First Black Sheep

The tragic odyssey of Louis Morin, the son of Francoise and Pierre Morin dit Boucher

Documentation from «Les Morin d'Acadie», by Archange Godbout

It seems that Pierre Morin dit Boucher and 19 of his close relations including wife, Francoise; his son, Pierre Morin II, Jacques Cochu and Rene Deneau; his son-in-law, Pierre Draper; his brothers-in-law, Pierre Gaudin and Pierre Pellerin; his nephews, Jean Chiasson and Michel Chiasson; the brothers-in-law of Pierre Morins son, were all banished from Beaubassin in 1687. Pierre Morin dit Boucher's son, Louis Morin, was said to have made a child with a young lady of Beaubassin. It seems that she was from a family of high standing. Monsieur Trouve, priest, hears the young girls confession, and concludes against Louis Morin. [So much for confidentiality and the seal of the confessional.] The officer of Roy imprisons Louis and ships him back to France. Enforced by Mr. de Meneval, governor of Acadie, 19 close relations to Louis Morin were banished from Beaubassin and the colony. The goods of these families were confiscated with the profit going to the father of the young lady.

There is no doubt that the Morin family would have faired better if they would have taken their case to Quebec, where Governor Menneval would have had no say in the matter. However, Morin, undoubtedly, did not make a point of going to spread out their miseries in the capital.

Courageously, while his son was inserted in the fogs of the ocean not to reappear any more, the old man Pierre Morin, with the help of his other children, tried to create a new establishment. After being struck by a cruel injustice, the Morins saw emerging on all sides much sympathy and many offers of help, for they had been a family of high social standing. Help in reestablishing a home came from Michel LeNeuf de Lavalliere*, and Richard Denys who to repair the wrongs of his family, among others, helped establish the Morins in Ristigouche, in Bay of Chaleurs.

The Morin family is found at the Bay of Chaleurs in the spring of 1688 "They came to shelter in the shade of its house and its warehouse, to some steps of the micmacque mission." The Morin family took refuge in Quebec after the death of Pierre Morin dit Boucher, deceased in1690.

[note: Another source indicates that Michel LeNeuf was the French nobleman who had the Morins banished from Beaubassin. His help in reestablishing their home came when they first moved to Beaubassin.]

Source: Les Morin d'Acadie by Archange Godbout  

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