Joseph Melanson (1721 - 1786)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Joseph Melanson is on the Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, Louisiana Plaque 12-Left, La Ville d'Archangel. Listed with him is his wife Ursule Hebert. ^[1]

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Early Years and Marriage
Joseph Melanson was born 19 Jan 1721. He was the son of Joseph Melanson and Marguerite LeBlanc. He was baptized the next day at Saint Charles des Mines, Grand-Pré, Acadia. His godparents were Philippe Melanson and Anne Leblanc.^[2][3]

Joseph (24) married Anne Bourg (27) (parents unknown) about 1746 in Acadie. ^[3]

Their known children were: ^[3]

1. Anne Josephe Melanson (~1747–>1792)
2. Germain Melanson (1749–>1772)
3. Unknown Melanson (1750– )
4. Marie Melanson (1752–1759)
5. Joseph Melanson (abt.1754-abt.1759)
6. Ausite Melanson (1756–~1759)
7. Joseph Melanson (1757–<1759)

Le Grand Dérangement: Gaspareau > Isle Saint-Jean > France
They were living in Cobeguit when Anne-Josèphe was born, around 1747. By 1752, fleeing the turmoil in the area, they went to Gaspareau with other refugees where they were listed with 2 boys and 2 girls. ^{[4] [5]}

The family found refuge on Isle Saint-Jean, after 1752 because they were not on the La Roque census, but before 15 February 1756 when their daughter Osite was born. The family with six children was deported to France in 1758 aboard one of five British ships that docked at Saint-Malo on 23 January 1759. Three of the youngest children died at sea during the crossing. Anne Bourg and their daughter Marie Melanson died at the hospital not long after arrival. Only Joseph and his children Josèphe and Germain survived the horrific conditions aboard the ship. ^{[3] [6]}

Joseph and his children lived at Saint-Énogat, France, from 1759 to 1772. ^[7]

Joseph (40) married Ursule Hébert (44) on 14 April 1761 in Saint-Énogat, Bretagne, France. There was a dispensation for 3-3 affinity. ^[3][8][9]

In 1762, they were residing in Saint-Énogat, France. ^[10]

(General Roll of the Inhabitants of Isle Royale and Isle St. Jean Distributed by Parishes for the Year 1762)

Joseph Mennancon, 39 yrs

Ursule Hebert, 48 yrs., his wife

Marguerite Menancon, 15 yrs., their daughter

Germain Menancon, 13 yrs., their son

Marguerite Bourg, 23 yrs, daughter of Ursule Hebert

Anne Bourg, 21 yrs., daughter of Ursule Hebert

In 1772 Joseph appeared on a census in Saint-Malo, He was a laborer, living with his wife Ursule who was a weaver, and his son Germain from his first marriage, a sailor. ^[10]

(Role of the Truly Acadian families - September 15, 1772)

Joseph Melanson, 48, laborer, of St. Malo

Ursule Hebert, 58, his wife, weaves

Germain, 23, their son, seaman

In 1784 Joseph and Ursule were on a list of Acadians in France who wanted to settle in Spanish Louisiana. ^[11]

Immigration to Louisiana
On 12 August 1785, they boarded La Ville d'Archangel that left Saint-Malo, bound for Louisiana. They disembarked in New Orleans on 3 December 1785. ^[12]

Death
Joseph died in December 1786 in Iberville, Louisiana, New Spain, aged 64. His burial took place on 29 December 1788 in St. Gabriel. ^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ "The Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial"; Wall of Names Committee; Jane G. Bulliard, Chair; second edition, 2015; Bodemuller The Printer, USA; p. 44
2. ↑ Library and Archives Canada, Fonds de la paroisse catholique Saint-Charles-des-Mines (Grand-Pré, N.-É.) - 1869; Canadiana, Heritage, Parish registers: Nova Scotia : C-1869 (Image 137): https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c1869/137?r=0&s=4
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Geneanet.org, Karen Theriot Reader's Family Tree, Joseph Melanson citing Stephen A. White, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles acadiennes: 1715 à 1780, (Moncton, NB: Centre d'études acadiennes, draft version) MELANSON #14 a. & BOURG #32 No parents listed for Anne Bourg. spouse
4. ↑ Stephen A. White, Recensements de Beaubassin et des Trois Rivières de Chipoudie, de Memramcook et de Petcoudiac (1686-1755). Les Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne, vol. 50, nos 2-4, juin-décembre 2019, pp.362-363.
5. ↑ Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home"; 2005 – Present, hosted by Lucie LeBlanc Consentino; 1752 Census The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the Library and Archives Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Image 290.

   Joseph MELANCON, his wife, 2 boys, 2 girls.

6. ↑ "Rolle des habitans de l'Isle St Jean débarqués à St Malo le 23 janvier 1759 des 5 paquebots anglois le Yarmouth, la Patience, le Mathias, la Restoration et le John et Samuel," Fonds de l'inscription maritime de Saint-Servan (France): C-4619, MG6 C2, Library and Archives Canada, Roll of the " Five English ships " (Yarmouth, Patience, Mathias, Restoration, John Samuel) disembarked at Saint-Malo on January 23, 1759 images 205 & 206, accessed 11 Sep 2023

   Family #143

   MELANCON Joseph, 36 ans

   BOURG Anne, 30 ans, femme, + à l'hôpital le 21 février 1759

   MELANCON Josèphe, 12 ans, fille

   MELANCON Germain, 10 ans, fils

   MELANCON Marie, 7 ans, fille, + le 8 mars 1759

   MELANCON Joseph, 4 ans, fils, + en mer

   MELANCON Joseph, 2 ans, fils, + en mer

   MELANCON Ozite, 3 ans, fille, + en mer

7. ↑ Michael B. Melanson, The Genealogy of an Acadian and Cajun Family, (Dracut, MA: Lanesville Publishing, 2004) p. 77 He lived at St. Enogat from 1759 to 1772.
8. ↑ Albert J. Robichaux, The Acadian Exiles in Saint-Malo, pt. I, vol. 2 (Eunice, LA, Hebert Publications, 1981) p. 616, Family #710

   He married 2nd on 14 Apr 1761 at St. Enogat, Ille-et-Vilaine, France to Ursule HEBERT, widow of Alexandre BOURG (see family#155) , daughter of Jacques & Marguerite LANDRY.

9. ↑ Archives en ligne Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et état civil, 10 NUM 35093 67 > DINARD-SAINT-ENOGAT > 1761 > Baptêmes/Mariages > COMMUNE, image 10 of 21 (top of right page) Marriage Joseph Melanson & Ursule Hébert
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Milton P. Rieder and Norma Gaudet Rieder, The Acadians in France, 1762-1776; rolls of the Acadians living in France distributed by towns for the years 1762 to 1776. ( Metairie, La. : M. P. Rieder, 1967) available online at https://archive.org/details/acadiansinfrance0000ried/mode/2up

    p. 56 (General Roll of the Inhabitants of Isle Royale and Isle St. Jean Distributed by Parishes for the Year 1762)

    Joseph Mennancon, 39 yrs

    Ursule Hebert, 48 yrs., his wife

    Marguerite Menancon, 15 yrs., their daughter

    Germain Menancon, 13 yrs., their son

    Marguerite Bourg, 23 yrs, daughter of Ursule Hebert

    Anne Bourg, 21 yrs., daughter of Ursule Hebert

    p. 158 (Role of the Truly Acadian families - September 15, 1772)

    Joseph Melanson, 48, laborer, of St. Malo

    Ursule Hebert, 58, his wife, weaves

    Germain, 23, their son, seaman

11. ↑ Jacqueline K. Voorhies, Some Late Eighteenth-Century Louisianians; Census Records of the Colony 1758-1796, (Lafayette, LA: University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1973) p. 515

    On list of Acadians in France who wanted to go to Louisiana "to establish themselves at the expense of His [Spanish] Catholic Majesty" (Cites: A.D.S. Legajo 2575). On the list from "ST. MALO:"

    Joseph MELANÇON, with wife Ursule HÉBERT, for a total of 2 in family.

12. ↑ Donald J. Hébert, Acadian Families in Exile, 1785 & Exiled Acadians, an Index, (Rayne, LA: Hébert Publications, 1995) pp. 102-103

    Joseph MÉLANCON, age 68, traveling with his wife Ursule HÉBERT, age 72, as the 50th family (of 2 persons) aboard "La Ville d'Archangel." He was issued on debarkation 1 each of axe, hatchet, shovel, hoe, knife, & large knife.

13. ↑ Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records, vol. 2, 1770-1803, (Baton Rouge, LA, Diocese of Baton Rouge 1980) p. 535 [Really only 65?]

    Josef MELANCON, age 70 years, born and baptized in St. Charles Parish, Acadia, buried 29 Dec 1786 (SGA-8, 6, #22).