Theodose Forest (Orphan of the French and Indian Wars)

Theodose Forest, my 5th g-Grandmother, was born around 1748 in Pisiquit Acadia to Jean Baptist Forest and Marie Madeleine LeBlanc. Theodose was to spend her early years with her family living in Pisiquit and then Isle Madame Acadia.

In 1755, the British in anticipation of war with France, began a systematic removal of all Acadians from Acadia. The Forest Family was to survive through 1758 at Isle Madame under the protection of the French Army at Fort Louisbourg.

Sometime before the fall of Fort Louisbourg to the British in 1758, Theodose was sent to live in Quebec under the protection of her Grand-Uncle. Theodose's parents and three siblings were captured and deported to St Malo France. Theodose's father was to die either prior to the deportation or during the voyage to France. Her mother and two of her siblings were to survive the voyage in poor health and die within two and a half months after their arrival in France. Only one brother of Theodose was to survive the voyage to France and he was to die trying to return to the New World in 1785.

Theodose, at the age of thirteen, was to marry a Pierre Rollin on June 15 1761 at Saint Anne de Bellevue, Montreal Quebec and was given away by her Grand Uncle. The marriage was to produce six children, but her "Forest" line was to be no more.

For furthur reading see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_Madame,_Nova_Scotia

For Family Genealogy See:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=m-leblanc&id=I4928

Benjamin Nye (Early Settler of Sandwich Massachusetts)

Benjamin Nye, my 8th g-Grandfather, was born on May 4th 1620 in Biddonden Kent England to Thomas Nye and Agnes Rye. His life was to be greatly affected by Thomas Tupper (subject of last weeks blog)

Benjamin arrived in the "New World" at the age of fifteen aboard the ship "Abigail" (the same ship that Thomas Tupper arrived on 4 years earlier)In all probability Benjamin was to serve as an apprentice to Thomas Tupper in Lynn Massachusetts. Benjamin followed Mr Tupper in 1637 to establish the Town of Sandwich Massachusetts.

On October 19 1640, the twenty year old Benjamin took for his bride the 17 year old Katherine Tupper (the daughter of Thomas Tupper). This marriage was to produce six sons and two daughters all born in Sandwich Massachusetts.

Benjamin was to build and operate a mill in Sandwich. He built his home around 1681 and the home is still standing and is operated today as a museum by the "Nye Family of America Association"

For pictures and the meuseum see (Click on the website side bar):
http://www.nyefamily.org/nye_homestead.htm

For Family Genealogy See:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=m-leblanc&id=I194

Johann Flatz and Mary Anna Gasser (My 3rd Great Grandparents from Austria)

Johann Flatz was born July 3rd 1823 in Schwarzach Austria to Johann Flatz and Agatha Duer. Mary Anna Gasser was born February 14 1820 in Wolfurt Austria to Johann Gasser and Magdelena Flatz. On August 18 1845, Johann Flatz and Mary Anna Gasser united in marriage.

Johann and Mary lived in Wolfurt Austria for the first five years of their married life, he working as a glazier and she giving birth to two daughters and a son; sadly the son was to die before he lived more then three months. In March 1850, in anticipation of emigrating to the United States, the couple sold their home in Wolfurt. Soon after the sale of their Wolfurt home, Mary found herself pregnant with a third daughter and their emigration was delayed another year.

In late 1851, Johann and Mary and their three daughters departed LeHavre France on the ship "Viola" and arrived in New York City on December 29 1851. The family would temporarily settle in Milwaukee Wisconsin and then move permanently to Mount Calvary Wisconsin, where they would have four more children.

Johann would die on February 28 1870 in Mount Calvary and Mary was to work as a midwife in order to raise her children on a 15 acre farm in Mount Calvary. Mary was to live in Mount Calvary until her death on November 25 1891.

For Family Genealogy See:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=m-leblanc&id=I555

Thomas Tupper (A Founder of Sandwich Massachusetts)

Thomas Tupper, my 9th g-Grandfather, was born on January 28 1578 in Bury, Sussex, England. Thomas was to become a leatherworker and shoemaker as an apprentice in London England during the years 1592-1599. Beginning in 1621 Thomas was to sail between England and the "New World" numerous times learning the additional trade as a carpenter. Thomas settled permanently in Massachusetts in 1631, arriving on the ship "Abigail".

In 1637 Thomas and nine others were granted permission, by Plymouth Colony, to establish the first settlement on Cape Cod which was to become the town of Sandwich Massachusetts. The Tupper family home was built in 1637 and was to stand until it was destroyed by fire in 1921 (See Picture) Thomas's eldest daughter Katherine, my ancestor, was to marry a Benjamin Nye on October 19, 1640 at the Tupper family home.

Thomas Tupper died at the age of Ninty Eight in Sandwich Massachusetts in March of 1676.

For Family Genealogy See:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=m-leblanc&id=I207

For more information and pictures on the Tupper Family See:
http://www.tupperfamily.org/page3.html

Francoise Gaudet (Mother of all "Acadian LeBlanc's")

Francoise Gaudet, my 8th and 9th g-Grandmother, was born about 1623 in France to Jean Gaudet and an unnamed mother. She was to marry in France about 1644-1645 an unknown "Mercier" and had one daughter named Mary, born about 1646 in France, through this marriage. Francoise, her father, two siblings, and her daughter were to immigrate to the New World settling in Port Royal Acadia in the 1640's.

Around 1650 in Port Royal Acadia, Francoise was to marry for a second time to a Daniel LeBlanc and this union was to become the origin of all the Acadian LeBlanc's in the New World. Francoise and Daniel were to have Six sons and one daughter, and five of the sons were to have children to carry on the Acadian "LeBlanc" name. While there are a few "LeBlanc" surnames of Quebec origin in the New World, the majority of the New World "LeBlanc's" decend from the Acadian couple of Daniel and Francoise.

Francoise was to become a widow for the second time between 1695 and 1698 and she was to follow her husband in death in Port Royal between 1698 and 1700

For Family Genealogy See:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=m-leblanc&id=I1999

For more on Port Royal See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Royal,_Nova_Scotia

Patrick Hartnett and Catherine Powers (Irish Immigrants)

My second g-Grandparents, Patrick Hartnett and Catherine Powers, came from County Cork Ireland. It is unknown if the knew each other prior to their uniting in wedlock on November 9 1871 at Fort Dodge Iowa.

Patrick Hartnett was born on the 22nd or 23rd of December 1837 in County Cork Ireland. Patrick immigrated to the United States, at the age of eighteen, in 1854 and the period from 1854 till his marriage in Fort Dodge remains a mystery.

Catherine Powers was born in May 1850 in County Cork Ireland to Patrick Powers and Nancy Kiley. Katherine came to the United States with her parents at the age of one, first residing in New Jersey and then Fond du Lac Wisconsin, before arriving in Iowa in 1861.

Patrick Hartnett and Catherine Powers were to spend their married life farming near Fort Dodge Iowa. Their marriage was to produce eleven children, six boys and 5 girls.

Catherine was to die on Oct 20 1906 in Fort Dodge Iowa and Patrick was to follow her in death, dying on September 20 1923 in Debuque Iowa. Both Katherine and Patrick are buried at Corpus Christi Cemetery in Fort Dodge.

For family Genealogy see:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=m-leblanc&id=I78

My Graton Family Origins in "The New World"

In 1670 my 8th G-Grandparents, Claude Jacques Graton and his wife Marguerite Moncion along with their five children arrived in "The New World" from France. The family was to settle on land in Beauport Quebec.

Based on the absence of any records after 1671 of Claude Jacques in Quebec, it is presumed that he returned to France during the Fall of 1671 or the Spring of 1672. Also lending credence to his departure is his absence in Beauport at the birth of his son, Joseph, on July 5 1672 and his absence at his eldest daughter Helene's wedding on February 13 1673. Claude Jacques was never heard from again and was declared "deceased" in Beauport on August 3 1683.

Marguerite Moncion was to die on June 9 1674, leaving her 5 minor orphaned children to the care of Claude Jacques sister, Maturine Graton (subject of an earlier post) and her husband.

The two eldest sons of Claude Jacques, Jacques and Mathurin, after numerous problems with the law returned to France about 1675 or 1676. The third son, Pierre, returned to France in 1689 and was last heard from while serving in Belgium with the French Kings Army in 1694.

It is the two daughters and youngest son of Claude Jacques that are to remain in "The New World". It is the son, Joseph, from whom the Graton line is established and continued in "The New World".

For Family Genealogy of this family see:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=m-leblanc&id=I3887