Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small has issued herself and her readers a challenge for 2014. It’s called “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks”, and as Amy explains, the challenge is to “have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor”.
I’m back to focusing on more recent ancestors, and so, for the 27th week of this challenge I chose Olivier Vanasse (1832-1914).
Olivier is my paternal great-great-grandfather and is number 20 in my ancestor list.
Born on 18 February 1832 in the parish of St-Michel of Yamaska, Yamaska County, Quebec, Olivier was the second of the twelve children of Régis Vanasse and his wife Josephte Messier. [1]
On 20 April 1852, Olivier married Anne Isabelle (aka Elisabeth) Frappier in Chapeau, in present-day Pontiac County, Quebec. [2] Thinking I’d find him on the 1851 census, which occurred in January 1852, I was disappointed that I didn’t locate Olivier despite a page-by-page search for the Township of Chichester. [3] I couldn’t search in Chapeau itself, because it didn’t exist as a sub-district at this time. The other possibility was that Olivier lived in sub-district Allumettes (Chapeau and Chichester are located on Ile aux Allumettes in Pontiac County), but unfortunately those census records have not survived. Last, I couldn’t verify if Olivier still lived at home in Yamaska with his parents, because the returns for that sub-district are also lost or missing. [4]
One day while I was updating my ancestral tree at Ancestry.ca, I noticed there was an “Historical Records” shaky leaf hint for Olivier. The hint was for an Olivier Viens on the 1851 census. I checked out the image (I never just look at the summary) and found a 20-year-old Olivier Viens in the household of Emmanuel Viens. [5] Exact familial relationships aren’t stated, but there are columns for family members and columns for those who aren’t. Olivier’s entry indicates that he is a “membre de la famille” (member of the family).
Could this Olivier Viens be my ancestor Olivier Vanasse?
Although I’ve only done a quick bit of searching, I don’t think he is.
For example, I found Olivier Viens' baptism record. It shows that he is the son of Emmanuel Vient [sic] by his wife Josephte L’homme, and that he was born and baptised on 9 November 1832 in St-Jean-Baptiste, Rouville County, Quebec. [6].
I then located Olivier Viens’ marriage record in which he married Marie Célina Beaudriau on 25 January 1859 in St-Mathias, Rouville County, Quebec. The record states that he is single and the of age son of Emmanuel Vient [sic] and Marie L’Homme dite Artois. [7]
Some hints from Ancestry.ca work out, but in this case, it didn’t. Olivier Viens, as seen on the 1851 census, is not Olivier Vanasse.
Sources:
1. St-Michel (Yamaska, Quebec), parish register, 1832, p. 11 verso, no entry no., Jean Olivier Vanas [sic] baptism, 18 February 1832; St-Michel parish; digital image, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 15 June 2010).
2. St-Alphonse (Chapeau, Quebec), parish register, 1846-1856, p. 152 verso, no entry no., Oliver Vinace – Anne Isabelle Frappier [sic] marriage, 20 April 1852; St-Alphonse parish; digital image, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 March 2011). Note that Olivier is indexed as Olivin Verran.
3. Dave Obee, Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census (Victoria, BC: Dave Obee, 2012), 88. The 1851 census of the Canadas (East and West), now the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, was taken “on the second Monday of January 1852”.
4. Censuses, database, Library and Archives Canada (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1851/Pages/about-census.aspx : accessed 26 June 2014), “Census of 1851: 1851 Census Districts and Sub-districts: Canada East”.
5. 1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, St Jean Baptiste, Rouville, Canada East (Quebec), population schedule A, p. 31 (stamped), line 34, Olivier Viens; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 26 June 2014); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm C-1137.
6. St-Jean-Baptiste (St-Jean-Baptiste, Quebec), parish register, 1832, p. 7 recto, entry no. B125, Olivier Vient [sic] baptism, 9 November 1832; St-Jean-Baptiste parish; digital image, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 26 June 2014).
7. St-Mathias (St-Mathias, Quebec), parish register, 1859, p. 2 recto, no entry no., Olivier Vient – Marie Célina Beaudriau [sic] marriage, 25 January 1859; St-Mathias parish; digital image, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 26 June 2014).
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Friday, July 04, 2014
Monday, June 30, 2014
Matrilineal Monday: Remembering Juliette
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| Juliette (Beauvais) Desgroseilliers, 1930s |
Today – June 30th – is the 113th anniversary of my maternal grandmother Juliette’s birth.
Juliette, baptised “Julie Marie”, was born on 30 June 1901 in the village of Chénéville, Papineau County, Quebec. She was the third child and eldest daughter of Joseph Beauvais and his wife Olivine Hotte.
My aunt Madeleine (Mom’s sister) gave me this photo, which I saw for the first time when I visited her during my recent trip to Ontario.
The first thing I notice about this picture is how casual my grandmother Juliette is. I’m also struck by her youth and beauty. I see a strong resemblance between her and her youngest daughter Jeanne d’arc.
Juliette appears confident as she looks straight at the camera. She is young, probably in her 30s. She is dressed stylishly and wears white pumps. There’s a large floral decoration at her right shoulder. I think I see a barrette (hair clip) in her hair, as well as a necklace, and a ring (her wedding ring?) on her left hand.
If I’m right about her age, the photo was probably taken in Hearst, Ontario, between 1927 and 1936, but more likely 1931 to 1935. The house number “205” is seen above the door. Is this her home, where she lived with her husband Eugène and their children?
I wonder why this picture was taken – could it be her birthday?
So many questions, so few answers.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Sunday’s Obituary: Mary Horkoff
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| Mary Horkoff obituary, 2000 |
Mary passed away fourteen years ago, on 27 June 2000, in Grand Forks, British Columbia. She had been my father-in-law Bill’s friend and companion in the years after his wife Ann’s death. Mary was a quiet and shy woman, and was more comfortable speaking Russian than English. She and Bill liked to travel by car around the province or with other seniors by bus. When Bill was hospitalized for most of the year when my husband Michael and I married, Mary attended our wedding in Bill’s place. It was a very nice gesture on her part.
Source:
“Horkoff”, obituary, undated clipping, from unidentified newspaper; Demoskoff Family Papers, privately held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia, 2014. Yvonne received an assortment of family memorabilia (including Mary’s obituary) in January 2012 from her father-in-law William (Bill) Demoskoff.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Friday, June 27, 2014
52 Ancestors: #26 Anne Couvent, not Convent
Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small has issued herself and her readers a challenge for 2014. It’s called “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks”, and as Amy explains, the challenge is to “have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor”.
During the month of June, I’m focusing on distant, immigrant ancestors. And so, for the 26th week of this challenge, I chose Anne Couvent (ca 1601-1675).
Anne Couvent is my 10x great-grandmother and is number 5069 and 7569 in my ancestor list. This double number means that I have two lines of descent from her through my father and my mother.
Anne was born about 1601 (based on her age on the 1666 census of New France) or about 1607 (based on her age on the 1667 census of New France). [1]
She married Philippe Amiot, of an ancient and honorable French family, in about 1625. [2]
Ten years later in about 1635, Anne, her husband and their children, sons Jean and Mathieu, immigrated to Canada, known at this time as the colony of Nouvelle-France. [3]
A third child, son Charles, was born in August 1636. [4]
Philippe died between Charles’ birth and September 1639, when his widow Anne married Jacques Maheu in Quebec. By her second husband, also a French immigrant, Anne had two children. [5]
After Jacques’ death in July 1663, Anne married a third time in September 1666 in Quebec. Her new husband, Etienne Blanchon dit Larose, was a soldier and tailor, originally from Auvergne, France. She and Etienne did not have children. [6]
Anne was in her early 70s when she died on Christmas Day in 1675 in Quebec. [7] She had lived in the colony of New France for forty years.
After I prepared this background story, I checked past issues of Mémoires, the quarterly publication of the Société généalogique canadienne-française, of Montreal, to see what else I could find about Anne. I’m glad I did, because I found articles that updated or corrected certain facts about Anne that were once thought accurate. Here are some examples from one of those articles, published in 2007:
• Anne’s place of birth
Anne was born in Estrées in the diocese of Soissons in Picardie, France, according to some genealogical dictionaries like Tanguay. [8] Anne was indeed from that diocese, but from Espié (now Epieds), as seen in her 1639 marriage contract with her second husband. [9]
• Anne’s surname
Anne’s surname is Convent in Tanguay’s dictionary, but in more recent works like the PRDH (Programme de recherche en démographie historique), it is Convent or Couvent. [10] According to authors Gagné and Kokanosky, her surname is Couvent, which is how she is mentioned in her nephew Toussaint Ledran’s marriage contract in 1669. [11]
• Anne’s parents
Anne’s parents’ are named Guillaume Convent and Antoinette de Longval in older sources, but the spelling should be Couvent and de Longueval, respectively. [12]
If you are a descendant of Anne, I encourage you to seek out this well-researched article, filled with many interesting details about Anne, her husbands, her children, and her parentage. There’s even a 15-generation chart showing her line of descent from Louis VIII, King of France, through his son Robert, comte de France and his wife Mathilde de Brabant.
Sources:
Image credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. no. R9266-1938.
1. René Jetté, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec (Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983), 12 and 114.
2. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 12. Also, Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français, 1608-1760, 3 vols. (Montreal: Institut généalogique Drouin, 1958), III: 1359.
3. Roland-Yves Gagné and Laurent Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot (Hameau), de son épouse Anne Couvent et de leur neveu Toussaint Ledran”, Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française, 58 (printemps 2007): 17; DVD edition (Montreal, QC: SGCF, 2013).
4. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 12.
5. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 752.
6. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 114.
7. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 114.
8. Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes, 7 vols. (1871–1890, reprint, Montréal: Editions Elysée, 1991), I: 6.
9. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot", 18-19.
10. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot”, 20.
11. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot”, 20.
12. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot”, 19.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
During the month of June, I’m focusing on distant, immigrant ancestors. And so, for the 26th week of this challenge, I chose Anne Couvent (ca 1601-1675).
Anne Couvent is my 10x great-grandmother and is number 5069 and 7569 in my ancestor list. This double number means that I have two lines of descent from her through my father and my mother.
Anne was born about 1601 (based on her age on the 1666 census of New France) or about 1607 (based on her age on the 1667 census of New France). [1]
She married Philippe Amiot, of an ancient and honorable French family, in about 1625. [2]
Ten years later in about 1635, Anne, her husband and their children, sons Jean and Mathieu, immigrated to Canada, known at this time as the colony of Nouvelle-France. [3]
A third child, son Charles, was born in August 1636. [4]
Philippe died between Charles’ birth and September 1639, when his widow Anne married Jacques Maheu in Quebec. By her second husband, also a French immigrant, Anne had two children. [5]
After Jacques’ death in July 1663, Anne married a third time in September 1666 in Quebec. Her new husband, Etienne Blanchon dit Larose, was a soldier and tailor, originally from Auvergne, France. She and Etienne did not have children. [6]
Anne was in her early 70s when she died on Christmas Day in 1675 in Quebec. [7] She had lived in the colony of New France for forty years.
 |
| Quebec (city) |
After I prepared this background story, I checked past issues of Mémoires, the quarterly publication of the Société généalogique canadienne-française, of Montreal, to see what else I could find about Anne. I’m glad I did, because I found articles that updated or corrected certain facts about Anne that were once thought accurate. Here are some examples from one of those articles, published in 2007:
• Anne’s place of birth
Anne was born in Estrées in the diocese of Soissons in Picardie, France, according to some genealogical dictionaries like Tanguay. [8] Anne was indeed from that diocese, but from Espié (now Epieds), as seen in her 1639 marriage contract with her second husband. [9]
• Anne’s surname
Anne’s surname is Convent in Tanguay’s dictionary, but in more recent works like the PRDH (Programme de recherche en démographie historique), it is Convent or Couvent. [10] According to authors Gagné and Kokanosky, her surname is Couvent, which is how she is mentioned in her nephew Toussaint Ledran’s marriage contract in 1669. [11]
• Anne’s parents
Anne’s parents’ are named Guillaume Convent and Antoinette de Longval in older sources, but the spelling should be Couvent and de Longueval, respectively. [12]
If you are a descendant of Anne, I encourage you to seek out this well-researched article, filled with many interesting details about Anne, her husbands, her children, and her parentage. There’s even a 15-generation chart showing her line of descent from Louis VIII, King of France, through his son Robert, comte de France and his wife Mathilde de Brabant.
Sources:
Image credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. no. R9266-1938.
1. René Jetté, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec (Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983), 12 and 114.
2. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 12. Also, Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français, 1608-1760, 3 vols. (Montreal: Institut généalogique Drouin, 1958), III: 1359.
3. Roland-Yves Gagné and Laurent Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot (Hameau), de son épouse Anne Couvent et de leur neveu Toussaint Ledran”, Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française, 58 (printemps 2007): 17; DVD edition (Montreal, QC: SGCF, 2013).
4. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 12.
5. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 752.
6. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 114.
7. Jetté, Dictionnaire, 114.
8. Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes, 7 vols. (1871–1890, reprint, Montréal: Editions Elysée, 1991), I: 6.
9. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot", 18-19.
10. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot”, 20.
11. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot”, 20.
12. Gagné and Kokanosky, “Les origines de Philippe Amiot”, 19.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Wedding Wednesday: Bozzer – Desgroseilliers
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| Jeanne d'arc and Leno |
Mom’s youngest sister Jeanne d’arc Desgroseilliers married 47 years ago on 24 June 1967 in Timmins, Ontario. Her husband, Leno Bozzer, was a widower with two young children, Wayne and Suzanne, who became my step-cousins.
The ceremony took place at Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, our parish church that was a block away from our home and Aunt Joan’s home. (She lived in a basement apartment on the next street over from us.) Father Roland Yves (Cassien) Gauthier, o.f.m. cap., celebrated.
I was almost nine years old and it was the first wedding I attended.
Mom and Joan’s friend Donna (whose last name I don’t recall) were my aunt’s bridal attendants. They wore beautiful, long light pink dresses with sheer covers.
Before the wedding, Aunt Jeanne d'arc, Mom and I went to the home of the seamstress who was making Joan’s wedding gown. I don’t think we were there too long; Joan was probably checking up on how her dress was coming along.
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| L to R: Madeleine, Normande, Jeanne d'arc, Jacqueline and Simone |
I don’t remember who came in from out of town, but from what Mom told me, and from photo evidence, her sisters Madeleine, Simone and Normande, including some of their children, were there. Mom also reminded me that her aunt Flavie, her father’s only surviving sister, stayed at our house that weekend. I guess my younger sister Marianne and I must have bunked together in one room (we each had our own bedroom and twin bed), but I don’t have any memories of that.
I don’t know who brought the confetti, but I made sure I got a hold of some. I had lots of fun covering my aunt and new uncle with those multi-coloured paper dots as they came out of the church.
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| Jeanne d'arc and Leno showered in confetti |
The last memory I have of my aunt’s wedding is of the reception. It was held at the Empire Hotel (now an apartment complex) at the corner of Algonquin Boulevard and Spruce Street South, probably the best hotel in town at the time. The dinner and dance were in the large reception room on the ground floor facing the front street. During the meal, I heard cutlery clicking on the drinking glasses. I couldn’t figure out why that kept happening, but every time it did, my aunt and uncle kissed and the guests applauded. After the meal, Marianne and I and some of our cousins played in the elevator. We made it go up and down the 3 or 4 floors of the building. (It must have been the first time I’d been in an elevator.) No one seemed to mind or at least my partners-in-crime and I didn’t take any notice.
Sadly, Uncle Leno passed away in February 1985. Aunt Joan survived him and still lives in Timmins.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Update to 52 Ancestors #5 Julie Belair
Earlier this year in January, I profiled my grandmother Julie Belair in 52 Ancestors. In that article, I wrote how there were certain “unknowns” about my Mémère Julie – things like how did she and my grandfather Fred meet, where did she live before and after she married, and such.
One of my research goals during my recent trip to Ontario was to ask my aunts Joan and Darlene (Julie’s daughters) to help me fill in those blanks. They couldn’t answer all my questions, but I’m grateful they could help with some of them.
For example,
• Did Julie accompany my grandfather when he worked as a cook in lumber camps? If so, who took care of her younger children during these times?
I must have got it wrong many years ago, because I always believed that my grandfather Fred was the cook in lumber camps. Aunt Joan told me that it was my grandmother Julie who was the cook and that my Pépère Fred was a bushworker.
• Was there an obituary for Julie? (I have one for my grandfather Fred, but I’ve never seen one for my grandmother.)
Yes, there was, and it appeared in the Timmins Daily Press. I located it when I went to the Timmins library during my visit there in May and made a photocopy from the microfilmed edition. A couple of days later, Aunt Joan found her copy (an original) and I scanned it for my records.
• I have Julie’s death certificate, but I’d like to see her death registration, because it potentially contains more useful information.
When I visited Aunt Joan, I helped her fill out the online death registration forms for her parents. Within a couple of weeks or so, she received their respective “Statement of Death”. Aunt Joan made copies for herself, and then sent the originals to me. (Thanks, Aunt Joan!) Unfortunately, one of the “more useful [pieces] of information” I was hoping to see on the documents (cause of death) doesn’t appear on the statements.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
One of my research goals during my recent trip to Ontario was to ask my aunts Joan and Darlene (Julie’s daughters) to help me fill in those blanks. They couldn’t answer all my questions, but I’m grateful they could help with some of them.
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| Julie (Vanasse) Belair, 1926 |
For example,
• Did Julie accompany my grandfather when he worked as a cook in lumber camps? If so, who took care of her younger children during these times?
I must have got it wrong many years ago, because I always believed that my grandfather Fred was the cook in lumber camps. Aunt Joan told me that it was my grandmother Julie who was the cook and that my Pépère Fred was a bushworker.
• Was there an obituary for Julie? (I have one for my grandfather Fred, but I’ve never seen one for my grandmother.)
Yes, there was, and it appeared in the Timmins Daily Press. I located it when I went to the Timmins library during my visit there in May and made a photocopy from the microfilmed edition. A couple of days later, Aunt Joan found her copy (an original) and I scanned it for my records.
• I have Julie’s death certificate, but I’d like to see her death registration, because it potentially contains more useful information.
When I visited Aunt Joan, I helped her fill out the online death registration forms for her parents. Within a couple of weeks or so, she received their respective “Statement of Death”. Aunt Joan made copies for herself, and then sent the originals to me. (Thanks, Aunt Joan!) Unfortunately, one of the “more useful [pieces] of information” I was hoping to see on the documents (cause of death) doesn’t appear on the statements.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Church Record Sunday: Elisabeth Vanasse’s Baptism Record
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| Baptism record of Elizabeth Vanasse [1] |
My great-grandmother Elisabeth Vanasse was born on 11 September 1862 in Chapeau, Pontiac County, Quebec. She was the third child and first daughter of Joseph and Marie (Guérard) Vanasse.
I find it interesting and a bit puzzling that she wasn’t baptized until she was nearly three months old, on 7 December 1862. Roman Catholic parents were urged to have their infants baptized without delay, lest they die before receiving the Sacrament.
What could have caused the delay? Here are some ideas that I’ve considered.
• Remote location?
The Vanasse family lived on rural Ile des Allumettes, near the village of Chapeau, where St. Alphonsus church was located.
• Bad weather?
Unless there was unseasonable weather when Elisabeth was born in September, it doesn’t make sense to wait until almost the end of the year when there’s a chance of snowstorms.
• No church or clergy?
Two Irish-born resident priests served Chapeau’s faithful, Father James Lynch and his assistant Father Bartholomew Casey. [2]
• Priest too busy?
With risk of infant mortality a real concern, parents sought to baptize their children as soon as possible, and were indeed instructed to. [3] Therefore, other events (generally) did not take precedence over baptism.
• Objection of clergy?
Since Joseph and Marie were both baptized, married canonically, and practicing Catholics, there shouldn’t be any objection, unless perhaps one or both parents were in a state of grave or mortal sin in 1862.
• Parental objection?
Joseph and Marie’s first two children (sons Dalmatius and Regis) were baptized, so unless they had serious doubts about their faith when Elisabeth was born, they wouldn’t object to their daughter being received into the Church.
• Father absent?
A father’s absence (for example, if he was working away from home) did not prevent or delay his child’s baptism. In such a case, the priest would simply note his absence in the baptism record with the phrase “le père absent”.
• Sick baby?
If Elisabeth were sick, she could have had an emergency baptism, and indeed, should if in imminent danger of dying. [4]
• Sick mother?
At this time, it was common for only the father, the godparents and the newborn to be present at a baptism ceremony.
There could be other reasons, like choosing the baby’s name, finding godparents, or baby’s gender, but I think they are less likely to be the ones.
Sources:
1. St-Alphonse (Chapeau, Quebec), parish register, 1857-1876, p. 96 verso, entry no. B.109 (1862), Elizabeth Venance [sic] baptism, 7 December 1862; Ste-Cécile-de-Masham parish; digital image, “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 15 June 2010).
2. Alexis de Barbezieux, Histoire de la province ecclésiastique d'Ottawa et de la colonisation dans la vallée de l'Ottawa (Ottawa, 1897: I: 253 and 563); digital images, Our Roots (http://www.ourroots.ca/ : accessed 13 March 2014). Father Lynch was appointed curé of St. Alphonsus in 1844, the year after he was ordained. He spent his entire priestly career there, and died in 1885. Father Casey arrived in Chapeau in May 1862 as assistant priest. He remained there until September 1863, when he was transferred to St. Bridget in nearby Onslow.
3. The Canon Law Society Trust, The Code of Canon Law In English translation (London: Collins Liturgical Publications, 1983), 160, Can. 867.1, which states “Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks”.
4. The Canon Law Society Trust, The Code of Canon Law In English translation, 160, Can. 867.2.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
Friday, June 20, 2014
52 Ancestors: #25 Etienne Bray
Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small has issued herself and her readers a challenge for 2014. It’s called “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks”, and as Amy explains, the challenge is to “have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor”.
During the month of June, I’m focusing on distant, immigrant ancestors. And so, for the 25th week of this challenge, I chose Etienne Bray (1694-1774).
Etienne Bray (Bret) is my 5x paternal great-grandfather and is number 140 in my ancestor list.
He was born on 2 April 1694 and baptised nine days later on 11 April in St-Etienne church of Montagne, in the old province of Dauphiné, located in southeastern France. [1]
Etienne was one of at least three children born to Etienne Bray and his wife Hélène Ergon (Argoud). His father died in May 1696 in Montagne, when Etienne was only two years old. [3] Note that Tanguay’s Dictionnaire is incorrect when it says that Etienne was the son of Léger Bray dit Labonté by his first wife Marguerite Colin. [4]
Previous research estimated Etienne’s arrival in Canada in 1721 as an immigrant. [5] Recent research, however, places his arrival as early as 1717, when he is described as a recrue in the patient register of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Quebec City. [6] Etienne was an infantry recruit with the troupes de la Marine. [7] Also known as Compagnies franches de la Marine, these troops were part of “land forces under the control of the navy”, founded in 1622, “notably for operations in French Canada”. [8] I’ve searched various sources, but I haven’t found Etienne’s regiment or company.
Following his first appearance in Canadian records, Etienne next appears in September 1721 when he serves as godfather to the infant daughter of Pierre Thibault dit Léveillé, and then in August 1722 as godfather to the day-old son of Jean Baptiste Glinel. In June 1723, Etienne is one of twelve witnesses at the marriage of Pierre Lahaise and Elisabeth Poitras. [9]
Troupes de la Marine recruits enlisted for a period of six years, after which time they had the option to return to France or to remain in the colony. [10] Etienne’s enlistment presumably ended in late 1723, because he chose to live in Canada when he married here soon after his term of service ended.
In early 1724, Etienne entered into a marriage contract with 21-year-old Barbe Dazé on 20 February of that year. The following day, the couple married in St-François-de-Sales on Ile Jésus, just north of Montreal, where Barbe was born and where her family still lived. [11]
The couple’s first children were twins, whose gender was not recorded, and who died in January 1726. The younger children born between 1727 and 1744 – Dominique, Marie Charlotte, Etienne, Marie Josèphe, Marie Angélique, Marie Barbe, François (my ancestor) and André – all survived and married in due course. [12]
Etienne died on 29 January 1774 and was buried on 31 January 1774 in Les Cèdres, Soulanges County, Quebec. [13] He was predeceased by his wife Barbe, who died in November 1770. [14]
Sources:
1. Fichier Origine, database (http://www.fichierorigine.com : accessed 16 June 2014), entry for Etienne Bray/Bret, no. 240585.
2. Wikipedia contributors, “Dauphiné”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dauphin%C3%A9&oldid=612874259 : accessed 16 June 2014).
3. Fichier Origine, Etienne Bray/Bret.
4. Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes, 7 vols. (1871–1890, reprint, Montréal: Editions Elysée, 1991), II: 455.
5. Fichier Origine, database (http://www.fichierorigine.com : accessed 12 September 2009), entry for Etienne Bray, no. 240585.
6. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Bray, individu no. 7572. The note in Etienne’s entry states: Cité le 25-09-1717 dans le registre des malades de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec: “recrue”. Ancestry.ca has records for Quebec’s Hôtel-Dieu, but it is a registre mortuaire, a register of deaths. This register is part of the “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”) database of the Drouin Collection.
7. Fichier Origine, Etienne Bray/Bret.
8. Wikipedia contributors, “Troupes de marine”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Troupes_de_marine&oldid=603885072 : accessed 16 June 2014).
9. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Marie Francoise Thibault, baptême no. 10018. Also, “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Glinel, baptême no. 45763. Also, “Répertoire des actes d’état civil 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Pierre Lahayze [sic] – Elisabeth Poitras, mariage no. 12882.
10. Luc Lépine, “L’impact des noms de guerre des militaires française sur la patronymie québécoise”, Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française, 52 (printemps 2001): 56; DVD edition (Montreal, QC: SGCF, 2013).
11. René Jetté, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec (Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983), 166. Also, “Répertoire des actes d’état civil 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Bré [sic] – Barbe Dazé, mariage no. 22400.
12. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Bray – Marie Barbe Dazé, famille no. 14665.
13. St-Joseph-de-Soulanges (Les Cèdres, Quebec), parish register, 1759-1791, no page no., no entry no. (1774), Etienne Bray burial, 31 January 1774; St-Joseph-de-Soulanges parish; digital image, “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection, 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 16 June 2014). Also, “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, Etienne Bray, individu no. 7572.
14. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Marie Barbe Dazé, individu no. 23649.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
During the month of June, I’m focusing on distant, immigrant ancestors. And so, for the 25th week of this challenge, I chose Etienne Bray (1694-1774).
Etienne Bray (Bret) is my 5x paternal great-grandfather and is number 140 in my ancestor list.
He was born on 2 April 1694 and baptised nine days later on 11 April in St-Etienne church of Montagne, in the old province of Dauphiné, located in southeastern France. [1]
 |
| Map of France showing province of Dauphiné in pink [2] |
Etienne was one of at least three children born to Etienne Bray and his wife Hélène Ergon (Argoud). His father died in May 1696 in Montagne, when Etienne was only two years old. [3] Note that Tanguay’s Dictionnaire is incorrect when it says that Etienne was the son of Léger Bray dit Labonté by his first wife Marguerite Colin. [4]
Previous research estimated Etienne’s arrival in Canada in 1721 as an immigrant. [5] Recent research, however, places his arrival as early as 1717, when he is described as a recrue in the patient register of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Quebec City. [6] Etienne was an infantry recruit with the troupes de la Marine. [7] Also known as Compagnies franches de la Marine, these troops were part of “land forces under the control of the navy”, founded in 1622, “notably for operations in French Canada”. [8] I’ve searched various sources, but I haven’t found Etienne’s regiment or company.
Following his first appearance in Canadian records, Etienne next appears in September 1721 when he serves as godfather to the infant daughter of Pierre Thibault dit Léveillé, and then in August 1722 as godfather to the day-old son of Jean Baptiste Glinel. In June 1723, Etienne is one of twelve witnesses at the marriage of Pierre Lahaise and Elisabeth Poitras. [9]
Troupes de la Marine recruits enlisted for a period of six years, after which time they had the option to return to France or to remain in the colony. [10] Etienne’s enlistment presumably ended in late 1723, because he chose to live in Canada when he married here soon after his term of service ended.
In early 1724, Etienne entered into a marriage contract with 21-year-old Barbe Dazé on 20 February of that year. The following day, the couple married in St-François-de-Sales on Ile Jésus, just north of Montreal, where Barbe was born and where her family still lived. [11]
The couple’s first children were twins, whose gender was not recorded, and who died in January 1726. The younger children born between 1727 and 1744 – Dominique, Marie Charlotte, Etienne, Marie Josèphe, Marie Angélique, Marie Barbe, François (my ancestor) and André – all survived and married in due course. [12]
Etienne died on 29 January 1774 and was buried on 31 January 1774 in Les Cèdres, Soulanges County, Quebec. [13] He was predeceased by his wife Barbe, who died in November 1770. [14]
Sources:
1. Fichier Origine, database (http://www.fichierorigine.com : accessed 16 June 2014), entry for Etienne Bray/Bret, no. 240585.
2. Wikipedia contributors, “Dauphiné”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dauphin%C3%A9&oldid=612874259 : accessed 16 June 2014).
3. Fichier Origine, Etienne Bray/Bret.
4. Cyprien Tanguay, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes, 7 vols. (1871–1890, reprint, Montréal: Editions Elysée, 1991), II: 455.
5. Fichier Origine, database (http://www.fichierorigine.com : accessed 12 September 2009), entry for Etienne Bray, no. 240585.
6. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Bray, individu no. 7572. The note in Etienne’s entry states: Cité le 25-09-1717 dans le registre des malades de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec: “recrue”. Ancestry.ca has records for Quebec’s Hôtel-Dieu, but it is a registre mortuaire, a register of deaths. This register is part of the “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967”) database of the Drouin Collection.
7. Fichier Origine, Etienne Bray/Bret.
8. Wikipedia contributors, “Troupes de marine”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Troupes_de_marine&oldid=603885072 : accessed 16 June 2014).
9. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Marie Francoise Thibault, baptême no. 10018. Also, “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Glinel, baptême no. 45763. Also, “Répertoire des actes d’état civil 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Pierre Lahayze [sic] – Elisabeth Poitras, mariage no. 12882.
10. Luc Lépine, “L’impact des noms de guerre des militaires française sur la patronymie québécoise”, Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française, 52 (printemps 2001): 56; DVD edition (Montreal, QC: SGCF, 2013).
11. René Jetté, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec (Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1983), 166. Also, “Répertoire des actes d’état civil 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Bré [sic] – Barbe Dazé, mariage no. 22400.
12. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Etienne Bray – Marie Barbe Dazé, famille no. 14665.
13. St-Joseph-de-Soulanges (Les Cèdres, Quebec), parish register, 1759-1791, no page no., no entry no. (1774), Etienne Bray burial, 31 January 1774; St-Joseph-de-Soulanges parish; digital image, “Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection, 1621-1967”, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 16 June 2014). Also, “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, Etienne Bray, individu no. 7572.
14. “Dictionnaire généalogique des familles 1621-1799”, database, Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH) (http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/fr/ : accessed 16 June 2014), Marie Barbe Dazé, individu no. 23649.
Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.
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