Francois D'Assise Hebert is my Great Great Grandfather on my Dad's side of the family tree.
Francois D'Assise, or Dasi/Dazi as most records seem to refer to him as, was born May 18, 1841 in Shippagan, Gloucester county, New Brunswick to Benjamin Hebert and Colette Duguay. Dasi was the 8th child of Benjamin and the 2nd child for Colette. Dasi was baptised on September 1841 when he was 4 months old. He was the 13th of 21 children baptised that day at St. Jerome parish in Shippagan. The priest was only by every 6 months, his birth had just missed the last visit of the priest.
Dasi was raised on one of the largest farms (250 acres, 20 acres identified as improved with cows, oxen, sheep and swine) on the West Side of Shippagan with his 10 other siblings. In 1861 he was living at home on the farm with 6 of his siblings. He is unable to read or write so he probably never went to school. There is no occupation listed for Dasi on the 1861 census. With such a large farm it could be assumed that he worked on the farm, however with such a large fishing community he may have earned some money as a fisherman.
On August 6, 1864 when Dasi was 23 years old he married Marie Robert in Shippagan at St. Jerome Parish. Dasi and Marie must have met at church as I have been unable to find her family living near the Heberts anywhere on the 1861 census.
Cod fishing was booming in Gloucester county between 1875-1900 this is where over 70% of the cod caught in New Brunswick was landed with over 50% of that in the Shippagan/Caraquet area. Working as a fisherman must have paid well as I would have assumed that Dasi would have farmed part of his Father's land after he was married he however went on to become a fisherman. Between 1861 and 1871 Dasi went from being a farmer to earning a living as a fisherman. In 1871, he and Marie were living near Dasi's parents, only 3 households away. They were sharing a household with their 4 children and another couple (Charles and Olive Mallet). Charles Mallet was a hired fisherman as well as Dasi's three younger brothers. They lived next door to several Navigators, I wonder if this is how he was hired on as a fisherman.
Dasi is still earning a living as a fisherman in 1881 Shippagan. He and Marie now have 8 children at home, the youngest my Great Grandmother Beatrice Hebert. Dasi's siblings are still living near by almost all of them fishermen.
Dasi and Marie had 8 children living at home in 1891 ranging in ages from 22 to just under 2 years old (the last of their 12 children). By 1891, Dasi and 4 of his brothers (who live near by) are starting to transition back to farming as they are now earning a living as farmers and a fishermen. I wonder if the work was getting to hard for 40 year olds or did they start to sense the decline in fishing for the area.
Sometime around 1900 Dasi moved his family from Shippagan to Paquetville and fully transitioned to earning a living as a farmer. His children had started to marry and move out on their own as he only had 4 children living at home in 1901. Living next door were 2 sons and a brother. Between 1901 and 1906 Marie died and left Dasi as a widower. Dasi remarried Jan 22, 1906 to Adeline Drysdelle (also a widower).
Dasi was still farming at 70 years old in Paquetville. He and is new wife Adeline and her son were living with Dasi's son Joseph and his family (his wife and 3 children). Dasi was surrounded by family with 2 sons, a brother and nephews living next door.
At 80 years old in 1921 Dasi was no longer farming. He and Adeline were living in Paquetville with his son Joseph, his wife and their 7 children.
The winter of 1921/22 proved to be to much for Dasi. He died on Feb 3, 1922 at 80 years 9 months old. He is listed as dying of old age while living in Paquetville presumably with his son Joseph who submitted the notification of his death.
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