CLOTIAUX FAMILY OF SO. LOUISIANA & SE TEXAS - Person Sheet
CLOTIAUX FAMILY OF SO. LOUISIANA & SE TEXAS - Person Sheet
Spouses
Family ID512W2; 513
SurnamePetitpas
ResidenceACADIA (Merliguèche - 1686, 1687, 1701, 1703, 1705, 1714, 1722, 1726; La Hève - 1708; Port Royal - 1671, 1678, 1698)
MotherCatherine BUGARET
ChildrenAbraham (ca1678-1720)
Marguerite (ca1680-)
Summary notes for Martin DUGAS
MARTIN DUGAS
In the Census of 1671 at Port Royal is Martin Dugas - the fifteen year old son of Abraham Dugas and Marguerite Doucet. Martin certainly must have been born in Acadia. His father Abraham Dugas was a gunsmith who arrived in Acadia about 1640 and married Marguerite Doucet about 1647. Martin Dugas was born to the young couple in 1656 - probably in Port Royal. In 1671 his family had eight children (Marie, 23 and married; Anne 17 and married; Claude 19; Martin 15: Marguerite 14; Abraham 10; Magdeleine 7 and Marie 6). Their livestock and land included 19 cattle, 3 sheep and 15 arpents of cultivated land.
About 1677 Martin Dugas married Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude Petitpas and Catherine Bugaret - for in the Census of 1678 at Port Royal we find the young couple with their son Abraham. They have 16 cattle, 12 aprents of improved land and one gun. We know from other records that Abraham Dugas was born about 1678. Later in 1680 the couple had a daughter Marguerite.
Shortly after the birth of their daughter Martin Dugas died leaving his young, nineteen year old wife with two small children. Martin was 24 years old at the time of his death. Marguerite Petitpas quickly remarried to Claude Guédry dit LaVerdure about 1681 and they eventually settled in Merliguèche (today Lunenburg, Nova Scotia). Abraham Dugas and Marguerite Dugas lived with their mother and step-father until they married and started their own families.
In the Census of 1671 at Port Royal is Martin Dugas - the fifteen year old son of Abraham Dugas and Marguerite Doucet. Martin certainly must have been born in Acadia. His father Abraham Dugas was a gunsmith who arrived in Acadia about 1640 and married Marguerite Doucet about 1647. Martin Dugas was born to the young couple in 1656 - probably in Port Royal. In 1671 his family had eight children (Marie, 23 and married; Anne 17 and married; Claude 19; Martin 15: Marguerite 14; Abraham 10; Magdeleine 7 and Marie 6). Their livestock and land included 19 cattle, 3 sheep and 15 arpents of cultivated land.
About 1677 Martin Dugas married Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude Petitpas and Catherine Bugaret - for in the Census of 1678 at Port Royal we find the young couple with their son Abraham. They have 16 cattle, 12 aprents of improved land and one gun. We know from other records that Abraham Dugas was born about 1678. Later in 1680 the couple had a daughter Marguerite.
Shortly after the birth of their daughter Martin Dugas died leaving his young, nineteen year old wife with two small children. Martin was 24 years old at the time of his death. Marguerite Petitpas quickly remarried to Claude Guédry dit LaVerdure about 1681 and they eventually settled in Merliguèche (today Lunenburg, Nova Scotia). Abraham Dugas and Marguerite Dugas lived with their mother and step-father until they married and started their own families.
Notes for Martin DUGAS
In a photocopy of the Census of Acadia in 1671 from the Archives des Colonies in Paris and from an original transcript in the Public Archives of Canada in Ottawa, we find:
“ Armurier habraham dugast aagé de 55 ans, sa femme Margueritte Doucet aagée de 45 ans, Leurs enfans 8, deux de mariez, Marie aagée de 23 ans, Anne aagée de 17 ans. Les non mariez, Claude aagé de 19 ans, Martin 15, Margueritte 14, habraham 10, Magdeleine 7, Marie 6, Leurs bestiaux a cornes 19 et 3 brebis Leurs terres Labourables 15 arpans “
Translation:
“ Gunsmith habraham dugast age of 55 years, his wife Margueritte Doucet age of 45 years, Their children 8, two married, Marie age of 23 years, Anne age of 17 years. The non-married, Claude age of 19 years, Martin 15, Margueritte 14, habraham 10, Magdeleine 7, Marie 6, Their cattle 19 and 3 sheep Their cultivated land 15 arpents “4670,4662
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In a printed transcription of the Census of Acadia in 1671 at Port-Royal we find:
“ Armurier - HABRAHAM DUGAST aagé de 55 ans, sa femme Marguerite Doucet aagée de 46 ans, Leurs enfans 8, deux de mariez, Marie aagée de 23 ans, Anne aagée de 17 ans, les non mariez, Claude aagé de 19 ans, Martin 15, Margueritte 14 ans, habraham 10 ans, Magdeleine 7, Marie 6, Leurs bestiaux a cornes 19 et 3 brebis Leurs terres Labourables 16 arpans “
Translated:
“ Gunsmith - HABRAHAM DUGAST age of 55 years, his wife Marguerite Doucet age of 46 years, Their 8 children, two married, Marie age of 23 years, Anne age of 17 years, the non-married, Claude age of 19 years, Martin 15, Margueritte 14 year, habraham 10 years, Magdeleine 7, Marie 6, Their cattle 19 and 3 sheep Their cultivated land 16 arpents “4661
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Dudley LeBlanc abstracts the Census of 1671 at Port Royal as:
“ Abraham Dugast, gunsmith 55; wife, Marie Judith Doucet; children: Claude 19, Martin 15, Abraham 10 and 5 daughters: cattle 19, sheep 3. “4655
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The Census of Acadia of 1678 states:
“Martin dugast & marguerite petitpas 1g/12 arpans 16 p~ 1 fusil”.
Translation:
“ Martin dugast & marguerite petitpas 1 g/12 arpans 16 p~ 1 gun ”
The ‘1g’ means ‘1 garçon’ or ‘1 boy’. The ‘16 p~’ means ‘16 p’beste a corne’ or ‘16 cattle’. The son of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas in this census is Abraham Dugas.
In the Census of Acadia in 1678 Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas are living at Port Royal with their son Abraham. At this time Martin Dugas has 12 arpents of improved land, 16 cattle and 1 gun. 4651,4652,4653,4566.
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“ C.-J. d’Entremont, ‘Census of Port-Royal, 1678’, SGCF, vol. XXII, 1971, p. 239:
This Martin dugast was the son of Abraham I Dugas, (the first of the name in Acadia), and of Marguerite Doucet. Before this census of 1678 came to light, his name was to be found solely in the census of 1671, being then 15 years of age, thus born around 1656. This information that the census of 1678 furnishes to the genealogists with regard to his being married to marguerite petitpas is most precious, because it was believed that he had died shortly after 1671, without getting married. (See Bulletin des Recherches Historiques, Vol. 18, [1912], p. 80). This marguerite petitpas must necessarily be the one that we find in the census of 1671, 10 years of age, daughter of Claude Petitpas, sieur de LaFluer, and of Catherine Bugaret.
The son given them in our census, without his age, who was probably their only child, must necessarily be Abraham, (whom we shall call here for clarity Abraham III), who married, probably in 1702, Madeleine Landry. Now, Abraham I had a son by the same name, whom we shall call Abraham II, born in 1661 according to the census of 1671. This Abraham II married Jeanne Guilbeault. Bona Arsenault identifies him with our Abraham III, stating that Jeanne Guilbeault being dead, Abraham II married around 1700 Madeleine Landry. (See Histoire et Généalogie des Acadiens, [Québec, 1965], Vol. I, p. 392). But that is impossible. Abraham III, (son of Martin dugast and of marguerite petit pas), and Madeleine Landry lived in Port Royal, where was born their first child Marie, January 21, 1703, and where the other children were baptized up to 1714, when Abraham II, his uncle (son of Abraham I), and Jeanne Guilbeault were at Minas, where we find them from 1701 up to at least 1714.
The error of Mr. Arsenault is easy to understand. It comes from the fact that not knowing that Martin had gotten married and had had a son named Abraham III, he had no other choice than to impute to Madeleine Landry, as husband, Abraham II, whom he thought had become the widower of Jeanne Guilbeault. As as (sic) matter of fact, he could not conceive that the husband of Madeleine Landry could be a grandchild of Abraham I, because, of the three sons of Abraham I, Claude and Abraham II did not have a son by the name of Abraham, and, with regard to Martin, he thought that he was dead.
Rameau de Saint-Père, on his part, surmised very correctly that Martin had gotten married, when he wrote: “In 1707, we find ... Abraham at Minas, but there is also in Port Royal an Abraham Dugast with 3 children, who is evidently a son of Martin Dugast who disappears after 1671; in fact, he can only descend from him, because the two brothers of Martin Dugast did not have, either of them, a child with the name of Abraham.” (Collection de Documents, Inédits, published in Le Canada-Français, [Québec, 1888-90), Vol. III, p. 161. ”4671,4565,4566
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In the third edition of his excellent book Bona Arsenault states:
“ MARGUERITE PETITPAS, 1661, fille de Claude et de Catherine Bugaret, épousa Martin Dugas, fils d’Abraham et de Marguerite Doucet, et, en secondes noces, Claude Guédry dit Grivois. “
Translation:
“ MARGUERITE PETITPAS, 1661, daughter of Claude and of Catherine Bugaret, married Martin Dugas, son of Abraham and of Marguerite Doucet, and in a second time Claude Guédry dit Grivois. “4560
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Regarding the first marriage of Marguerite Petitpas, Bona Arsenault states in the third edition of his book:
“ MARTIN DUGAS, 1656, fils d’Abraham et de Marguerite Doucet, marié, vers 1676, à Marguerite Petitpas, fille de Claude et de Catherine Bugaret. Enfant: Abraham, vers 1677. Il est décédé vers 1679; sa veuve épousa Claude Guédry.
. . .
ABRAHAM DUGAS (38), 1677, fils de Martin et de Marguerite Petitpas, marié, vers 1700, à Marie-Madeleine Landry, fille de Claude et de Marguerite Terriot. Enfants: Marie, 1703; Joseph, 1705; Marguerite, 1707; Claude, 1710; Jean, 1712; Abraham, 1714.
(38) Dans les Mémoires de la Société Généalogique Canadienne-Française, vol. XXII, No. 4, 110e livraison, Clarence D’Entremont, ptre, publiait en 1971 un recensement inédit tenu à Port-Royal en 1678. Les Archives Publiques d’Ottawa ont acquis en 1968 copie de ce document précieux trouvé aux Archives des Colonies, à Paris, parmi les papiers de Michel Le Neuf de la Vallière. Grâce à ce recensement il a été possible d’identifier positivement Abraham Dugas, né en 1677, comme étant le fils de Martin et de Marguerite Petitpas. Au recensement précédent de 1671, Martin Dugas n’était pas encore marié et au recensement suivant, celui de 1686, il était déjà décédé. “
Translation:
“ MARTIN DUGAS, 1656, son of Abraham and of Marguerite Doucet, married about 1676 to Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude and of Catherine Bugaret. Child: Abraham, about 1677. He has died about 1679; his widow wed Claude Guédry.
. . .
ABRAHAM DUGAS (38), 1677, son of Martin and of Marguerite Petitpas, married about 1700 to Marie-Madeleine Landry, daughter of Claude and of Marguerite Terriot. Children: Marie, 1703; Joseph, 1705; Marguerite, 1707; Claude, 1710; Jean, 1712; Abraham, 1714.
(38) In Mémoires de la Société Généalogique Canadienne-Française, vol. XXII, No. 4, 110th number, Clarence D’Entremont, priest, published in 1971 a new census taken at Port-Royal in 1678. The Public Archives of Ottawa has acquired in 1968 a copy of this valuable document found in the Archives des Colonies at Paris among the papers of Michel Le Neuf de la Vallière. Thanks to this census it has been possible to positively identify Abraham Dugas, born in 1677, as being the son of Martin and of Marguerite Petitpas. In the preceding census of 1671 Martin Dugas was not yet married and in the subsequent census, that of 1686, he has already died. “4624
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“L’ainé de ses fils, Claude, né en 1652, épousa Françoise Bourgeois en 1676; il demeura dans la poroisse de Port-Royal, sur le petit fief paternel, où se perpétua sa postérité. Le second, Martin Dugast, disparaît des recensements pendant plus de 20 ans. Abraham, le troisième, né en 1663, épousa à 22 ans Jeanne Guilbaut, fit une courte station à Pombkou en 1686, d’où il alla s’installer définitivement aux Mines; c’est de lui que sortirent les nombreuses familles Dugast de ce quartier, et c’est lui qui est visé dans la Déclaration de Belle-Isle ci-dessus énoncée. Le vieux Dugast l’armurier mourut vers 1698. En 1701 on trouvait son fils aîné Claude à Port-Royal avec 11 enfants, et son 3eme fils Abraham aux Mines avec 4 enfants. En 1707, nous trouvons toujours Claude à Port-Royal et Abraham aux Mines, mais il se trouve en utre à Port-Royal un Abraham Dugast avec 3 enfants, qui est évidemment un fils de Martin Dugast disparu aprés 1671; il ne peut en effet sortir que de lui, car les deux fréres de Martin Dugast n’ont eu ni l’un ni l’autre aucun enfant qui portât le nom d’Abraham.”
Translation: “The eldest of the sons, Claude, born in 1652, married Françoise Bourgeois en 1676; he lived in the parish of Port-Royal, on the small paternal fief, where he continued his posterity. The second, Martin Dugast, disappears from the censuses during more than 20 years. Abraham, the third, born in 1663, married at 22 years Jeanne Guilbaut, was a short time at Pombkou en 1686, from where he went to settle eventually at Mines; it is from him that emerge the numerous Dugast families of that district, and it is he who is alluded to in the Declaration of Belle-Isle stated above. The old Dugast the armourer died about 1698. In 1701 we find his eldest son Claude at Port-Royal with 11 children, and his third son Abraham at Mines with 4 children. In 1707, we find Claude still at Port-Royal and Abraham at Mines, but there is also at Port-Royal an Abraham Dugast with 3 children, who is evidently a son of Martin Dugast who disappears after 1671; in fact, he can only descend from him, because the two brothers of Martin Dugast did not have, either of them, a child with the name of Abraham.4669”
Questions/Errors notes for Martin DUGAS
None
Names notes for Martin DUGAS
Martin Dugas
Martin Dugast
Martin dugast
Martin Dugast
Martin dugast
Summary notes for Marguerite (Spouse 1)
MARGUERITE PETITPAS
The Census of 1671 provides our first glimpse of Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude Petitpas and Catherine Bugaret. In this census she was a young girl of 10 years (born 1661) living with her parents and six siblings (Bernard 12, Claude 8, Jehan 7, Jacque 5, Marie 2 1/2, Elisabeth 1) at Port Royal. Her father Claude was a farmer with 26 cattled and twelve sheep and 30 arpents of cultivated land. Her father was also the notary at the court at Port-Royal and thus must have been an educated man.
Since her father arrived in Acadia about 1645 and married Catherine Bugaret about 1658, Marguerite Petitpas was born in Acadia - probably in the Port Royal region where her father served as notary at the court.
By 1677 Marguerite Petitpas had married Martin Dugas, son of Abraham Dugas and Marguerite Doucet. This marriage likely occurred at Port Royal as the Census of 1678 finds the young couple living at Port Royal with their new son Abraham (born 1678). They have 12 arpents of improved land, 16 cattle and a gun. In 1680 Marie Dugas was born to Martin and Marguerite. Shortly after Marie’s birth Martin Dugas died - probably in late 1680 or early 1681 - leaving a young wife Marguerite with two small children Abraham (about 3 years old) and Marie (an infant).
In 1681 or early 1682 Marguerite Petitpas remarried to Claude Guédry dit LaVerdure. They eventually settled at Merliguèche (today Lunenburg, Nova Scotia) where we find the young couple in the Census of 1686. Here they are listed as “La Verdure 35, sa femme 25 et un enfant” (La Verdure 35, his wife 25 and a child). It is unclear who this child is or why only one child is listed for the family. There were at least four (possibly six) children living with the family in 1686: Jeanne Guédry, daughter of Claude and Kesk8a (if Jeanne had not died by this time); Abraham Dugas (born 1678), son of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas; Marie Dugas (born 1680), daughter of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas; Claude Guédry (born 1682), son of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas; Jean-Baptiste Guédry (born 1684), son of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas and possibly Charles Guédry (born 1686), son of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas.
Their family began to grow quickly after their marriage with the birth of their first child Claude in 1682. In almost two-year increments thereafter were born Jean-Baptiste in 1684, Charles in 1686, Alexis in 1688, Augustin in 1690, Marie Josephe in 1692, Claude in 1694, Joseph in 1695 and Pierre in 1698. Although they appear to have disappeared from the records after 1686, Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas are censused in 1698 at Port Royal with their growing family: “Claude Guaidry 50, Margtte Petitpas 40, Enfants: Abraham 20, Claude 16, Jean Baptiste 14, Charles 12, Alexis 10, Augustin 8, Marie Josephe 6, Claude 4, Joseph 3, Pierre 1/2. Bestes a Corne 10, Brebis 2, Cochons 8, Arpens de terre 8, Arbres fruites 0, Fusils 1, Domestiques 0” (Claude Guaidry 50, Margtte Petitpas 40, Children: Abraham 20, Claude 16, Jean Baptiste 14, Charles 12, Alexis 10, Augustin 8, Marie Josephe 6, Claude 4, Joseph 3, Pierre 1/2. Cattle 10, Sheep 2, Pigs 8, Arpents of land 8, Fruit trees 0, Guns 1, Domestic servants 0.) Obviously Claude and Marguerite have been in the Port Royal area for more than a fleeting moment since they have a significant amount of cultivated land and a number of farm animals. Abraham listed in the Census of 1698 was actually Abraham Dugas, son of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas. Abraham was about 2 years old at the time of his father’s death. His sister Marie Dugas, born in 1680, married Joseph Guyon in 1697 and thus has left her parental home by the time of the Census of 1698. Jeanne Guédry, the daughter of Claude Guédry and Kesk8a, is also not found with her father and step-mother in 1698. Perhaps she also has married although no record of it has been found or she may have died by this time. Based on the birth of their eldest child Claude (born in 1682) and the death of Martin Dugas in about 1680, Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas probably married in 1681 or early 1682. Why they would have relocated from Merliguèche to Port Royal is uncertain, but we do know that it was not permanent. They evidently moved back to Mirliguèche shortly after 1698 as Claude and his family do not appear in the Censuses of Port Royal in 1699, 1700, 1701, 1703 and 1707.
By early 1701 Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas definitely have moved their family back to Merliguèche. In January 1701 we find that Claude and Marguerite’s youngest son Paul was conditionally baptized by Joseph Guyon (Dyon), husband of Marie Dugas - step-sister of Paul. Also, on 14 January 1703 Françoise Guédry, youngest daughter of Claude and Marguerite, was conditionally baptized by her brother Baptiste Guédry on the day of her birth. Conditional baptisms were normally performed when the child was born in an area where there were no priests to conduct the baptismal ceremony. On 8 September 1705 Father Félix Pain, during a missionary journey to the East Coast including Merliguèche, baptized Paul Guédry and Françoise Guédry with full church ceremonies. The baptisms were registered at St.-Jean-Baptiste de Port-Royal Catholic Church on 27 October 1705 on the return of Father Pain from his missionary journey. In the baptismal record of both Paul and Françoise, their parents are listed as - Claude Guedry and Marguerite Petitpas inhabitants of Merliguèche. The godparents of Paul Guédry were Baptiste Guédry and Marie Tibodeau. The godparents of Françoise Guédry were Pierre Bourg and Jeanne Lejeune.
In 1708 we relocate Claude Guédry, Marguerite Petitpas and their family living at La Hève. The Census of the Indians and Acadians along the East Coast in 1708 contains for La Hève “ 7e familles Claude Guedry 60 ans, Marguerite petit pas 46, Charles son fils 21, Augustin 16, Claude 16, Joseph 10, Pierre 8, Paul 6, Marie sa fille 14, francoise 4; 8e familles Jean baptiste Guedry 24 ans, Madelaine mieusse 14” (7th family Claude Guedry 60 years, Marguerite petit pas 46, Charles his son 21, Augustin 16, Claude 16, Joseph 10, Pierre 8, Paul 6, Marie his daughter 14, francoise 4; 8th family Jean baptiste Guedry 24 years, Madelaine mieusse 14). Several additional children have left the parental home including Abraham Dugas who married Marie-Madeleine Landry about 1702. Claude (born 1682) and Alexis are not with their family in 1708, but it is uncertain if they have moved from their parent’s home or if they have died. They do not appear in the records after the Census of 1698. Jean Baptiste Guedry has recently married Madeleine Mius and is living near his parents at La Hève in 1708.
In 1714 the brothers Denis and Bernard Godet left Port-Royal the 22nd of May to return by boat to Cap-Breton. On the third day of their trip they arrived at the Merliguèche harbor. They noted that there was only one family at Merliguèche which certainly was the family of Claude Guédry dit LaVerdure and his wife Marguerite Petitpas. The Godet brothers indicated that Claude Guédry traded everyday with Bostonians and other persons. Claude’s brother-in-law Claude Petitpas resided a short distance away at Isles Anglaises (English Islands - today Gerard Island and Phoenix Island). The Godet brothers indicated that Claude Petitpas was a fisherman.
In the summer of 1722 war broke out between the Indians of the East Coast of Acadia and the English in New England. Earlier in the year the English had seized Joseph d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin, the highest chief of the Indians, whom they had ambushed under the pretext of expressing their friendship to him. Also, the Bostonians had recently raided the village of Nanrantsouak where they seized the chest of Père Sébastien Rasle containing all of his papers and then burnt the church, the rectory and 33 wigwams. This war, the fourth between the Indians and the English of New England since 1675, was declared by declaration of Governor Shute on 25 July 1722. It was known variously as The Three Years War, Rale’s War, Lovewell’s War and Governor Dummer’s Indian War.
At Canseau during the height of the fishing season, Philipps received the news of war from Governor Shute. He immediately organized a defense of the harbor since the Indians had already seized 16 or 17 boats and fled to the harbors of the East Coast. Philipps sent some of his officers to the harbors of the East Coast where they blamed not only the Indians, but also the Acadians living among the Indians. At Merliguèche four sons of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas were captured and brought with their families to New Hampshire. Shortly after arriving in New Hampshire Jacob Parker sent them to Boston. As we’ll see later Claude Guédry, the father, must have accompanied his sons to Boston. It can be assumed that if Claude Guédry, the father, was taken with his four sons and their families to New Hampshire and Boston, then his wife Marguerite Petitpas also must have been taken to these areas. These sons were Claude, Phillipe, Augustin and Paul. It is uncertain who this Philippe Guédry was as we know of no son of Claude Guédry with this name. Perhaps he was one of Claude Guédry’s other sons and was mistakenly listed as Philippe. Boston did not want to admit the Acadians because of a law that forbade foreigners settling in the town. Shortly after arriving in Boston, the Acadians received an order on 16 October 1722 from the counselors of Boston to go elsewhere. Apparently this order was never executed by the officer charged with maintenance of the peace - perhaps because he considered these Acadians as prisoners and not as immigrants to Boston. On 9 January 1723 twin daughters Hélène Guédry and Marie-Josephe Guédry were born at Boston. They were the daughters of Augustin Guédry and Jeanne Hébert. On the day of their birth at Boston they were conditionally baptized by their grandfather Claude Guédry. The Acadians must have been released and allowed to return home later in 1723 as we find that Hélène and Marie-Josephe Guédry were baptized with full church ceremonies on 26 September 1723 and their baptisms recorded at St. Charles-aux-Mines Catholic Church in Grand-Pré, Acadia. Godparents of Hélène were Charles Hébert and Anne Hébert while the godparents of Marie-Josephe were Jean Mouton and Jeanne Douaron. The Acadians sent to Boston included Claude Guédry, the father of the family; Claude Guédry and his wife; Philippe Guédry, his wife and family (indicating he had one or more children); Augustin Guédry and his wife and Paul Guédry and his wife. While at Boston, Paul Guédry and his wife Anne-Marie Mius dit d’Azy had a daughter Judith Guédry born in 1722.
On 4 September 1726 Joseph Decoy of Cap-Breton, returning from Boston where he had gone to trade, landed at Merliguèche and told the local residents including members of the Guédry family that the English had kept his son and that the only way the boy could be rescued would be to seize an English vessel for ransom. On the very next Samuel Daly of Plymouth, Massachusetts on a fishing voyage arrived at Merliguèche harbor to get fresh water. Seeing Jean-Baptiste Guédry on shore, Samuel Daly hailed him and requested that he come aboard. Jean-Baptiste Guédry and his son Jean-Baptiste got in their canoe and did just that. After discussing the peace recently concluded between the English and the Indians (i.e., the Three Years War), Samuel Daly asked Jean-Baptiste Guédry père to go down into his cabin for a drink. Jean-Baptiste Guédry fils then took his father’s canoe and went ashore. Presently, Samuel Daly, his mate and his crew of three then took their skiff and went ashore leaving Jean-Baptiste Guédry père alone on the sloop. Jean-Baptiste had declined to go ashore with Daly saying he would call for his son to come get him. Soon he called to his son in French. His son quickly came to the sloop with two Indians. As soon as they boarded the sloop, they took down the English ensign and the Indians bid the English on shore to ask quarter. Jean-Baptiste Guédry père girded the ensign about his waist and tucked a pistol in it. Samuel Daly with himself and his crew ashore went to Jean-Baptiste Guédry’s mother Marguerite Petitpas and asked that she go aboard the sloop with him and intercede with her son to restore the sloop back to Daly. Eventually she went with Daly aboard the sloop, but by this time several additional Indians had boarded and threatened Daly with their hatchets. Marguerite Petitpas was not successful and soon Jean-Baptiste Guedry père ordered Daly to sail. Apparently Marguerite Petitpas returned to shore before the sloop sailed. Early the next morning Daly was able to retake the sloop when Jean-Baptiste Guédry père went into the cabin with three of the Indians. Daly shut the door of the cabin upon them and then easily overcame Jean-Baptiste Guédry fils and the remaining Indians on the deck. He then fired into the cabin and the three Indians dove into the sea. Daly then transported his prisoners to Boston where a court of admiralty tried them for piracy on 4 October 1726. Jean-Baptiste Guédry père, his son Jean-Baptiste and three Indians were found guilty of piracy and condemned to die by hanging - the normal penalty for this offense. On 13 November 1726 the five prisoners were hung at Boston.
This is the last record that we find of Marguerite Petitpas. It is uncertain how much longer she lived or how she spent the remainder of her life. It is likely that she remained at Merliguèche, saddened by the sudden death of her son and grandson. In 1726 Marguerite Petitpas would have been 65 years old.
The Census of 1671 provides our first glimpse of Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude Petitpas and Catherine Bugaret. In this census she was a young girl of 10 years (born 1661) living with her parents and six siblings (Bernard 12, Claude 8, Jehan 7, Jacque 5, Marie 2 1/2, Elisabeth 1) at Port Royal. Her father Claude was a farmer with 26 cattled and twelve sheep and 30 arpents of cultivated land. Her father was also the notary at the court at Port-Royal and thus must have been an educated man.
Since her father arrived in Acadia about 1645 and married Catherine Bugaret about 1658, Marguerite Petitpas was born in Acadia - probably in the Port Royal region where her father served as notary at the court.
By 1677 Marguerite Petitpas had married Martin Dugas, son of Abraham Dugas and Marguerite Doucet. This marriage likely occurred at Port Royal as the Census of 1678 finds the young couple living at Port Royal with their new son Abraham (born 1678). They have 12 arpents of improved land, 16 cattle and a gun. In 1680 Marie Dugas was born to Martin and Marguerite. Shortly after Marie’s birth Martin Dugas died - probably in late 1680 or early 1681 - leaving a young wife Marguerite with two small children Abraham (about 3 years old) and Marie (an infant).
In 1681 or early 1682 Marguerite Petitpas remarried to Claude Guédry dit LaVerdure. They eventually settled at Merliguèche (today Lunenburg, Nova Scotia) where we find the young couple in the Census of 1686. Here they are listed as “La Verdure 35, sa femme 25 et un enfant” (La Verdure 35, his wife 25 and a child). It is unclear who this child is or why only one child is listed for the family. There were at least four (possibly six) children living with the family in 1686: Jeanne Guédry, daughter of Claude and Kesk8a (if Jeanne had not died by this time); Abraham Dugas (born 1678), son of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas; Marie Dugas (born 1680), daughter of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas; Claude Guédry (born 1682), son of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas; Jean-Baptiste Guédry (born 1684), son of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas and possibly Charles Guédry (born 1686), son of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas.
Their family began to grow quickly after their marriage with the birth of their first child Claude in 1682. In almost two-year increments thereafter were born Jean-Baptiste in 1684, Charles in 1686, Alexis in 1688, Augustin in 1690, Marie Josephe in 1692, Claude in 1694, Joseph in 1695 and Pierre in 1698. Although they appear to have disappeared from the records after 1686, Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas are censused in 1698 at Port Royal with their growing family: “Claude Guaidry 50, Margtte Petitpas 40, Enfants: Abraham 20, Claude 16, Jean Baptiste 14, Charles 12, Alexis 10, Augustin 8, Marie Josephe 6, Claude 4, Joseph 3, Pierre 1/2. Bestes a Corne 10, Brebis 2, Cochons 8, Arpens de terre 8, Arbres fruites 0, Fusils 1, Domestiques 0” (Claude Guaidry 50, Margtte Petitpas 40, Children: Abraham 20, Claude 16, Jean Baptiste 14, Charles 12, Alexis 10, Augustin 8, Marie Josephe 6, Claude 4, Joseph 3, Pierre 1/2. Cattle 10, Sheep 2, Pigs 8, Arpents of land 8, Fruit trees 0, Guns 1, Domestic servants 0.) Obviously Claude and Marguerite have been in the Port Royal area for more than a fleeting moment since they have a significant amount of cultivated land and a number of farm animals. Abraham listed in the Census of 1698 was actually Abraham Dugas, son of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas. Abraham was about 2 years old at the time of his father’s death. His sister Marie Dugas, born in 1680, married Joseph Guyon in 1697 and thus has left her parental home by the time of the Census of 1698. Jeanne Guédry, the daughter of Claude Guédry and Kesk8a, is also not found with her father and step-mother in 1698. Perhaps she also has married although no record of it has been found or she may have died by this time. Based on the birth of their eldest child Claude (born in 1682) and the death of Martin Dugas in about 1680, Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas probably married in 1681 or early 1682. Why they would have relocated from Merliguèche to Port Royal is uncertain, but we do know that it was not permanent. They evidently moved back to Mirliguèche shortly after 1698 as Claude and his family do not appear in the Censuses of Port Royal in 1699, 1700, 1701, 1703 and 1707.
By early 1701 Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas definitely have moved their family back to Merliguèche. In January 1701 we find that Claude and Marguerite’s youngest son Paul was conditionally baptized by Joseph Guyon (Dyon), husband of Marie Dugas - step-sister of Paul. Also, on 14 January 1703 Françoise Guédry, youngest daughter of Claude and Marguerite, was conditionally baptized by her brother Baptiste Guédry on the day of her birth. Conditional baptisms were normally performed when the child was born in an area where there were no priests to conduct the baptismal ceremony. On 8 September 1705 Father Félix Pain, during a missionary journey to the East Coast including Merliguèche, baptized Paul Guédry and Françoise Guédry with full church ceremonies. The baptisms were registered at St.-Jean-Baptiste de Port-Royal Catholic Church on 27 October 1705 on the return of Father Pain from his missionary journey. In the baptismal record of both Paul and Françoise, their parents are listed as - Claude Guedry and Marguerite Petitpas inhabitants of Merliguèche. The godparents of Paul Guédry were Baptiste Guédry and Marie Tibodeau. The godparents of Françoise Guédry were Pierre Bourg and Jeanne Lejeune.
In 1708 we relocate Claude Guédry, Marguerite Petitpas and their family living at La Hève. The Census of the Indians and Acadians along the East Coast in 1708 contains for La Hève “ 7e familles Claude Guedry 60 ans, Marguerite petit pas 46, Charles son fils 21, Augustin 16, Claude 16, Joseph 10, Pierre 8, Paul 6, Marie sa fille 14, francoise 4; 8e familles Jean baptiste Guedry 24 ans, Madelaine mieusse 14” (7th family Claude Guedry 60 years, Marguerite petit pas 46, Charles his son 21, Augustin 16, Claude 16, Joseph 10, Pierre 8, Paul 6, Marie his daughter 14, francoise 4; 8th family Jean baptiste Guedry 24 years, Madelaine mieusse 14). Several additional children have left the parental home including Abraham Dugas who married Marie-Madeleine Landry about 1702. Claude (born 1682) and Alexis are not with their family in 1708, but it is uncertain if they have moved from their parent’s home or if they have died. They do not appear in the records after the Census of 1698. Jean Baptiste Guedry has recently married Madeleine Mius and is living near his parents at La Hève in 1708.
In 1714 the brothers Denis and Bernard Godet left Port-Royal the 22nd of May to return by boat to Cap-Breton. On the third day of their trip they arrived at the Merliguèche harbor. They noted that there was only one family at Merliguèche which certainly was the family of Claude Guédry dit LaVerdure and his wife Marguerite Petitpas. The Godet brothers indicated that Claude Guédry traded everyday with Bostonians and other persons. Claude’s brother-in-law Claude Petitpas resided a short distance away at Isles Anglaises (English Islands - today Gerard Island and Phoenix Island). The Godet brothers indicated that Claude Petitpas was a fisherman.
In the summer of 1722 war broke out between the Indians of the East Coast of Acadia and the English in New England. Earlier in the year the English had seized Joseph d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin, the highest chief of the Indians, whom they had ambushed under the pretext of expressing their friendship to him. Also, the Bostonians had recently raided the village of Nanrantsouak where they seized the chest of Père Sébastien Rasle containing all of his papers and then burnt the church, the rectory and 33 wigwams. This war, the fourth between the Indians and the English of New England since 1675, was declared by declaration of Governor Shute on 25 July 1722. It was known variously as The Three Years War, Rale’s War, Lovewell’s War and Governor Dummer’s Indian War.
At Canseau during the height of the fishing season, Philipps received the news of war from Governor Shute. He immediately organized a defense of the harbor since the Indians had already seized 16 or 17 boats and fled to the harbors of the East Coast. Philipps sent some of his officers to the harbors of the East Coast where they blamed not only the Indians, but also the Acadians living among the Indians. At Merliguèche four sons of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas were captured and brought with their families to New Hampshire. Shortly after arriving in New Hampshire Jacob Parker sent them to Boston. As we’ll see later Claude Guédry, the father, must have accompanied his sons to Boston. It can be assumed that if Claude Guédry, the father, was taken with his four sons and their families to New Hampshire and Boston, then his wife Marguerite Petitpas also must have been taken to these areas. These sons were Claude, Phillipe, Augustin and Paul. It is uncertain who this Philippe Guédry was as we know of no son of Claude Guédry with this name. Perhaps he was one of Claude Guédry’s other sons and was mistakenly listed as Philippe. Boston did not want to admit the Acadians because of a law that forbade foreigners settling in the town. Shortly after arriving in Boston, the Acadians received an order on 16 October 1722 from the counselors of Boston to go elsewhere. Apparently this order was never executed by the officer charged with maintenance of the peace - perhaps because he considered these Acadians as prisoners and not as immigrants to Boston. On 9 January 1723 twin daughters Hélène Guédry and Marie-Josephe Guédry were born at Boston. They were the daughters of Augustin Guédry and Jeanne Hébert. On the day of their birth at Boston they were conditionally baptized by their grandfather Claude Guédry. The Acadians must have been released and allowed to return home later in 1723 as we find that Hélène and Marie-Josephe Guédry were baptized with full church ceremonies on 26 September 1723 and their baptisms recorded at St. Charles-aux-Mines Catholic Church in Grand-Pré, Acadia. Godparents of Hélène were Charles Hébert and Anne Hébert while the godparents of Marie-Josephe were Jean Mouton and Jeanne Douaron. The Acadians sent to Boston included Claude Guédry, the father of the family; Claude Guédry and his wife; Philippe Guédry, his wife and family (indicating he had one or more children); Augustin Guédry and his wife and Paul Guédry and his wife. While at Boston, Paul Guédry and his wife Anne-Marie Mius dit d’Azy had a daughter Judith Guédry born in 1722.
On 4 September 1726 Joseph Decoy of Cap-Breton, returning from Boston where he had gone to trade, landed at Merliguèche and told the local residents including members of the Guédry family that the English had kept his son and that the only way the boy could be rescued would be to seize an English vessel for ransom. On the very next Samuel Daly of Plymouth, Massachusetts on a fishing voyage arrived at Merliguèche harbor to get fresh water. Seeing Jean-Baptiste Guédry on shore, Samuel Daly hailed him and requested that he come aboard. Jean-Baptiste Guédry and his son Jean-Baptiste got in their canoe and did just that. After discussing the peace recently concluded between the English and the Indians (i.e., the Three Years War), Samuel Daly asked Jean-Baptiste Guédry père to go down into his cabin for a drink. Jean-Baptiste Guédry fils then took his father’s canoe and went ashore. Presently, Samuel Daly, his mate and his crew of three then took their skiff and went ashore leaving Jean-Baptiste Guédry père alone on the sloop. Jean-Baptiste had declined to go ashore with Daly saying he would call for his son to come get him. Soon he called to his son in French. His son quickly came to the sloop with two Indians. As soon as they boarded the sloop, they took down the English ensign and the Indians bid the English on shore to ask quarter. Jean-Baptiste Guédry père girded the ensign about his waist and tucked a pistol in it. Samuel Daly with himself and his crew ashore went to Jean-Baptiste Guédry’s mother Marguerite Petitpas and asked that she go aboard the sloop with him and intercede with her son to restore the sloop back to Daly. Eventually she went with Daly aboard the sloop, but by this time several additional Indians had boarded and threatened Daly with their hatchets. Marguerite Petitpas was not successful and soon Jean-Baptiste Guedry père ordered Daly to sail. Apparently Marguerite Petitpas returned to shore before the sloop sailed. Early the next morning Daly was able to retake the sloop when Jean-Baptiste Guédry père went into the cabin with three of the Indians. Daly shut the door of the cabin upon them and then easily overcame Jean-Baptiste Guédry fils and the remaining Indians on the deck. He then fired into the cabin and the three Indians dove into the sea. Daly then transported his prisoners to Boston where a court of admiralty tried them for piracy on 4 October 1726. Jean-Baptiste Guédry père, his son Jean-Baptiste and three Indians were found guilty of piracy and condemned to die by hanging - the normal penalty for this offense. On 13 November 1726 the five prisoners were hung at Boston.
This is the last record that we find of Marguerite Petitpas. It is uncertain how much longer she lived or how she spent the remainder of her life. It is likely that she remained at Merliguèche, saddened by the sudden death of her son and grandson. In 1726 Marguerite Petitpas would have been 65 years old.
Notes for Marguerite (Spouse 1)
“ 10ème Famille. -- GUIDRY ou GUAIDERY. --
Nous sommes ici en présence d’une de ces familles, problématiques et vagabondes, dont on rencontre le nom très souvent dans les documents, et qui ne figurent même pas dans les recensements. On connaît leur existence, on pressent, par les détails de leur vie, que leur établissement doit être ancien en Acadie, mais on ne saurait en préciser l’époque, ni établir l’enchaînement méthodique des faits qui nous sont connus.
Les registres de Belle-Isle ne fournissent point leur généalogie, mais cette famille y est mentionnée deux fois. Dans la 12ème déclaration de la paroisse de Sauzon, on lit: “que Marie Leblanc, née en 1735 à Pigiguit, se maria à l’île St-Jean, à Anselme Guedry fils de Pierre Guédry et de Marguerite Brosseau, demeurant actuellement (1767) aux îles St-Pierre et Miquelon.”
Puis à la 13ème déclaration de Sauzon, il est fait mention d’une Marie Guédry qui était veuve d’un Benjamin Mius.
Dans les recensements que nous avons de L’Acadie, il n’est fait aucune mention des Guidry, sauf dans celui de 1698, et dans quelques petits recensements des côtes de l’Est.
Voici ce que dit le recensement de 1698: Paroisse de Port-Royal, Claude Guaidry, âgé de 50 ans, marié à Marguerite Petitpas, âgée de 40 ans, 10 enfants: Abraham 20 ans; -- Claude 16; -- Jean-Baptiste 14; -- Charles 12; -- Alexis 10; -- Augustin 8; -- Marie-Joseph 6; -- Claude 4; -- Joseph 3; -- Pierre 6 mois. Abraham l’aîné a donc dû naître en 1678; Claude Guaidry, son père marié vers 1676 à Port-Royal, où il était né en 1648.
Le recensement qui pécède celui-ci était de 1692, on n’y trouve aucune mention des Guaidry; et dans les recensements de 1699 et de 1701, il n’est déjà plus question d’eux. Claude Guaidry n’a donc été à Port-Royal qu’un oiseau de passage; il s’y montre cependant avec les apparences d’un homme civilisé, et d’un agriculteur, 10 vaches, des brebis, etc., etc.; mais il y a fagots et fagots, il y a aussi cultures et cultures, et s’il ramena ses vaches dans les roches de la Hève, il est probable qu’il n’en fit pas des vaches grasses.
En 1701 il résidait dans ce dernier pays de la Hève, car nous avons trouvé dans les registres de Port-Royal, que Claude Guidery et Marguerite Petitpas eurent en 1701 un nouvel enfant qui fut baptisé à Mirliguesh, sous le nom de Paul Guidery, son parrain était un Baptiste Guidery; cet enfant était le onzième garçon de la famille, et c’est celui de tous dont nous pouvons suivre le plus longtemps la trace, comme nous le verrons tout à l’heure.
Dans ces actes figurent de temps en temps des Guidery aux baptêmes et aux mariages, il en est de même dans les documents de la Nouvelle-Ecosse, sous l’administration anglaise; la famille Guidery avec plusieurs autres familles métisses, prirent alors des terres de la main du colonel Mascarene, sur la côte de l’Est. Dans les temps de la proscription, ces families métisses firent leur soumission, et prêtèrent serment aux Anglais.
Vers 1735 nous voyans entrer en scène ce Paul Guidery, le dernier enfant de Claude Guidery, dont nous avons ci-dessus relaté la naissance; c’était un garçon leste, adroit, paraît-il, et surtout fort gai, il est constamment désigné ainsi: Paul Guidery dit Grivois, ou quelquefois le Jovial; il épousa, un peu après 1730, Anne Mius d’Entremont, fille naturelle d’un Mius d’Entremont, et d’une squaw métisse de la côte de l’Est. Une fois marié il continua l’existence de son père, vivants de pêche et de cabotage; il pratiquait la pèche depuis la baie Ste-Marie jusqu’au Cap Nord de l’île du Cap-Breton.
En 1745 on le trouve toujours à Mirligouesh, où il passe pour un excellent pilote côtier (dépêche de M. de Beauharnois du 12 septembre 1745). Le 21 octobre 1747, il est mis hors la loi par Shirley avec 12 autres acadiens. A partir de ce moment, il cesse en quelque façon d’avoir une demeure fixe; les excursions de pêche et de cabotage deviennent son était normal autour de Louisbourg.
Au milieu des dépenses énormes qu’entraîne la création de cette place, il ramasse les miettes de ces prodigalités, et il vit sur as barque avec sa famille. Il fréquentait fort souvent la baie Espagnole d’où il rapportait de la houille et divers matériaux. Ce fut en ce lieu qu’il fit la rencontre d’un officier français nommé Bogard de Lanoue, lequel devint si fortement épris de l’une de ses filles, que, malgré la défense expresse de M. d’Aillebout, commandant du Cap-Breton, il parvint à l’épouser le 17 février 1755. Ce mariage fut attaqué en nullité, au nom du roi, parce qu’il était défendu aux officiers d’épouser des filles de sang mêlé; il en résulta un débat assez scadaleux, que nous avon résumé dans les notes de la colonie féodale, 4ème série No. V.
Après la prise de Louisbourg, Guidry fit sa soumission, comme presque tous les Métis des côtes de l’Est; il rentra dans ses cantonnements et on n’entendit plus parler de lui. Il est probable qu’il existe un bon nombre de descendants de cette famille, parmi les trois ou quatre mille personnes, réputées d’origine française, et qui sont dispersées sur la côte entre Halifax et la cap Sable. Parlent-ils encore français? ont-ils même conservé leurs nome sans trop les défigurer? je l’ignore; mais il est certain qu’ils ont conservé une tradition solide de leur origine française, dont ils réclament l’enregistrement à tous les recensements.
Tous les Guidry néanmoins ne sont pas restés fixés sur cette côte. Un des frères de Guidery le Grivois se rendit, au temps de la proscription, dans l’île St-Jean. Il se nommait Pierre et était né en 1698; un de ses fils nommé Anselme épousa alors dans cette île une fille dite Marie Leblanc, originaire de Pigiguitk. Lorsque l’île fut à son tour occupée par les Anglais, Pierre Guidry et sa femme, Marguerite Brosseau, se réfugièrent à St-Pierre et Miquelon, où ils étaient en 1767, et où leurs descendants existent peut-être encore aujourd’hui.
A quelle époque les Guidry sont-ils venus s’établir en Amérique? Nous n’avons sur ce point aucune donnée bien précise. D’après le recensement de 1698, Claude Guidry était né en 1648; c’est un homme qui avait toujours vécu en dehors du groupe agricole de Port-Royal; bien qu’il eût 23 ans en 1671, bien qu’il fût marié en 1676, et qu’il ait eu une nombreuse famille longtemps avant 1698, il ne figure dans aucun recensement antérieur, ni en 1671, ni en 1686, ni en 1693; on le rencontre fontuitement à Port-Royal en 1698, et depuis lors le nom de Guidry ne se retrouve plus sur aucune liste. Cette famille a donc toujours demeuré avec les sauvages et les Métis; Guidry est un homme de la Hève, il est né là, il y a vécu et il s’y plait; son père devait être une de ces rudes pratiques des côtes de l’Est, qui refusèrent de suivre D’Aulnay à Port-Royal; peut-être était-il venu avec Razilly, peut-être remontait-il au-delà, jusqu’aux compagnons de Latour et de Krainguille. Il est très possible qu’il ait épousé une squaw, comme Latour et plusieurs autres. Rien n’est certain, mais tout cela est possible!
Quoi qu’il en soit, la famille Guidry nous offre les mêmes caractères et les mêmes péripéties que les Martin, les Petitpas, les Lejeune, etc., etc., et on a tout droit de présumer qu’elle est très ancienne dans la contrée. Ces études nous donnent une idée approximative de cette société d’aventuriers que Razilly retrouva à la Hève, et une idée assez nette et assez claire du mélange qui se forma par l’adjonction des familles que ce dernier amena avec lui. Mélange assez mal défini, où prévalurent promptement des allures grossières et vagabondes, dont les traces survécurent longtemps dans certaines familles.
Cet état de choses n’avait cependant pas duré plus de 5 à 6 ans, et cependant D’Aulnay eut beucoup de peine à réagir contre cette influence, lorsqu’il voulut concentrer la populations française à Port-Royal; il fallut exercer une sorte de pression pour déterminer certaines familles à suivre le mouvement, quelque-unes même ne cédèrent point comme nous le voyons; elles restèrent parmi les sauvages et les Métis, ou y retournèrent plus tard. Or il suffit de suivre leur histoire et leur destinée, pour bien apprécier avec quelle sagesse et quelle juste prévoyance D’Aulnay s’établit loin des entrainements de la sauvagerie, à Port-Royal. Dans ce centre exclusivement agricole et français, il lui fut plus facile de préparer l’avenir de la société qu’il allait créer, car c’est dans la pratique d’un travail bien réglé, et d’une patiente économie que se formèrent peu à peu les fortes moeurs du peuple acadien. “
Translation:
“ 10th Family. -- GUIDRY or GUAIDERY. --
We are here in the presence of one of those families, questionables and vagabonds, of whom we encounter the name very often within the records, and which does not even appear in the censuses. We are aware of their existence, we ascertain, from the details of their life, that their establishment in Acadia must be old, but we cannot state precisely the time nor establish the systematic linking of facts that are known to us.
The registers of Belle-Isle do not provide their genealogy, but that family is mentioned there twice. In the 12th declaration from the parish of Sauzon, one reads: “that Marie Leblanc, born in 1735 at Pigiguit, married at Isle St-Jean, to Anselme Guedry, son of Pierre Guédry and of Marguerite Brosseau, now (1767) living at Isles St-Pierre and Miquelon.”
Then in the 13th declaration of Sauzon, there is mentioned a Marie Guédry who was the widow of a Benjamin Mius.
In the censuses that we have of Acadia, there is not made any mention of Guidry except in that of 1698, and in a few small censuses of the East Coast.
Here is what the census of 1698 says: Parish of Port-Royal, Claude Guaidry, 50 years old, married to Marguerite Petitpas, 40 years old, 10 children: Abraham 20 years; -- Claude 16; -- Jean-Baptiste 14; -- Charles 12; -- Alexis 10; -- Augustin 8; -- Marie-Joseph 6; -- Claude 4; -- Joseph 3; -- Pierre 6 months. Abraham, the eldest, must, therefore, have been born in 1678; Claude Guaidry, his father, was married about 1676 at Port-Royal, where he was born in 1648.
The census which preceds this one was of 1692, one does not find there any mention of the Guaidry; and in the censuses of 1699 and 1701, there is already no more question of them. Claude Guaidry has not, to be sure, been at Port-Royal as a bird of passage; he is seen, however, with the appearances of a civilized man, of a farmer, 10 cows, some sheeps, etc., etc.; but men are not all alike, he also has there cultivated land, and he has brought his cows out of the rocks of La Hève, it is likely that it did not suit the fat cows.
In 1701 he resided in this rugged region of La Hève, for we have found in the register of Port-Royal, that Claude Guidery and Marguerite Petitpas had in 1701 a new child who was baptized at Mirliguesh, with the name of Paul Guidery, his godfather was a Baptiste Guidery; this child was the eleventh boy of the family, and he is the main one by whom we can follow the trail the longest time as we will see in a moment.
In these records appear from time to time some baptisms and marriages of the Guidery, there is the same about them in the documents of Nova Scotia, under the English administration; the Guidery family with several other hald-bred families, got then some land from the hand of Colonel Mascarene, on the East Coast. During the time of the exile, these half-bred families made their submission and took the oath from the English.
About 1735 se see entering on the scene this Paul Guidery, the last child of Claude Guidery, of whom we have related above the birth; he was an active, skillful young fellow, it appears, and especially quite merry, he is constantly called thus: Paul Guidery dit Grivois, or sometimes le Jovial; he married a little after 1730, Anne Mius d’Entremont, illegitimate daughter of a Mius d’Entremont and of a half-bred squaw of the East Coast. Once married he continued the life of his father, lifetime of fishing and of the coasting trade; he practiced the fishing from Baie St-Marie to Cap Nord of the Isle of Cap-Breton.
In 1745 we find him still at Mirligouesh, where he is considered an excellent coasting pilot (dispatch of M. de Beauharnois of 12 September 1745). The 21st of October 1747, he is made an outlaw by Shirley with 12 other Acadians. From this moment on, he ceases in any manner to have a fixed residence; the fishing and coasting trips become his normal circumstance around Louisbourg.
In the midst of the huge expenditures which the creation of that situation entails, he gathers the bits of these extravagance, and he lives on his boat with his family. He visited quite often the Baie Espagnole from where is brought back coal and miscellaneous materials. It was in this place that a French officer named Bogard de Lanoue, who became so strongly in love with one of his daughters, that, in spite of the formal pleas by M. d’Aillebout, commanding officer of Cap-Breton, he married her 17 February 1755. That marriage was contested with invalidity, in the name of the king, because it was forbidden for officers to marry girls of mixed blood; there resulted from it a rather scandalous debate, which we summarized in the Notes de la Colonie Féodale, 4th series No. V.
After the capture of Louisbourg, Guidry submitted, as nearly all the Métis of the East Coast; he returned to his quarters and we no longer hear of him. It is probable that there are a considerable number of descendants of this family, among the three or four thousand persons, considered of French origin, and who are scattered on the coast between Halifax and Cap Sable. Do they still speak French? Have they also preserved their names without distorting them too much? I am unaware of it; but it is certain that they have preserved a strong tradition of their French origin, of which they demand recording of it in all the censuses.
All the Guidry nevertheless have not remained settled on that coast. One of the brothers of Guidery le Grivois surrendered, at the time of the exile, on the Isle St-Jean. He was called Pierre and was born in 1698; one of his sons named Anselme married then on that isle a girl called Marie Leblanc, originally of Pigiguitk. When the isle was occupied at his place by the English, Pierre Guidry and his wife Marguerite Brosseau, took refuge at St-Pierre and Miquelon, where they were in 1767, and where their descendants live perhaps even today.
At which time have the Guidry come to establish themselves in America? We do not have any very precise data on that point. According to the census of 1698, Claude Guidry was born in 1648; this is a man who had always lived outside of the agricultural group of Port-Royal; although he was 23 years old in 1671, although he has married in 1676, and that he has had a large family long before 1698, he does not appear in any earlier census, neither in 1671, nor in 1686, nor in 1693; we encounter him by chance at Port-Royal in 1698, and since then the name of Guidry is not met with again on any list. That family has, to be sure, always lived with the savages and the Métis; Guidry is a man of La Hève, he was born there, he has lived there and it pleases him; his father must have been one of those rugged characters of the East Coast, who refused to follow D’Aulnay to Port-Royal; perhaps he had come with Razilly, perhaps he went back further, even to the companions of Latour and of Krainguille. It is very possilbe that he married a squaw, as Latour and several others. Nothing is certain, but all this is possible!
Be that as it may, the Guidry family offers us the same characters and the same vicissitudes as the Martin, the Petitpas, the Lejeune, etc., etc., and we have every right to presume that they are very old in the country. These studies give us an approximate idea of that company of adventurers that Razilly met again at La Hève, and a perception rather distinct and rather free of mingling that took shape by joining of families that this last brought with him. Intermixing defined rather badly, were readily prevailed some rough demeanours and vagabonds, of which the traces survived a long time in certain families.
This state of affairs, however, had not lasted more than 5 or 6 years, and yet D’Aulnay had a great deal of difficulty to react against that influence, when he wanted to concentrate the French population at Port-Royal; it was necessary to exert a sort of pressure in order to cause certain families to follow the movement, some even did not submit as we see; they remained among the savages and the Métis, or returned there later. But it suffices to follow their history and their fate, in order to properly appreciate with what wisdom and what accurate foresight D’Aulnay settled far from the allurements of the wild, at Port-Royal. Within this center exclusively agricultural and French, it was easier for him to prepare the future of the community that he proceeded to create, because it is in the practice of a very steady occupation, and of an enduring economy that fashion little by little the strong manners and customs of the Acadian people. “4507,4508
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Bona Arsenault states in the first edition of his excellent book on the genealogy of the Acadians that:
“ GUIDRY DIT GRIVOIS (GUITRY)
1698. - Claude Guidry dit Grivois, 50 ans, marié à Marguerite Petitpas, 40 ans.
Enfants: Abraham, 20 ans; Claude, 16 ans; Jean-Baptiste, 14 ans; Charles, 12 ans; Alexis, 10 ans; Augustin, 8 ans; Marie-Joseph, 6 ans; Claude, 4 ans; Joseph, 3 ans; Pierre, âgé de six mois.
1706. - Autres enfants: Paul, 5 ans; et une fille, Françoise, 1 an.
Claude Guidry dit Grivois arriva en Acadie vers 1671. ”
Translation:
“ GUIDRY DIT GRIVOIS (GUITRY)
1698. - Claude Guidry dit Grivois, 50 years, married to Marguerite Petitpas, 40 years.
Children: Abraham, 20 years; Claude, 16 years; Jean-Baptiste, 14 years; Charles, 12 years; Alexis, 10 years; Augustin, 8 years; Marie-Joseph, 6 years; Claude, 4 years; Joseph, 3 years; Pierre, age of six months.
1706. - Other children: Paul, 5 years; and a daughter, Françoise, 1 year.
Claude Guidry dit Grivois arrived in Acadie about 1671. ”4486
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In the second edition of his pioneering book on the genealogy of the Acadians Mr. Bona Arsenault states:
“ GUEDRY et GUIDRY
aussi: Guitry
Claude Guédry dit Grivois, né en 1648, arrivé en Acadie vers 1671, marié vers 1677 à Marguerite Petitpas. Enfants: Abraham, 1678; Claude, 1682; Jean-Baptiste, 1684; Charles, 1686; Alexis, 1688; Augustin, 1690; Marie-Josephe, 1692; Claude, 1694; Joseph, 1695; Pierre, 1697; Paul, 1701; Françoise, 1703. Vers 1700 il a demeuré à Merliguèche, dans la région de Cap de Sable. ”
Translation:
“ GUEDRY and GUIDRY
also: Guitry
Claude Guidry Guédry dit Grivois, born in 1648, arrived in Acadie about 1671, married about 1677 to Marguerite Petitpas. Children: Abraham, 1678; Claude, 1682; Jean-Baptiste, 1684; Charles, 1686; Alexis, 1688; Augustin, 1690; Marie-Josephe, 1692; Claude, 1694; Joseph, 1695; Pierre, 1697; Paul, 1701; Françoise, 1703. About 1700 he lived at Merliguèche in the region of Cap de Sable. ”4509
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In the third edition of his pioneering book on the genealogy of the Acadians Mr. Bona Arsenault states:
“ GUEDRY et GUIDRY
aussi: Geddry, Grivas, Guitry
Claude Guédry dit Grivois, né en 1648, arrivé en Acadie vers 1671, marié vers 1677 à Marguerite Petitpas, fille de Claude Petitpas et de Catherine Bugaret. Enfants: Abraham, 1678; Claude, 1682; Jean-Baptiste, 1684; Charles, 1686; Alexis, 1688; Augustin, 1690; Marie-Josephe, 1692; Claude, 1694; Joseph, 1695; Pierre, 1697; Paul, 1701; Françoise, 1703. Vers 1700 il demeurait à Merliguèche, dans la région de Cap-de-Sable. ”
Translation:
“ GUEDRY and GUIDRY
also: Geddry, Grivas, Guitry
Claude Guédry dit Grivois, born in 1648, arrived in Acadie about 1671, married about 1677 to Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude Petitpas and of Catherine Bugaret. Children: Abraham, 1678; Claude, 1682; Jean-Baptiste, 1684; Charles, 1686; Alexis, 1688; Augustin, 1690; Marie-Josephe, 1692; Claude, 1694; Joseph, 1695; Pierre, 1697; Paul, 1701; Françoise, 1703. About 1700 he lived at Merliguèche in the region of Cap-de-Sable. ”4510
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“Clarence Breaux sent the following answers to queries:
. . .
For Dolores Respess: Claude GUEDRY dit LAVERDURE, wife Marguerite PETITPAS and his family lived with the Indians and Métis (half-breeds) in the region of La Hève. The census of 1686 shows LAVERDURE, age 35, with wife and one child at Mistigouaiche (Mirliquesh, now Lunenburg, NS). The 1698 census shows the family at Port Royal and lists him as a farmer with ten cows and some sheep. They had left Port Royal by the time of the censuses of 1699 and 1701. In 1701 he was definitely at LaHève and he had two two of his children baptized at Mirligoueche. His father, first name unknown, may have been one of the rugged characters of the East Coast of Acadie (are of LaHève) who refused to follow Charles de MENOU de CHARNISAY, Seigneur d’AULNAY, when the settlement was moved to Port Royal. Perhaps he came with Isaac de RAZILLY or even with Charles de LA TOUR. It is very possible that he married an Indian squaw, as did LaTOUR and several others. In any case this GUEDRY’s wife’s name is unknown. Claude PETITPAS, Sieur de LAFLEUR, was a notary for the Court of Justice (gréffier du tribunal) at Port Royal and a farmer. His parents are unknown. Catherine BUGARET’s father was Bernard BUGARET dit SAINT MARTIN, who was a Basque carpenter. The wife’s name is unknown. (Sources: Arsenault; Rameau de St. Père in AGE Vol. IV #3; Archange GODBOUT in AGE Vol. VI #3). “4545
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It appears that Marguerite Petitpas was born in Acadia as Bona Arsenault in the first edition of his pioneering book on the genealogy of the Acadians states for the year 1671 about Claude Petitpas, the father of Marguerite Petitpas, that:
“ PETITPAS (SIEUR DE LAFLEUR)
Claude Petitpas, 47 ans, marié à Catherine Bugaret, 33 ans.
Enfants: Bernard, 12 ans; Claude, 8 ans; Jean, 7 ans; Jacques, 5 ans; et trois filles: Marguerite, 10 ans; Marie, 2 ans; et Isabelle, 1 an.
Claude Petitpas, greffier du Tribunal à Port-Royal, est arrivé en Acadie vers 1645. ”
Translation:
“ PETITPAS (SIEUR DE LAFLEUR)
Claude Petitpas, 47 years, married to Catherine Bugaret, 33 years.
Children: Bernard, 12 years; Claude, 8 years; Jean, 7 years; Jacques, 5 years; and three daughters: Marguerite, 10 years; Marie, 2 years; and Isabelle, 1 year.
Claude Petitpas, notary at the court at Port-Royal, has arrived in Acadie about 1645.”4649
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It appears that Marguerite Petitpas was born in Acadia as Bona Arsenault in the second edition of his book on the genealogy of the Acadians states about Claude Petitpas, the father of Marguerite Petitpas, that:
“ PETITPAS
CLAUDE PETITPAS SIEUR DE LAFLEUR, greffier du Tribunal à Port-Royal, né en 1624, arrivé en Acadie vers 1645, marié vers 1658 à Catherine Bugaret. Enfants: Bernard, 1659; Marguerite, 1661; Claude, 1663; Jean, 1664; Jacques, 1666; Marie, 1669; Isabelle, 1670; Henriette, 1674; Paul, 1675; Charles, 1676; Martin, 1677; Pierre, 1681; Anne, 1682. En 1693 Claude Petitpas était décédé et sa veuve, Catherine Bugaret, était remariée à Charles Chevalier. ”
Translation:
“ PETITPAS
CLAUDE PETITPAS SIEUR DE LAFLEUR, notary at the court at Port-Royal, born in 1624, arrived in Acadia about 1645, married about 1658 to Catherine Bugaret. Children: Bernard, 1659; Marguerite, 1661; Claude, 1663; Jean, 1664; Jacques, 1666; Marie, 1669; Isabelle, 1670; Henriette, 1674; Paul, 1675; Charles, 1676; Martin, 1677; Pierre, 1681; Anne, 1682. In 1693 Claude Petitpas has died and his widow, Catherine Bugaret, has remarried to Charles Chevalier. ”4561
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It appears that Marguerite Petitpas was born in Acadia as Bona Arsenault in the third edition of his book on the genealogy of the Acadians states about Claude Petitpas, the father of Marguerite Petitpas, that:
“ PETITPAS
CLAUDE PETITPAS SIEUR DE LAFLEUR, né en 1624, greffier du Tribunal à Port-Royal, arrivé en Acadie vers 1645, marié vers 1658 à Catherine Bugaret. Enfants: Bernard, 1659; Marguerite, 1661; Claude, 1663; Jean, 1664; Jacques, 1666; Marie, 1669; Isabelle, 1670; Henriette, 1674; Paul, 1675; Charles, 1676; Martin, 1677; Pierre, 1681; Anne, 1682. Il est décédé vers 1690; sa veuve épousa Charles Chevalier. ”
Translation:
“ PETITPAS
CLAUDE PETITPAS SIEUR DE LAFLEUR, born in 1624, notary at the court at Port-Royal, arrived in Acadia about 1645, married about 1658 to Catherine Bugaret. Children: Bernard, 1659; Marguerite, 1661; Claude, 1663; Jean, 1664; Jacques, 1666; Marie, 1669; Isabelle, 1670; Henriette, 1674; Paul, 1675; Charles, 1676; Martin, 1677; Pierre, 1681; Anne, 1682. He has died about 1690; his widow married Charles Chevalier. ”4560
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In the third edition of his excellent book Bona Arsenault states:
“ MARGUERITE PETITPAS, 1661, fille de Claude et de Catherine Bugaret, épousa Martin Dugas, fils d’Abraham et de Marguerite Doucet, et, en secondes noces, Claude Guédry dit Grivois. “
Translation:
“ MARGUERITE PETITPAS, 1661, daughter of Claude and of Catherine Bugaret, married Martin Dugas, son of Abraham and of Marguerite Doucet, and in a second time Claude Guédry dit Grivois. “4560
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Regarding the first marriage of Marguerite Petitpas, Bona Arsenault states in the third edition of his book:
“ MARTIN DUGAS, 1656, fils d’Abraham et de Marguerite Doucet, marié, vers 1676, à Marguerite Petitpas, fille de Claude et de Catherine Bugaret. Enfant: Abraham, vers 1677. Il est décédé vers 1679; sa veuve épousa Claude Guédry.
. . .
ABRAHAM DUGAS (38), 1677, fils de Martin et de Marguerite Petitpas, marié, vers 1700, à Marie-Madeleine Landry, fille de Claude et de Marguerite Terriot. Enfants: Marie, 1703; Joseph, 1705; Marguerite, 1707; Claude, 1710; Jean, 1712; Abraham, 1714.
(38) Dans les Mémoires de la Société Généalogique Canadienne-Française, vol. XXII, No. 4, 110e livraison, Clarence D’Entremont, ptre, publiait en 1971 un recensement inédit tenu à Port-Royal en 1678. Les Archives Publiques d’Ottawa ont acquis en 1968 copie de ce document précieux trouvé aux Archives des Colonies, à Paris, parmi les papiers de Michel Le Neuf de la Vallière. Grâce à ce recensement il a été possible d’identifier positivement Abraham Dugas, né en 1677, comme étant le fils de Martin et de Marguerite Petitpas. Au recensement précédent de 1671, Martin Dugas n’était pas encore marié et au recensement suivant, celui de 1686, il était déjà décédé. “
Translation:
“ MARTIN DUGAS, 1656, son of Abraham and of Marguerite Doucet, married about 1676 to Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude and of Catherine Bugaret. Child: Abraham, about 1677. He has died about 1679; his widow wed Claude Guédry.
. . .
ABRAHAM DUGAS (38), 1677, son of Martin and of Marguerite Petitpas, married about 1700 to Marie-Madeleine Landry, daughter of Claude and of Marguerite Terriot. Children: Marie, 1703; Joseph, 1705; Marguerite, 1707; Claude, 1710; Jean, 1712; Abraham, 1714.
(38) In Mémoires de la Société Généalogique Canadienne-Française, vol. XXII, No. 4, 110th number, Clarence D’Entremont, priest, published in 1971 a new census taken at Port-Royal in 1678. The Public Archives of Ottawa has acquired in 1968 a copy of this valuable document found in the Archives des Colonies at Paris among the papers of Michel Le Neuf de la Vallière. Thanks to this census it has been possible to positively identify Abraham Dugas, born in 1677, as being the son of Martin and of Marguerite Petitpas. In the preceding census of 1671 Martin Dugas was not yet married and in the subsequent census, that of 1686, he has already died. “4624
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In a photocopy of the Census of Acadia at Port-Royal in 1671 from the Archives des Colonies in Paris and an original transcript in the Public Archives of Canada in Ottawa, we find:
“ Laboureur Claude petit pas aagé de quarante cinq ans Sa femme catherine bagard aagée de trente-trois ans, Leurs enfans Sept, Bernard aagé de 12 ans, margueritte aagée de dix ans, Claude aagé de 8 ans, Jehan aagé de 7 ans, Jacque aagé de 5 ans, Marie aagée de deux ans et demy, Elisabet aagée de un an, Leurs bestiaux a Cornes, vingt six et douze brebis, Leurs terres en Labeur trente arpans “
Translation:
“ Farmer Claude petit pas age of forty-five years His wife catherine bugard age of thirty-three years, Their Seven children, Bernard age of 12 years, margueritte age of ten years, Claude age of 8 years, Jehan age of 7 years, Jacque age of 5 years, Marie age of two and one-half years, Elisabet age of one year, Their cattle twenty-six and twelve sheep, Their cultivated land thirty arpents “4650,4569
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In a printed transcription of the Census of Acadia in 1671 at Port-Royal we find:
“ Laboureur - CLAUDE PETITPAS aagé de quarante cinq ans, sa femme Catherine Bagard aagée de trente trois ans, Leurs enfans sept, Bernard aagé de 12 ans, Margueritte aagée de dix ans, Claude aagé de 8 ans, Jehan aagé de 7 ans, Jacque aagé de 5 ans, Marie aagée de deux ans et demy, Elisabeth aagée de un an. Leurs bestiaux a cornes, Ving et douze brebis, Leurs terre en Labour trente arpans. “
Translation:
“ Farmer - CLAUDE PETITPAS age of forty-five years, his wife Catherine Bagard age of thirty-three years, Their seven children, Bernard age of 12 years, Marguerite age of 10 years, Claude age of 8 years, Jehan age of 7 years, Jacque age of 5 years, Marie age of two and one-half years, ElisabetH age on one year. Their cattle, twenty and twelve sheep, Their cultivated land thirty arpents. ”4568
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Dudley LeBlanc abstracts the Census of 1671 at Port Royal as:
“ Claude Petit Pas 45; wife, Catherine Bagard; children: Bernard 12, Claude 8, Jean 7, Jacques 5, and 3 daughters; cattle 26, sheep 11. “4559
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The Census of Acadia at Port Royal in 1678 states:
“Martin dugast & marguerite petitpas 1g/12 arpans 16 p~ 1 fusil”.
Translation:
“ Martin dugast & marguerite petitpas 1 g/12 arpans 16 p~ 1 gun ”
The ‘1g’ means ‘1 garçon’ or ‘1 boy’. The ‘16 p~’ means ‘16 p’beste a corne’ or ‘16 cattle’. The son of Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas in this census is Abraham Dugas.
In the Census of Acadia in 1678 Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas are living at Port Royal with their son Abraham. At this time Martin Dugas has 12 arpents of improved land, 16 cattle and 1 gun. 4651,4652,4653,4566.
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IIn the Census of Acadia at Merliguèche in 1686 Claude Guédry is listed as:
“La Verdure 35; Sa femme 25 et un Enfant”
Translation:
“La Verdure 35; his wife 25 and a child”
They are living at Merliguèche. In the Census of Acadia of 1686 Claude Guédry is listed as having no arms (guns), cultivated land, cattle nor sheep4537,4540,4541,4592.
Who is the child censused with Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas? No age is given for the child in the census. By 1686 Claude Guédry and/or Marguerite Petitpas had either four or five children between them: Abraham Dugas (born about 1678), Jeanne Guédry (born about 1681), Claude Guédry (born about 1682), Jean-Baptiste Guédry (born about 1684) and Charles Guédry (born about 1686). It is uncertain which of these children Monsieur de Meulles, the census-taker, listed in the Census of 1686 although it is probably not Jeanne Guédry as our only record of her is at her baptism in 1681. She is not recorded in any records as living with Claude Guédry.
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Is the La Verdure listed in the Census of 1686 really Claude Guédry and not another settler with the ‘dit’ name of LaVerdure? It definitely appears that this LaVerdure is Claude Guédry. First - he is living at Merliguèche. Claude Guédry dit LaVerdure is the only person with the ‘dit’ name of LaVerdure that we find at Mirliguèche. Second - according to the Census of 1686 this LaVerdure was born about 1651 which agrees reasonable well with the Census of 1698 in which Claude Guédry is 50 years old (i.e., born about 1648) and the Census of 1708 in which Claude Guédry is 60 years old (i.e., born about 1648). Furthermore, in the Census of 1686 La Verdure is married - and we know that Claude Guédry married Marguerite Petitpas about 1681. There are six other men with the ‘dit’ name of La Verdure associated with Acadia during this period: Germain Doucet, Bernard Doucet, Pierre Melanson père, Pierre Melanson fils, Jean Melanson and François LeClerc4592. None of these six have ever been found at Merliguèche. Germain Doucet dit La Verdure was born about 1595 and had his first child Pierre in 1621. He is much older than the La Verdure of the Census of 1686, was associated with the French Governor D’Aulnay, was the deputy-guardian of the minor children of the D’Aulnay after D’Aulnay’s untimely death by drowning and was Capitain in command of Port-Royal when it was captured on 16 Aug 16544626,4627. Bernard Doucet dit La Verdure was a great-grandson of Germain Doucet dit La Verdure and was born about 1667. He lived at Port-Royal where he is censused in 1686 as a young man of 19 years in the home of his parents Germain Doucet and Marie Landry4628,4629,4630. Pierre Melanson père dit La Verdure was born in France before 1620 since his son Pierre was born in 16324631. Pierre Melanson fils dit La Verdure was born about 1632 and had his first child Philippe in 1666. He was a stone-cutter by trade, captain of the militia at Mines and lived at Grand-Pré (Bay of Mines area) where we find him as a 54 year old man in the Census of 16864632,4633,4634. Jean Melanson dit La Verdure was a brother to Pierre Melanson fils and son of Pierre Melanson père. Jean Melanson dit La Verdure lived in the Boston, Massachusetts area as all five of his known children were born there between 1681 and 16894635. François LeClerc dit La Verdure was born about 1687. He lived in Port-Royal and was a soldier4636,4637.
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Mark Labine in his work on the Guidry dit Labine family states: “It appears that Claude Guidry spent most of his life at Mirligueche, with the security of his wife and family close by. We know from a census taken by a man named Gargas in 1687 that Claude lived in a house in Mirligueche with his wife, Marguerite. With them were at least three children under 15 years of age and five young men over 15 years old. We are not sure who these five young men are. We know that in 1687 Claude had five children, but it’s possible Jeanne (daughter of Keskia) had died in infancy. The census also states that in 1687 eleven Indians lived in wigwams at Mirligueche and that there was one half acre of cleared land as well as two guns.4639” Known children of Claude Guédry and/or Marguerite Petitpas were Abraham Dugas (born about 1678), Jeanne Guédry (born about 1681), Claude Guédry (born about 1682), Jean-Baptiste Guédry (born about 1684) and Charles Guédry (born about 1686). A son Alexis Guédry was born about 1688 and probably was not born by the time of this Census of 1687. It is likely that Jeanne Guédry is not living with Claude and Marguerite since she disappears from the records after her baptism in 1681; she may either have died or has lived with her mother Kesk8a. It is uncertain who the five young men over 15 years of age were.
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“ 11(E) Paul Guidry dit Grivois (Le Jovial) b. 1701 at Mirligueche, baptised sept 8 or Oct 27, 1705 at Port Royal. His godfather was Baptiste, probably his older brother who would have been 17 at the time. m. 1723 Anne Mius d’Entremont dit Azit of Pobomcoup (b. 1705 Philippe & Marie, a Micmac Indian). They lived at Mirligueche until until (sic) driven out by the English, gave the name Grivois in the register at Port Lajoie in 1749, and were at baie des espagnols in Cap Breton in 1752.
He, along with his father and brothers, received some land along the East coast of Nova Scotia from Colonel Mascarene and engaged in farming,fishing and fur trading for a livelihood. Paul was said to be a sharp young man, clever and very merry. His merry disposition is the reason for his nicknames of Grivois and Jovial. He married, a little after 1730, Anne Mius d’Entremont, the illegitimate daughter of Phillip Mius d’Entremont and Marie, his half breed wife.
Once married, Paul continued the life of his father, engaging in a lifetime of fishing and coasting trade from the Bay Ste. Marie to as far north as Cap Nord of the island of Cape Breton. In 1745 we find him at Mirligueche, where he is deemed an excellent coasting pilot according to Mr. de Beauharnois (September 12, 1745). On October 21, 1747, he is declared to be an enemy of the English by Governor Shirley along with 12 other Acadians. From that point on, Paul ceased to have any fixed residence and fishing and coasting trips become his normal occupation around Louisbourg.
Paul’s ship now became his home, where his family was raised. One of his frequent stops was at the Bay Espagnole where he got coal and supplies for his family and ship. It was at the Bay Espangnole (sic) that his daughters (sic) Marguerite met a French officer named Bogatd (sic) de Lanour (sic), who became so in love with her that, despite the please (sic) expressed by M. d’Aillebout, commanding officer of Cape Breton, he succeeded in marriage the 17th of February, 1755. That marriage was contested with invalidity in the name of the King because it was forbidden for officers to marry women of mixed blood.
After the capture of Louisbourg, Paul made his submission as almost all the Metis of the East coast, and little more is hear (sic) of him. “4514
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The Census of Acadia at Port Royal in 1698 states:
“Claude Guaidry 50 10 Bestes a cornes 2 Brebis 8 Cochons 8 Arpens de terre no Arbes fruités 1 fusil no Domestiques / Margtte Petitpas 40 / Enfans: / Abraham 20 / Claude 16 / Jean Baptiste 14 / Charles 12 / Alexis 10 / Augustin 8 / Marie Josephe 6 / Claude 4 / Joseph 3 / Pierre 1/2 “
Translation:
“Claude Guaidry 50 10 Cattle 2 Sheep 8 Pigs 8 Arpents of land, no Fruit trees, 1 gun no Servants / Margtte Petitpas 40 / Children: / Abraham 20 / Claude 16 / Jean Baptiste 14 / Charles 12 / Alexis 10 / Augustin 8 / Marie Josephe 6 / Claude 4 / Joseph 3 / Pierre 1/2 “4486,4515,4516
Claude Guédry, 50 years old, and Marguerite Petitpas, age 40 years, have nine children (Claude, Jean-Baptiste, Charles, Alexis, Augustin, Marie-Josephe, Claude, Joseph and Pierre) plus Abraham Dugas, the child of Marguerite Petitpas and her first husband Martin Dugas. At this time Claude Guédry and his family are at Port Royal and he has 10 cattle, 2 sheep, 8 pigs, 8 arpents of land under cultivation, no fruit trees, one gun and no domestic servants4517,4518.
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“ September 8, 1705 Baptism
PAUL GUEDRY born in the month of January 1701 and baptised by Dyon
Son of CLAUDE GUEDRY and MARGUERITE PETITPAS inhabitants of Mirliguich
Sponsors: BAPTISTE GUEDRY and MARIE TIBODEAU recorded October 27, 1705 “
Paul Guédry was baptized by Dyon (Dion or Joseph Guyon also called Joseph Dion, the husband of Marguerite Dugas - Paul Guédry’s half-sister) probably on the day of his birth. His parents are listed as Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas, inhabitants of Merliguich. On 8 September 1705 he was baptized by a priest (Père Félix Pain) at Cap-Sable. Sponsors at his baptism were Baptiste Guédry, his brother, and Marie Tibodeau. The baptism was recorded on 27 October 1705. It seems that Paul Guedry’s baptism by Dyon occurred at Mirliguéche in January 1701 and Paul was later baptized by Père Pain during his trip to the Cap-Sable region in 1705. The baptism then was registered in the baptismal registry of St.-Jean-Baptiste de Port-Royal Catholic Church in Port Royal, Acadia when Père Pain returned to Port Royal4605,4606,4640.
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“ September 8, 1705 Baptism
FRANCOISE GUEDRY born January 14, 1703 and baptised by BAPTISTE GUEDRY the day of her birth
Daughter of CLAUDE GUEDRY and MARGUERITE PETITPAS inhabitants of Merlgueche
Sponsors: PIERRE BOURG and JEANNE LEJEUNE recorded October 27, 1705 “
Françoise Guédry was baptized by her brother Baptiste Guedry on the day of her birth - 14 January 1703. Her parents are listed as Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas, inhabitants of Merligueche. On 8 September 1705 she was baptized by a priest (Père Félix Pain) at Cap-Sable. Sponsors at her baptism were Pierre Bourg and Jeanne LeJeune. The baptism was recorded on 27 October 1705. It seems that Françoise Guedry’s baptism by Baptiste Guedry occurred at Mirliguéche in January 1703 and Françoise was later baptized by Père Pain during his trip to the Cap-Sable region in 1705. The baptism then was registered in the baptismal registry of St.-Jean-Baptiste de Port-Royal Catholic Church in Port Royal, Acadia when Père Pain returned to Port Royal4608,4609.
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“ II - VIE RELIGIEUSE AU CAP-SABLE
A - Les chapelles.
Cette chapelle était une des trois que l’abbé Le Loutre avait érigées au Cap-Sable. La description de l’Acadie de 1748 nous dit que le missionnaire a fait construire une église à chacune des places suivantes: Ministiguesh, Peaubourcoup et Tébok (a). A part du titulaire de la chapelle de Tébok ou Tebôque, qui etait celui de Sainte-Anne (8), l’établissement lui-même étant appelé dans les registres paroissiaux de Cherbourg, du temps des exilés, Sainte-Anne de Tébok (b), nous connaissons le titulaire de la chapelle de Pobomcoup, qui était celui de Notre-Dame; en effet, dans une liste de l’Etat des familles Accadiennes retirées à Cherbourg et du Nombre des Personnes dont elle Sont Composées, Existantes au Premier Janvier 1778, les Acadiens nés à Pobomcoup sont dits de la Paroisse de notre dame de Pouboncoupe en accadie (c). Nous ne saurions dire à quelle date ces chapelles furent bâties, mais elles le furent sûrement toutes trois en même temps, et donc après l’érection de l’établissement de Tebôque. Nous connaissons assez exactement l’emplacement de quatre des cinq chapelles qu’il y eut au Cap-Sable, les deux autres étant à Abuptic et à Chegoggin. Celle de Sainte-Anne de Tebôque se trouvait sur l’île Durkee; mais nous n’avons pu trouver aucune traces d’elle, probablement parce qu’on a construit, sur cette île, des bâtiments, dont ceux qui s’y trouvent à l’heure actuelle, qui sont la propriété de l’entreprise laitière de la famile Cook de Chebougue.
L’abbé Le Loutre, dans son autobiographie, écrite lors de son retour en France après l’Expulsion, dit de lui-même:
Ce Missionnaire passant ... tantôt des Acadiens français aux Sauvages et tantôt de ces derniers
aux premiers, selon que le plus grand besoin l’exigeait, avait à parcourir dans l’année plus de
150 lieues, se transportant de Chigabenakady à [Chegekkouk], de [Chegekkouk] à Mirliguesch au
Cap de Sable, et de ce dernier lieu en différentes autres petites tribus, compsées tant
d’Acadiens que de Sauvages, et, dans tous ces différents lieux, il a fait bâtir autant de chapelles
(a).
Remarquons que l’abbé Le Loutre commença son ministère en Acadie vers 1738; il alla s’établir à Shubenacadie le 30 septembre 1738. Il ne dit pas s’il fut construire en même temps à ces endroits des presbytères, ce qu’il dit cependant, dans ce document de son autobiographie, avoir fait à d’autres endroits plus importants. Nous savons tout de même qu’il y eut un presbytère à Pobomcoup, près de la chapelle, qui était elle-même près du manoir, car parlant des événements de 1756, l’abbé Desenclaves faisait mention de “mon presbytère et une modeste chapelle” qui se trouvaient ici (b). L’abbé Le Loutre visitait ces lieux tous les ans, sûrement l’été, car la description de 1748 de l’Acadie et le Mémoire de la même année disent que 200 à 300 Amérindiens s’assemblent à la rivière de Poboncon à la Saint-Louis, 20 aôut, évidemment pour y rencontrer le missionnaire.
B - Visites des missionnaires en général.
Avant l’arrivée de l’abbé Le Loutre certains missionnaires de passage et surtout le curé de Port-Royal visitèrent de temps en temps le Cap-Sable, qui faisant partie de la paroisse Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Port-Royal. Il est arrivé cependant que les Acadiens du Cap-Sable se soient rendus à Port-Royal pour s’y marier et même pour faire baptiser leurs enfants. Nous trouvons à travers les registres paroissiaux de Port-Royal et de Grand-Pré, ainsi que dans certains documents, quelques rares échos des visites des missionnaires au Cap-Sable, dont d’ailleurs nous avons déjà parlé.
1 - En 1705.
Nous avons déjà vu aux chapitres 20ième et 21ième qu’avant la conquête définitive de l’Acadie par les Anglais, le Père Félix Pain se rendit au Cap-Sable au mois de mai 1705, quand “faisant la Mission a la Cote du Sud et de l’Est de la Province de L’Acadie”, il administra le baptême à de nombreux enfants. On ne peut pas savoir par les entrées aux registres de Port-Royal à quel endroit précis il se trouvait tel ou tel jour; il se peut même qu’il ne demeura qu’à un seul endroit et que là on lui apportait les enfants à baptiser. Le 17 mai, il baptise un enfant de Julien Aubois de Ouikmakagan; le 21, il baptise un enfant de François Viger au même endroit; le 22, il baptise des enfants de François Amirault et un de Joseph Mius, “du Cap de Sable”; le lendemain, 23 mai, il baptise d’autres enfants de François Amirault et deux de François Viger, celui-ci de Ouikmakagan. On trouve à ces baptêmes comme parrains ou marraines des gens de presque tous les centres du Cap-sable, ce pourquoi nous disons qu’il se peut que le missionnaire fit tous ces baptêmes au même endroit.
Il est probable que le Père Pain passa l’été de 1705 au Cap-Sable et aux environs, jusqu’au mois de septembre, car les entrées qui suivent immédiatement aux registres de Port-Royal, datées du 8 septembre, sont celles d’enfants de Claude Guidry et de Marguerite Petitpas, de Merliguech, et d’un enfant de Pierre Le Jeune et de Marie Thibodeau, de la Petite-Rivière. Puis le 10 septembre les jumeaux de Martin Le Jeune et de Marie Godet, de Port-Maltois, furent baptisés. En plus, le Père Pain unissait en mariage le 14 septembre Claude Le Jeune, fils de Martin Le Jeune et de feue Marie Kayigonias, de Port-Maltois, avec Anne-Marie Godet, fille de Jean Godet et de feue Jeanne Henry, de la Petite-Rivière. Comme tous ces baptêmes furent entrés aux registres de Port-Royal le 23 octobre seulement, il faut croire que la mission de Père pain “à la Côte du Sud et de l’Est” dura au-delà de cinq mois.
. . . .
4 - En 1734.
L’abbé de Saint-Poncy et l’abbé Maufils ne s’étaient pas arrêtés dans la région de La Hève-Merliguesh. Le 27 septembre 1734, l’abbé de La Goudalie y suppléait les cérémonies de baptême à quatre des enfants de Jean Le Jeune et Françoise Guidry, de Joseph Boutin et Françoise Pitre, et de François Viger et Calire Le Jeune, dont deux étaient nés avant que les deux prêtres de Québec n’arrivent au Cap-Sable en 1732. Le 7 octobre il baptisait un enfant de François Landry et Marie Doucet, que Bona Arsenault place à la Rivière-des-Habitants (a). Le 13 octobre il faisait un baptême à Baccareaux, celui d’Anne Mius, fille de Charles-Amand Mius et Marie-Marthe Hébert, dite ici Marie-Joseph Hébert. Le 16 octobre il était à Pobomcoup, baptisant un enfant de Joseph d’Entremont et Cécile Boudreau, un de Charles Hébert et Claire Mius, et deux de Pierre Bertrand et Marie Moulaison; notons que l’un d’eux, Marie Bertrand, était née le 10 juin 1732, et donc avant que les abbées de Saint-Poncy et Maufils ne passèrent par ici. L’abbé de La Goudalie était de retour à Grand-Pré le 9 novembre.
(8) p. 1927
Nous ne saurions dire si le titulaire de Sainte-Anne qui fut donné au retour de l’exil à la première chapelle du Cap-Sable, celle de Sainte-Anne-du-Ruisseau, fut en souvenir de celui de Tebôque, à peu de distance d là. Mais c’est par coïncidence que l’église de Pubnico-Est est dédiée à la Sainte Vierge, sous le vocable de l’Immaculée-Conception, tout comme la première chapelle de ce côté du havre lui était également dédiée sous le vocable de Notre-Dame.
Nous en profitons pour mentionner un autre titulaire, que les auteurs n’ont pas signalé jusqu’ici. C’est celui de Sainte-Croix, donné à la paroisse de Merliguesh; il est sans doute de l’abbé Le Loutre. C’est que Paul Guidry, fils de Claude et de Marguerite Petitpas, et son épouse, Anne Mius, fille de Philippe II Mius d’Entremont et de Marie, sont dit “natifs de la paroisse Ste Croix en la Cadie” (a). Or ils étaient tous deux nés à Merliguesh.
1927
(a) - Le Canada-Français - Documents inédits, vol. I, pp. 44 et 47.
(b) - Voir aussi Le Canada-Français - Document inédits, vol. I, p. 43.
(c) - Arch. du Calvados, Série C - Intendance de Caen - Acadiens, C 1021: 1er janv. 1778
(pp. 244 et sqq.).
1928
(a) - Nova Francia, vol. VI, pp. 4-5.
(b) - L’abbé Casgrain, Les Sulpiciens et les Prêtres des Missions Etrangères en Acadie, p. 429.
1932
(a) - Bona Arsenault, Histoire et Généalogie des Acadiens, vo. II, p. 729.
1940
(a) - Rameau de Saint-Père, Une Colonie Féodale, vol. II, p. 376. “
Translation:
“ II - RELIGIOUS LIFE AT CAP-SABLE
A - The chapels
This chapel was one of three that the Abbé Le Loutre had erected at Cap-Sable. The description of Acadia of 1748 shows us that the missionary had built a church at each of the following places: Ministiguesh, Peaubourcoup and Tébok (a). Aside from the titular of the chapel at Tébok or Téboque, which was that of Sainte-Anne (8), the settlement itself being called in the parish registers of Cherbourg, at the time of the exiles, Sainte-Anne de Tébok (b), we know the titular of the chapel at Pobomcoup, which was that of Notre-Dame; in fact, in a list of Account of the Acadian families retired at Cherbourg and of the Number of Persons of which they are Composed, Existing on the First of January 1778, the Acadians born at Pobomcoup are called from the Parish of notre dame of Pouboncoupe in accadie (c). We would not know to say on which date these chapels were built, but they were certainly all three at the same time, and to be sure after the establishment of the settlement of Tebôque. We know fairly accurately the site of four of the five chapels which he had at Cap-Sable, the two other being at Abuptic and at Chegoggin. The one of Sainte-Anne de Tebôque was on the isle Durkee; but we have not found any traces of it, probably somebody has erected, on the isle, some buildings, among which those that are there nowadays, which are the property of the dairy business of the Cook family of Chebogue.
The Abbé Le Loutre, in his autobiography, writing at the time of his return to France after the Expulsion, said of himself:
This missionary passing ... sometimes from the French Acadians to the Savages and sometimes
from the last to the first, according to which greater need demanded him, had to travel in the
year more than 150 leagues, going from Chigabenakady to [Chegekkouk], from [Chegekkouk] to
Mirliguesch to Cap de Sable, and from this last place to various other small tribes, composed as
much of Acadians as of Savages, and, in all these various places, he has built as many chapels
(a).
Notice that the Abbé Le Loutre began his ministry in Acadia about 1738; he went to establish himself at Shubenacadie the 30th of September 1738. He did not say if he did build at the same time any rectories at these places, what he said, however, in this document of autobiography, to have made at some other more important places. We know all the same that he had a rectory at Pobomcoup, near the chapel, which was itself near the manor, because speaking of the events of 1756, the Abbé Desenclaves made mention of “my rectory and a modest chapel” which was this place (b). The Abbé Le Loutre visited these places every year, certainly the summer, for the description from 1748 of Acadia and the Mémoire of the same year say that 200 to 300 Indians gathered at the Poboncon River at Saint-Louis, the 25th of August, evidently to meet the missionary there.
B - Visits of the missionaries in general.
Before the arrival of the Abbé Le Loutre, certain missionaries in transit and above all the parish priest of Port-Royal visited from time to time Cap-Sable, which was part of the parish Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Port-Royal. It happened, however, that the Acadians of Cap-Sable returned to Port-Royal to marry and even to baptize their children. We discover through the parish registers of Port-Royal and of Grand-Pré, as well as in certain documents, some scanty news of the visits of the missionaries to Cap-Sable, in addition to which we have already spoken.
1 - In 1705.
We have already seen in the 20th and 21st chapters that before the final conquest of Acadia by the English, Père Félix Pain went to Cap-Sable in the month of May 1705, when “making the Mission at the South Coast and on the East of the Province of Acadia”, he administered baptism to numerous children. It is not possible to learn from the entries in the registers of Port-Royal at which precise place he was such and such a day; it is even possible that he only stopped at a single place and that there they brought to him the children to baptize. The 17th of May he baptizes a child of Julien Aubois of Ouikmakagan; the 21st, he baptizes a child of François Viger of the same place; the 22nd, he baptizes some children of François Amirault and one of Joseph Mius, “of Cap de Sable”; the following day, May 23rd, he baptizes some other children of François Amirault and two of François Viger, the latter of Ouikmakagan. We find at these baptisms as godfathers and godmothers people of almost all the centers of Cap-Sable, that is why we say that it is possible that the missionary did all these baptisms at the same place.
It is likely that Père Pain spent the summer of 1705 at Cap-Sable and in the vicinity, up to the month of September, because the entries which follow immediately in the registers of Port-Royal, dated on the 8th of September, are those of the children of Claude Guidry and of Marguerite Petitpas, of Merliguech, and of a child of Pierre Le Jeune and of Marie Thibodeau, of Petite-Rivière. Then the 10th of September the twins of Martin Le Jeune and of Marie Godet, of Port-Maltois, were baptized. In addition, Père Pain united in marriage the 14th of September Claude Le Jeune, son of Martin Le Jeune and of the late Marie Kayigonias, of Port-Maltois, with Anne-Marie Godet, daughter of Jean Godet and of the late Jeanne Henry, of Petite-Rivière. As all these baptisms were entered into the registers of Port-Royal the 23rd of October only, one must believe that the mission of Père Pain “at the South Coast and of the East” lasted upwards of five months.
. . . .
4 - In 1734.
The Abbé de Saint-Poncy and the Abbé Maufils did not stop in the region of La Hève-Merliguesh. The 27th of September, the Abbé de La Goudalie supplied the ceremonies of baptism for four of the children of Jean Le Jeune and Françoise Guidry, of Joseph Boutin and Françoise Pitre, and of François Viger and Claire Le Jeune, of which two were born before the two missionaries from Québec arrived at Cap-Sable in 1732. The 7th of October he baptized a child of François Landry and Marie Doucet, whom Bona Arsenault places at the Rivière-des-Habitants (a). The 13th of October he did a baptism at Baccareaux, that of Anne Mius, daughter of Charles-Amand Mius and Marie-Marthe Hébert, called here Marie-Joseph Hébert. The 16th of October he was at Pobomcoup, baptizing a child of Joseph d’Entremont and Cécile Boudreau, one of Charles Hébert and Claire Mius, and two of Pierre Bertrand and Marie Moulaison; note that one of them, Marie Bertrand, was born the 10th of June 1732, and hence before the missionaries de Saint-Poncy and Maufils passed through here. The Abbé de La Goudalie returned to Grand-Pré the 9th of November.
(8) p. 1927
We would not know to say if the titular of Sainte-Anne which was given at the return of the exile to the first chapel of Cap-Sable, that of Sainte-Anne-du-Ruisseau, was in memory of that of Tebôque, at little distance from there. But it is by coincidence that the church of Pubnico-East is consecrated to the Blessed Virgin, under the name of the Immaculate Conception, just as the first chapel on that shore of the harbor was also dedicated to her under the name of Notre-Dame.
We avail ourselves to mention another titular, that the authorities have not pointed out until now. It is that of Sainte-Croix, given to the parish of Merliguesh; it is no doubt from the Abbé Le Loutre. The fact is that Paul Guidry, son of Claude and of Marguerite Petitpas, and his wife, Anne Mius, daughter of Philippe II Mius d’Entremont and of Marie, are called “natives of the parish Ste Croix in la Cadie” (a). Now they were both born in Merliguesh.
1927
(a) - Le Canada-Français - Documents inédits, vol. I, pp. 44 and 47.
(b) - Voir aussi Le Canada-Français - Document inédits, vol. I, p. 43.
(c) - Arch. du Calvados, Série C - Intendance de Caen - Acadiens, C 1021: 1st of January 1778
(pp. 244 and sqq.).
1928
(a) - Nova Francia, vol. VI, pp. 4-5.
(b) - L’abbé Casgrain, Les Sulpiciens et les Prêtres des Missions Etrangères en Acadie, p. 429.
1932
(a) - Bona Arsenault, Histoire et Généalogie des Acadiens, vo. II, p. 729.
1940
(a) - Rameau de Saint-Père, Une Colonie Féodale, vol. II, p. 376.”4611
____________________
The Census of Acadia at La Hève in 1708 states:
“ francois de la hève 7e familles Claude guedry 60 ans / Marguerite petit pas 48 / Charles son fils 21 / Augustin 16 / Claude 16 / Joseph 10 / Pierre 8 / Paul 6 / Marie sa fille 14 / francoise 4”
Translation:
“french of la hève 7th families Claude guedry 60 years / Marguerite petit pas 48 / Charles his son 21 / Augustin 16 / Claude 16 / Joseph 10 / Pierre 8 / Paul 6 / Marie his daughter 14 / francoise 4”
Claude Guédry, age 60 years, and Marguerite Petitpas, age 48 years, have living with them at La Hève eight children (Charles, Augustin, Claude, Joseph, Pierre, Paul, Marie and Françoise)4518,4489.
Also living at La Hève near Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas is another son Jean-Baptiste Guédry with his new wife Madeleine Mius. They have no children.
The Census of Acadia at La Hève in 1708 states:
“ francois de la hève 8e familles Jean baptiste guedry 24 ans / Madelaine mieusse 14”
Translation:
“french of la hève 8th families Jean baptiste guedry 24 years / Madelaine mieusse 14”4519,4489
____________________
“ I - LES ACADIENS
Il est assez difficile de savoir quelle était la population acadienne du Cap-Sable au lendemain de la conquête anglaise. Nous venons de voir qu’un certain nombre de ses habitants s’installèrent définitivement à l’île Royale. D’autres y sont allés, mais pour revenir soit au Cap-Sable, soit à Port-Royal. A cette date, la plupart se trouvaient encore là où nous les avons trouvés précédemment. Cependant plusieurs avaient déjà changé de domicile.
. . . .
B - Au Passage-de-Baccareaux.
Nous avons quelque chose au sujet du Passage-de-Baccareaux quelques années après la conquête, grâce aux frères Denis et Bernard Godet, du haut de la rivière d’Annapolis, fils de Pierre, dit Le Jeune, et de Marie Blanchard. Ils partirent de Port-Royal le 22 mai 1714 pour se rendre au Cap-Breton, nous ayant laissé un compte rendu de leur voyage (1). Nous avons dit au chaptire 25ième que le deuxième jour ils se sont trouvés au Passage-de-Baccareaux, où il y avait trois habitants avec leurs familles, une s’en étant allée au Cap-Breton. D’après la construction de la phrase, on peut se demander si la famille qui alla au Cap-Breton était en plus des trois en question. Le sens le plus vraisemblable est que l’une des trois familles alla au Cap-Breton; on peut croire que ce fut avec les frères Godet. Nous avons déjà dit que cette famille dut être celle de Jean Pitre. En effet, il y avait au Cap-Sable en 1708, en plus de la famille de François Amirault et de celle de Joseph Mius, dit d’Azy, celle de Marc Pitre et celle de son frère Jean II Pitre, avons-nous déjà dit au chapitre 21ième. Mais du temps de la visite des frères Godet au Cap-Sable, Marc Pitre était déjà rendu à Port-Royal. Des trois autres familles, il y eut celle de Jean Pitre à aller au Cap-Breton, comme nous avons dit au chaptire précédent, et ce fut précisément très peu de temps après le traité d’Utrecht. Il faut donc conclure qu’il ne resta au Passage-de-Baccareaux au lendemain de la conquête que la famille de François Amirault et celle de Joseph Mius, dit d’Azy. Nous parlerons de nouveux de ces deux familles un peu plus loin dans ce chapitre.
(1) p. 1576
Ce que les frères Denis et Bernard Godet, lors de leur voyage au Cap-Breton en 1714, disent des havres, à part de ceux du Cap-Sable, quoique moins important pour nous, a cependant son intérêt. Ils nous apprennent, par exemple, qu’au havre Merliguesh, où ils arrivèrent le troisième jour, il n’y avait qu’un habitant, avec sa famille, et qu’il marchandait tous les jours avec les Bostoniens et d’autres personnes. Il devait s’agir de Claude Guidry, dit La Verdure, marié à Marguerite Petitpas, fille de Claude Petitpas et de Catherine Bugaret. Sa famille y était encore en 1726 (a).
Le quatrième jour, ils arrivèrent au havre des île Anglaises, (English Islands), dites encore îles-aux-Anglais, qui seraient Gerard Island et Phoenix Island d’aujourd’hui, dans la baie de Toutes-Isles, comté de Halifax, entre le Cap-Enragé, (le Taylor Head d’aujourd’hui, avec Spry Bay à l’ouest), et les îles-aux-Cannes (aujourd’hui Inner Baltee Island, Baltee Island, Tangier Island et Charles Island). Encore ici, ils ne trouvèrent qu’un seul habitant, M. Petitpas, pêcheur; il s’agaissait de Claude Petitpas, frère de Marguerite mariée à Claude Guidry. Claude Petitpas lui-même avait épousé en premières noces vers 1686 une Amérindienne du nom de Marie-Thérèse, et en secondes noces, en 1721, Françoise Lavergne, fille de Pierre Lavergne, le domestique du Père de Breslay, et d’Anne Bernon. Auparavant il avait vécu à Mouscoudabouet. Un peu plus tard il sera à Canseau (b).
Le douzième jour, les frères Godet étaient rendus à L’Indienne, (“Harbour called Indian”), aujourd’hui Lingan, dans le comté du Cap-Breton, à côté de New Waterford. Ici se trouvait le capitaine Baptiste. Trois mois plus tard, le 29 août, celui-ci figure avec sa troisième femme au recensement de Beaubassin.
Le quatorzième jour, ils revinrent à Louisbourg où ils construisirent un maison pour Monsieur Rodrigue, c’est-à-dire Jean de Fond, dit Rodrigue, marié à Anne Le Borgne de Belleisle, fille d’Alexandre et de Marie de Saint-Etienne de La Tour, dont nous avons parlé au chaptire 18ième.
1610
(a) - Haliburton, A General Description of Nova Scotia; illustrated by a new and correct Map, (1st ed., Halifax, 1923), p. 196.
- Coll. of the Mass. Hist. Soc., Vol. 6, (1799), p. 109.
(b) - Dict. Biog. du Canada, vol. II, p. 547. “
Translation:
“ I - THE ACADIANS
It is rather difficult to know what was the Acadian population at Cap-Sable shortly after the English conquest. We happen to know that a certain number of the inhabitants eventually settled at Île Royale. Some others have gone there, but to return either to Cap-Sable, or to Port-Royal. At that date, most are still where we have found them before. Nevertheless some had already changed residence.
. . . .
B - At Passage-de-Baccareaux.
We have something about Passage-de-Baccareaux a few years after the conquest, thanks to the brothers Denis and Bernard Godet, from the upper part of the Riviére d’Annapolis, sons of Pierre, dit Le Jeune, and of Marie Blanchard. They departed from Port-Royal the 22nd of May 1714 in order to return to Cap-Breton, having left us a report of their trip (1). We have said in the 25th chapter that the second day they are found at Passage-de-Baccareaux, that had three residents with their families, one of them having gone to Cap-Breton. According to the arrangement of the sentence, one could wonder if the family that went to Cap-Breton was in addition to the three in question. The more likely meaning is that one of the three families went to Cap-Breton; it is possible to believe that this was with the Godet brothers. We have already said that this family had to be that of Jean Pitre. In fact, he had been to Cap-Sable in 1708, in addition for the family of François Amirault and for that of Joseph Mius, dit d’Azy, that of Marc Amirault and for that of his brother Jean II Pitre, we have already spoken in the 21st chapter. But at the time of the visit of the Godet brothers to Cap-Sable, Marc Pitre had already returned to Port-Royal. Of the three other families, it was that of Jean Pitre to go to Cap-Breton, as we have said in the preceding chapter, and this was very shortly after the Treaty of Utrecht. One must, therefore, conclude that he did not remain at Passage-de-Baccareaux after the conquest as the family of François Amirault and that of Joseph Mius, dit d’Azy. We will speak of news of these two families a little further in this chapter.
(1) p. 1576
What the brothers Denis and Bernard Godet, at the time of their trip to Cap-Breton in 1714, say of the harbours, aside from those of Cap-Sable, although less important for us, has nevertheless its interest. They inform us, for instance, that at the Merliguesh harbour, where they arrived the third day, it had only one inhabitant, with his family, and that he traded everyday with the Bostonians and with other persons. It must be Claude Guidry, dit La Verdure, married to Marguerite Petitpas, daughter of Claude Petitpas and of Catherine Bugaret. His family was still there in 1726 (a).
The fourth day they arrived at the harbour of the Iles Anglaises (English Islands), called also Iles-aux-Anglais, which would be Gerard Island and Phoenix Island today, in the Bay of Toutes-Isles, county of Halifax, between Cap-Enragé (Taylor Head today with Spry Bay to the west) and Iles-aux-Cannes (today Inner Baltee Island, Baltee Island, Tangier Island and Charles Island). Again here they found one inhabitant, M. Petitpas, fisherman; he is Claude Petitpas, brother of Marguerite married to Claude Guidry. Claude Petitpas himself wed in his first marriage about 1686 an Indian with the name Marie-Thérèse and in a second marriage in 1721 Françoise Lavergne, daughter of Pierre Lavergne, the servant of Père de Breslay, and of Anne Bernon. Previously he had lived at Mouscoudabouet. A little later he would be at Canseau (b).
The twelfth day the brothers Godet had returned to L’Indienne (“Harbour called Indian”), today Lingan, in the county of Cap-Breton at the shore of New Waterford. Here is the captain Baptiste. Three months later, the 29th of August, this one appears with his third wife in the census of Beaubassin.
The fourteenth day they returned to Louisbourg where they built a house for Monsieur Rodrigue, that is to say, Jean de Fond, dit Rodrigue, married to Anne Le Borgne de Belleisle, daughter of Alexander and of Marie de Saint-Etienne de La Tour, of whom we have spoken in the 18th chapter.
1610
(a) - Haliburton, A General Description of Nova Scotia; illustrated by a new and correct Map, (1st ed., Halifax, 1923), p. 196.
- Coll. of the Mass. Hist. Soc., Vol. 6, (1799), p. 109.
(b) - Dict. Biog. du Canada, vol. II, p. 547. “4612
____________________
“ 2 - Dans la région du Maine.
Encore deux ans plus tard, en 1722, au début de l’été, les Amérindiens du Maine pour leur part se mirent en guerre contre les gens de la Nouvelle-Angleterre.
a - L’occasion.
Les Anglais s’étaient emparé de Joseph d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin, leur chef suprême, qu’ils avaient fait tomber dans un guet-apens dressé sous couleur de lui exprimer leur amitié. Cet acte ne pouvait pas être laissé impuni. L’occasion fut aussi le raid des gens de Boston à Nanrantsouak, quand ils s’emparèrent du coffre du Père Sébastien Rasle, contenant tous ses papiers, et brûlèrent l’église, le presbytère et trente-trois wigwams (b). Le gouverneur Shute, de son côté, émit une déclaration de guerre datée du 25 juillet 1722. Cette guerre, la quatrième depuis 1675 entre les Amérindiens et les Anglais de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, fut appelée The Three Years War, (La Guerre de Trois Ans), en raison de sa durée; Rale’s War (La Guerre de Rale), à cause de l’un de ses motifs; Lovewell’s War, (La Guerre de Lovewell), du nom du capitaine John Lovewell, en raison des succès qu’il remporta surtout vers la fin de la guerre (9); Governor Dummer’s Indian War, (La Guerre Amérindienne du Gouverneur Dummer), du nom du lieutenant-gouverneur du Massachusetts, William Dummer, qui formula le traité de paix qui mit fin à cette guerre (c).
b- Répercussions sur la Côte-de-l’Est et au Cap-Sable.
Philipps se trouvait à Canseau, au plus fort de la saison de pêche, lorsqu’il reçut de Shute la nouvelle de cette déclaration de guerre. Les Amérindiens ayant saisi ici 16 ou 17 bateaux, il organisa la défense en envoyant immédiatement des officiers dans les ports de la Côte-de-l’Est, où les Amérindiens étaient allés se réfugier. Au havre Winnepang (Jeddore Harbour), John Eliot de Boston surprit 39 ou 40 d’entre eux, dont cinq seulement réussirent à sévader. Il récupéra ici sept vaisseaux, quinze captifs et six cents quintaux de poisson. D’autres bâtiments et d’autres pêcheurs qui avaient été faits prisonniers furent repris. Le capitaine Blin, en route vers Boston, s’empara au Cap-Sable de trois our quatre autres Amérindiens (a).
Les Anglais s’en prirent non seulement aux Amérindiens, mais aussi à quelques Acadiens, à savoir quatre des fils de Claude Guidry et de Marguerite Petitpas, peut-être parce qu’ils étaient de Merligesh, considéré plutôt comme village des Amérindiens que village d’Acadiens, peut-être parce que certains membres de cette famille avaient contracté des alliances avec des Amérindiens ou des métisses. Il s’agissait de Claude, Philippe, Augustin et Paul (10). Ils furent conduits avec leur famille d’abord au New Hampshire, d’où le nommé Jacob Parker les emmena à Boston. Mais Boston ne voulut pas les recevoir, car il y avait une loi qui à cette époque défendait tout étranger de s’etablir dans la ville. C’est pourquoi quelques jours après leur arrivée, les conseillers de Boston les avertirent de s’en aller ailleurs; cet ordre, qui fut émis le 16 octobre, (26 octobre, n.s.), fut transmis treize hours plus tard à l’officier chargé du maintien de la paix, (“Clark of the Peace”); on lui demandait de vois à son exécution (b). Puisque après cette date naquirent à Boston des enfants d’Augustin et de Paul, comme nous avons dit au chapitre 20ième, il faut croire que l’ordre ne fut pas exécuté, sans doute parce qu’on considéra ces Acadiens non pas comme des “immigrés” qui venaient s’établir à Boston, mais comme des prisonniers.
Pendant que ces Acadiens étaient amenés en captivité en Nouvelle-Angleterre, les Amérindiens du Cap-Sable allaient prêter main-forte aux Amérindiens du Maine. On apprit en effet à Boston le 10 septembre que ceux-ci, avec un très grand nombre d’autres Amérindiens venus du Canada, avaient attaqué l’île Arrowsic, qui se trouve à l’entrée de la rivière Kennebec. Heureusement ils furent délogés à temps, avant de causer grand dommage.
Un certain nombre voulurent faire la paix avec Annapolis (a), mais en majeure partie ils n’étaient pas prêts à se réconcilier avec les Anglais. L’année suivante, 1723, ils harcelèrent encoure les Anglais sur la Côte-de-l’Est, en tuèrent même, surtout encore à Canseau (b).
(9) p. 1595
John Lovewell partit de Dunstable le 15 avril (v.s.) avec 46 volontaires. Arrivé au haut de la rivière Saco, il ne lui en restait plus que 34, dont 14 seulement revinrent après la bataille, lui-même y ayant également perdu la vie. Ici, il y a un lac qui porte encore le nom de Lovewell Pond (c).
Il y a dans le Massachusetts, au sud de Nashua, une petite ville qui porte encoure le nom de Dunstable. Cependant Dunstable où demeurait le capitaine John Lovewell est actuellement dans l’Etat du New Hampshire, étant devenu une partie de la ville de Nashua (d).
(10) p. 1596
Dans la liste des quatre fils de Claude Guidry que les Anglais en 1722 amenèrent de Merliguesh au New Hampshire et ensuite à Boston, il y a le nom de Philippe. Or c’est la seule fois que l’on trouve ce nom dans la famille de Claude Guidry, à moins qu’il n’ait été mis par erreur pour un autre nom déjà connu. On trouve par après Philippe Guidry, mais non dans la famille de Claude. Puisque le document donne Phillip Gedery, sa femme & famille, (“Phillip Gedery his wife & family”), il faut conclure qu’il avait déjà un ou des enfants. La même chose doit se dire d’Augustin, quoique les premiers enfants qu’on lui connaît soient les jumelles Marie-Josephte et Hélène qui naquirent le 9 janvier de l’année suivante, 1723. Quant aux deux autres, le document ne semble pas leur donner d’enfants, ca on a simplement Gload Gedery & sa femme, (“Gload Gedery & his wife”), et Paul Gedery & sa femme, (“Paul Gedery & his wife”), ce qui veut dire que Judith, fille de Paul, qui naquit également à Boston, n’était pas encore née à cette date, quoi-qu’elle naquît avant ses cousines jumelles.
1595
(b) - La Société Hist. Acadienne, 21ième Cahier, (vol. III), p. 60
(c) - Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives carried to Canada, (Portland, Maine - 1925),
Vol. I, pp. 4-5; Vol. II, pp. 133 et sqq.
- Abbott-Elwell, History of Maine, pp. 332 et sqq.
1596
(a) - Thomas Church, The History of the Great Indian War of 1675 and 1676 ..., (revised ed., by Samuel Drake - New York, 1860), pp. 325 et sqq.
- Samuel Penhallow, New England and Indian Wars, pp. 89 et sqq.
- Abbott-Elwell, History of Maine, pp. 300 et sqq.
- Beamish Murdoch, A History of Nova Scotia or Acadie, (Halifax, N.S. - James Barnes, Printer and Publisher). En 3 volumes, 1865-1867. Vol. I, pp. 398 et sqq.
- Hutchinson, The History of the Colony and Province of Massachusetts-Bay, (ed. Mayo, 1936), Vol. II, p. 222.
- New England Hist. & Genea. Registers, Vol. 45, (1891), pp. 278-280.
(b) - A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston containing the Records fo Boston Selectmen, 1716 to 1736, (Boston, 1885), p. 107.
1597
(a) - Beamish Murdoch, A History of Nova Scotia or Acadie, (Halifax, N.S. - James Barnes, Printer and Publisher). En 3 volumes, 1865-1867. Vol. I, p. 404.
(b) - Documents rel. to the Col. Hist. of the State of N. Y., Vol. IX, p. 945.
1615
(c) - Williamson, Maine, Vol. II, pp. 135 et sqq.
(d) - Other Indian Events of New England - Presented by the State Street Trust Company of Boston, Vol. II, (1941), pp. 82-83.
- Au sujet de ce John Lovewell et de ses exploits, voir les auteurs suivants:
= Frederick Kidder, The Expedition of Capt. John Lovewell and His Encounters with the Indians, (Boston, Bartlett and Halliday - 1865), 138 pages.
= Rev. Thomas Symnes, The Original Account of Capt. John Lovewell’s “Great Fight” with the Indians at Pequawket, May 8, 1725, (Concord, N.H. - New Edition, 1861), 48 pages.
= George Lyman Kittredge, The Ballad of Lovewell’s Fight, (reprinted, 1925); from Bibliographical Essays. A Tribute to Wilberforce Eames, pp. 93-127. “
Translation:
“ 2 - In the Region of Maine.
Again two years later, in 1722, at the beginning of summer, the Indians of Maine for their part started a war against the people of New England.
a - The Cause.
The English had seized Joseph d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin, their highest chief, whom they had made fall into an ambush set up under the pretext to express to him their friendship. This action could not be left unpunished. The cause was also the raid of the people of Boston at Nanrantsouak when they seized the chest of Père Sébastien Rasle containing all his papers and burnt the church, the rectory and thirty-three wigwams (b). Governor Shute, for his part, issued a declaration of war dated 25 July 1722. This war, the fourth since 1675 between the Indians and the English of New England, was called The Three Year’s War (La Guerre de Trois Ans) by reason of its duration; Rale’s War (La Guerre de Rale) because of one of its causes; Lovewell’s War (La Guerre de Lovewell) from the name of Captain John Lovewell in consideration of the success that he obtained chiefly towards the end of the war (9); Governor Dummer’s Indian War (La Guerre Amérindienne du Gouverneur Dummer) who drew up the peace treaty that put an end to this war (c).
b - Repercussions on the East Coast and at Cap-Sable.
Philipps found himself at Canseau at the very height of the fishing season when he received from Shute the news of that declaration of war. The Indians having seized here 16 or 17 boats, he organized the defense by sending immediately some officers to the harbours of the East Coast where the Indians had gone to take refuge. At the harbour Winnepang (Jeddore Harbour), John Eliot of Boston surprised 39 or 40 of them of which only five escaped. He recovered here seven vessels, fifteen prisoners and six hundred quintals of fish. Some other boats and some other fishermen who had been made prisoners were retaken. Captain Blin, in route to Boston, seized at Cap-Sable three or four other Indians (a).
The English laid blame not only on the Indians, but also on some Acadians, namely four of the sons of Claude Guidry and of Marguerite Petitpas, perhaps because they were from Merliguesh, considered rather as an Indian village than an Acadian village, perhaps because certain members of that family had contracted some alliances with the Indians or the Métis. The matter was about Claude, Philippe, Augustin and Paul (10). They were sent with their family at first to New Hampshire from where the mentioned Jacob Parker sent them to Boston. But Boston did not want to admit them because it had a law which at that time forbade any foreigner to settle in the town. That is why a few days after their arrival, the counselors of Boston gave them notice to go elsewhere; that order, which was sent 16 October (26 October, n.s.) was conveyed thirteen days later to the officer charged with maintenance of the peace (“Clark of the Peace”); it required him to see to its execution (b). Since after that date were born at Boston some children of Augustin and of Paul as we have said in Chapter 20, we must believe that the order was not executed, without doubt because he considered these Acadians not as some “immigrants” who came to settle at Boston, but as some prisoners.
While these Acadians were brought in captivity to New England, the Indians of Cap-Sable went to lend assistance to the Indians of Maine. They learned in fact at Boston the 10th of September that those, with a very large number of other Indians having come from Canada, had seized the isle Arrowsic, which is at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Fortunately they were dislodged in time before causing much damage.
A certain number wanted to make peace with Annapolis (a), but for the most part they were not ready to be reconciled with the English. The following year, 1723, they again harassed the English on the East Coast, even killed some of them, chiefly again at Canseau (b).
(9) p. 1595
John Lovewell departed from Dunstable the 15th of April (v.s.) with 46 volunteers. Having arrived at the upper part of the Saco River, no more than 34 remained with him of which only 14 returned after the battle, himself having also lost his life. Here, there is a lake which even bears the name of Lovewell Pond. (c).
There is in Massachusetts, to the south of Nashua, a small town which also bears the name of Dunstable. However, Dunstable where Captain John Lovewell lived is now in the State of New Hampshire having become a part of the town of Nashua (d).
(10) p. 1596
In the list of the four sons of Claude Guidry that the English in 1722 brought from Merliguesh to New Hampshire and then to Boston, there is the name of Philippe. Now this is the only time that we find that name in the family of Claude Guidry unless it has been used by error for another name already known. We discover later Philippe Guidry, but not in the family of Claude. Since the document gives Phillip Gedery, sa femme & famille (“Phillip Gedery, his wife & family”), one must conclude that he already had one or more children. The same thing must be said of Augustin although the first children that we know for him are the twins Marie-Josephte and Hélène, who were born the 9th of January of the following year, 1723. As for the two others, the document does not appear to give them any children because it has simply Gload Gedery & sa femme (“Gload Gedery & his wife”) and Paul Gedery & sa femme (“Paul Gedery & his wife”) which means that Judith, daughter of Paul, who was also born at Boston, was not yet born at that date although she was born before her twin cousins.
1595
(b) - La Société Hist. Acadienne, 21st Cahier, (vol. III), p. 60
(c) - Emma Lewis Coleman, New England Captives carried to Canada, (Portland, Maine - 1925),
Vol. I, pp. 4-5; Vol. II, pp. 133 et sqq.
- Abbott-Elwell, History of Maine, pp. 332 and sqq.
1596
(a) - Thomas Church, The History of the Great Indian War of 1675 and 1676 ..., (revised ed., by Samuel Drake - New York, 1860), pp. 325 et sqq.
- Samuel Penhallow, New England and Indian Wars, pp. 89 and sqq.
- Abbott-Elwell, History of Maine, pp. 300 and sqq.
- Beamish Murdoch, A History of Nova Scotia or Acadie, (Halifax, N.S. - James Barnes, Printer and Publisher). In 3 volumes, 1865-1867. Vol. I, pp. 398 and sqq.
- Hutchinson, The History of the Colony and Province of Massachusetts-Bay, (ed. Mayo, 1936), Vol. II, p. 222.
- New England Hist. & Genea. Registers, Vol. 45, (1891), pp. 278-280.
(b) - A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston containing the Records fo Boston Selectmen, 1716 to 1736, (Boston, 1885), p. 107.
1597
(a) - Beamish Murdoch, A History of Nova Scotia or Acadie, (Halifax, N.S. - James Barnes, Printer and Publisher). In 3 volumes, 1865-1867. Vol. I, p. 404.
(b) - Documents rel. to the Col. Hist. of the State of N. Y., Vol. IX, p. 945.
1615
(c) - Williamson, Maine, Vol. II, pp. 135 and sqq.
(d) - Other Indian Events of New England - Presented by the State Street Trust Company of Boston, Vol. II, (1941), pp. 82-83.
- On the subject of this John Lovewell and his exploits, see thefollowing authors:
= Frederick Kidder, The Expedition of Capt. John Lovewell and His Encounters with the Indians, (Boston, Bartlett and Halliday - 1865), 138 pages.
= Rev. Thomas Symnes, The Original Account of Capt. John Lovewell’s “Great Fight” with the Indians at Pequawket, May 8, 1725, (Concord, N.H. - New Edition, 1861), 48 pages.
= George Lyman Kittredge, The Ballad of Lovewell’s Fight, (reprinted, 1925); from Bibliographical Essays. A Tribute to Wilberforce Eames, pp. 93-127. “4520
____________________
“13 Nov 1726: ‘We have already referred to what the English called an act of piracy, perpetuated at the beginning of September 1726 at Merliguesh (Lunenburg) against the person of Samuel Daly, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and his crew, by the Acadians and Amerindians of the place, for which Jean-Baptiste Guédry, the son of Claude Guédry and Marguerite Petitpas and husband of Philippe II Mius d’Entremont’s daughter Madeleine, as well as his like-named son and three Amerindians, were all condemned to be hanged at Boston, where they were in fact executed the following November 13th (n.s.).’ (C. J. d’Entremont, Histoire du Cap-Sable, vol IV, p. 1601).”4615
Notes (2) notes for Marguerite (Spouse 1)
“ D - Pendaison à Boston de deux Acadiens et trois Amérindiens pour piraterie.
La paix avait été conclue, mais cela ne veut pas dire que tout devait entrer dans le calme du jour au lendemain. Nous avons déjà fait allusion à ce que les Anglais ont appelé l’act de piraterie perpétré au début de septembre 1726 à Merliguesh, (Lunenburg), sur la personne de Samuel Daly, de Plymouth, Massachusetts, et de son équipage, de la part d’Acadiens et d’Amérindiens de l’endroit, pour lequel Jean-Baptsite Guidry, fils de Claude et de Marguerite Petitpas, marié à Madeleine Mius, fille de Philippe II Mius d’Entremont, ainsi que son propre fils, de même nom que son père, et trois Amérindiens furent condamnés à être pendus à Boston, où ils furent exécutés le 13 novembre suivant (n.s.). Même si cet événement ne se passa pas précisément au Cap-Sable, nous allons cependant le raconter en entier, d’abord parce qu’il concerne des Acadiens qui étaient originaires du Cap-Sable ou qui y étaient étroitement liés, et ensuite parce qu’il s’agit d’un fait unique, mais très peu connu, de l’histoire de l’Acadie, à savoir la pendaison de deux Acadiens et de trois Amérindiens accusés de piraterie.
1 - Récit des faits.
Nous connaissons deux sources qui nous donnent le détail de cette affaire, d’abord le récit du docteur Benjamin Colman, qui la raconte dans ses Mémoires, et ensuite les Archives de la Cour Suprême du comté de Suffolk, Boston, où le procès pour pirateries eut lieu.
a - D’après le docteur Benjamin Colman.
Malgré la longueur de récrit du docteur Benjamin Colman, nous croyons qu’il vaut la peine d’être transcrit ici en son entier. En voici la traduction:
Samuel Daly de Plymouth, dans un voyage de pêche, entra dans le havre de Malagash le 25 août
[5 septembre, n.s. - 1726], pour s’approvisionner d’eau, quand voyant sur la côte
Jean-Baptiste, un Français, il le pria de venir à bord, ce que Baptiste et son fils firent à
l’instant. Et après qu’ils eurent conversé amicalement de la paix qui venait d’être conclue entre
les Anglais et les Amérindiens, maître Daly invita Baptiste en bas, dans la cabine, pour boire.
Entre-temps, le fils de Baptiste prit le canoë et alla à terre. Daly et son second, avec trois
autres hommes, furent assez simples pour prendre le canoë du sloop et s’en aller à terre,
laissant à bord Baptiste, qui, refusant d’embarquer avec eux, dit qu’il appellerait son fils pour
qu’il vienne le chercher, ce qu’il fit en français. Alors son fils s’en vint avec deux
Amérindiens, qui, aussitôt à bord du sloop, descendirent le pavillon anglais et dirent aux Anglais
à la côte de demander quartier. Baptiste se ceingnit les reins du pavillon et y inséra un pistolet.
Daly, à terre avec ses hommes, alla trouver madame Giddery, la mère de Baptiste, la priant
avec instance d’aller à bord avec lui et intercéder auprès de son fils de lui rendre son sloop.
- Après quelque temps, elle alla avec lui. Mais voilà que maintenant un certain nombre d’autres
Amérindiens étaient montés à bord, et le menacèrent avec leurs haches à main. Bientôt Baptiste
lui ordonna de mettre à la voile. Mais Daly et ses hommes épiaient la première chance qu’ils
auraient de se soulever contre les Français et les Amérindiens, ce qui arriva dès le lendemain.
Baptiste ayant descendu dans la cabine avec trois Amérindiens, Daly en ferma l’entrée et eut
facilement raison du fils et des Sauvages qui se trouvaient sur le pont, et ensuite, faisant feu
dans la cabine, les trois Amérindiens sautèrent à la mer. Daly amena ses prisonniers à Boston,
où, à ls Cour de l’Amirauté, le 4 octobre (v.s.), Baptiste, son fils et trois Sauvages, à un procès
pour piraterie, furent trouvés coupables et condamnés à mourir. Ils furent exécutés le
2 novembre [13 novembre, n.s., 1726] (a).
b - D’après les Archives de la Cour Suprême du comté de Suffolk.
Les Archives du la Cour Suprême du comté de Suffolk ajoutent quelques détails intéressants à ce récrit. C’est ici que nous apprenons que le nom du fils de Jean-Baptiste Guidry était le même que celui de son père, Jean-Baptiste, ce pourquoi on distingue toujours l’un de l’autre en employant les termes “senior” et “junior”, ou en appelant le Père “Old Baptiste”, le vieux Baptiste. Joseph Roberts, un membre de l’équipage, témoigna qu’à Merliguesh il alla à terre, où il rencontra, en plus des trois Amérindiens amenés à Boston, deux Français et trois autres Amérindiens. Il donna la main à Philippe Mius, qui évidemment était le fils cadet du baron Philippe Mius d’Entremont et de Madeleine Hélie, âgé d’environ 65 ans à cette date, qui demeurait justement à Merliguesh, comme nous avons déjà dit; il n’y eut en effet aucun autre de ce nom à cette epoque. John Robert lui demanda si la paix avait été établie, et reçut pour réponse qu’il y avait une “bonne paix”. Il y avait ici également Jacques Mius, que nous avons déjà mentionné comme celui qui était, croyons-nous, l’aîné du deuxième groupe des enfants de Philippe Mius d’Entremont et de Marie,
amérindienne. Ces deux se rendirent à bord du bâtiment avec John Roberts, dont le témoignage nous révèle en plus le nom d’au moins trois Amérindiens, à savoir Jacques, Philippe et Jean Missel, probablement pour Jean Michel. D’après le même témoignage, c’aurait été Philippe Mius, qui parlait un peu anglais, qui aurait demandé à descendre dans la cabine, (“philip Mews Spoke Some English - askt him to drink a dram & eat Some Cold Victuals”). C’est alors que le déposant fait savoir qu’il fut maltraité par les Amérindiens et même par Philippe Mius et par Jacques Mius, celui-ci lui ayant dérobé une certaine quantité d’objets personnels, même une bague en or. Il n’est pas dit comment ces deux derniers réussirent à s’échapper; peut-être étaient-ils au nombre des “trois Amérindiens” qui, d’après Colman, sautèrent à la mer.
2 - Motifs pour l’acte de piraterie.
Au cours du procès, le procureur de la Couronne insista sur le fait qu’il s’était agi d’un acte de piraterie et demanda que les coupables amenés à Boston soient condamnés à être pendus, ce qui était dans le temps le châtiment pour un tel délit.
Jean-Baptiste Guidry, père, lui-même, témoigna au cours de procès que le 4 spetembre (n.s.), veille de la prise du bâtiment, Joseph Decoy, du Cap-Breton, revenant de Boston, où il était venu faire du commerce, s’arrêta à Merliguesh et dit que les Anglais retenaient son fils et que la seule manière qu’il pouvait être délivré serait de saisir le bâtiment en question, ce que lui et les autres avaient voulu faire.
(12) p. 1604
On trouvera un compte rendu du procès qui conduisit à la pendaison des deux Acadiens et des trois Amérindiens aus Archives de la Cour Suprême du comté de Suffolk, (Suffolk Court Files - 14ième plancher du nouveau bâtiment, Boston), Vol. 211, document 26283, les nos 4 et 5, et le Vol. 216, no 28868.
Le docteur Benjamin Colman, après avoir fait le récit que nous avons rapporté, ajoute le paragraphe suivant que nous traduisons de l’anglais:
Les Amérindiens se plaignaient que les Français les incitaient à de telles practiques exécrables
et ils désiraient que ceux de leur nation en soient avertis. Baptiste [Guidry, père] aussi
semblait s’adoucir, quoiqu’il se fût toujours montré un ennemi cruel des Anglais; maintenant il
désirait que ses amis puissent vivre désormais dans des sentiments d’amour et d’amitié envers
les Anglais et se comporter aimablement envers eux. - Il s’est agi ici d’un cas évident et
horrible des Français incitant les Amérindiens à ces vols et meutres, comme ils en ont souvent
commis sans aucune provocation de notre part.... Mais maintenant la bonne Providence divine
les a découverts, et a exercé sa vengeance sur eux pour leur trahison et leur vilinie; et notre
gouvernement les a sagement pendus, Amérindiens et Français ensemble, comme ils méritaient
de mourir selon les lois de tout pays. Il est à souhaiter que cette découverte au sujet des
Français sera pour eux un avertissement et leur exécution un terreur pour les Amérindiens, et
que le tout, par la bonne volonté de Dieu, conduira à l’établissement de la paix.
Sans doute c’est à cette affaire que fait allusion le ministre dans sa lettre du 10 juin 1727 à Saint-Ovide, quoique ce soit sans une parfaite exactitude, le havre de La Hève et repris par eux, qui amenèrent à Boston deux jeunes Amérindiens, après en avoir tué deux autres (a).
Il ne semble pas que l’on puisse prêter foi à la nouvelle qui arriva à Boston en juillet 1727 par voie du Canada et de Pentagoët et fut transmise par les Amérindiens à l’effet que les Amérindiens du Cap-Sable auraient tué 200 Anglais à Plaisance. Si la chose était vraie, d’autres documents en parleraient, mais on n’en trouve nulle trace ailleurs. Dummer pour sa part dira qu’il ne donne pas grand crédit à cette histoire (b).
1603
(a) - Coll. of the Mass. Hist. Soc., Vol. 6, (1799), pp. 109-110.
- Thomas C. Haliburton, A General Description of Nova Scotia; illustrated by a new and correct
Map, (1st ed., Halifax, 1923), p. 196.
1618
(a) - Coll. de Mss rel. à la N.-F., vol. III, p. 134.
(b) - Coll. of the Maine Hist. Soc., 1st Series, Vol. III, p. 428. “
Translation:
“ D - Hanging at Boston of two Acadians and three Indians for piracy.
Peace had been concluded, but that does not mean to say that all must become calm overnight. We have already alluded to that which the English have called an act of piracy committed at the beginning of September 1726 at Merliguesh (Lunenburg), on the person of Samuel Daly, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and on his crew, of the concern for Acadians and for Indians at that place, for which Jean-Baptiste Guidry, son of Claude and of Marguerite Petitpas, married to Madeleine Mius, daughter of Philippe II Mius d’Entremont, at the same time as his own son, with the same name as his father, and three Indians were sentenced to be hung at Boston, where they were executed the 13th of November following (n.s.). Even if that event did not happen precisely at Cap-Sable, we go on nevertheless to tell it in full, at first because it concerns some Acadians who were originally from Cap-Sable or who were closely connected, and then because it is a matter of a unique event, but very little known, from the history of Acadia, namely the hanging of two Acadians and of three Indians accused of piracy.
1 - Account of the events.
We are aware of two sources which give us the detailed account of this affair, at first the account of the doctor Benjamin Colman, who relates it in his Mémoires, and then the Archives of the Supreme Court of the County of Suffolk, Boston, where the trial for piracy took place.
a- From the doctor Benjamin Colman.
In spite of the length of the account of the doctor Benjamin Colman, we believe that it is worthwhile to be transcribed here in full. Thus here is the translation:
Samuel Daly of Plymouth, on a fishing voyage, put into Malegash harbour, to water, on the 25th
of August [5 September, n.s. - 1726], when seeing John Baptist, a Frenchman, on the shore, he
hailed him, and asked him to come on board; which Baptist and his son presently did; and after
some friendly talk of the peace, lately concluded between the English and Indians, master Daly
asked Baptist down into his cabin to drink. The meanwhile, Baptist’s son took the canoe and
went ashore. Daly and his mate, with three more men, were so simple as to take the sloop’s
canoe and go ashore, leaving Baptist on board, who declined to go with them, saying, that he
would call his son to carry him, which he soon did in French, and off came his son with two
Indians, who, as soon as they had got on board the sloop, took down the English ensign; the
Indians bidding the English on the shore to ask quarter. Baptist girded the ensign about his
waist, and tucked a pistol in it. Daly, with his men on shore, went to Mrs. Giddery, the mother
of Baptist, and begged her to go on board with him, and intercede with her son to restore him his
sloop. - After some time, she went with him, but now several more Indians had got on board,
who threatened him with their hatchets. Baptist soon ordered him to come to sail; but Daly and
his men watched for the first opportunity to rise upon the French and Indians, and found one the
very next day; upon Baptist’s going down into the cabin with three of the Indians, Daly shut
the cabin door upon them, easily mastered the son and the Indians upon the deck, and then firing
into the cabin, the three Indians threw themselves into the sea. Daly brought his prisoners to
Boston, where at a court of admiralty for the trial of piracies, on the 4th of October (v.s),
Baptist, his son, and three Indians were found guilty and condemned to die, and were executed
on the 2nd of November [13 November, n.s., 1726].
b - From the Archives of the Supreme Court of the County of Suffolk.
The Archives of the Supreme Court of the County of Suffolk add several interesting details to this account. It is here that we learn that the name of the son of Jean-Baptiste Guidry was the same as that of his father, Jean-Baptiste, which is why we always distinguish the one from the other by using the terms “senior” and “junior”, where by calling the Father “Old Baptiste”, the old Baptiste. Joseph Roberts, a member of the crew, testified that at Merliguesh he went ashore, where he met, in addition to the three Indians brought to Boston, two Frenchmen and three other Indians. He gave his hand to Philippe Mius, who evidently was the younger son of Baron Philippe Mius d’Entremont and of Madeleine Hélie, age of 65 years at that date, who lived precisely at Merliguesh, as we have already said; he had in fact nothing other than his name at that time. John Robert asked him if the peace had been established, and received in response that there was here a “good peace”. There was here also Jacques Mius, who we have already mentioned as the one who was, we believe, the eldest of the second group of children of Philippe Mius d’Entremont and of Marie, Indian. These two returned on board the ship with John Roberts, whose testimony reveals to us in addition the name of at least three Indians, namely Jacques, Philippe and Jean Missel, probably for Jean Michel. According to the same testimony, it would have been Philippe Mius, who spoke a little English, who would have asked to go down in the cabin, (“philip Mews Spoke Some English - akst him to drink a dram & est Some Cold Victuals”). It is while giving evidence he makes known that he was handled roughly by the Indians and even by Philippe Mius and Jacques Mius, these having stolen a certain quantity of personal things, even a gold ring. He does not say how these last two managed to get away; perhaps they are numbered among the “three Indians” who, according to Colman, jumped into the sea.
2 - Motives for the act of piracy.
In the course of the trial, the attorney for the Crown insisted on the fact that this was a question of an act of piracy and demanded that the culprits brought to Boston be sentenced to be hung, which was at the time the punishment for such an offense.
Jean-Baptiste Guidry, père, himself, testified in the course of the trial that September 4th (n.s.), the day before the capture of the ship, Joseph Decoy, of Cap-Breton, returning from Boston, where he had gone to trade, stopped at Merliguesh and said that the English kept his son and that the only way he could be rescued would be to seize the ship in question, which he and the others had tried to do.
(12) p. 1604
One will find a report of the trial which led to the hanging of the two Acadians and the three Indians at the Archives of the Supreme Court of the County of Suffolk, (Suffolk Court Files - 14th floor of the new building, Boston), Vol. 211, document 26283, Nos. 4 and 5, and Vol. 216, No. 28868.
The doctor Benjamin Colman, after having made the account which we have reported, added the following paragraph which we translate from the English:
The Indians complained that the French misled them into such villainous practices, and wished
their countrymen would take warning by them. Baptist also seemed to relent, and though he had
always shown himself a bitter enemy to the English, he now wished his friends would live in
love and friendship hereafter with them, and carry kindly to them. - This was a plain and
horrid instance of the French their instigating the Indians to those villainous robberies and
murders, which they have so often committed without any provocation on our part. And no
doubt it was from their rage at the peace lately made, and in hopes that this might be resented
by us as an open and manifest breach of it, and prove a means of a new war, that they led the
Indians into this cursed act on the first opportunity that offered. They had also found the war
gainful to them, and were loth to lose the plunder and spoil it brought them; partly from the
Indians, who carried all they took to them; but more especially from the advantage, which the
war gave them to head the Indians in the spoils they made the last war upon our fishing vessels.
But now the good providence of God discovered them, and took vengeance of them for their
treachery and villainy; and our government wisely hung them up, Indians and French together; as
they well deserved to die by the laws of all nations. We hope this detection of the French will be
a warning to them, and their execution a terror to the Indians; and the whole turn, by the good
will of God, to the establishment of the peace.
Without doubt it is to this affair that the minister alludes in his letter of 10 June 1727 at Saint-Ovide, although it is without complete accuracy, when he speaks of an English ship seized in the harbor of La Hève and recaptured by them , who brought to Boston two young Indians, after having killed two others (a).
It does not appear that we can believe the account which arrived at Boston in July 1727 by way of Canada and of Pentagoët and was conveyed by the Indians to the effect that the Indians of Cap-Sable would have killed 200 English at Plaisance. If the matter were true, some other documents would have spoken of it, but we find no trace of it elsewhere. Dummer for his part will say that he did not give much credit to that story (b).
1603
(a) - Coll. of the Mass. Hist. Soc., Vol. 6, (1799), pp. 109-110.
(b) - Thomas C. Haliburton, A General Description of Nova Scotia; illustrated by a new and correct Map, (1st ed., Halifax, 1923), p. 196.
1618
(a) - Coll. de Mss rel. à la N.-F., vol. III, p. 134.
(b) - Coll. of the Maine Hist. Soc., 1st Series, Vol. III, p. 428. “4643
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“ Acadiens et Amérindiens pendus à Boston 13 novembre 1726
A l’été de 1726, le caboteur Joseph Decoy, Acadien du Cap-Breton, se rendit à Boston faire du commerce, où on retint son fils, pour une raison qui n’est pas donnée. En désespoir de cause, il fut obligé de s’en retourner sans son fils. Chemin faisant, il s’arrêta le 4 septembre à Merliguesh (aujourd’hui Lunenburg), et raconta aux Acadiens qui y étaient établis ce qui était arrivé. La seule manière de délivrer son fils, leur dit-il, serait de s’emparer de l’un des nombreux bateaux de la Nouvelle-Angleterre qui faisaient pêche sur les côtes de l’Acadie, et de le garder en otage afin d’en faire l’échange pour son fils.
On n’eut pas à attendre longtemps. Dès le lendemain, le capitaine Samuel Daly, de Plymouth, Massachusetts, entra dans le havre de Merliguesh afin de s’approvisionner d’eau. Sous prétexte de rendre une visite de courtoisie au capitaine et à son équipage, un certain nombre d’Acadiens de Merliguesh, ainsi que quelques Amérindiens, se rendirent à bord. Il y avait Philippe II Mius d’Entremont, fils du baron et de Madeleine Hélie; son propre fils Jacques, dont la mére était une Amérindienne; son gendre Jean-Baptiste Guidry, fils de Claude Guidry et de Marguerite Peitipas, marié à Madeleine Mius, fille de Philippe II; et le fils de Jean-Baptiste Guidry, du même nom que son père.
Pendant que l’équipage se trouvait à terre, sûrement pour se procurer de l’eau, d’autres Amérindiens se rendirent à bord, afin d’aider les Acadiens à s’emparer du bateau. Lorsque le capitaine et l’équipage revinrent à bord, les assaillants s’en emparèrent et déclarèrent qu’ils saisissaient le bateau. Jean-Baptiste Guidry, père, prit charge de la situation; il descendit le pavillon anglais, s’en ceignit les reins et y inséra un pistolet. Le lendemain, quand on se disposait à faire voile pour une destination qui n’est pas donnée, Baptiste, père commit l’imprudence de descendre dans la cabine avec trois Amérindiens; c’est alors que Daly réussit à en fermer l’entrée. Ceux qui gardaient les prisonniers sur le pont, voyant qu’ils seraient facilement vaincus, se jetèrent à la mer, laissant Daly et son équipage avec leurs captifs, qui étaient Jean-Baptiste Guidry, son fils et trois Amérindiens, dont les archives nous ont conservé les noms, à savoir, Jacques, Philippe et Jean Missel (mis probablement pour Michel). Daly amena ces cinq prisonniers à Boston, où, à la Cour de l’Amirauté, le 15 octobre, Baptiste, son fils et les trois Amérindiens, à un procès pour piraterie, furent trouvés coupables et condamnés à mourir. Un mois plus tard, le 13 novembre, tous les cinq montaient sur l’échafaut à Boston et expirèrent, la corde au cou. C’est ainsi, de conclure un auteur du temps, que la bonne Providence divine a exercé sa vengeance sur eux pour leur trahison et leur vilenie... C.-J. d’Entremont, ptre “
Translation:
“ Acadians and Indians Hung at Boston 13 November 1726
In the summer of 1726, the coasting vessel pilot Joseph Decoy, Acadian of Cap-Breton, went to Boston to do some trading, where they detained his son, for a reason which is not given. As a last resort, he was compelled to return without his son. On the way he stopped the 4th of September at Merliguesh (today Lunenburg), and related to the Acadians who were settled there what had happened. The only way to rescue his son, he told them, would be to seize one of the numerous boats of New England which fished on the coasts of Acadia, and to keep it as hostage in order to exchange for his son.
They did not have to wait long. As early as the next day the Captain Samuel Daly, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, came into the harbor of Merliguesh in order to supply himself with water. On the pretext to pay a courtesy visit to the captain and to his crew, a certain number of Acadians from Merliguesh, as well as several Indians, went on board. There was Philippe II Mius d’Entremont, son of the baron and of Madeleine Hélie; his own son Jacques, whose mother was an Indian; his son-in-law Jean-Baptiste Guidry, son of Claude Guidry and of Marguerite Petitpas, married to Madeleine Mius, daughter of Philippe II; and the son of Jean-Baptiste Guidry, of the same name as his father.
While the crew were ashore, surely to get some water, some other Indians went on board, in order to help the Acadians to seize the boat. When the captain and the crew returned on board, the assailants seized them and declared that they were taking possession of the boat. Jean-Baptiste Guidry, père, took charge of the situation; he took down the English flag, bound it around his waist and put a pistol in there. The next day, while they prepared to sail to a destination that is not known, Baptiste, père committed the unwariness to go down in the cabin with three Indians; this is when Daly succeeded to seal up the entrance to them. Those who were guarding the prisoners on the deck, seeing that they would be readily overcome, threw themselves into the sea, leaving Daly and his crew with their captives, who were Jean-Baptiste Guidry, his son and three Indians, of whom the archives have preserved for us the names, namely, Jacques, Philippe and Jean Missel (translated probably for Michel). Daly brought these five prisoners to Boston, where, at the Court of Admiralty, the 15th of October, Baptiste, his son and the three Indians, at a trial for piracy, were found guilty and sentenced to die. A month later, the 13th of November, all five climbed on the platform at Boston and died, the rope on the neck. This is thus, to conclude an author of the period, how the good divine Providence has exerted his vengeance on them for their treachery and the vile action ... C.-J. d’Entremont, ptre. “4588,4589
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“ SOME MEMOIRS FOR THE CONTINUATION FO THE HISTORY OF THE TROUBLES OF THE NEW-ENGLISH COLONIES, FROM THE BARBAROUS AND PERFIDIOUS INDIANS, INSTIGATED BY THE MORE SAVAGE AND INHUMAN FRENCH OF CANADA AND NOVA-SCOTIA. BEGAN NOVEMBER 3, 1726. BY BENJAMIN COLMAN, D.D.
It was at Falmouth, in Casco Bay, August the 5th, 1726, that the honourable William Dummer, lieutenant governor and commander in chief of his majesty’s province of the Massachusetts Bay, with the honourable John Wentworth, esquire, lieutenant-governor of New Hampshire, and major Mascarene, delegated from his majesty’s province of Nova-Scotia, concluded a peace with Wenemovet, chief sachem and sagamore of the Penobscot tribe. We then were ready to flatter ourselves, that a foundation was laid for some lasting peace with these treacherous natives. Not but that we were well aware of the narrow and feeble foot that peace was built on; only one tribe of the Indians appearing and acting in it; though, as they declared in the name of the other eastern tribes, and promising to resent it, and join with us, in case any of the tribes should rise against us. Nevertheless, they had suffered so much in the last short war, through the blessing of God upon the councils and arms of the provinces; that we thought they would be glad of peace, and then our trading-houses were now put into so good order, to the great advantage of the savages, that we concluded their interest would keep them quiet. For the Indians may buy of us far cheaper all sorts of goods they need, than they can of the French; and the goods in our trading-houses are carried, in a manner, to the very doors of the eastern tribes. But notwithstanding all these reasonable prospects, and hopeful grounds of peace, within less than a month the French and Indians began new outrages upon us.
Samuel Daly of Plymouth, on a fishing voyage, put into Malegash harbour, to water, on the 25th
of August, when seeing John Baptist, a Frenchman, on the shore, he hailed him, and asked him to come on board; which Baptist and his son presently did; and aftersome friendly talk of the peace, lately concluded between the English and Indians, master Daly asked Baptist down into his cabin to drink. The meanwhile, Baptist’s son took the canoe and went ashore. Daly and his mate, with three more men, were so simple as to take the sloop’s canoe and go ashore, leaving Baptist on board, who declined to go with them, saying, that he would call his son to carry him, which he soon did in French, and off came his son with two Indians, who, as soon as they had got on board the sloop, took down the English ensign; the Indians bidding the English on the shore to ask quarter. Baptist girded the ensign about his waist, and tucked a pistol in it. Daly, with his men on shore, went to Mrs. Giddery, the mother of Baptist, and begged her to go on board with him, and intercede with her son to restore him his sloop. After some time, she went with him, but now several more Indians had got on board, who threatened him with their hatchets. Baptist soon ordered him to come to sail; but Daly and his men watched for the first opportunity to rise upon the French and Indians, and found one the very next day; upon Baptist’s going down into the cabin with three of the Indians, Daly shut the cabin door upon them, easily mastered the son and the Indians upon the deck, and then firing into the cabin, the three Indians threw themselves into the sea. Daly brought his prisoners to
Boston, where at a court of admiralty for the trial of piracies, on the 4th of October, Baptist, his son, and three Indians were found guilty and condemned to die, and were executed
on the 2nd of November.
The Indians complained that the French misled them into such villainous practices, and wished
their countrymen would take warning by them. Baptist also seemed to relent, and though he had always shown himself a bitter enemy to the English, he now wished his friends would live in love and friendship hereafter with them, and carry kindly to them.
This was a plain and horrid instance of the French their instigating the Indians to those villainous robberies and murders, which they have so often committed without any provocation on our part. And no doubt it was from their rage at the peace lately made, and in hopes that this might be resented by us as an open and manifest breach of it, and prove a means of a new war, that they led the Indians into this cursed act on the first opportunity that offered. They had also found the war gainful to them, and were loth to lose the plunder and spoil it brought them; partly from the Indians, who carried all they took to them; but more especially from the advantage, which the war gave them to head the Indians in the spoils they made the last war upon our fishing vessels. But now the good providence of God discovered them, and took vengeance of them for their treachery and villainy; and our government wisely hung them up, Indians and French together; as they well deserved to die by the laws of all nations. We hope this detection of the French will be a warning to them, and their execution a terror to the Indians; and the whole turn, by the good will of God, to the establishment of the peace. “4617
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“ Hanging of two Acadians and three Indians in Boston
[Reprint of Heritage Series, by Rev. C. J. d’Entremont taken from: The Vanguard, Yarmouth, N.S. January 31, 1989]
Captain Joseph Decoy, from Cape Breton, used to trade in Boston with his vessel. This was in the 1720’s. On one of his trips he took with him his son, who was detained in Boston for a reason which was not given. On his way back, he stopped at Mirliguesh, now Lunenburg, and told the Acadians and Indians what had happened. He told them that the only way that his son could be redeemed would be to seize one of the many vessels from Boston and vicinity fishing on the coast of Nova Scotia and offer it in ransom for his son. This was September 4, 1726 (New Style).
They did not have to wait long. The very next day, captain Samuel Daly, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, on a fishing voyage, put his sloop into Merliguesh Harbour to fetch fresh water.
John Roberts, one of the crew, went on shore and met some frenchmen and some indians. Among the group was Philippe Mius d’Entremont, Jr. son of the Baron Philippe Mius d’Entremont, Sr., and of Magdeleine Helie. He shook hands with him and they spoke of peace which had just been signed between the English and the Indians. John Roberts took Philippe Mius d’Entremont, Jr., his son Jacques with him when he went back to the sloop. In the meantime, Daly invited another Acadian, Jean-Baptiste Guidry, to do likewise, which he did the same with his son of the same name. This was Jean-Baptiste Guidry (now written Jeddry), 42 years old, the son of Claude Guidry and of Marguerite Petitpas. He had married Madeleine Mius, the daughter of Philippe Mius d’Entremont, Jr., and of Marie, his Indian wife.
After a friendly conversation, Daly asked his guests down into his cabin for a drink. In the meantime, Jean-Baptiste Guidry, Jr., went ashore. He was soon followed by Daly, his mate and the three members of the crew, plus Philippe Mius d’Entremont, Jr., and his son Jacques. Jean-Baptiste Guidry, Sr., refused to go, saying he would call his son to come and get him, which he did in French, so thought Daly and his men.
The son came back to the sloop with some Indians. As soon as they got aboard, they took down the English ensign, which Jean-Baptiste Guidry, Sr., girded about his waist, and tucked a pistol into it. That is when the members of the crew on shore were told to ask for quarter. Immediately, Daly went to Mrs. Guidry, “the mother of Baptiste”, says one version, thus Marguerite Petitpas. He begged her to come on board with him and intercede with his son to restore his sloop. She finally consented to go.
Others followed, so that on board, at a time there were the five men of the sloop, Jean-Baptiste Guidry, his son, his mother, Philippe Mius d’Entremont, his son Jacques and six Indians. Mrs. Guidry did not succeed in her plea, on the contrary. The Indians, at this time, even threatened the crew with their hatchets. John Roberts testified that “Philip Mews” and an Indian, by the name of Jean Missel, took hold of him and trussed him into the forecastle. “Philip Mews spoke some English - asked him to drink a dram and Eat Cold Victuals.” It is then that Jacques Mius struck him and “told him he would kill him and cut his head off - called him a Son of a B.....”. He stole from him, among other things, his gold ring.
Jean-Baptiste Guidry, Sr., seems to have take charge of the situation. He soon ordered Daly to come to sail. This was just before 8 o’clock in the evening. It is not clear what happened to Philippe Mius d’Entremont, Jr., his son, and Mrs. Guidry, because the next day they were not in the sloop; there were only Jean-Baptiste Guidry, Sr., his son and six Indians, apart from the five members of the crew. Most probably they left in the evening or during the night to take Mrs. Guidry home, maybe with the intention to come back next day to help Jean-Baptiste Guidry, Sr.
It is not stated how far they sailed. Daly and his men watched for the first opportunity to rise upon their captors. It so happened that they found one the very next day. Jean-Baptiste Guidry, Sr., went down into the cabin with three Indians, leaving the three others with his son to guard the prisoners. But Daly managed to shut the cabin door upon them and to master the son and the three Indians who were on deck. He then fired into the cabin. The three Indians jumped into the sea, while Jean-Baptiste, Jr. was kept at bay. And so finally Daly was in full charge of the sloop.
Daly left immediately for Boston with his five prisoners, the two Guidrys and the three Indians, whose names we have, viz., Jacques, Philippe and Jean Missel, put probably for Michel; they could have been brothers.
In Boston, they were found guilty of piracy on the high-seas, for which the penalty prescribed by the law was to be hung by the neck till death follows. The trial had taken place October 15th (New Style). And thus those two Acadians and three Indians from Merliguesh were hung in Boston on November 13 of the same year 1726.
The narrator, Dr. Benjamin Colman, from whom we hold this story from his memoirs, along with the Supreme Court of Suffolk County in Boston, blames the French for this conspiracy, rather than the Indians who “complained that the French misled them into such villainous practices.” Then he adds: “The good providence of God ... took vengeance of them for their treachery and villainy; and our government wisely hung them up ... as they well deserved to die by the laws of all nations.” “4572,4618,4619
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“ 2 - La région convoitée.
Encore à cette époque c’était les côtes, à partir du Cap-Sable jusqu’à Canseau, que l’on convoitait plus particulièrement. Beauharnois et Hocquart écrivaient de Québec le 12 septembre 1745 que si Port-Royal peut servir de lieu sûr pour les vaisseaux, la Côte-de-l’Est cependant a l’avantage d’avoir du poisson en beaucoup plus grande abondance et de posséder en même temps trois ou quatre excellents ports capables d’accomoder les bateaux les plus gros; on nomme La Hève, Chignectou et Port-La Tour, ce dernier pris probablement au sens large (1). C’est pourquoi un établissement à un de ces endroits serait préferable à Port-Royal (b).
(1) p. 1813 (sic)
En 1745, Beauharnois et Hocquart en parlant de La Hève, Chibouctou et Port-La Tour comme ayant de ports excellents, font mention aussi de Merliguesh, malgré que ce ne soit qu’un petit havre, est-il dit. Ici se trouvent huit habitants, dont Paul Guidry, dit Grivois, qui est un bon pilote côtier. Il s’est agi du fils de Claude et de Marguerite Peititpas, né vers 1702 et marié à Anne Mius, comme nous avons déjà dit. A l’ouest de La Hève, est-il dit, il y a une place appelée Petite Rivière, où il y a deux autres habitants, dont Germain Le Jeune, qui connaît intimement la côte. Puisqu’il habitait la Petite Rivière, il devait être le fils de Pierre Le Jeune, dit Briard, et de Marie Thibodeau, né vers 1693, plutôt que le fils de Martin le Jeune et de Marie (ou Jeanne) Kayigonias, né vers 1689. Ensuite on nomme celui qui s’appelle Boutin, qui demeure à trois lieues à l’est de l’entrée de Chibouctou, avec ses enfants, sans doute Antoine Boutin, marié à Agathe Viger.
1823
(b) - Doc. rel. to the Col. Hist. of the State of N. Y., Vol. X, pp. 10-11. “
Translation:
“ 2 - The desired region.
Even at that time it was the coasts, from Cap-Sable to as far as Canseau, that men desired most especially. Beauharnois and Hocquart wrote from Québec the 12th of September 1745 that if Port-Royal can serve as a safe place for the ships, the East Coast nevertheless has the advantage to have some fish in much greater abundance and to possess at the same time three or four excellent harbours able to accomodate the larger boats; it names La Hève, Chignectou and Port-La Tour, this last taken probably in the broad sense (1). This is why a settlement at one of these places would be preferable to Port-Royal (b).
(1) p. 1813 (sic)
In 1745 Beauharnois and Hocquart in speaking of La Hève, Chibouctou and Port-La Tour as having some excellent harbours, do mention also Merliguesh, notwithstanding that this is only a small harbour, it is said. Here are eight inhabitants, among them Paul Guidry, dit Grivois, who is a good coasting pilot. He is a son of Claude and of Marguerite Peititpas, born about 1702 and married to Anne Mius, as we have already said. To the west of La Hève, it is said, there is a place called Petite Riviève, where there are two other inhabitants, among them Germain Le Jeune, who knows intimately the coast. Since he inhabited Petite Rivière, he had to be the son of Pierre Le Jeune, dit Briard, and of Marie Thibodeau, born about 1693, rather than the son of Martin le Jeune and of Marie (ou Jeanne) Kayigonias, born about 1689. Afterwards they mention one who is called Boutin, who lives three leagues to the east of the entrance of Chibouctou with his children, no doubt Antoine Boutin, married to Agathe Viger.
1823
(b) - Doc. rel. to the Col. Hist. of the Sate of N. Y., Vol. X, pp. 10-11. “4644
Questions/Errors notes for Marguerite (Spouse 1)
The year of birth of Marguerite Petitpas varies from one record to another. In the Census of 1686 she is listed as 25 years of age - thus being born in 16614540. In the Census of 1698 her age is given as 40 - providing a year of birth of 16584539. In the Census of 1708 she is listed as 48 years of age - thus being born in 16604489.
Bona Arsenault4510,4509 lists the marriage of Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitpas as occurring about 1677 rather than the correct timeframe of around 1681. When he initially began his work on the genealogy of the Acadians, Mr Arsenault apparently was unaware of the earlier marriage of Marguerite Petitpas and Martin Dugas and the birth of their son Abraham Dugas in 1678. He did note this marriage in the third edition of his work4645, but failed to alter the approximate marriage date given for Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitpas. His earlier marriage date of about 1677 is based on the appearance of Abraham (Dugas) in the Census of Acadia in 16984517 as a 20-year old member of the family of Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitpas and thus his assumption that Abraham was a son of Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitipas rather than Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas. In this census the surname of Abraham is not given.
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In the Acadian Genealogy Exchange4545 Clarence Breaux indicates that Claude Guedry had two children baptized at Merliguéche in 1701. In fact Paul Guédry and Françoise Guedry were baptized at Merliguéche by Père Felix Pain on 8 Sep 1705. Earlier Paul Guedry had been baptized probably on the day of his birth in January 1701 by Dyon (Dion or Joseph Guyon also called Joseph Dion, the husband of Marguerite Dugas - Paul Guédry’s half-sister) and Françoise Guedry had been baptized on the day of her birth (14 January 1703) by her brother Baptiste Guedry4580,4610.
Bona Arsenault4510,4509 lists the marriage of Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitpas as occurring about 1677 rather than the correct timeframe of around 1681. When he initially began his work on the genealogy of the Acadians, Mr Arsenault apparently was unaware of the earlier marriage of Marguerite Petitpas and Martin Dugas and the birth of their son Abraham Dugas in 1678. He did note this marriage in the third edition of his work4645, but failed to alter the approximate marriage date given for Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitpas. His earlier marriage date of about 1677 is based on the appearance of Abraham (Dugas) in the Census of Acadia in 16984517 as a 20-year old member of the family of Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitpas and thus his assumption that Abraham was a son of Claude Guidry and Marguerite Petitipas rather than Martin Dugas and Marguerite Petitpas. In this census the surname of Abraham is not given.
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In the Acadian Genealogy Exchange4545 Clarence Breaux indicates that Claude Guedry had two children baptized at Merliguéche in 1701. In fact Paul Guédry and Françoise Guedry were baptized at Merliguéche by Père Felix Pain on 8 Sep 1705. Earlier Paul Guedry had been baptized probably on the day of his birth in January 1701 by Dyon (Dion or Joseph Guyon also called Joseph Dion, the husband of Marguerite Dugas - Paul Guédry’s half-sister) and Françoise Guedry had been baptized on the day of her birth (14 January 1703) by her brother Baptiste Guedry4580,4610.
Names notes for Marguerite (Spouse 1)
Marguerite Petitpas
Margtte Petitpas
Marguerite Petit Pas
Margueritte Petit Pas
Marguerite petit pas
marguerite petitpas
marguerite petit pas
Marguerite Petitpas Guidry
madame Giddery
Mrs. Giddery
Mrs. Guidry
Margtte Petitpas
Marguerite Petit Pas
Margueritte Petit Pas
Marguerite petit pas
marguerite petitpas
marguerite petit pas
Marguerite Petitpas Guidry
madame Giddery
Mrs. Giddery
Mrs. Guidry