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.