Alexandre (Bourg) Bourg dit Bellehumeur (abt. 1671 - abt. 1760)

Born about 1671 in Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Ancestors

Husband of Marguerite Melanson — married about 1694 in Grand-Pré, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Descendants

Died about 1760 at about age 89 in Richibouctou, Acadie, Nouvelle-France [uncertain]

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Biography

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Alexandre Bourg was born about 1671 to François Bourg and Marguerite Boudrot. He was probably born late in that year since he was not on the 1671 census for their family;^[1] in 1678 he was said to be age 8, born in 1670.^[2][3][4]

In 1693, at Port Royal, Alexandre BOURG, aged 22, was living with his sister, Anne, aged 9. They were living on 6 arpents of cultivable land.^[5]They had Bourg relatives living on either side of them.

Alexandre married Marguerite Melanson in about 1694 in Acadie,^[4] and over the course of their marriage had 15 children. All except two married and had children of their own.^[3] The family was living in Mines in 1714.^[6]

Children:^[3]

1. Marie Bourg 1695 in Grand Pré
2. Marie Madeleine Bourg (1696 - )
3. Anne Bourg (1699 - ) in Grand Pré
4. Marguerite Bourg ca 1701 in Acadie
5. Pierre Bourg ca 1703 in Acadie
6. Judith Bourg ca 1705 in Acadie
7. Anastasie Bourg (1708 - )
8. Alexandre Bourg (1709 - )
9. Marie Josephe Bourg (1711 - )
10. Dorothee Bourg (1713 - )
11. Paul Bourg (1715 - )
12. Michel Bourg (1717 - )
13. Benoni Bourg (1718 - )
14. Jean Baptiste Bourg (1720 - )
15. Joseph Bourg b: 8 Mai 1722

In August 1695 Alexandre took the oath of allegiance to the King of England and was one of the few who could sign the document.^[7][8]

Alexandre Bourg's signature

In 1701, Alexandre and Marguerite were living at Rivière-Sainte-Croix, Les Mines, with 4 daughters. They owned 15 cattle, 7 sheep, 10 hogs, 2 guns, and 8 arpents of land.^[9] They continued to tend their farm and raise their children at Les Mines where they were recorded in 1703 with 7 boys (sic) and 3 girls,^[10] and again in 1707 with 1 boy and 5 girls.^[11] Their livestock had increased to 18 cattle and 15 sheep.

In July 1711 he was appointed as expert land-surveyor, judge and notary, based on the recommendation of Father Bonaventure at Les Mines.^[7] The family was still residing at Les Mines where they appeared on the census in 1714 with 2 boys and 7 girls.^[12]Alexandre continued this work as notary until 1744 even through controversies until he was suspended by the Council of Nova Scotia.^[7][4][13] Sadly, after losing his job in 1744, his wife died later that year, in December.

After the founding of Halifax in 1749, which became a stronghold for the British, Acadians in the colony of Nova Scotia were encouraged by French authorities to move to French-controlled territory: Ile Saint-Jean (now Prince Edward Island) and Ile Royale (now Cape Breton). Alexandre followed his daughter Anne and her family to Ile Royale. In 1752, he was listed on the La Roque census at Port-Toulouse, age 84, at Anne's home, who was married to Joseph LeBlanc.^[14] He thus escaped the expulsion of Acadians that took place in 1755 in the colony of Nova Scotia. "After the fall of Louisbourg in 1758, he fled by land and sea to join other Acadian and Indigenous refugees in Richibucto. He died in 1760, frozen and starving, at the ripe old age of 89." (Translation)^[15]

According to declarations by his descendants at Belle-Isle-en-Mer, he died at age 102 [sic] in Richibouctou, which was still Acadie, Nouvelle-France for a few more years and then became New Brunswick.^[3][4][16]

The life of Alexandre Bourg is a good example of the hardships and difficult choices that Acadians had to make due to the political and military situation. Even though he was a highly respected and prosperous member of his community for most of his life, in his old age he was forced to flee to Ile Royale and then to present-day New Brunswick, far from his homeland.^[15]

Biographie

Alexandre Bourg dit Bellehumeur (vers 1671 - vers 1760) variante du nom: Bourgue.

Père et mère: Il est le fils de François Bourg et de Marguerite Boudrot.

Naissance: Vers 167, il naît à Port-Royal, Acadie, Canada (Nouvelle-France).

Mariage: En 1694, à Grand-Pré, Acadie, Canada (Nouvelle-France), Alexandre Bourg âgé de ~23 ans épouse Marguerite Melanson âgée de ~18 ans, fille de Sieur Pierre Melanson (abt.1632-aft.1714) de la Verdure et de Marguerite Mius (abt.1650-aft.1713)(Marie Marguerite Anne Mius d'Entremont).

Décès: En 1760, âgé de ~89 ans, Alexandre Bourg décède à Richibouctou, Acadie, Nouvelle-France.

Sources

1. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1671 Acadian Census, at Port-Royal, Acadie. 1671 Census Transcribed. The original census can be found at Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752” Images 3-14.

   vFrancois BOURC 28, wife Marguerite BOUDROT 23; Children: Michel 5, Marie 3; cattle 15, sheep.

2. ↑ Tim Hebert; 1678 Port Royal Acadian Census, noting that the correlations for this census were done by Rev. Clarence J. d'Entremont, Fairhaven, Massachusetts.1678 Census

   Francois Bourg & Marguerite Boudrot 8 acres 15 cattle

   2 boys

   13 1665 Michel 1665/6

   8 1670 Alexandre

   3 girls

   10 1668 Marie 1668

   5 1673

   1 1677

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Stephen A. White, Patrice Gallant, and Hector-J Hébert, Dictionnaire Généalogique Des Familles Acadiennes (Moncton, N.B.: Centre D'études Acadiennes, Université De Moncton, 1999) p. 223, 234, 1149
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} C. J. d’Entremont, “BOURG, Belle-Humeur, ALEXANDRE,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 3 (University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003) accessed January 27, 2020, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/bourg_alexandre_3E.html.
5. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1693 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1693 Census Transcribed. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the Library and Archives Canada "Acadie Recensements 1671 - 1752," Images 62-108;

   at Port Royal: Alexandre BOURG 22, Anne 9; 6 arpents

6. ↑ The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 247.

   Alexandre Bourg and wife, 2 sons, 7 daughters.

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Stephen A. White, English Supplement to the Dictionnaire Généalogique Des Familles Acadiennes, Part I, 1636 to 1714 (Moncton, N.B.: Centre d'études Acadiennes, Université de Moncton, 2000) p. 52
8. ↑ Roberta Estes, "Acadian 1695 Loyalty Oath Signatures – 52 Ancestors #395." DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy, Posted on April 22, 2023, accessed online on 27 Oct 2023 at https://dna-explained.com/2023/04/22/acadian-1695-loyalty-oath-signatures-52-ancestors-395/
9. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1701 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1701 Census Transcription. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the Library and Archives Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 174-211.

   Alexandre BOURG, his wife, 4 girls, 8 arpents, 15 cattle, 7 sheep, 10 hogs, 2 guns.

10. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1703 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1703 Census Transcription. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the Library and Archives Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 212-220.

    Alexandre BOURG, his wife, 7 boys, 3 girls, 2 arms hearers.

11. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1707 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1707 Census Transcription. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the Library and Archives Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 221-237.

    Alexandre BOURG. his wife, 1 boy 14 or older, 1 girl 12 or older. 4 younger girls; 8 arpents, 18 cattle, 15 sheep, 10 hogs.

12. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1714 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1714 Census Transcription. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the Library and Archives Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 239-261.

    Alexandre BOURC and wife, 2 sons, 7 daughters.

13. ↑ Acadian-Home.org "St-Charles-des-Mines Cemetery" Article by by Sally Ross & Susan Surette Draper. Author of website Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

    Alexandre Bourg dit Belle-Humeur was a notary, and represented the Acadians of the Grand-Pré or Minas region for negotiations with the British administration in Annapolis Royal (formerly Port-Royal). Alexandre's career ended in 1744 when he was accused of negligence and collaboration with the French, specifically, with his son-in-law Joseph LeBlanc dit Le Maigre and with François Du Pont Duvivier, his nephew and a captain in Louisbourg.

14. ↑ Report Concerning Canadian Archives for the Year 1905, Volume II (Ottawa: Printed by S.E.Dawson, 1905), 1752 La Roque Census, p. 22

    Joseph LeBlanc, native of la Cadie, aged 55 years

    Anne Bourg, his wife, aged 53, native of Des Mines

    They have two sons and one daughter:

    Alexandre, aged 20 years

    Paul, aged 17 years

    Anne, aged 10 years

    Joseph LeBlanc, aged 6 years, their nephew

    Anne Alain, aged 18 years, native of la Cadie

    Marie Joseph Alain, aged 15 years, their nieces

    Alexandre Bourg, her Father, native of la Cadie, aged 84

    They have been the colony three years and have received rations during that time. In live stock they have 25 cattle, 10 fowls, and one skiff The dwelling in which they are belongs to Joseph Dugas, their son-in-law. He allows them to occupy it until such time as they are given land.

15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Gregory Kennedy. Une sorte de paradis paysan? Éditions du Septentrion. 2021 Édition du Kindle, p. 26
16. ↑ Declarations de Belle-Ile-en-Mer, Acadian-Home.org Alexandre Bourg, Brother Jerôme Lepré, S.C., accessed Oct 2023

    On 5 February 1767, in the afternoon, appeared Joseph LEBLANC dit LE MAIGRE, Acadian, living at the village of Kervaux, Palais Parish, accompanied by others. He declared: "Joseph LeBLANC dit LeMAIGRE married at the Mines, St. Charles Parish to Anne BOURG, died at Miquelon on 13 June 1766. Anne BOURG was the daughter of Alexandre BOURG dit BELLE HUMEUR, notary at the Mines and Marguerite MELANCON. The said BOURG died at Richibouctou in 1760 at 102 years. The said MELANCON died at St. Charles Parish in 1745. Alexander BOURG was son of Francois BOURG. Francois BOURG was son of Abraham BOURG who came from France after the Treaty of Breda on 30 July 1661. The said Marguerite MELANCON was the daughter of Pierre who came from Scotland to Port Royal, married same place to Francoise de LATOUR of noble extraction."

Voir aussi / See also:

• Acadian in France - volume 2, 49
• Généalogie Québec site François Marchi
• Nos origines