Chronicles

The Boudreau's of Restigouche

It is to Lieut. General Michel Boudrot and his wife Michelle Aucoin that a lot of us owe thanks today for being here. Following their marriage in France around 1640, they came to Port Royal, Acadie in 1642 and it is said they had 11 children. The name of Michel parents' and their origin in France is still unknown but his wife Michelle Aucoin probably came from Cougnes diocese of La Rochelle. Their daughter Marguerite having married Francois Bourg and another of their daughter Marie having married Michel Poirier created the beginning of the family of two of my maternal ancestors. My great grandmother on my father's side was Sarah Boudreau, she was here thanks to the marriages of Joseph @ Joseph @ Joseph @ Anselme @ Michel @ Michel our famous Lieut. General, position he held by the way until 1688 when the King ordered him to retire because of his age, he was 87 years old.

When going through the Ste Anne of Ristigouche Church registers between the years 1759 and 1795, we find the marriages and baptisms of many families of Boudreau, among others that of: Jean and Francoise Arseno, Claude and Judith Landry, Anselme and Marie Gaudet, Joseph and Félicité Campagne, Joseph and Anne Hache, Joseph and Elizabeth Bujold, Francois/Amant and Charlotte Bernard, Cyprien and Francoise Melanson. However we cant' say those families were living in Ristigouche, as most of the entries simply state they were "Performed at Baie des Chaleurs" or "Performed at Pisiguit" or again "Performed in Baie Ste Marie". So all it tells us really is that these families were in the Baie des Chaleurs area which is sort of wide. I would like to also point out here that most of those entries were signed by L'Abbe Mathurin Bourg, one of the most renown missionary of that time and a distant cousin of mine, he also had a few ancestors who were from the Boudreau family.

When I go through the Ste Anne de Ristigouche Church registers between 1842 and 1867, I find only one Boudreau family, that of Charles son of Pierre and Constance Land. Charles married on May 15, 1860 to Christine Alain daughter of Charles and Anastasie Arseneau of Rivière à l'Anguille or Eel River.

Joseph and Anne or Marie Jeanne, mentionned above, are the ancestors of practically all the Boudreau families of the Péninsule Acadienne and also one of my ancestors. Joseph was the son of Anselme @ Michel @ Michel our famous Lieut. General.

In the census for Port Royal in 1671, we find this record which is French and if anyone would like to have it translated please let me know and I will but it is written here exactly as it was found..
"Laboureur - MICHEL BOUDROT aagé de soixante et onxe ans, sa femme Michelle Aucoin aagée de cinquante et trois ans. Leurs enfans onxe, trois demariés, Françoise aagée de 29 ans, Jaanne aagée de 26 ans, Margueritte aagée de 20 ans, Les non mariés Charles aagé de 22 ans, Marie aagée de 18 ans, Jehan aagé de 16 ans, Habraham aagé de 14 ans. Michel aagé de 12 ans, Olivier aagé de dix ans, Claude aagé de 8 ans, François aagé de 5 ans, Leurs bestes a cornes vingt et douxe brebis, Leurs terres Labourables huict arpans."

In the 1901 Canada Census for Restigouche County, the following Boudreau families are found:
Jean/Philomene, Francois/Roseanne, Amos/Mary, Joseph/Rubina, Charles/Mary, Joseph/Clara, James/Elizabeth, Joseph/Marie, Francois/Delina, Jerome/Annie, Alex/Elizabeth and Agnes. In the registers for Carleton by Bona Arseneau, we find Boudreaus at La Baie Ste Marie, Maria, Miscou, Bathurst and Perce. These registers cover the period between 1797 - 1900.

In the Church registers of Our Lady of Snows Church, Campbellton, between 1910 and 1930 we find the Boudreau families of:
Alexandre/Elizabeth Methot, James/Ingrid(Inga) Matheson, Peter/Catherine Murray, Edouard/Beatrice May Johnson, Henry/Eva Tardif, Alphonse/Laura Bergeron, Charles/Victoire Roy, Frank/Diane Boudreau, Francis/Elizabeth Comeau, Joseph/Brigitte Boudreau, Francis/Elizabeth Lebel, Alphonse/Blanche Arseneau, Andre/Stella Boudreau, Edward/Philomene Quinn, Jean/Leocadie Landry, Jean/Angelina Aube, Victor/Georgina Guitard, Valmont/Flore Hansen, Arthur/Lucie Bourque, Ulric/Louisa Cyr (another of my ancestors), Joseph/Belerina Melanson, Alcide/Lucile Roy, Isaac/Clara Poirier, Ferdinand/Blanche Cantin, Edouard/Marguerite Furlotte, Firmin/Elizabeth Labelle, Joseph/Clara Coulombe, Ernest/Agnes Allmon, Cleophas/N.Doucet, Mansfield/Hilda Firth, Jean/Marie Lepage, Isaac/Anna Porlier, Wilfred/Ernestine Poirier, Adelard/Alice Blaquiere, Joseph/Helene Adams and Francis/Agnes Buckle.

In the registers for Atholville from 1910 to 1913, we find the following Boudreau families:
Nicholas/Elizabeth Levesque, Joseph/Ellen Adams, Joseph/Brigitte Boudreau, Anthony/Agnes Young and Auguste/Mary Murray.

The registers for marriages of Restigouche County from 1888 to 1919 hold 32 Boudreau weddings in the index for men and 30 on the women's side. Today in the phone book, we find 85 entries in the Campbellton area, 2 in the Belledune/Jacquet River one and 15 in the Kedgwick/St Quentin area.

In an old newspaper clipping of November 1914, we find Edward Levesque who died at his niece Mrs. Clarence Boudreau. By the way he was also noted as being the second French merchant in Campbellton and he had been living here since 1889. He died at the age of 71 years.

In November of 1917, another article states Ernest Boudreau son of Alexandre of Campbellton was made a prisoner of war in Germany and died of wounds at the age of 23. He left behind his brothers and sisters: Joseph, Omer, Alcide, Elizabeth, Yvonne, Opal and Blanche.

That is it for the Boudreaus, next month I will try my hand at the Leblanc family of Restigouche.

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Here is some information on some other Boudreau families which was sent to me by a friend from Moncton
Thanks Pat

Although not from Restigouche County my Boudreau connection is in Carleton and I suppose they would have more than a few descendants in Restigouche County today. My father's mother, Helen Boudreau was the daughter of Ferdinand and the line is:

Ferdinand-Maxime-Charles-Joseph-Joseph-Charles-ABRAHAM-Michel (The Pioneer).

Michel's grandson Charles was married in Port Royal but died at St. Peters in Cape Breton.

Charles' son Joseph was born in 1717 at Port Royal but was married on PEI in 1743.

Joseph's son Joseph was born at Malpeque, PEI in 1744, married in Tracadie, NB in 1772, and died at Carleton in 1806.

The next in line, Charles, was born at Carleton, married at Tracadie and died at Carleton. The rest of the line stayed in the Carleton area down to my grandmother Helen.

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