It was during the occasion of their second national convention, held in Miscouche in Prince Edward Island in 1884, that the Acadians of the Maritime Provinces chose their flag and national anthem. They adopted the French Tricolor in order to demonstrate that they were not forgetful of the origins of their ancestors. What distinguishes the Acadian flag from that of France is a star "Face of Mary", situated in the blue rectangle of the former, for the color blue is symbolic of the Virgin Mary. This star, "Stella Maris", which is praised in the Acadian national anthem guides the Acadian people through their hardships.

It bears the papal color as being representative of the unwaivering adherence of the Acadians to the Roman Catholic Church. In 1984, we witnessed the 100th anniversary of the act which, for Acadians, having chosen this flag and anthem is symbolic of their emergence as a people.

In 1812 (1806,[See Note 1]) one of the first recorded murders in Prince Edward Island occurred when 57 year old (51 Year Old [See Note 1]) Francois Xavier Gallant, an Acadian farmer from Malpec, decoyed his wife into the deep woods of the Rosehill Farm on Lot 16, not far from the present day City of Summerside and murdered her.

Xavier was the son of Louis (Hache) and Anne (Chiasson) Gallant. Louis was born about 1727, Anne about 1736. They were married on the 8th of January 1753 at Saint Pierre du Nord, l'Ile Saint Jean. The Gallant family was one of the first settlers in the Rustico area. The Louis River south of the Roman Catholic Church is named after Louis Gallant. Shortly after their marriage, they had to flee for their lives from the English deportations of the late 1750's. They left their Island home and settled in Restigouche County, New Brunswick. It is here, on the 9th of January 1761, that Francois Xavier Gallant was baptized. Some time later the family moved to Shippegan, Anne (Chiasson) Gallant died there on the 13th of April 1814. Louis' parents were François Hache and Anne (Boudrot) Gallant. Anne's were François and Anne (Doucette) Chiasson. Xavier was one of nine children born to Louis and Anne, all of them probably born in Restigouche. In order of birth from the oldest to the youngest they were:

i. Francois Xavier, called Pinquaing (Pinquin), was born about 1756.

ii. Firmin (dit Paneau) was born about 1758. He first married Madeleine Poirier, the daughter of Jean Baptiste Poirier about 1780, probably in Malpec. He then married Martine Bernard on the 5th of February 1821 at the Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Mont-Carmel. She was the widow of Simon Arsenault. Firmin and his family was one of the first settlers in the Mont-Carmel area. Firmin and Madeleine had nine children: Joseph, Pierre, Cyprien, Amand Laurant, Firmin, Juliette, Marie, and Sophie.

iii. Fabion (dit Perry) was born about 1760. He married Marie Doucette about 1782, probably in Malpec. She was the daughter of Jean and Marguerite (Gaudet) Doucette, and widow of Pierre Poirier of Miscouche. Fabion was in the Rustico area in 1798. The had ten children: Marie, Fidelle, Fabion (Bianne), Charlotte, Sophie, Isaac, Joseph (Cliven), Thomas, Judith, and Victor.

iv. Victor was born about 1761 and baptized on the 3rd of February 1761.

v. Joseph was born about 1762. He married Scholastique Chiasson on the 21st of June 1792 in Caraquet. She was the daughter of Joseph and Anne (Hache) Chiasson. She may have died in Shipegan on the 13th of July 1812. They had four children: David, Marie, Genevieve, and Jean Noel.

vi. Alexandre G., called Cendre, was born about 1763. He married Scholastique Gallant, the daughter of Joseph a Jacques and Josephte (Boudrot) Gallant about 1780, probably in Port La Joie. They had six children: Clement, Cyrille, Judith, Fabion, Daniel, and Joseph. Scholastique died on the 10th of June 1821 in Egmont Bay.

vii. Jean Baptiste was born about 1764. He married Françoise Hache Gallant about 1786, probably in Miscou. He then married Marie Vautour. Françoise was probably the daughter of Jean Baptiste and Helene (Richard) Gallant. The children of his first marriage were: Joseph, Bruno, and Christian. One child was born from his second marriage, a son named Octave.

viii. Louis was born about 1766. He married Judith Hache Gallant, sister to Françoise in about 1790, probably in Miscou. They had eight children: Sebastion, Fabion, Bruno, Moise, Leandre, Anthime, Edesse, and Bathilde.

ix. Anastasie, who was called Failli, was born about 1768, and married François (Canadien) Doucette, son of Michel and Louise (Belleveau) Doucette and Madeleine's brother. She died about 1812.

Xavier and two of his brothers, Alexandre and Fabion, returned to l'Ile St-Jean at the first opportunity and it is here that Xavier met and married Madeleine Doucette in about 1778, probably in Port La Joie. The deportation of the Acadians in 1758 did not remove all of the Acadians from the Island. About 200 to 300 Acadians who had come back, or who had remained, managed a meagre existence by means of fishing or by hunting. In 1767 when the Island was divided among the landlords, some of them induced some of the Acadians to become their tenants. By 1798 a considerable number of Acadians were living in townships 16, 17, and 19.

Madeleine Doucette was the daughter of Michel, (Isaac, called Digouginge [See Note 3]) and Louise (Belleveau) Doucette. Michel Doucette was born on the 5th of April 1734 in Beaubasin, Acadia, across what is now called the Northumberland Strait from l'Ile St-Jean. He had come with his parents to Malpec in 1741, and is the ancestor of all the Doucette's of Prince Edward Island. Michel married Louise Belliveau of Tracadie, l'Ile St-Jean in 1763. Michel and Louise revalidated their marriage at l'Ile Miquelon on the 9th of August 1765. Michel and Louise were in Miquelon with their three children in 1767. They were still there in 1776 with five of their children. At that time they owned 1/2 Chaffaud, 1/2 Grave, 1/2 Chaloupe, 1/2 Canot, and 3 Bêtes à Cornes. Louise was born on the 22nd of February 1738 and christened on the 6th of March 1738 in Port La Joie. Louise was buried in La Rochelle France on the 4th of August 1779, Michel on the 23rd of August 1779. Madeleine was one of nine children born to Michel and Louise. In order of birth from oldest to youngest they were:

i. Joseph who was born about 1763.

ii Madeleine who was born about 1765. She was not listed on the l'Ile Miquelon census of May 1767.

iii. Charlotte Louise who was born about 1766. She married Joseph Pineau. She died in Rustico about 1815.

iv. Anthanese who was born about 1767. He married Adelaide Arsenault. He and his family settled in Rustico.

v. Marie Josephte who was born about 1768.

vi. Michel who was born about 1770. He married Marie Gaudet, widow of Simon Gallant about 1798. He and his family settled in Rustico.

vii. François who was called Canadien. He was born about 1771. He married Anastasie (Failli) Hache Gallant, Xavier's younger sister. He and his family settled in Rustico.

viii. Pierre, who was born about 1773

ix. Firmin, who was born about 1774.

Madeleine's paternal grandparents were François and Marie (Carré) Doucette. Her maternal grandparents, Louis and Louise Hache (Gallant) Belliveau.

Xavier and Madeleine took up residence on a farm on the shores of Malpeque Bay and proceeded to have a family of five boys and two girls. The boys were named as follows: L'Ange, Daniel, Fidele Major, Victor and Bruno. The Girls: Judithe and Edeste.

About a month before the fateful day in June 1812, Xavier had the notion that the family dog was a sorcerer and asked the family if they would allow him the favor to kill the dog as that would deliver him, as the dog was a witch - after which he decapitated the animal with a broad axe.

On the 11th of June 1812, (1806 [See Note 1]) Xavier's behavior took a violent and sinister turn, he lured his wife into the dark forest of Rosehill Farm and slit her throat. He then hastily buried her corpse beneath a fallen tree trunk. Xavier did not return to the village that night but stayed on a gruesome watch in the forest. The next day the people of the village, anxious for the return of the couple arranged a search party to look for them. Under the direction of the infamous Major Compton, this party, guided by shouts from the deranged Xavier found him pacing up and down the trunk of the tree that he had buried Madeleine under.

There is a touching story in connection with this murder. The day that Madeleine made her fateful trip into the Rosehill Farm woods, she left two young children, possibly her grandchildren, in the care of a young crippled girl, who by some means had lost the use of her upper limbs early in life. Madeleine had befriended this poor child and become a symbol of womanhood to her. She was her mentor and friend. The young girl helped Madeleine as best she could with the household chores and with caring for the younger children. This young lady, also gifted with a poetic talent, was overcome with grief at the untimely death of her close friend, and composed a sad lament which she used to sing while walking up and down the forest paths. This dirge became rather well known in the area, so well known in fact, that the priest of the Parish, L'Abbe de Calonne, who knew the child's history asked her to sing the song one Sunday afternoon between Church services. The L'Abbe was a personal friend of Colonel Compton and a brother of King Louis XIV's Finance Minister at the start of the French Revolution. L'Abbe Calonne being of a noble French family, feared for his life and fled to England during the French Revolution. His papal leaders in Rome then assigned him to minister to the Catholic population of Prince Edward Island. The young lady replied that she could not possibly sing it, for it was Sunday, the explanation being that Sunday was the day her dear friend met her awful fate. The L'Abbe persisted and the young lady finally sang the lament on the banks of a small stream that ran through the Pavillon Farm. The Pavillon Farm was the country estate of the Compton Family. The young girl's singing brought tears to the eyes of the congregation, for the song was lovely and her voice exceedingly sweet, standing there with her white face and dark sad eyes.

The story of Xavier and Madeleine has never died, today a fair portion of the Parishes of Egmont Bay and Mont Carmel, in Prince County, P.E.I. are descended from this unfortunate couple and one of the most famous and popular Acadian folk songs is "Le Meurtrier de Sa Femme" (The Murder of his Wife), the origin of which is unknown but may well be the ballad that Madeleine's young friend composed. For it first became popular early in the 1800's. There are now at least 25 different versions of this folk song and it is sung in Acadian Settlements on the east coast of New Brunswick, in the Magdeleine Islands, and even as far away as the North Shore in the Province of Quebec, as well as in Prince County, P.E.I. [See Note 2]. The original song probably had about 50 lines. Among the versions Georges Arsenault recovered from tradition, very few contain more than 30 lines.

Xavier was taken into custody and because there was no jail closer to the village than Charlotte Town, Xavier was taken there. The constable who escorted Xavier to jail, later stated that as they approached Charlotte Town, Gallant said "he was delivered (from his sins) by two geese and that St. John and St. Paul appeared to him and delivered him - but that he fell into sin again." On the 3rd day of July he appeared before Judge Caser Colclough in the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. Judge Robert Gray and Judge James Curtis sat with the jury. Here Xavier pleaded "not guilty" to the murder of his spouse Madeleine before a twelve man jury consisting entirely of Englishmen. James Bardin Palmer was assigned as his attorney and eleven witnesses were subpoenaed to appear before the court. The crown had six witnesses testify on its behalf, Xavier had five. Testifying for the crown were Victor (Choutte) Gallant, son of the accused, Fidelle Major Gallant, another son, Jean Baptiste Gallant, cousin of the accused, Prosper Poirier, Daniel Campbell, a prominent landowner in the area, and Colonel Harry Compton. Testifying for the defense were Placide Arsenault, William Clark, George Blood, Samuel Cameron, a neighbor of the accused, and L'Ange Gallant, Xavier's oldest son.

Punishment attached to the breaking of English laws in the late 18th and early 19th centuries was swift and intense. Public humiliation, corporal punishment, sometimes torture and mutilation of the offender were the norm. Punishments in ascending order of severity were: Detention in the stocks or pillory, branding on the hand with a hot iron in open court, whipping at one of the three town landmarks, and public hanging by the neck until dead. Added to that, was that the jails were often worse then animal barns. No heat, barely shelter from the rain or snow. Care of the prisoner was at the expense of the family, who would have to provide for his upkeep, by providing the jailor with monies to provide food and clothing.

Most of the witnesses gave their opinion that Xavier was mentally unstable. His son Fidelle Major testified that the people of the village believed that Xavier was responsible for the mysterious death of his Father Louis. Another son, L'Ange Gallant testified that his father's strange mental state appeared at the Mardi Gras two years previous. Since that time his parents quarrelled regularly. Another witness testified that Xavier had lost his senses after obtaining a sum of money from a Mr. Marsh. Prosper Poirier agreed in his testimony that Xavier was different after the money was given to him. Daniel Campbell testified that the sum of money was three hundred and eighty dollars ($380.00). Living in a cash poor society, he became obsessed that he would lose his wealth. He stopped working, began to talk about witchcraft, and often slept out in the woods at night. Further in Fidelle's testimony, he said that his father blamed his wife Madeleine and the children for stealing the money from him and also for putting a curse on his dog. He also testified that his father sometimes imagined that Madeleine was married to his sons and not to him.

After six hours of testimony, the jury was dismissed to decide the verdict, another one and a half hours later the jury returned with a "guilty as charged" and a recommendation of mercy from the Crown. The judge dismissed the court until the 9th of July for sentencing. When Xavier was brought before Judge Colclough that day, the Chief Justice ignored the jury's recommendation of mercy and Xavier was sentenced to be executed for his crime by hanging by the neck until dead, following which his body was to be anatomized or cut up into pieces- as if the cause of his mad crime might be found within. Xavier was the first Islander to be sentenced to death for murder. Xavier's lawyer, Mr. Palmer immediately proposed that he penalty of death was too severe and the execution be postponed while the court debated the motion. Mr. Palmer succeeded in persuading the Judge to re-evaluate his decision. The court was adjourned until the next Saturday to discuss Mr. Palmer's motion. From that meeting Judge Colclough decided that the execution should be rescinded and Xavier's punishment should be imprisonment until he died in the Charlottetown Jail. This was decided in light of the evidence given that Xavier was not mentally stable and not fully responsible for his actions.

So in July of 1812, Xavier went to prison for the rest of his life. However the jailer was not provided with food and wood to maintain his prisoners. They slept on bare floors in filth. Xavier's upkeep was supposed to come from the sale of his property. These funds ran out in February 1813, although the jailer did not officially mention it to the Executive Council until September 1813.In this jail, Xavier lived under such terrible conditions that it prompted the warden, Caleb Sentner to write to the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Prince Edward Island, on the 21st of September 1813, a petition protesting the wretched and deplorable state and inhuman conditions some prisoners were forced to live under in this dreadful place, particularly one Xavier Gallant. Another inmate by the name of "Murphy, the person deranged in his mind, is under the necessity of being pinioned down to the floor for want of a strait jacket, such are used in Bedlam, and that he is in the most shameful situation, every office of nature being done in his place of confinement, which in itself is enough to breed disease in the place, it being so small and close." The first crude jail structure built in Charlottetown was constructed in 1797. A log house jail was built in the city about 1812. Until 1830, the jail was primarily a holding cell where prisoners were chained until their punishment and release. In 1820, Xavier's ex-counsel Mr. James Bardin Palmer, now counsel for some of the prisoners presently being detained in the Charlotte Town jail, in response to a motion from the prosecution for an adjournment of criminal cases, urged the necessity of proceeding immediately from the miserable condition of the Gaol (sic), and the consequent weight of shackles with which they were secured. In 1824, at the time of Lieutenant Governor Smith's departure, the jail was a ruin, a disgrace to any community, and, therefore, not entitled to be called a public building. A new Queen's County jail was built in 1830.

Xavier died after 16 months of incarceration in the Charlottetown Jail on the 6th of November 1813, apparently from starvation or malnutrition and cold. The inquest determined that Xavier Gallant "died of the visitation of God, and in a natural way." He is thought to be buried under what is now the Malpeque Road at the edge of the City of Charlottetown.

For many generations after the murder and so long as the dark spruce forest bordered the edge of the highway, people who travelled through Rosehill Farm at night sensed an eeriness, and rumors of strange and weird goings-on in the darkness of the woods of Rosehill abounded. According to the legend which continues to this day, Xavier's "treasure" is still buried somewhere in Rosehill, Lot 16. The year 1812 also saw an exodus of Acadian families leave the Riviere Platte area and move to the Egmont Bay and Mont Carmel areas. Many English settlers were moving into the Lot 16 area and looking with covetous eyes upon the beautiful farms cleared by the hard working Acadians. They quickly profited by the unhappy circumstances of the Acadians by giving very little value for the land they were occupying. By 1820 all of the Acadians had left the Riviere Platte area, the last even taking their small wooden chapel with them to the newly formed parish of Miscouche.

The Murder of His Wife [9][See Note 2]

Come listen to the song I'll sing for you
About a strange thing that happened here.
Oh, he was a man, but alas he was a pagan;
He put to an end the life of his poor wife.

"Armed he still is and in the attic he sleeps.
Armed he is with an axe, and a poker too.
For the love of God, dear brethren, come spare me,
Share in my pain, for I fear great danger."

One day he said to his wife, "I must head forth
To the top of my field. Will thou come with me?"
He took her then, leading her to the hemlock tree.
So cruel was he that he left her in shreds.

After this great carnage, off to the house he went
With barely a glance for this terrible thing.
He said to their children, "Take all my money.
I shall flee, but to you I leave all my money."

Off for the village the children went all in tears
To look for their mother, lost in the woods.
All able folk did hasten forth to find her.
But the devil led the killer and kept him hidden.

He showed them the place he had killed her.
The edge of her skirt was not hidden.
She lay dead, all covered in blood,
Her face on the ground, her mouth all bound.

They lifted up her body and carried it home,
An example for to show her young children.
The young children, in tears, dared not come near,
Saying, "Alas, what misfortune befalls us!"

And so, poor criminal, may you receive what you deserve.
May the ground open up and swallow you whole.
For so long did you linger behind bars,
From hunger and thirst you died a slow death.

Xavier and Madeleine had eight [See Note 6] children. All of them born in or around Malpec.

1. L'Ange was born about 1780. He married Marie (Helene) Gallant. She was the daughter of Jean Baptiste and Helene (Richard) Gallant. They had twelve children: Helene, Ursin, Madeleine, Hypolyte, Judith, Moise, Lucile, Jean, Vital, Eulalie, Marie, and Casimir

2. Daniel was born about 1782. He married Marguerite Arsenault on the 26th of September 1814 in Rustico, P.E.I. She was the daughter of Paul and Anne (Bernard) Arsenault. Daniel and Marguerite had fifteen children: Marie, Joseph, Daniel, Damien, Fidelle, Julithe, Christostome, Laurant Amand, Dosithee, Bruno, Elie, Madeleine, Norburt, Bonaventure, Dorothee, and Philomene. They lived in Mont Carmel.

3. Fidelle Major, born about 1784, he first married Barbe Poirier and second he married Marguerite Arsenault. Marguerite was the daughter of Paul and Claire (Brun) Arsenault of Mont Carmel. Fidelle and Marguerite were married on the 14th of November 1837 at St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church in Miscouche. The only child of his first wife was Louise. The children of his second wife were Joseph, Marie, Stanislas, and Hubert. They lived in Tignish.

4. Victor, who was called Choutte, he was born about 1786. He married Charlotte Bernard on the 10th of February 1817 at St. Philippe et St. Jacques Roman Catholic Church in Egmont Bay. She was the daughter of Hilarion Bernard and Marie (Gallant) Bernard. They were one of the first settlers in the Egmont Bay area and settled in the village of St. Christostome. They had nine children: Marie, Madeleine, Ursule, Sophique, Pacifique, Judith, Meleme, Zephiron, and Louise. Charlotte died on the 30th of July 1862, age 70 years in Egmont Bay.

5. Bruno was born about 1788. He married Henriette Aucoin in the Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Mont Carmel, P.E.I. on the 19th of February 1822. She was the daughter of Jean Charles (Yankee Jean) and Rosalie (Bernard) Aucoin. Bruno and Henriette had seven children: Julie, Madeleine, Marie, Theophile, Elie, Philomene, and Clothilde. They lived in Mont Carmel.

6. Julithe was born about 1790. She married Clement Martin who was called Lesse of Rustico. He was the son of Pierre and Anne (Gallant) Martin.

7. Edeste was born about 1792. She first married Amand Martin of Rustico. Her second marriage was to Joseph Gallant in about 1876.

8. Gallant, [See Note 6]

References

[1] Roads to Summerside, Ada MacLeod, pages 24,53

[2] Complaintes Acadiennes de l'Ile du Prince Edouard, Georges Arsenault, pages 14,19,27,82,84,88,117-168

[3] Genealogie de St. Christostome, Aubin J. Arsenault, pages 35,36,37,42,44

[4] Rustico, une Paroisse Acadienne de L'Ile du Prince Edouard, J. Henri Blanchard, pages 33,74-76,78,80-82,93,113-116

[5] In the Shadows of the Gallows, Jim Hornby, pages 16,45,46,47,55-56,63

[6] Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume 5, pages 335-336

[7] By the Old Mill Stream, Various, pages 466-467

[8] The Prince Edward Island Magazine, Volume #4-5, July 1899, "The First Settlers of St. Eleanor", Hubert G. Compton, pages 169-170,

[9] The Island Magazine, #37, Spring-Summer 1995, "Venez Ecouter la Complainte", Georges Arsenault, pages 3-12

[10] Michel Hache Gallant et ses Descendants, Tome 1, Patrice Gallant, Ptre., pages 17-18,22

[11] ibed 10, Tome 2, pages 33-36,39,40,41,48,72-74

[12] Miscouche Acadian Museum Records

[13] Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Roman Catholic Church Records, Mont Carmel, P.E.I.

[14] St. Philippe et St. Jacques Roman Catholic Church Records, Egmont Bay, P.E.I.

[15] St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church Records, Miscouche, P.E.I.

[16] Baie des Chaleur Parish Records, Janet B. Jehn, pages 21,26

[17] Histoire et Genealogie des Acadiens, Volume 2, Bona Arsenault, pages 409,412

[18] ibed 17, Volume 3, pages 903,959

[19] ibed 17, Volume 5, pages 2098,2106,2111-2112

[20] ibed 17, Volume 6, pages 2206-2207,2230

[21] The Abigweit Review, Fall 1990, pages 85-103, "Les Chansons Acadiennes de Composition Locale", ?

[22] The Acadians of Prince Edward Island, J. Henri Blanchard, pages 75,77

[23] 1798 Census of Prince Edward Island

[24] Cinq Cinquatieme Anniversaire de la Paroisse N.D. du Mont Carmel, Various, pages 15,25,32,33,46,47,50

[25] Premier Centenaire de l'Eglise Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, David LeGallant, pages 1-2

[26] Les Acadiens de l"Ile Saint Pierre et Miquelon, Michel Poirier, page 211,287

[27] L'Acadie de Mes Ancestres, Yvon Leger, page 157

[28] Parish of St. Charles Borromeo, Antoinette DesRoches, CND, pages 27-28

Notes:

[1] In Ada MacLoed's "Roads to Summerside" she writes that the murder occurred in 1806, this is an error. As a result her calculation of his age is inaccurate.

[2] In Georges Arsenault's "Complaintes Acadiennes", a comprehensive verse by verse comparison of the various renditions of "Le Meurtrier de Sa Femme" is on pages 117 to 168.

[3] In Aubin J. Arsenault's Genealogie des St. Christostome, he records Madeleine's father as Michel. Patrice Gallant, Ptre. agrees with this on page 35 of his "Michel Hache Gallant et ses Descendents." J. Henri Blanchard in "Rustico, une Paroisse Acadienne" lists Madeleine's father as Isaac.

[4] Probably and about birth dates were calculated from census records. Probably and about marriage dates were calculated 1 to 2 years before the first child was born. Probably marriage places were determined from location of residence of the family, probably birth places from census information.

[5] Over the last 300 years, there have been at least 3 locations for the village of Malpeque. All of them situated around Malpeque Bay. The earliest location was on the west side of the Bay. The location during Xavier's time was on the south side of the Bay. These two locations are now in Prince County. The present location of Malpeque is on the east side of the Bay. Remember that west to Islanders is generally in a north direction, and east is generally south. It's an Island thing! From where I live in Summerside, its always "Up West" if one is referring to places like Tignish or Alberton. Also I have used an earlier spelling of Malpeque (Malpec) in the text.

[6] The Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume 5, page 335, says there was an eighth child born to Xavier and Madeleine, no further information is available, may of been a child who died as a very young infant.

[7] Any inaccuracies with dates, places, names, and relationships, is purely my responsibility and I am always happy to change same to reflect more recent research. Please send corrections to my attention at jperry@pei.sympatico.ca along with complete documentation.

8] My descent from Xavier and Madeleine is two fold:

1. Xavier Gallant & Madeleine Doucette,Daniel Gallant-Marguerite Arsenault,Joseph Daniel Gallant-Bathilde Richard,Justine Gallant-Joseph Gallant,Mathilde Gallant-Calixte Arsenault,Joseph Theodore Calixte Arsenault (m29Feb1916) Mary Bella Arsenault, Marie Gertrude Arsenault-Joseph Edward Elmer Perry,James Henry Perry

2. Xavier Gallant & Madeleine Doucette, Bruno Gallant-Henriette Aucoin,Julienne Gallant-Hughues Arsenault,Bathilde Arsenault-Germain Arsenault,Joseph Balcide Arsenault-Marie Anne Gallant,Joseph Theodore Calixte Arsenault (m29Feb1916) Mary Bella Arsenault, Marie Gertrude Arsenault-Joseph Edward Elmer Perry, James Henry Perry

Biography - James Perry is a graduate of the Nova Scotia Institute of Technology with a diploma in Electrical Technology. He has worked in the engineering area from companies that manufacture switchgears to those that build nuclear reactors and anti-counterfeiting device for currency. He recently received his Industrial Electrician Certification and work with a major frozen french fry manufacturer here on PEI.

His interest in family history and Genealogy goes back to when he was a young child, at his grandmother's home in Summerside. They had 13 children and summers there were an never ending line of people coming home and visting and getting caught up on the news. James would sit for hours, quietly in a corner listening to the stories of who was where, who married who, who was born and who passed away. Never inputting anything as was young and it was past his bedtime. He was sometime found asleep late into the night in the same corner. From this grew a love of family history and a self-made mandate to put as much of it down on paper as he could.

His wife descends from the English side of the channel. and quite possibly from the same stock as expelled the Acadians from L'Acadie. Despite that he loves her and the children she has given him. The most recent edition (October 1998) will be able to keep the Perry name going. Their first son was born at the same hospital where James was born.

In 1996, James and his family returned to live in their homeland (PEI) after 18 years in the cities of Ontario. After some adjustments, they are beginning to love and the pastoral lifestyle it affords. James says that being a lot closer to the prime source records is lovely too!

Henri de Tonti (Tonty) was born in (1649-50); son of Lorenzo de Tonty and of Isabelle di Lietto. The family being Italian, sought refuge in France after the loss of the rebellion against the Viceroy of Spain; The Duke of Arcos, in which he (Henri) participated.

In 1668- 1669 Henri was a cadet in the French army. He spent the next four years as a "garde-marine" and served at Marseilles and Toulon. He took part in seven Naval campaigns - four aboard war ships and three aboard the "galeres". He was sent to Sicily to serve as second captain to the camp master, at Messine. During an attack of the Spanish at "Libisso", a grenade blew of his right hand and he was taken prisoner. He remained a prisoner for six months at "Metasse. He was finally liberated in exchange for the governor's son. Upon his return to France, King Louis XIV awarded him an indemnity of 300 L. Undaunted, Henri returned to Italy and volunteered aboard the "galeres."

At the end of the war of Holland, in 1678, Tonty returned to France and was sent with LaSalle, to be his lieutenant, to explore the Illinois Territory and to find the entrance to the Mississippi. LaSalle, having obtained a royal patent in May of 1678 to proceed in the labor and discovery of the Mississippi and to build as many forts as he saw fit within 5 years. Having secured several loans, LaSalle and about 30 men and 2 lieutenants including La Motte and Henri de Tonti, set sail from New Rochelle, France.

On September 15, 1678, aboard the ship the "Saint-Honoré," they arrived at Quebec and on December 26, of that same year, they reached the Niagara River. Here for the rest of the winter, Tonty overtook the construction of Fort Conti below the falls and the building of a ship, the "Griffon"; which would take them on their expedition down the great Mississippi River.

Henri Tonty was lieutenant to Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle the great explorer, in charge of building Fort Conti at the base of the great Falls named Niagara and the ship the "Griffin," that would take them on their exploration, for Louis XIV, King of France. The fort was named after Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, a patron of Henri Tonty. By order of the King of France; they were to build as many Forts and Trading Post as possible and to discover the mouth of the great highway - the Mississippi River. If successful, this would be for France the discovery of a Kingdom many times greater in size than its own province.

Joliet and Marquette had already made part of this journey. They discovered that the great river did not empty into the Gulf of California nor into the Atlantic, so they returned with this news to Canada. Now it was up to LaSalle and his men to find the answer.

Henri Tonty had become a true and devoted friend and supporter to the Chevalier, LaSalle and the feelings were mutually shared. These two adventurous souls shed their splendid French Uniforms and dressed, befitting the occasion, by wearing buckskin clothing for their long and treacherous journey that lay ahead. Many hundreds of miles of walking through wilderness and dragging canoes behind them would be the mode of transportation along these shores to reach the sites where forts would be built. Trading or fighting with the different Indian tribes along the way would also be part of their experience.

Henri Tonty, having lost his hand in a European war, was known to the Indians as "Bras-de-fer" (Copper Hand or Brass Hand), since he had been fitted in Europe with such a replacement. They also believed that he had magical powers because of it. If he struck a blow to an enemy with this hand his opponent was left defenseless or dead. He was an honorable man and well liked among most of the Indians that he encountered. He was well versed in the Indian language and proved valuable in trading and forming alliances with each tribe that he met from the Illinois territory to the mouth of the Mississippi.

Having departed the great falls in 1681, in the dead of winter, they along with eighteen Indians and twenty-three Frenchmen, made their way by dragging canoes on sledges till they reached open water at Peoria Lake. Here they fought with all their skill, great masses of floating ice until they passed the mouth of the Missouri and the Ohio; having reached the Chickasaw Bluffs in late February. Moving onward, they would eventually feel the soft breezes of spring and drink in the beautiful floral perfumes of foliage and flowers as no white man had ever had the privilege of doing before. What a breath-taking sight each bend in this great river must have given them as they plied their way along this unfamiliar path.

Finally, reaching the Arkansas banks where Joliet and Marquette had turned back, they placed a cross with the arms of France on it. This has since been known as Napoleon, Arkansas. Onward they passed what is now Vicksburg, Natchez and Mobile and entered the hot and steamy area of the Teche country, now known as the home of the Acadians. They met many Indian chiefs along this route and were received by most of them with food, dancing, peace pipe sharing and bead exchanging.

Aftermany months, this tired and exhausted party of explorers reached the great river at a place known today as New Orleans. On March 25, 1682, they erected a cross in honor of the king of France. From the cold winds of Illinois and the thousands of miles in between to the Gulf of Mexico, this now was the territory of France; having named the whole of it The Louisiana Territory.

Later, LaSalle would return to colonize this area, while Tonty set up trading posts at the forts and colonized the areas surrounding them. This ill-fated return would bring his (LaSalle's) death by mutiny. Having strayed off course, he ended up in the Gulf of Mexico. He would be buried, in what is now Texas, near the Trinity River Area.

After searching in vain for his friend and commander, Tonty received word of LaSalle's death. Rumor has it that these men were later tracked down and put to death for their crime.

In 1886, Tonty named an outpost The Arkansas Post on the Arkansas River and this was the first European settlement of Louisiana.

Born circa 1649, Henri Tonty died in 1704. At age 28, he began his service to LaSalle and formed a friendship that lasted well beyond LaSalle's death. He honored his commander by continuing his work of colonizing and building a large fur trade in the Mississippi Valley. He canoed the great Mississippi River over 6 times and knew it and its people well. He commanded the Canadian Soldiers at the outpost of Mobile and was respected by those who knew him. He led many campaigns against the Indians who had allied with the British.

Some say he died of yellow fever in September of 1704. Others say he was governor of Arkansas and Louisiana and eventually returned to France with his family, to become Mayor of the town he settled in. This is something that needs to be verified by the author (me) or the next interested party to this great mans saga.

Henri Tonty's family included a brother, Alphonse de Tonty, Baron of Paludy b. 1659 France, buried 1727, Detroit, m. Marie-Anne Picote de Belestre in Montreal on 17-02-1689. Among their children was a daughter; Marie Joseph, b.27-05-1713 Montreal, married Louis d'Amours, Sieur de Louvieres b. 16-07-1698 Ste. Foy (Quebec), bur. Mtl., son of Charles d'Amours, Sieur de Louvieres and Marie-Anne Thibodeau. This is my connection to the Tonty line.

For over three hundred years many tides have washed ashore, suns have set, storms have come and gone and people have lived and died. But not until recently were LaSalle's ships discovered in Matagorda Bay just off the coast of Texas. They has been excavated and their contents are being displayed and studied. Canons with the french king's Crest were found and many glass beads used for trading were on board and brought up along with many other treasures. This is very exciting news since this is a major part of an ancestor's life being revived.

As recently as a few months ago, several more canons were found buried on a ranch in Texas by its owner. They are the same as those found on LaSalle's ships in the bay. These canons also have the same crest of the king of France. It is highly possible that they (canon's) were buried there by LaSalle's surviving party, Tonty's searching party or LaSalle himself. In any event, the saga continues. As I continue my questi n this search, hopefully someday view, photograph and maybe get to touch some of what my Little Known Hero, Henri Tonty aka "Bras-de-fer" touched and knew so well! Surely they could spare some glass beads? Is that too much to ask?

References:

1. CANADA , by McIlwraith, Jean N., Toronto: Briggs 1899 pages; 91,92,95 &96.

2.HEROES OF THE MIDDLE WEST: The French by Catherwood, Mary Hartwell Boston : Ginn 1900 pages, 47-51.

3. ARKANSAS BEFORE THE AMERICANS Edited by Hester A. Davis prologue to the University of Arkansas Archaeological Catalog 1991, ISBN 1-56349-070-6

4. LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Mark Twain, ch. 2: THE RIVER AND ITS EXPLORERS the electronic book shelf: http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/resource/bookshelf/lmiss11/chapter02.html

5. Center for Archaeological Studies - Old Mobile Archaeological website, developed by Jo Ann Okuzono OLD MOBILE ARCHAEOLOGY http://www.southalabama.edu/archaeology/old_mobile/meet_ the_colonist.htm pages 1-9

6. OLD FORT NIAGARA, Youngstown, New York Three Hundred Years of History, Gateway to the West- The French 1678-1759 http://www.oldfortniagara.org/frenchhistory.htm page 3

7. BISHOP LAVAL, vol. II, by A. LeBlond de Brumath, Makers of Canada, Series, Morang & Co., Ltd., 1909

8. Alphonse Tonty lineage; marriages and children Tanguay, vol. 1

9. GENEALOGY OF THE FRENCH FAMILIES OF THE DETROIT RIVER REGION, by Denissen

Biography: Linda Louviere (d'Amours) was born in Houston, Texas but her roots grow deep in the Acadian Teche country of New Iberia, Louisiana. A direct descendant of the six founding fathers of the town, she has an abiding love for anything Acadian. Crossing the state line makes her feel very much at home in Louisiana.

A mother of four grown children and four grandchildren, Linda is a semi-retired paralegal. Having graduated from an American Bar associated school, she went on to work for a judge in Family Law District Court before retiring. Genealogy became her passion in 1978 and she now trades her trips to the law library for trips to the genealogy library. After finding a long line of lawyers and couselors to the kings of France back to Charlemagne, she now knows why she loves the law and genealogy. One day she hopes to publish her work.

The Caya family can be traced back to France in the village of Bourg sous La Roche in the region of Vendee. This tree will be started with Thomas Cailleau. In that part of France Cailleau is not an uncommon name. The name is the same word as the name for a baby quail or quail chick. Thomas married Florence Gernie and had a son Pierre Cailleau born in 1631. Pierre Cialleau for the purposes of this discussion will be referred to as Generation One.

In the text of this document there are notations made to put the dates of the events in a time-related context. These notes will appear from the left margin in italics.

To set the stage I must describe what New France was like at that time: French explorers had traveled up the St Laurence River and claimed the territory for the King of France. There were settlements scattered along the shores of the river. Trappers (voyageurs) traveled the inland waterways trapping furs and trading with the indigenous populations. There was also trade in maple syrup. The fork was not accepted as an appropriate utensil at the dinner table for about another one hundred years. Blood letting was considered to be state of the art medical treatment for more than another one hundred fifty years. Things were very different at that time to say the least.

Arrival In The New World

Pierre most probably traveled to the New World with a group of men know as Les 100 associés. This was a company formed in France in 1627 by Armand de Richelieu and a group of merchants and aristocrats. They formed an arrangement with the king of France which gave them the exclusive right to trade furs and other goods with the Old World. In exchange for the monopoly this agreement gave them, they were to settle and open the new lands. They were obliged to bring in 300 new settlers per year until 1663 when an accounting of the success of their efforts would be made. The formal name of this company was The New France Company. Young men such as our Pierre would commit themselves for a period of three years as payment for their passage to the Mew World.

It is believed that Pierre’s parents died during the crossing or soon after arrival. There are no records of Thomas and Florence in New France. Pierre was only 16 years old at the time of his arrival. In 1649, soon after Pierre became the legal age of 18, he was given a land grant by the Jesuits.

In 1663, King Louis XVI asked for a census of the settlers in New France. He found that the 100 Associates had not met the quota required which was that they should bring 300 new settlers each year. The King dissolved the company and installed a Counseil Souverain or Sovereign Counsel as the ruling body. In doing this the King of France made New France an official colony.

One of the reasons the young men of the company were leaving and returning to France was the lack of marriageable women. The king, in an effort to keep his new settlers happy, sent many young women to New France to found families. These young women were called Les Fille du Roi or the Kings Daughters. They were said to be young, healthy, attractive, of good moral character and educated. Each came with a minimum of a fifty pound dowry. In short these were very desirable girls. One of these girls was Olive Landry. She came to New France to marry a Pierre Poupeau. Unfortunately, (for Pierre Poupeau), he died on the trip over or shortly after arrival. Olive was now free to marry someone of her choice. Olive must have been a good catch. She came with a huge dowry of 400 pounds. It is not clear if Olive had actually married Pierre or had just made a contract to marry, but it would appear that she inherited his property.

It seems our Pierre Cailleau was among those wanting to return to the Old World. He was facing a court action to recover (or keep) the money he made after selling his land and waiting for a ship to take him home. It was then that he met is future wife. He married Olive Landry February 19, 1664. It would appear that our young ancestors lived rather well. There is census data which indicates that they had a house and a cow and 1000 pounds cash as well as real-estate holdings.

The Fifteen Children of Pierre and Therese Caillaia:

It is with the fifteen children of Pierre and Therese Caillia that the tree really starts to branch out!

Rene, little is known about this child.

Madeleine who married Joseph Turcotte on February 5, 1731.

Marie-Therese born February 20, 1691(and died as an infant).

Pierre born 1692 married twice. He and his first wife Catherine Neveu were married January 12, 1722 they had five children. He and his second wife Margueite Brisset were married February 4, 1743.

Marie-Josephte was born March 18, 1694. She was married twice, the first marriage to Joseph Mercereau dit Lasavanne on January 13, 1715 they had one child. Her second marriage was to François Lucas dit Dontigny on August 27, 1724, she had two children with this husband.

Marie-Anne was born October 20, 1696. She married Pierre Lanouette Rivard on June 3, 1721. They had a total of five children.

Marie-Therese was born on January 4, 1700. She married Antoine Lanouette Rivard on April 30, 1736. She died December 7, 1762.

Jean-Baptiste was born June 9, 1702. His first marriage was to Margeurite Marchand on January 8, 1739, they had one child. His second marriage was to François Trottier on June 27, 1745. This union produced five children. Jean-Baptiste died April 30, 1792.

Alexis born March 3, 1706.

Anne born September 4, 1706.

Joseph born September 20 1708 was married to Marianne Trottier dit Beaubien August 16, 1738. They had six children. The marriage is another that could be thought of as very socially advantageous. The dit name of Beaubien was given to the family by the king of France as well as a land grant. Please note that listed above is a marriage between the brother of Joseph and another Trottier. It is not known at this time how or even if these two women were related, but it seems likely. Joseph was a land merchant and was also operating a maple grove in the area of Baie St-Antoine.

François was born January 12, 1711 and married Marie Fayen Sans-Cartier.

Francois-???? (his second name is not known) born November 4, 1711 and died ata young age on December 1723.

Marc-Antoine born April 24, 1714. Married Marie-Charlotte Belisle-Chevrefils November 17, 1749.

Genevieve was born April 8, 1716.

The French and Indian War began in 1754. This began with battles between the British (with the help of their American subjects including George Washington) and French for control of the Ohio River Valley. It eventually expanded into a worldwide conflict which came to be known in Europe as the Seven Years War.

The Battle On The Plains Of Abraham in late 1759 and the subsequent surrender of Montreal in September of 1760 ended French rule in Canada.

Pontiac’s Revolt ended in 1763. After the British took control of the former New France the Indian population was treated far differently than they had been previously. The attitude of the British military was to punish for misbehavior on the part of the native population rather than to reward good behavior and peaceful trading. This was an abrupt departure from what had been the previous situation under the French. The result was a bloody uprising between the British military and several groups of Indians led by the famous Chief Pontiac. The British eventually put down the rebellion after several bloody battles.

It is known that Elmire’s date of birth was May 31, 1856. Petruce married Philomen Beaudoin and Bernard married Arlene Dulios. Some years later Bernard’s wife Arlene died. Bernard then interestingly enough married a woman by the name of Philomen Beaudoin. This is not at all the same woman as Petruce’s wife. They were from different towns and had different birth dates. This wedding took place in 1873. There is what appears to be a wedding photograph titled Aunt Philomene. It appears to be a wedding picture of one of the couple, it is not known at this time which of the two it is but it is thought to be Bernard. There is also a photo of a young and beautiful Elmire Caya. An interesting thing occurs in the records at this time. Parts of the family appear to drop off the radar screen. There is a record of the birth of Petruce, but nothing more is known about him. There is no record of the birth of Simeon yet it is clear that he was born and that he was the son of Pierre Cailla and Anastasia Chareste. There is some speculation that he may in fact be the same person but no evidence has been found to support this theory.

Balthazar married Julie Lauzon on April 21, 1868 in St-André d’Acton, Quebec. Simeon married Dorilda Chieten in 1892 in Fall River Mass. The spelling of her last name is questionable at this at the time of this writing.

Henry Caya married Lumina Gallant January 21, 1889 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Lumina was the daughter of Prudent and Loetine. Henry died as a relatively young man on August 15, 1917 leaving Lumina with several young children to raise. Lumina did so successfully and died in her 80s still in Fall River at the family home at 200 Anthony Street.

Alphonse migrated to the West Coast. It is known that he was working for 20th Century Fox Studios in 1937. He was in the Merchant Marine in the Western Pacific during the first part of the Second World War. He was then working for Warner Brothers Studios during the late 40s.

All the individuals mentioned have passed away with the exception of one daughter of Henry (Merilda) and her second cousin the daughter of Simeon (Yvonne). Both are in good health and will receive copies of this narrative.

I must give credit to the help and information which has made possible this accounting of one part of this family. Msgr. Jean-Baptiste Caya of Nicolette, Quebec has spent a large part of his long life time assembling this information (he is now 95). Jacques Caya of Drummondville has a large data base which includes well over one thousand descendants of Pierre Cailleau and Olive Landry. He tells me that several years ago he set a goal for himself to document every one of our many cousins. He has expressed the concern that the Caya’s are reproducing so fast that he may not be able to keep up. Betty Post has supplied some photos from her great grandmother's 120 year old photo album. Her great grandmother was Angeline Caya. We have found no record of her in the family tree, but we continue to search. There are many other Caya cousins researching their own part of the tree, many more than I can mention at this time. They have all welcomed correspondence with me in this research and willingly shared information with me. I think them all. If any readers have any knowledge of this family or links please contact us. We would be very grateful to receive any information and would be very happy to share what we have with you.

Biography:

David Caya is the first son of Alphonse Caya. Born in 1948 in Los Angeles. David grew up in Burbank and graduated from John Burroughs High School in 1967. Veteran of the U. S. Navy (1969-1973). Discharged as Petty Officer Second Class. Attended Cleveland Chiropractic College, graduating 1982 as Doctor Of Chiropractic practicing in Ventura, California where he also lives with his wife of twenty years.

In the first edition of the newsletter, we reported that Simon LeBlanc, b. 1741 and Simon LeBlanc, b. 1742 was the same person and that his wife was Anne Arceneaux, widow Bergeron. His parents were Desire LeBlanc and Marie Magdeleine Landry.

Simon LeBlanc, b. 1741/42 is often confused with Simon LeBlanc, b. 1744 (son of Etienne LeBlanc and Elizabeth Boudrot) who married Elizabeth LeBlanc (dau. of Joseph LeBlanc & Elizabeth Gaudet). This Simon is my 4th great-grandfather.

In her wonderful book Cabanocey: The History, Customs and Folklore of St. James Parish, Lillian C. Bourgeois (who died shortly after turning over the manuscript for the first printing in February 1957) states on pages 12 & 13:

"Certainly some Acadians came here early in 1765. These were part of a group, all of whom are erroneously believed to have settled near Opelousas and St. Martinville. While some of this number were sent to that section, many of them settled in St. James and Ascension Parishes which became known as the Acadian Coast. In a list of thirty-two Acadians furnished by Maxent, "Recapitulation des recus fournis aux Acadiens refugies a la Louisiane….1765," one finds the names of thirteen Acadians who settled in the St. James-Ascension area. They were…Simon LeBlanc…The first nine (my note: includes Simon) were listed as inhabitants and land owners in the census of 1766…All of them were members of the militia of 1770. Poirier…LeBlanc….were married at Cabahannocer between 1766 and 1768. Martin, Bourgeois and LeBlanc were wardens of the first church at Cabahannocer in 1770…."

A review of the 1766 militia list, the 1766 census, the marriages between 1767-1768, the census of 1769, the militia list of 1770 and the DOBR records clearly show that Ms. Bourgeois mingled records of the two Simons on pages 12-13. Simon who was on the Acadian Coast in 1765 and listed on the census taken on April 9, 1766 was Simon LeBlanc, son of Etienne and Elizabeth Boudrot. Simon who was on the militia list of 1770 and who was a warden of the first church at Cabahannocer in 1770 was Simon, son of Desire LeBlanc and Marie Landry whose son Alexandre was the first child baptized in the new church in 1770.

Desire LeBlanc and his family were not shown on the census of the Acadian Coast taken April 9, 1766 and there was no Simon on the Militia List of April 8, 1766 (there was an Andre LeBlanc - will need to research for a future article!). Simon, son of Desire married Anne Arceneaux in 1767 and they were on the census of 1769, He was also on the Militia List of 1770 because it shows Simon, age 28 and married. Simon, son of Etienne was not married until 1772 and apparently was in Ascension Parish rather than St. James at that time.

In conclusion: The information on pages 12-13 relates to two different Simons: Simon, born 1741/42 & Simon, b. 1744. Simon, b. 1744 (known as Simon Joseph) is my 4th great-grandfather and was with the Beausoliel Broussard group that arrived in New Orleans in early 1765.

Footnote: Page 13 of the book reports that 3 of the Acadian leaders who signed contracts to raise cattle on a share basis with Antoine Bernard Dauterive actually settled in St. James instead of in the Attakapas Region. The 3 were Joseph Guillebeau, Pierre Arceneaux and Jean Dugas.

In Part I of this series, several types of evidence were identified. This part discusses the probative value or "weight" to be given to primary and secondary records. The Diocese of Baton Rouge (DOBR), Fr. Hebert books and the various early census records offer good examples to discuss primary and secondary evidence and probative value.

The books and census records are based on abstracts and transcriptions made from original source documents, i.e. the actual church registry entries and the actual French and Spanish census records. Although based upon original source documents, both transcription and translation errors could and did occur and hopefully have all been corrected. Because of the condition of some records, however, the originals can no longer be handled and the abstracts have become the current primary "source" documents. If the work of the "secondary" compilers and editors had not been done, we would have no primary source to use!

The compilers and editors of the church records and census records have provided the records in a format that is consistent and easy to use. The terms, symbols, abbreviations, etc. are all explained in each volume and any derived or "interpretative" information is clearly identified. In many cases, one can obtain certified copies of the original records or original abstracts. The books and census transcriptions are "secondary" sources that are based upon primary sources. Some prefer the term "reference" to secondary source. Regardless of the term used - secondary or reference - one must consider the source of the original records and the qualifications of the compiler/editor in establishing the probative value or "weight" to be given to the work.

Before any value can be considered, one must know what documents exist for the time period needed. This will be the subject of Part III.

Jean Besset dit Brisetout, soldier, Latour Co. Carignan Reg, arr. Nouvelle France 1668, landclearer, farmer, b.~1642, Cahors, Quercy, bur.05-01-1707 C, m.03-07-1668 C, Anne Seigneur, (Guillaume & Madeleine Sauvé), King`s Daughter, bp.01-03-1649 St.Maclou, Rouen, bur.07-04-1733 C. Kids : 1. M.Madeleine, b.~1669, bur.19-05-1714 Longueuil (L), m. 26-11-1690 Ft.St. Louis, Laurent Perier (Laurent Olivier-Perier & Francoise Naurice, 290-291-M). 2. Jacqueline dite Marguerite, b.15-C, bp.18-02-1671 BV, m.~1699 C, Jacques Poissant dit La Saline. 3. Jean, b.27-12-1672 C, bp.01-01-1673 TTC, (twin), 1st.m.16-05-1695 M.Anne Benoit (Paul & Elisabeth Gobinet, 262-263-M), wid. of Jean Bourdon. 2nd.m.08-09-1700 SM, Madeleine Plamondon (Philippe & Marguerite Clément). 4. Anon, Masc., b.27-12-1672 C, bp.d.& bur.01-01-1673 TTC. 5. Simon, bp.13-01-1676 Mtl, d.aft.1681 census. 6. M.Anne, b.~1679, m.15-09-1708 c, Louis Haguenier, wid. of Thérèse Martin (Macé & M.Thérèse David, 162-163-P). 7. Pierre, b.09-07- C, bp.02-08-1682 TTC, bur.16-11-1687 Sorel. 8. François, b.26-09- C, bp.29-09-1685 TTC,d.03-, bur.04-06-1764 C, m.07-02-1716 C, M.Claude Dubois (François & M.Marthe Moral, 194-195-P). 9. Thérèse-Charlotte, bp.01-02-1690 Mtl., drowned 003-04-, found 10-05-1707, bur.11-05-1707 C.

Ref : Dict. Jetté,p.97; Dict.Tanguay, Vol.1,p.49; DNCF, Vol.1,p.197,198; J.Paul Malo; Filles du Roi,p.333, by Silvio Dumas; PRDH, Vol.28,p.268, Vol.5,p.3; Pionniers de Longueuil, p.78; Loiselle M-cards.

Jean Bessede (Jean & Anne Le Seigneur), bp.01-01-1673 Boucherville (BV), 1st.m. 16-05-1695 Laprairie (LAP), Marie-Anne Benoit (Paul & Elisabeth Gobinet), wid. of Jean Bourdon, who was killed by the Iroquois and buried 09-08-1697 LAP, while he himself was seriously wounded. 2nd.m.08-09-1700 LAP, Madeleine Plamondon. Jean had received the promise then the donation of Marie-Anne Benoit. The inventory of the belongings of [Marie-Anne Benoit], 09-07-1695, was followed by an agreement between Besset and Laurent Benoit, acting for the three minor-aged children of the lateJean Bourdon and of Marie-Anne Benoit, 31-05-1698. Jean Besset had obtained a land grant from the Jesuits at Laprairie the 03-07-1694; the 005-01-1722, residing then at Chambly, he leased, in association with Madeleine Premondeau and louis Jean dit Lachicoree, the small farm of Ile Ste.Ignace belonging to Mr. De Ramezay. The Besset couple bequeathed their holdings t otheir son Jean-Francois, 15-02-1750; they were botth buried at St. Mathias; Madeleine Plamondon, 15-05-1750, and Jean Besset, the 18-05-1751. Kids : 1st.m. 1. M. Jeanne, bp.09-02-1696 LAP, bur.28-05-1697 LAP. 2nd.m. 1. M.Catherine, bp.18-04-1702 LAP, d. bef.1750. 2. M.Joseph, bp.21-10-1705 Mtl, m.11-02-1722 Chambly (C), Louis-Jean Barre of the dioc. Of Beauvais, Picardy, Fr. 3. (Madeleine-) Charlotte, bp.20-03-1708 C, m.25-09-1747 SM, Charles Vincelet dit Laboissiere, wid. M,Renee Masson. 4. Jean-Baptiste, b.7 bp.28-03-1711 C, d. bef.1775, m.27-07-1750 C, Marie-Anne Paquet. He signed a contract the 223-05-1733 t owork for francois ague, Michillimackinac. 5. (Jean-) Francois, b.& bp.19-05-1714 C, bur.22-04-1794 C, 1st.m.07-01-1738 C, Marie Legrain (Charles, militia capt. & Louise Stebene) ( a child was born before marriage). 2nd.m.14-02-1751 ct., M.Joseph Girard (Etienne). 6. M.Marguerite, bp.20-8-1743 C, d.bef.1750. 7. Guillaume, bp.24-10-1717, d.bef.02-04-1770, m.08-01-1743 C, Marguerite Paquet (Noel & Marguerite Beaudet).

Ref :Nos ancetres au XVII Siecle, Vol.3.

48-49-P François Besset (Jean & Anne Seigneur), landclearer, farmer, bp.26-07-1685 C, d.03-, bur.04-06-1764 C, m.07-02-1716 C, M.Claude Dubois (Antoine & M.Marthe Moral), b.1690, d.bef.1753. Kids :1. Clément, b. bet.02- & 04-1728 C, m.ct.07-06-1753 Mtl., m.18-06-1753 C, Charlotte Lamoureux (Pierre & Angélique Robert). 2. François, b.03-08-, bp.03-09-1724 C, bur.17-01-1760, m.ct.07-01-17754 Mtl., m.07-01-1754 C, Genevieve Gaboriau dit Lapalme (Jean & Marguerite Boileau). 3. M.Angélique, bp.29-07-1718 C, 1st.m.24-11-1739 SM, Louis Lebeau, 2nd.m.ct.13-02-1763 Mtl, Pierre Gaboriau (Jean & Marguerite Boileau, 255-P). 4. Charlotte, bp.20-04-1721 C, m.04-11-1743 SM, J.Baptiste Vigeant dit Taupier (Jean & M.Anne Perrier). 5. Jeanne-Claude, b.19-, bp.20-09-1722 C, (twin),m.ct.28-02-1745 Mtl., m.15-04-1745 SM, J.Baptiste Laporte (Paul & Catherine Savary). 6. M.Françoise, b.19-, bp.20-09-1722 C (twin), bur.22-07-1752 SM, m.31-08-17751 C, Charles Legrain dit Leveille. 7. Antoine, b.& bp.06-02-1726 C, m.27-01-1755 L. 8. M.Louise, b.& bp.05-08-1730 C, bur.12-05-1733 C. 9. Amable, b.& bp.16-07-1736 C, d.& bur. Id. 10. Joseph-Marie, b.22-09-1737 St. Louis-du-Fort-Chambly.

Ref : Dict.Jetté,p.97; Dict. Tanguay, Vol.2,p.268; DNCF, Vol.2,p.108; Loiselle M-cards; PRDH, Vol.28,p.276,282, Vol.27, p.93, Vol.15, p.210,211, Vol.47,p.159; M-film : 6817, Chambly.

François saw the light of day on the feast day of Ste-Anne in 1685, and was married at Chambly on 9 February 1716 to Marie-Claude Dubois daughter of Antoine and of Marie-Marthe Moral They had at least eight children. François bought the "rights to succession" from the Besset family on 3 August 1712.

Francois Besset The 09-02-1716, I certify, Pierre Dublaron Recollet priest & acting as pastor in the Seigneurie of Chambly ceertify M.Claude Dubois after having published one marriage ban at the parish Mass and having obtained the dispensation of the two others from Mr. de Belmons, grand vicary of Monseignor of Quebec, not having found any opposition, having received their mutual consentment oof marriagee of Francois Baisset, son of Jean Baissette and of Anne Le Seigneur, his father and mother and of Marie-Claude Dubois, daughter of Antoine Dubois and of Marie-Marthe Moralle, her father and mother, who have “conioint” (conjoint?) according to the form of our mother the Holy Catholic, Roman and Apostolic Church in presence of undersigned witnesses according to the ordonnance of Monseigneur Pierre Dubllaronm Recollet missionary Signed X of François Baisset, Signed X of Marie-Claude Dubois, de Perigny, Jacques Poyer, Signed X of Philippe Poirier, witnesses.

Ref: M-film 6817 Chambly.

Clement Besset The …1728, I undersigned Recollet priest acting for the pastor of Parish of St. Louis-du-Fort Chambly, I have baptized Clement, son of François Besset and of Claude Dubois his father and mother, born of a legitimate marriage. The godfather was Clement de Sabrevois, squire, Sieur of Bleury. The godmother was Genevieve Mirambeau, the which baptism I conferred with the ordinary ceremonies in faith of which I have signed with the godfather and godmother.

Ref : M-folm :6817, Chambly.

Jeanne-Claude Besset The 20-09-1722, I, undersigned Recollet priest acting in the pastoral functions of the parish of Chambly, certifies to have baptized Jeanne-Claude, daughter of Francis Besset and of Marie-Claude Dubois. The godfather was Guillaume Larocque dit Lafontaine and Jeanne Dumay, wife of Jacques Robert, who declared not being able neither to write nor to sign.

Ref : m-film :6817 Chambly.

Marie-Françoise Besset The 20-09-1722, I, undersigned Recollet ppriest acting in the pastoral functions of the parish of Chambly certifies to have baptized Marie-Francoise daughter of Francois Besset and of Marie-Claude Dubois her father and mother of legitimate marriage, born yesterday the godfather and godmother were Nicolas Joli, soldier of the Company of Sabrevois and Francoise Poyer dit La Pintade. The godfather signed with me, the godmother declared not being able to write or read.

Ref : M-film; 6817 Chambly.

Amable Bessette The year 1736. I undersigned Recollet priest acting as pastor in the parish of St. Louis-du-Fort Chambly. I have buried in the cemetery Amable child annointed by the mid-wife upon leaving his mother’s stomach, son of François Bessette and of Claude Dubois, his father and mother, in faith that I have signed at Chambly 16-07-1736.
Michel Levasseur Recollet priest chaplin for the King.

Ref : M-film;6817 Chambly. Joseph-Marie Besset The year 1737, I undersigned Recollet priest acting as pastor - In the parish of St. Louis-du-Fort-Chambly have baptized Joseph-Marie, born the 22 September, son of François Bessette and Claude Dubois his father and mother, born in legitimate marriage. The godfather was Antoine Grise, sergent at the garrison and the godmother was Marie Deneau, daughter, who did not sign.

Ref : M-film : 6817 Chambly.

M.Angelique Besset The29-07-1718, I undersigned missionary acting as pastor in the parish of Chambly certify to have baptized in all the forms of our mother the Holy Church Marie-Angelique daughter of Francois Besset and of Marie-Claude Dubois, her father and mother. The godfather was Claude Hertel, squire, Sieur de Beaulac and the godmother was Marie Therese de Perigny who signed with us as required by the ordonance.
Luc, missionary. De Beaulac.

Ref : M-film : 6817 Chambly.

Clément Besset (François & Claude Dubois), ill, b.bet.02- 7 04-1728 C, d.bef.24-01-1791, m. Charlotte Lamoureux (Pierre & Angélique Robert), ill, b.18-01-1735 C, d.22-, bur.25-04-1804 SM. Kids : 1. Antoine, b.16-05-1758, bp.01-10-1760 C, m. 18-07-1784 SM, M.Charlotte Larocque (Joseph & M.Charlotte Barrière-Langevin). 2. Catherine, m.18-08-1788 SM, J.Bap. Robert. 3. Clément, b.& bp.08-06-1754 C, m.21-01-1788 SM, M.Louise Choquette. 4. François, b.12-07, bp.13-07-1755 C, m.06-10-1782 SM, M.Charlotte Desroches. 5. Joseph, b.09-03-, bp.10-03-1765 C, m.24-01-1791 SM. 6. Julie, bp.26-12-1763 C, bur.17-11-1791 SM, m.16-04-1790 SM, Pierre Brunet. 7. M.Charlotte, b.20-, bp.21-12-1758 SM, m.06-02-1792 Étienne St.Aubin (J.Bap. & Jeanne Allard, 74-75-M) 8. M.Marthe, m.24-01-1780 SM, Louis Brouillet, 1st.m.Barbe Jeanotte. 9. Olivier, m.08-10-1798 SM, M.Catherine Massé. 10. Pierre, b.& bp.11-04-1757, m.03-10-1791 SM, M.Joseph Maillot. 11. M.Louise, (godmother for François Besset, 08-09-1799 SM. 12. J.Baptiste, b.& bp.05-03-1779 SM, m.223-10-1815 Chharlotte Benoit-Livernois. 13. André, b.06-, bp.07-06-1762. 14.Louis. 15. M.Anne.

Ref : M-film : 7514 :27. 7515 :174, St.Mathias; PRDH Vol.42,p.280; Dict.tanguay; Dict. Jetté; Registre des Mariages de St.Mathias, Rouville Co.; Loiselle M-cards.

Antoine Besset(te) (Clément & Charlotte Lamoureux), ill, farmer, b.14-02-1768 St.joseph-de-Chambly, m.18-07-1785 SM, M.Charlotte Larocque dit Lafontaine (Joseph & Charlotte Barriere-Langevin), ill. Kids : 1. Edouard, b.01-01-1790 SM, d.17-, bur.18-03-1879 MSG, m. 06-08-1811 M, Marguerite Dubois (François & Charlotte Lasnier). 2. Abraham, b.09-, bp.10-10-1809 SM, m.11-08-1831 M, Gustine Benjamin, 3. Alexis, m.02-10-1832 M, Florence Dextrase. 4. Pierre, d.MSG, m. 27-09-1791 SM, Marguerite Mailhot. 5. Sophie, b.01-, bp.02-03-1797 SM, m.113-10-1817 M, Laurent Audet. 6. Luce, m.22-11-1825 M, Joseph Lareau. 7. M.Charlotte, b.7 bp.06-07-1794 SM, m.24-01-1814 SM, Hunert/Aubert Piedalue. 8. J.Baptiste-Edouard, b.& bp.01-01-1791 SM. 9. Joseph, b.00-02-1788 SM, bur.112-02-1790 SM. 10. François, bp.08-09-1799 SM.

Ref : M-film; 7522 Marieville, 7515, 7516 St.Mathias; Loiselle Micro-cards; Mariages de St.Mathias, Rouville Co.

Edouard Bessette (Antoine & Marie Larocque), ill, farmer, bp.01-01-1791 St.Mathias (SM), d.17-, bur.18-03-1879 MSG, m.06-08-1811 M, Marguerite Dubois (François & Charlotte Lasnier), ill., bp.27-11-1792 SM, d.24-02-1864 MSG. Kids : 1. F.X., farmer, b.& bp.211-09-1823 M, m.25-06-1867 MSG, Domithilde Larivière (Philippe & Desanges Lussier). 2.Marcelline, m.11-06-1844 MSG. 3. Moyse, farmer, m.15-10-1850 MSG, Scolastiique Dextraz. 4. Magloire, bp.03-08-1817 M, d.07-09-1890 MSG, m.16-10-1838 M, Adélaïde Letarte. 5.Edouard, b.28-04-1812 M, m.04-11-1834 M, Henriette Jasmin. 6. Eusebe, b.28-11-1818 M, m.16-01-1844 , Elmire Poulin. Their daughter, Éléonore, m. Charles Savaria (Charles & Rosalie Rainville). 7. Euphrosine, m.05-05-1840 m, Marcel Goyet. 8.Pierre, b.13-, bp.14-12-1814 m,11-11-1845 MSG, Anastasie Loisel (Joseph & Julie Tetreau). 9. Thèrese, b.17-, bp.19-05-1816 M, m.22-10-1833 M, Noël Meunier. 10. Marguerite, bp.20-10-1813 M, m.28-09-1830 m, Eusebe Quintin.

Ref: M-film : 7522, 7523, 7524 Marieville; 0771 MSG. Loiselle Micro-cards. Mariages d’Iberville.

Magloire Bessette (Edouard & Marguerite Dubois), Farmer, b.03-09-1817 M, d.07-09-1890 MSG, m. Adélaide Letarte (Étienne & Esther Cahier dit Biscornet), d.MSG. Kids : 1. Amedée, farmer, bp.21-08-1849 MSG, m.21-01-1875 MSG, Adéline Carreau (Damase & Anathalie Messier). 2.Léonarde, b.16-03-1845 MSG, m.15-09-1863 MSG, Emmanuel Dextrase. 3. Mathilde, bp.30-03-1847 MSG., m.24-07-1867 MSG, Joseph Choquette. 4. Moyse, innkeeper, bp.18-12-1853 MSG, m.14-05-1883 MSG,Edesse Letarte aka Tarte (Athanase & Mathilde Lalanne),(dispensation for 2nd.cousin). 5. Nazaire, farmer, b.30-, bp.31-01-1841 M, 1st. m.18-02-1868 MSG, Mary McQuillen. 2nd.m.22-11-1883 St.Sébastien, Hermine Patenaude. 3rd.m.20-03-1886 St.Alexandre, Zoé St.Onge. 6. Hyppolite, bp.26-10-1851 MSG, 1st.m.22-10-1872 MSG, Odena Choquette, (sister of Rosalie), 2nd.m.18-10-1883 Mathilde Carreau. 7. Éloise-Malvina, bp.26-12-1855 MSG, m.10-09-1883 MSG, Timothée Savaria (Charles & Rosalie Rainville). 8. Cyprien, m.19-01-1881 Ste.Angèle-de-Monnoir, Arzélie Benjamin. 9. Étienne, m.12-02-1866 MSG, Rosalie Choquette. 10. Salomon, bp.09-05-1866 MSG, m.28-09-1886 Ste.Brigide, M.Louise-Olivine Coineau. 11.Magloire, b.15-, bp.16-08-1839 M, 1st.m.14-07-1863 St.Alexandre. 2nd.m.15-12-1902 St.Hyacinthe. 3rd.m.14-07-1910 St.Hyacinthe, Thaïs Dubois.

Ref : Micro-film 7522, MSG; Micro-film Marieville; Loiselle Micro-cards, Church Registers.

Clarification needs to be made as to what happened when our Acadian Ancestors married during their twelve years of exile. [No priests were allowed to go near them under pain of imprisonment or even death.] Because newbies to genealogy research do not always understand the term "rehabilitated marriage" when it refers to ancestors who had been deported, it seems appropriate to mention it in this issue of The Ancestral Home Newsletter. When finding terminology rehabilitated marriage in parish registers, some researchers think that their ancestors were not legally married during those twelve years, at least not in the eyes of the Church. Well that is the furthest thing from the truth. Actually, the Bishop of Québec - who was also Bishop of Acadia at that time - appointed individuals of good religious reputations and education among the Acadians to witness the baptisms, marriages and burials of the Acadians. They would record these events and they would write to the priest assigned to them to keep him informed.

These marriages were valid and recognized as such in the eyes of the Catholic Church. When the years of exile had finally ended, wherever they would go, the Acadian couples would go to the priest of the parish where they would settle, give him the date they had been married and the names of those who had witnessed their marriages numbering between two to four witnesses, sometimes more. They would then arrange to have their marriage blessed by the Church. I find the english translation of the french word that means rehabilitated in french does not translate well into english. The marriage was valid so there was nothing to "rehabilitate"....

[It should be noted that when extenuating circumstances dictate - as in war time and the like, and in the case of our Ancestors, when held prisoners - allowances are made and marriage vows exchanged are considered valid. It would be unrealistic to expect that during twelve years of exile, no one would marry nor have children.]