Tuesday 19 May 2015

52 Ancestors: Francois D'Assise (Dasi) Hebert (1841 - 1922)

Francois D'Assise Hebert is my Great Great Grandfather on my Dad's side of the family tree.

Francois D'Assise, or Dasi/Dazi as most records seem to refer to him as, was born May 18, 1841 in Shippagan, Gloucester county, New Brunswick to Benjamin Hebert and Colette Duguay. Dasi was the 8th child of Benjamin and the 2nd child for Colette. Dasi was baptised on September 1841 when he was 4 months old. He was the 13th of 21 children baptised that day at St. Jerome parish in Shippagan. The priest was only by every 6 months, his birth had just missed the last visit of the priest.

Dasi was raised on one of the largest farms (250 acres, 20 acres identified as improved with cows, oxen, sheep and swine) on the West Side of Shippagan with his 10 other siblings. In 1861 he was living at home on the farm with 6 of his siblings. He is unable to read or write so he probably never went to school. There is no occupation listed for Dasi on the 1861 census. With such a large farm it could be assumed that he worked on the farm, however with such a large fishing community he may have earned some money as a fisherman.

On August 6, 1864 when Dasi was 23 years old he married Marie Robert in Shippagan at St. Jerome Parish. Dasi and Marie must have met at church as I have been unable to find her family living near the Heberts anywhere on the 1861 census.

Cod fishing was booming in Gloucester county between 1875-1900 this is where over 70% of the cod caught in New Brunswick was landed with over 50% of that in the Shippagan/Caraquet area. Working as a fisherman must have paid well as I would have assumed that Dasi would have farmed part of his Father's land after he was married he however went on to become a fisherman. Between 1861 and 1871 Dasi went from being a farmer to earning a living as a fisherman. In 1871, he and Marie were living near Dasi's parents, only 3 households away. They were sharing a household with their 4 children and another couple (Charles and Olive Mallet). Charles Mallet was a hired fisherman as well as Dasi's three younger brothers. They lived next door to several Navigators, I wonder if this is how he was hired on as a fisherman.

Dasi is still earning a living as a fisherman in 1881 Shippagan. He and Marie now have 8 children at home, the youngest my Great Grandmother Beatrice Hebert. Dasi's siblings are still living near by almost all of them fishermen.

Dasi and Marie had 8 children living at home in 1891 ranging in ages from 22 to just under 2 years old (the last of their 12 children). By 1891, Dasi and 4 of his brothers (who live near by) are starting to transition back to farming as they are now earning a living as farmers and a fishermen. I wonder if the work was getting to hard for 40 year olds or did they start to sense the decline in fishing for the area.

Sometime around 1900 Dasi moved his family from Shippagan to Paquetville and fully transitioned to earning a living as a farmer. His children had started to marry and move out on their own as he only had 4 children living at home in 1901. Living next door were 2 sons and a brother. Between 1901 and 1906 Marie died and left Dasi as a widower. Dasi remarried Jan 22, 1906 to Adeline Drysdelle (also a widower).

Dasi was still farming at 70 years old in Paquetville. He and is new wife Adeline and her son were living with Dasi's son Joseph and his family (his wife and 3 children). Dasi was surrounded by family with 2 sons, a brother and nephews living next door.

At 80 years old in 1921 Dasi was no longer farming. He and Adeline were living in Paquetville with his son Joseph, his wife and their 7 children.

The winter of 1921/22 proved to be to much for Dasi. He died on Feb 3, 1922 at 80 years 9 months old. He is listed as dying of old age while living in Paquetville presumably with his son Joseph who submitted the notification of his death.

Saturday 28 February 2015

52 Ancestors: Ann (Annie) Godin (1874 - 1948)

Ann (Annie) Godin is my Great Grandmother on my Mom's side of the family. She was born May 31, 1874 in Petit Rocher, Gloucester county, New Brunswick. Annie was the 7th child of Marcelline Roy and the 2nd child of Joseph Godin.

Annie and her 14 siblings were raised in Beresford, Gloucester county, New Brunswick; just down the road from Petit Rocher. She was raised next door to her future husband and probably had many interactions with his family.

Annie's father earned a living as a labourer and farmer. The farm must have been used to help feed the family. Annie was lucky enough to have been born after the Common School Act which allowed her to attend primary school for free; where she learned to read and write. She would have most likely helped her mother with her 8 younger siblings and did farm chores before and after school.

On June 21, 1892, just after Annie's 18th birthday, she married her recently widowed (6 months) neighbour, Victor Pitre, who was 13 years older than her. I wonder if she helped Victor look after his 4 young children after the death of his wife and maybe even before. Did a romance blossom or was it a marriage of need for Victor? Which ever it was they went on to have 16 more children!

Annie and Victor raised their family of 21 children in Beresford right next door to Victor's family and several household away from Annie's family, until at least 1921. They always had a large number of children at home from just 4 when they were first married to 10  children still living at home in 1921 ranging in age from 3-24 years old.

Annie and Victor continued to live in Beresford until at least 1930 when Victor died. It is quite possible that Annie continued to live there until 1945. Her death certificate states that she lived in West Bathurst for 3 years, prior to that I am guessing that she continued to live in Beresford. Her death was reported by her daughter Delores Pitre (my grandmother). I wonder if she lived her last 3 years with my grandparents? Annie was under a doctors care from May 10 to 24th 1948. She was just shy of her 74th birthday when she died May 24, 1948 from  heart problems.

Saturday 7 February 2015

52 Ancestors: Celeste Young (about 1814 - after 1856) daughter of a Micmac

Celeste Young is my Great-Great-Great Grandmother on my Dad's side. She was born to Etienne Young and Marie Lavigne sometime in late 1814 or early 1815, the writing on the baptism records is to faded to made out the date she was born. Celeste was baptised at Ste. Famille parish in Bathurst, New Brunswick on March 30, 1815 when she was a few months old.

Celeste had at least 2 brothers also baptised at Ste. Famille parish. It was on one of these brothers baptism records that Celeste's father was recorded as being a Micmac. A little further research determined that Etienne's mother was recorded as a sauvagesse. She was most likely was a full Micmac.

It is unknown how or where Celeste grew up. Did she grow up on a farm or did she travel around while her father hunted? Sometime between when she was born and when she was married she moved from the Bathurst area to Caraquet, approximately 75km away.

When Celeste was about 20 years old she married widower Benjamin Theriault on May 27, 1834 in Caraquet, New Brunswick at St. Pierre-aux-Liens parish. How did she meet Benjamin? Probably through the church or maybe as a domestic.

Celeste and Benjamin had at least 4 children (3 girls and 1 boy) born several years apart. It was unusually to have such a large gap between children, I wonder if she lost some children in between these births. Her last child that I was able to find was my Great-Great Grandmother Marie Theriault.

The birth of Marie Theriault on Nov 6, 1856 is the last time I was able to find any records for Celeste. I was unable to find any record of Celeste and Benjamin on the 1861 New Brunswick census, they both may have died between Marie's birth and 1861. This leaves more questions unanswered about where Marie was raised.

Saturday 17 January 2015

52 Ancestors: Francois Xavier Christie (1866 - 1922)

Well, here is my next ancestor post.  I was relectant to write it as I feel they are all starting to sound the same and don't provide much information or interesting facts. So far most of my ancestors have the same story; they are born, raised, marry, earn a living as a farmer or marry a farmer, have children and die all in the same area.

This week I am writing about my Great Great Uncle Francois Xavier Christie. Francois was the last child of William Christie and Tarsiel Arseneau and the brother of my Great Grandfather Alexander Christie. He was born about Dec 8, 1864 in Peter's River, between Bathurst and Beresford, New Brunswick, Canada. I have not been able to find baptism or birth records to verify his birth date; this  birth date was taken from census records. I'm pretty confident that this is the correct year and month, as his age has been consistently reported since 1871 and there were several times December was listed as his birth month.

Francois like his older siblings went to school at a young age (6) and continued until he was at least 16 years old learning to read, write and speak English. On Nov 10, 1890 when Francois was just shy of his 26th birthday he married Margaret Comeau. His brother William was one of his witnesses;who two weeks later married Margaret's sister Marie Anne. Francois and William lived, in the parish of Beresford, village of Robertville, next door to each other and raised their families side by side until at least 1901. When he was first married Francois earned a living as a labourer, by the time of the 1901 census he was earning a living as a farmer and had three children (2 sons and a daughter). In 1911, he was still living and farming in Robertville however his family had grown by another 2 sons. In 1918 Francois would become a widower and would raise his last two sons alone.

On Dec 12, 1922 in Saint Therese parish, Robertville, New Brunswick, Francois would die. The death certificate states that the cause of death is no medicine. His burial is listed as the catholic cemetery at St. Therese, NB.

Sunday 4 January 2015

52 Ancestors (2015) - Marin Comeau (182? - 1899) Tracadie to Inkerman New Brunswick

Another year and another 52 Ancestors challenge.  I didn't quite make it to 52 ancestors last year. I only managed to write about 31 ancestors, but that was 31 more ancestors than I had written about before and as a result I conducted a lot more research.

This week I'm writing about my Great Great Great Grandfather Marin Comeau. He was the Grandfather of my Great Grandmother Elizabeth Lebreton. I have not been able to find any record of his birth or baptism so I am not sure when or where he was actually born. All records seem to point to him being born in Tracadie, Gloucester county, New Brunswick sometime in the 1820's.

Marin married Charlotte Drisdelle August 2, 1853 in Tracadie at the St.Jean Baptiste et Ste Joseph parish. The witnesses to his marriage were Victoire Drisdelle and Michel Lebreton, possibly a relative but as yet undetermined. Unfortunately their entry in the parish registry did not include the names of their parents so I am at a bit of a brick wall in determining who their parents were.

Marin and Charlotte had at least 2 daughters born in Tracadie; Heloize born November 2, 1854 and Margaret (my Great Great Grandmother) born October 19, 1856. Sometime between the birth of Margaret and October 1858 Marin moved from Tracadie to the Inkerman area of Gloucester county, New Brunswick.

On October 26, 1858 Marin married Celeste Roussel in Inkerman at St. Michel parish. Their witnesses were Paschal LaClare and Marie Como (relative of Marin's ?). Again neither of their parents were listed in the parish registry of their marriage, still no link to Marin's parents.

I have been unable to find any record of where Marin lived between 1858 and 1871 but I assume it was in the Inkerman area. In 1871, Marin, Celeste and Margaret were living in Inkerman in the same household as another family (Isiah, Ann, John and Elizabeth Albert). Marin's occupation was listed as Farmer and Shingle Maker. In 1881, Marin was earning a living as a day labourer. He and Celeste were living on their own in a household next door to Margaret and her family. By 1891, Marin and Celeste were living with Margaret and her family with no occupation being identified for Marin.

Death came to Marin on April 9, 1899 as a result of contracting consumption (tuberculosis).


http://archives.gnb.ca/Search/VISSE/141C4.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=d868ff0e-d488-4b75-a9e5-1e87728a270b
Marin Comeau Death Certificate from NB Archives