Ambroise Melanson (abt. 1685 - 1757)

Born about 1685 in Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Ancestors

Husband of Françoise Bourg — married 10 Nov 1705 in Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Husband of Marguerite Comeau — married 23 Jan 1719 in St. Jean-Baptiste, Annapolis Royal, Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia

Descendants

Died 7 Aug 1757 at about age 72 in Québec, Canada, Nouvelle-France

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Biography

Ambroise Melanson is one of twins.

Ambroise Melanson, son of Charles Melanson and Marie Dugas, and twin brother of Pierre Melanson, were born about March 1685 in Port-Royal.

In 1686, at Port Royal, Ambroise, aged 10 months, was living with his parents, Charles MELANSON, aged 44, and Marie DUGAS, aged 38, and six siblings: Isabelle [sic], aged 13, Charles, aged 11, Madeleine, aged 9, Marie, aged 7, Fransoise, aged 4, and twin brother, Pierre aged 10 months. The family owned 1 gun and was living on 6 arpents of cultivable land with 20 cattle, 12 sheep, and 6 hogs.^[1]

In 1693, at Port Royal, Ambroise, twin, aged 8, was living with his parents, Charles MELANCON, aged 46, and Marie DUGAS, aged 42, and his seven siblings: Charles, aged 18, Madeleine, aged 16, Marie, aged 12, Francoise, aged 10, Pierre, twin, aged 8, Claude, aged 5, and Jeanne, aged 3. The family owned 4 guns and was living on 35 arpents of cultivable land with 20 cattle, 25 sheep, and 12 pigs.^[2]

Ambroise Melanson and Francoise Bourg were married at Port-Royal on 10 November 1705. "Mariage Ambroise Melanson et Francoise Bourg" Francoise was born in Port Royal about 1683.^[3][4][5]

Children with Françoise:^[6]

1. Charles Melanson (1706–aft. 1720) .
2. Unknown Melanson (1706–1706) .
3. Joseph Melanson (1708– ) .
4. Jean Melanson (1710–1782) .
5. Magdelaine Melanson (1714–bef. 1754) .
6. Ambroise Melancon (1714–bef. 1763) .
7. Marie Melanson (1714–1733) .
8. Marguerite Melanson (1715– ) .
9. Élisabeth Melanson (1715–1757)

Françoise died within a month of giving birth to her second set of twins. She was buried in the cemetery at Port Royal on 15 Dec 1715. She had prevously also had a set of triplets, as well as having two single births.^[3]

Ambroise remarried to Marguerite Comeau at Annapolis Royal on 23 Jan 1719. Marguerite was born about 1699 to Jean Comeau and Francoise Hebert.^[3][7][8][9] Ambroise was the father of 21 children.^[10]

Children with Marguerite:^[6]

1. Anne Melanson 1720-1734
2. Cécile Melanson 1723-1796
3. Marie Francoise (Marie Josèphe) Melanson 1725-1801
4. Pierre Melanson 1727-1804
5. Jean Melanson 1729-1806
6. Brigitte Melanson 1731-/1799
7. Modeste Marguerite Melanson 1734-
8. Marguerite Melancon 1736-1780
9. Desire Melanson 1739-
10. Amand Melanson 1741-/1819
11. Marie Josèphe Melanson ca 1743- (See Marie Melanson (abt.1744-) Research Note)
12. Felicité Melanson 1745-1768

Ambroise, his wife Marguerite, and the children Modeste, Marguerite, Désiré and Félicité are believed to have been among the Acadians who escaped the 1755 Deportation by seizing, with other passengers, the boat Pembroke, which was supposed to transport them from Annapolis Royal to exile in North Carolina. Of the seven ships involved in this exodus, the Pembroke was unique in having only eight Englishmen in the crew. When bad weather separated the Pembroke from the other boats in the party, the Acadians on board revolted, and took control of the ship. They sailed first to Saint Mary's Bay, then on to the Saint Jean river. It was there that they were discovered by the British. Following a skirmish that forced the British to retreat, the Acadians burned the boat so it would not again fall into enemy hands. They then traveled by foot to the village of Sainte-Anne-des-Pays-Bas (Fredericton) where they spent the winter. Food and supplies were scarce. So the following summer they migrated to Quebec. It is tragic that having succeeded in escaping the Deportation, many Acadians who were on the Pembroke only reached Quebec City to die in the epidemic of "picote" or "petite variole" (smallpox).^[11] His sister Madeleine was a passenger on the Pembroke, and it is likely that his siblings Marguerite and Charles were also on board.

Ambroise died in Québec, Canada on 7 August 1757 and was buried in Quebec (city) the next day.^[12] Marguerite died 3 weeks later on 29 August 1757 and was buried in Quebec the following day.^[3] His brother Charles passed away in Quebec the following month.

A smallpox epidemic was raging in Quebec in 1756-1757. Many of the 1144 ^[13] Acadians that reached Quebec City during that period were already exhausted by famine, other diseases and their many displacements trying to escape the roundups of the British soldiers. Approximately 300 Acadian exiles died in the city of Quebec alone.^[14] The church register of Notre-Dame-de-Quebec parish shows numerous entries of deceased Acadians indicated by a cross and the letters "acc" or "acad" in the margins.

1698 Acadian Census, at Port-Royal, Acadia, age 13 years.

1700 Acadian Census, at Port-Royal, Acadia, age 15 years.

1701 Acadian Census, at Port-Royal, Acadia, age 15 years (sic).

Biographie

Ambroise Melanson et son frère jumeau Pierre sont nés vers 1685 à Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France. Leurs parents étaient Charles Melanson et Marie Dugas.

Ambroise épousa Françoise Bourg le 10 novembre 1705.^[4]

Il épousa Marguerite Comeau le 23 janvier 1719.^[7]

Ambroise est décédé à Québec le 7 août 1757 et a été inhumé le lendemain.^[12] Une épidémie de petite vérole faisait rage à Québec à ce moment-là. Son frère Charles est décédé le mois suivant.

Sources

1. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1686 Acadian Census, at Port-Royal, Acadie 1686 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 15-60;

   at Port Royal: Charles MELANSON 44, Marie DUGAS 38; children: Isabelle 13, Charles 11, Madeleine 9, Marie 7, Francoise 4, twins Pierre and Ambroise 10 month; 1 gun, 6 arpents, 20 cattle, 12 sheep, 6 hogs. In the original 1686 census at Port Royal, Madeleine was listed as Magdelaine but transcribed as Madeleine. Elisabeth was listed as Isabelle.

2. ↑ 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: Charles MELANCON 46, Marie DUGAS 42, Charles 18, Madeleine 16, Marie 12, Francoise 10, Pierre & Ambroise (twins) 8, Claude 5, Jeanne 3; 20 cattle, 25 sheep, 12 pigs, 35 arpents, 4 guns. In the original 1693 census at Port Royal, Madeleine was listed as Magdelaine but transcribed as Madeleine. Jean was listed as Jeanne.

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Michael B. Melanson, Melanson~Melancon The Genealogy of an Acadian and Cajun Family, (Dracut, Massachusetts Lanesville Publishing, 2004) p. 51.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} An Acadian Parish Remembered-The Registers of St. Jean-Baptiste, Annapolis Royal, 1702-1755, Ambrose Melanson and Françoise Bourg, Register, RG 1 Vol. 26 p.278, Priest-Justinien Durand, Registration Date-10 November 1705, Event-Marriage, Mariage Ambroise Melanson et Françoise Bourg
5. ↑ Mariage Documents Images, Ambroise Melanson m. Francoise Bourg, Library and Archives Canada, Série G3. Dépôt des papiers publics des colonies; notariat document textuel (surtout des microformes), (R11577-30-3-F), Date(s)-1705, novembre, 09, Place-Port-Royal, Online MIKAN no. 2476907 (4 items)Title- Notariat de l'Acadie et du Canada. [1], [2], [3], [4]
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Geneanet.org. Karen Theriot Reader's Family Tree. Page for Ambroise Melanson
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Library and Archives Canada, Fonds de la paroisse catholique Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Port-Royal, N.-É.)-1870 C-1870 (image 177) https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c1870/177?r=0&s=5
8. ↑ Nova Scotia Archives: An Acadian Parish Remembered: The Registers of St Jean-Baptiste, Annapolis Royal 1702-1755, RG 1, Vol. 26, p. 323 Mariage Ambroise Melanson et Marguerite Comeau
9. ↑ PRDH: Research Programme in Historical Demography (membership): union: 6662
10. ↑ Birth-Parents-Census-Marriage-Death-Burial: Stephen A. White, DICTIONNAIRE GENEALOGIQUE DES FAMILLES ACADIENNES; 1636-1714; Moncton, New Brunswick, Centre d'Etudes Acadiennes, 1999, 2 vols.; p. 1147 & 1159

    Marguerite was around age 19 when married to Ambroise, a widower with several children, among them two sets of twins and one of triplets. Possibly only 6 children survived, however.

11. ↑ Lucie LeBlanc Consentino. Pembroke Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home, Pembroke Passenger List Reconstructed by Paul Delaney, translated by Karen Theriot Reader. Accessed November 2021. Originally published in Les Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne vol. 35, nos. 1 & 2 (Jan-Jun 2004) Family # 29 p, 54 https://societehistoriqueacadienne.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/3501_total.pdf
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Burial Record : "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899Q-MKC4?cc=1321742&wc=HC3D-ZNL%3A17585101%2C19508101%2C26879601 : 16 July 2014), Québec > Notre-Dame-de-Québec > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1757-1759 > image 60 of 259; Archives Nationales du Quebec (National Archives of Quebec), Montreal.
13. ↑ Vachon, André-Carl. Les réfugiés et miliciens acadiens en Nouvelle-France 1755-1763, Tracadie, La Grande Marée, 2020, p. 93
14. ↑ Jobb, Dean W. The Cajuns: A People's Story of Exile and Triumph. (John Wiley & Sons, 14 janv. 2010) 272 pages accessed at Google Books

See also:

• Ambroise Melanson