The English, Witches and Captivity

One of our ninth great grandfathers was Rowland Stebbins born November 5, 1592 in Essex, England. (That's right, England.) He married Sarah Whiting in 1618, and they left England out of the port of Ipswich on April 30, 1634 on the “Francis of Ipswich” with their children, Thomas, age 14, Sarah, age 11, Elizabeth, age 6 and John, age 8. They were part of the Puritan emigration. The Rowland Stebbins family initially settled in Roxbury but later moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. Sarah died in 1649 and Rowland in 1671.

Son John Stebbins (1626-1679) is our 8th great grandfather. He owned saw mills in Springfield was a measurer of land in 1659-71. He served on a  committee to lay out highways in 1660, served as a juror in 1661 and was a selectman 1675-78.  He owned a covenant in the church, and served on the church building committee. He was chosen bailiff in 1664 responsible for clearing cattle and swine from public meadows. He also contributed ten bushels of wheat to the Harvard College fund 1672-73. He was married twice and had 13 children. He and his first wife Ann Munson were actively involved in the witchcraft accusation against Hugh and Mary Parsons of Springfield. John Stebbins was also keeper of a sawmill, and it is believed that he was killed by some "runaway logs" in 1679. Some in the community suspected his death was the result of witchcraft.

One of the 13 children was his first son named John born 1646. John Stebbins II married Dorothy Alexander in Boston in 1683. (They are our seventh great grandparents). They lived in Deerfield, Massachusetts and had six children: Abigail, John III, Samuel, Thankful, Ebenezer and Joseph.

In the winter of 1704, a group of about 300 French soldiers and Native Americans from various tribes attacked the English settlement at Deerfield. About 50 people were killed and approximately 112 were taken captive and forced to march to Quebec, about 300 miles away. The Stebbins family home was burned and all were taken captive. Abigail was 17 and recently married to a Frenchman, which most likely caused the Stebbins family to be treated with some kindness. Thankful's parents and youngest brother, John, were redeemed and returned to the colonies two years later. Thankful and her four siblings chose to remain in Canada.

On April 23, 1707, 15 year old Thankful was baptized into the Roman Catholic church, and from then on became known as "Thérèse Stebenne". She married 4 years later to Adrien Charles Legrain dit Lavallée at Boucherville. She was well liked and respected by the community of Chambly, where she and her husband lived and had 11 children. One week after the birth of her last child, on the 11 July 1729, young Thankful died. She was not buried in the parish church cemetery of St-Joseph-de-Chambly, but rather at Saint Louis, at The Fort Pontchartrain (Fort Chambly).

I recently had an opportunity to go to Deerfield, Massachusetts and pay respects at the Old Burying Ground where John Stebbins and Dorothy Alexander lie in unmarked graves. We also visited the "new" Deerfield rebuilt after the raid. I never guessed that I had Puritan ancestors.

"Aye, call it holy ground,

The spot where first they trod!

They have left unstained what here they found

Freedom to worship God."

Old Burying Ground at Deerfield, Massachusetts

Ancestors:

Rowland Stebbins and Sarah Whiting

John Stebbins and Ann Munson

John Stebbins and Dorothy Alexander

Thankful (Therese) Stebbins and Adrien Charles Legrain-Valee

Charlotte Legrain-Valee and Jean Baptiste Jean-Viens

Margaret Viens and Abraham Desroches

Joseph Desroches and Elise Bessette

Azilda Desroches and Arthur Noel Morin

The Desroches - France to Montreal

Our first Desroches ancestor from France was Jean Desroches, who arrived in Montreal in 1647. He married Francoise Gode/Gaudet that same year. (The Gode family had arrived in 1641 and are often referred to as the "First Family of Montreal".) They had 13 children. Here is the Desroches line beginning with our 8th great grandfather:

Jean Desroches (1621-1684)

Nicolas Desroches (1652-1737)

Jean-Baptiste Desroches (1699-1774)

Pierre Gabriel Desroches (173-1793)

Joseph Desroches (1782-1865)

Abraham Desroches (1806-1853)

Joseph Desroches (1837-1912)
Azilda Desroches (1859-1936) married Arthur Noel Morin

Jean Desroches may have been part of the early militia in Montreal at Point-aux-Trembles to protect the early settlers from the Iroquois. He had property in a prominent part of the city in 1655, which was mostly likely a land grant.

Montreal Property for Jean Desroches in 1655

Joseph Desroches and Elise Bessette, our great great grandparents were married in 1857 in Marieville, Quebec, Canada when they were both 20 years old. Their first child was born nine months later and died that same day. Next, our great grandmother, Azilda Desroches, was born in 1859 followed by seven more children. Elise gave birth to a daughter, Marie Victoria, in 1865, who died in 1869 at age 3. Two months after her death, April, 1869,  Elise gave birth to another daughter they also named Marie Victoria. (This renaming was a common practice.) This second Victoria died at age six in 1874 just two months before Elise's death. Another child, Joseph Israel, died in 1870 at four  months of age. The statistics of infant mortality here are heartbreaking. There is no information regarding the cause of Elise' death. 

Elise' early death surprised me. I had been looking for information about her and Joseph for many years. On the record I found, she was listed as Elizabeth instead of Elise. The record was very hard to read and there are a surprising number of  people named Joseph Desroches. The signature of Joseph's uncle Jean Chrysostome Guillet validated it for me. His signature is on many of the family records.

1874 Death Record for Elise Bessette

 Elise died at the age of 37 leaving Joseph with at least four young children including great grandmother Azilda, age 15, Joseph, 12, Alphonsine, 11, Elodie, age 6, and Felix, age 2. Joseph made his living as a "journalier" or day laborer. He could not read or write. Three years later, in 1877, Joseph married Julie Choquette. This record was also not obvious. The index to the record showed a 1877 marriage of Joseph Desroches to Sophie Choquette with Joseph's former spouse named Elizabeth Bonster not Elise Bessette. The priest's handwriting was very hard to read, but this was the correct record and Jean's signature confirmed the translation. Handwriting in the 1800's often had an interesting flourish. Here's an example of Bessette where the first "s" is written like an "f".

Pierre Bessette and Rosalie Bedard -  Exerpt of 1827 Marriage

1880 US census records indicate that Joseph and Julie are living in Brooklyn, Connecticut with Alphonsine and Felix. [Felix is actually a nickname of Jean-Baptiste. I was also confused when I found this census record and thought Elise' name was recorded incorrectly. Finding her death date helped the pieces come together.] Joseph is working as a day laborer. Joseph's sister Celina is widowed and living nearby with four children, all working as mill hands.

In 1885, Joseph, Julie and Felix are living in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Daughter Azilda and family have moved nearby to Pawtucket, Rhode Island. We lose track of Felix here and I have yet to find young Joseph or Elodie. [In 1936, the only surviving sibling of Azilda is her sister Alphonsine Guillet.]

In 1901, Joseph and Julie are back in Iberville, Quebec. By 1911, Joseph is again widowed and living with his sister Judith and their niece, Osias Boulais, the daughter of Louise Desroches. The following September, Joseph dies at age 75.

Finding the records for Joseph and Elise helped me put together (at least in my mind) Azilda's life. She and Arthur most likely knew each other in Marieville, Quebec. They were married in 1878 in Danville, Connecticut when Azilda was 19. I now understand that she had many cousins, aunts, a sister and her father nearby as she started her life in America.

Cotton Mills and our French Canadian Ancestors

On a recent trip to the east coast, I visited Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the home of great grandparents Arthur Noel Morin and Azilda Desroches Morin. I was joined by cousin Cassie in a visit to American-French Genealogy Society library We also toured the Museum of Work and Culture.  The interactive exhibits at the museum included the type of farm our Quebecois ancestors would have left behind to find work in the states. Our great great grandparents made a transition from a barter economy to one of cash. They were enticed by the textile manufacturers to leave everything for this new industrial life. We learned that 70% of the citizens in Woonsocket were of French Canadian ancestry in 1980. The Morin family spoke French.

Main Street with Bienvenue (Welcome in French)

Other exhibits included the Church of the Precious Blood built in 1892 as well as a typical school room. This church was of interest because our great grandparents lived one block from the actual church and attended mass there. In fact, Arthur's cousin, Father Ernest Morin was a pastor in 1919 for several years. We did visit the actual church and the Cemetery of the Precious Blood.

We watched a short film which depicted the history of our ancestors and the work in the textile mills. It was astonishing to learn that children were working ten to twelve hours a day in harsh conditions. We were told that the mill owners preferred to hire women because they were more submissive and brought their children to work. Eventually many of the textile mills moved to the south and today this industry is thriving in China and other countries where labor is cheap. It gives me pause to think about the clothing I wear ...

Barefoot boy working in a cotton mill

When I look at the census records and city directories to learn more about the Morin family, I pay special attention to their occupations. In the 1870 census, Magloire (our second great grandfather) was a baker and lived in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. His sons Napolean and Arthur were machinist operators and Joseph was a farm hand. Josephine, Eliza and Jean Baptiste (aka Cleophas) all worked in the cotton mills.

Magloire's children attended school. Napolean worked as a baker, a sewing machine agent and a carpenter. Arthur worked as a baker, a tin peddler, a carpenter, and finally a real estate and insurance agent in Woonsocket. Joseph Nere lived in Pawtucket and worked as a blind maker. Cleophas also lived in Pawtucket and worked as a carpenter.

 In 1880, Magloire's son Arthur (our great grandfather) is married to Azilda Desroches and working as a baker. They and their young son George are living with or near Azilda's parents, Joseph and Elise Desroches in Danielson, Connecticut. Azilda's sister Alphonsine, age 17, is working as a mill hand and her brother Felix, age 7, attends school. In 1900, Azilda's aunt Celina Desroches Guillet is widowed and working as a mill hand with her children in Vermont.

In 1891, Magloire's grandson Arthur, the son of Joseph Nere, dies tragically at the age of 15.

Romanian Archives

The naturalization papers for grandfather Joseph Bartha indicate that he was born in Nagy Varad, Hungary, on December 27, 1880. However, his village (Ér-Mihályfalva is now known as Valea lui Mihai, is located in Bihor, Romania because of the breakup of the Austria-Hungary empire around 1918. The Romanian Archives create a challenge to American researchers so I located a Romanian professional to search the Archives in Oradea. We were only partially successful. (The death records for Joseph's parents were not found.) However, we do have three important records.

1. The death record in the Halottak book for Jozef Barta, the Reformed Clergyman, (our second great grandfather) shows his death on August 27, 1864 from sclerosis (not to be confused with cirrhosis). The translated notes state that he was married for 41 years. We also learned that he was born in Rimaszombat,Hungary, which is now Rimavska, Sobota, Slovakia.

Death Record of Jozef Barta 1864

2. The marriage record for Joseph's parents, Miklos Barta and Emelia Hampel in 1872 indicates that they were married in the Roman Catholic church and that the marriage was also registered in the Reformed Church (Calvin). (Note: The name Miklos translates to Nicholas. Joseph's first child born in New York was named Nikolaus Josef Bartha (1907-1912.)

1872 Bartha Marriage Record

3.  The last record is from the Keresztelesi book. This record shows the birth and baptism of Joseph Bartha. This records shows the "h" in Bartha. I thought that might have been added when he immigrated, but not so.

Joseph Bartha was baptized on January 4, 1881

Quite a few Hampel records were located but none of them could be related to Emelia. The most I learned about great grandmother Emelia Hampel is that she was 20 years old when she married Miklos Barta in 1872 and that she was born in Sacuieni, Hungary. The name of this town means bridge of Szekely in Hungarian. The Hampel name is German and I have learned that German settlers came to Hungary for free land in the 17th and 18th centuries to keep Turks from invading. How sad that this history has been lost to us.

Irish Famine Immigrants

 I recently found my great grandmother Sarah Montague in the 1855 New York census.  I must have missed this record earlier because it incorrectly shows the last name as "Montahue".This shows Sarah with her parents, Francis and Catherine, and a brother Michael. This child was previously unknown to me but I have located the birth and death records for Michael James Montague, and learned that he died on March 18, 1857 at the age of 2 from hydrocephalus. In the process of locating the death record for Michael, a record for another child was provided by the New York Archdiocese. One year old, Mary E. Montague died on July 26, 1857 from cholera and is buried with her brother in Old Calvary Cemetery, New York. What a sorrowful time for this family.

This census record helped verify when Sarah was born, her age and when her parents immigrated to the United States. Sarah was the daughter of Francis J. Montague and Catherine McCollough. I learned from this record that her parents came in different years, and they most likely married in New York. Catherine states in the census that she arrived in New York in 1848 at the age of 15. Francis arrived in 1851 at the age of 22. The Irish Potato Famine occurred between 1848 and 1852 which undoubtedly caused them to leave their homeland. Catherine never learned to read which might explain that her name was written with various spellings (Mccullough, Mccullah, Mccullom, Mccolsugh). Family information indicates that both Francis and Catherine came from Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

1855 New York State Census

Francis was a carpenter who become a skilled wheelwright and blacksmith. He is listed in the New York directories for 1855 and 1857. The Montague name looks like it could be French or English, but other census records confirm that Francis and his parents were born in Ireland.

1855 New York City Directory

Francis Montague, age 22, arrived in New York on The Typhoon on May 19, 1851. He was a steerage passenger on a ship holding 393 Irish passengers and he seemed to be traveling alone. His occupation is listed as carpenter. The Typhoon was an "extreme clipper ship" built earlier that year. It was 225 feet x 41 x 23. That's not very much space for all those people. The ship made its maiden voyage from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Liverpool in March in 13 days and 10 hours. It set a sailing record. The return ship left Liverpool on April 20 and arrived 23 days later in New York with its cargo of Irish immigrants. Our second great grandfather must have had a spirit of adventure. This trip appears to be the only occasion that this ship carried passengers. It was intended to carry cargo. The ship's next voyage was a race with two others from New York to San Francisco. A trip that took 108 days! British artist Samuel Walters included the Typhoon in his series of famous clipper ships. The painting sells for more than $10,000. Cutty Sark anyone?

The Typhoon

In 1858, the Montague family are living in Chicago and Francis becomes known as Frank. He notes his occupation as blacksmith and becomes a citizen. Six more children are born to Francis and Catherine. The blacksmith shop and home located at 12th and Clark Streets would have suffered damage in the Great Chicago Fire in 1870. In 1875, the shop and home are located on South Canal Street.  Francis dies in 1882 at the young age of 53 from heart disease, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is likely that his occupation as a blacksmith contributed to his health problems. Catherine lives until 1905 with her daughters, Mary, Margaret and Kate. Our ancestor, Sarah, marries John Dillon in 1879.

Not Much To Do in McAdoo

McAdoo is an old coal mining town about 75 miles northeast of Harrisburg. It has a population of about 2,200 people. At one time, there were 22,000 miners working in Schuykill County because the anthracite coal was important to the industrial age. The railroad used to come to McAdoo but not any more.

I met up with cousin Thelma in Mechanicsburg, and we drove to see the town where the Horvath and Bolla families lived. This is the town where our great grandparents John and Anna Horvath raised their eight children. The Pennsylvania countryside is beautiful, even charming, and we enjoyed the day and getting to know each other. The day started out to be sunny but it was overcast when we got to McAdoo. We first stopped at East Blaine Street to see where the families lived.

Blaine Street

The Bolla lot had been cleared and was for sale. It is my understanding that John Horvath, who was a carpenter, and his sons built many of the old duplex homes for the families to live in. The town was very small surrounded by the old mine and several large cemeteries testifying to the tragic loss of lives by the miners.

We walked over to the cemetery to find our ancestors but first I wanted to see the church, located on Grant Street just two blocks from the Blaine Street properties. To my surprise, St. Stephen's Magyar Church had been converted into a private home. The trees had been allowed to grow around the front to disguise its former use so it was difficult to photograph.

Front of House

Formerly St. Stephen's Magyar Church

We visited the cemetery in their "back yard" and I found the gravestones for both John and Anna Horvath and some of their children including my grandmother, Anna Horvath Bartha. We did not find Frank Ivancics, the father of Anna Horvath.

I learned today that there are old photographs of McAdoo on display in the McAdoo Diner. If only ...
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Pittsburgh and Three Burials

After our visit with Aunt Gail, we drove to Calvary Cemetery in the Hazelwood area of Pittsburgh to find the grave site of my grandfather, Joseph Bartha. The cemetery office gave us the location of the grave (Section 8, Row 33, Grave 23). I understand from Aunt Gail that this is the children's section and we also learned that three Barthas were buried at this site. It took us a while to locate the grave, and I did not know to bring water and a soft brush to clean the stone.

The grave marker is for Joseph and Anna's daughter Anna Catharina, who died in 1928 at eight months of age. Also, this grave holds the remains of Joseph's daughter Margaret, who died in 1933 at age 20, and also Joseph who died in 1937. It is my understanding that this triple burial was an exception because of financial hardship.

Gravestone: Anna Bartha 1928

Calvary Cemetery - Section 8

Pittsburgh and Aunt Gail

Aunt Gail

This June I traveled to Pittsburgh with my eldest daughter Heather. Pittsburgh is where I was born and I hoped to learn more about my Hungarian ancestors. We surprised my mother's sister, Gail, with a visit one afternoon. I had not seen her since I was a young child and she is now about 88 years old. I tried unsuccessfully to visit her five years ago. This time we drove to her home in a beautiful wooded neighborhood, walked down her long walkway and knocked on her door. When I announced who we were, she was both surprised and gracious as she welcomed us to her home. We enjoyed the time spent with her and believe it was mutual. There were many things about my aunt that reminded us of my mother Lynn both in mannerisms and appearance. She was very sharp both mentally and physically and asked us if we would like to feel her muscles when we noticed the small hand weights on the table. They both enjoyed crossword puzzles.

Violet, Helen, Lynn and Gail

Heather and Lynn - 2007

Because Gail was the youngest Bartha daughter and remained in Pittsburgh, she became the caretaker of her mother (my grandmother) Anna Bartha. Just before we left, Aunt Gail shared an old photo album with us and explained each photo. The album had belonged to my grandmother. I was very excited to see a photograph of our great grandparents, John and Anna Horvath, as well as a photo of our second great grandfather, Frank Ivancics. I never knew such photos existed and excitedly began taking photos of the photos.

John and Anna Horvath

Frank Ivancics (father of Anna)

As I began to take photographs, Aunt Gail said that there was no need. I could have the album because I was so interested, that she would not take it to the grave with her. Needless to say, these photos have been carefully inspected, scanned and archived. The writing on the backs of some held relevant family information. I am very grateful to be entrusted with this treasure and will always remember that afternoon in Pittsburgh when we boldly knocked on that front door.
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Magloire and Marguerite Morin: The Great Great Grandparents

I made a connection on Ancestry with a third cousin, who is the great grandson of Eliza Morin. He told me that his mother had these old slate negatives of our great great grandparents and that she had prints made. Here they are.

 Magloire Gilbert Morin was born on May 3, 1824, and baptized at Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire at Saint-Hyacinthe. He was the first child of Joseph Morin and Reine Cormier. His father was a farmer and he was also a farmer but later became a "boulanger". I was told by a French sister in Salt Lake that the name Magloire means "my glory".

Magloire and Marguerite were married in 1850 in Saint Damase, a nearby village. (It was Marguerite's brother Pierre who owned the foundry and later repaired the church bell at Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire.)

Morin-Soly Marriage Record

Great great grandmother Marguerite Soly (here referred to as Marguerite De Soly Morin) was born on April 15, 1819, in Saint-Hyacinthe and was also baptized at Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire. Marguerite had a twin sister Veronique, who married the following year. There were 16 children born of her parents, Pierre Soly and Marie Joseph Crete. Three of those children, including another set of twins, died at tender ages.

Magloire and Marguerite had six children and lived in the area known then as Brittania Mills, but is known today as Saint Damase. In November of 1863, the Morins moved with their children, the youngest being three years old, to Pawtuckett, Rhode Island, a town just outside of Providence.The immigration from Canada to the United States was most likely caused by economic circumstances. Like the Mexicans who have come here in this century to work in our fields, the French-Canadians came to come work in the textile mills. Typically Magloire as the eldest son would have inherited his father's property. I only know that his father Joseph died in 1845 and his mother Reine remarried in 1854. I don't know if they owned the land they farmed. [Nearly 100 years later great grandson George Arthur Morin would migrate from Pennsylvania to Arizona with seven children. I remember it well.]

In Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1870, Magloire is working as a baker. Sons Napolean and Arthur Noel worked as machinist apprentices. Joseph is a farm hand. The younger children, Zoe, age 12, and John, age 10,  are working in the cotton mill. Magloire became a naturalized citizen in 1876. The Morins lived one block from the Church of St. John the Baptist.

 In 1880 Magloire is listed as Gilbert in the census. He continues to work as a baker in Pawtuckett, Rhode Island. In the same household lived son Napolean, his wife Melinda Hald and their three young daughters. There was also daughter Zoe with her husband Joseph Goddard and their three young children. In addition, daughter Eliza. a dressmaker, and John who is now a machinist apprentice lived there. Magloire and Marguerite had six grandchildren living with them all under age four. But there's more. I found one more family living in the house at 201 Harrison in Pawtucket. Louis Boureassau, who worked in the cotton mill, lived there with his wife and one-year old daughter. The house at 201 Harrison no longer exists but I have since learned that typical houses were three stories with a family on each level.

Their son Arthur, married Azilda Desroches, in 1878, and lived just 32 miles away in Danielson, Connecticut, with our grandfather George, age one. Arthur is also making his living as a baker.

Ancestors:

Pierre Morin dit Boucher and Marie Madeleine Martin

Pierre Morin and Francoise Chiasson

Pierre Noel Morin and Marie Francoise Boulet

Antoine Morin and Anne Marie Pellerin

Jean Baptiste Morin and Marie Madeleine Proulx

Joseph Morin and Reine Cormier

Magloire Gilbert Morin and Marguerite Soly

Arthur Noel Morin and Azilda Desroches

The Dions

This is the story of Jean Guyon and Mathurine Robin who are our ninth great grandparents.

On the parish registers, the priest records the baptismal certificate of a new parishioner in Latin: "Johannes filius Jacobi Guyon er Maria eus uxoris...". His father is a notable, his mother is Marie Huet.

Jean-Francois Guyon was born on September 18, 1592 at St. Aubin-de-Tourouve; the son of Jacques Guyon and Marie Huet. He grew up in Tourouvre. 

On June 12, 1615, Jean married Mathurine Robin at St. Aubin. The same year that he and Mathurine were married, he constructed a thirty-step, stone staircase leading to the bell tower of the church at St. Aubin, where he had been christened. The staircase is still intact. (I hope to see that some day.)

Steps to Bell Tower at Saint-Aubin in Tourouvre

Jean and Mathurine lived in Mortagne where Jean's skills as a master stone-cutter brought him to the attention of Robert Giffard when he was establishing his seigneury at Beauport, Quebec. He is persuaded to leave France and the family, including six of their children, sail to Quebec.  

Guyon traveled aboard a convoy of four ships and arrived in Nouvelle France in 1634. Guyon was awarded land in newly established Beauport, one of the oldest European-founded communities in Canada (and now a borough of Quebec City). Under the seigneurial system, he received a rear fief (arrière fief) near Rivière du Buisson (river of bushes). He attached its name to his own, Guyon du Buisson. 

Guyon lived there until he died in 1663. He built a small mill and helped build the parish church of Québec city and the governor's residence.  

Jean Guyon was a well educated man and wanted the same opportunity for his children. The boys were sent to the Jesuit College and the girls were instructed by the Ursuline nuns, who later wrote; "There is no other family whose zeal for education has been more transmitted from generation to generation during the past hundred years than that of Jean Guyon". 

Years after years, his children and descendants gave birth to generations of Guyon, renamed Guion or Dion. They are settled in Quebec, Canada and in USA. Celine Dion is also a descendant of this family.

Ancestors:

Jean Guyon and Mathurine-Madeleine Robin

Marie Andree Guyon and Andre Bernard 

Rene Bernard and Madeleine Doucet

Jean Baptiste Bernard and Marie Cecile Gaudet

Marie Madeleine Bernard and Jean Baptiste Cormier

Jean Baptiste Cormier and Marie Catherine Corbeil

Reine Comier and Joseph Morin

Magliore Morin and Marguerite Soly

Arthur Noel Morin and Azilda Desroches

_________

*seigneury: a feudal lordship; the position, authority, or domain of a feudal lord.
 See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Guyon

A Valentine from the Past

There was a stack of old letters tied together with a note in Grandma's hand: "Cards and remembrances to me from Dad, through the years. Kathryn" This Valentine from George Morin to his wife Kathryn in 1919 is lovely, and she kept it until she died in 1972.

The "Proof" of our Spanish Royalty

Today a third cousin in Massachusetts sent me an article printed in The Evening Bulletin on June 12, 1925. We all know if something is printed in the newspaper that it is actually true. Now there is no doubt that our ancestry can be traced to Spanish royalty. Oh, but wait, where are the documents? Did Arthur Noel give them to Aunt Ida? Who did she give them to? There must be a probate file somewhere ...

Article transcribed: 

   Miss Ida Morin, prominent in social and business circles of Woonsocket, claims she is able to trace her ancestry back to a nephew of King Ferdinand VI, of Spain, who reigned from 1746 to 1750. "'There are many people claim to be of noble blood, but they have no documents to substantiate their contentions,' she declares."

   According to documents in the possession of her father, Arthur N. Morin, a Woonsocket realtor, Laurent de Soly, nephew of King Ferdinand, was born in Spain in 1721, near the French border. He married Marie Deligni [Deligny] about the time of King Ferdinand's accession, but she died shortly afterward.

   Laurent was banished from the country when he disagreed with the new policies of the King, one of the Bourbons, described as "anxious-minded and weakly." but who, nevertheless, instigated a period of reform in Spain and started the country on a career of prosperity.

   Laurent went to Canada, settled at St. Charles du Richelieu, P.Q., where he married Marie Clemence Guiette [Guillet], a native. A son, Pierre, was born in 1783. Pierre married and had 14 children, among them Marguerite de Soly, mother of Mr. Morin. In 1760 the King died, and Laurent, who would have been welcomed by the new King, Charles III, was persuaded by his wife not to return.

   Laurent's wife burned the deed to the baronial estate when he attempted to return, 20 years later at the instance of a French priest, to claim his lands.

   In St. Charles du Richelieu, both Laurent and Pierre were known as "L'Espagnol," which means "The Spaniard." Laurent died Jan. 6, 1786, and Pierre March 10, 1900 [1860]. Mr. Morin believes there is now no hope of ever obtaining the lost Spanish estate.

   "We don't believe in the monarch," he said "America is our country, and we are satisfied to remain here. One of my sons [George Arthur] was in the Spanish American War fighting against Spain, and I was proud to have him fight for America."

Are We There Yet? - The First Morin Cars

Grandmother Kathryn Dillon Morin came from a family of blacksmiths and wagon makers and made the transition to modern transportation when she married a man who loved the automobile. It is apparent from the many cars George Morin owned and the road trips they took. Their summer trips took them from Chicago to Mt. Vernon, Virginia, and Pittsburgh to Newport Beach, Rhode Island as well as Lexington, Massachusetts. There were also regular visits from grandparents Arthur and Azilda Morin who traveled from Rhode Island to Pittsburgh. Is it any wonder we love travel today?

First car called "The Flint" in Virginia - 1925

George, Bob and Rosemary with cousins?

George, Jr. and cousin Charlotte Greene- 1926

McConnel's Mills at Slippery Rock, PA - 1933

George, Sr. and Jr, Kathryn and Rosemary - 1933

George and Kathryn with Cora and Ralph Ferraro - 1933

George, Jr. on far right

George Jr in Florida

The back of this photo indicates that this car was called "The Katey" and that George, Sr. "built this car over in Pittsburgh."

Saint Andre and the Basilica

January 6 is the feast day of Saint Andre Bessette. I wrote about our cousin Saint Andre and his life in an earlier post. I was fortunate to see the Oratory of Saint Joseph on a recent visit to Montreal. This large, modern church is located on Mount Royal. It is built on three levels. We began on the lower floor at the crypt of Saint Andre.

Basilica of St. Joseph completed in 1967

Crypt of Saint Andre

We spent time on each level of this enormous church moving by escalator to each floor. When we left the building, we found the small chapel that was built years before the Basilica. Saint Andre lived very simply here in a room above the altar. This was my favorite place.

Chapel of St. Joseph built in 1904

St. Joseph statue in Brother Andre's Room

There were hundreds of crutches and placques on the walls witnessing his intercessory healings.

"It's not my work; it's St. Joseph's."

We found devotion and statutes to Saint Andre all over Canada. His deep and amazing faith is truly inspiring. In fact, he is the Saint of the Week here at home at St. Denis Church in Menlo Park.  More Photos 

Old Quebec

We left Trois-Rivieres taking the old two-lane Highway 40, which we were told would be scenic, and drove the hour plus ride to Quebec City. We passed through or near the ancestral towns of Point-aux-Trembles, L'Ancienne Lorette and Sainte Anne de la Parade. We made our way to the old part of Quebec City and found our small hotel in the backyard of the Chateau Frontenac. We put the car in the car park and spent the next three days walking and exploring. One day we walked through lower town to the old port and took the funicular back to upper town. Another day we walked the entire upper town area. I stopped to examine every bronze statute until I found the one I was looking for at Montmorency Park.

Monument to Louis Hebert

No resemblance

The statue stands in the park across from City Hall in Québec City honoring Louis Hébert, credited with being the first European to build a home in Canada and the first European to establish a farm in Canada.  On the back of the statue is a plaque honoring the earliest families to establish themselves in Québec City. His wife Marie Rollet is on the right holding her three children, one is Guillaume ,one of our eighth great grandfathers. Read more on Wikipedia

The other significant ancestral place was the Basilica of Notre Dame. This cathedral was first built in 1647. Only the bell tower and parts of some walls are original. This building has suffered from bombardment and fires over the years, but there are still paintings and treasures from the time of the French regime including a chancel light from King Louis XIV. The cathedral has been beautifully restored. Laurent Soly married Marie Deligny here in 1770. We also have many other ancestors who have been married in this cathedral over the years.

Basilica of Notre Dame Quebec

Chancel Light from King Louis XIV

We walked to Parliament Hill and found ancestor uncle Pierre Boucher hanging out there. 

Pierre Boucher (1639-1707)

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