Cocagne, New Brunswick

1767 ~ The First Settlers

Cocagne was first settled in 1767. Joseph Gueguen, Fran?ois Arseneau, Jean Bourg/Bourque, Paul H?bert and their families were the first to settle permanently in Cocagne.
Arriving in this place was not exactly a first experience for these pioneering families. Leaving Beaubassin in a futile attempt to seek out a safe haven during the Deportation of 1755, these same ancestors had travelled with other Acadian families toward northern New Brunswick and along the way found temporary shelter in this place which had become a refugee center. In fact, Paul H?bert and his family had spent some time here between 1755-1756.
What irony that a dozen years later these same families would become the pioneers of Cocagne!

In Search of a Safe Haven
In 1756, these found pioneering families were in Baie des Ou?nes (pronounced "winds"), located in the Miramichi region where some Acadian families had sought refuge. As in other Acadian refugee centers, there was very great suffering and misery. In 1759-1760, seeing no other say out of this terrible and frightening situation, these families - as well as many other Acadian families, decided to go to Fort Cumberland (renamed from Fort Beaus?jour after it fell to the British) to surrender. Many Acadians had died of starvation in Miramichi. There they signed the act of submission to the English authorities - but they did not pledge allegiance to the crown. Once at Cumberland, they were treated as prisoners of war and were under constant guard. The only good thing in this situation is that they now had food and it was provided at British expense. In fact, Joseph Gueguen was put in charge of distributing the food to the Acadians.

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

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