When I first read the prompt for week 8 I was at a bit of a loss as to what I would write about, then I remembered the story mum had told me about meeting and dating my dad.
Mum and dad met in the autumn of 1939 when mum was 16 years old. Dad was a little older, just about to turn 20. They met at the Kingston fair and I guess she must have made an impression on him. A few days later they met again, this time she was walking home to Stanley Street after picking apples in Barriefield. Dad was driving truck at the time, hauling stone to Fort Henry and he stopped and offered her a ride home. She accepted as she thought he was a kind man. They started dating and by December that year they had become engaged. Mum turned 17 in January and they married that June.
In 1996, just after my daughter was born I decided to interview my mother about her life and growing up. As I was living in Australia and she was in Canada, I decided to write out some questions for her to answer and then have her send the papers back to me. Here are the replies in her own words to the questions I asked about meeting dad.
How did you and dad meet?
“I met Dad at the Kingston Fair. He was trucking then, and as I left my job picking apples in Barriefield, Dad stopped his truck to give me a ride home and we started dating then, that was September and we got engaged at Xmas. We were married the following June. I was 17 and Dad was 20.”
What attracted you to dad?
“I guess it was just his kindness and his respect for me, plus we were not alike in a lot of ways. So I guess opposites do attract.”
Tell me about your wedding day.
“My mother gave us our reception at home. We first went to the manse with our best man and bridesmaid and were married there. Our closest relatives and immediate families were all that were there.”
The prompt for 52 Ancestors this week is Landing. I haven’t been able to do much research this past week, so I thought would share a couple of photographs of Maison Saint-Gabriel, now a Cultural Heritage site.
In week one I posted about my 8th great-grandmother Françoise Curè and mentioned Maison Saint-Gabriel as the place where she received lodging while she waited to marry.
The first photo was taken in 1895 and the second was taken on Museums day 2012. I hope to one day visit in person.
Wm. Notman & Son, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The prompt for 52 Ancestors this week is maps. Maps can be a very useful tool for a family historian. As many of my ancestors settled in the Québec City area, I find the Cadastral map of Québec City Region 1709, very interesting.
I know that my 9th great-grandfather Noël Langlois received a land grant in the Beauport area. It would have been earlier than 1709 but there are a couple Langlois plots on map so I will have to do a bit more research when I have more time.
Here is an image of the map. Click here for a more detailed view on the website.
This week the prompt for 52 ancestors is Branching Out.
One of the units I studied as part of my Diploma in Family History through the University of Tasmania was Convict Ancestry. At first, I thought I would just pick one of my husband’s five convict ancestors to research and write about, but then I made an interesting discovery.
As I started researching, I read about the numerous Rebels from the Lower Canada rebellions who were transported to Australia and I noticed a few family names in the mix. The name Étienne Langlois jumped out at me and I wondered if there was any connection to my 9th great-grandparents Noël Langlois and Franςoise Grenier. Sure enough, Étienne Langlois was indeed descended from this ancestor couple. Noël and Francoise were Etienne’s 3rd great-grandparents, so he was my 4C6R (4th cousin 6 times removed).
So, for this week’s prompt I am branching out and sharing my research on a VERY distant cousin.
Government Gaol Gang: Views in New South Wales and Van Diemens Land: Australian Scrap Book, 1830, State Library of New South Wales
Étienne Langlois
Étienne Langlois was transported to New South Wales on the ship the Buffalo which departed Montreal on September 28, 1839.[1] According to the ship’s muster. Étienne’s station (occupation) was listed as joiner (carpenter).[2] On the Convict Indent document Étienne was listed as a 26-year-old unmarried French Catholic, (although the discovery of his baptism record confirms his age to be older). On the Convict Indent his occupation is listed as farmer. His crime was treason, his sentence was life.[3]
Étienne was born on September 22, 1810 in La Presentation (Ste Hyacinthe), Lower Canada to parents Charles Langlois and Marie-Angelique Lavoie.[4] Etienne, a fifth generation French Canadian was a descendant of pioneer couple Noël Langlois and Françoise Grenier.[5]
By 1837, unrest in Lower Canada had reached its climax with the Lower Canada Rebellions or Patriots’ War. First colonised in the 1500s by the French, it had been home to generations of French speaking inhabitants until France ceded most of its North American lands to the British in 1763, when it signed the Paris Treaty. The Lower Canada Rebellions were a culmination of social, political, and economic factors that spanned generations of French Canadians living in Lower Canada. By 1837 the hopes of French Canadians for Constitutional reform had been lost and rebellion broke out.
Étienne’s story begins on the night of November 27, 1837 with the murder of Joseph Armand dit Chartrand, a volunteer in Her Majesty’s Service. Étienne and 14 other men were subsequently arrested, and the trial took place in Montreal in September 1838.[6] During the trial Etienne testified that he was on his horse on his way home when a group of men forced him to join them. The men, 14 in total were armed with muskets, Étienne was not.[7] Following the presentation of the evidence, the verdict of not guilty was returned by the jury and the prisoners were released.[8]
Following his release Étienne went to Napierville, presumably to join the rebellion. This second uprising consisted of two main conflicts between Nov 4th and Nov 12th. The rebellion, was quickly quashed by the British, and the rebels were arrested.[9]
A series of court martials began in Montreal on November 28, 1838.[10] By April 17, 1839, a total of 104 rebels had been tried, twelve had been hanged, nine were acquitted, and the remaining including Étienne were sentenced to death.[11] Étienne’s trial took place between March 12 and March 19, 1839.[12]
The government soon realised that public sentiment was in favour of the rebels. Of the 92 men who were sentenced to death, 25 were released on bond for good conduct and the remaining 58 Including Étienne were sentenced to transportation.[13] Newspapers of the time declared the sentence barbaric and an act of tyranny.[14]
On September 27, 1839 the Buffalo set sail from Montreal. In a diary kept by Francois Xavier Prieur, one of the patriots, he tells of extreme seasickness suffered by the prisoners, the suffocating smell and the terrible weather encountered during the first part of the journey.[15]
The rations consisted of gruel (slightly sweet oatmeal) for breakfast, then for dinner, salted beef, duff (pudding made of flour and lard), and ship’s biscuit or pea soup, or salt pork and ship’s biscuit. For supper on alternate days, they would receive cocoa or tea with the remains of the biscuit rations.[16]
During a stop in Rio de Janeiro the French Canadians requested that money that had been confiscated from them be used to purchase sugar and fresh fruit. The purchases were made and this along with other fresh stores greatly improved their diet.[17]
On Feb 12 the Buffalo arrived in Hobart Town.[18] Then on February 13 all the prisoners except the 58 French Canadians were removed from the ship. The Buffalo remained in Hobart until February 19th, eventually arriving in Sydney on February 25th.[19]
Étienne and the French-Canadian “rebels were imprisoned at Longbottom Stockade in Sydney, spending time breaking rocks and collecting oyster shells for making lime.”[20]
On 05 Feb 1842 Étienne received his Ticket of Leave, with the condition being that he remain in the service of Mr AG Dumas of New Town.[21] Mr Dumas was employed as a clerk in the office of The Principal Superintendent of Convicts.[22] No documents pertaining to Étienne’s time in service have been found. As nothing has been found to the contrary, it is likely that Étienne did not break the conditions of his Ticket of Leave.
According to Pardon documents, Étienne was issued a full pardon on January 28, 1844.[23] The documents were not received by Governor Gipps until June 11, 1844. Although there is no information documenting what happened after Étienne received his pardon, it is likely that he and the others began their preparations to leave the colony.[24]
In documents previously cited, Étienne is listed as both farmer and joiner. By his own evidence in his first trial, he gives his occupation as carpenter.[25] Although no proof can be found, it is likely that he was able to put his skills to use and earn money for his passage home.
According to information found in the book French Canadian Rebels as Australian Convicts, Étienne departed Sydney on a whaling ship in December 1844 and arrived in Canada in May 1845.[26]
Étienne married Emilie Serre dit St Jean on 11 Feb 1850 in Napierville.[27] The couple went on to have six children, of which five survived into adulthood.[28]
Although the exact date of Étienne’s death is unknown it can be determined that he died before August 17, 1878 as he is listed as deceased on the marriage entry for his daughter Maria Georgina.[29]
[2] Etienne Langlois, Buffalo, 1840, Muster Roll, New South Wales State Archives, Series CGS 1155, Reels 2417-2428, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849, Ancestry.com, accessed 15 June 2021.
[3] Etienne Langlois, Buffalo, 1840, Annotated printed indent, New South Wales State Archives, NRS 12189, pp. 50–51, New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788–1842, Ancestry.com, accessed 15 June 2021.
[4] Baptism of Etienne Langlois, baptised 22 September 1810, La Presentation St Hyacinthe, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 2788391, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/, accessed 06 Jun 2021.
[6] Robert Christie, A History of the late Province of Lower Canada, Parliamentary and Political from the Commencement to the Close of Its Existence as a Separate Province, vol. 5, Richard Worthington, Publisher, and Bookseller, 1866, p. 206, Google Books.
[7] Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons ‘Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons, Copies of Extracts of Correspondence Relative to the affairs of British North America’, vol.32, 11 Feb 1839, p. 174, Google Books.
[8] Christie, A History of the late Province of Lower Canada, Parliamentary and Political from the Commencement to the Close of Its Existence as a Separate Province, p. 207, Google Books.
[10] J. Douglas Bothwick, ‘History of the Montreal prison from A.D. 1784 to A.D. 1886’, Periard, Montreal, 1866, https://archive.org/, pp. 47-57, Google Books.
[11] Bothwick, ‘History of the Montreal prison from A.D. 1784 to A.D. 1886’, p. 46.
[12] Bothwick, ‘History of the Montreal prison from A.D. 1784 to A.D. 1886’, pp. 55-56.
[13]Bothwick, ‘History of the Montreal prison from A.D. 1784 to A.D. 1886’, p. 46.
[16]B.M. Petrie (ed), M.L. Maurel (trans), F.M. Lapailleur, ‘Diary of François-Maurice Lepailleur’, Diary entries 6,7 October,1839, 16 February 1840, 2007, cited in Brian M. Petrie, ‘French Canadian Rebels as Australian Convicts’, Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty.Ltd., Melbourne, 2013, p. 53.
[17]L.Ducharme, G. Mackaness (trans) ‘Journal of a Political Exile in Australia’,1944, pp. 24-26; H Lanctôt, B.M. Petrie (ed), M.L. Maurel (trans), ‘The Journal of Hypolite Lanctôt (Written as Letters to his Children and Grandchildren)’, 2007, p. 33, H Lanctôt, J. Hare and R. Landry (eds), Hypolite Lanctôt. ‘Souvenirs d’un Patriote Exilé en Australie 1838-1845,’ 1999, pp.17-138, cited in Brian M. Petrie, ‘French Canadian Rebels as Australian Convicts’, p. 59.
[18] Captain’s Log, ‘A Log of the Proceedings of Her Majesty’s Ship Buffalo, Mr James Wood Master in Command,’ February 12-19, 1840, cited in Brian M. Petrie, ‘French Canadian Rebels as Australian Convicts’, p. 62.
[19] Captain’s Log, 12-19 February 1840; Lepailleur, ‘Diary of Fancois-Maurice Lepailleur’ cited in Brian M. Petrie, ‘French Canadian Rebels as Australian Convicts’, p.62.
[20] The Canadian Encyclopedia, ‘Timeline Rebellions of 1837’
[21]Etienne Langlois, Buffalo, 1840, Ticket of Leave Butts, New South Wales State Archives, Series NRS 12202, Item 4/4159, New South Wales, Australia Tickets of Leave 1810-1869, Ancestry.com, accessed 15 June 2021.
[22] Great Britain, Colonial Office, ‘Convict Discipline and Transportation: Correspondence on the Subject of Convict Discipline and Transportation’, Clowes and Sons, London, 1848, p 165, Google Books.
[23] Etienne Langlois, Buffalo, 1840, Pardon, New South Wales State Archives, HO 10/53, New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia, Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1839, Ancestry.com, accessed 15 June 2021.
[24] Lord Stanley to Governor Sir George Gipps, correspondence, 28 Jan 1844, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Despatches to The Governor of New South Wales, January – April 1844, A1294, pp. 81-82, Reel CY1829 (ML); Lepailleur, 2007, 12, 19-20 June 1844, cited in Brian M. Petrie, ‘French Canadian Rebels as Australian Convicts’
[25] Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons ‘Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons, Copies of Extracts of Correspondence Relative to the affairs of British North America’, p. 174, Google Books.
[26] G Aubin (ed), ‘Francois-Maurice Lepailleur. Journal d’un Patriote Exilé en Australie 1838-1845’, Sillery, Canada les éditions de Septentrion, 1996, pp. 381, 383; B.D Boissery, The Patriot Convicts: A Study of the 1838 Rebellion in Lower Canada and the Transportation of Some Participants to New South Wales, PhD dissertation, Australian national University, 1977, cited in Brian M. Petrie, ‘French Canadian Rebels as Australian Convicts’
[27] Marriage of Etienne Langlois and Emilie Serre, married 11 February 1850 February, St Édouard-de-Napierville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 4779835, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/, accessed 06 Jun 2021.
[28] Langlois, ‘Étienne Langlois, patriote’, p. 10.
[29] Marriage of Francois Xavier Dugas and Marie Georgianna Langlois, married 17 August 1878, Ste Cunégonde, Montréal, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 4779818, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/, accessed 06 Jun 2021.
Curiosity is defined as having a strong desire to know or learn something. Today my curiosity leads me to wonder – Who was Margaret Robinson?
Margaret Robinson
The only information about Margaret Robinson prior to her death comes from the details held in the Canadian Census documents.
The first mention of Margaret Robinson was on the 1861 Canadian Census. She was living in Kingston with the family of my second great-grandparents, Joseph Jamieson and Mary Ann Robinson. Mary Ann’s age was recorded as 26 and Margaret’s was recorded as 27.[1] Given the reported ages of the two woman one might conclude that Margaret was the unmarried sister of Mary Ann.
On the 1871 Canadian Census Margaret was still living in Kingston with Joseph and Mary Ann. Mary Ann was recorded as being aged 38 and Margaret was recorded as being 40.[2]
In 1881 Margaret was once again found on the census living with Mary Ann and Joseph but Mary Ann’s age was 45 and Margaret’s age was recorded as 55.[3]
Margaret died in Kingston on 21 May 1889. The information on her death certificate names Joseph as the informant and her age is reported as being 72.[4]
On 21 May 1889 Margaret’s death notice appeared in The Kingston Whig Standard. It gave her age as 72 and mentioned that she was originally from County Tyrone. Unfortunately, there was no clue to her relationship to the Jamieson family.[5]
Clipping from The Kingston Whig-Standard – Newspapers.com The Kingston Whig-Standard (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) · 21 May 1889, Page 1, Downloaded on Jan 10, 2022
On 23 May 1889 a death notice appeared in the Weekly British Whig with even less information.[6]
Clipping from The Weekly British Whig – Newspapers.com The Weekly British Whig (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) · 23 May 1889, Page 1, Downloaded on Jan 10, 2022
I know that Joseph and Mary Ann were both living in Montreal at the time of their marriage in 1850, but there is little detail on the marriage document, and no mention of the parents of either is made.[7]
Did Margaret and Mary Ann leave Ireland on their own or were there other family members who went with them to Canada? As there are few immigration records available for this time, this information remains unknown.
Based on the ages recorded on the various documents, Margaret could be 1-18 years older than Mary Ann, making either relationship possible.
So, the question remains. Who was Margaret Robinson? Was she my third great-grandmother or sister to Mary Ann?
[7] Marriage of Joseph Jamieson and Mary Ann Robinson, 19 August 1850, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Druin Collection), 1621-1968, Ancestry.com.
The theme of 52 Ancestors this week is Favourite Photo. I have a lot of old photos that I’ve collected over the years, but one of my favourites is this photo of my parents Helen Jamieson and Carl Rines.
Photograph of Helen and Carl Rines, Circa 1944, original held by Tracey Orchard, Brisbane.
I don’t have a lot of information about the photo, but I believe it was taken at McBurney Park around 1944. The trees in the background are bare and there are no leaves on the ground so I’m guessing the photo was taken in very early spring. I believe dad left for England in the spring of 1944 so it would have been taken just before he left.
McBurney Park is also known as Skeleton Park as the site was once a cemetery. It was originally started as the Upper Burial ground in 1819 and was the main cemetery in Kingston until 1850 when Cataraqui Cemetery was built.
By the 1880s the residential area of Kingston had expanded, and officials decided to build a park on the site of the cemetery. Some exhumations were done but due to fear of contamination from the bodies, an unwillingness to disturb the graves, and lack of the ability to reinter the bodies, city officials decided to leave it as a mass grave and build the park over top.
The prompt for 52 Ancestors this week is Favourite Find. Over the years I have made several interesting discoveries, but this clipping that I found recently, is one of my favourites.
As a Canadian Australian living in Australia, researching my Canadian ancestors can sometimes be a challenge, especially the Anglo lines. Recently my hometown newspaper was added to the digital collections found at Newspapers.com. I spent several hours this past weekend scouring the historical issues for articles about my ancestors. I came across this wedding announcment for my parents.
Clipping from The Kingston Whig-Standard – Newspapers.com The Kingston Whig-Standard (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) · 8 Jul 1940, Mon · Page 6 Downloaded on Jan 10, 2022
I recently discovered the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge hosted by Amy Johnson Crow of Generations Connection. Each week of the year a writing prompt is provided to inspire family historians to write and share stories about their ancestors. How you interpret the prompt is up to you. The prompt this week is foundations.
The foundations of my maternal family are deeply rooted in early Canada. I can trace my maternal grandmother’s ancestors back to the mid 1600s with the arrival of the Filles à Marier (Marriageable Woman) and the Filles du Roi (King’s Daughters). These remarkable women, the founding mothers of Québec, gave birth to a nation. Françoise Curè, my eighth great-grandmother was one of these amazing women.
Françoise Curè
Françoise was born in Grévillers, Picardie, France around 1643. Her parents were Pierre Curè and Barbe Charles.[1]
Following the death of her parents Françoise immigrated to New France as part of the Fille du Roi program under the sponsorship of King Louis XIV. She departed from La Rochelle on the ship The St Jean-Baptiste on May 15, 1669 and arrived in Québec on June 30, 1669.[2]
Upon arrival in Montreal, Françoise was housed at Maison Saint Gabriel where she received room and board under the watchful eye of Sister Marguerite Bourgeoys.[3] She remained there until her marriage to Lucas Loiseau on Dec 19, 1669.[4] Upon her marriage Françoise received a dowry of 250 livres including 50 livres from the King.[5] She would also have received a dowry chest filled with practical items such as cooking implements, thread, needles, and other useful items.
Following their marriage Françoise and Lucas settled in Boucherville.[6] The couple had five children but sadly only three survived to adulthood. Their children were:
Marie Madeline Born 25 April 1671 – Died 1 June 1722[7]
Joachim (my ancestor) Born 28 February 1673 – Died 12 September 1734[8]
Jeanne Born 30 January 1675 – Died 5 November 1687[9]
Roger Born 30 April 1677 – Died 4 January 1688[10]
Francoise and Lucas remained in Boucherville until their deaths. Lucas died on March 4, 1704.[12] Francoise died on January 19, 1709.[13]
Footnotes
[1]Record for Francoise Cure, unpaginated, PRDH Individual record (Le Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique), Num 40108 https://www.prdh-igd.com/.
[4] Record for Francoise Cure, unpaginated, PRDH Individual record (Le Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique), Num 40108; https://www.prdh-igd.com.
[6] Peter J Gagne, King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1673, Vol. 1, Quintin Publications, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA, 2004, p. 166.
[7] Baptism of Marie Madeline Loiseau, baptised 26 April 1671, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 1977, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/; Record for Marie Madeline Loiseau, buried 01 June 1722, unpaginated, PRDH Burial record (Le Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique), Num 4559, https://www.prdh-igd.com/.
[8] Baptism of Joachime Loiseau, baptised 01 March 1673, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 2015; Burial of Joachim Loiseau, buried 12 September 1734, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 105443, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/.
[9] Baptism of Jeanne Loiseau, baptised 30 Jan 1675, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 2057; Burial of Jeanne Loiseau, buried 06 November 1687, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 4215, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/.
[10] Baptism of Roger Loiseau baptised 30 April 1677, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 2095; Burial of Roger Loiseau, buried 04 January 1688, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 4144, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/.
[11] Baptism of Marie Loiseau, baptised 07 June 1680, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 2015, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/; Record for Marie Madeline Loiseau, buried 18 May 1726, unpaginated PRDH Burial record (Le Programme de Recherche en Démographie Historique), Num 21323, https://www.prdh-igd.com/.
[12] Burial of Lucas Loiseau, buried 15 March 1704, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 4318, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/.
[13] Burial of Francoise Cure, buried 20 january 1709, Boucherville, unpaginated, LAFRANCE Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, Québec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), Num. 4367, https://www.genealogiequebec.com/.
Branches of my tree 