Isaac Bedard (Born a Protestant and died a Catholic)

Huguenot Cross

  Isaac Bedard, my 9th G-Grandfather, was born about 1616 in LaRochelle France. Isaac was the son of Jacques Bedard and Marie Guerineau, French Protestants also known as "Huguenot's". 

  Isaac's grew up in LaRochelle in troubled times between the Huguenots and Catholics, culminating in the blockade of his city and the eventual confication of his Protestant Church by the winning forces of The Catholic Church. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockade_of_La_Rochelle 

  Isaac married a Marie Girard, a fellow Huguenot, on 20 March 1644 in LaRochelle. Between 1644 and 1658 the couple would have six sons and one daughter born in LaRochelle and all would be baptized in  the Huguenot faith. Sadly only two sons, of the six children, would live past the age of two.

  On 20 April 1660, in LaRochelle, Isaac and his family renounced the Huguenot Faith and were baptized in the Catholic Faith. It is speculated that the family renounced their Huguenot faith in order to emmigrate to New France where being a Catholic was requirement for residency. 

                                        Isaac Bedard "The Carpenter"

  Isaac and his eldest son sailed to New France by 1661 and set up residency in Quebec City. Isaac's wife and younger son would join him in Quebec by 1663 and  a daughter would be born there in 1664. By 1866. the family would further move to the village of Saint-Jerome in the Charlesbourg area where they would permanently settle. 

  Isaac's occupation was a "Master Carpenter". In New France, he would take on carpentry jobs, while primarily working on his farm.  Isaac died in Charlesbourg on 14 Jan 1689 and was buried there on 15 Jan 1689. (See Burial Record:)

                 Burial Record