“ CHAPTER IV
AUGUSTIN ESCAPES, SETTLES IN ST. MARY’S BAY

Augustin Gedree was born in 1740, in either Pisiquit or Île Royale. He married Marie Francoise Jeanson around 1767, the year his father died. Augustin was the son of Pierre Guedry dit LaBine and Marguerite Brasseau and the grandson of Claude Guedry dit Grivois and Marguerite Petitpas. He is the ancestor of all the Guedry, Geddry, Guidrey, Guiddry, Jeddry and Jedrey families in Clare, Nova Scotia and New England.

Augustin is my great, great, great, grandfather. Somehow that seems a very close relationship for two people born almost two full centuries apart. The reason can be found by reviewing the Genealogy. Augustin and I are so close because I am the result of a string of births that happened when the age of the male members of the family averaged thirty-nine years.

Augustin Escapes

Augustin was captured by the English but was never deported. He was not deported because he escaped. He never left Acadia. This is his story.

In 1754, Augustin’s father Pierre dit LaBine was in Merligueche, probably with his family. Pierre is recorded as having surrendered to the English “at the time of the exile”, probably in 1755, on Île St-Jean (Prince Edward Island). Perhaps Augustin, then 14 or 15 years old was “taken” while Pierre was in Merligueche. Perhaps he was captured or detained at the time of his father’s surrender on Île St-Jean. In any case he was put on board a ship ready to sail for the English colonies. Somehow Augustin escaped from the ship before it sailed. Legend has it that he swam ashore and made a run for it, eventually making his way to La Heve in the region of Cape Sable, near his Grandfather’s old stomping grounds.

It is quite possible, but not verified, that the name of the ship he escaped from was the Pembroke. The Pembroke is recorded as the only ship that had experienced a mass escape of Acadian prisoners in 1755. It was docked at Goat Island off the shore of Port Royal when the escape took place.

Why Augustin would have been transported to Port Royal from Merligueche or Ile St Jean is unknown. A possible reason is “lack of transport”, not enough ships, to do the deed. English records are replete with complaints about “lack of transport”. If Augustin had been captured while Pierre was in Merligueche, and then was brought to Port Royal because transport was available there, that would explain why, when he escaped, he made his way back to Le Heve in the Merligueche area. He would have thought his father was still there.

We know that Augustin lived among the Micmac Indians for at least eight years. He remained a free man, one of the few Acadians who managed to do so. Of course he lived in constant fear of capture, but being the product of at least two generations of Coureurs de Bois, would have been quite comfortable living that way.

Augustin Settles in St. Mary’s Bay

In 1763, when the Acadians were again free to come back to their homeland (many did not), Augustin emerged from the woods and settled quietly on the west coast of Nova Scotia on land at Gilbert’s Cove near Hobb’s Hill and west of St. Croix Chapel. We believe it was there that he met and married Marie Jeanson and where at least three of their children, Hermat-Pierre, Joseph Felix and Augustin Jr. were born. In 1900, that land was owned by M. Charles Mande Melancon.

The couple initially entered into a civil marriage before witnesses in 1767. Their marriage was “rehabilitated” in a Church ceremony by a missionary from Windsor (now Truro) on May 8, 1769. One source reports that when English Colonists moved in beside him in 1787, he moved down the coast of St. Mary’s Bay, obtained a Grant of Land and became the pioneer settler of Cheticamp. This was certainly understandable given what he and his family had experienced under the English.

Bona Arsenault believed and had written in his books that Augustin settled in Cheticamp, Cape Breton. I wrote him and explained that there were two Cheticamps, the second in the St. Mary’s Bay area of Nova Scotia. At first he rejected the idea. Then one morning at seven A. M., while I was still asleep, the phone rang. The operator said, “Please hold for a call from the Office of the Vice-Premier of Canada”. That woke me up. Bona Arsenault, who was then a Member of Parliament, and for some reason was calling from that office, came on the line and apologized for not taking my Cheticamp, St. Mary’s Bay claim seriously at first, but, being the good Genealogist he was, he had looked into it and had now concluded I was correct. He told me I “would get full credit” in his future writings on the subject. I never checked. Bona and I had several other conversations over the next few months. I believe it was he who directed me to Father Partrice Gallant at the University of Moncton, New Brunswick.

The remainder of Augustine’s children were born in Cheticamp, St. Mary’s Bay, now known as St. Alphonse. During my visit to Meteghan in 1965, I was brought to a house, in St. Alphonse, that, I was told had been built by Augustin’s son Philippe. The story was that old Augustin might have lived out his final days there and this his son Evariste, my great grandfather was born there. In 1965, the house was owned by the Deveau family. There is a photograph of the house, substantially modified since the original of course, in the Picture Gallery.

A list of Augustin’s children is shown in Table 4. There is a gap of 10 years between Anne and Philippe. It is possible there were other children, but if there were, I have found no record of them.

Table 4
Children of Augustin Gedree and Marie Jeanson

Name Year of Birth

Hermat-Pierre 1767
Joseph Felix 1770
Augustin 1771
Anne 1773
Philippe 1783
Romain 1784
Frederic 1790
Jean 1790

Augustin, his son Augustin, Hermat-Pierre and Philippe appear on the Annapolis County Poll Tax record of 1792. At that time their name was spelled Gedree. The Pierre listed in the record is Hermat-Pierre.

The next we hear of Augustin’s children is in a census taken over the years 1818 to 1822 by Father Ligogne. In that census and subsequent censuses taken by the same Priest, we find the Gedrees, Philippe, some of his brothers, some of his children and Philippe’s mother, Marie Jeanson, still living in the St. Mary’s Bay area. Some lived in Meteghan, another in Plympton.

The 1818-1822 census indicates that Augustin was “deceased”. We interpret this confusing statement to mean Augustin died sometime between 1818 and 1822 while married to Marie-Jeanson.

Other entries indicate that Marie was living with her son Jean and his wife Rosalie Clothilde Robichau from 1822 to 1827 at least. Marie Jeanson was no longer living with her son according to the Ligogne census of 1840-1843, meaning she had probably passed away by then.

At least one Genealogist has suggested that Augustin had a second wife. I have found no evidence of it and there appears to be no knowledge of it within the family. The census of Father Ligogne seems to contradict it as well.

Four of Augustin’s Children Establish Families

Records indicate that two of Augustin’s children established families that remain today in the St. Mary’s Bay area and parts of New England, primarily Massachusetts. They are Hermat-Pierre and Philippe. I was told that Frederic and Jean also established families in the Nova Scotia/Cape Breton area but their trails has been harder to follow. I have included as much information as I was able to find about them in the narrative.

Of these four, the most extensive families, or at least the ones we know the most about, are those begun by Philippe and Hermat-Pierre. Hermat-Pierre’s name has been carried down through family records simply as Pierre. “5412

    ___________________

“ The twenty-fifth of August 1799 I the undersigned priest have supplied the ceremonies of baptism to Joseph, born the 3rd of October 1796 of the legitimate marriage between Pierre GIDDERY and Anne BELLIVEAU of this parish, he having been baptised by Marie JANSON (JOHNSON), his grandmother, for lack of priest; thus have the father and mother, present at the ceremony, declared to me. The godfather was Romain GIDDERY, uncle of the child, and the godmother Marguerite BELLIVEAU, his aunt, also of this parish. /s/ Sigogne, priest. “7168,5430

    ___________________

“ I the undersigned priest on the fifteenth of March, the fourth Sunday of Lent of the year 1801, have given First Communion to Jean Baptiste COMEAU, Anselme MELANCON, Joseph MELANCON, married; to Ignace COMEAU, widower; to Ciriaque AMIRAULT, Basile DUGAS, Joseph GAUDET, Charles BOUDREAU, Dominique GAUDET, Cajetan LEBLANC, Anselme LEBLANC, Joseph THERRIAU, Jean GAUDET, Francois COMEAU, Charles DOUCET, Benjamin LEBLANC, Simon LEBLANC, Jean THIBODEAU, Felix DEVAULT, Frederic COMEAU, Frederic THERRIAU, Dominique SAULNIER, Jean BOUDREAU, Joseph Mathurin AMIRAULT, Romain GIDDERY, Joseph GIDDERY, boys. /s/ Sigogne, priest. “13744,13773

    ___________________

“ Catalogue of the Families of the Parishes of St. Mary’s Bay and St. Mandé etc. 1818-1823

. . . .

. 155
Romain Guiddery ) c
Marie Comeau ) c (542)
Hilaire 18 Février 1805
Jean Anselme 27 Xbre 1806
Marie Eliz. 2 Juillet 1809 obiit
Marie 15 Juillet 1811
Calais 27 Juillet 1813 { }
Joseph Gatien 18 Xbre 1816 “13742,13760

Note: Both Romain Guiddery and Marie Comeau were confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church (the ‘c’ beside their names indicates ‘confirmed’). Note that the 'oblit' next to Marie Elizabeth Guiddery means 'deceased'; however, this must be an error in this case as Marie Elizabeth Guiddery was in Grand Isle, Maine in the 1880.

    ___________________


Funeral Record of Marguerite Gitry

Transcription:
“ Sépult
Marguerite
Gitry
5

Le vingt neuf Mars mil huit cent vingt par nous soussigné prêtre missionnaire a été inhumé dans le cimetière de cette paroisse le corps de Marguerite décédée avant hier agée de trios jours fille de Romain Gitry cultivateur de la Nouvelle et de Marie Comeau Présent Louis Normandeau & Nicolas Bourget qui n’ont sû signer

. JF Gagnon Ptre “13754,13755,13756


Translation:
Funeral
Marguerite
Gitry
5

Twenty-nine March one thousand eight hundred twenty by me undersigned missionary priest has been buried in the cemetery of this parish the body of Marguerite died the day before yesterday age of three days daughter of Romain Gitry farmer of Nouvelle and of Marie Comeau Present Louis Normandeau & Nicolas Bourget who could not sign

. JF Gagnon Priest

    ___________________


Marriage Record of Hilaire Guidry and Cécile Bourg

Transcription:
“ Le vingt trios Novembre mil huit cent vingt neuf, après le publication de trois bans de marriage faits au faire de nos masses principales pendant trois dimanches entre Hilaire Guidry fils majeur de Romain Guidry et de marie Comeau de Madawaska d’une part et Cecile Bourg fille majeure du défunt edouard Bourg et Henriette Landry de cette paroisse d’autre part, sans découvrir aucun empêchement ni opposition quelconque à leur futur marriage, nous prêtre missionnaire soussigné, du consentement des parent et tuteur, avons reçu le mutuel consentement de mariage des parties autres tantes et les avons marie en presence de Magline Bernard, Etmand Bourg et Paul Johnson. Ce deux dernier n’ont ne signer

. Magline Bernard
. L. S. Malo Ptre “13774,13766,13775



Translation:
Twenty-three November one thousand eight hundred twenty-nine, after the publication of three bans of marriage made at our high masses during three Sundays between Hilaire Guidry major son of Romain Guidry and of Marie Comeau of Madawaska of one part and Cecile Bourge major daughter of the late Edouard Bourg and Henreitte Landry of this parish of the other part, without discovering any impediments nor opposition whatsoever to their future marriage, I missionary priest undersigned, with the consent of the parents and guardian, have received the mutual consent of marriage of the parties as well as others and they have married in the presence of Magline Bernard, Etmand Bourg and Paul Johnson. The last two have not signed.

. Magline Bernard
.
L. S. Malo Priest

    ___________________

In the 1833 New Brunswick Special Census of Madawaska Settlement, Romain Goodrie is listed with his wife, two sons and two daughters. Although no one, except Romain, is named, they would be Marie Comeau (wife), Calais Guédry and Joseph Gatien Guédry (sons) and Marie Elizabeth Guédry and Marie Guédry (daughters). Romain Guédry is called Romain Goodrie in the census. He has no horses, four oxen, one cow, no young cattle, seventeen sheep and nine pigs. He has twelve tons of hay cut and has sown last spring twenty bushels of wheat, no bushels of barley, eight bushels of oats, one-half bushel of buckwheat, two bushels of peas and forty-two bushels of potatoes. He raised thirty bushels of wheat, no bushels of barley, twenty bushels of oats, no bushels of buckwheat, no bushels of peas and one hundred fifty bushels of potatoes. His crop of wheat was considered bad in production while his crop of oats was considered good in production. Romain and his family were living on ungranted land on the right (south) bank of the St. John River which is in Aroostook County, Maine today.13757

    ___________________

In the 1840 U. S. Census the family of Romain Guédry (called Romain Jiddry) had one male that was 60-70 years old, two males that were 20-30 years old, one female that was 70-80 years old and one female that was 20-30 years old. These probably refer to Romain Guédry (60-70 years old male), Calais Guédry and Joseph Gatien Guédry (20-30 year old males), Marie Comeau (70-80 year old female) and Marie Elizabeth Guédry (20-30 year old female)13746.

    ___________________

In August 1844 Surveyor James Duncan Graham determined that Romain Guedry owned Lot 231, a River Lot of 194.12 acres, at Grand Isle Plantation in Township 18, Range 3 and that Jean Anselme Guedry owned Lot 232, also a River Lot of 92.86 acres, at Grand Isle Plantation in Township 18, Range 3. Also, Romain Guedry owned Lot 27, an Island Lot of 4.59 acres, at Grand Isle Plantation in Township 18, Range 3. Romain and Anselme Guedry obtained ownership of their land based on having ungranted claims that they possessed and improved since before August 1836. The survey was done in accordance with the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 that settled the disputed border between the United States and Canada in the St. John River valley.13776

Daryl LaBine13713 suggests that Romain Guedry and Marie Comeau were married about 1804 in Madawaska, Québec, Canada. Later he states that they moved to Madawaska, Québec, Canada about 1820. I am uncertain as to when they went to Madawaska.

Romain Guedry dit Grivois
Romain Guedry
Romain Guédry
Romain Giddery
Romain Guédry
Romain Gedree
Romain Guidry
Romain Guiddery
Romain Gitry
Romain Goodrie
Roman Siddoy
Roman Jiddry
Romain Grivois-Guédry
Romain Gederi
Joseph Guédry
Joseph Guedry dit Grivois
Romain Guédri dit Grivois

“ Catalogue of the Families of the Parishes of St. Mary’s Bay and St. Mandé etc. 1818-1823

. . . .

. 155
Romain Guiddery ) c
Marie Comeau ) c (542)
Hilaire 18 Février 1805
Jean Anselme 27 Xbre 1806
Marie Eliz. 2 Juillet 1809 obiit
Marie 15 Juillet 1811
Calais 27 Juillet 1813 { }
Joseph Gatien 18 Xbre 1816 “13742,13760

Note: Both Romain Guiddery and Marie Comeau were confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church (the ‘c’ beside their names indicates ‘confirmed’). Note that the 'oblit' next to Marie Elizabeth Guiddery means 'deceased'; however, this must be an error in this case as Marie Elizabeth Guiddery was in Grand Isle, Maine in the 1880.

    ___________________


Funeral Record of Marguerite Gitry

Transcription:
“ Sépult
Marguerite
Gitry
5

Le vingt neuf Mars mil huit cent vingt par nous soussigné prêtre missionnaire a été inhumé dans le cimetière de cette paroisse le corps de Marguerite décédée avant hier agée de trios jours fille de Romain Gitry cultivateur de la Nouvelle et de Marie Comeau Présent Louis Normandeau & Nicolas Bourget qui n’ont sû signer

. JF Gagnon Ptre “13754,13755,13756


Translation:
Funeral
Marguerite
Gitry
5

Twenty-nine March one thousand eight hundred twenty by me undersigned missionary priest has been buried in the cemetery of this parish the body of Marguerite died the day before yesterday age of three days daughter of Romain Gitry farmer of Nouvelle and of Marie Comeau Present Louis Normandeau & Nicolas Bourget who could not sign

. JF Gagnon Priest
    ___________________


Marriage Record of Hilaire Guidry and Cécile Bourg

Transcription:
“ Le vingt trios Novembre mil huit cent vingt neuf, après le publication de trois bans de marriage faits au faire de nos masses principales pendant trois dimanches entre Hilaire Guidry fils majeur de Romain Guidry et de marie Comeau de Madawaska d’une part et Cecile Bourg fille majeure du défunt edouard Bourg et Henriette Landry de cette paroisse d’autre part, sans découvrir aucun empêchement ni opposition quelconque à leur futur marriage, nous prêtre missionnaire soussigné, du consentement des parent et tuteur, avons reçu le mutuel consentement de mariage des parties autres tantes et les avons marie en presence de Magline Bernard, Etmand Bourg et Paul Johnson. Ce deux dernier n’ont ne signer

. Magline Bernard
. L. S. Malo Ptre “13774,13766,13775



Translation:
Twenty-three November one thousand eight hundred twenty-nine, after the publication of three bans of marriage made at our high masses during three Sundays between Hilaire Guidry major son of Romain Guidry and of Marie Comeau of Madawaska of one part and Cecile Bourge major daughter of the late Edouard Bourg and Henreitte Landry of this parish of the other part, without discovering any impediments nor opposition whatsoever to their future marriage, I missionary priest undersigned, with the consent of the parents and guardian, have received the mutual consent of marriage of the parties as well as others and they have married in the presence of Magline Bernard, Etmand Bourg and Paul Johnson. The last two have not signed.

. Magline Bernard
.
L. S. Malo Priest

    ___________________

In the 1833 New Brunswick Special Census of Madawaska Settlement, Romain Goodrie is listed with his wife, two sons and two daughters. Although no one, except Romain, is named, they would be Marie Comeau (wife), Calais Guédry and Joseph Gatien Guédry (sons) and Marie Elizabeth Guédry and Marie Guédry (daughters). Romain Guédry is called Romain Goodrie in the census. He has no horses, four oxen, one cow, no young cattle, seventeen sheep and nine pigs. He has twelve tons of hay cut and has sown last spring twenty bushels of wheat, no bushels of barley, eight bushels of oats, one-half bushel of buckwheat, two bushels of peas and forty-two bushels of potatoes. He raised thirty bushels of wheat, no bushels of barley, twenty bushels of oats, no bushels of buckwheat, no bushels of peas and one hundred fifty bushels of potatoes. His crop of wheat was considered bad in production while his crop of oats was considered good in production. Romain and his family were living on ungranted land on the right (south) bank of the St. John River which is in Aroostook County, Maine today.13757

    ___________________

In the 1840 U. S. Census the family of Romain Guédry (called Romain Jiddry) had one male that was 60-70 years old, two males that were 20-30 years old, one female that was 70-80 years old and one female that was 20-30 years old. These probably refer to Romain Guédry (60-70 years old male), Calais Guédry and Joseph Gatien Guédry (20-30 year old males), Marie Comeau (70-80 year old female) and Marie Elizabeth Guédry (20-30 year old female).13746

    ___________________

In the 1850 U. S. Census Marie Comeau (called Marie Gedree in the census) was living with her son Joseph Gatien Guedry and his family at Van Buren Plantation, Aroostook Co., ME. She could not read and write. Apparently her husband Romain Guedry has died prior to the census.13752
  

Daryl LaBine13713 indicates that Marie Comeau was born about 1804. This is not possible since she married in 1805.

    ____________________

Daryl LaBine13713 suggests that Romain Guedry and Marie Comeau were married about 1804 in Madawaska, Québec, Canada. Later he states that they moved to Madawaska, Québec, Canada about 1820. I am uncertain as to when they went to Madawaska.

Marie Comeau
Marie Gedree
Marie Gedice
Marie Grivois-Guédry
Mary Grevway
Mary Grenway
Marie Comau
Marie Commeau