Claire Cormier (1684 - 1747)

Born 2 Jul 1684 in Beaubassin, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Ancestors

Daughter of Thomas Cormier and Marie Madeleine Girouard

Wife of Pierre Cyr — married after 1701 in Beaubassin, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

Descendants

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Biography

Claire was born on June 2, 1684 and baptized on July 2nd 1684 at Beaubassin, Acadia (Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada).^[1]Her parents Thomas and Marie-Madeleine Girouard were among the first settlers of Beaubassin.^[2] Their farm was located at Ouescoque (Point Amherst).^[3]

Alternatively, from archives Canada, Claire Cormier was born 2 July 1684 and was baptized the same day at Beaubassin, Acadia. She was the daughter of Thomas Cormier and Marie-Madeleine Girouard. Her godparents were Louis Morin and Magdeleine Dugast who named her Claire.^[4]

In 1686, at Chiqnitou dit Beaubassin, Angelique (sic), aged 4, was living with her parents, Thomas Cormier, aged 55, and Magdelaine (sic) GIROUARD, aged 37, and her 8 (sic) siblings: Magdeleine (sic), aged 18, Francois, aged 16, Marie (sic), aged 12, Alexis, aged 14, Germain, aged 10, Pierre, aged 8, Marie and Jeanne twins (sic) aged 1. The family owned 4 guns and was living on 40 arpents of cultivable land with 30 cattle, 10 sheep, and 15 hogs. See "Research Notes".^[5]

Sometime after the Census of 1701 and about the age of 17, Claire married Pierre Cyr, son of Pierre Cyr and Marie Bourgeois.^[1]Their growing family continued to be listed in subsequent censuses of 1703, 1707, and 1714 in the parish of Beaubassin.

By the middle of 1720s, Claire had given birth to 11 children, Marie (a 1702), unknown son (b 1703), Anne (a 1703), Marquerite (a 1703), Pierre (b 1713), Jean-Jacques (c 1713), Françoise (a 1714), Joseph (1718), Honoré (1720) Agnès (1723), and another Marie (a 1723).^[1] She had her last child in her early 40’s.

Beside her own children, Claire also took care of her older sister’s son, Claude Boudrot, who was left orphaned after the death of his parents. Sometime after 1708, Claude’s father, Michel Boudrot died, followed by his mother, Marie-Madeleine Cormier, soon afterwards. The aunts of the Boudrot and Cormier families each adopted one of the orphaned seven children. Claude was about 5 years old when he joined the Cyr family.^[1][3]

Large families were very common in Acadian communities. Claire raised her children during the ‘Golden Age of Acadia’, the years between 1710 and 1744. This meant that food was plentiful and there was neither famine nor war nor epidemics to take its toll on the community. “The collective experience was of low infant mortality and of a community of multiple generations.”^[6] And Naomi Griffiths explains further, “The majority of children lived to become parents themselves. The contrast with the survival rate of contemporary Europe was remarkable.” ^[7] Claire lived to see 10 of her 11 children survive to adulthood, who then married and started families of their own.

Claire died, in her early sixties sometime before the 13 February 1747.^[1]

Timeline

1684 birth, in Beaubassin (Ouescoque)

1687 War of the League of Augsburg (King William’s War) starts between England and France^[1]

1686 Residence, in Beaubassin

1698 Residence, in Beaubassin

1696 Benjamin Church raids Beaubassin. Once the English ships were seen, the inhabitants fled, carrying their more valuable possessions. Church “…stayed nine days and in his own account …admitted that the settlers’ ”cattle sheep, hogs, and dogs” were left ”lying dead about their houses, chopped and hacked with hatches". The church and some of the houses were also burnt.^[1]

1700 Residence, in Beaubassin

a1701 married Pierre Cyr, son of Pierre Cyr and Marie Bourgeois.

1702 War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne’s War) starts between England and France"'^[8]

a1702 birth, daughter Marie

b1703 birth, unknown son

1703 Residence, in Beaubassin

a1703 birth, daughter Anne

a1703 birth, daughter Marguerite

1704: Church raids Beaubassin again: “The Acadians were in arms and an indecisive skirmish ensued. After the Acadians retreated into the woods, Church and his men found that the inhabitants had removed as much of their household and farm goods as possible. Church set the buildings on fire [20]and killed about 100 cattle before leaving to return to Boston” ^[1]

1707 Residence, in Beaubassin

b1713 birth, son Pierre

c1713, birth son Jean-Jacques

1714-15: A new English king requires oaths of allegiance.^[7] Delegates from Beaubassin sign a conditional oath of allegiance, promising to stay true to the King of Great Britain for as long as they stayed in Nova Scotia, and to remain neutral in the event of a conflict between France and Great Britain

1714 Residence, in Beaubassin

a1714 Birth, daughter Françoise

1718 Birth, son Joseph

1720 Birth, daughter Honoré

1720 and onward: Acadians refuse to sign an unconditional oath of allegiance. This is tolerated by the British as they lack military means to enforce the oath. ^[9]

1713-1744: Golden Age[7] of Acadian Growth and Prosperity. Beaubassin is productive in raising cattle, growing grain, and trading fur with the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet. Surpluses are traded with both the English (Bay of Fundy) and the French (Baie Vert).^[10]

1723 birth, daughter Agnès

a1723 birth, daughter Marie

b1747 death

Biographie

Claire est né le 2 juin 1684 et elle a été baptisée le 2 juillet 1684 à Beaubassin, Acadie (Amherst, Nouvelle Écosse, Canada).^[1][2] Ses parents Thomas et Marie-Madeleine Girouard figuraient parmi les premiers colons de Beaubassin.^[2] Leur ferme etait située à Ouescoque (Pointe Amherst, Nouvelle-Écosse, Canada).^[3]

Quelque temps après le recensement de 1701 et á l'âge de 17 ans, Claire a épousé Pierre Cyr, fils de Pierre Cyr et Marie Bourgeois.^[1] Leur famille grandissante continué à figurer dans les recensements ultérieurs de 1703, 1707, et 1714 dans la paroisse de Beaubassin.

Vers le milieu de 1720, Claire avait donné naissance à 11 enfants, Marie (a 1702), fils inconnu (b 1703), Anne (a 1703), Marquerite (a 1703), Pierre (b 1713), Jean-Jacques (c 1713), Françoise (a 1714), Joseph (1718), Honoré (1720) Agnès (1723), et une autre Marie (a 1723).^[1] Elle a eu son dernier enfant dans son début des années 40.

A côté de ses propres enfants, Claire a également pris soin de le fils de sa sœur aînée, Claude Boudrot, qui a été laissé orphelin après la mort de ses parents. Quelque temps après 1708, le père de Claude, Michel Boudrot est mort, suivi de sa mère, Marie-Madeleine Cormier, peu de temps après. Les tantes de la famille Boudrot et Cormier adoptèrent chacun l'un des sept enfants orphelins. Claude était d'environ 5 ans quand il a rejoint la famille Cyr.^[1][3]

Les familles ont été très fréquents dans les communautés acadiennes. Claire a élevé ses enfants pendant la "Golden Age de l'Acadie», les années entre 1710 et 1744.^[6] Cela signifiait que la nourriture était abondante et il n'y avait ni la famine, ni guerre, ni épidémies à faire sentir ses effets à la communauté. "L'expérience collective était de faible mortalité infantile et d'une communauté de plusieurs générations."^[6] Et Naomi Griffiths explique en outre: «La majorité des enfants vivaient à devenir parents eux-mêmes. Le contraste avec le taux de l'Europe contemporaine de survie était remarquable."^[1] Claire a vécu pour voir 10 de ses 11 enfants de survivre jusqu'à l'âge adulte, qui a ensuite épousé et a commencé à leur propre famille.

Claire est mort, en début de la soixantaine peu avant 13 Février 1747.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13} Library and Archives Canada, Registres paroissiaux (Acadie)-Canadiana, Heritage, Parish registers: Nova Scotia:C-3021(Image 24): http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c3021/24?r=0&s=6
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} White, Stephen A. La généalogie des trente-sept familles hôtesses des "Retrouvailles 94", Les Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne, vol. 25, nos 2 et 3 (1994). (Cormier)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Surette, Paul. Atlas of the Acadian Settlement of the Beaubassin 1660 to 1755. Tintamarre and Le Lac. Tantramar Heritage Trust. 2005, p 44-45 (parents' Ouesqoque homestead at Amherst Point); p9(dispute with the Poiriers); p ? (marital homestead location); p 16 (adoption of sister Marie-Madeleine Cormier Boudrot’s orphans)
4. ↑ Library and Archives Canada, Registres paroissiaux (Acadie)-Canadiana, Heritage, Parish registers: Nova Scotia:C-3021(Image 24): http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c3021/24?r=0&s=6
5. ↑ 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 Chiqnitou dit Beaubassin: Thomas CORMIER 55, Magdelaine GIROUARD 37; children: Magdeleine 18. Francois 16, Alexis 14, Marie 12, Germain 10, Pierre 8, Angelique 4, twins Marie and Jeanne 1; 4 guns, 40 arpents, 30 cattle, 10 sheep, 15 hogs. In the original 1686 census at Chiqnitou dit Beaubassin, Marie Madeleine Girouard was listed as Magdelaine Girouer. Marie Madeleine (daughter) was listed as Magdelaine and transcribed as Magdeleine. Marie Anne was listed as just Marie. Claire was listed as Angelique. Marie and Jeanne were listed as twins when the twins were actually Agnes and Marie. Agnes was not listed at all even though she was listed in the 1693 census. Jeanne was not a twin. The 1686 census at Beaubassin may not have been taken until 1688 since Jeanne was born in 1688 and is listed in the 1686 census. The 1686 census lists 4 boys and 5 girls by name while White’s Recensement de Beaubassin 1686 lists 3 boys and 6 girls by number.

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Griffiths, Naomie E.S. The Contexts of Acadian History 1686-1784.Published for the Center for Canadian Studies Mount Allison University, Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press, 1992, p60 (low infant mortality, multiple generation); p61 (golden age);
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Griffiths, Naomi E.S., From migrant to Acadian : a North-American border people, 1604-1755, Montreal (Québec), McGill-Queen's University Press, 2005, p147-151 (King William’s War); p 164 (1696 Church raid of Beaubassin); p173 (survival to maturity relative to Europe); p 208 (1704 Church’s Raid on Beaubassin)); p 267-268 (oaths of allegiance)
8. ↑ Dunn, Brenda. A History of Port Royal / Annapolis Royal 1605-1800. Nimbus Publishing, p44-45 (1697 Treaty of Ryswick); p52-53(1702 Queen Anne’s War); p82-85(1710 Siege of PR).
9. ↑ The Neutrality: Political Context, 1755 Histoire et Les Histoires, University of Moncton
10. ↑ Brun, Régis with contributions by AJB Johnston and E Clarke, Fort Beauséjour/Fort Cumberland: Une Histoire/A History, Société du Monument Lefebvre in Collaboration with Parks Canada, Accessed November 2013 Second Site v5.0.9.

• 1693 Acadian Census at Beaubassin: Madeleine GIROUARD widow (of Thomas CORMIER) 39, Alexis 16, Germain 13, Pierre 11, Claire 9, Marie 7, Agnes 7, Jeanne 5; 16 cattle, 4 sheep, 12 hogs

• 1698 Acadian census at Beaubassin: Marie-Madeleine GIROUARD (widow of Thomas CORMIER?) 45; Germain 18; Pierre 16; Claire 14; Marie and Agnes,twins, 12; Jeanne 10; 12 cattle, 4 sheep, 8 hogs.

• 1700 Acadian census at Beaubassin: Madelaine GIROUARD, widow of François [sic] CORMIER, 47; Germain 20; Piere 18; Claire 16; Marie and Agnes (twins) 12; Jeanne 12; 17 cattle, 12 sheep, 4 hogs, 24 arpents. [I'm not sure why Thomas is called François here.]

• 1703 Acadian census at Beaubassin: Pierre SIRE, his wife, one boy, one girl, one arms bearer.

• 1707 Acadian census at Beaubassin: Pierre Sire and Anne [sic] Cormier, 2 girls less than 12; 8 arpents (CHECK as SW cites 4 arpents en valeur), 12 cattle, 8 sheep, 5 hogs.

• 1714 Acadian census at Beaubassin: Pierre SIRE and Claire CORMIER his spouse; children: Marie, Anne, Margueritte, Pierre, Jean-Jacques, Claude BOUDROT, orphan.

DNA

• Maternal relationship is confirmed through Mitochondrial DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. Christy Woodward, FTDNA Kit # B884943, and her maternal line cousin UNK (a direct matrilineal descendant of Marie Caroline Bourg), Kit # 96844, have an exact HVR1, HVR2, and coding region match, thereby confirming their direct maternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is Jeanne Aucoin, the 10x great grandmother of Christy Woodward and the 9x grandmother of UNK. See this diagram from the Mothers of Acadia DNA Project for more information.