The French

The Morins

Grand Morin River in France

My father used to tell me about the rivers in France that bore the family name. The Grand Morin and the Petit Morin rivers are tributaries of the Seine et Marne in France. Many of our first ancestors came from the Normandy area of France and settled in New France in the 1600s. The three primary causes of death in those times was childbirth, drowning and the Iroquois, in that order. Life was hard.

At least 28 pioneers introduced the name of Morin in New France. Of these, sixteen marry in Canada during the French Regime and ten ensure the sustainability of the surname. Among the most important are:

• Jean-Baptiste Morin, Dinan in Brittany, married Marie Dupré Contrecœur in 1757
• Noel Morin Brie-Comte-Robert, Ile-de-France, married to Hélène Desportes in Quebec in 1640.
• Pierre Morin dit Boucher, Normandy, married Marie-Madeleine Martin in Acadia about 1661.
• Pierre Morin in Saint-Etienne-de-Brillouet Vendee, married Catherine Lemesle in Quebec in 1672.
• Pierre Morin Plaine-Haute in Britain, married Madeleine Lespinay in Beauport in 1694
• Robert Morin of France, married Françoise Mignier in Quebec around 1690.

We are descended from the Pierre Morin who was born in Normandy, France in about 1635.

(A) Port Royal, (B) Beaubassin, (C) Chaleur

Pierre Morin took the name Pierre Morin dit Boucher, which means butcher. He was not a butcher but a saddler. He probably made saddles or harnesses. (The French word is seillier and has been confused with sailor. ) The next five generations of Morins are farmers or ploughmen (cultivateurs). In the 1800s, the land can no longer support the people and the French-Canadians become migrant workers taking jobs in the wool and cotton mills in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The migration from New France to New England begins. (See Descendant Report for Pierre dit Boucher.)

First Generation

Pierre Morin dit Boucher was born about 1635 in Normandy, France. He died about 1714. He married Marie-Madeleine Martin, daughter of Pierre Martin and Catherine Vigneault on 31 Dec 1661 in Quebec, Canada (Acadie). She was born about 1637. She died on 16 Sep 1714. They had 12 children.

Second Generation

Pierre Morin was born before 1661 in Quebec, Canada (Acadie). He died on 15 Apr 1741 in Quebec, Canada (St. Francois de la Riviere du Sud). He married Francoise Giasson, daughter of Guyon Denis Giasson and Jeanne Bernard on 08 Nov 1682 in Montmagny, Quebec, Canada. They had eleven children.

Third Generation

Pierre Morin was born on 23 Dec 1683 in Quebec, Canada (Acadie). He died on 04 Feb 1767 in Quebec, Canada (St-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud). He married Marie Francoise Boulet, daughter of Jacques Boulet and Marie Francoise Fournier on 10 Jan 1707 in Montmagny, Quebec, Canada. They had five children.

Fourth Generation

Antoine Morin  was born before 1725 in Quebec, Canada. He died on 25 Jan 1786 in Quebec, Canada St.Pierre de la Riviere du Sud). He married Marie Anne Pellerin, daughter of Pierre Pellerin and Anne Marie Belanger on 19 Apr 1746 in Quebec, Canada (Lislet). She was born before 1725. She died on 12 Sep 1811 in Quebec, Canada (St. Pierre de la Riviere du Sud). They had five children.

Fifth Generation

Jean Baptiste Morin was born on 11 Feb 1755 in Montmagny, Quebec, Canada (St. Pierre de la Riviere du Sud). He died on 07 May 1829 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Les Maskoutains, Quebec, Canada (Saint-Hyacinthe). He married Marie Magdeleine Proulx, daughter of Joseph Proulx and Marie Angelique Laberge on 12 Oct 1778 in Montmagny, Quebec, Canada (St. Pierre de la Riviere du Sud). She was born on 12 Dec 1751 in Montmagny, Quebec, Canada. She died on 09 Oct 1834 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Les Maskoutains, Quebec, Canada. They had eight children.

Sixth Generation

Joseph Marie Morin was born on 03 Apr 1793 in Canada (St. Francois de la Riviere du Sud). He died before 1872. He married Reine Cormier, daughter of Jean Baptiste Cormier II and Marie Catherine Corbeil Tranchemontagne on 21 Oct 1816 in St-Denis-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Richelieu, Rouville, Quebec, Canada at Church of St. Antoine. She was born on 03 Feb 1795 in Quebec, Canada (St-Antoine sur Richelieu). They had eight children.

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Seventh Generation

Magloire Gilbert Morin (Magloire means my glory) was born on 03 May 1824 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Les Maskoutains, Quebec, Canada. He died on 03 Jan 1884 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He married Marguerite Soly, daughter of Pierre Laurent Soly and Marie Josephe Crete on 28 Oct 1850 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Les Maskoutains, Quebec, Canada at St. Damase Church. She was born on 15 Apr 1819 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Les Maskoutains, Quebec, Canada. She died on 18 May 1888 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.  They had seven children.

Eighth Generation

Arthur Noel Morin was born on 17 Mar 1854 in Quebec, Canada. He died on 10 Mar 1936 in Woonsocket, Providence, Rhode Island, USA (Precious Blood Cemetery). He married Azilda Desroches, daughter of Joseph Desroches and Elise Bessette, on 28 Jan 1878 in Danielson, Connecticut, at St. Jacques Church. She was born on 24 Jan 1859 in Richelieu, Rouville, Quebec, Canada and she died on 20 Apr 1936 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. They had eleven children: George Arthur Morin, MarieEva Azilda Morin, Oscar Louis Joseph Morin, Henri Napoleon Morin, Anna Marie Eliza Morin, Ida Josephine Morin, Leon Hubert Morin, William Edonard Morin, Emma Angelina Morin, Benjamin Rodolphe Morin and Cora Belle Morin. Five of the children died at a young age.

Arthur Noel and Azilda with Henri, Ida, George, Emma, Cora, Ben

Ninth Generation

George Arthur Morin, was born on 23 Nov 1878 in Danielson,  Connecticut. He died on 16 Mar 1944 in Chicago, Illinois. He fought in the Spanish-American War in 1898 and then began working for an insurance company. He married Kathryn Rose Dillon, daughter of John Dillon and Sarah C Montague on 09 Oct 1911 in Chicago, Illinois at Church of the Holy Cross. She was born on 24 Dec 1882 in Chicago, Illinois and she died in June 1972. She was second generation American. Her grandparents were born in Ireland. They had three children: George Arthur Morin, Jr., Rosemary Morin and Robert Montague Morin. 

George and Kathryn with Bob and Rosemary