| 4. | MICHAUD Pierre was born about 1618 in Notre Dame De Fontenay Le Comte, Poitou, France (son of MICHAUD Antoine and TRAIN Marie); died before 08 May 1703 in Kamouraska, Kamouraska, PQ, Canada. Notes:
Baptism: Notre-Dame, Rue Pnt-Aux-Chevres, France
Immigration: mar 27 1656, Quebec, New France
Occupation: Migratory worker
Religion: Catholic
Pierre Michaud
Our readers would be surprised to learn that the ancestor Pierre
Michaud, for the better part of his life, carried the family name
Michel. Michaud means "little Michel."
Where did Pierre Michel come from? He was a Poitevan and originated
from Fontenay-Ie-Comte, capital of the Department of the Vendee. The
land surrounding this
village, because of the excavations of flints and pot sherds,
archaeologists believe to have been the home of prehistoric man, even
before the time of Asterix the Gaul. It was
only in 1242 that the specification of "le-Comte" was added.
Fontenay-le-Comte was a part of the Diocese of Maillezais for a long
time; but at the time of our ancestor, the
episcopal seat was transferred to LaRochelle in Aunis by Pope
Innocent X, in the year 1648. More than 30 people emigrated from
Fontenay-le-Comte for Canada. Let's
repeat the names of some of these: Jacques Bernier, Andre
Bonnenfant, Jacques Manseau and 3 other Pierres; Bourgoin, Cardinal
and I'Ecuyer.
Pierre Michel was baptized in the Church of Notre-Dame, located in
the Rue Pont-aux-Chevres. His parents were Antoine Michel and Marie
Train. The church, spires and
all, was 240 feet tall, but in those days, did not have the clock
displayed on the facade.
On the 27th of March 1656, before Notary Paul Moreau of LaRochelle,
Pierre Michaud indentured himself to Jacques Pepin, a ships' factor
and merchant of LaRochelle, to
go to work in Quebec for 3 years. His salary would be 36 livres per
year, with an immediate advance of 38 livres and 5 sols.
Pierre made the crossing from LaRochelle to Quebec on the ship La
Fortune, owned by a Monsieur Auboyneau. This small ship of 100 tons
was commanded by Captain
Edouard Raymond. Pierre Michel was classed as a migratory worker.
Established first on the Beaupre coast, he passed through the islands
of the Saint-Lawrence river, then
on to the south bank, finally to die at Kamouraska.
ON THE BEAUPRE COAST
The first official mention of the presence of Pierre Michaud in
Canada is found in the Register of Receipts and Expenditures of the
Church of Sainte-Anne-du-Petit-Cap in
the year 1661-1662: "to pierre micheau (Michel) for two days three
livres." Our ancestor seems to have done manual labor on the
construction of the second church of
Sainte-Anne.
In August, 1663, in a sales contract, we learn that Pierre Michaud
is a partner of Michel Marquiseau in the ownership of a grant of 3
arpents in the village of Beaupre, to the
east of the Riviere Sainte-Anne. Pierre sold it on 6 September 1665
to Francois Daniau.
After 1665, Pierre worked away from Sainte-Anne, probably as a hired
farm hand. Perhaps he also enjoyed, for a time, the adventurous life
of a coureur-de-bois; or
perhaps even the campaigns with the Carignan Regiment, because, in
the census of 1666 and 1667, no mention is made of his presence. But
by the end of the summer of
1667, on 2 October, Pierre is present in the home of Claude Auber,
in order to amend the text of his marriage contract. The notary
wrote: "Pierre Michel, habitant of
Sainte-Anne-du-Petit- Cap, coast and seigneurie of Beaupre. " This
contract was never signed.
For some unknown reason, the celebration of the marriage of Pierre
was delayed for about 3 years. His dearly beloved lived at Ange-
Gardien with her father and
stepmother. She was Marie Ancelin, daughter of the thread-mill
worker Rene Ancelin and the late Claire Rousselot. She first saw the
light of day at LaRochelle, parish of
Notre-Dame, in May 1654. Her father, three and a half years after
the death of his first wife at La Rochelle, remarried to Marie Juin
on 19 January 1665.
The following spring they emigrated to Canada, bringing little 11-
year-old Marie with them. At first the Ancelins lived-at Ange-Gardien
where, in 1667, they owned 2 head
of cattle and 6 arpents of cultivated land. Their neighbors were
Abraham Fiset -and Jacques Achon.
On 18 May 1669, Marie Ancelin was godmother at the baptism of her
half-sister, Marie, at Ange-Gardien. At this time she was not yet
married to Pierre Michaud.
ON THE ISLE OF ORLEANS
According to Leon Roy, Pierre Michaud obtained a land grant of 3
arpents of river frontage on the Ile d'Orleans from Msgr de Laval in
June 1667. It was within the
boundaries of Saint-Jean parish, between neighbors Robert Boulay and
Louis Bibet.
On 18 November 1670, we learn from the records of Notary Pierre
Duquet, that Pierre Michaud, habitant of the Ile of Orleans, owed a
debt of 21 livres 10 sols to Louis
Boussot dit Laflotte.
His young fiancee now lived on the island, along with her parents.
On 26 March 1670, Marie Ancelin appeared as a godmother to the infant
of Antoine Pepin-Lachance and
Marie Tetu. Were Pierre and Marie married by this time? There is
nothing to prove it. The opinion is that probably the marriage had
taken place between 1669 and 1671, on
the Ile of Orleans, where they both lived. The missionary priest
must have simply forgotten to record the act in the register of Notre-
Dame de Quebec.
In 1671, what a show took place! Pierre Michaud instituted a
criminal suit against Mathurin Thibodeau dit Lalime, an unsuited
colonist of Saint-Jean parish. We don't have
the space to lay out the 13 pieces of judicial proceedings, which
are, nonetheless, most interesting. It seems to have been a matter
between fighting cocks, and the
consequences be damned.
Pierre must have had the fidgets again; because he left the island
in search of greener pastures.
THE ISLAND OF THE GEESE
After 1671, Pierre Michaud and Marie Ancelin lived on the Ile-aux-
Oies. The proof comes when their first child, Pierre, born 11
February 1672, was baptized by Father
Morel on 8 March. His godmother was Anne Macart, wife of the Sieur
de Granville, a resident on the Ile in question. Moreover, on 9
September 1673, "Pierre Michel
living on the Ile aux Oyes," sold his land on the Ile of Orleans,
where he had cleared 5 arpents, to Jean Mourier.
Pierre Michaud probably worked in the service of Sieur de Granville
for 3 years; then he exercised his right to move over to the twin
island known as the Cranes. This
Ile-aux-Grues is just opposite Cap-Saint-Ignace. It was here that
his eldest daughter, Marie-Anne, was born on 12 November 1675. In
effect, on 17 July 1674 the seigneur
of these two little islands granted 6 arpents in frontage to a depth
of the entire island to Pierre. His neighbors would be Jean Soucy and
Pierre Terrien. On 28 April 1675,
Pierre acted as godfather to Marie-Anne Soucy, born on the Ile-aux-
Grues. By the winter of 1681 the Michaud family, with 5 children, was
still living on their island farm:
They had 6 arpents of land under cultivation, 10 animals and a
hunting rifle.
Pierre had battled his record of instability and lost. Already he
was looking southward!
THE SOUTH BANK
At 44 years of age, our ancestor Michaud climbed into his boat,
followed by his family, and crossed over to the south shore of the
river, to a place called l'Islet. Here he
remained for 11 years, and it was here that his last 5 children were
baptized.
In 1692, Dame Genevieve Couillard, widow of the late Sieur du Tarte,
enticed Michel to move to her fief at Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. A
concession, privately granted, was made
on 19 October 1695 by the Seigneruesse, but two years later was
resold by the Michauds to Pierre Lessard.
Now, to where would the meandering Michauds move? By 30 June 1695,
Pierre and Marie held official title to a concession of 12 arpents of
frontal property on the river, at
Kamouraska. This was large enough to satisfy the most numerous and
needy of families. It is possible that they already had lived on this
land for a few years; moreover, the
parents of Marie, Rene Ancelin and Marie Juin, established a home at
Kamouraska about this time.
This was the last place the family lived. Kamouraska became their
homestead and the cradle of the multitude of descendants of the
Michauds of America.
THE LAST PORT
The Michauds certainly did not lack courage. Kamouraska was their
final surge of effort. Pierre was enduring a cancer of the mouth,
caused by pipe smoking. In 1701
Pierre and Marie made their will, with the consent of their
children. The assets would go to the survivor of the two of them.
Pierre died in 1702, sometime between the 28th
of May and the 15th of September. The widow Marie Ancelin, on 18
October 1704, obviously with her children in mind, convinced the
Seigneur Louis Aubert de Forillon
to make a small addition to her land. He added 8 arpents of width to
the 12 already existing! An inventory of her possessions was not made
until 20 April 1724. Nine days
later Marie gave her assets to her son, Joseph, and placed herself
in his care. She died and was buried at Kamouraska on 18 April 1729.
THE FAMILY TREE
Pierre and Marie had 10 children, one of whom died in the cradle.
They are listed as follows:
1. Pierre was baptized at Quebec on 8 March 1672. He married Marie-
Madeleine Thibodeau in 1697.
2. Jean-Baptiste was born 3 January 1674 on the Ile-aux-Grues and
married Marie Vaillancourt in 1697.
3. Marie-Anne was born 12 November 1676 on the Ile-aux-Grues and
married Pierre Boucher in 1695.
4. Joseph was baptized on 27 February 1679 at Quebec and married
Catherine Dionne in 1702.
5. Pierre was born on the Ile-aux-Grues on 2 February 1681 and was
baptized 7 days later on the Ile-aux-Oies. He married Marie-Madeleine
Cadieux. at Cap-St-Ignace in
1704.
6. Louis was born in 1683 or 1684 and married Claire-Francoise
Levasseur in 1708.
7. Elisabeth was baptized at Port-Joli on 13 November 1685. She
married Pierre Levasseur at Cap-St-Ignace in 1703.
8. Francois was born about 1687 and married Marie Dionne in 1715.
9. Genevieve was born 25 November 1690 and died 3 days after
Christmas.
10. Marie-Madeleine was baptized on 14 February 1692 at Cap-St-
Ignace. She married Nicolas Lebel in 1707.
Today their descendants are scattered throughout Quebec, New
Brunswick and New England.
A NOTABLE LINE OF DESCENDANTS
The first Michaud priest, a Religious of Saint Viateur, Joseph
Michaud, son of Joseph and Charlotte Michaud, 6th generation, native
of Kamouraska, was ordained at
Victoria in 1854. His apostolate was exercised in the realm of
education and in the construction of imposing edifices such as the
cathedrals of Vancouver and Montreal.
The Michaud family of New Brunswick had considerable representation
in the professions, among the deputies, ministers, judges and
senators; Pius Michaud (1890-1956),
the Honorable Herve-J. Michaud (1912-1979), and the Honorable J.
Enoil Michaud (1888-1967) are among them. In a stained glass window
of the Cathedral Of
Edmundston, one can see the figure of Joseph Michaud, the father of
J. Enoil. In the United States, Jean-Etienne Michaud, (1843-1908) of
the 7th generation, son of
Etienne Michaud and of Catherine Rogan of Burlington, Vermont,
grandson of Benoni Michaud and of Judith Lebel of St-Andre de
Kamouraska, became Auxiliary Bishop
of Burlington in 1892, and Bishop in 1899.
Marguerite Michaud, native of Bouctouche, daughter of Georges, an
Acadienne through her mother Virginie Lablanc, a graduate of the
University of Saint-Francis-Xavier
of Antigonish, a laureate of the Faculty of Letters of the Sorbonne,
a doctorate in History from the University of Montreal, decorated by
the Alliance Francaise and by the
Acadian Association of Education, head of the Department of Romance
Languages of Saint-Joseph's College in Brooklyn, N. Y., for four
years, merits special mention as a
distinguished professor and writer. She was the first French-
speaking woman to obtain a position as a professor at the Normal
School of Fredericton. On 24 September
1967, in her home town, the authorities inaugurated "L'Ecole
Secondaire Marguerite Michaud, for those who would dedicate their
life to the cause of education in order to
assure the survival of French culture in the Maritimes." In 1978,
the Community Center library of Fredericton was renamed: Biliotheque
Dr Marguerite Michaud. In 1979,
Marguerite Michaud was awarded the trophy of the "Association des
Enseignants Francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick." She authored many
original articles and poems,
too numerous to mention.
Let USA not forget to mention the name of a friend, Monsieur Georges
Michaud, a native of St-Alexandre, Kamouraska, son of Georges and of
Elizabeth Lajoie. He was a
remarkable agronomist who practiced in New Brunswick, in
Saskatchewan and in Quebec. He is now living at Gatineau.
FAMILY NAME VARIATIONS
Chabale, Dijon, Larouche, Le Borgne, Mashoe, Meashaw, Meashow,
Meshaw, Mesheau, Michaurd, Michaux, Micheau, Michel, Micho, Mitchell,
Poirier, Sauvage,
Venno, Vienau, Vienneau and Vienno.
END NOTES
Auber, 6 September 1965; 2 October 1667.
Becquet, 9 September 1673; 17 July 1674.
BRH, Volume 7, page 219; Volume 52, pages 144-145; Volume 53, pages
275-285, 301-303; volume 54, page 78; Volume 56, page 113.
Chambalon, 30 June 169; 16 October 1701; 118 October 1704.
Duquet, 18 November 1670.
Drouin, DNCF, page 1766.
Genaple, 5 March 1708.
Godbout, AGA, pages 46-47.
Jette, DGFQ, page 807.
Lafontaine, RANF1 681, Page 200.
Letourneau, Raymond., Un Visage de l'Ile d'Orleans, Saint-Jean
(1979), pages 22-24.
Michon, 20 April 1724; 29 April 1724.
Paradis, Alexandre., Kamouraska (1674-1948), page 32.
Pelletier, Edmond., Album Historique et Paroissial de Notre Dame du
Portage 1723 a 1940 (1941), pages 217-218
Rageot, Gilles., 2 November 1681.
Roy, Leon., Les Terres de la Grande-Anse etc., pages 10-1 118, 15,
274.
Trudel, LTS-L1663, pages 22, 23, 534.
RAPQ, Volume 45, pages 179-188.
RHAF, Volume 6, Page 382.
SGQ, l'Ancetre, Volume 2, page 306
Pierre married ANCELIN Marie in Nov 1667 in Chateau Richer, QC. Marie (daughter of ANCELIN Rene and ROUSSELOT Claire) was born on 07 May 1651 in Notre Dame, LaRochelle, Aunis, France; died on 18 Apr 1729 in Kamouraska, Kamouraska, PQ, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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