Priscilla (Unknown) Melanson Wright (abt. 1602 - abt. 1692)

Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 2 Research Notes 3 Biographie 4 Sources

Biography

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Priscilla's name is unknown but many family trees use Melanson or Malleson, perhaps a corruption of her first husband's family name of Melanson.^[1] As her four children were baptized with variations of the “Meranson” [aka "Melanson" - transcription error] surname, it would not have been Priscilla’s maiden name, as once theorized. ^[2] She was born around 1602.^[3]

Around 1631, Priscilla married Pierre Melanson dit Laverdure, a French Protestant (Huguenot), who found refuge in England because of French persecution due to his religion.^[1] Priscilla gave birth to 4 children:

1. Pierre (b. c1632, bapt August 15, 1637)
2. Jean.^[3] (Probably Pierre baptized Oct 29, 1637 - see Research Notes) White only shows 3 children, omitting Catherine and the second Pierre. Some have supposed that the second Pierre is really Jean and given him Jean's spouse. Bourque-573 22:24, 30 November 2020 (UTC))
3. Catherine (Catherine) bapt 4/19/1640
4. Charles (b. c1643)

On May 1, 1657, the family arrived in Acadia with the future English governor, Thomas Temple.^[1] Temple took possession of the western part of Acadie, including Fort Pentagöuet^[4] so it is likely that the Melansons settled in or near there.

After Acadia was retaken by France in 1667 [Treaty of Breda: 1667; actual transfer of local authority: 1670], Pierre moved with his wife and their youngest son, Jean [John], to Boston, Massachusetts Bay, New England. Stephen White estimates that Pierre died in New England in the winter 1676-1677.^[3]

Priscilla married Captain William Wright April 8, 1680 in Dorchester, Massachusetts.^[5]She and Marie Melanson lived in Dorchester.^{[citation needed]} She died at the beginning of 1692 in New England.^[3]

Research Notes

Through his diligence and dedication, Paul Delaney has made some very exciting and important discoveries – including the baptismal records of brothers Pierre (Peter) and Charles Mellanson, ancestors of the Melanson/Melançon family. In 2012, he published an article titled “Les Melanson en Angleterre” [“The Melansons in England”] with the results of his research. In the parish register of St. Martin in the Fields Church in London, he found four baptismal records for the children of Pierre and Priscilla: Petrus [Peter] Meranson baptized August 15, 1637 Petrus [Peter] Meronzo baptized October 29, 1637 Katherina [Catherine] Meranzo baptized April 19, 1640 Caroly [Charles] Meranzon baptized December 14, 1642

These entries were recorded in Latin and did not include dates of birth. As the first two baptisms took place two and a half months apart, the first Peter could not have been an infant. It is possible his parents were new members of the congregation and had him baptized there as a toddler. Their marriage record was not found in the parish registers. As for the second Peter, this may have been John. Occasionally, a recording priest or minister would mistakenly inscribe the father’s name in place of the child’s – a simple clerical error. It’s also possible that the first Peter died shortly after baptism (as a toddler) and the next newborn child was given his name. No burial records for this family were found. However, clergymen tended to be less diligent in recording these events.^[2]

Based on these two findings, there were two Pierre brothers unless the priest made a mistake with the second Pierre's name and should have written Jean. White has a Jean (John) listed who married Sarah --- in 1680. She is attached to the profile of John (Laverdure) Melleson (bef.1637-aft.1689) If Jean/John is really the second Pierre then there were only four children.

Denis Savard explains in an article that he believes Pierre born around 1632 (based on the censuses in Acadie) is probably the one who was baptized in August 1637 at about 5 years of age. The second Pierre, born in 1737, is probably the one known as Jean (John Laverdure dit Meleson). He adds that it is the most probable explanation based on the available documentation.^[6]

Did not find any comments or corrections by White in Corrections & Ajouts, Contact-Acadie or elsewhere following Delaney's article in 2012. Cormier-1939 21:10, 29 December 2020 (UTC)

Biographie

Elle nait vers 1602^[3] au Yorkshire, Angleterre.^{[citation needed]} Elle épousa Pierre La Verdure vers 1631 en Angleterre.^[3] Le couple a eu trois fils: Pierre (n. v1632), Charles (n. v1643), et Jean ^[3] ainsi qu'une fille Catherine.

Pierre La Verdure, Priscilla Melanson, Thomas Temple, John Laverdure Melancon, Sieur Pierre Melanson de la Verdure et Charles Melanson émigrent en 1657 sur le "Satisfaction" vers l'Acadie (Canada).^{[citation needed]}

"Emmené en Acadie avec sa famille par Thomas Temple au printemps de 1657, Pierre, son épouse et leur plus jeune fils se sont retirés à Boston après le traité de Bréda en 1667. Leurs deux autres fils, déjà mariés à des acadiennes, sont restés en Acadie."^[1] Pierre La Verdure et Priscilla Mallanson vivaient sur les terres de elle en 1676.

Priscilla épouse Capitaine William Wright le 8 avril 1680 à Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay. Elle et Marie Melanson vivent à Dorchester. Elle décède au début de 1691 en Nouvelle-Angleterre.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} 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).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Paul Delaney, “Les Melanson en Angleterre,” Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne, vol. 43, no. 3 (September 2012), pp. 44-60.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7} White, Stephen A., Patrice Gallant, and Hector-J Hébert. "Dictionnaire Généalogique Des Familles Acadiennes". Moncton, N.-B.: Centre D'études Acadiennes, Université De Moncton, 1999, Print. pp. 1145-1146
4. ↑ Temple
5. ↑ White, Stephen A., Patrice Gallant, and Hector-J Hébert. Dictionnaire Généalogique Des Familles Acadiennes. Moncton, N.-B.: Centre D'études Acadiennes, Université De Moncton, 1999, Print. P. 1145 citing Archives de Massachusetts'," vol XXXVII, fol 284
6. ↑ Savard, Denis. Racines acadiennes - "Les Melanson dit de la Verdure de Westminster (suite)." Acadie Nouvelle, Gens d'ici, 2 October 2016, accessed at https://www.acadienouvelle.com/etc/gensdici/2016/10/02/racines-acadiennes-melanson-dit-de-verdure-de-westminster-suite/

See also:

• Acadia: Intro to the Melansons
• http://www.genealogiequebec.info/frames.html
• FamilySearch, database, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, "American Ancestors," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:3:MMK6-BNY : accessed 12 July 2019), entry for Richard "Angleterre" Mallinson; "User:bourgettracy Tree:bourgettracy" file (2:3:2:MMM9-Y9Y), submitted 7 February 2019 by Tracy Bourget. NOTE - has parents for Pierre Melanson. Unsourced family tree.Bourque-573 22:24, 30 November 2020 (UTC)
• Michael B. Melanson postings on Facebook originally including the Paul Delaney article quoted above which is no longer in his posting list.Bourque-573 22:24, 30 November 2020 (UTC)
• Nos Origines: Family Tree