I can not find any record of Isaac's birth or baptism in the church records in Bathurst or Petit Rocher, New Brunswick, Canada. Some of the records are very faded and hard to read so he might be there but I have not been able to decipher it. I think his parents might be Francis Legassey and Matilda Boudreau. They were married in Petit Rocher in 1830 so they would be a good match age wise to be Isaac's parents. There were not many Legace (or the various spellings) in the church records of the early 1800's so the chance that they are his parents are good. The 1851 census records for Gloucester county New Brunswick would have been an excellent place to confirm my suspicions; Isaac would have been young enough to still be home. Unfortunately these particular census records did not survive.
Isaac married Tharsile (Theresa) Daigle on August 7, 1860 in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada at the Ste. Famille Parish; unfortunately there is no mention of who their parents were. The 1861 census records for Gloucester county New Brunswick list Isaac and Theresa living in the Northern Section of the parish of Bathurst and Isaac earning a living as a Lumberer. Three households away lived Francis and Matilda Legassey with their 7 children and it is noted that their was a marriage in the previous year (possibly Isaac and Theresa).
Isaac and Theresa started their family right way with the birth of their first child, my Great Grandmother Margaret Ann Legace on September 17, 1861. They had at least 2 other children (both girls) before Isaac was widowed sometime between 1868 - 1871. In 1871 Isaac was unable to read or write, was widowed and earning a living as a Farmer while raising his 3 young girls aged 9, 5 and 3 in the parish of Bathurst.
Sometime between 1871 and 1873 Isaac married Nora Daly. Isaac continued to farm in the Bathurst area while caring for his growing family. By 1881 Isaac had living in his household: his wife Nora, his three daughters from his first marriage and four sons from his marriage to Nora. The McAlpine's New Brunswick Directory 1889-1896, lists an Isaac Legacy as a farmer in Tete-a-Gouche River S.S. of the Bathurst area. Isaac continued to farm and raise his ever growing family in the Bathurst area. In 1991 Isaac and Nora had an additional son and three more daughters. At this time all of Isaac's children were living at home except for this first three daughters. Isaac must have been a successful farmer of a pretty big farm as he employed a farm hand to help him out at the farm. I don't think this was any of his sons as they are not listed as having a profession or occupation.
The 1900's have Isaac continuing to farm but this time each year the family he supports is shrinking. In 1911, he is still farming in South Tetagouche, Bathurst with only his wife Nora and youngest son William still at home. After the death of Nora in 1915 Isaac moved to Fox Creek, Moncton, New Brunswick to live with his daughter Elizabeth who was recently widowed. I wonder why he moved so far away from Bathurst when many of this other children still lived in the area. Did his family convince him to move in with Elizabeth to help her because she was recently widowed? It is here in Fox Creek where Isaac died on February 13, 1922, at approximately 82 years old, and is buried at the St. Anselme Parish.
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| L'Acadien - Feb 17, 1922, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bXkDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FCoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5569%2C5901032, Accessed November 2, 2014 |
Isaac's death was reported by his 22 year old grandson. It is interesting to note that his death certificate lists his year of birth as 1826; 4 years before his suspected parents married. The death notice published in L'Acadien February 17, 1922 lists Isaac's age as 96 years old, probably using the information from the death certificate. This information is suspect as all of the census records point to a year of birth around 1840.
