52 Ancestors: William Christie (1814 - between 1875 - 1881)

I have slowed down on my weekly ancestor posts as I wanted to dig back a little deeper and post some information from earlier in the 1800's. It is taking me a little longer to find information from the early part of the 1800's.

I am on story 29 of my 52 Ancestors challenge. This week I am back to my Mom's side of the family, specifically the Christie's.

William (a.k.a. Guillaume) Christie, the father of Alexander Christie,  was born April 7, 1814 to William (Bill/Guillaume) Christie and Francoise Vienneau. He was baptized on the 9th of June 1814 at Ste. Famille Parish in Bathurst, New Brunswick. His god parents were Joseph Boudrault and Elizabeth LeJeune. These were most likely relatives as his grandmothers maiden name was LeJeune. William was one of one of many William Christie's in his family. He was named after his father and grandfather and he also named one of his sons William and many of his grandchildren have William as a middle name. This has presented some challenges in determining which William Christie records are referring to.

William lived in Petit Rocher with his parents and at least 2 older siblings and 3 younger siblings. It is in Petit Rocher where he must have met his wife Teresa (Tarsiel) Arseneau. William and Teresa were married in Petit Rocher November 27, 1839 with John Christie (William's brother?) and Isidore Arseneau (Teresa's brother?) as their witnesses.

William supported his family by farming. He and Teresa had 12 children between 1840 and 1866. They started raising their family in Petit Rocher but by 1861 they are listed as living in the northern section of the Parish of Bathurst. They may have moved their family when Teresa's father left them land after his death. Between January and March 1855 William paid 5 shillings to 6 children and co-heirs of Isadore Arseneau (Teresa's father) and in September 1856 paid 5 shillings to 3 additional sons and co-heirs of Isadore Arseneau in consideration of the will and desire of Isadore Arseneau.

This land consisted of  "...part of lot A adjoining the north parish line of Bathurst aforesaid and originally granted to the said Isadore Arseneau deceased under the name of Theodore Arseneau Viz. to commence at the north east point of the dividing line between said lot A and the lot owned or occupied by John Boyle thence following the said dividing line southerly and westerly to the rear of the grant then northerly along the said rear thirty rods thence to the shore parallel with the said division line thence following the courses of the shore to the place of beginning save and except the salt marsh in front of the same heretofore conveyed to the late Germain Landry which salt marsh is especially reserved and excepted out of this conveyance to contain fifty acres more or less together with all and singular the rights members privileges and appurtenances to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining with there version and reversions remainder and remainders rents issues and profits thereof...."

There are several land records in the 1830's and 1850's that involve a William Christie that need some further review to determine if this is this William or his father.

On May 19th 1875 William filed his will with the land registry office. It states that he is from Peter's River Parish of Bathurst and is of feeble health but sound mind. He leaves everything to his wife until her death and then it is to fall to his son John who is to give specific items to his brothers Alex and William, maintain his brothers Charles and Francis until they are of age and give his sister Louisa sheep.

William died between the time his will was registered and the next census in 1881.

52 Ancestors: Isaac Hebert (1872 - 1936)

I'm back this week to my Dad's side of the family or more specifically to my Grandmother's side.

Isaac Hebert is my Great Great Uncle. He was the first born son of Dazi (Dasie, D'Assis, plus other spellings) and Marie (Clementine) Robert and brother to my Great Grandmother Beatrice Hebert. Although I have not found any baptism or birth records for him I believe that he was most likely born in Shippagan on March 8-9, 1871-72 based on the contents of various census records and his death certificate.

Isaac lived and worked along side his father as a farmer and fisherman in Shippagan, New Brunswick, Canada, with his 10 other siblings, until at least 1891.  On Sept 7, 1891 Isaac married widower Angele Thibodeau in the Roman Catholic Church of Shippagan. One of the witnesses to his marriage was Isaac's younger brother Honore.

Isaac and Angele lived in Shippagan when their first three children were born where I assume that he continued to support his family with farming and fishing. Isaac must have felt strong ties to his family as he name his first born son and daughter after his parents.

Sometime between 1895 and 1897 Isaac moved his family from Shippagan to Paquetville (a distance of about 50 kilometers). This move would have happened during the same time period that Isaac's father moved his family from Shippagan to Paquetville.  I wonder if they moved at the same time or did one family move first and get settled and the other follow them? The 1901 census has them living just one household away from each other with another Hebert family in between (possibly a brother to Dazi, based on the age stated). Isaac's family continued to grow with the addition of three more children, unfortunately their last child died when only one month old. Isaac supported this growing family mainly by farming but he also supplemented his income as a labourer, earning $48 dollars for 2 months of work in 1901. In 1911 Isaac was still farming but he only had his two youngest children left at home. Sometime between 1911 and 1921 Isaac and Angele adopted a son who was born around 1907. Who is this child and how and why did they adopt him? Another genealogy puzzle to solve.

Isaac continued to farm right up until his death from Tuberculosis on Feb 28, 1936 in Paquetville, Range St. Georges.

52 Ancestors: Pierre Pitre 1856 - 1938

Pierre Pitre is my Great Great Uncle. He was the 8th child of Hilaire Pitre and Tarsille Boudreau and was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada sometime around 1856. When Pierre was 3 or 4 months old he moved with his family to Beresford, New Brunswick, Canada (according to a typed written note at the bottom of his death certificate). This might be incorrect as Pierre's younger brother Victor was baptized in Feb/61 in Bathurst and is recorded on the 1861 census (taken in April) as living in Beresford. I think who provided the information may have confused who was a few months old when the family moved to Beresford.

Pierre was raised in Beresford where he attended school with his siblings and learned to read and write and speak both English and French. In 1881, Pierre was farming with his father and living at home with his older widowed sister (Jane), younger brother (Victor), older brother (Joseph) and his wife (Helene) and their young son (Alphonse).

Sometime between the 1881 Census; when he was single and living with his parents; and 1885; the birth of his first child; Pierre married Elizabeth Doucet. I have not been able to find their marriage recorded in the county register or parish registry. I'm going to have to expand my parish records search to Petit Rocher and West Bathurst and be on the look out for alternate spellings.

Pierre provided for his family by farming and working as a labourer. He and Elizabeth raised 8 of their 9 children, from their marriage date until at least 1901, on the farm not far from where Pierre's parents and 3 of his 4 brothers lived. Pierre's children were sent to school and learned to read and write and spoke English and French. When his sons were older (15-16) they began helping out on the farm and working odd jobs or at the sawmill. Sometime between 1901 and 1911 Pierre moved his family off of the family land and 60 houses/farms way towards the middle of Beresford. Why did Pierre move his family away from where he had lived almost his entire life? Did it have something to do with the death of his parents in 1902? Was he not given any of his father's land? For whatever reason he moved his family, he returned to the family land and was living next door to his brother Victor in 1921 with his wife Elizabeth, his grandson, daughter-in-law and son Joseph.

Pierre died December 26, 1938 at approximately 83 years old. It must have been a sad Christmas that year.

Death Certificate Pierre Pitre via NB Archives