La Tremblade and Jeanne Meschin of
Bas-Poitou, probably in the French Maritimes.
Jeanne was a native of Plaisance, born there in c1707.
Son Pierre was born in c1725, when Jeanne would have
been age 18, so the couple may have married in the early 1720s. A
French official counted the widow Clermont
at Gabarus Bay, Île Royale, in February 1752.
With her were three children: François, fils,
born in c1719, evidently a stepson; Pierre in c1725; and
Jeanne in c1737. Living with the widow also were
three hired fishermen. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.86
____ Nicolas, born at Montanes,
bishopric of Coutances, France, in c1707, came to the
French Maritimes by c1725 and worked as a fisherman.
He married Marie, 55-year-old daughter of Michel
Hébert and Isabelle Pellerin
of Minas and widow of Joseph Le Mordant
dit Lanoy of Petit-Bras-d'Or, in c1750, well
into his middle age; she was, in fact, a dozen years
older than he was. Needless to say, she gave him
no children. They moved to nearly
Baie-de-l'Indienne soon after their marriage, and
Nicholas became a fishing partner with
his stepson-in-law, François Dauphin,
married to Marie's daughter Perrine Mordant.
A French official counted them there in April 1752.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.119
Charles, son of Guillaume Yvon and
Madeleine Harambour, born at
St.-Jean-de-Champs, bishopric of Coutances, in c1697,
came to Île Royale as a fisherman in 1726 and was
granted a concession at Lorembec in 1733. He
married Louise, daughter of Étienne DesRoches
and Gabrielle Le Manquet of Plaisance,
at Lorembec in November 1731. She gave him at
least 10 children there: Charlotte, born in c1732;
Étienne in c1734; Louis in c1735; Guillaume in c1736;
François in c1737; Charles-François in c1739; Louise in
c1740; Jean in c1742; Pierre in c1743; and Julienne in
c1745. Louise died by 1749, when Charles remarried
to Mathurine Dohier of Lancieux,
bishopric of St.-Malo, at Lorembec. She gave him
five more children: Charles, fils, born
in c1750 but died later in the year; Jeanne, born in
December 1751; Françoise in c1754; Marie in c1756; and
Victoire in c1758. A French official counted
Charles, Mathurine, and six of his children living next
to a former brother-in-law at Lorembec in April 1752.
The official noted that Charles employed three other
fishermen and owned three boats, two of which he rented
out and the third he used in the fishery. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.159
Jean dit Caniche, son of René
Lacroix and Marie Flan, born
at St.-Jean-de-Luz, bishopric of Bayonne in the Basque
country of southwestern France, in c1712, came to the
French Maritimes as a young fisherman in 1726. He
married Cécile, daughter of Jacques Oudy
and his first wife Cécile Blou of
Chignecto, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean, in May
1732. She gave him at least six children, all born
on the island: Marie-Josèphe in c1733;
Jean-Jacques in c1736; François-Mathieu in c1738;
Susanne-Françoise in c1743; Paul in c1746; and Rose in
c1750. In August 1752, a French official counted
them at Havre-St.-Pierre on the north shore of the
island living near Cécile's family. The official
reported that Jean and Cécile were living with three
sons and two daughters, but for some reason he did not
name them. Jean died at Havre-St.-Pierre in
December 1754, in his early 40s. Sadly, four years
later, during the island's dérangement,
Cécile and her children perished aboard the British
transport Violet, which sank in a North
Atlantic storm on its way to St.-Malo. Needless to
say, no member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.223
Jacques Lirard, born in the parish
of Plérin, bishopric of St.-Brieuc, Brittany, France, in c1712,
came to Île Royale in c1726 as a teenage
fisherman. He married Marie-Catherine, daughter of
Jean Clément and Marie Druce,
at Port-Toulouse, Île Royale, and settled with her
family at St.-Esprit up the coast. When a French
official counted them at St.-Esprit in February 1752,
they had a 14-month-old daughter named Marie, so they
probably had not been married long. The census
taker also noted that Jacques had hired two French
fishermen to help during the coming season. One
wonders if Jacques's daughter Marie emigrated to
Louisiana.60
Claude
Clergé or Clerget, born at Acre, Diocese of Langres,
France, in c1692, came to Île Royale in c1727, where he
worked as a coaster. He married Françoise,
daughter of Pierre Lavergne and Anne
Bernon and widow of Claude
Petitpas, fils and Antoine
Lavandier, at Port-Toulouse in c1736. She
gave him at least four children: Gabriel, born in
c1738; Félicité in c1740; Françoise in c1741; and Anne
in c1742. A French official counted them, along
with two of Françoise's sons from her previous
marriages, at Port-Toulouse in February 1752.
Daughter Anne married into the Landry
family on Île Miquelon in c1764. Son
Gabriel married into the Boudrot family
in c1769, place unrecorded. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.294a
Brothers
Michel and Pierre, sons of Jean Grossin
and
Pérrine Pétain
of Carolles, bishopric of Avranches, Normandy, France, came to Île St.-Jean and
settled at Havre-St.-Pierre on the north shore of the
island in c1727. Michel, born
in c1705,
married Marie, daughter of Jean Caissie
dit Roger
and his second wife Cécile Hébert of
Chignecto, probably at Havre-St.-Pierre in c1730.
Marie gave Michel at
least 11 children on the island: Jean, born in
September 1732; Marie-Louise, called Louise, in c1734;
Marie in c1736; Jacques-Christophe in February 1738;
Baptiste-Louis, called Louis, in August 1740; Henriette
in September 1742; Michel, fils in c1746;
Brigitte in c1748; Françoise in c1749; Marie-Madeleine
in c1752; and Robert was baptized, age unrecorded, in
November 1755 but died at age 8 months in July 1756.
A French official counted Michel and his family at
Étang-St.-Pierre, on the coast west of Havre-St.-Pierre, in August 1752. Daughter Louise
married into the Quimine family in
February 1755, and Marie married into the Dugas
family in France. Meanwhile, Michel's younger brother Pierre,
born in c1708, married
Cécile, another daughter of Jean
Caissie dit Roger and his second wife Cécile Hébert, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord,
the church for Havre-St.-Pierre, in July 1733.
Cécile gave Pierre at
least nine children on the island: Michel le
jeune, born in c1734; Cécile in c1737; Madeleine in
c1739; Anne in c1741; Jacques in c1744; Marguerite in
c1746; Rosalie in c1750; Marie-Louise in c1754; and
Louis in c1756. Pierre and his family also were
counted at Étang-St.-Pierre in August 1752. Pierre's
oldest son Michel le jeune married
Marie-Josèphe, daughter of François
Chiasson and Anne Doucet,
at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in January 1758, on the eve of the
island's dérangement. Michel,
père's daughter Marie emigrated to Spanish Louisiana from
France in 1785.295
Antoine D'Etcheverry, born at
Bayone, in the French Basque country of southwestern
France, in c1710, came to the French Maritimes probably
as a young fisherman in c1727. He married Marie,
daughter of Noël Pinet and Rose
Henry, in c1740 probably on Île St.-Jean.
They followed her family to Pointe de l'Est, on the
eastern end of the island, where a French official
counted them with six of their children in August 1752;
he described Antoine as a fisherman/habitant.
Marie gave Antoine at least eight children, all born on
the island: Denis in c1741, Antoine in c1742,
François in c1744, Pierre in c1746, Jean in c1748, Marie
in c1752, Marie-Modeste in c1755, and Anne-Marie in
c1758. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.221
Martin D'Etcheverry, perhaps kin
to Antoine, born at Bayonne in c1714, came to the French
Maritimes probably as a young fisherman in 1728.
He married Marie-Josèphe, 15-year-old daughter of
Jacques Oudy and his second wife
Marguerite Saulnier, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean, in November 1735.
She gave him at least six children, all born at
Havre-St.-Pierre: Jacques-Martin in c1738;
Marie-Anne in c1739; Cécile in c1741; Pierre in c1744;
Madeleine in c1748; and Martin, fils, in c1750.
A French official counted them on the north side of
Rivière-St.-Pierre, near the harbor, in August 1752.
Sadly, six years later, during the deportation of the
Maritime islanders, the entire family perished aboard
the British transport Violet, which sank in a
North Atlantic storm on its way to St.-Malo in
mid-December 1758. Needless to say, no member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.225
Jean Tessé, born at Cap Fréhel,
Brittany, in c1699, married Marie-Josèphe,
18-year-old daughter of François Bodard,
a navigator from Brussels, and Acadian Marie
Babin, at Port-Toulouse in c1728. Jean
worked as a coaster on the big island. They had at
least seven children, five sons and two daughters, on
Île Royale: Pierre, born in c1729;
Marguerite-Jeanne in c1731; Jean in c1737; Baptiste in
c1738; Étienne in c1739; Marie in c1744; and Servan in
c1748. A French official counted
them at Rivière-de-Miré, up the coast from Louisbourg,
in April 1752. A few days later, the same official
counted their daughter
Marguerite-Jeanne with husband Étienne
Tompique, a fisherman who she had
married in February at
nearby Havre-la-Baleine. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.487
François, fils, son of François
Dupont and Julienne Le Mercier,
born at Vire, bishopric of Avranches, France, in c1700,
came to Île Royale by October 1728, when he married
Perrine, daughter of Étienne DesRoches
and Gabrielle Le Manquet of Plaisance,
Newfoundland, on Île Royale. Perrine gave François
at least four children: Françoise, born in c1729;
François III in c1730; Perrine in c1733; and
Jean-Pierre, called Pierre, in c1736. In 1733,
François secured a fishing concession at Lorembec, near
Louisbourg. A French official counted the family
there in April 1752; Perrine, by then, was a widow.
The official noted that she employed three fisherman on
her husband's fishery fronting the harbor shore.
Son François III married into the Auvray
family of St.-Malo probably at Lorembec in November
1754. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.157
François Mallé, born at Bouillon,
bishopric of Avranches, France, in c1707, came to Île
Royale in 1728 as a young fisherman. He married
Anne-Marie Le Large, born at Grandville, France, in
1707, probably in the 1730s. She gave him at least
three children: François, fils, born in
c1741; Pierre in c1746; and Louis in c1749. They
settled at Lorembec, near Louisbourg, where a French
official counted them in April 1752. The official
noted that François owned two boats, hired five other
fishermen, and had recently purched land on the harbor
shore from a neighbor. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.185
Noël Amyot or Amiot,
born at Triveron, Diocese of St.-Malo, France, in c1712,
came to Île Royale as a fisherman in c1728.
He married Marguerite, daughter of Pierre Bois
and Marie-Catherine Coste of
Port-Toulouse probably in the early
1740s. Marguerite gave him at least four children:
Marguerite, born in c1744; Jean in c1748; Madeleine in
c1750; and Pierre 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.35
François, son of Bertrand Picard
and Anne Bouqin, born at Plébelle, bishopric of St.-Brieuc,
France, in c1712, came to Île Royale in c1728. He married Anne,
daughter of Georges Berbudeau and Marie Vrigneau
of Gabarus, Île Royale, in November 1742 and settled at nearby St.-Esprit, where
he pursued his trade as a fisherman. Anne gave him at least seven
children: Toussaint, born in c1743; Julien and Julienne in c1744; Pierre
in c1745; Suzanne in c1747; Angélique in c1750; and Françoise in c1751. A
French official counted the family at St.-Esprit in February 1752. With
them were four other fishermen hired for the coming season. The official
also noted that Sr. François, as he called him, employed three more
fishermen at Louisbourg. Mathurin Picard of Plébelle,
bishopric of St.-Brieuc, France, born there in c1717 and evidently Sr.
François's younger brother, married Angélique Romain, place and
date unrecorded, and settled at Petit-Dégrat, off Île
Madame, where their son Jean-Baptiste was born in c1757, on the eve of the
islands' dérangement. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.57
Jean, son of
André Bourey, also called Bourg, and Catherine Cornu,
not kin to the many Bourgs of peninsula Acadia, was born at Ste.-Marie-de-Rey Parish, La Rochelle,
France, in c1705. Jean married Anne, daughter of René
dit Renochon
Labauve and Anne Lejeune
of Grand-Pré, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean, in
October 1728. Son Michel was born on the island in
August 1729, and Pierre in October 1733. Jean died
there in 1733, and Anne remarried five years later.
None of Jean's descendants emigrated to Louisiana.266a
Christophe
Delaune, born at Periers, Avranches, Normandy,
France, probably not kin to Jean Delaunay of
northern Brittany, came to the French Maritimes in c1729. He
married Marguerite, daughter of Jean Caissie
and his second wife Cécile Hébert of Chignecto,
on Île St.-Jean in c1738.
They had 10 children on the
island: Pierre in December 1740; Henriette in October 1742 but
died by 1752; Jean in November 1743; Geneviève in
c1745; Jacques in c1746; Jean-Baptiste in c1749;
Christophe, fils in June 1750; Joseph in
February 1753;
Marie-Marguerite in May 1755; and Michel in February 1757. In
August 1752, a French official counted Christophe,
père, Marguerite, and five of their children at
Havre-de-la-Fortune on the island's east coast. Christophe, père
died on Île St.-Jean by 1758, in his early 50s. Two
of his sons, Jean and Christophe, fils,
emigrated to Spanish Louisiana from France in 1785.296
Jean Doucet dit Lirlandois of
Ireland, probably not kin to the descendants of Germain
Doucet de La Verdure, married Anne, daughter of
Acadians Philippe Pinet and Catherine Hébert, in c1711,
place unrecorded. In
February 1713, Michel Bégon de la Picardière, intendant
of New France, ordered Sr. de Monseignat,
"director of the Crown's farms, to pay Jean Doucet,
a man of Irish nationality, and his wife Anne Pinette
the fifty livres' bounty granted them by His Majesty in
favour of their marriage," so they were in Canada at the
time. Jean and his family were counted at Port-Toulouse in the late 1720s. In June 1728, Jean bound out one of his
daughters to a wealthy Louisbourg widow for three years service. Jean and
Anne had five children, two sons and three
daughters. The older son died young, and the
younger son may not have married. Two of their
daughters married into the Joubert and Lucas
dit
Bergerac families at Louisbourg on Île Royale and at
Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, respectively.
Jean
remarried to Thérèse, daughter of Jean Dauphin and Jeanne-Ursule Gély of L'Ancienne-Lorette,
Canada, and widow of Étienne Boyer, at Cap-St.-Ignace, on the lower St.
Lawrence, in April 1729. Their daughter was born during the
family's move from Québec back to Louisbourg during the summer of 1730 and died soon
after they reached the French citadel. No member of this family emigrated
to Louisiana.293
François
Gouet, born at Plairier, bishopric of Dol,
France, in c1697, married Marie Montange,
a native of Plaisance, Newfoundland, likely the young
widow of a man named Ouelle and likely
François's second wife, probably in the 1720s. They settled at
Petit-Bras-d'Or on Île Royale, where François worked as a
fisherman. In April 1752, a French official
counted them there with 10 children: Jean, born in
c1727; Barthélemy in c1729; François, fils in
c1731; Jean-François in c1737; Pierre in c1738; Marie in
c1740; Georges in c1742; and Fauchon or Franchon in
c1748. With them was Marie's daughter Jeanne
Ouelle, age 18, described as the widow
of Guillaume Messer, and her 4-year-old
son, who the French official did not name. Also
with the household were three hired fishermen. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.100
Simon dit La Valeur, son of Pierre
Billard and Marie-Louise Petit, born at
St.-Eustache, Paris, in c1709, came to the French Maritimes in c1729 and served
in the company of troupes de la marine commanded by Claude-Élisabeth
Denys de Bonnaventure, future commandant of Île St.-Jean
Simon became a locksmith. Perhaps after his military service, he married
Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Charles Charpentier and
Marie-Josèphe Chênet dit La Garenne,
at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in August 1745. They remained at Havre-St.-Pierre,
where they had at least five children: Marie-Rose, born in c1747; Louise
in c1749; Simon in 1751; Françoise in c1754; and Anne in c1757. A French
official counted Simon, Marie-Josèphe, and their three oldest children at
Havre-St.-Pierre in August 1752. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.238
René, son of
Jean
Rassicot and Marguerite Crosnier of
St.-Jean-Ursin, bishopric of Coutances, lower Normandy, France, reached
Île St.-Jean in the late 1720s. He married Marie,
daughter of Michel Haché dit
Gallant and Anne Cormier of Chignecto and
widow of François Poirier, at Port-La-Joye on the
island in October 1729. Between 1730 and 1739, on
the island, Marie gave René six
children, five sons and a daughter:
Jean-Baptiste in c1730; Louise-Geneviève in c1731; René, fils in
October 1733; Dominique in c1735; Henri in c1737; and Louis in c1739. In
August 1752, a French official counted Honoré Bourgeois and his
family on the south side of Rivière-du-Nord-Est on the island. In
describing Honoré's land there, the official noted that he had "acquired it from
Charles Hache," Marie's younger brother, "as guardian and
curator of the children, minor and major, of the late Renné Rassicot,"
so René had died by then. As the notation implies, Marie also was dead;
she died on the island in September 1749.
In August 1752, the same French official counted oldest son
Jean-Baptiste dit Ratier, still a bachelor, on
Rivière-de-Peugiguit in the center of island. He lived alone. Nearby, younger brother Louis
lived with a Haché relative. One wonders where their
siblings resided. Jean-Baptiste dit
Raiter married
Marie-Henriette, daughter of Louis Pothier and
Cécile Nuirat, at Havre-St.-Pierre on the north
shore of the
island in January 1754. René, fils married Marie, daughter of Charles Benoit and Madeleine
Thériot of Pigiguit, at Port-La-Joye in October
1757. Three of Jean-Baptiste dit Ratier's children emigrated to
Spanish Louisiana from France in 1785.294
Pierre Le
Cerf, born at Dinan, bishopric of St.-Malo, in
c1715, came to Île Royale in 1730 probably as a young
surgeon's apprentice. He became a master surgeon.
He married Thérèse, daughter of Jean-Baptiste
Grandin or Grondin and
Anne-Hyacinthe Dupuis, probably in the
late 1730s; Thérèse had been born at Baie-de-l'Indienne
in c1720; her mother was a Canadian, not an Acadian,
Dupuis. Thérèse gave the surgeon
at least four children: Anne, born in c1740;
Pierre in c1742; Clément in c1748; and Marie-Jeanne in
c1750. A French official counted them at
Havre-la-Baleine in April 1752; he called the master
surgeon Le Sr. Pierre. Living with the
family was a 22-year-old domestic servant. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.153
Mathurin dit
Langevin, son of Aleix Le Faucheux and
Françoise Jousseau, was born in the
Parish of Jenelay, bishopric of Angers, France, in
c1702. He married Geneviève, daughter of Louis
Néron of St.-Étienne-d'Arre, and Marie
Sauvageau of Grondines, France, in
October 1730. Although Geneviève's parents were
from France, she had been born in Canada in c1698.
Soon after their marriage, Mathurin and Geneviève
emigrated to Île Royale and settled on a homestead on
Baie-de-Miré granted to them in 1734. Geneviève
gave Mathurin at least four children, all born probably
at Miré: Pierre in c1734; Guillaume in c1736;
Marie-Louise-Angélique in c1740; and Louise in c1741.
A French oficial counted them there in April 1752.
Only two of their children--Guillaume and
Marie-Louise-Angélique--were living with them. The
family was affluent enough to have employed a domestic
servant. The April 1752 census indicates that they
were the pioneer settlers of the community. Son
Guillaume married into the Malvillain
family of nearby Île Scatary in May 1758, on the eve of
the island's Grand Dérangement. No member
of this family emigrated to Louisiana.125
Louis, son of Pierre Beaulieu
and Jacquemine Loquin, born at Lantheuil, Calvados, diocese of
St.-Malo, France, in c1712, probably was not kin to Jean Beaulieu,
fils of Île Royale. Louis came to the French Maritimes by January
1732, when he married Marguerite, daughter of Jacques Oudy and
his second wife Marguerite Saulnier, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, Île
St.-Jean. They had at least 11 children, all born on the island:
Pierre in c1733; Susanne-Marguerite in c1737; Jean-Louis in c1739; Marie-Jeanne
in c1741; Froisine in c1744; Hélène in c1746; Marie-Louise in c1747; Marguerite
in c1750; Jacques in c1751; Anne in c1753; and Anastasie in c1756. In
August 1752, a French official counted Louis, Marguerite, and seven of their
children at Havre-St.-Pierre, on the north shore of the island. Louis
became a widower in May 1757. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.222
Julien, a fisherman, son of François
Bannet and Marie Massé, born at Basilly,
bishopric of Avranches, France, in c1712, came to Île Royale by October 1732,
when he married Marguerite, daughter of Étienne DesRoches and
Gabrielle Le Manquet of Plaisance and Lorembec and widow of
Augustin-Servan Coupiau dit Desaleur.
Julien and Marguerite remained at Lorembec, where they were granted a fishing
concession in May 1733. She gave him at least eight children there:
Julien-Toussaint, born in 1733; Marie in c1734; Gabriel in c1735; Pierre-Joseph
in c1737; Pierre in c1738; Jean-Pierre in c1739; Jean-François in c1741; and
Marguerite in c1743. In April 1752, a French official counted Marguerite,
now a widow, with three of her children at Lorembec. With them was a hired
fisherman. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.160
Sixton
Huiker, born in Switzerland in c1710, married
Marie-Jeanne Esteruine of Dailleban,
Switzerland, and emigrated to the French Maritimes by
the 1730s. They settled at Port-Toulouse, where Marie-Jeanne gave Sixton at least two
children: Pierre, born in c1736; and Angélique in
c1743. By the early 1750s, they had moved up the
coast to Gabarus Bay, just south of Louisbourg, where a
French official counted them in February 1752 on land
owned by a former governor. None of Sixton's
descendants emigrated to Louisiana.87
Pierre-François,
called François, Briand or
Brillant, born at Paramé, near St.-Malo,
France, in c1705, married Renée, 14-year-old daughter of Louis Marchand or
Marcheguay dit Poitiers and Marie
Godin dit Châtillon, probably
at Port-Toulouse in c1730. Renée gave him at least
seven children: Jeanne, born in c1732; Joseph in c1737; Pierre in c1738;
François in c1741; Célestin in c1743; Jean in c1745; and Georges-Cyprien in
c1748. They remained at
Port-Toulouse, where François, père died before
February 1752. Only daughter Jeanne married into
the Blaquière family of Île St.-Jean.
Sons Joseph, Célestin, Jean, and Georges married into
the Savoie, Maréchal,
Baudry, Gaudet, and
Dugas families and settled on Île
Miquelon after Le Grand Dérangement. Son
François settled in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.36
Mathurin
Joseph, born at Plangrénoy, bishopric of
St.-Brieuc, in c1707, came to Île Royale in
c1729. He married Marie Gourde of
Louisbourg in the 1730s and settled on Île Madame, where
he worked as a fisherman. Marie gave him at least
three daughters: Louise was born in c1741; Hélène
in c1742; and Cécile in c1750. A French official
counted them on the north shore of Île Madame in
February 1752. No member of this family emigrated
to Louisiana.43
Bernard, also called Laurent, son of
Pierre-Denis L'Hermite and Marie-Rose Geaudie,
was born at St.-Pierre Parish, Coutances, Normandy, in c1715. He came to
Île Royale in c1730, perhaps as a young fisherman. He married Marie-Renée,
daughter of Jean Bertrand and Marie Le Borgne de
Bélisle, Maritime aristocrats, on Île Royale in October 1742.
Marie-Renée gave him at least five children: François, born in c1745;
Pierre in c1750; Nicolas in c1752; Anne in c1754; and Marie-Josèphe in c1756.
A French official counted the family at Baie-de-Miré on the Atlantic coast in
April 1752. The official called Bernard Laurent, said he worked as a
ploughman, and that he had been in the colony 22 years. Living next to
them was Marie-Renée's widowed mother. None of Bernard/Laurent's
descendants emigrated to Louisiana.123
Pierre, son of
Jacques Duval and Renée Massin,
born at Poujalle, bishopric of Rennes, Brittany, in
c1704, was a navigator and master blacksmith when he
came to the French Maritimes in c1730. He married
Marie-Madeleine, 23-year-old daughter of Acadians Michel
Haché dit Gallant
and Anne Cormier, at Port-La-Joye, Île
St.-Jean, in January 1733. In August 1752, a
French official counted them on the south bank of
Rivière-du-Nord-Est with six children:
Marie-Josèphe, born in c1735; Anne in c1737; Jean-Pierre
in c1742; Marguerite in c1745; Osite in c1747; and
Charles in 1752. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.03
Michel dit
Miguel de Loyal, born in the parish of
Cambe, bishopric of Bayonne, in the Basque country of
southwestern France, came to Île St.-Jean by c1730, when
he married Marie, oldest daughter of master surgeon
Domique Viarreau dit
Duclos and his second wife Marie Simon
dit Boucher. Marie gave
Miguel at least six children, all born on the island:
Joseph in c1735; Michel, fils in c1738;
Marie-Rose in c1740; Jacques in c1743; Charlotte in
c1745; and Modeste in c1748. In August 1752, a
French official counted Marie, now a widow, with five of
their younger children, at Havre-St.-Pierre. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.248
Louis Aubin dit
Le Buffe, born at St.-Michel-des-Loups, Normandy, in c1716, came to the French
Maritimes in 1730 as a young fisherman. He married Anne, daughter of
Jacques Quimine and Marie-Josèphe Chiasson of
Chignecto, on Île St.-Jean in late 1740s. She gave him at least four
children on the island: Modeste, born in c1748; Marie-Françoise in c1749;
Charles in c1754; and Marguerite in c1756. A French official counted
Louis, Anne, and their two older daughters at Nigeagant, near Havre-St.-Pierre,
on the north coast of the island, in August 1752. The census taker noted
that Louis had bought his land from brother Charles dit LeBuffe and had
employed three 36-month fishermen to help him work his remaining boat, having
lost the other "within the past few days." Louis and Anne also worked a
piece of land at nearby Étang-St.-Pierre, where they grew wheat. No member
of this family emigrated to Louisiana.268
Charles dit
Durel, son of Pierre Lacroix
and Jeanne
Deville, born at St.-Denis-Le-Gast, Coutances, France,
in c1705, was not kin to the other Lacroixs
of greater Acadia. He married Judith,
daughter of Gabriel Chiasson and Marie Savoie of Chignecto, at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord on Île St.-Jean in September 1730.
Judith gave Charles six children, all born at
Havre-St.-Pierre: twins Marguerite and
Marie-Élisabeth in September 1731; Anne-Marie or
Marie-Anne in January 1734; Marie-Judith, called Judith,
in August 1736; Charles, fils in February 1739; and Charlotte-Anne in
November 1741. At least three of their daughters married; Anne-Marie
to Charles
dit Pinel, son of Noël Pinet and Rose Henry
of Minas, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in April 1753; Marguerite to Joseph, fils, son of Joseph Préjean and
Marie-Louise Comeau, probably at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord in c1758; and according to Albert J. Robichaux,
Jr., Judith to Jean, son perhaps of fellow Acadians Abraham Daigre
and Marie Boudrot, in c1759 perhaps at Cherbourg, France. Meanwhile, Charles,
père died by September 1748, when Judith remarried
at Beaubassin. She and her new husband did not
remain there. In August 1752, a French official
counted her, second husband Pierre Le Prieur
dit Dubois l'aîné, and her
Lacroix dit Durel children at Havre-de-la-Fortune on
the southeast coast of Île St.-Jean. Charles
Lacroix's descendants used his
dit,
Durel, as their surname. Two of his daughters,
Marguerite and Marie-Anne, emigrated to Louisiana, one from Halifax in 1765, the other
from France in 1785, and his grandson Jean-Baptiste Daigle by his
daugher Judith also emigrated to Louisiana from France.297
Jean-Baptiste, son of Jean-François Martel
and Madeleine Vannier, born at
Québec in c1710, married Marie-Josèphe,
daughter of Pierre Pouget dit
Lapierre and François Moyse, at
Port-Toulouse in c1730 and worked as a
coaster there. Marie-Josèphe, a native of
Port-Royal but a long-time resident of Port-Toulouse,
gave Jean-Baptiste at least five children:
Charles, born in c1734; Joseph in c1736; Jean-Baptiste,
fils, called Baptiste, in c1739; Madeleine in
c1741; and Épotille in c1744. A French official
counted them at the port in February 1752. Son
Joseph married into the Samson family
and settled on Île Miquelon during Le Grand
Dérangement. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.37
Louis, Julien,
and Herbe
Des Roches of Carolle, Avranches, Normandy,
probably not kin to the other Des Rochess in
the region, came to the French Maritimes in c1730 when
they were still in their teens. (Herbe may have
been a cousin, not a brother.) Louis and Julien settled on Île St.-Jean,
and Herbe on Île Royale. Louis married Marguerite, daughter of
Pierre Arseneau and Marie-Anne Boudrot, in
c1731 and worked as a fisherman/habitant at Malpèque, on the
northwest shore of the island. Marguerite gave
him at least eight children, including three sons,
born probably at Malpèque: Eustache in
c1736, Alexandre in c1740; and Joseph in c1743.
Julien, a farmer, married another Arseneau, Marie, daughter
of Jacques Arseneau and Marie Poirier, in c1743
probably at Malpèque. They had at
least six children, born probably at the isolated
settlement:
Julien, fils in c1745, Félix in c1747, Joseph in
c1750, Jean in c1754, Basile in c1755, and Mathurin in
c1756. Meanwhile, Herbe married Marie, daughter of
surgeon Georges Barbudeau or Berbudeau
of Île d'Oléon, France, and Françoise Vrigneau
of Plaisance, Newfoundland, probably at Louisbourg, Île
Royale, in November 1742. They settled at
St.-Esprit, a fishing village down the coast from
Louisbourg, where Herbe worked as a fisherman.
Marie gave him at least five children, all born probably
at St.-Esprit: Marguerite,
born in c1743; François in c1744; Hervé in c1745; Jean
in c1749; and Pierre in c1752. In February 1752, a French official
counted the family, sans Hervé, still at St.-Esprit. In the household was a 14-year-old female servant
from Louisbourg, as well as three hired fishermen. Herbe and Marie were living next
to her parents, who evidently were dependent on them.
The following August, the same official, now on Île St.-Jean, counted Julien,
Louis, and their families at Malpèque. Julien's son Basile emigrated to
Louisiana from Halifax in 1765, but no descendant of Louis or Herbe made it to the
Spanish colony.298
Marc
Villalon or Villalong, born at
de Trebeda, bishopric of Dol, France, in c1705, came to
Île Royale by the early 1730s, married Marie-Jeanne,
daughter of Jean Ozelet and Madeleine
Beaufet, and, in c1732, settled at
Petit-de-Grat off Île Madame, where he worked as a
fisherman. Marie-Jeanne gave him at least seven
children: Antoine, born in c1731; Marie-Jeanne in c1732;
Cécile in c1734; Marie-Anne in c1736; Marie in c1738;
Marguerite in c1742; and Madeleine in c1749. Son
Antoine married into the Darembourg
family and remained at Petit-de-Grat, where he, too,
worked the fishery. A French official counted the
entire family at Petit-de-Grat in February 1752.
No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.55
Joseph, son of Yves Tudal
and Jeanne Faumouchet, born at St.-Servan, St.-Malo, France, in
c1712, came to the French Maritimes in c1731 probably as a young fisherman.
He married Anne, daughter of René dit Renochon Labauve
and Anne Lejeune dit Briard and widow of Jean
Bourey, at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in April 1738. Anne gave
him eight children, all born on the island: Joseph, fils, in
c1739; Marie in c1740; Marie-Josèphe in c1741; Anne in c1743; Pélagie in c1745;
Louise in c1747; François in c1750; and Marie-Madeleine in c1753. In
August 1752, a French official counted Joseph, Anne, five of their children, and
two children from her first marriage at Havre-aux-Sauvages, on the island's
north coast west of Havre-St.-Pierre. Sadly, in mid-December 1758, the
entire family perished aboard the British transport Violet on its way
to St.-Malo. Needless to say, no member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.271
Pierre Dubocq,
Duboque, Dubosq, or Duboscq, born at
Rouen, France, in c1710, married Suzanne Le Mercier, also of
Rouen and eight years his senior. They came to the French Maritimes in
1732, perhaps soon after their marriage, unless he married her there. She
gave him at least four children, probably all born on Île St.-Jean: Pierre,
fils
and Madeleine in c1736; Marie in c1741; and Pierre-Jacques, called Jacques, in
c1743. The acquired land at Havre-St.-Pierre, Île St.-Jean, in 1743.
A French official counted them there in August 1752. Son Pierre, fils married
neighbor Marie-Françoise, daughter of Joseph Jacquet and Élisabeth
Boulanger, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for
Havre-St.-Pierre, in January 1758, on the eve of the island's Grand
Dérangement. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.235
Jean-Nicolas, son of Julien de
Malvillain and Jeanne Laussois, born at St.-Malo,
France, in c1704, came to Île Royale as a fisherman by c1732, when he married
Madeleine, daughter of Julien Durand and Anne Borny
of Newfoundland. They settled on Île Scatary, where Jean-Nicolas worked in
the fishery. Madeleine gave him at least 11 children: Élisabeth,
born in c1733; Jean in c1734; Servan in c1737; Jeanne in c1740; Charles in
c1741; Basile in c1742; Jeannette in c1743; Barthélemy in c1744; Adrien in
c1737; Madeleine in c1750; and a seventh son. A French official counted
them at Anse-de-Bellefeuille, on the north shore of Île Scatary, in April 1752.
The official noted that Jean-Nicolas owned three boats, employed a 36-month man,
and had three fishery partners whose names he did not give. No member of
this family emigrated to Louisiana.148
Sebastia Fond, born at
St.-Vincent-de-Piros, bishopric of D'Ax, France, in c1712, came to Île Royale in
c1732 to work in the fisheries there. He married Guillemette, daughter of
Jean Sabot and Jeanne Borny of Newfoundland,
probably later in the decade. She gave him at least three children:
Sebastia, fils, born in c1742; Antoine in c1749; and Guillemette in
c1751. A French official counted them with her extended family at
Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore of Île Scatary, in April 1752. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.146
Jean Hamon,
also called
Amont,
Hémond, and Emond, son of perhaps Jean
Amont and Marguerite
Gastineau-Duplessis of Trois-Rivières, Canada,
where he may have been born in November 1695, married
Acadian Marie
Blanchard and settled in the French Maritimes by the
early 1730s.
They had at least three sons there: Pierre, born in c1732; Ignace in c1748; and
Joseph in c1752. Jean and Marie died probably on
one of the Maritime islands before 1758. Son
Ignace and his family emigrated to Spanish Louisiana from France in 1785.299
Émilien
dit
Sans-Chagrin, son of Dominique Ségoillot
and Marie
Boulet (one authority says Étiennette Ducharme)
of
St.-Pierre, Autun, Bourgogne, France,
served in the Louisbourg garrison as a senior sergeant
in the troupes de la marine beginning in the
early 1730s. Probably after he retired from the
King's service, he moved to Île St.-Jean, where he married
Élisabeth-Blanche, daughter of François LaVache
and Anne-Marie Vincent, at Port-La-Joye in
September 1752. Later that year, a French official
counted them at Grande-Anse on the island.
Élisabeth-Blanche gave Émilien dit Sans-Chagrin a
son, François-Dominique, born probably at Grande-Anse in
July 1753. The old sergeant remarried to
Marguerite, daughter of Jacques Naquin and
Anne-Marie Vincent of Cobeguit, at Port-La-Joye
in September 1755. Marguerite gave him at least
two daughters: Marie, born probably at Port-La-Joye in c1756, and Marguerite-Josèphe, born at
Belle-Île-en-Mer, France, in c1766.
Marguerite-Josèphe was the only member of her family who
emigrated to Louisiana, from France in 1785.300
Jean Maréchal of Carolles,
bishopric of Avranches, came to the French Maritimes in
c1732, married Marguerite, daughter of Acadians Charles
Doiron and Anne Thériot,
in c1749 probably on Île Royale and settled at
Petit-Dégrat, off Île Madame, where he engaged in the
fishery. A French official counted them at
Petit-Dégrat in February 1752. They still had no
children. One wonders if he was kin to fisherman
Guillaume Le Maréchal, also of Carolle,
who was counted by the same French official at
Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore of Île Scatary, the
following April; 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.68
Guillaume, son of Louis
Patry
and Mathurine Mahez of St.-Coulomb near
St.-Malo, France, born at St.-Brieuc down the Berton in c1714, came to the French Maritimes in c1732 probably as a young
fisherman. He married
Françoise,
daughter of Gabriel Chiasson and Marie Savoie, and widow of
Guillaume Gallet, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord on Île St.-Jean in October
1741. Guillaume and Françoise had four children there:
Georges in July 1742; Angélique in June 1744; and twins
Paul and Françoise in c1747. A French official, who
called him a Patris, counted Guillaume,
Françoise, and six children, two of them from Françoise's
first marriage, and four of their own, at Havre-St.-Pierre
on the north shore of the island in
August 1752.
The French official noted that Guillaume "has been in
the country 20 years." One of his granddaughters
emigrated to Spanish Louisiana from France in 1785.301
Pierre, son of Nicolas Le Tourneur
and Andrée Himay, born at
St.-Aubin-des-Préaux, bishopric of Coutances, France,
came to Île Royale as a fisherman in c1732. He married Marie,
daughter of Jean Le Prieur and
Guillemette Le Voyer of St.-Quentin and
St.-Malo and widow of Guillaume Valet,
on the island in November 1743. Marie gave him at
least five children: Geneviève, born in c1744;
Perrine in c1750; Julienne in c1752; Pierre in c1754;
and Barbe-Geneviève in c1757. They settled at
Lorembec, near Louisbourg, where a French official
counted them in April 1752. With Pierre and Marie
were three of their daughters, as well as Marie's three
surviving daughters from her first marriage. Also
with the family were 11 hired fisherman. The
official also noted that Pierre owned three and a half
boats and subtantial frontage on the local seashore.
He likely was not kin to Jacques Le Tourneur
of the Coutances area, a fisherman/habitant at
nearby Havre-la-Baleine. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.156
Jean, son of Antoine Le Chaux
and Julienne Geffroy, born at Luzerne, bishopric of Avranches,
France, in c1710, came to Île Royale by 1733, when he received a fishing
concession at Lorembec, near Louisbourg. He married Élisabeth, or
Isabelle, daughter of Jean Bourhis of Montréal and his first
wife Marie-Josèphe Martin of Grand-Pré, on Île Royale in
January 1741. Isabelle gave him at least two children:
Marie-Hyacinthe, born in c1744, and Jean, fils in c1749. Isabelle
died by c1750, when Jean remarried to Marie-Madeleine, called Madeleine,
daughter of Acadians Jean-Baptitse Corporon and Marie
Pinet and widow of Jean Bourhis. (So Jean
Le Chaux's second wife was his first wife's
stepmother.) Madeleine gave him at least four more children, born probably
at Lorembec: André and Madeleine in c1752; Marie-Jeanne in c1755; and
Jeanne in c1757. A French official counted Jean and Madeleine on their
fishing concession at Lorembec in April 1752. The official noted Jean
employed 15 fishermen, eight of whom lived with the family, and owned three
boats and a smack. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.168
Louis dit
Langevin, son of René Valet, Valée, or Vallée and
Marie Jouis, born at St.-Pierre, bishopric of Angers,
France, in c1705, came to the French Maritimes in c1733 and served as a soldier in la compagnie de Dangeac.
He married Marie-Brigitte, called Brigitte, 21-year-old daughter of Noël Pinet
and Rose Henry of Minas and Québec, at
Pierre-du-Nord, Île St.-Jean, in October 1740, probably after his military
service ended. Brigitte, though her parents were Acadians, was born in
Canada. She gave Louis at least five children, all born on Île St.-Jean: Marie-Marguerite
in c1741, Rosalie in c1742, Marguerite-Louise in c1743, Rose in c1745, Marie in
c1747, and Louis, fils in c1750. They settled on the west side of Rivière-de-Peugiguit in the
interior of the island, where a French official counted them in August 1752.
Louis died by c1756, when Brigitte remarried to Lyonnais weaver Martin
Percheron. No member of this family emigrated to Louisiana,
though a French Valet went with her Daigre
husband to the Spanish colony from France in 1785.306
Robert,
fils, son of Robert Hango dit
Choisy and Étiennette DesRoches, born in the parish of Carolle, bishopric of Avranches, in c1716,
probably not kin to the other Hangos in the region, came to the French Maritimes in
c1734. He married Marguerite, daughter of Acadians
Michel Haché dit
Gallant and Anne Cormier and
widow of Pierre Jacquemin dit
Lorraine, at Port-La-Joye, Île St.-Jean, in January 1739.
She gave him at least three children: Madeleine,
born in c1741; Jean-François in c1743; and Michel in
c1745. They settled on the west side of
Rivière-de-Peugiguit, in the interior of the island, where a French official counted
them in August 1752. No member of this family
emigated to Louisiana.09
Jean Nauguety or
Nanquety married Marie Leborgne. She gave him at
least three children: Thomas, born in c1735; Gabriel in c1736; and Marie
in c1738. Jean died by April 1752, when a French official counted Marie
and their three children at Anse-Darembourg, on the north shore of Île Scatary,
off Île Royale. No member of this family emigated to Louisiana.140
Jean
Granne, born at Tadé,
bishopric of St.-Malo, France, in c1717, came to Île
Royale as a fisherman in c1735. He married Marie,
daughter of Jean Papon dit
Sans-Regret and Isabelle Longuépée of
St.-Esprit in the
early 1740s and settled near her parents at St.-Esprit.
Marie gave Jean at least four children at the fishery: Isabelle, born in c1745; Agathe in c1747;
Augustin in c1749; and Geneviève in c1751. In
February 1752, a French official found them still at
St.-Esprit, where Jean and his family lived with nine
hired fishermen, including 24-year-old brother-in-law
Julien Papon. No member of this
family emigrated to Louisiana.32
Jean, son of Gilles
de La Choux, born at d'Olive Bourgie,
Ploubalay, bishopric of St.-Malo, in c1697, married
Marie-Anne, daughter of Jean Bourhis,
master carpenter of Montréal, and Marie-Josèphe
Martin of Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia, in October
1735. Marie-Anne gave Jean at least one child,
Marie-Josèphe, born in c1748. They settled at
Lorembec, near Louisbourg, where a French official
counted them in April 1752. The official noted
that Jean owned a boat and had hired five fishermen to help
him in the fishery there. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.166
Julien
Jourdau, or Jourdan,
fisherman, born at St.-Servan, near St.-Malo, France, in
c1717, came to Île Royale in c1736. In the 1740s,
he married Marie, daughter of Jean Philippot
and his first wife Agnès Borny,
probably on the island; Marie was born there in c1727.
She and Julien settled on Île Scatary, where she gave
him at least three children: Jean, born in c1747;
Marie in c1749; and Julien, fils in c1751.
A French official official counted them "on the Great
Harbour of the Isle of Scatary" in April 1752, near her
father and brothers. No member of this family
emigrated to Louisiana.137
Jean, son of
Oliver
Hamon and Françoise
Pireau, of Reintembault, near Dol, France, probably not kin
to Jean Hamon of Île St.-Jean, emigrated to
Louisbourg by January 1736, when he married
Marie, daughter of Joannis
Daguerre and Marie Charlant, at
the French citadel. Jean may have been
a soldier stationed in the garrison. He and
Françoise had at least six children at Louisbourg,
including three sons. One wonders if any of their
descendants emigrated to Louisiana.303
Louis, son of
Jacques Bernard and Marie-Anne
Gerberon, born in the parish of Ste.-Foy,
bishopric of Chartres, France, in c1700, was not kin to
the other Bernards of greater Acadia.
He came to Havre-St.-Pierre, Île St.-Jean, by 1736, when
he was appointed maître de grave at the port.
In September of that year, he married Madeleine,
daughter of Pierre dit Pierrot Simon
dit Boucher and Marie
Pinet of Louisbourg, at St.-Pierre-du-Nord.
In 1738, they purchased a piece of land at the harbor
for 80 livres. Louis was appointed
notaire royal at Havre-St.-Pierre in c1750.
Madeleine gave him at least nine children, all born at
the port: Louis, fils in c1737; Dominique
in c1739; Anne in c1741; Pierre in c1743; Anne-Louise in
c1747; Eustache in c1749; Simon in c1751;
Marie-Charlotte in c1754; and Modeste in c1757. A
French official counted Louis, addressed as Le Sr.,
Madeleine, and five of their older children at
Havre-St.-Pierre in August 1752. Sadly, the family
perished aboard the British transport Violet on
the crossing to St.-Malo in December 1758. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.240
André Paris, born at
Brouillant, bishopric of d'Auch, France, in c1712, married Perrine, daughter of
Pierre Dupont de la Barre and Perrine-Thérèse Gloro
of La Baleine, in January 1737 probably of La Baleine, Île Royale. Perrine gave him at
least eight children, all born at La Baleine: Marie, born in c1738;
Catherine in c1740; André, fils in c1742; Jean-Baptiste in c1744;
Françoise in c1749; François in c1751; Anne in c1755; and Pierre in c1757.
A French official counted them there in April 1752. The official noted
that André was in control of a large fishing establishment that included four
boats and a number of other fishermen. Son François married
Marie-Madeleine, daughter of Acadians Louis Belliveau and
Louise Haché dit Gallant of Île
St.-Jean, on Île Miquelon, a French-controlled island off the south coast of
Newfoundland, in February 1776, after Le Grand Dérangement. No
member of this family emigrated to Louisiana.151
Jean-Baptiste
dit
Ladouceur, son of François Massier
and Marguerite Lemoine, born at Véraise, bishopric of Saintes,
near Rochefort, France, in c1710, was a soldier in
the troupes de la marine
when he came to the Maritimes colony. He
married Marie, daughter of François Poirier and
Marie Haché of Chignecto, at Port-La-Joye, Île
St.-Jean, in February 1737 probably after he retired from the King's service. Marie gave the soldier at least six children
on the island:
Louis in c1737, Félicité in c1740, Marguerite in c1741;
Jean in c1742; Marie-Louise in c1744; and Jean-François,
called François, in c1746. The family name evolved into Mazière
and De
La Mazière. Five members of this family emigrated to Louisiana from
France in 1785.304
Jean-Baptiste, called Baptiste, son of François Daguerre
or La Guerre and Marie
Hirougara, born at Bilbao in the Basque country
of Spain in c1702, came to Île Royale by May 1737, when he married
Brigitte, daughter of Jean Trahan
and Marie Girouard of Pigiguit, at
Louisbourg. They had at least eight children, four
sons and four daughters: Madeleine, born in c1738;
Jean-Baptiste, fils in c1739; Marie-Rose in
c1740; Antoine in c1744; Marie in c1746; Charles in
c1749; Pierre in c1751; and Isabelle in 1752. In April 1752,
a French official counted the family
at Baie-de-L'Indienne, north of Louisbourg. The census taker, who called
Jean-Baptitste "Baptiste La Guerre,
ploughman, native of Bilbau in Spain," noted of the
family that "in the month of August they will have been
three years in the colony." Evidently after their
marriage they had moved to Brigitte's native Pigiguit and
then returned to Île Royale with her family in August
1749. No member of this family emigrated to
Louisiana.485
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
Although
De La Roque found the habitants on the Spanish
Bay generally prosperous, for many of them the venture
did not last.
Andrew Hill Clark explains:
"These Acadians, out of sheer necessity to survive by
supplementing the inadequate 'vivres' supplied from
Louisbourg, had cleared something under forty arpents
at the time of De la Roque's visit and had livestock,
surviving from those they had brought from Baie Verte or
Tatamagouche, amounting to some thirty cattle, twenty
pigs, and a few sheep, goats, and fowl. No doubt
they cleared more land the next year [1753] but their
situation grew worse and, despite grain sent to relieve
them in 1754, they returned to Acadia at the end of the
year with harsh words for the land and the unfulfilled
promises of the government. Among their other
difficulties was lack of experience or equipment for the
fishery; they had but two boats in 1752." Some of
the Baie-des-Espagnols habitants, along with
relations from Mordienne and Miré, did not
wait until "the end of the year" to leave Île Royale. By late
August 1754, six families,
consisting of 28 individuals, had made their way to
Halifax, where they beseeched the colonial Council to allow them
back into the province. In October, after the
family heads took an unqualified oath of allegiance,
most were provisioned for the winter and sent to
Mirliguèche, near the German Protestant
settlement of Lunenburg
on Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast. There they
reconstructed the old Acadian village amidst the ashes
of October 1749. Meanwhile, four individuals,
probably part of a nuclear family, were permitted to
return to their old homes at Pigiguit.80
"We left the Baye des Espagnols on the 5th of April," De
La Roque continued, "and arrived at four o'clock in the
afternoon at the Bay de l'Indienne," today's Lingan.
"The distance between the bank of the Berichon to Pointe
Basse is estimated at a league and a half. The
coast lies about east-north-east by west south-west.
Throughout this distance, so high are the shoals, that
it is evident that an enemy would not be able to effect
a landing. At low tide the shoals stand above
water for a distance of more than a hundred toises,"
or 639 feet, "from the foot of the cliff. In
addition, about a quarter of a league out to sea, there
lies a reef which is said to be half a league from
Pointe Basse, and a league from the bank of the
Berichon. The distance between the Pointe Basse
and the Cap Charbon, lying at the entrance to the Baye
de l'Indienne, is also estimated at a league and a half.
Pointe Basse and Cap Charbon lie east-south-east and
west-north-west. After having doubled Pointe
Basse, and gone a quarter of a league, one reached a
creek of no great size, but in which, nevertheless the
fishing boats take refuge when they cannot make the
harbour. This proves that the creek is on the open
coast, and it is only when the wind blows overland from
the Isle that the boats can go out fishing. Then,
at a quarter of a league from this creek, there is a
barachois, which runs inland, in a south-westerly
direction, for a good quarter of a league, and which is
about 40 toises in breadth. In this
barachois vessels can lie sheltered from
north-north-west; west and south-south-east winds.
Finally between this barachois and the Cap au
Charbon there is no place fitted as a place of refuge
for boats. The Baye de l'Indienne is only fitted
for the cod-fishery and for the raising of plenty of
live stock. The entrance to the bay is formed by
the Cap au Chabron, lying on the lands at the north end
of the harbour, and by the Cap de Table lying on the
land to the south-west. The entrance lies
north-west by south-east. It is estimated that the
distance between these two points, Cap au Charbon and
Cape de Table, is one league, and that there are from
fifteen to sixteen fathoms of water on the line between
them but then the bottom of the bay gradually shelves
upwards towards the narrows, until there are but eleven
feet of water at spring tide. The bay is
restricted (in its accommodation) by a bank of sand,
which crossed it from south-west shore, leaving between
it and the land on the north-east a space of from twenty
to twenty-five toises only in breadth, in which
space vessels repairing to the harbour for coal on the
King's account are loaded. It is the only place to
which vessels can go to take in cargo, and it is much to
be deplored, because in lading coal falls into the
water, and in course of time will fill the channel and
thus render it impracticable. Behind the bank of
sand is a great barachois which runs very far
inland in a westerly direction. It is estimated
that its average breadth is three-quarters of a league
with a length of one league. Its banks are covered
with grass, and the crops would be vastly increased if
the settlers would go to the trouble of burning and
cutting, or pulling out the roots of the fir brush.
The lands around the barachois are covered
generally with fir trees. Three small rivers
flowing from the west, north-west, and north-north-west
empty themselves into this barachois."
After conducting his survey of Baie-de-L'Indienne, De La
Roque noted "that the beaches for drying fish in the
harbour, as well as those of Little Bras d'Or, are not
made with stones as are those of Louisbourg, but with
branches of birch and wild cherry. The reason is
that the beaches made with pebbles do not allow of
sufficient ventilation, and the cod becomes overheated
by the great heat of the month of July."81
De La Roque found six families at Indian Bay. All
of the heads were natives of France or Spain, but two,
perhaps three, of their wives had ties to peninsula Acadia: Baptiste
La Guerre, actually Jean-Baptiste
Daguerre, age 50, ploughman, "native of Bilbau in
Spain," lived with wife Brigitte Trahan,
age 35, "native of la Cadie," actually Pigiguit,
daughter of Jean of
Baie-des-Espagnols. With Baptiste and Brigitte
were eight children: Madeleine, age 14;
Jean-Baptiste, fils, age 13; Marie-Rose, age
12; Antoine, age 8; Marie, age 6; Charles, age 3;
Pierre, age 1; and Isabelle, age 4 months. "In
live stock, they own eight oxen fourteen cows, three
ducks and eight fowls," De La Roque noted. "In the
month of August they will have been three years in the
colony," though they were married at Louisbourg in May
1737. "They have been granted rations for 33
months. The land on which they are settled was
given to them verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers
and Prévost. They have made a clearing of about
ten arpents in extent." Pierre
Le Gros, age 34, carpenter, "native of
Paris," lived with wife Servanne Laman,
perhaps Lanoue, age 22, "native of
Little Bras d'Or," and their 2-year-old daughter
Marguerite. "They have been given rations for two
years," De La Roque noted. "They have no live
stock of any kind. The land on which he has
settled has not been given to him; he has placed himself
there waiting for one which has not been improved, to be
given him." François Le Breton,
age 48, fisherman, "native of he parish of St. Léger,
bishopric of Coutances," lived with wife Marie
Mordan, or Mordant, age 32,
"native of Little Bras d'Or," and three children:
François, fils, age 12; Charles, age 7; and
Isabelle, age 2. Also with them were "three
fishing partners": Nicholas Le Breton,
age 24, "native of the parish of St. Léger" and likely
François's brother; Pierre Tosse, age
41, "native of the parish of Bruvilly, bishopric of St.
Malo"; and Julien Tournier, age 22,
"native of the parish of Hedia, bshoprick of St. Malo."
"For 29 years," De La Roque noted, "the Sr.
François Le Breton has been in this
country. He has been given rations for two years.
The dwelling in which he is settled belongs to his
father-in-law," Joseph Le Mordant
dit Lanoy of Louisbourg and
Petit-Bras-d'Or. Sr. François "is
settled on it," De La Roque explained, "waiting to be
given a location outside the narrow for where he now is
he cannot put up platforms for drying fish, on account
of the vessels loading there with coal for the King."
Marie-Catherine, called Catherine, Le Bon,
age 38, "widow of the late Gabriel Borny"
and "native of Coutances," lived with four Borny
sons: Jean, age 20; Gabriel, fils, age
15; Jacques, age 12; and André, age 3. With the
widow Borny were "Three fishing
partners ... all of the department of Bayonne":
Jean Maslarex, age 36; Bertrand
Anglade, age 27; and Mathieu Mourgue,
age 30. "She owns two boats and four fowls," De La
Roque noted. "She has been given rations for two
years. The concession she occupies on the property
as given to her verbally by Messieurs de St.
Ovide and Le Normand without determining the extent.
She has made a beach with scaffolding and platforms for
drying the fish of two boats, and has made a garden."
François Dauphin, age 45, fisherman,
"native of the parish of St. Père, bishopric of
Coutances," lived with wife Perrine Mordan,
or Mordant, age 23, probably in his
early 30s, "native of Little Bras d'Or" and Marie's
sister. Living with them were two sons:
François, fils, age 12; and Claude-Pierre, age
18 months. Also part of the household were three
fishermen: Claude Lamort, age 43,
"native of St. Planché, bishopric of Coutances"; Pierre
Colin, age 30, "native of Dinan,
bishopric of St. Malo"; and Jean Moreau,
age 19, "native of Limoges." De La Roque noted
that François "owns one boat and eleven fowls. He
had been given rations for two years. The dwelling
on the fishery on which he is settled was granted to the
late Jean[-Baptiste] Villedieu, his
father-in-law [actually his stepfather] by Messieurs
de St. Ovide and de Mézy without delivering any title to
him, or limiting the extent of the land. He has on
it beach scaffolding and platforms for drying the fish
of two boats." ._____
Nicolas, age 45, "native of Montanes, bishopric
of Coutances," France, was the fishing partner of
his stepson-in-law, François Dauphin, also of Coutances. Living with
Nicolas was his wife Marie
Ebert, actually
Hébert, age 50 (actually 57), "native of la
Cadie," actually Minas, widow of Joseph Le
Mordant dit Lanoy and Marie and
Perrine's mother.
Nicolas and Marie had no children living with them;
they had married only two years earlier, and Marie was
beyond childbearing age. De La Roque noted that
Nicolas "has been in the country 27
years" and that he and his wife "have no grant of the
land they occupy, and no clearing except one for a small
garden."82
"We left Baye de l'Indienne on the 7th day of April," De
La Roque continued, "taking the road for the bay de
Mordienne, and reached that place," today's Port Morien,
"the same day. After passing the Cap de Table we
reached the coal mine from which the coal for the troops
of the garrison is drawn. The English constructed
a sort of entrenchment with palisades at this point, in
order to protect themselves from attack by the Indians.
The fortification is a square bastion, constructed of
palisades at each angle. In the centre of the
entrenchment is a block-house, built of logs, placed one
on top of the other, the upper floor of which being
intended for the placing of four pound cannon.
Outside the entrenchment are two main buildings built of
stakes, the one being sixty feet long by fifteen wide,
and the other being twenty-five feet long by the same
width as the first. Vessels awaiting cargoes of
coal cannot be loaded in every sort of weather, but only
when there is no wind, or when it blows lightly off land
from over the island. At other times vessels would
find it impossible to lay alongside, so that when the
sea is still, the soldiers, or other persons,
superintending the drawing of the coal, hoist a pennon
on a flagstaff, within sight of the vessels lying in the
Baie de l'Indienne, as a signal to them to come in and
load. It is stated that this coal mine extends
along the whole coast to Little Bras d'Or. A
quarter of a league along the road from the coal mine is
the Cap de Table, which with the Cap Percé forms Glace
Bay, situate half way between these two bays. Cape
de Table is so high and so precipitous that no vessel
would be able to approach without running the risk of
losing crew and cargo, but vessels can go down to Glace
Bay with ease and safety. The bay is a league and
[a] half in breadth and runs inland about the same
distance. Vessels anchor in the bay in six fathoms
of water at the entrance, and find shelter from south
and west winds, in absolute security. There is
also shelter from north-west and south-east winds, but
when these blow fiercely they are not secure. Over
all the remainder of the bay there are two fathoms of
water. At the further end of the bay is a bank of
sand 200 toises in extent, that separates the
bay from its barachois. There are four
feet of water at the foot of this bank at hightide.
No reefs or shoals are known to exist either in the bay
or outside save only one, which lies a musket-shot
outside Cap Percé, and which is not worth taking into
account. The barachois of Glace Bay is
very extensive. It extends inland to the west for
at least a league, and has a breadth of half a league.
The lands are covered with mixed wood, fir being the
chief. The rest of the coast is not at all
practicable. The Baye de Mordienne is good
only for raising cattle, and for the cod-fishery though
so far no fishing has been done. The bay is formed
by a spur of Cap Percé and by Cap Mordienne, which are
estimated as being a league apart. These points
lie north by south and the entrance to the bay lies east
and west. Vessels making the entrance tack in
twelve fathoms of water, for a good quarter of a league,
in nine, half a league, in four, and for one league,
which is opposite to the present settlement in two and a
half fathoms. There is no channel throughout the
whole distance the bottom being so level. At a
quarter of a league from the point opposite the present
settlement there lies a sand bank that extends all
across the bay, leaving only a narrow passage at each
end, one to the south and the other the north, by which
access can be had to the barachois. On
the barachois there is only a foot to a foot
and a half of water at low tide, and from five to ...
five and a half feet at high tide. The entrance to
the south, which contains ten feet of water is the more
accessible, and after passing that one comes to the
channel leading to Fausse Baye," today's Homeville
River. "One takes a boat to cross the
barachois which is a good half league long by a
quarter of a league broad. All the lands in this
district are covered with fir, with the exception of
those to the north of the Baye de Mordienne which are
common lands. The settlers make nearly all their
hay here and in Glace Bay."83
At Baie-de-Mordienne, De La Roque found seven families, all of them peninsula Acadians with the usual kinship
ties. Many, in fact, were siblings from
Grand-Pré: Claude Teriau, or
Thériot, age 56, ploughman, "native of
la Cadie," actually Minas, lived with wife Marie Guérin,
age 53, "native of the same place" and sister
of Jean-Baptiste and Dominique at Poine-à-la-Jeunesse.
With Claude and Marie were nine children:
Madeleine, age 25; Théotiste, age 23; Mathieu, age 22;
Marguerite, age 20; Françoise, age 18; Anne, age 14;
Romain, age 12; Eleine, probably Hélène, age 9; and
Ignace, age 6. "They own in live stock: one
ox, five cows, two pigs, one horse and twelve fowls," De
La Roque noted. "On Michaelmas day next [September
29] they will have been two years in the colony, and
they have been given rations for that time. The
land on which they are settled is on the west point of
the Lake de Mordienne on the lands lying south of the
bay. The quality of the land does not seem to be
at all suitable for the cultivation of wheat. It
is reddish, sandy and very light. There is not
more than a foot of soil to work, and under that is
found a bed of rock. They have cleared sufficient
ground to sow three bushels of oats between three
settlers, who are there by permission of Messieurs
Desherbiers and Pévost." Pierre Thériot,
age 58, ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and Claude's
older brother, lived with wife Marguerite Guérin,
age 45, "native of the same place" and Marie's younger
sister. With them were nine children, "all natives
of la Cadie": Jean-Baptiste,
age 24; Marguerite, age 20; Marie-Madeleine, age 19;
Anne, age 17; Anselme, age 14; Françoise, age 12;
Fabien, age 10; Brisset or Bricet, age 8; and Geneviève, age 4.
"In live stock, they own: two oxen, four cows, one
horse and six fowls," De La Roque noted. Joseph Thériot,
age 23, ploughman, "native of la Cadie" and
Pierre's second son, lived with wife
Marie Godet, probably Gaudet,
age 24, "native of the same place."
Having married only the previous September, they had no
children, but, De La Roque noted, "They have a cow with
calf and two fowls." Germain Thériot,
age 47, "native of la Cadie" and Pierre and Claude's
younger brother, lived with wife Catherine-Josèphe
Benoit, age 40, "native of the same
place" and daughter of Jean of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse.
With Germain and Catherine-Josèphe were 10 children, "all natives of la Cadie":
Marie-Josèphe, age 19; Anne, age 17; Chrysostôme, age
16; Marie-Théodose, age 14; Hilaire, age 11; Ambroise
and Victoire, age 9; Isabelle, age 7; Luc, age 5; and
Françoise, age 3. "They own the following live
stock," De La Roque noted: "three oxen, two cows,
one calf, five pigs, two horses and a cock. On
Michaelmas next they will have been two years in the
colony, and have received rations for that time.
The land on which they are settled was given them
verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost.
It is situated at Fausse baye but they have done
scarcely any clearing." Pierre
Guérin, age 40, ploughman, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Minas, and Marie and Marguerite's younger brother, lived with
wife Marie-Josèphe Bourg, age 39,
"native of the same place," actually
Port-Royal, and seven children:
Pierre, fils, age 17; Pélagie, age 15; Isidore,
age 13; Louis, age 10; Luce, age 8; Gertrude, age 6; and
Marie-Josèphe, age 3. "They have been in the
colony 18 months and have been granted rations for 21
months," De La Roque noted. "They own in live
stock: two cows, two pigs, six sheep, and three
fowls." Marie-Josèphe Thériot,
age 45, widow of Jean Benoit, fils
and Pierre, Claude, and Germain's
sister, lived with seven Benoit
children: Anne, age 23; Joseph, age 21; Isabelle
and Osite, age 19; Baptiste, age 13; Jean-Louis, age 11;
and Paul, age 9. "She has been in the country and
received rations like others above mentioned," De La
Roque noted. "One sow and two fowls are
all her live stock." François Thériot,
age 49, "native of la Cadie," actually Minas, and Pierre, Claude,
Germain, and Marie-Josèphe's brother, lived with wife
Françoise Guérin, age 42, "native of
the same place" and Marie, Marguerite, and Pierre's
sister. With them were 11 children: Marie,
age 22; Marguerite, age 20; Pierre, age 18; Madeleine,
age 16; Isabelle, age 14; Perpétué, age 12; Théodose,
age 10; Cyrille, age 8; Gertrude, age 6; Anne, age 4;
and Joseph, age 2. "They will have been in the
colony one year at the beginning of August next," De La
Roque noted, "and have been given rations for nine
months. Live stock: seven oxen, nine cows,
eleven sheep, one mare, three pigs and four fowls.
They have not made an inch of clearing where they are,
not having had time through change from one place to
another. They are at Fausse Baye since the end of
the month of September. They cut the hay for
feeding their animals on the banks of the Barachois de
Mordienne and of Fausse Bay. The quality of the
land is similar to that at the Baye de Mordienne."
Of the community, De La Roque observed:
"The settlers will not be able to live unless given
liberty to do what suits them best to preserve their
subsistence."84
"We left Fausse Baye on the 19th [actually the 9th] of
the month of April," De La Roque continued, "and arrived
the same day at the mouth of the river de Miré," today's
Mira River.
"From Fausse Baye to the Bay of de Miré there is a bank
of sand of about thirty to thirty-five toises
in width to be crossed. The true baye de Miré is
formed by the Pointe Plate, lying to the north and by
the Pointe de Catalogne to the south. It is
estimated that these points lie north-north-west by
south-south-west, and that the distrance from one to the
other is half a league, whilst from the said Pointe
Plate to the river de Miré is three quarters of a
league. In this distance several small creeks are
found, which are very suitable for debarcation of
troops, without any risk of the movement being perceived
from the site of the projected redoubt, which it is
proposed to build on one of the points of the river de
Miré. A league from the river one strikes Pointe à
Catalogne, at a point exactly opposite to the house of
the Fathers of Charité. In all this part
there is only a bank of sand lying along the front of
the said house of the Fathers of Charity, upon which it
would be possible for an enemy to effect a landing, and
it must be taken into consideration that any such
attempt would be discovered from the projected redoubt,
which is not only very near this place but stands on
much higher ground. The Bay de Miré is half a
league in depth, with a good depth of water in almost
every part. Large vessels can anchor in twelve
fathoms of water at only a short distance from land,
whilst boats and schooners can find three and four
fathoms only a hundred toises off the shore,
and from a bar that lies before the mouth of the river.
Vessels can find shelter here from southerly to easterly
winds, by lying under the land on the west and north
sides, whilst as a rule there is good anchorage
throughout the bay. As above stated the Rivière de
Miré lies between the points Plate and Catalogne.
It takes its rise eight or nine leagues inland, and runs
east and west. Vessels of the capacity of 15 or 16
cords of wood, can ascend loaded with the produce of the
country, which consists up to the present only of wood,
almost to the far end. The name of Baye of Miré is
applied indifferently to the whole coast lying between
the Cap de Morienne on the north side and the Cap de
Menadon," today's Main-à-dieu, or Hand of God, "on the
south. These two points lie north-north west and
south-south-east, at an estimated distance of two and a
half leagues, and giving a circuit of five leagues.
Fausse Bay is comprised in the stretch between the two
capes; and is only a league distant from the Cap de
Morienne. So high and precipitous is the coast at
the Cap de Mordienne that it is morally impossible for
ships to approach it without incurring great danger of
being cast away both crew and cargo; but as if to
compensate for this, it is possible to make a very easy
attack by way of the bank of sand at Fausse bay, which
is at the dividing line of the two bays. Fausse
bay," or False Bay, "is so called because it is in sight
both of the Bay de Miré and the bank of the sand.
It lies at a distance of a league and a half from Pointe
Plate, and whilst the coast on this side is not nearly
so high as on the other, it is almost as inasscessible
owing to a chain of rocks extending along the front.
The true Baye de Miré is the barachois de
Catalogne," near today's Catalone, "which runs inland to
the west for a league, and has an estimated breadth of
200 to 250 toises. It preserves the same
width for half a league gradually widening towards the
further end where it forms small isles and peninsulas.
At this end the Rivière à Durand flows in from the
north-west. Finally it is estimated that the
distance from this barachois to Cap de Menadon
is three quarters of a league. Several places were
found where troops could be landed at any time and
without risk."
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 found 22 families at Miré,
most of them farmers from
France or Spain, and most recent arrivals.
Atypically,
the hand full of peninsula
Acadians living there did not belong
to a community kinship network: Jean-Baptiste
Villedieu, carpenter, age 58, "native of
Grandville," diocese of Coutances, France, lived with
third wife Catherine Grosset, age 45,
"native of St.-Malo" and widow of Sr.
Jean-Charles Cruchon dit
Latour-Cruchon. With them were four sons, "All
natives of Louisbourg," the oldest from Jean-Baptiste's
second wife Anne Hébert: Nicolas,
age 17; Laurent, age 8; François, age 7; and Louis, age
2. Pierre-Martin Villedieu, age
26, coaster, "native of Petit Degra" and also
Jean-Baptiste's son from Anne Hébert,
lived with wife Marie-Perrine Cruchon,
age 20, "native of St. Malo" and his stepsister.
They had no children, though Marie-Perrine likely was
pregnant. Also living with the family was Jacques
Cruchon, age 17, Catherine's son from
her first marriage and Marie-Perrine's brother. De
La Roque noted that "They," meaning the extended
family," have been granted rations for 18 months.
They have in live stock one horse, three goats, and nine
fowls. The land on which they are settled was
given them verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers
and Prévost. They have made a small clearing on it
and would have made a larger if they had not been
disturubed by a settler who had previously obtained it
to mine coal."
Pierre Varenne, age 40, ploughman,
"farmer for the Fathers of Charity, native of Léon,"
actually Le Roque-de-Saupoyen, bishopric of Puy, France, lived with wife Madeleine-Josèphe
Labauve, age 26, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Minas, and three daughters: Angélique, age 6;
Marie, age 4; and Josèphe, age 2. "In live stock
they own two oxen, ten cows, three calves, nine sheep,
three pigs, three ducks and twenty-one fowls."
De La Roque noted of
the mission: "The farm of the Fathers Charity was
originally one league in extent, but they obtained from
Messieurs de St. Ovide and de Mézy an
addition of three leagues which makes a homestead of
four leagues square and they had had their farmers make
a clearing of about sufficient extent to allow of the
sowing of three barrels of oats and a bushel of wheat.
They have their hay cut on the banks of the river."
Jean Guillaume, age 32, ploughman,
"native of Laitoure, bishopric of Auch," France, lived
with wife Marie Boila, age 31, "native
of Busset, bishopric of Lerou," and their 6-year-old
daughter Catherine. Also with them was André
Durocher, age 45, "their partner,
native of Condon, bishopric of Auch." De La Roque
noted that "They have been in the colony since the
surrender of the place by the English [July 1749] and
have been given rations for three years. In live
stock, they own one cow, twelve fowls and three ducks.
The land on which they are settled was given to them
verbally by Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost.
It is situated on the creek à Dion. They have
cleared land for sowing one bushel of oats. Their
pasturage is on the Pointe à Dion."
Laurent, actually Bernard, L'Hermite, age 37, ploughman, "native of
Coutances," France, lived with wife Marie-Renée Bertrand,
age 28, "native of la Baleine," Île Royale, and two sons: François, age 7
years; and Pierre, age 15 months. "He had been in
the colony 22 years," De La Roque said of Bernard, "and
has been given rations for two years." The land he
and Marie-Renée occupied "was given to them verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost in 1750, and
is situated on the Pointe au Razoir, where he has been
promised twelve arpents fronting the river in
consideration of land he had at Porte Dauphine which has
been taken by the king. He had not yet done any
clearing." Marie Le Borgne
de Bélisle, no age given, but she would
have been 51, "widow of the late Jean
Bertrand" and Marie-Renée's mother, was "Hoping
to settle on the river de Miré," De La Roque noted, so
"she is wintering here with all her family." Marie
was a granddaughter of former Acadian governor Alexandre
Le Borgne de Bélisle, who had married a
daughter of former Acadian governor Charles de
Saint-Étienne de La Tour. Though Marie
had been born in peninsula Acadia, she had married Jean
Bertrand at
Havre-la-Baleine, Île Royale, in April 1717, so she and
her family had a long acquaintance with the big island. Laurent Soly, age 33, ploughman,
"native of Spain," lived with wife Jeanne
Lécuyer, age 22, "native of Louisbourg," and
two sons: Antoine-Thomas, age 2; and Laurent,
fils, age 4 months. De La Roque noted that
"They have been granted rations for three years which is
about the time they have been in the colony. The
land they occupy was given them verbally by M.
le Comte de Raymond at the time of his visit to Miré.
They have made no clearing, not having had time to work
at it before snow fell. They have been granted
rations for three years." Jean Tessé, age 53, coaster,
native of Freel," actually Cap Fréhel, Brittany, lived
with wife Marie-Josèphe Bodard, or
Bodart, age 40, "native of la Cadie,"
actually Grand-Pré, and six children:
Pierre, age 23; Jean, age 15; Baptiste, age 14; Étienne,
age 13; Marie, age 8; and Servant, age 4. Their
livestock consisted of "one cow with calf, four fowls,"
De La Roque noted.
They also owned a bateau. "They have been
given two years' rations. The
land on which they are settled was given to him verbally
by Messieurs Desherbiers and Prevost. It is
situated near the Isle de la Conférance. He has
made a piece of fallow land of six or seven arpents
in extent, and a small clearing for a garden." Jean
Mariadé, actually Jean-Baptiste Marcadet, age 52, ploughman, "native of
La Chapelle," France, lived with wife
Madeleine Benoit, age 44, "native of la
Cadie," actually Cobeguit, daughter of Jean of
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse. With Jean-Baptiste and
Madeleine were 11 children, "all natives of
la Cadie, with the exception of the last, who was born
at St.-Pierre," probably Port-Toulouse: Marie, age
24; Jean, fils, age 23; Pierre, age 17;
François, age 13; Michel, age 11; Marie-Madeleine, age
10; Jean-Lucas, age 9; Anne-Blanche, age 8; Joseph, age
6; Judith, age 4; and Modeste, age 1. "They have
been given rations for two years," De La Roque noted.
"They have no dwelling and no live stock. They are
wintering in the house of one Tessé."
Mathurin La Faucheux, age 50,
ploughman, "native of the parish of Jenelay, bishopric
of Angers," lived with wife Geneviève Meran,
age 54, "native of la Chevrotière," Canada, and two
children: Guillaume, age 16; and
Marie-Louise-Angélique, age 12. Living with them
was Guillaume Fromant, age 14, "their
nephew, native of La Flèche, bishopric of Angers."
Also in the household was Mathurin Charboneau,
age 21, "engage for one year as a domestic, native of
Trémontier, bishopric of Poitiers," who "intends
settling in the colony." De La Roque noted that
the couple "own the following live stock: four
cows, three calves, two sheep, four lambs, three ducks,
seven fowls, and one skiff. He had been given two
years rations. The land he occupies was given to
him by a deed of grant by Messieurs de St. Ovide and Le
Normand in 1734. The extent of the land is defined
as being from the Isle de la Conférance to the creek of
Charroy. The land between these two places, north
and south[,] belong to him for half a league in depth.
He had made a very large piece of fallow land and a
clearing where he might sow at least eight bushels of
seed corn if he had men and oxen to work with.
Before the war he always sowed a barrel of oats, which
returned him a yearly average of twelve to one; a peck
of buckwheat which returned him fifteen to one, but with
wheat he has never succeeded well. He had a meadow
which was granted to him at the same time as his
homestead, the title deed of which he lost in the last
war. It is situated to the north, quarter
north-west of his land, and on it he can cut enough hay
to feed eight head of cattle." Jean-Pierre
St. Gla, age 30, ploughman, "native of St.
Fristre, bishopric of Castres," lived with wife Jeanne
De la Bonne, age 30, "native of
Begnac," and their 11-month-old daughter Catherine.
De La Roque noted that "The land on which they are
settled was given them by M. le comte de
Raymond at the time of his journey to Miré. They
made a large piece of fallow land during the winter,
where they will sow oats. It is situated on a
point that juts far into the river forming a peninsula." Joseph
Gracia, perhaps Garcia,
age 34, ploughman, "native of Lerocgue, bishopric of
Bucaye," actually Biscaye, lived with wife Marie
Depontigue, age 32, "native of Dourescan,
bishopric of Bayonne." They had no children.
De La Roque noted that "The land on which they are
settled was given verbally to them by M. le
comte de Raymond. He has worked on it pretty well
since he is on it. They have been given rations
for two years, which is the time they have been in the
colony." Luc Le Chené, age
34, ploughman, "native of Bordeaux, lived with wife
Laurens, actually Laurence, Seigneux,
age 35, "native of Dinan." They had no children.
De La Roque noted that "He has been in the country two
years and been given rations for eight months. The
land on which he is to build is situate on the Grande
Pointe. He has not wintered there to do any
clearing." Thérèse Gruneau,
age 32, "native of Plandieu, bishopric of Dol," France,
and "widow of the late Guillaume Brabel,"
lived alone. De La Roque noted that "The land she
occupies was given to her verbally by Messieurs
Desherbiers and Prévost. Her late husband made a
small clearing on it. She has one hen and two
ducks." Ignace Tallement, age 26,
ploughman, "native of Pragues," lived with wife ____
Esperchy, age 22, "native of Bordeaux,"
and two daughters: Marie, age 3; and
Marie-Catherine, age 1. De La Roque noted that
Ignace "has been two years in the country and has been
given rations for that time. The land on which he
is settled was given him verbally by Monsieur
le comte de Raymond. He has made a small clearing
where he can sow small quantities of oats and turnips." Julien Bourneuf, age 36,
ploughman, "native of Médrillac, bishopric of St. Malo"
and widower of Anne Hommette, lived
with second wife Jeanne Guédry, age 27, "native of la
Cadie," and her younger brother Joseph, age 17, also
"native of la Cadie," actually Cobeguit.
(Jeanne and Joseph were siblings of
Ursule Guédry of Baie-des-Espagnols.) Jeanne had married
Julien at Louisbourg the previous year.
Living with them were four of Julien's daughters by his first
marriage: Anne, age 12; Jeanne, age 9; Julienne, age
7; and Sophie, age 5. With them also was
Renée Guillaume, age 20, described as Julien's "sister,
native of the parish of Argence." De La Roque
noted that Julien "owns in live stock: one pig and
three fowls. He is in the colony three years, and
has been given rations for that time. The land on
which he is settled is situated to the east of the
dwelling place of Monsieur de la Borde,
treasurer to the colony; it was given to him verbally by
Messieurs Desherbiers and Prévost. He had
made a good clearing in which he can sow two pecks of
oats." Three farming families, along with several
bachelors, all from France, worked the
concession owned by the colonial treasurer: Pierre Courtiau,
age 31, ploughman, "native of the parish of Monmorency, bishopric
of Dax," France, lived with wife Marie Cortien,
age 38, "native of La Rochelle," and a 2-month-old son
not yet named. Also with them was Pierre
la Cane, age 22, "native of Bordeaux," engaged
for one year in their service, who intends settling in
the colony." De La Roque noted that Pierre and
Marie "own in live stock one cow, one bull, one pig and
six fowls. The land in which he is settled belongs
to Monsieur de la Borde. He had only been
there since last autumn, and has made a small piece of
fallow land and a clearing for a garden. He is in
the colony two years, and has been given rations for the
said two years." He evidently was not part of the
Courthiau family who had come to Île
Royale from Newfoundland. François Gouret,
age 22, ploughman, "farmer for Monsieur de la
Borde," was a "native of the Parish of Provezien,
bishopric of Grenoble," France. "He is not fit to
enter the militia," De La Roque noted. François
lived with wife Toinette Eviard, age
23, "native of the same parish," and their 18-month-old
daughter Thérèse. Also with them was Jean
Eu, age 50, "native of St. Malo," who was
"engaged in the capacity of a domestic until the end of
the month.... He is a fisherman by calling."
"They will have been in the colony two years at the end
of August next," De La Roque further noted, "and have
been given rations for the said time. He has in
all made a piece of fallow land and a clearing where he
can sow a peck of oats." François Chalot,
age 49, ploughman, "native of Caen, bishopric of
Bayeux," France, another "farmer for Monsieur
de la Borde," lived with wife Marie Tanère,
age 42, "native of Grandville, bishopric of Coutances,"
and their 22-year-old son Jean. Pierre
Comère, age 27, "native of Bayeux," a domestic
servant "engaged for one year ... intends settling in
the colony," De La Roque noted. (Pierre evidently was
not kin to the Commère family that came
to Île Royale from Newfoundland.) Of
François's efforts De La Roque also noted that "He has
made a large piece of fallow land and a clearing of
three arpents in extent, where he intends to
sow all sorts of grains experimentally to see which
answer best. He is in the country three years and
has been given rations for that time." Jacques
Guilant, age 52, ploughman, "native of
the parish of Basse Mer, bishopric of Nantes," another
"farmer for Monsieur de la Borde," evidently
was unmarried. De La Roque noted that "He is a
partner with one named Sébastien Bourneuf,
age 39, "native of Combourg," near St.-Malo, bachelor
brother of Julien. "They have four cows, one bull,
three calves of this year," De La Roque continued.
"They have made a large piece of fallow land and a
clearing to sow a barrel of wheat. From three
bushels of wheat they sowed last year they have havested
one barrel and a half, with 24 bushels to the barrel;
bringing a profic of eleven for one. From two
bushels of oats they have gathered a barrel and a half,
a return of seventeen to one," which the Sieur de la
Borde no doubt approved. Mathurin Donin,
or Douin, age 47, ploughman, native of
St.-Nicolas Parish, Nantes, lived with wife
Marie-Catherine Courté, age 37, "native
of Daste, in Italy," and three children: Mathieu,
age 5; Christine, age 2; and Louis-Mathurin, age 4
months. "They are in the colony two years," De La
Roque noted, "and have been given rations for that time.
The land on which they are has been sold to them by
widow Mathurin Germain. They have
made fallow land and a clearing of no great extent for a
garden." Jean
Chapin, or Chapui, age 32,
ploughman, "native of Amboise, bishopric of Tours,"
lived with wife Catherine Robert,
actually Henry dit Robert, age 57, "native
of la Cadie," sister of Madeleine of St.-Esprit and
Antoine of Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse, and widow of
Jean-Baptiste Guérard. With Jean
and Catherine were two
of her daughters from her first marriage: Jeanne
Guérard, age 16; and Catherine
Guérard, age 14.
"In live stock they own, three cows, one horse, two pigs
and six fowls," De La Roque noted. "In the month of August next, they
will have been in the colony three years, and have
received rations for two years. The land on which
they are settled was given to them by Messieurs
Desherbiers and Prévost by a deed which has been lost.
They have made a clearing to sow cabbage and turnips."
Jacques Chemin, age 37, ploughman,
"native of the parish of Dumeny Brion, bishopric of
Sez," France, lived with wife Françoise Ange,
or Auge, age 27, "native of St. Pierre
d'Oléron," France, and their 6-month-old daughter
Jeanne. De La Roque noted that "The said Jacques
Chemin intends settling settling on the
river if the King will give him three years rations.
He has received his pardon as a deserter from the
troops."105
"We left the farther end of the Baye de Miré on the 9th
April for Isle de Scatary," De La Roque continued,
"arriving there the same day. The channel of
Menadon is formed by the west point of the Isle de
Scatary, and by the Cap de Menadon. It is
navigated by several routes, the channel being the the
one where the traveller has to decide which is to be
taken. Coasters of the country on leaving
Louisbourg take the corrected course east-south-east
until they have cleared the Cap de Portanove, which lies
to the east quarter south-east of the entrance of the
Port of Louisbourg. Navigators familiar with these
waters know that from the time they sight the channel of
Ménadon, they steer for the Cap au Nord until the Pointe
aux Chats is west. This point lies in the harbour
of Menadon, and is visible at a considerable distance as
it stands boldly out into the bay. When sailors
sight this point they make a north-west course in order
to make the channel of Menadon, and hold the same course
until they double the two islets lying in the channel,
and coasting that lying to the starboard, leaving the
cape to the north-west. This is the best channel.
That to larboard must not be taken as [it] is surrounded
with shoals. After having doubled the two islets,
one must take a westerly course in order to enter the
Bay de Miré, and a north-easterly one to double Cap de
Mordienne."
De La Roque then related an anecdote that illustrated
the difficulty of the Miré passage: "On the 12th
day of the month of October in the year 1750, a vessel,
named the Grand Saint Esprit, owned by the
Sr. Rodrigue, shipowner of La Rochelle, commanded
by the Sr. Coinrdet, and chartered by the King,
being unable to make the port of Louisbourg owing to
contrary winds, was obliged to seek refuge in the bay of
Miré. On the 13th day of the month, the wind
having veered to the north-east, anchors were weighed
and top-sails set. It was a question whether she
could make the passge by the channel of Ménadon.
Not an officer on board was familiar with the coast.
The captain asked M. Dolabarras if he believed
very great danger would be incurred in attempting the
passage; and was told in reply that that gentleman had
made the passage with vessels quite as large as the
Grand Saint Esprit. Upon this Sr.
Coinrdet prepared to make the attempt. He kept two
men constantly heaving the lead, the one in the port and
the other on the starboard, and had the lines thrown
alternately so that there would always be one in the
water. At first he held to the east for a quarter
of a league, finding twelve fathoms of water, and then
they made to the south-east, but did so too soon to make
the passage de Menadon. This obliged them to hug
the islet lying off the shore of Isle Royale too
closely, but the vessel, drawing 13 to 14 feet of water,
passed in three fathoms; instead of having as she might
have in other places from seven to nine fathoms," or 45
to 57 1/2 feet. "Those familiar with the locality
know their whereabouts as soon as Cap de Mordienne lies
to the north north-east, and it is then they they change
their course to south-east certain of being in safe
water."
De La Roque and his party then crossed to
Scatarie Island, now a Canadian wilderness area. In the
spring of 1752, however, the island harbored three small
fishing communities. "The Isle of Scatary is
suitable only for cod fishery," De La Roque noted.
"The situation is one of the best for trade, but,
unfortunately, the ports and harbours are not safe.
It lies in the sea opposite to Menadon. It is
estimated to be two leagues in length, lying east and
west with a breadth, north and south of half a league.
Generally speaking the island is a mere rock. The
nature of the ground varies, two kinds of soil being
found. The one is wet and tenacious, and the other
partakes of the character of marl. It is not by
any means wooded, and there is no hard wood on it,
neither is there fir or any description of pine suitable
for the building of the platforms and scaffoldings, that
are used on the island. The settlers have to bring
their wood from the lands on the river Miré, or from
those of the barachois de Catalogne which are
near them. The great and little harbours of
Scatary are but one, all the difference being that
vessels anchor in the great harbour, whilst in the
little not even a skiff could enter at low tide without
risk of being cast away on the reefs and shoals which
are strewn over the whole bottom of the harbour.
They are both formed by headlands to the north-east or
by the islets of Scatary and the headlands of the
south-west which front each other. The habours lie
north-east by south-west. It is estimated that the
headlands are a good league distant from each other, and
that the harbour is a quarter of a league in depth.
In this area and in the same point of the compass at a
distance of a quarter of a league from the easterly
headland lies a small islet, some 500 or 550 toises
in length called the Isle de la Tremblade or Isle aux
Coucous. This islet is 100 to 150 toises in width,
and on it, long before the late war a number of people
engaged in cod fishing. They have now wholly
abandoned it, and there are no other people offering to
go there to settle. It seems more suitable for
fishing with vessels than with boats. The portion
which is called the great harbour is formed by the
headlands to the north-east and the islets of Scatary;
by the headland to the north-east of the Isle de la
Tremblade, and by a third point formed by a huge bank of
sand, lying to the north-west of the entrance 200
toises from the Isle de la Tremblade. The
entrance lies east and west, and has from 15 to 16 feet
of water at high tide. One is obliged to coast the
point or islets on the north-east, in order to avoid
running ashore on the coast of the islet which runs far
out into the entrance. Vessels having once passed
the entrance run no risk, but can anchor in the harbour
in four to five fathoms of water and sheltered from all
winds. In addition the anchorage is good.
The little harbour is formed by the headland on the
south-west of the Isle de la Tremblade, by the point on
the south-west of the harbour and by that on the
north-west of the entrance of the great harbour on an
alignment drawn from the headland on the south-west of
the Ilse de la Tremblade to that on the south-west of
the said harbour. About equi-distant between these
two points lies an islet visible at all states of the
tide which may be about 20 to 25 toises in
extent. It is surrounded by a large number of
reefs and shoals, so that in bad weather and even at
high water, vessels dare not risk passing it. They
prefer to go around the isle, and take the main channel.
Before the last war ten homesteads had been granted in
the neighbourhood of this harbour, part being granted by
patent and part verbally. These ten
concessionaires have appropriated to their own use all
the land around the harbour, under the pretext that
their concessions were not delimited, and that their
deeds prescribed no limits to their lands.
Meantime it is certain that when these concessions are
delimited there will be sufficient land on which to
locate ten other settlers with ground for the erection
of sheds for drying the fish from five boats apiece."106
Agriculture being impracticable on the rocky
island, none of the settlers on Île Scatary were farmers
from peninsula Acadia. De La Roque counted three
families and a middle-aged bachelor at "the Great
Harbour of the Isle of Scatary," all, including
the fishermen's wives, natives of Newfoundland or France:
Pierre-César-Alexandre Le Grand, age
70, "native of the coast of Plaisance," Newfoundland,
lived with wife Madeleine Dihars, age
58, "native of Newfoundland," and five children:
Georges, age 26; Marie, age 22; Guy-Alexandre, age 21;
Louis, age 19; and Louise, age 17. Living with
them was Mathurin Guillot, age 17,
"native of Madrignac, bishopric of St. Brieux," "in the
capacity of a domestic." De La Roque noted that
Pierre and Marguerite "have been in the colony since
1715, and have been given rations for two years," that
the old fisherman "owns two boats and eight fowls," and
that "The concesson of this fishery was given him by
Messieurs de Costebelle and de Soubras in 1715, and
includes ground on which to make drying sheds for the
fish of six boats." Julien Jourdan,
or Jourdau, age 35, fisherman, native
of St.-Servan, near St.-Malo, lived with wife Marie
Phelipeau, probably Philippot,
age 25, "native of the country," and three children:
Jean, age 5; Marie, age 3; and Julien, fils,
age 1. De La Foque noted that Julien "is in the
colony 16 years," but said nothing of his land or
livestock. Guillaume Rubé, age
35, fisherman, native of St. Martin de Champs, bishopric
of Avranches," evidently was a bachelor. "He owns
two boats, two cows, and seven fowls," De La Roque
noted. "The land on which he is settled is
situated at the farther end of the great harbour,
between the grounds of Pierre Le Grand
and one Philipot. It was granted
before the war to the late Jean [probably Julien]
Durand, whose heirs have never yet
presented themselves to take possession of the land.
Monsieur Prévost," the colony's
commissaire-ordonnateur, "has given it to him on
condition that if the heirs of the deceased present
themselves he will give them possesson." Jean
Philipot, or Philippot,
age 50, fisherman, "native of Laide, bishopric of
Coutances," France, was married to Julienne
Bassin, or Bossin, age 35,
"native of St. Michel des Loups, bishopric of Avraches,"
France. Living with him were five sons:
Basile, age 24; Jean, age 22; Guillaume-Jean and
Guy-Adrien, age 20; and Gabriel, 18. De La Roque
noted that Jean's "other two [children] are in France
with their mother." One suspects that Marie
Phelipeau, wife of neighbor Julien
Jourdan, also was Julien's child, from
his first marriage to Agnès Borny, and
that the five sons with him at Île Scatary were from his
first marriage. De La Roque noted that Jean "is in
the colony 36 years" and that "He owns one skiff, one
boat, and five fowls."107
De La Roque next surveyed the other side of the island.
"Ance Daranbourg lies on the north coast of the Isle of
Scatary," he observed. "It is formed by the Pointe
Darambourg, on the east side, and by the Pointe des deux
Cheminées on the west. It is scarcely suitable for
cod fishing, above all in vessels, which are not
sheltered from any winds except for those that come over
the land from the isle. It is only large enough
for two settlers," though he found many more of them
there, all fishermen. "The Ance de Bellefeuille is
situated on the same coast of the Isle de Scatary as the
preceding," De La Roque observed. "It is much more
exposed to the gales than that of Darambourg."108
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
After two and a half months of effort, De La Roque and
his companions completed their circuit of Île Royale.
They were not tasked with counting the hundreds of
merchants, fishermen, soldiers, and sailors living in
the colonial capital, but even a cursory knowlege of the
French citadel could lead one to the conclusion:
Louisbourg was so populous relative to the rest of the
island that Acadian immigrants, even if they had gone
there in any numbers, would have been a miniscule part
of the town's population. However, De La Roque's survey
revealed that another large concentration of
settlers in the colony--the Port-Toulouse/Île Madame
area, including Rivière-aux-Habitants--had been
perceptibly increased by Acadian refugees. Not so
Niganiche, today's Ingonish, far up the Atlantic coast.
This northern region was devoted entirely to the
off-shore fishery, in which relatively few Acadians
participated. Nor did many--if any--Acadian
refugees settle on the island's "empty" west coast by
1752. De La Roque found concentrations of Acadian
habitants at Pointe-a-la-Jeunesse in the
interior and especially at Baie-des-Espagnols north of
Louisbourg, but these communities soon broke up.
Andrew Hill Clark insists that "Only with the arrival of
Acadian refugees from Baie Verte and Tatamagouche" in
response to the mass deportations in British Nova Scotia
during the autumn of 1755, "and the attempts to
establish discharged soldiers and a few Germans along
the Mira, was a major effort made at agricultural
settlement" on Île Royale. "If it be argued that
there was not enough time before 1758 to test these
attempts," Clark observes, "it is also true that many of
the 'acclimatized' Acadians gave up after two or three
years and the 'veterans' settlement was apparently a
failure...." Nevertheless, after the fall of
Louisbourg in July 1758, six years after De La Roque's survey, enough Acadian
immigrants remained on Île
Royale to fill a deportation transport or two.17
.
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. Major 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
INTRODUCTION
BOOK ONE: French
Acadia
BOOK TWO: British Nova
Scotia
BOOK THREE:
Families, Migration, and the Acadian "Begats"
BOOK FIVE: The
Great Upheaval
BOOK SIX:
The Acadian Immigrants of Louisiana
BOOK SEVEN: French Louisiana
BOOK EIGHT: A New Acadia
BOOK NINE: The Bayou State
BOOK TEN: The Louisiana Acadian "Begats"
BOOK ELEVEN: The Non-Acadian "Cajun" Families of South
Louisiana
BOOK TWELVE: Acadians in Gray
SOURCE NOTES -
BOOK FOUR
01. See
Clark, A. H., Acadia, 294;
"Census for Ile Royale by Sr de la Rocque," in <acadian-home.org>;
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:4-76.
Clark provides the 3,500 estimate for
Louisbourg's population in 1752. The townspeople & soldiers in the citadel
do not appear in De La Roque's census copied in Canadian Archives
1905 or in
<acadian-home.org>.
From Feb to Apr, he visited only the outlying communities on the island from Gabarus Bay around to Lorembec.
02. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 902, 2070-71; De La Roque
"Tour of Inspection,"Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:92; White, DGFA-1,
350-52.
03. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2091; De La Roque "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:93; White, DGFA-1, 792.
04. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2094; De La Roque "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:94-95; White, DGFA-1, 132-33.
05. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2083-84; De La Roque "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:95; White, DGFA-1, 132, 1130-32.
06. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2095; De La Roque "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:95.
07. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2117; De La Roque "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:96; White, DGFA-1, 792, 1311;
note 09, below.
08.
Quotations from Clark, A. H., Acadia,
302; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:3. See also Clark, A. H., 297.
A. H. Clark,
297, using a 19th-century example, makes a compelling case
that Île Royale could have developed a substantial
agricultural base in the first half of the 18th century,
lending credence to Gov. Raymond's enthusiasm.
09.
See
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:96-97; White, DGFA-1, 792; note
241, below.
10. See Akins, ed.,
Papers Relating to the Acadian French, 1714-1755,
214-15;
"Census for Ile Royale by Sr de la Rocque," in <acadian-home.org>;
Clark, A. H., Acadia,
73, 262, 276, 286-87, 290-91, 294, 297,
279-82, 286-90, 293-94, 297, 301-03; De La Roque "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:6-76.
A. H. Clark,
73, 262, insists that only a "few" peninsula Acadians
lived on Cape Breton Island/Île Royale, but De La Roque's
1752 census lists more than a "few." However, compared
to the number of Acadians who settled on Île St.-Jean, it
was a relative few who went to Île Royale.
11.
Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:5-6.
Cormorandière Cove also is spelled Coromandière Cove.
See, e.g., McCreath & Leefe, Nova Scotia, 167.
A French league, as set in 1737 (the lieue
tarifaire), consisted of 2,400 toises, each
toise equal to the nautical fathom--6.39 feet or
2.131 yards. The league of De La Roque's day, then,
would have run
about 3 statute miles today--precisely 2.907 miles using the
lieue tarifaire. Today in Canada, of course, distances are
measured in kilometers. Since the toise of
that day equaled
1.949 meters, the French league would have been
a little more than 4 1/2 kilometers distant--precisely 4.678 meters
using the lieue tarifaire. See online
Wikipedia, "Units of measurement in France before the French
Revolution."
For the 1745 New-English venture at Gabarus Bay that led to
the fall of Louisbourg, see Book Two.
12. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:6. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1684, 2009, 2011, 2017,
2048; Krause, "Goutin, François-Marie, de," in DCB,
3:265;
White, DGFA-1, 756-59; Books One, Two, & Three;
note 21, below.
In this and the following paragraphs, given- & family-name spellings are
standardized as much as possible. See White, DGFA-1, for those
standard spellings, as well as many of the birth dates & family
connections followed here. Names, dates, and
connections from Arsenault are followed only when White
falls silent.
De Goutin, who had served as subdelegate
to the King's commissaire on the island since 1744, died on 5 Jan 1752, exactly
a month before De La Roque set out from Louisbourg.
See White, 756;
Appendix. In 1752, François-Marie de
Goutin's youngest brother, Joseph de Goutin
de Ville, was a retired army officer & businessman
living at New Orleans in French LA--the first "Acadian" to
settle in that colony. See Books Seven, Eight, & Ten.
The arpent was a common
measurement of length & area in New France, where, as a
linear measure, 1 arpent equaled 180 French feet,
which equaled about 192 English feet, or 58.47 meters.
As a measurement of area, in most of New France (Louisiana,
Alabama, & Florida excepted) 1 square arpent, or
arpent carré, known as a French acre, was 180
French feet by 180 French feet, or 32,400 French square
feet, which equaled about 3,419 square meters, or about
0.845 English acres. See online Wikipedia, "Arpent."
13. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:6-7. See also
online Wikipedia, "Barachois."
14. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2127-28; De La Roque "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A: 97; White, DGFA-1,
546.
15. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:7-8.
For you landlubbers, starboard is to the right as you face
the bow, or front, of a vessel, larboard, or port, to the left.
16.
Quotations from
Griffiths, From Migrant to Acadian, 393;
Marshall, Acadian Resistance, 66.
See also
Wendy Cameron, "Hopson, Peregrine Thomas," in DCB,
3:294,
&
online;
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 210, 272, 293-94;
Griffiths, 356;
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 3;
Andrew Rodger, "Denys de Bonnaventure (Bonaventure),
Claude-Élisabeth," in DCB, 3:176,
&
online; online Wikipedia,
"History of Prince Edward Island"; Book Two.
Marshall mentions but
does not name the "Acadian insurgents from Île St. Jean..."
who participated in the fight at Grand-Pré.
For the actual deportations from Louisbourg & Île
Royale
in 1745, see Griffiths, 356; Book Two.
17. Quotation from Clark,
A. H., Acadia, 299-300. See also Book Five.
18.
See
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:76-165; <islandregister.com/1752.html.>;
note 22, below.
A list of present-day names for the settlements of Île
St.-Jean, c1752, can be found at
<acadian-home.org>,
"Ile St-Jean Place Names."
19.
Quotation from
Fortier, "Des Herbiers," in DCB, 3:183. See
also Fortier, 3:182;
Cameron, "Hopson," in DCB, 3:294;
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 272-73.
Hopson had come to Louisbourg with British
reinforcements in the spring of 1746 & was named commander
of the colony in Sep 1747, succeeding Admiral Charles
Knowles. After going to Halifax from Louisbourg in
late Jul 1749, he returned to England. See Cameron. His stay in England was brief.
He returned to Halifax in 1752 & assumed the office of
governor on Aug 3.
20.
Quotations from Fortier, "Des Herbiers,"
in DCB, 3:183;
Clark, A. H.,
Acadia, 285. See also
<acadian-home.org>;
Clark, A. H., 293-94; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:45-52; Book Two.
Fortier says "Des Herbiers was active
in reviving the colony" & then states that he resettled the
"original inhabitants." Who else could "original
inhabitants" have been other than those deported from
Louisbourg after the fall of the fortress?
The 1752 census, found
in De La Roque,
notes that some Acadians at Baie-des-Espagnols had been "in the country"--that is,
on Île Royale--for 3 years.
The Pigiguit families at Baie-des-Espagnols included Benoit,
Boutin, Guédry, Lejeune, Roy, &
Trahan; 2 of the family heads--Pierre-Paul Boutin,
married to a Guédry, & Honoré Trahan, married
to a Corporon--the author's maternal ancestors.
21.
Quotations from
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 3;
Krause, "Goutin, François-Marie, de," in DCB,
3:265;
Maude, "Potier Dubuisson," in DCB, 3:532-33; Andrew
Rodger, "Denys de Bonnavenutre (Bonaventure),
Claude-Élisabeth,"
in DCB,
3:176, &
online.
See also Fortier, "Des Herbiers,"
in DCB, 3:183;
Krause, "Goutin, François-Marie, de," 3:264;
Rodger, "Denys de Bonnavenutre," 3:175;
White, DGFA-1, 756; notes
12, above, &
243,
246a, &
262, below;
Appendix; Book One.
Lockerby, 3, says that "From the colony's
earliest years a small administrative unit and a garrison
were maintained at Port-la-joie, detached from
Louisbourg...." In Aug 1745, 2 months after the fall
of Louisbourg during King George's War, the original
garrison was run off, & was not restored until Aug 1749.
See notes 16, above, &
247, below.
Rodger
says François Dupont Duvivier, fils, the "hero"
of Canso, was nominated as King's lieutenant for Île
Royale, but Duvivier "was discovered in Paris in the
compromising company of the English commissioners to the
Boundarie Disputes Commission." As a result, des
Herbiers sent Denys de Bonaventure to Île St.-Jean, & he did not
leave the island until 1754.
Denys de Bonaventure evidently replaced Lt. Pierre
Benoist, who served as the island's interim
commandant from the retrocession of the colony in late 1748 until Bonaventure's
arrival at Port-Lajoie. See note
283, below.
For Denys de Bonaventure's many land
grants "verbally given" to new settlers from 1749 to 1752,
see
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:76-165.
22.
Quotations from
Pothier, "Gautier dit Bellair"
in DCB,
3:255;
Griffith, From Migrant to Acadian, 394.
See
also
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:87-88; Fortier, "Des Herbiers,"
in DCB,
3:183;
Griffiths, 393;
<islandregister.com/1752.html>;
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 3;
Marshall,
Acadian Resistance, 101; Rodger, "Denys de Bonnavenutre,"
in DCB,
3:176;
Andrew Rodger, "Gautier, Nicolas (sometimes
Joseph-Nicolas)," in DCB,
online;
White,
DGFA-1 English, 233; notes 07
& 18, above.
Gauthier at least attempted to recoup
his fortunes on the island. Pothier
adds:
... "in September 1749 he contracted to supply 16
head of live cattle to the Acadian refugees recently
arrived at Port-Toulouse" on Île Royale, among them his
fellow partisan, Le Maigre LeBlanc. "In
August 1751 [Gauthier & his family] were visited
by the engineer, Louis Franquet, who was impressed by their
efforts and believed they would soon find 'the means of
recouping themselves for the possessions they had left
behind (in Acadia). The following year, however, far
removed now from the prosperity he had known a decade
earlier, Gautier could lay claim to but 18 head of
cattle, four sheep, 80 fowl, and seven arpents by
40 of land."
De La Roque, &
<islandregister.com/1752.html>,
show members of the Bugeaud & Gauthier
families living near one another on Rivière-du-Nord-Est in
Aug 1752. Nicolas
Gauthier,
père was dead
by then, having died on Apr 10, just before the census
taker reached his community (he died at age 63), but his widow, Marie
Allain, now 58/59, was counted. See also Marshall;
note 174, below. Pothier says Nicolas,
père died
at Port-Lajoie, though the Gauthiers
lived at La-Source-à-Bellair, far up Rivière-du-Nord-Est, a
good ways up from Port-Lajoie. (Source-à-Bellair was
named, of course, after Nicolas's estate on haute
rivière back in NS). Sons Joseph, Pierre,
Nicolas, fils, & Jean-Baptiste continued their
father's opposition to the British in various parts of
greater Acadia, as well as in exile in France, before,
during, & after Le Grand Dérangement.
See Book Five. Nicolas, fils married Anne, daughter of fellow
partisan Joseph LeBlanc dit Le Maigre,
while in custody at Halifax during the last years of the
Seven Years' War.
For the fate of Nicolas, fils & his
brothers, see Pothier; Rodger, "Gautier."
23. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:8.
24.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:8, 11.
25.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:9-11. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
1696-97, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2009, 2014, 2022, 2034, 2039-41; White, DGFA-1, 155-56,
519-21, 552, 840-43, 845, 1098-99; Books One & Three.
In the following paragraphs, Acadian given-name and family-name spellings are
standardized as much as possible. See White, DGFA-1, for those
standard spellings, as well as birth dates & family
connections followed here, also found in Arsenault.
For the governors & intendants of Île Royale
mentioned in De La Roque's survey, see
Appendix.
Herbe DesRoches evidently was a
brother or cousin of Louis & Julien DesRoches
who De La Roque would count at Malpèque, Île St.-Jean, in
August. See
Deroche family page.
This researcher has found in neither Arsenault nor White a Robert family living in peninsula
Acadia, but the family of Robert Henry used the dit
Robert, so this was her family. See White, 840-43. Arsenault, 2004,
calls her
husband a Bradou. White, 841, is followed here.
Arsenault, 2004, calls Étienne Porier a Poirier
but does not give the boy's parents' names.
26.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:11-12.
27. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:12-13. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 645-46, 1998, 2002-03, 2006, 2029;
Bernard
Pothier, "Petitpas, Barthélemy," in DCB,
3:512-13, &
online;
White, DGFA-1, 418-20, 564-67, 1085-86, 1128-29, 1297-99; Books One, Two, & Three.
A "coaster," in this context, is someone who carries
goods along a coast in a shallow-draft vessel without having
to cross an ocean. One suspects that the coasting
craft employed by these island coasters also were used for
fishing.
28. Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:13-14. See also Books One & Two.
29. Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:14-20. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1288-89, 1913, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2009, 2010-12,
2016, 2029, 2036;
Comeau, "Le Neuf de la Vallière de Beaubassin,
Michel (the younger), in DCB, 2:411-12; White, DGFA-1, 27-29, 76-77,
96-99, 132-33, 183-84, 193-94, 213-15, 272-74, 287, 362-64, 418-20, 448-49,
574-76, 642-44, 696-98, 700-01, 978, 1118-22, 1297-99, 1310-12, 1348-52, 1443-45, 1480-81,
1569-71;
Books One & Three. A French quintal of that day consisted of 100 livres,
or pounds, about 48.95 kg, or 107.9 avoirdupois
(16-ounce) pounds, today. See online Wikipedia,
"Quintal."
The M. de la Valière De La Roque
mentions was Michel Le Neuf de La Vallière, fils,
fourth son of the seigneur of Beaubassin & former
governor of French Acadia, & Marie, a daughter of Nicolas
Denys. Following a distinguished
career as an army officer & privateer at Newfoundland,
Michel, fils was transferred to Île Royale.
His service at Port-Toulouse began in 1715, & he was
commandant there in the early 1730s, after he was named a
chevalier de St.-Louis. As a major, he commanded for a time on Île St.-Jean
in the late 1730s & died at Louisbourg in Oct 1740. See
Arsenault, 1913; Comeau; note
259, below; Book One.
Joseph Dugas, fils the coaster was
the future privateer in the war against Britain who ended up a major of Acadian
militia at Restigouche in 1760. See Bernard Pothier, "Dugas
(Dugast), Joseph," DCB,
online; Books Three &
Five.
30. Quotations from De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:20-22. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 886, 2046;
Clark, A. H., Acadia; 288; Bernard Pothier, "Leblanc
dit Le Maigre, Joseph," in DCB, 3:366-67, &
online;
Andrew Rodger, "Rousseau de Villejouin (Villejoin,
Villejoint), Gabriel," in DCB,
online;
White, DGFA-1, 27-31, 213-15, 223, 234-37, 305-09,
576-77, 682-83, 989-90, 1070,
1331-33, 1337, 1422-23, 1569-71; note 29, above; Books One & Two.
The
M. de Villejoint De La Roque
mentions was Gabriel Rousseau, sieur de Villejoin,
a chevalier of the Order of St.-Louis and major
of the King's troops at Louisbourg, soon to be named
commander on Île St.-Jean. See Rodger; White, 1070, 1422-23;
Appendix;
Villejoin
family page.
The écu, also known as the French crown,
originally was a gold coin issued during the reign of King
Louis IX (1266). It was discontinued during the French
Revolution. In 1752, the écu would have been
worth about six livre tournois." See online
Wikipedia, "Écu," "Livre tournois."
For Le Maigre LeBlanc, see Pothier; Books
Two, Three, & Five.
A. H. Clark
says the Acadian refugees in the
Port-Toulouse area lived also at L'Ardoise, not far up the
coast, & a few on the Bras d'Or side of the isthmus, essentially an interior settlement.
31. See Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2022, 2039; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:9-10.
32.
See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2022, 2039; De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:9.
33. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2006; De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:12.
34.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2006; De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives, 2A:13.
35. See Arsenault,
Généalogie, 1998; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:13.
36. See
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2005-06; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:20.
37.
See
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2036; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:14-15; White, DGFA-1, 1348.
Arsenault calls Jean-Baptiste's mother Françoise
Saulnier. White is followed here.
38. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:22. See also White, DGFA-1, 196, 287-88,
574-76, 642-44, 1351-52.
Honoré Préjean, his wife, and every one of
their then-10 children would die aboard the transport
Queen of Spain in the crossing to St.-Malo, France, in
late 1758. See
<perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Reine_d_Espagne.htm>,
Family No. 5; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo,
681-82.
39. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:23.
40. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:23-25. See also
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2001, 2025-26; White, DGFA-1,
953-55, 1098-99, 1348-50; note 30,
above.
One wonders who Marie-Marguerite Tardiff's
parents may have been. They can be found in neither
Arsenault nor White.
41. See
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2001; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:23-24; White, DGFA-1, 1098;
Bernard family page.
42. See
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2026; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:24; White, DGFA-1, 953.
43. See
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2026; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:24-25.
44. Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:25-27. See also
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 635, 1384, 2011, 2024; Clark, A. H., Acadia,
290; White, DGFA-1, 76-77, 106-07, 224-25, 387-89,
523-25, 724-26, 910,
1054-56, 1098-99, 1515-17, 1548-49, 1552-53, 1582-83; note
29, above.
A. H. Clark says most of the Acadians on Île Madame
lived on its northern coast & that the island, then as now,
was a "most unattractive site for agriculture in terms of
soil and vegetation....," which De La Roque's survey bears
out.
45. Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:27-29.
46. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:29-30. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
1999, 2012, 2017, 2027, 2030; White, DGFA-1, 1262-63, 1306.
Evidently Nicolas Le Borgne, fisherman from
Dieppe, was not kin to the aristocratic Le Borgne de
Bélisle family of La Rochelle & peninsula Acadia
who provided that colony with a governor in the 1600s.
See Arsenault, 2030; White, 1024-30; Books One & Two;
Bélisle
family page.
47. Quotations from De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:31-34.
48. Quotations from De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:34-35.
See also note 49, below.
49. Quotations from De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:35-36. See also Clark, A. H., Acadia,
290-91; White, DGFA-1, 51, 107-10, 694-96, 926-28,
943-45, 999-1001; note 48, above.
A. H. Clark notes that the refugees on Rivière-aux-Habitants
"maintained themselves in 1752 with a little garden
agriculutre, stock-raising, and lumbering. There was a
sawmill on a small island in the bay at the mouth of the
river although the other settlers lived on the west (right)
bank of the river where they were subject to flooding."
Clark also notes that De La Roque counted more cattle on the
river than people.
50. Quotations from De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:36. See also
M. D. Johnson, "Maillard," in
DCB, 3:416; White, DGFA-1, 1297-99, 1348-50;
note 29, above.
51. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2012, 2017;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:29; White, DGFA-1, 1306;
Darembourg
family page.
52. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2012, 2017;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:29; White, DGFA-1, 1306.
53. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2030;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:29; Books One & Three.
54.
See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2027, 2045;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:29-31; White, DGFA-1, 1262-63;
Ozelet
family page.
55. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2049;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:30; White, DGFA-1, 1263.
56. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1696-97, 2040;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:9, 75-76; White, DGFA-1, 1285-87.
57. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2041;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:9.
58.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2000-01;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:9.
59.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2003;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:10.
One wonders who Georges's parents may have been, or his
wife's parents for that matter. A Bonin
family settled on lower Bayou Teche in c1764 & created a
vigorous line on the LA prairies, but their progenitor came
to colonial LA from Grenoble, France, & settled near Mobile
in eastern LA, present-day AL, before moving on to western
LA. See Book Eight.
60.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2034;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:10.
Was Marie Lirard the "Maria Lorot
of Louisbourg in Canada," wife of Jean-Baptiste
Picou, whose daughter Manette married Acadian
Joseph Bujole III at Assumption on upper
Bayou Lafourche in May 1796? See BRDR, 2:168,
590 (ASM-2, 19); Book Ten;
Bijeaux/Bujole family page. Did Marie Lirard
ever live in colonial LA? If she did, having been born
on Île Royale in the French Maritimes before the
island's dérangement, makes her, by definition, an Acadian
exile & thus a LA Acadian. NOAR, 1:208 (SCB, B1, 30, dated 6
Dec 1744, is the birth/baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste,
son of Urbain Picou & Marie-Josèphe
Larmusieau, which says Jean-Baptiste was born
probably at St.-Charles des Allemands on the Lower German
Coast on 24 Nov 1744. NOAR, 2:227 (SLC, B3,
103), dated 25 Nov 1758, is the birth/baptismal record of
Jean-Baptiste, son of Nicolas Picou &
Marguerite Lavigne, which says
Jean-Baptiste was born probably in New Orleans the day
before his baptism. BRDR, 2:590 (SJA-1, 21),
dated 29 Sep 1773 at St.-Jacques of Cabahannocer, is the
baptismal record of Louis, son of Baptiste Picou
& "Marie Aime LaRotte." The boy's
birth date & place are not given, but he probably was born
at Cabahannocer, an established Acadian community on the
river above the German Coast. Louis's burial record is
in BRDR, 2:590 (SJA-1, 67), dated 10 Nov 1773 also
at St.-Jacques of Cabhannocer; the mother's name is given as
"Maria Magdaline Lorot." BRDR,
2:590 (SJA-1, 25a), dated 22 Oct 1774 at St.-Jacques of
Cabahannocer, is the baptismal record of Marie, daughter of
Jean-Baptiste Picou & "Marie Magdelaine
Lorrotte." NOAR, 3:240 (SLC,
B9, 6), dated 20 Jul 1777, is the baptismal record of
Jean-Baptiste, fils, son of Jean-Baptiste
Picou & "(*)na (Laurote?),
parishioners." Was the boy's mother Marie
Lirard/Lorot of Île Royale? NOAR, 3:240-41 (SLC,
B9, 60), dated 8 May 1779, is the baptismal record of
Louise-Isabelle, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Picou
& Marie-Madeleine Lonot. Was the
mother Marie Lirard/Lorot of Île Royale?
NOAR, 3:241 (SLC, B9, 104), dated 12 Sep 1780, is
the birth/baptismal record of Victoire-Mélalie, daughter of
Jean-Baptiste Picou & "Maria Corot,"
which says the girl was born on 13 Aug 1780, perhaps in New
Orleans. Was the mother Marie Lirard/Lorot
of Île Royale?
NOAR, 3:241 (SLC, B9, 287), dated 20 Apr 1783, is
the birth/baptismal record of Zénon, son of Jean-Baptiste
Picou & "Maria Magdalena Noret," which says
the boy was born on 8 Dec 1783, perhaps in New Orleans.
Was the boy's mother Marie Lirard/Lorot of
Île Royale? The Cabahanncoer & St.-Louis church
priests who recorded these baptisms in 1773, 1774, 1777,
1779, 1780, & 1783 (Fr.Luis Lipiano de Tolosa at
Cabahannocer, & Frs. Cirillo de Barcelona & Antonio de
Sedella at New Orleans?) evidently were Spanish prelates
whose mastery of French surname spellings was limited.
BRDR, 2:23, 590 (SJA-2, 45), dated 4 Feb 1799
at St.-Jacques of Cabahannocer, is the marriage record of
Jean-Baptiste Picou, fils &
Acadian Félicité Arceneaux, in which the
mother of the groom is called "Maria LaRote
of New Orleans." Was she also of Île Royale? BRDR, 2:174, 590 (ASM-2,
42), dated 9 June 1799 at St.-Jacques of Cabahannocer, is
the marriage record of "Melania [Victoire-Mélalie?] of New
Orleans," daughter of Baptiste Picou, deceased, & "Maria
Magdalena Larot" to Santiago, that is,
Jacques III, son of Jacques Cantrelle,
fils & Louise Picou "of Des Allemands
on Mississippi River" & grandson of Cabahannocer founder
Jacques Cantrelle; Jacques III & Melania,
in fact, had to secure a dispensation for third degree of
consanguinity in order to marry. Again, the bride's
mother's surname is a version of Lorot, not
Lirard.
If the mother of these
Picou children was Marie, daughter of
Jacques Lirard & Marie-Catherine
Clément of Port-Toulouse & St.-Esprit, Île
Royale, how did she get to colonial LA? Was her family
deported to France in late 1758? If so, she would have made
her way to the Spanish colony years before hundreds of other
Acadians went there in 1785. This researcher has not
found the surnames Lirard or Lorot,
etc. in Robichaux's studies of the Acadians in France, nor
in Fr. Hébert's Acadians in Exile. Nor has this researcher found the name Lirard
in South LA church records. Moreover, one suspects
that the LA spellings
Larot/LaRote/LaRotte/Laurote/Lorot/Lorrotte are
not hispanicized versions of Lirard.
However, this researcher recently received
the following e-message from a Laurot
descendant: "Mr.
Cormier, I was just looking at your ... website for the
100th time and happened to read some source notes that you
had on Marie Laurot my 6th great
grandmother on my father's side. In my records I have
Marie Madeleine Laurot (1758-1825), born in
Louisbourg, Acadia Canada, to Eme Laurot
and Marie Madeleine Girouard, married in
1769 (age 11 - disgusting!) to Jean-Baptiste Picou
(age 25) (1744-1785) in St. Charles Borromeo Parish, First
German Coast LA. They had 8 children born between 1771 and
1884[sic]. John Baptiste Picou
died in 1785 and Marie Laurot Picou
married Jean Baptiste Lessard, a native of
Rennes, Brittany France in 1793. They had at least 4
children - Jean Baptiste Lessard (1791 -
), twins: Marie Clémence Lessard and Marie
Constance Lessard (1793 - ) and Luis
Léon Lessard (1797 - ). Jean Baptiste
Lessard died in New Orleans before 1825 and
Marie Magdeleine Laurot Picou
Lessard died in New Orleans in 1825. I'm
certain that you must have this information by now, if it is
correct, but I just thought I'd pass it on just in case.
One more thing, regarding your notes, Is it possible that
instead of her name being Marie Lirard, her
name was intended to be Marie Lessard?
Another spelling error - Just a thought. ... Julie
Allen Stukel."
This called for another look
at Marie Lirard/Lorot, this time via her
connection to second husband Jean-Baptiste Lessard.
A birth/baptismal record
for oldest child Jean-Baptiste-Cecair in NOAR,
5:244 (SLC, B11, 185), dated 4 Mar 1792, calls the parents
Juan Bautista Lessaerd "of Rennes in
Brittany in France" & Maria Lorot "of
Louisbourg in Canada, residents of Conception Parish in
Lafourche," which was Assumption on the upper bayou.
Birth/baptismal records in BRDR, 2:502 (SJA-3, 72;
ASM-1, 83; ASM-85), for twins Marie-Constance &
Marie-Clémence, Valentin-Damas, & Louis-Léon, dated 17 Mar
1794, 28 Mar 1796, & 2 Apr 1797, call the children's mother
Maria Magdalena Lorrot or Lorot
of Lafourche. Moreover, the priest who baptized sons
Valentin & Louis-Léon noted that the boys' maternal
grandparents were ... Emo Lorot &
Maria Giroir of Louisbourg. One can
only conclude, as Ms. Stukel has done, that Marie-Madeleine
Lorot was born in greater Acadia. But
was she an Acadian exile? When was she born
at Louisbourg? When did she reach LA? What route
did she take to get there?
61. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:10.
62. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2000;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:11.
63. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2003;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:11.
64.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2004;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:10-11; White, DGFA-1, 841.
65. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:30-31. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
1391, 1699, 2007, 2011, 2028, 2042-43, 2045, 2049, 2083; White, DGFA-1,
523-25, 724-26, 910, 953-55, 1112-13, 1304-05, 1319-21; notes
40 &
44, above.
Arsenault, 1391, insists that Pierre Giroir
was the younger half-brother of Claude Giroir
of Île à Descoust, but White, 724-26, followed here,
disagrees.
66. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1999; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:30.
67. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
1699, 2045; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:30-31; White, DGFA-1, 599-600.
68. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2035; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:31, 66, 69; White, DGFA-1, 523-25; note
144, below.
69. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2007; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:31;
<perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Reine_d_Espagne.htm>,
Family No. 1; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 322; White, DGFA-1,
1319-21.
Robichaux calls him François Fardet & says
he was born "in the diocese of Vannes" in c1709. The
birth date used here is from the De La Roque census at
Petit-Dégrat, which calls him François Cardet
& says he was age 55 in Feb 1752. The reason why no
member of this family emigrated to LA is because François
lost his wife & all 4 of his children on the crossing from
Île Royale to St.-Malo in late 1758. They were the
first family counted on the British transport Queen of
Spain. See website cited above; Book Six.
70. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2011; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:6, 31; note 485,
below.
71. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:31; White, DGFA-1, 953-55, 1112-13.
72.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2028, 2043; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:31.
73. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2042; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:31, 44; White, DGFA-1, 1304-05.
74. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:36-38; Clark, A. H., Acadia, 300. See also A. H. Clark, 291.
A "justaucorps" or "justacorp," French for "close to the
body," was "a long, knee-length coat worn by men in the
latter half of the 17th century, and throughout the 18th
century" & "though to be the prototype of the modern men's
three-piece suit." See online Wikipedia, "Justacorps,"
with illustrations. One wonders how this prosaic name
was appended to the small island-harbor at today's Port
Hood, NS, which overlooks the entrance to St. Georges Bay.
See also <porthood.ca/history>.
75. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:38-41; Clark, A. H., Acadia, 291. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 589, 1481-82, 1495, 1602; A. H. Clark, 300-03; White,
DGFA-1, 17-18, 105-06, 111-14, 228-29, 237-39, 242-43, 248-49,
281-82, 570-73, 776-78, 815-18, 840-45, 1019-21, 1153-55,
1207-09, 1268-70; White, DGFA-1 English, 24, 56, 122, 169;
note 25, above.
A. H. Clark, 291, reminds us that, in the interior of the
big island, "Until 1751, as far as we know, Bras d'Or's
shores had known only the wigwams of the migratory Micmac.
In August of that year a large number of Acadians came from
the increasingly disturbed conditions on the Chignecto
isthmus where the confrontation of French and English forts
across the Missaguash River had taken place the previous
year." Clark says they evidently entered the interior of
Île Royale via Port-Toulouse, that De La
Roque found them in early 1752 at Grand Narrows, but they
were not happy there. See A. H. Clark, 300-03, including Table 7.3 on 303.
A. H. Clark,
302, concludes: "... it is possible that we are making
too much of the winter's perils. Most of the Acadians
gave up and returned to their Fundy homelands very soon
thereafter and perhaps they had decided to do so before De
la Roque visited them and simply had sold their livestock in
a good market knowing that they could replace them at much
lower prices back home in Minas or Chignecto."
Italics added.
Family data in Arsenault & White, however, show that
the majority of the Acadians at Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse (16 of 22 families, perhaps more) did
not return to "their
Fundy homelands," as Clark insists, but remained in the French
Maritimes, though probably not at Grand Narrows: Jean Bourg & his wife
Françoise Benoit died at St.-Suliac, near
St.-Malo, France, in Jun 1759 from the rigors of the
crossing to France. They, in fact, crossed on the
transport Supply, which left the Maritimes in late
Nov 1758 but did not reach St.-Malo until mid-Mar 1759.
They would have made that voyage only if they had remained
in the French Maritimes. See
<perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Supply.htm>,
Family No. 19; White, DGFA-1, 112,
243; Book Five. Charles Hébert
l'aîne, wife
Marguerite Dugas, & 7 of their children
were, according to genealogist Stephen White, "among the
Acadian families on Île St-Jean[sic] who
disappeared without a trace after 1758." See White,
DGFA-1 English, 122, 169. (De La Roque,
2A:38, places them on Île Royale, not on Île St.-Jean,
unless they moved to that island after the
Mar 1752 census at Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse.) White,
DGFA-1, 570, 815, says the family perished aboard the
British transport Duke William, which, along with
the Violet, sank in a mid-Atlantic storm in Dec
1758 on the way to St.-Malo. See also
Appendix; Books Five & Six. Other families counted at
Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse who ended up on British transports to
France included those of
Ignace Carret, Pierre Bourg
(perished aboard Duke William), Antoine
Breau, Jean-Baptiste Guérin,
Dominique Guérin, Olivier Benoit
(perished aboard Duke William), Charles
Hébert le jeune (perished aboard Duke
William), François Hébert, Charles
Guédry, Benjamin Mius d'Azy,
Charles Benoit, Martin Henry,
fils, & Ambroise Hébert. See White, DGFA-1;
White, DGFA-1 English, 24, 56, 169; Books Five &
Six.
Interestingly, an Acadian counted at Pointe-à-la-Jeunesse,
Pierre Breau, died in the seige of
Louisbourg in Jul 1758, so he, too, remained in the French
Maritimes. See White, DGFA-1, 281.
76. Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:41-42. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2013, 2019, 2034;
White, DGFA-1, 425-27,
900-02.
For
Charles Daniel's 17th-century French outpost of Fort
Ste.-Anne, see online Wikipedia, "Fort Sainte Anne (Nova
Scotia)"; Book One. From 1715-18, Port-Dauphin served
as Île Royale's first headquarters, before it was
moved to Louisbourg. See notes
260 &
260a, below.
Marie-Geneviève La Forest's father,
Marc-Antoine, had been more highly placed than her husband,
whose father also had served as subdelegate of the
Admiralty. Marc-Antoine Le Forest had
served as commissaire-ordonnateur at Plaisance in
the early 1710s & then, on Île Royale, as écrevain, or secretary,
ordinaire de la Marine et baillif of
Port-Toulouse. See White, 900; note
90, below.
77.
Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:42-45. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1689, 2001, 2010, 2014, 2021,
2037; White,
DGFA-1, 131-32, 181-82, 423-24, 510-11, 609-10, 1576-77;
note 242b, below.
78.
Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:45.
79.
Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:45-52. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
1423, 1432-34, 1443, 1449, 1593, 2000, 2018, 2033, 2036; White, DGFA-1,
106-10, 200-03, 264-65, 336-37, 394-96, 414-16, 669-70,
724-26, 771-74, 1051-56, 1206-07, 1321-23, 1425-28, 1538-40, 1544-46, 1566-67, 1576-77;
notes 44 &
49, above.
The author is proud to say that he is a direct descendant of
Paul Boutin & Ursule Guédry; also
Étienne Trahan & Marie-Françoise
Roy & their son Honoré & his wife Marie
Corporon.
80. Quotations from
Clark, A. H., Acadia, 285. See also
Akins, ed.,
Papers Relating to the Acadian French,
1714-1755, 214-15, 228;
Hébert,
D., Acadians in Exile, 50; Jehn, Acadian Exiles
in the Colonies, 239; <perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>;
Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 160-61, 750-51;
White, DGFA-1, 1492.
Jehn offers a copy of an order issued by Lt.-Gov. Lawrence under the heading "At a Council
holden at the Government's House in Halifax on Wednesday the
9th day of Oct. 1754." It details the travails of 28
Acadians from Pigiguit & the Lunenburg area who went to Île
Royale, returned, & whose family heads took the unqualified
oath. Akins, ed., 214-15, includes a letter from William Cotterell,
secretary of the Nova Scotia Council, dated 24 Aug 1754 &
addressed to "Col. Sutherland, commanding at Lunenburg,"
which states, in part: "The Bearers hereof being in
all twenty-five persons are just arrived here from
Louisbourg from whence they made their Escape to avoid
starving. Some of them were formerly Inhabitants of
this Country, and are nearly related to old Labrador [Paul
dit Grivois Guédry, a longtime resident of
nearby Mirliguèche]; they have all taken the oaths; the
Colonel [Lawrence] desires you would treat them kindly,
ordered them to be Vituelled[sic], to have tools given them, and
Land laid out for them where you shall see most convenient."
The letter then names the heads of families: Paul
Boutin [married to Ursule Guédry, counted at
Baie-des-Espagnols in 1752], Julien Bourneuf
[whose wife was Jeanne Guédry, Ursule's sister; the
Bourneufs had been counted at
Rivière-de-Miré in 1752], Charles Boutin [Paul's older brother, who married Marie-Josèphe Guédry,
also counted at Spanish Bay in 1752], François
Lucas, Sabastien Bourneuf
[Julien's brother, also counted at Miré in 1752], Joseph
Gedri [counted at Spanish Bayin 1752; Paul Boutin's & Julian Bourneuf's
brother-in-law & a nephew of "Labrador"
Guédry], Pierre Gedri [Joseph's younger brother, counted at Spanish Bay
in 1752], Pierre Erio [Thériot,
counted in 1752 at Baie-de-Mordienne in 1752], Claude Erot [Thériot,
Pierre's brother, also counted at Baie-de-Mordienne in 1752].
See also D. Hébert; Book Three. Conspiculously absent
from the report is Honoré Trahan, wife
Marie Corporon, & their children, who also
resettled at Mirliguèche but may have come later.
For the
destruction of Mirliguèche in Oct 1749 in retaliation for the Indian
raid on Dartmouth, see Book Two.
The Bourneuf brothers did not
remain in NS. In the fall of 1758, Julien, 4 of his
children, & brother Sébastien were deported from the
Maritimes to St.-Malo aboard the British transport Duc
Guillaume. Miraculously, they all survived the
crossing. See <perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>,
Family No. 44; Robichaux, 160-61; Book Five. One of
the Thériot brothers, Pierre, also returned
to the Maritimes. He, too, ended up on Duc
Guillaume, but he & his family suffered a different fate:
Pierre & 3 of his children died in the crossing. See <perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>,
Family 1; Robichaux, 750-51; White; Book Five.
Evidently brother Claude remained in NS. For the
travails of the Boutins & Guédrys,
who also remained in NS, see Books Five & Six.
81.
Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:52, 54.
82.
Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:53-54. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2027, 2030-31; White,
DGFA-1, 159, 181, 471-72, 807-09, 1544-46.
83.
Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:54-55.
84.
Quotations from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:55-57. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1528, 1530; White, DGFA-1, 249-50, 776-78,
1111-14, 1492-94; note 75,
above.
For 2 of the Thériot brothers' return
to British NS in 1754, see note
80, above.
85. Quotatons from De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:41.
86. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1684, 2009;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:6.
87. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:6.
88. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2017;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:6.
89. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1687;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:42; White, DGFA-1, 425-27.
90. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:42; White, DGFA-1, 900-02;
De La Forestrie
family page.
91. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2034;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:42; White, DGFA-1, 129-30.
92.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2034;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:42; White, DGFA-1, 129-30;
Bernard family page.
93.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2013;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:42.
94.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2019;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:42.
95. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2014;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:43; White, DGFA-1, 510-11.
96. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2010;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:43; White, DGFA-1, 423-24.
97. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1692, 2122; Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile, 270; White, DGFA-1,
913-14; Books Six, Eight, & Ten;
Lamoureaux family page.
98. Quotation from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:64. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2017;
De La Roque, 2A:43; White, DGFA-1, 609-10.
99. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:43, 65; White, DGFA-1, 1576-77;
Vincent
family
page.
100.
See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2021;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:43-44.
101. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:44, 53-54, 65; White, DGFA-1, 181-82;
Allain
family page.
102. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:44. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2001;
De La Roque, 2A:45, 65-66; White, DGFA-1, 131-32;
Bertaud/Berteau family page.
103. Quotation from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:49. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1687; White, DGFA-1,
393-96.
104. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:57-58.
105. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:58-62. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1196, 1198, 1808, 1858, 1908, 1920,
1975, 1990, 2007-08, 2011, 2015, 2022-23, 2031, 2048;
Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 775; White, DGFA-1,
111, 161-62, 803-05, 840-43, 885, 1185; notes 75,
89, &
103, above; Book Two.
For the Bourneuf brothers' going to British NS in 1754, see note 80,
above.
106. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:62-64.
107. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:64.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2026, 2031, 2041; White, DGFA-1,
181, 609, 1047.
For the identity of the correct Durand, see
White, 609; note 98, above.
Julienne Bassin, or Bossin,
was Jean Philippot's second wife. He
married first to Agnès, daughter of Jean Borny
& Marie Commère of Newfoundland & Île
Royale, in c1724. One suspects that neighhbor Marie
Phelipeau, age 25 in Apr 1752, actually was
Marie Philippot, daughter of Jean & Agnès,
& that the 5 sons with Jean on Île Scatary in Apr 1752 also
were from his first wife, who died between 1740 & 1747.
See White, 181; note 138,
below.
108. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:64-65, 66. See also White, DGFA-1,
468-69; White, DGFA-1 English, 102.
One suspects that Anse-Daranbourg or -Darembourg, was named
not for the humble Darembourgs of
Petit-Dégrat & Île St.-Jean, but for Sr. André
Darembourg, also called Haranboure,
of Plaisance, Newfoundland, who had employed 16 fishermen at
the anse in 1711. After 1714, Sr. André
evidently helped establish the fishery on Île Scatary.
He & his wife, Marie Dapesteguy, had
married in c1705 & had no children. They likely were
deceased in Apr 1752. See White; notes
51, above, &
307, below.
109. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:65-67.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2015, 2020, 2022, 2035, 2038, 2041-42; White,
DGFA-1, 131-32, 181-82, 609-10, 1576-77.
110.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:67.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1686-87, 1814; White,
DGFA-1, 318-19.
For the Carrerots, see Arsenault & White.
111.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:67-68.
112. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:59, 68-70.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1998, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2033,
2035-36, 2039-40;
White, DGFA-1, 440-45, 451-52, 503, 862, 1530-31;
notes 105, above, & 154, below.
According to Arsenault,
2016, & White, 503, François, fils, son of François
Dupont and Julienne LeMercier
of Vire, diocese of Avranches, France, married Perrine,
daughter of Étienne Desroches and Gabrielle
Le Manquet of Plaisance & La Baleine, at
La Baleine in Oct 1728. White also notes that Perrine
Desroches was the older sister of Catherine
Gosselin's husband Jean Desroches.
Arsenault, 2039, however, says André Paris's
wife Perrine was daughter of Pierre Dupont
de la Barre and Perrine-Thérèse
Glasco, actually Gloro, not
François Dupont and Julienne
LeMercier. He goes on to explain that Pierre
Dupont de la Barre's widow Perrine-Thérèse
remarried twice, to Robert Gosselin and
Jean Lafontaine. According to White,
503, Catherine Gosselin's parents were
Robert Gosselin and Perrine-Thérèse
Gloro, so Catherine was Perrine Dupont's
half-sister. See also Arsenault, 2021.
113.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:70.
114.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:70-76.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1697, 1806, 1808-09, 1836-37, 1860, 1891, 1904, 1997-2000, 2002,
2004-05, 2007-08,
2011, 2013-16, 2019-20, 2024, 2027, 2030-35, 2037-40, 2043-44,
2048; White, DGFA-1, 413-14, 503-05, 556-57, 1135-37, 1198-1201,
1286-87;
Book Three.
115. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2031; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:53.
116. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2030; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:53; White, DGFA-1, 807.
117. See De La Roque,
"Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:54; White, DGFA-1, 159, 471-72.
118.
For many of these families, see
"Census for Ile Royale by Sr de la Rocque," in <acadian-home.org>; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:6-165;
<islandregister.com/1752.html.>.
119. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:54; White, DGFA-1, 807.
120. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1990; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:58; White, DGFA-1, 803-05, 1185.
121. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1196, 1198, 2048; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:58; <perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>,
Family No. 33; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 775; White, DGFA-1,
885.
122. Quotation from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:59. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
2023; De La Roque, 2A:58.
123. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1920; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:59.
124. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1908, 1975; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:59; White, DGFA-1, 953-55.
125. See Arsenault, Généalogie, 1858; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:60.
126. See De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:60.
127. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2022; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:60.
128. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2031; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:60.
129. See De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:60-61.
130. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1808; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:61; Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile, 50;
<perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>,
Family No. 44; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 160-61;
note
80,
above.
The passenger roll for Duke William, cited
above, does not include
second wife Jeanne Guédry with Julien & his
children; he was, according to Robichaux, 160, a widower again. Jeanne's
death, in fact, may have motivated him to return to Île Royale. Note also
that Julien's daughter Françoise, born in c1754, was not with the family on
Duke William, when she would have been age 4. Did Jeanne die in NS
from the rigors of giving birth to Françoise? Help me here, Marty.
131. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2011; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:61; note 89, above.
132. Quotation from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:61. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
2022.
133. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2007; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:61.
134. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2015; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:62.
135. Quotation from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:62. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie,
2008;
Hébert, D., Acadian in Exile, 73.
136. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:64. See
also
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2031; De La Roque, 2A:66, 73; White, DGFA-1, 1047.
137. Quotation from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:64. See
also
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2026.
138.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:64. See
also
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2041.
139. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2020; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:65.
140. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2042; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:65.
141.
See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2015, 2035; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:65-66; White, DGFA-1, 181; note
102, above.
142. Quotation from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:65. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2038.
143. Quotation from De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:65. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie,
2041; Dodson, Acadian Diaspora, 171.
In 1772, French officials removed François Philibert
& his wife, residents of Le Havre, from the rolls of the King's solde,
or supplement, intended only for "Acadians" living in the kingdom. Among
the so-called "Europeans" who were considered non-Acadians were former residents
of Île Royale who could not prove descent from an Acadian ancestor. See
Dodson. One wonders if François was kin to Charles Philibert
of Anse-Darembourg on Île Scatary. Even if he were, he could not have
shown descent from a peninsula Acadian progenitor. One wonders what was
the name of François Philibert's wife.
144. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2035; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:31, 66, 69; note 68, above.
145. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2015; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:66.
146. See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:66.
147.
See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2022; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:66.
148.
See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2035; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:66; White, DGFA-1, 609-10.
149.
See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2019; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:68.
150. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
1699-70, 1981, 2046-07; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:68, 162; White, DGFA-1, 451-52, 1528-31.
151. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2016, 2039-40; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:68-69; White DGFA-1, 97; note
112, above.
152. Quotation from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:69. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
2021, 2033.
153. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2023; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:69-70; White, DGFA-1, 599-601.
Arsenault says Thérèse, daughter of Jean-Baptiste
Grondin & Anne-Hyacinthe Dupuis, was born in c1719.
The age provided for her in De La Roque's census gives a birth year of c1722.
Thérèse's mother was a French-Canadian, not an Acadian, Dupuis.
See White.
154. Quotations from
Le Goff,
"Daccarrete,
Michel or Miguel," in DCB, 3:156-57; White, DGFA-1 English, 99; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives, 2A:70; T. J. A. Le Goff, "Daccarette, Michel [fils]," in
DCB, 3:158, &
online. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1830; LeGoff, "Daccarette, Michel [fils]," in
DCB, 3:157; White, DGFA-1,
440-45, 599-600; White, DGFA-1 English, 98; note
262, below; Book Two.
155. See T. J. A. Le
Goff, "Daccarrete (Dacaret, d'Arcaret),
Michel or Miguel," in DCB, 3:156, &
online.
A similar social-economic phenomenon was playing itself out in the distant
colony of French Louisiana. See
Book Six.
156. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2034, 2048; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:70; note 152, above.
157. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2016; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:71;
White, DGFA-1, 503.
158. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2020; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:71; White, DGFA-1, 503.
159. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2049-50; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:72; White, DGFA-1, 503.
160.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1999; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:72; White, DGFA-1, 503.
161.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2011; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:72; Book Three;
Cousin
family page.
162.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2015; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:73; White, DGFA-1, 503, 556-58.
163. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2008, 2038; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:73; White, DGFA-1, 1200-01.
164. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1904; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:73-74.
165. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2040; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:74.
166. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1891; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:74-75; White, DGFA-1, 1135-37.
167. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1808-09, 2030-31; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:74-75; White, DGFA-1, 413-14, 1135-37.
168. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1808-09, 2030-31; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:75; White, DGFA-1, 413-14, 1135-37.
169.
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:75. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2044.
170. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:76-77.
For "luff up," a sailing maneuver used to control a vessel
heading upwind or towards a point of land, see online
Wikipedia, "Luffing." An anse, often spelled
ance, is a creek or cove.
171. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:77-79. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2065, 2116, 2118,
2133-34, 2138, 2141; De La Roque, 2A:93-93, 105-06; Krause, "Goutin, François-Marie, de," in DCB,
3:265;
Rodger, "Denys de Bonnavenutre,"
DCB,
3:175-76;
Rodger, "Rousseau de Villejouin (Villejoin,
Villejoint), Gabriel,", DCB,
online;
White, DGFA-1,
200-03, 310, 391-92, 508, 813, 840-41, 1207-09; notes
25,
75,
79,
105,
176, & 183,
below; Book Two.
For Claude-Élisabeth Denys de
Bonaventure, commandant of Île St.-Jean from
1749-54, see
Rodger, "Denys de Bonnavenutre";
White, DGFA-1, 493-95;
note 21, below;
Appendix.
Denys de Bonnaventure, at his request, was
replaced as commander of Île St.-Jean by Gabriel
Rousseau de Villejoin in early 1754. See
Rodger, "Denys de Bonnavenutre," 3:176;
Rodger, "Rousseau de Villejouin (Villejoin,
Villejoint), Gabriel"; White, DGFA-1,
1422;
Appendix.
For François-Marie de Goutin, who served as
the subdelegate of the King's
commissaire for Île St.-Jean from 1744 until his death on the eve of the
census, see Krause; notes 12, above, &
243, below;
Appendix.
172. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:79-83. See also White, DGFA-1, 41-44, 199-200, 224-25, 240-42, 281-82,
319-21, 776-78, 813-15, 840-45, 1153-55, 1321-23, 1492-94, 1496-98; notes
25,
75, 79,
84, & 105, above.
For Marie Carret's 3 sisters living on the
south side of Rivière-du-Nord-Est that Aug, see note
176, below.
173. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:83-84. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1370, 1408; White, DGFA-1, 62-63,
448-50, 926-28, 938-39, 1148-50; note
29, above.
174. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:84-89. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 561-63, 2083, 2091,
2135;
T. A. Crowley & Bernard Pothier, "Du Pont Duchambon,
Louis," in DCB,
online;
Pothier, "Gautier dit Bellair, Nicolas," in DCB,
3:255;
White, DGFA-1, 13-14, 41-44, 46-47, 144-46,
178-79, 186-89, 209-11,
228-30, 240-42,
301, 518-19, 529, 538-39, 570-73, 675, 907, 932-34, 953-55, 1019-21, 1144-45, 1182-83, 1325-26, 1577-80;
notes 40,
75, &
172, above, & 208 & 249,
below.
The titles sieur, dame, & demoiselle
which De La Roque appended to the names of the
Bugeauds & Gauthiers on
Rivière-du-Nord-Est--see De La Roque, 2A:87--give a hint of a growing middle class
among the peninsula Acadians comprised of merchants, navigators, &, as in the case of the
Bugeauds, skilled professionals such as surgeons,
as well as other socio-economic elites.
Evidently, the younger Bugeauds possessed these
bourgeois titles not because of anything they had
accomplished but because their father/grandfather had been a
surgeon, church warden, & notary at Minas. See Book
One; also note 228, below. For Joseph-Nicolas, called Nicolas, Gauthier, his wealth
as well as his activities as an Acadian resistance leader,
see
Pothier;
note
22, above; Book Two.
For Louis Dupont Duchambon, commandant of
Île St.-Jean from 1737 to 1744, whose wife was Jeanne Mius d'Entremont,
see Crowley & Pothier; note 243, below;
Appendix.
He was the Duchambon who surrendered Louisbourg to the British
in Jun 1745. See Book Two.
175. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:89-92. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 948-50, 2089-90;
T. C. Crowley & Bernard Pothier, "Du Pont Duvivier,
Joseph," in DCB,
online;
White, DGFA-1,
118-19, 178-79, 306-09, 508, 550-51, 713, 791-94, 1346-48, 1353;
White,
DGFA-1 English, 26; note
30, above.
For more on pioneer settler François
Duguay, see note 249a, below.
For Joseph Dupont Duvivier, commandant of
Île St.-Jean from 1744-46 & nephew of his predecessor,
Dupont Duchambon, see Crowley & Pothier; White,
DGFA-1, 589-91; Book Two.
Joseph had quite the upscale Acadian pedigree: he was
younger brother of François Dupont
Duvivier, fils, a field commander during
of King George's War; grandson of Philippe
Mius d'Entremont, seigneur of
Pobomcoup, & former Acadian gov. Charles La Tour;
& husband of a granddaughter of former Acadian gov.
Alexandre Le Borgne de Bélisle, as well as
Duchambon's nephew. See Book Three. For Pierre Benoist, also
Benoit, interim commandant of Île St.-Jean
in 1748-49, see White, DGFA-1, 118-19; White,
DGFA-1 English, 26; note
283, below;
Appendix.
176. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:92-94. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 902, 2070-71, 2091,
2126-27, 2136; White, DGFA-1, 257-59, 319-21, 523-26, 791-94, 978,
1382, 1558-60; note
172, above.
Perch is a unit of linear measurement equal to 5.5 yards, 16.5
feet, or 5.03 meters, the equivalent of a rod. "Sprat" is a small, oily fish belonging to the
herring family.
177. Quotations from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:94-96. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1279-80, 2081-84, 2094-95, 2136; White,
DGFA-1, 132-33, 791, 961-62, 1130-32.
For Compagnon, see De La Roque, 2A:142.
178.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:96-98. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2081-82, 2117, 2127-28, 2143;
White, DGFA-1, 144-46, 546, 791-94, 930-32, 989-90, 1098-99; notes 25,
30,
& 40, above.
Petit Jacques LeBlanc was transported to
France from Île St.-Jean aboard the Duke William in the fall of 1758.
Along with a number of his children, he died at sea, but his wife Cécile
Dupuis was not among the passengers. See
<perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>,
Family No. 23. This would imply that she died before that time.
However, White, 598, shows her at Southampton, England, in 1763, which means she
was deported from Minas to VA in the fall of 1755, sent on to England in
the spring of 1756, and lingered at Southampton for 7 years before being
repatriated to France in May 1763. Did she leave Petit Jacques after the
Île St.-Jean census of Aug 1752 & return to Minas, or, more likely, was she
visiting relatives at Minas in 1755 when she was gathered up with other Acadians
there & shipped off to VA? She died at Chantenay, near Nantes,
France, in Feb 1780, age 85--victim of one of those terrible separations so
common in
Le Grand Dérangement.
179. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:98-102. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 602, 605; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 346; White, DGFA-1,
46-47, 163-64, 186-89, 247-50, 259-61, 301, 306-09, 327-28, 385-87,
513-16, 724-26, 807-12, 841, 843-45, 884-86, 982, 1504-06, 1511-13; notes
30, 44,
75, 79,
171, 172,
174, & 175,
above.
A moulin-à-scie is a sawmill.
For Olivier, son of Étienne Thériot & his
first wife Hélène Landry, the future shoemaker
of Nantes, who spelled his surname Térriot,
see Books Five & Six.
Claude Gautrot & his wife Geneviève-Salomé
Hébert may have returned to Minas by the fall of 1755, when
their son Jean-Baptiste, who would have been only 10, was deported to VA.
See Robichaux; Book Five. (The author is a direct descendant of Claude,
Geneviève-Salomé, & Jean-Baptiste via Jean-Baptiste's daughter Pélagie-Marie,
who was born at St.-Servan, near St.-Malo, in Apr 1770, went to LA aboard Le
Bon Papa in 1785, & married Pierre Trahan at Opelousas in
May 1789.)
180. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:102-03. See also
White, DGFA-1, 190-93, 278-80, 448-50, 512-17, 525-26, 669-70, 724-26;
notes 29, 44,
79,
173, & 179, above.
181. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:103-05. See also
White, DGFA-1, 76-77, 190-93, 216-17, 516-17, 523-25, 1386-87, 1455-56, 1511-13, 1582-83; notes
44,
65,
179, & 180, above.
182. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:105. See also White, DGFA-1, 191, 516-17, 523-25, 1455-46,
1492-93; notes 84,
180, & 181, above.
183. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:105-06. See also White, DGFA-1, 887-88, 1182-83, 1455-56;
notes
174, 181, & 182, above.
184. Quotations from White,
DGFA-1 English,
298.
185. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2035; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:74.
186.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1321, 2002-03; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:12;
White, DGFA-1, 418.
187.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:106-07. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2129;
White, DGFA-1, 813-15, 961,
1446-48, 1582-83; notes 172 &
181, above.
188. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:107-08. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2085-86;
White, DGFA-1, 438-39, 696-98, 700-02, 1577-80; notes
29 &
174, above.
189.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:108-13. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2067, 2128, 2139;
White, DGFA-1, 47-49, 107-10,
186-89, 200-03, 281-82, 362-64, 433-39, 632-34, 813-14, 977, 991-92, 1052,
1182-83, 1425-26, 1500-01, 1527, 1538-40, 1547-48, 1580-83; notes
29,
49,
75,
79, 172,
173,
174,
179,
180, 183,
187, &
188, above.
For the Trahan brothers, see White,
1538-40.
190. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:113-16. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1319, 1480, 2140;
White, DGFA-1, 76-77, 186-89, 200-03,
267-68, 336-37, 438-39, 525-26, 702-03, 831-33, 947-50,
1004-06, 1079-80, 1156-58, 1321-23, 1367-68, 1496-98; notes
29,
44,
79, 171,
172,
174,
179,
180,
181, & 189, above.
191.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:116-19. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1481, 1485, 1487;
White, DGFA-1, 107-10, 412, 570-73,
776-78, 815-18, 843-45, 991, 1056-58, 1207-09, 1539, 1566-67; notes
49,
75,
79, 84,
171,
172,
174, 179, &
189, above.
192. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2116; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:77-78; Book Two;
Henry family
page.
193. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2133; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:78.
194. Quotation from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:78. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2141.
195.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2065; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:78.
196. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2118; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:78-79.
197. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2134; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:79; White, DGFA-1, 310, 391-92; note 21,
above.
198. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2138; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:79; White, DGFA-1, 200-03.
199. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:119. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1369, 1372, 1493-94;
White, DGFA-1, 448-50, 519; notes
29, 173,
180,
181, &
189, above, & 201,
below.
200. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:119. See also White, DGFA-1, 44-45, 843-45; notes
75,
172,
179, & 191,
above.
201. Quotations from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2A:119-22. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1319, 1482-83, 1493-94;
Lockerby,
Deportation of the PEI Acadians,
3; White, DGFA-1, 448, 513-16, 519-21, 845, 1079-80,
1321-23, 1527; notes 25,
49,
79,
172,
189, 190,
191, & 199, above.
Lockerby says the settlements at Pointe-Prime & Bédec were begun
in 1749, hence the substantial number of recent arrivals.
For the possible fate of orphan Pélagie Benoit
in the Maritimes, France, & LA, see
Benoit
& Crochet family pages.
For the fate of the many Doirons during the
late 1758 crossing to St.-Malo, France, see White, DGFA-1 English, 111;
Books Five & Six.
202.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:122-26. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 696-98, 1273, 1489-90, 1506-07;
White, DGFA-1, 41-44, 46-47, 148-50, 209-11, 237-39, 573-74, 694,
698-700, 776-78, 843-45, 1013-14, 1059, 1148-50, 1153-55, 1183-85, 1247-48,
1321-23, 1496-98, 1511-13; notes
75,
79,
84,
172, 173,
174,
179, 190,
191, 200, &
201, above.
203.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:126.
204.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:126-28. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 736-38, 2119-20; LeBlanc, T., Acadian Driftwood,
109-11, 114; White,
DGFA-1, 207-09, 248-49, 350-52, 448-450, 999-1001, 1075-77; notes
29, 49,
75, 173,
175,
179,
180,
189, & 199, above.
205.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:128.
206.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:128-29. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2092;
Maude, "Potier Dubuisson," DCB, 3:532-33;
White, DGFA-1, 840-43, 1310-12, 1315-17,
1544-46;
notes 25,
29,
75,
79,
82, 105,
171,
172, & 178,
above, & 243, below.
For
Robert Potier Dubuisson, subdelegate of the King's
commissaire for Île St.-Jean from 1722 until his death in 1744, see
Maude;
notes 243 &
262, below;
Appendix.
207.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:129-30.
An étang is a coastal pond or pool too small to
serve as a harbor.
208.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:130-33. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1855, 2065, 2067-68, 2092,
2120; Maude, "Espiet de Pensens," in DCB, 2:218-21; White,
DGFA-1, 160, 352-53, 1257-60, 1346-48, 1446-48, 1558-60; notes
175, 176, &
187, above, 212
& 243, below; Book
Three.
Despiet de Pensens was Jacques d'Espiet de Pensens, an
officer in the troupes de la marine from Aignan, bishopric of d'Auch, France.
He served at Plaisance,
Newfoundland, from the late 1690s to 1705, when he was appointed as
aide-major at Port-Royal. He served in French Acadia "only a few
years, but his later career shows that he was in the colony sufficiently long to
win the Acadians' respect and affection." He returned to Plaisance in
1708 & fought in the expedition there during Queen Anne's War. He
accompanied Louis Denys de La Ronde to British-controlled NS in
the summer of 1714 to coax the Acadians into moving to Île Royale. See note
259, below. He was named a cavalier
of the Order of St.-Louis in the late 1710s, returned to Île Royale, was
appointed commandant of Île St.-Jean in 1726, & served as King's lieutenant
there from 1733 until illness drove him from office in 1736. He died in France in 1737,
age unrecorded. Quotation from Maude, 2:218.
See also Arsenault, 1855; notes 243 & 262,
below;
Appendix.
Homologated is a legal term meaning to approve, confirm, or
ratify. "Messieurs de Brouillant and Le Normand" were actually
Joseph Mombeton de Brouillon de Saint-Ovide, governor of Île Royale from
1715-39, & Sébastien-François-Ange Le Normant de Mézy, the colony's
commisssaire-ordonnateur from 1729-39. See
Appendix.
Sadly, every one of these families perished aboard the
British transport Violet in the deportation of the Maritime islanders
to St.-Malo, France, in 1758. See Book Five.
209.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:145-46.
210.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:146-48. See also White, DGFA-1, 96-99, 193-96, 205-06, 230-31,
642-44, 791-94, 922-24, 1558-60; notes
29,
175, 176,
178, & 208,
above, & 243, below.
The author is proud to say that he is a direct descendant of
Charles Bourg & Anne Boudrot thru their
daughter Gertrude, whose marriage to Amand Thibodeau of
Chepoudy at New Orleans on 27 Feb 1765 would be the earliest recorded Acadian
marriage in LA. See Book Eight.
211.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:149-52.
In describing the plague of field mice at
Malpèque, De La Roque likely is referring to a migration
of the vole-like rodents known in northern climes as
lemmings. LeBlanc, T., Acadian Driftwood,
114, notes these back-to-back disasters of 1749-51--mice, locusts, &
drought--but seems to be extending these troubles to the entire island though De
La Roque mentions them only in the context of what he observed at Malpeque.
For Ambroise Martin dit Barnabé &
Joseph Boudrot, see White, DGFA-1, 1133; note 212,
below.
For Thomas Pichon, who would play a dark role in Acadian history a
few years hence, see Book Two.
212.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:152-59. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 946, 957, 1057, 1059-60,
1390-91, 2056-57, 2061, 2067-68, 2086,
2117; White, DGFA-1, 23-26, 194,
205-06, 240-42, 272-73, 311-12, 319-21, 391-92, 405, 435, 532-33, 570-73,
724-26, 841, 1019-21, 1132-34, 1329-33, 1380-81,
1460-61, 1513-15; notes
25,
30,
75,
171,
172,
174,
176,
180,
191, 208,
&
210, above, 228, 230,
& 243, below.
For the Joseph Arseneau/Comeau
correction, see White, 391.
The author is proud to say that he is a direct descendant of
Ambroise Martin dit Barnabé & his first wife Anne
Cyr thru their daughter Marguerite. See Book Six.
213.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:159. See also Lockerby,
Deportation of the PEI Acadians,
92.
The cart road which ran from the southern end of Malpèque
bay to the south shore of the island ran east of today's Miscouche, which, from
the late 1800s, would loom large in the island's Acadian heritage. See
Lockerby; Book Five.
214.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:159-61. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1511-12, 1531, 2093; White, DGFA-1,
105-06, 339, 772, 991, 1043-44, 1051, 1056-58, 1404-07, 1496; notes
75,
79,
172,
&
191, above.
The author is proud to say that he is a direct descendant of
Jean Robichaud dit Cadet & his wife Marie Léger thru their
son René. See Book Six.
215.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:161-62. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1471; White, DGFA-1, 144-46,
187, 200-03, 272-74, 448, 1446-48; notes
79,
171,
174,
178,
179,
187,
189, 190,
202, 208, & 212,
above.
For a description of the Cap-Tormentine/Baie-Verte area,
which lay at the western edge of the so-called North Shore of peninsula Acadia,
directly across from La Traverse, see Book Two. Cape Traverse today lies
only a few miles southeast of the island end of the Confederation Bridge at
Borden/Carlton.
216.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:162-63. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1279-80; White,
DGFA-1, 240-42, 267-68, 825-28, 1323-24, 1404-07; notes
172,
177, 190, &
214, above.
217.
Quotations from De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:163-64. See also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1380; White,
DGFA-1, 224-25, 541, 1182-83; notes
44, 172,
174,
179, 183, &
189, above.
218. See
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians,
6-7; Rodger, "Rousseau de Villejouin (Villejoin,
Villejoint), Gabriel,", DCB,
online; Books Two, Five, & Six;
Villejoin family page.
219. See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2126-27; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:94; White, DGFA-1, 258.
220. Quotation from
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2119. See also De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:127; White, DGFA-1, 1075-77; Book Five.
221. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2092;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:129; White,
DGFA-1, 1315-17.
222. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2065;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:130-31; White,
DGFA-1, 1258.
223. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2120; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:131; White, DGFA-1, 1257;
Book Five.
224. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:133-34. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2070, 2125, 2142; White, DGFA-1,
448-50, 632-34, 822-25, 885, 1338-40;
notes
29,
173,
180,
189, 199, &
204, above, & 229,
243,
& 249, below; Book Three.
225. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2092; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:131; White, DGFA-1, 1258;
Book Five.
226. Havre-St.-Pierre
was the location of the church parish of St.-Pierre-du-Nord, so the parish's
name often was used to describe the surrounding community. There were
churches also at Bellair, called St.-Louis, on upper
Rivière-du-Nord-Est; SS. Pierre et Paul at Pointe-Prime;
St.-Jean-l'Evangeliste at Port-La-Joye; & Ste.-Famille at Malpèque.
See
Appendix.
227. See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2142; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:133; White, DGFA-1,
446-47, 1338-40; Book Five.
228. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:134-39. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1006, 1159-60, 2066-67, 2079, 2086, 2088, 2090, 2093, 2118-19, 2124-25, 2127-28,
2131, 2133-34, 2137, 2144; White, DGFA-1, 138-39, 216-17, 301, 350-52, 554-55, 724-26,
885, 1051-54, 1075-76, 1338-40, 1469-72,
1558-60, 1563-65; notes 12,
44,
79,
174,
177,
179,
180,
181, 204, &
208, above, &
243, below.
M. Aubert evidently was an official for the Compagnie de l'Île St.-Jean,
which "owned" the island & its fishery in the early 1720s. See note
262, below.
229.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:139-41. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1006, 2087, 2092, 2125, 2141; White,
DGFA-1, 1338-40; note 228, above, & 243,
below.
For more on François Douville & his
son-in-law Louis Talbot, see
note 249, below.
230.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905, 2A:141-45. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2082, 2084; White, DGFA-1, 24-26,
341, 348-52, 508-09, 541-42, 886-87; 1252-53, 1346-48; notes
30,
171, 175,
179, 204,
208, & 228, above,
231 & 243, below.
Sadly, Christophe Pothier, his wife Anne Boudrot,
& most of their daughters perished aboard the British transport Violet
on its way to St.-Malo, France, in Dec 1758. Somehow daughter Charlotte,
age 15 in 1758, became separated from the rest of her immediate family & crossed
to St.-Malo on 1 of the so-called 5 ships. She married twice in France,
emigrated to LA, & died at age 72 at Carencro, present-day Lafayette Parish,
where the author's paternal grandfather was born. See Books Five & Six;
Potier
family page.
231. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:142-45. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1006-07, 2097, 2127, 2133; White, DGFA-1,
209-11, 306-09, 350-52, 1346-48, 1492; notes
29,
30,
174,
175,
179,
182, 204,
& 228, above.
An étang, remember, is a coastal pond or pool too small to
serve as a harbor.
232. Quotation from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:141. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2097; De La Roque, 2A:142; White,
DGFA-1, 306-09.
233.
Quotations from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905, 2A:148-49. See
also White, DGFA-1, 27-29, 213-15, 352-53; notes
29,
30,
208, & 230,
above.
234. See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2119; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:134; White, DGFA-1,
1469.
235. See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2088; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:134.
236. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2090-91; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:134; note
262, below.
237. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2124-25; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:135; White, DGFA-1,
138-39, 1257-60, 1470-72; White, DGFA-1 English, 30.
238.
See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2067; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:135; White, DGFA-1,
341; note 21, above; Book Five.
239. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2118; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:135-36; Hébert, D.,
Acadians in Exile, 255.
240. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2066; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives, 2A:136; White, DGFA-1,
1470-72; White, DGFA-1 English, 309;
Bernard family page.
241. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2093-94;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:136; White,
DGFA-1, 351; note 09, above.
242. Quotations from
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 187; White, DGFA-1 English, 10, 94, 124, 143. See also
Clark,
A. H.,
196, 283, 288-89;
Erskine, Nova Scotia, 19-20, 47-48;
Charles Bruce Fergusson, "Caulfeild, Thomas," in DCB,
2:122-23, &
online;
Griffiths,
From Migrant to Acadian,
269;
M. D. Johnson, "Durand," in DCB, 3:208;
Bruce T. McCully, "Nicholson, Francis," in
DCB, 2:498, &
online;
Salagnac, "Pastour de Costabelle," in DCB, 2:213;
White, DGFA-1,
938-39, 941-42, 1198-1201; White, DGFA-1 English, 5, 8,
11, 17, 25, 43, 50-51, 69, 85-87, 92, 114-115, 134, 142, 152, 162, 172, 193, 196, 198-201, 204, 212,
235-36, 242, 247, 255, 277, 279-81, 290, 292, 297, 323, 330;
Book Two.
For Acadians who, in 1714, either went to view land on
Île Royale, received letters from L'Hermite,
or
moved there,
&
who returned to Nova Scotia, see White.
For details on L'Hermite, who perished in the wreck of
Le Chameau off the coast of Île Royale in late
Aug 1725, see White, DGFA-1 English, 235-36.
Griffiths says: "From 1715
to 1716, only ten or eleven families went to Île Royale, mostly from
Annapolis Royal but one or two from Minas and Cobequid."
Erskine, 20, insists that "Only
fishermen [from peninsula Nova Scotia] seem to have
remained" on Île Royale after the initial inspections
of farm land there.
242a.
See
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A;
Griffiths, From Migrant to Acadian, 278-79; Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia,
38, 41-45; White, DGFA-1, 1415-18; White, DGFA-1 English,
297.
For the island's forests, see A. H. Clark.
Pilot, fisherman, & merchant
Jean-Baptiste Rodrigue dit de Fonds of
Viano do Castelo, Portugal, who had married a daughter
of the Port-Royal seigneur in Mar 1707, was
named the King's pilot at Port-Royal in Mar 1709, lived at Plaisance,
Newfoundland, in
1710, moved to Québec by 1713, & "after 1714 At
Louisbourg ... became one of the most important
merchants in the colony of Île Royale." He also
served as a marguiller, or church warden, at
Louisbourg. Rodrigue died at Québec in Sep
1733. Some of his family remained on Île Royale.
Quotation from White, DGFA-1 English.
See also White, DGFA-1.
242b.
Quotations from Dale Miquelon, "Le Poupet de La Boularderie, Louis-Simon," in
DCB, 2:417, &
online
(italics added in second quotation). See also Chiasson, Island of the Seven Cities, 142;
Erskine, Nova Scotia, 47-48; Dale Miquelon, "Le Poupet de La Boularderie,
Antoine," in DCB,
online; Miquelon, "Le Poupet de La Boularderie,
Louis-Simon," 2:418; White, DGFA-1, 1073-74; White
DGFA-1 English, 231; Book One.
Erskine concedes that "There were ... a few
seignories [on Île Royale] with their peasants and
fishermen. Of these only the fishermen seem to
have been Acadians...."
For the many seigneuries in French Acadia, see Book One.
For lack of them in LA, see Book Six.
Chiasson calls La Boularderie's
concession on Île Royale "a rare private land grant."
Miquelon says La Boularderie died on Île Royale in 1738, in his
mid-60s; Chiasson says 1748, perhaps a misprint. Miquelon relates: "After twice failing, La Boularderie
succeeded in 1723 in forming a company at Saint-Malo to
provide the capital necessary to exploit his
concessions. The enterprise began inauspiciously
when he and the company's director, a M. Le Brun, were
captured by pirates and set adrift in a small boat 100
miles from Île Royale. In 1726 La Boularderie
had the new company evicted from his concessions because
he believed, rightly or wrongly, that for three years it
had neglected the duty of settlement while exploiting
the lucrative fishery. Le Brun defiantly continued
operations from Port d'Orléans and was still there in
1729. In that year a new company was formed with
eight merchants of Rouen and Le Havre. La
Boularderie returned to Île Royale with 100
winterers, both colonists and fishermen. The
population of La Petite Brador was 13 in 1726, 21 in
1734 and 32 in 1737, by which year La Boularderie had built a water-driven mill.
Three years previously he had marketed unmilled grain at
Louisbourg. At Niganiche stone warehouses and
other buildings were erected. The company claimed
to have invested 500,000 livres in its
establishments and to employ 300 men in shipping,
fishing, and cultivation. Unfortunately, a
managerial crisis in France caused the stoppage of
supplies and obliged La Boularderie to return
there in 1732 and 1735. The quarreling associates
dissolved their company, and La Boularderie
returned to La Petite Brador to establish a shipyard."
La Boularderie's enterprise was inherited by his
son Antoine, also an army officer, & was burned first by the British & then by the
French during King George's War of the 1740s.
See Miquelon, "Le Poupet de La Boularderie,
Louis-Simon," 1:418; Miquelon, "Le Poupet de La Boularderie,
Antoine." For Antoine La Bouladerie's
participation in the seige of Louisbourg in May 1745, see
Miquelon, "Le Poupet de La Boularderie, Antoine";
Book Two.
Erskine, who published in 1975, seems to
have found the site of La Boularderie's manor
house at Niganiche/Ingonish. He relates, on 48:
"The sieur de Boularderie was one of the
more active seigneurs [on Île Royale]. His
seigniory was the peninsula[sic] of his name, but
in summer he carried on an extensive fishery at Ingonish.
All this was lost in the first capture of Louisbourg
[1745], and his son later claimed war damages, including
a manor house which has never been placed. Beside
the road up the Clyburn River, a knoll had been
flattened as a foundation for a house of which nothing
remains. A curving road leads up to the house and
is supported by a well-packed wall. A few yards from the
house, a small brook runs down the slope and at the
bottom was divided to irrigate a water-garden.
Around this site there are a number of plants, some of
them associated with the Cape Breton French:
osier, bullace plum, European raspberry, Bouncing Bet
and monkshood. Whoever had planned this house had
occupied it only in summer (it had no cellar), and he
had an unusual amount of money to spend on his
dwelling."
The Paon took Jean-Michel, sieur de
Lépinay et de Longueville, to Mobile in 1716-17 to serve as
governor of LA, so it was a busy ship indeed. See Book
Five.
243. Quotations from Jobb,
The Cajuns, 162;
White, DGFA-1 English, 142;
Maude, "Espiet de Pensens," in DCB, 2:219-20;
T. A. Crowley & Bernard Pothier, "Du Pont
Duchambon, Louis," in DCB,
online. See also
Arsenault, History, 1007; T. C. Crowley & Bernard Pothier, "Du Pont
Duvivier, Joseph," in DCB,
online; De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian
Archives 1905, 2A:76-165; Hébert, D.,
Acadians in Exile, 262;
<islandregister.com/1752.html.>;
Eric R.
Krause, "Goutin (Degoutin, Desgoutins), François-Marie, de," in DCB,
3:265, &
online;
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 2-4;
Maude, "Potier Dubuisson," DCB, 3:532-33;
Bernard Pothier,
"Du Pont Duchambon De Vergor,
Louis," in DCB,
online;
Andrew Rodger, "Tarride Duhaget (Du Haget), Robert," in
DCB, 3:615-15, &
online;
White, DGFA-1, 133, 341, 589-90, 592-93, 886, 1074-77, 1341,
1346-47;
White, DGFA-1 English, 20, 162;
notes 07,
18,
21,
206,
208,
210,
212,
228,
229,
230, & 242, above, &
262, below;
Appendix; Books Two & Three.
For the Acadian families who came to the island after the Hachés,
see
De La Roque;
<islandregister.com/1752.html.>.
Lockerby, 3, says
that, following the influx of Acadians to Île St.-Jean after
1720, "Havre Saint-Pierre was soon the most populous
district, and it retained this distinction throughout the
remainder of the French regime on the Island. It was
also the main base for the fishery." See De La Roque for the population of the island in Aug 1752, close
analysis of which contradicts Lockerby's statement that
Havre-St.-Pierre remained the "the most populous district
... throughout the remainder of the French regime...."
By the summer of 1752, the valley of Rivière-du-Nord-Est, south of
Havre-St.-Pierre, held more people than the older settlement
thanks to recent arrivals. See also
note 18, above.
For Acadians at Havre-à-l'Anguille--specifically
Marie-Madeleine Chiasson, second wife &
widow of Pierre Pothier & widow in her
second marriage to Joseph de La Forestrie,
along with her large family--see White, DGFA-1,
1346-47. She was counted at Havre-à-l'Anguille in 1734
& 1735 but moved on to Havre-St.-Pierre by Aug 1752, so one
wonders if the remote east-coast settlement was abandoned by
the latter date.
Lockerby, 3, adds that the French garrison at Port-La-Joye
contained "Usually less than one hundred soldiers," troupes de la marine
whose officers answered to commanders at Louisbourg, as the
French officials stationed at Port-La-Joye answered to the governor &
King's commissaire at Louisbourg. See also note
245, above.
Lockerby, 4, in listing the crops favored by island farmers
during the early 1700s, adds, perhaps humorously:
"Interestingly, potatoes were not grown"--an amazing fact
for anyone visiting the island today, especially in summer:
as one drives along its many roads, countless potato fields
stretch to the horizon across the gently rolling red terrain.
Duchambon's son Vergor
would be the French officer who would surrender Fort
Beauséjour to the British in June 1755. See Book Two.
244.
Quotation from De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:136. See
also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2137; Hébert, D.,
Acadians in Exile, 377-78;
Renaud family
page.
Mathurin, fils's birth year is from Arsenault, not
from his burial record in Hébert, D., 378, which would given him a birth year of
c1678.
Arsenault suggests that André was a widower when he married
at St.-Pierre-du-Nord in 1740. The marriage record in Hébert, D., 377,
however, says nothing of a previous marriage.
245. Quotation from Pritchard,
In Search of Empire,
417. See also Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 73, 118, 187, 262, 265;
Griffiths, From Migrant to Acadian, 8-9; Hoffman, Cabot to Cartier, 168-69;
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 3-4; Parkman, France & England, 2:477;
online Wikipedia, "Prince Edward Island."
Clark, A. H., 262, Fig. 7.2, entitled
"Cape Breton Island to 1758, Modern Place Names," does not
include Louisbourg's original name & spells the citadel
"Louisburg."
For the Indian names, see Griffiths, From Migrant to Acadian, 8-9.
On his first voyage of 1534, Cartier
sailed along the northwest coast of, but did not linger
at, Île
St.-Jean. See Book One.
Clark,
A. H.,
73, adds: "Moreover, despite the
concessions of 1713 and 1749, the latter [Britain] were unremitting in
their efforts to recover the two islands, as they ultimately did, for
good, in 1758." It should be noted that the 1720 concession
occurred during a time when France, under Louis XV's Regent, the duc
d'Orleans, was the erstwhile ally of former enemies Britain & Holland in
conflict with former ally Spain--but this aberrant European alliance
structure was of short duration. Clark, A. H., 118, notes that "when
the French established themselves there [on Île Royale] in the
eighteenth century the official policy was against seigneurial grants
(although essentially similar concessions were made, as in the case of
Isle Madame and the island between the Great and Little Bras d'Or
channels to the Sieur de La Boularderie)." See also Clark,
A. H.,
187.
246. Quotation
from White, DGFA-1 English, 94. See also <acadian-home.org>; Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 157, 266 (Fig. 7.2), 271, 296;
Plank, Unsettled Conquest,
64, 90;
Bernard Pothier, "Goutin (Degoutin, Degoutins,
Desgoutins, De Goutin), Mathieu de," in DCB,
2:257-58,
&
online; Pothier & Horton, "Denys de La Ronde, Louis,"
in DCB, 3:178;
White, DGFA-1, 133, 179, 183, 193-94, 205, 213, 230, 288, 413, 418, 513,
983, 1029, 1136, 1098, 1200, 1241,
1299, 1312, 1321, 1350-51, 1399, 1444, 1470, 1482, 1545; White, DGFA-1 English,
20, 107, 155-56, 180; note 17,
above; Book Two.
See <acadian-home.org>
for the 1716 census, as well as La Roque's Île Royale census of 1752,
which lists these settlements meticulously. Louis Denys de La Ronde "was commandant
of the detachment at Port-Toulouse" from 1715-20 & was
named Chevalier de St.-Louis on 23 Dec 1721, but
the same source says Jean-Baptiste Hertel de
Rouville became commandant at Port-Toulouse on 21 May
1719. Hertel de Rouville also was named a Chevalier
de St.-Louis on 23 Dec 1721, so the Port-Toulouse
commandants were distinguished soldiers.
See White, DGFA-1 English, 107, 180.
Clark,
A. H.,
157, says that until 1717 "Cape Breton Island remained
essentially empty."
The 1716 census did not provide ages, but the ages of
some of these settlers can be fleshed out from information in White,
DGFA-1, 413, 418, 983, 1299, 1321, 1399. If the 3
LeBlancs were sons of Daniel, they did not remain at
Port-Toulouse but returned to Minas, where they died in Jul
1730, May 1731, & Jan 1734, respectively. See White, DGFA-1,
983.
Clark,
A. H.,
296, says that in 1724 at Louisbourg, "It is interesting
that there were no Acadian single men or heads of family known to be
living in Louisbourg at this time whereas some thirty heads of
family in St. Peters [Port-Toulouse] had been born in the mainland
Acadian settlements. However, we know of at least one Acadian
bride, from Minas, and probably there were others." One
"Acadian" family living at Louisbourg at the time was that of Jeanne
Thibodeau, widow of former Acadian official Mathieu
de Goutin, who had been appointed King's scrivener for Île Royale
in 1714 but died soon after; Jeanne's household at Louisbourg in
1724 would have included most of her 13 children, 11 of them still minors at the time of their father's death
in Dec 1713. Another
"Acadian" at Louisbourg was Charles Saint-Étienne de La Tour,
fils, & his small family. See
Bernard Pothier, "Goutin, Mathieu de," in DCB,
2:257-58;White, DGFA-1
English, 155-56; note 263, below.
White, DGFA-1 English, 20, says Jean Belliveau moved from peninsula Nova Scotia to Port-Toulouse in c1721.
For Vigneau, see Plank; Book Two.
For more on Coste, whose lifetime
would encompass nearly the entire existence of the colony
itself, see note 17, above.
246a. See
Eric R. Krause,"Goutin (Degoutin, Desgoutins, de
Goutin), François-Marie de," in DCB, 3:264-65,
&
online;
Pothier, "Goutin, Mathieu
de," in DCB,
2:257-58;
White, DGFA-1, 756-57, 1509;
White, DGFA-1 English, 155-56; notes
12 &
21, above, &
243, below;
Books One & Four;
De
Goutin de Ville family page.
Mathieu de Goutin likely would
have died at Ste.-Anne, not Louisbourg, Île Royale, because Louisbourg,
originally called Havre-des-l'Anglois, was not named the new capital of
the colony until 1719, 5 years after de Goutin's death. Jeanne
Thibodeau would have
followed the Ste.-Anne officials to Louisbourg after its founding.
She was there on 3 Sep 1730, as revealed by a power-of-attorney
document. She
did not remarry & died at Louisbourg on 7 Apr 1741,
age about 69.
See White, DGFA-1, 1509; White, DGFA-1 English, 156.
247. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2144;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:134,
137; White,
DGFA-1, 1469-70, 1558-60, 1564-65;
Dumont
family page.
248. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2127; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:137; White, DGFA-1,
1564.
249.
Quotations from the
biographical sketch of Douville by
Georges Arsenault at <islandregister.com/1752.html>.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2087, 2141; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:140-41;
Robichaux, Acadians in Nantes, 279-82;
White, DGFA-1, 1418-19; note
229, above;
Roger/Caissie &
Talbot family pages.
Havre-St.-Pierre also was called
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, after the church parish established
there.
François Douville's wife Marie Rogé or
Roger was not a Cassie dit
Roger of peninsula Acadia but a French girl born at La Rochelle.
249a.
See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2089-90; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:89;
<islandregister.com/1752.html>;
White, DGFA-1, 178; notes
175 &
263a, below; Book Two.
Arsenault, 2089, says François married Marie in c1730,
but White, followed here, says c1737. None of their
descendants emigrated to Louisiana.
249b.
Quotations from Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 318;
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 5.
See also
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:128-29;
Lockerby, 4.
250. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2128; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:137.
251.
See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2079, 2131; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:137; White, DGFA-1,
341, 435.
252. Quotation
from Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia,
262. See also Clark,
A. H.,
265, 268-69;
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 4.
253. Quotations
from
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia,
264-65. See also
<1421exposed.com/html/exposed.html>;
Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities; online Wikipedia, "Giovanni da
Verrazzano," "Jacques Cartier."
The first half of
Chiasson provides a
well-written, even competently-researched history of
North Atlantic voyages of discovery touching on
present-day Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton Island ... before proclaiming that the
Chinese
settled at Cape Dauphin on the Atlantic coast of the island decades before Columbus's voyages. Chiasson, an Acadian, a native of Chéticamp on the
western shore of Cape Breton Island,
& a Yale-educated architect, was an historical architect
in Toronto when he published his book in 2006. For critiques of his work,
written soon after publication, see <1421exposed.com/html/exposed.html>.
Robert McGhee, curator of Arctic archaeology at the
Canadian Museum of Civilization, offers this telling
observation: "It becomes obvious that Chiasson has
never seen the remains of a medieval Chinese city, and a
single piece of archaeological evidence is sufficient to
disprove is theory: with fleets of huge junks
harboured in St. Ann's Bay and thousands of people
living for years in a nearby hilltop city, the sand
beaches and rocky pastures of the area should be
littered with millions of shards of Asiatic crockery,
yet not a single one has been reported during centuries
of farming, and none were noticed in the author's many
examinations of the site." After reviewing the
late 20th-century activities of fire fighters and rock
quarry engineers at the Cape Dauphin site,
Nova Scotia forestry engineer
Andrew Hanam
concludes: "While well written, this book
adds nothing to the historical record of Cape Breton
Island and should be classified as historical fiction
and nothing more."
As stated above, this author believes the first half
of Chiasson's book does
contribute to the history of Cape Breton Island, & so
that part of the work is used here as a generally
reliable secondary source. Much of the second half
of the work, however, beginning with chap.
11, is not nearly as useful for documenting the
actual history of the island & its people.
Here, one could say, is a cautionary tale on the
importance of thorough, unbiased research, the pitfalls
of idée fixe reasoning, & the consequences of ignoring Occum's razor in historical
interpretation.
254. Quotations
from
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia,
267, 274, 285; Ross & Deveau, The Acadians of Nova Scotia,
5. See also Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities,
14-15, 228-29; Clark,
A. H.,
264-66, 275-96;
Historical Atlas of Canada, 1: plates 20, 24.
Clark,
A. H.,
266, Fig. 7.2, is entitled "Cape Breton to
1758, Early Eighteenth-Century Place Names," & locates
many of the earliest "settlements." For
present-day names, see Clark,
A. H.,
275-76n30.
Clark,
A. H.,
274-96, including maps & tables, is a detailed study of
Cape Breton Island's "Population and Settlement" from
earliest times into the 1750s.
Chiasson, 14-15, says
Port-Dauphin is today's Englishtown, on the west
shore of St. Ann's Harbour, south of St. Ann's Bay.
Englishtown should not be confused with the nearby town
of St. Ann's. See online Wikipedia, "Englishtown,
Nova Scotia," "St. Anns, Nova Scotia."
255. Quotation from
Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities, 103.
See
also
René Baudry, "Daniel, Charles," in DCB, 1:248, &
online; René Baudry, "Menou D'Aulnay, Charles de," in
DCB,
1:505,
&
online;
Chiasson, 15, 98-102, 104-11, 119;
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia,
264-65, 267, 274;
Fischer, Champlain's Dream, 437-38; 608;
Melanson, Cormier Genealogy, 11-12; White, DGFA-1, 400; White, DGFA-1 English,
89; Book
One.
Chiasson, 101, sites Daniel's Fort Anne "on what is
now St. Annes Bay, across from the sandbar on the shore
where Englishtown currently stands." See
also his untitled map, on 15. On 102, using a
report by Champlain as his source, Chiasson describes in
detail Daniel's Fort Anne & the surrounding area.
Fischer, 608, says that in 1631 the Company of Normandy,
a subsidiary of Richelieu's Company of New France, "was
founded ... for the support of the settlement at Fort Ste.
Anne on Cape Breton."
For Robert Cormier, see White, which include excerpts from
Cormier's indenture.
See also Book One;
Cormier
family page.
Baudry, "Menou,"
says that in 1647 Fort
St.-Pierre belonged to an associate of the Company of
New France, Guilles Guignard.
Did the company build the fort in the 1630s with the
approbation of Isaac de Razilly, or was this another
instance of overlapping grants emanating from the French
court?
Baudry, "Daniel," offers insight on
the evolution of proprietary control on Cape Breton Island
from the late 1620s to the early 1640s & mentions Jean Tuffet,
Louis Tuffet's father
256. Quotations
from Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 264-65. See also
Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities, 115-18, 146;
Clark,
A. H.,
93-94,
266 (Fig. 7.2), 288; Jean Lunn, "Simon Denys (Denis)
de La Trinité," in DCB, 1:261, &
online;
MacBeath, "Denys,"
in DCB, 1:256; White, DGFA-1, 482, 484,
489-90; Book One.
Lunn links Nicholas Denys's takeover of Fort St.-Pierre with
d'Aulnay's death in May 1650.
Following White but not MacBeath &
other sources, Simon Denys de La Trinité was Nicolas's
older brother. Simon, through his only
surviving son by his first marriage, Pierre dit
La Ronde, was the grandfather of Simon-Pierre Denys
de
Bonaventure & Louis Denys de La Ronde, who also figured
in Acadian historian. See White, 484, 489-90;
Book One.
Clark,
A. H.,
93-94, says "in 1650 and 1651, indefatigable,
he [Denys] built posts at St. Peters and St. Ann
on Cape Breton Island, only to be again dispossessed,
this time by the agents of the widow d'Aulnay, now
Madame La Tour."
Italics added. Clark,
A. H., 264, offers more detail:
"Nicolas Denys made the first serious and successful
attempts at European settlement on the island of Cape
Breton in the two decades following 1650. His
earliest attempts were harassed and temporarily checked
by rival claimants in 1651 but he
got a 'good title' in 1653 and settled down at St.
Peters, on the narrow peninsula that separates the
island's great internal salt water bay, Bras d'Or Lake
... from the southern coast." Clark goes on to
quote Denys's memoirs, which detail what he built in &
around the fort. Despite A. H. Clark's assertion on 93-94, Fort St.-Pierre already was standing in 1650.
Robert Cormier's 3-year indenture as a master
ship's carpenter with Sr. Louis Tuffet before a
notary at La Rochelle, dated 4 Jan 1644, clearly
mentions "fort Saint-Pierre, en l'île de Cap-Breton," &
names Tuffet as commander of the fort. Was Tuffet
an associate of Denys, or did his tenure at Fort
St.-Pierre predate Denys's acquisition of the fort?
Perhaps Tuffet was associated with Guignard, not Denys.
No matter, Cormier's indenture reveals that Fort
St.-Pierre certainly existed before 1650, & who knows
how long before 1644. Evidently Denys assumed control of the fort soon after d'Aulnay's death in
May 1650--hence his almost immediate troubles with
representatives of the governor's widow.
See also note 255,
above; Book One.
Chiasson, 115, says Simon
Denys's post at
Ste.-Anne was noted for its stand of apple trees,
cherished by fishermen & other mariners. Chiasson,
146, says Nicolas Denys was impressed with
the amount of cod to be found in the area around
Chéticamp.
257.
Quotations from
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia,
267-68. See also
Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities, 118-20; Book
One.
258. Quotations
from
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia,
268. See also Book Seven.
The pays d'en haut
was that part of North America comprising the Great Lakes &
trans-Mississippi regions north of the Ohio valley & west to
the slopes of the Rockies, which Frenchmen & Canadians,
including La Salle, had explored in the 1600s.
259. Quotation from
Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 269. See also
Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities, 129-30,
338;
Clark,
A. H.,
196, 258, 269, 271, 293-303;
J.-Roger Comeau, "LeNeuf de La Vallière de
Beaubassin, Michel (the younger), in DCB,
2:411-12, &
online;
Erskine, Nova Scotia, 47-48;
Giraud, Years of Transition, 9, 32-33;
Historical Atlas of Canada, 1: plate 24;
Mary McD. Maude, "Espiet de Pensens, Jacques d'," in DCB,
2:218-19, &
online;
Pothier & Horton, "Denys de La
Ronde, Louis," in DCB, 3:177-78;
Salagnac, "Pastour de Costabelle,"
in DCB, 2:511; Thorpe, "L'Hermitte,"
in DCB, 2:434; White, DGFA-1, 913-14; White,
DGFA-1 English, 98-99; Books One & Two.
For depictions of Louisbourg in
1717, before the first of its permanent fortifications arose, & in 1742, when
its fortifications had become formidable, see
Historical Atlas of Canada. For detailed
descriptions of the citadel & its immediate environs in
the 1740s-50s, see Clark,
A. H.,
293-96.
For the archaeological remains of the area, c1975, see
Erskine, which offers a
description of the Île Royale population: "The
French population of the island was divided into three
or four distinct groups. There was the governing
body at Louisbourg itself; the bands of workers
quarrying stone and cutting wood for the building, in
many distant places; the local workmen and farmers in
the neighborhood of the present Louisbourg town; and the
fishermen at Canso, Isle Madame, and Main-a-Dieu....
Of these only the fishermen seem to have been Acadians,
though there may have been some among the workers."
Chiasson, 129, 338, citing J. S. McLennan,
Louisbourg from Its Foundation to Its Fall, 1713-1758,
published at Sydney, NS, in 1969, says 116 men,
10 women, & 23, a total of 149 settlers, were shipped
from Newfoundland to Louisbourg.
A 39-year-old native of Québec in 1714,
Denys de La
Ronde was a naval officer with much command & combat
experience, including a stint on the Gulf Coast with
Iberville in the early 1700s & at Port-Royal in 1707.
During the later months of Queen Anne's War, Newfoundland
Gov. Costabelle sent Denys de La Ronde on a mission to Boston
ostensibly to arrange a prisoner exchange. Denys de La Ronde, who was fluent in
English, was
caught with dispatches in his possession that portrayed
his mission more as espionage than diplomacy. Only the
intervention of Gov. Dudley allowed Denys de La Ronde
to escape the city & thus avoid being hanged on orders of
the Massachusetts Assembly.
Pothier
& Horton, 3:177-78,
place the incident in spring of 1711;
Salagnac
says it
was in 1710. The mission to
Boston occurred when Adm. Hovenden Walker was in the
city, so that would make it in Jun 1711. See Book
One.
Denys de La Ronde had thoroughly surveyed Cape Breton
Island for St.-Ovide before his mission to NS in 1714. See Pothier
& Horton, 3:178.
Louis
Denys de La Ronde's mother was Catherine Le Neuf
de La Poterie, Michel Le Neuf de La Vallière, fils's
paternal aunt, so Louis and Michel, fils were first cousins.
Moreover, Le Neuf de La Vallière, fils's mother
was Marie Denys, daughter of Denys de La Ronde's
great uncle Nicolas. See White, DGFA-1, 487-91, 1067-68.
D'Espiet de Pensens, a veteran of the campaign against the British at St.
John's, Newfoundland, in 1708-09, would serve as commandant of Port-Toulouse,
Île Royale, from 1715-18, commandant of Île St.-Jean in the 1726, & King's
lieutenant on the island in the 1730s. See Maude; note
208, below.
La Vallière would serve as commandant
at Port-Toulouse in the early 1730s & on Île St.-Jean.
See Comeau.
260. Quotations
from Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 270-71. See also Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities, 129-30, 132, 135,
137; Clark,
A. H.,
169, 282, 284-85, 287; Giraud, Years of
Transition, 13-14; Bernard Pothier, "Monbeton[sic] de Brouillian,
dit
Saint-Ovide, Joseph de," in DCB, 3:454-57,
&
online; Georges Cerbelaud Salagnac, "Pastour
de Costabelle, Philippe," in DCB, 2:509-13,
&
online;
F. J. Thorpe, "L'Hermitte (Lhermite, L'Hermitte, Lhermite),
Jacques," in DCB,
2:434,
&
online;
White, DGFA-1, 1213-14; White, DGFA-1 English,
257-58; note 17, above.
White, DGFA-1 English, 271, says Costabelle
became governor of Île Royale on 1 Jan 1714 & served
until his death.
L'Hermitte was the major at Plaisance
who Frontenac had employed
to survey the coast of French Acadia after King
William's War. See Book
One. Thorpe says of the engineer's service on Île Royale: "At the cession
of Placentia in 1713, L'Hermitte played an important
role in the establishment of the new colony of Île
Royale. He made a quick study of several natural
harbours for the purpose of selecting the best site for
the fortified capital of the cod-fishery; he constructed
provisional fortifications and buildings at Louisbourg
in readiness for the arrival of colonists from Placentia
and possibly from Acadia; and he participated in the
first attempts to arrange for the transfer of Acadians
to Île Royale." As Giraud points out, L'Hermitte's Cape Breton
survey, assisted by fellow engineer Jean-François Verville,
was undertaken at the behest of the Regency's Conseil de
la Marine, which was determined to compile "'maps and
plans of the coasts of the realm'" (quotation from 13).
Chiasson, 135, 137, notes that cod fishermen had
long used
the sandbar at Baie Ste.-Anne to dry their catches.
A 1714 report of the bay made by Canadian naval pilot
Joseph Guyon, quoted on 135, 137, states, in part,
on 137, that "There were very fine beaches of gravel
so large that thirty or forty vessels could use them for
drying fish. Codfish were caught there more
plentifully than in any part of the island. The
whole extent of the land around was level and suitable
for the growth of all sorts of grain. That place
had been formerly inhabited by Mr. [Simon] Denys, and
that they now gathered there a large quantity of apples,
from trees planted in that period." This
contradicts A. H. Clark's quote from 270 about the
fishermen not caring much for the place.
A. H. Clark,
287, adds: "... indeed the long-standing
preference of European fishermen for this area, and its role as the 'front door' to
continental North America, had weighed heavily in the
choice of Louisburg as the capital and fortress site."
Salagnac, 2:213, says "Saint-Ovide, sent by Costabelle to explore the area,
decided on a point on the east shore, the Havre-à-l'Anglais,
where the town of Louisbourg was later to rise," but it
was not in Saint-Ovide's power to select the site for the
colonial capital, only to recommend it.
Saint-Ovide was a nephew of former Newfoundland &
Acadian governor Jacques-François Mombeton de Brouillan.
In Jan 1692, Saint-Ovide was an ensign at Plaisance,
where his uncle was governor. In Jan 1694,
Saint-Ovide was promoted to lieutenant, & he became a
captain in Apr 1696. In May 1705, during Queen
Anne's War, he was serving as a captain in Acadia & was
named King's representative, or lieutenant, at Plaisance
on 10 Apr 1706. On 16 Mar 1709, Saint-Ovide, only
31 years old, was made a Chevalier de St.-Louis.
He was named King's representative on Île Royale on 1
Jan 1714. See Pothier;
White, who calls him Joseph Membeton de Brouillan de
Saint-Ovide.
260a. See
Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities, 135, 137,
139-40;
<ns1763.ca/victco/portdauphin.html>;
Pothier, "Saint-Ovide,"
in DCB, 3:455;
Bernard Pothier & Donald J. Horton, "Denys
de La Ronde, Louis," in
DCB,
3:176-80, &
online;
Salagnac, "Pastour de Costabelle,"
in DCB, 2:213; White,
DGFA-1, 489-90, 493-97, 500; White, DGFA-1 English,
190, 258, 271.
Chiasson, 137, says a
Denys descendant at Port-Royal,
"the grandson of Nicolas Denys,"
also favored Port-Dauphin as the colonial capital, but
he does not name the grandson. Nicolas's only surviving grandson, Nicolas dit
Fronsac, settled at Beaumont in Canada, not at
Port-Royal. Chiasson is likely referring to
Louis Denys de la Ronde, a grandson of Nicolas's older
brother Simon. Louis served as a naval officer
with Iberville
in Hudson's Bay & French LA before serving in French Acadia & Newfoundland during Queen Anne's War.
He emigrated to Île Royale in 1713 at war's end. See
Pothier & Horton; White,
DGFA-1, 489-90, 493-97; White, DGFA-1 English,
190, 271; note 259, above; Book One.
Salagnac
says
Costabelle's health, as well as his fortune, was ruined
by his exertions on Île Royale. In Nov 1716, he
had crossed to France with his new wife,
Acadian Anne Mius d'Entremont, a 22-year-old
widow when they married (he was 55, & she had been a
widow since age 13!). She was a granddaughter of
Philippe Mius d'Entremont, the seigneur of Pobomcoup,
near Cap-Sable. White, DGFA-1 English, 190,
names her first husband--Antoine de La Boulais de
Saillans, an ensign in the troupes de la marine--&,
quoting historian Fr. Clarence d'Entremont, says she
"'became ... the youngest widow in the annals of Acadia,
and even of Canada.'" Costabelle & his new wife arrived at Belle-Île-en-Mer on
Christmas day & journeyed to Paris via Nantes.
She gave birth to a daughter at Paris in April
1717; his first wife also had given him a daughter; he
fathered no sons. Costabelle was in France to
recover his health, take care of family business, &
"give the king an account of his administration."
He & his family sailed from La Rochelle on 9 Aug 1717
aboard the frigate Atalante. His health
worsened during the crossing, he dictated his will on
Sep 6, & he died at Louisbourg, says Salagnac, soon after his arrival
"at the beginning of October." He was 56 years
old.
White, DGFA-1 English, 271, says Costabelle
"died on October 5th ... at Port-Dauphin," which is St.
Ann's, so he must have maintained a residence there.
Saint-Ovide was named
Costabelle's successor on 16 Sep 1717 & would remain governor of Île Royale until
his retirement on 30 May 1739. Pothier says Saint-Ovide became governor in Apr 1718. White, DGFA-1 English,
258, gives the date of Saint-Ovide's
appointment as governor used here & also Saint-Ovide's
date of retirement.
Chiasson, 139-40, makes the case that Louisbourg was
selected over Port-Dauphin because of its proximity to
the center of the region's cod fishing industry, as well
as to the Gulf Stream & its connection to the French
West Indies.
261. Quotation from
Erskine, Nova Scotia, 20.
See also Chiasson, Island of Seven Cities, 141; Clark,
A. H.,
Acadia, 271, 297ff;
Historical Atlas of Canada, 1: plate 24, notation entitled "Île
Royale, 18th Century," by Kenneth Donovan;
Books One & Two.
Clark,
A. H.,
297, using a 19th-century example, makes a compelling
case that Île Royale could have developed a
substantial agricultural base in the first half of the
18th century, & then explains, on 297ff, why it did
not happen.
262.
Quotations from White, DGFA-1 English, 72, 99;
Mary McD. Maude, Gotteville de Belile, Robert-David,"
in DCB, 2:254-55, &
online;
C. J. Russ, Dubois Berthelot de Beaucours," Josué
(Jean-Maurice-Josué)," in DCB, 3:191, &
online;
Maude, "Espiet de Pensens," in DCB, 2:219.
See also
T. J. A. Le Goff, "Daccarrete (Dacaret, d'Acaret),
Michel or Miguel," in DCB, 3:156, &
online;
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 1-3;
Mary McD. Maude, "Potier Dubuisson, Robert," in DCB,
3:532, &
online; Pothier & Horton, "Denys de La Ronde, Louis,"
in DCB,
3:178;
Rodger, "Denys de Bonnaventure,"
in DCB,
3:175;
Russ, "Dubois Berthelot de Beaucours," in DCB, 3:189-90; White, DGFA-1, 440, 443-45,
489-90, 555-56, 1341; White, DGFA-1
English, 72, 98; notes
154 &
259, above; Books One & Seven.
See
Pothier & Horton
for
Denys de La Ronde's reluctant participation in the
founding of Île St.-Jean.
Both Denyss--de Bonavennture &
de La Ronde--were descendants of Nicolas's Denys's older brother
Simon.
See
White, DGFA-1 English, 72, for details on army engineer Gédéon de Catalogne dit
La Liberté, whose wife was Marie-Anne Lemire, a
Canadian, not a Fundy Acadian. See White, DGFA-1,
1063.
According to White, DGFA-1 English, on 10 Mar 1720, Gédéon was an engineer on Île Royale.
That year, the comte "sollicited[sic] the service
of Catalogne, 'a very good subject, understanding of the
work necessary, and better suited than any other for a
like establishment.'"
Robert Poitiers Du Buisson's brother
Guillaume's wife was Jeanne-Philippe de Catalogne of
Montréal, so the families were interconnected.
Daccarrette became an important merchant at Louisbourg
& died in the siege there in Jul 1745.
See White, DGFA-1, 443; note
154, above.
François Baucher dit
St.-Martin's son Pierre, born at Petit-Dégrat, Île Royale,
in c1723, emigrated to French Louisiana in c1758, probably
after the fall of Louisbourg that year, married a Louisiana
Creole, & worked as a maritime merchant in New Orleans--one
of the first "Acadians" to settled in LA . See Books
Eight & Ten;
Baucher family page.
White, DGFA-1, 1341, along with
Maude, "Potier Dubuisson," offers a
profile of Robert Poitiers Du Buisson, as White calls him.
White is followed here. White says he was sub-délégué de
l'intendant de la Nouvelle-France, that is, sub-delegate
of the intendant of New France, which Maude also
uses. Here he is called a commissaire, since Île Royale did not
have an intendant. Sr. Poitiers
Du Buisson, despite his surname, was no Fundy Acadian but scion of a
Montréal family born on Staten
Island, NY. See Maude, "Potier Dubuisson," 3:532.
Evidently Anse-à-Dubuisson, today's Curry's Cove on south shore of Île
St.-Jean, was named after him. See De
La Roque, 2A:103; note 181,
above.
Engineer Beaucour, whose mother-in-law was
Marie-Angélique Denys de La Ronde, Louis's older sister, went
on to a distinguished career as mayor of both Trois-Rivières & Montréal.
See Russ, 3:191-92; White, DGFA-1, 489-90, 555-56.
262a. Quotation
from
Griffiths, From Migrant to Acadian, 87.
See also
Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians, 1;
Book One.
263. Quotations
from MacBeath, "Saint-Étienne de La Tour [fils],
Charles de," in DCB, 2:592. See also
MacBeath, 2:591;
MacDonald, Fortune & La Tour, 198; White, DGFA-1, 1438, 756-57,
1436-38;
Book One.
Charles La Tour, fils & Angélique had 2 children, both
sons: Jean-Charles, born at Boston in Mar 1715,
who died at age 20, still unmarried; & Pierre-Charles,
born after 1719, probably at Louisbourg, who survived
childhood but also may not have married. As a
result, the La Tours of Nova Scotia descend from
Charles, fils's nephew, Charles le jeune,
born probably at Port-Royal in c1696. The nephew
married first to Marie-Anne Parré at Louisbourg
in Sep 1727, & then to Marguerite, daughter of fellow
Acadians Pierre Richard & Marguerite Landry
and widow of Joseph Dugas, at Louisbourg in Jan
1736. Charles le jeune died probably at
Louisbourg after Sep 1746. One wonders if he was a
casualty of King George's War. See White, 1436-38;
note 351, below.
263a. Quotation from
White, DGFA-1 English, 37. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 438; White, DGFA-1,
178-79; notes 249a, above,
& 458, below.
264. Quotation from
De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:138. See also Arsenault, Généalogie,
1133, 2119; White, DGFA-1, 301.
265. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1856, 2093; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:138; White, DGFA-1, 1075-77; Book Three.
266a. See Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2078; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:145; Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile,
47, 49; White, DGFA-1, 886; note
271, below.
Arsenault calls Jean a Bourg. White
calls him a Bourey. Guess who's
followed here. Sadly, Fr. Hébert's work also lists
Jean & his 2 sons as Bourgs.
267. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2086; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:139; White, DGFA-1, 1338-39.
268. Quotation
from
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:140.
See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2125; De La Roque,
2A:139.
269. See Arsenault, Généalogie, 2133; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:142-43; White, DGFA-1, 1330.
270. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2082; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:142; White, DGFA-1, 1252-53.
271. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2152; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:145; White, DGFA-1, 886-87; White,
DGFA-1 English, 188; Book Five.
272. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:164-65.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2133; White, DGFA-1,
268-70, 469-71, 513-16, 675-76, 1321-23; notes
79, 172,
174,
180, 190, 201,
202,
216, &
217, above.
273. Quotations from De
La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:165.
See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2118, 2143.
274. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2117; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:158.
275. See Hodson,
Acadian Diaspora, 185, 201, 243n72; Robichaux,
Acadians in Châtellerault, 85; Robichaux, Acadians
in St.-Malo, 679; Book Six.
276. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1807, 2186;
Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo, 122-23.
277. See <perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>,
Family No. 34; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo,
219-20; 480.
278. See <perso.orange.fr/froux/St_malo_arrivees/Duc_Guillaume.htm>,
Family No. 30; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo,
483-84.
280. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1685;
White, DGFA-1, 135-37; note
254, above;
Bertrand
&
Villejoin family pages.
282. Quotation from
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:76.
See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 1688, 2013-14;
De La Roque, 2A:71-73;
White, DGFA-1, 503-05, 1061-62;
Deroche family page.
283. See
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:88;
White, DGFA-1, 118-19; White,
DGFA-1 English, 26;
Benoit family page.
284. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1834; White, DGFA-1,
1216; Book Three, Six, Eight, & Ten;
David family page.
285. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2055;
Arbour family page.
285a. See Arsenault,
Généalogie, 2071-78; White, DGFA-1, 1011;
Book Three.
286. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2132;
Neveu family page.
287. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1155, 2009;
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:10;
White, DGFA-1, 552;
Books Six, Eight, & Ten;
Clément
family page.
288. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2081-82; De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:95-96; White, DGFA-1, 1098;
Clossinet family page.
289. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2092; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:140; White,
DGFA-1, 1338-40; Books Three, Five, Six, Eight, &
Ten;
Fouquet family page.
290. Quotation from
White, DGFA-1 English, 191. See
also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2120-21;
Books Six, Eight, & Ten;
De La Forestrie family page.
291. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2116; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:
passim; Robichaux,
Acadians in Nantes, 98;
Usé
family page.
292. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2137;
Renaud family page.
293. Quotation from
White, DGFA-1 English, 116. See also White,
DGFA-1, 546-48;
Doucet family page.
294. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2136;
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:94-95; Books Five,
Six, Eight, & Ten;
Rassicot family page.
294a. See
Arsenault,
Généalogie, 1410-11, 2009, 2241; De La Roque, "Tour of
Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:18; White, DGFA-1, 978; Book Three.
295. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2096;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:72, 144; Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile,
169-70; White, DGFA-1, 30; Books Five, Six, Eight,
& Ten;
Grossin family page.
296. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2084; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:126-27;
White, DGFA-1, 306-09, 1075; Books Five, Six,
Eight, & Ten;
Delaune family page.
297. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2119-20; De La
Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:127; Books Eight & Ten;
Durel family page.
298. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2014, 2086;
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection,"
Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:9-10, 153;
White, DGFA-1, 23-26;
Deroche family page.
Today, descendants of the DesRoches brothers comprise one of the largest Acadian
families on Prince Edward Island, formerly Île St.-Jean,
especially in the Miscouche area on the western side of the
island. See Book Six.
299. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2191, 2351;
Hamon family page.
300. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2140, 2382-83;
Ségoillot family page.
301. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2133-34; De La Roque,
"Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:134-35;
Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile, 346; White,
DGFA-1, 350-52;
Patry family page;
Books Five, Six, Eight, & Ten.
302. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2084; De La Roque, "Tour
of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:141; White,
DGFA-1, 24-26; Book Five & Six;
Delaune family page.
303. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2191, 2351;
Hamon family page.
304. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2130;
De La Mazière family page;
Books Five, Six, Eight, & Ten.
305. Quotation from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:145. See
also Arsenault, Généalogie, 2127; Hébert, D.,
Acadians in Exile, 307; White, DGFA-1, 210;
Livois family page.
The record of Pierre's second marriage at
St.-Pierre-du-Nord, the church for Havre-St.-Pierre, in D.
Hébert makes it clear that his first wife was Anne
Boudrot, not Marie Daigre.
See also White.
306. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2143; De La Roque "Tour
of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:97;
Hébert, D., Acadians in Exile, 430; Robichaux, Acadians in St.-Malo,
679; White,
DGFA-1, 1315; note 275, above;
Books Three, Five, Six, Eight, & Ten;
Daigre/Daigle family page.
307. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2083;
Darembourg family page.
308. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2011-12; De La Roque
"Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:17;
Books Five, Six, Eight, & Ten;
Dantin family page.
309. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2125; De La Roque "Tour
of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:133; Hébert, D.,
Acadians in Exile, 262, 295;
White, DGFA-1, 1040-41;
Books Five, Six, Eight, & Ten;
Legendre family page.
310. See White, DGFA-1, 796-97;
Arbour family page.
Note that Stephen A. White includes this family in his study
of the inhabitants of greater Acadia from 1636 to 1714.
This indicates that the family was "Acadian" in the sense
that a member of the family must have lived there between
those dates. Bona Arsenault does not include this
family in his study, at least not this
Arbour family. See note
285, above.
311. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2046; De La Roque "Tour
of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:21;
Robichaux, Acadians in Châtellerault, 93-94;
Robichaux, Acadians in Nantes, 154-55; Robichaux,
Acadians in St.-Malo, 731-34; Books Five, Six, Eight, &
Ten;
Templet family page.
312. See
Latier
family page.
313. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2067, 2320-21; De La
Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:109-10; White, DGFA-1, 633; Books Five, Six,
Eight, & Ten;
Billeray family page.
314.
See
De La Roque, "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905,
2-A; Hébert, D., Acadian Families in Exile 1785,
62-63, 84-85; Hébert, D., Southwest LA Records, vols. 2-A, 2-B, 2-C,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9;
<islandregister.com/1752.html>; NOAR, vols. 1, 4; Robichaux, Bayou Lafourche, 1770-98, 33,
165; Wall of
Names, 42;
Neveu family page.
315. See
De La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:121; Books Five, Six, Eight, & Ten;
Crochet family page.
The identity of wife Pélagie Benoit is
something of a mystery. See
Benoit
family page.
316.
See Arsenault, Généalogie, 1806; White, DGFA-1,
757;
Boucher family page.
317. See
Arsenault, Généalogie, 1107-08, 2004; De La
Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905, 2A:17; White,
DGFA-1, 183-84; White, DGFA-1 English, 38;
Boucher family page.
318. See Robichaux,
Acadians in St.-Malo, 337-38.
319. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1904;
LeBlanc
family page.
320. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1991;
Vincent
family
page.
321. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
1437, 2127; Book Three.
322. See De La Roque
"Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905, 2A; White,
DGFA-1, 87-88.
481.
See Arsenault, Généalogie, 1698, 1966-67, 2138;
Griffiths, From Migrant to
Acadian, 446; Lockerby, Deportation of the PEI Acadians;
White, DGFA-1,
1422-24; Book Five, Six, Eight, & Ten;
Villejoin family page.
485. Quotation from De
La Roque "Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives
1905,
2A:53. See also
Arsenault, Généalogie, 2027; White, DGFA-1, 1545.
487. See Arsenault, Généalogie,
2046; De La Roque
"Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:59,
68;
White, DGFA-1, 161-62.
488. See
Arsenault, Généalogie,
2135; De La Roque
"Tour of Inspection," Canadian Archives 1905, 2A:89;
White, DGFA-1, 1144-45.
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