Anne Blanchard (1740 - aft. 1789)

Born 18 Jun 1740 in Beaubassin, Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia

Ancestors

Daughter of Toussaint Blanchard and Angélique Bertrand

Descendants

Died after 1789 after age 48 in Louisiana, New Spain

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Anne Blanchard is an Acadian. Join: Acadians Project Discuss: ACADIA

Anne Blanchard lived in Louisiana. Join: Louisiana Families Project Discuss: louisiana

Biography

BENOIT COMMEAU is on the Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, Louisiana Plaque 10 Right, L'Amitie. Listed with his is his wife Anne Blanchard and their children Jean, Anne Eleonnor, Margueritte, Marie Anne Victoire and Rose, and Benoit's belle soeur (sister-in-law) Magdeleine Blanchard.^[1]

Anne Blanchard migrated from France to Louisiana.

This profile is part of the Blanchard Name Study.

Anne Blanchard was born to Toussaint Blanchard and Angelique Bertrand on June 18, 1740 and was baptized in Beaubassin on 24 June 1741.^[2][3][4][5] By the year 1752, the family were living in Petitcodiac, at the time the family consisted of her father Toussaint, her mother, four boys and four girls, including her.^[6] Following the destruction of the churches in Chipoudy and Petitcoudiac in the fall of 1755, the house of Toussaint Blanchard on the west side of the Petitcodiac River was used by Father Jean-Baptiste de la Brosse, to baptize many children. The English finally destroyed the villages on the upper Petitcodiac where many Acadian refugees had been hiding for three years in 1758.^[7]

The May 15, 1767 census of Acadian families on the islands of St-Pierre and Miquelon shows Anne in the household of Maurice Comeau, her father-in-law, with a child of 4 years of age suggesting that Anne wed Joseph "Benoit" Comeau in about 1762.^[8] The family was among those who had fled to the last French colony in North America, St. Pierre and Miquelon. In this family's case, they were said to come from Halifax. Anne's parents and siblings had also fled to the islands and had come from the Chedabucto area. ^[9]

So many people had fled to the colony that the government there was forced to conclude they could only support 300 Acadians. After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, the rest were given eighteen months to relocate to French soil elsewhere. A large number were sent to France in 1767.^[10]

Maurice Comeau, his wife, son and his son's family were amongst those that sailed on the King's frigate, L'INCONSTANTE to Brest, France as did Anne's parents and siblings.^[11]. Benoit's father died sometime after arrival and was buried at the hospital in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, in what is today Finistère, Bretagne, France on the sixteenth of January 1768.^[12]

By the time that the French completed a census of "The Truly Acadian Families" in 1772, the family was in Cherbourg, France. A transcription^[13] of that record is below.

BENOIST CAUMO, 35, son of the above Margueritte Thibodeau, laborer and sawer[sic], of Cherbourg.

Anne Blanchard, 32, his wife

Jean, 7, their son

Marie Anne Victoire, 3, their daughter

Anne Leonore, 1, their daughter

Anastasie Margtte., 5 mo., their daughter

Madne. Blanchard, 28, sister of Anne Blanchard

It appears that their eldest son, Pierre has passed away.

In 1775, four convoys of Acadians travelled to Nantes, following a failed settlement attempt on land that proved unsuitable for farming in Poitou.^[14] Benoit, Anne, their children, and her sister were on the third convoy leaving Chatelleraut for Nantes on December 7, 1775.^[15]

Benoist Coumeau, 38, carpenter

Anne Blanchard, 35, his wife

Jean, 20, their son

Marie Anne, 7, their daughter

Anne Eleonore, 5, their daughter

Margueritte, 3, their daughter

Madelaine, 33, sister of Anne Blanchard

Over the next 10 years in Nantes, two more daughters were added to the family. Anne was baptized June 6, 1777 but died a little over two years later, being buried on June 17, 1779.^[16] Rose Julie was baptized at St. Martin Church in Chantenay on September 30, 1779.^[17]

On August 20, 1785 the family departed La Rochelle, France aboard L'Amitie. They are listed on the passenger list as follows^[18]

Benoit COMEAUX, carpenter - 48

Anne BLANCHARD, wife - 45

Jean COMEAUX, son, carpenter - 19

Anne Eleonore COMEAUX, daughter - 14

Marguerite COMEAUX, daughter - 12

Marie Anne Victoire COMEAUX, daughter - 16

Rose COMEAUX, daughter - 5

Magdelaine BLANCHARD, sister-in-law - 40

After 80 days at sea and the birth of their youngest daughter, Claire Adelaide, on September 15, 1785^[19] they arrived on November 8, 1785.^[18]

The family settled in Lafourche Parish where they were counted on both the 1788 Census of Lafourche,^[20] and 1789 censuses.^[21] In 1788 they occupied a tract of land with six arpents of frontage and owned forty quarts of corn and six hogs. In 1789, their possessions were the same except they had added two more hogs, to total eight.

I have yet to find definitive proof as to how long Anne and Benoit lived after this, but when their daughter Margueritte Anastasia wed in 1794^[22] and their daughter Rose Julie wed in 1799^[23], neither parent was noted as being deceased. It is safest to say they died sometime after the 1789 census.

Anne (21) married Joseph Benoit Comeau (24) (born in Chipoudy, Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia) in 1762. Their known children were:

1. Pierre Comeau (Jul 4 1764 – unknown) .
2. Jean Comeau (about Dec 28 1765 – unknown) .
3. Marie Anne Victoire Comeau (Feb 27 1769 – Jan 3 1824) .
4. Anne Eleonore Comeau (Feb 6 1771 – before Sep 1821) .
5. Marguerite Anastasie Comeaux (about May 24 1773 – Dec 12 1845) .
6. Rose Julie Comeau (Sep 30 1779 – Sep 18 1858)
7. Anne (6 Jun 1777 - 17 Jun 1779)
8. Claire Adalaide (15 Sep 1785- )

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. 39.
2. ↑ Library and Archives Canada Fonds des Archives départementales de la Charente-Maritime [La Rochelle, France] : C-1207 Registres de Beaubassin - reel_c1207 MG 6 A 2 (Image 84) http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c1207/84?r=0&s=6
3. ↑ "Nova Scotia Births and Baptisms, 1702-1896," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XL5S-P6P : 10 February 2018), Anne Blanchard, 18 Jun 1740; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
4. ↑ Maternal relationship is confirmed by an exact HVR1 and HVR2 match between the Family Tree DNA mtDNA test for Donna Storz and the Family Tree DNA mtDNA test of her maternal line cousin Candice Burton. See Mothers of Acadia mtDNA Project Kits B5389 and 373189 confirming their direct maternal lines back to their MRCA Barbe Bajolet
5. ↑ *Maternal relationship is confirmed by an exact HVR1 and HVR2 match between this Family Tree DNA mtDNA test for Donna (Friebel) Storz and this Family Tree DNA mtDNA test of her maternal line cousin Mary-Lucille (Andrus) Sims.
6. ↑ 1752 Acadian Census, Acadian-Cajun Genealogy & History website by Tim Hebert.
7. ↑ The Acadian Refugees and Exiles who went to New Brunswick, Lucie LeBlanc Consentino, Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home, accessed 25 Jun 2018.
8. ↑ Familles Acadiennes qui sont maintenant aux îles St-Pierre et Miquelon suivant le recensement d'icelles, fait le 15 mai 1767. , L’Arche Musée et Archives de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, accessed 25 Jun 2018.
9. ↑ Familles Acadiennes qui sont maintenant aux îles St-Pierre et Miquelon suivant le recensement d'icelles, fait le 15 mai 1767. , L’Arche Musée et Archives de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, accessed 25 Jun 2018. Summary:

   Toussaint BLANCHARD, venu de Chédabouctou-65; Angélique BERTRAND, sa femme-65; Ambroise BLANCHARD, leur fils-33; Michel BLANCHARD, leur fils-28; Joseph BLANCHARD, leur fils-21; Marie BLANCHARD, leur fille-25; Magdeleine BLANCHARD, leur fille-23.

10. ↑ Hebert, Tim. Exile Destination: St.Pierre & Miquelon. Accessed October 1, 2014.
11. ↑ Liste générale des habitants des îles St-Pierre et Miquelon émigrés pour la France la présente année 1767 sur divers bâtiments, L’Arche Musée et Archives de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon , accessed 25 Jun 2018.
12. ↑ Burial record for Maurice Comeau, dated 16 Jan 1768, in the Sépultures (1732-1792) Saint-Pol-de-Léon (Hôpital), Conseil General Finistere, France Etat Civil et Registres Paroissiaux Archives, image 40 of 122.
13. ↑ Rieder, Milton P. Jr. & Rieder, Norma Gaudet. (1967) The Acadians in France, Volume 1; Metairie, LA: Rieder& Rieder, p. 47.
14. ↑ Hebert, Tim. [https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~acadiancajun/genealogy/nantes.htm Nantes], Acadian-Cajun Genealogy & History, accessed 25 Jun 2018
15. ↑ Rieder, Milton P. Jr. & Rieder, Norma Gaudet. (1967) The Acadians in France, Volume 1 Metairie, LA: Rieder& Rieder, p.110.
16. ↑ Robichaux, Albert J. Jr., (1978) The Acadian Exiles in Nantes 1775-1785 ;Harvey, LA: Robichaux, p.41-42.
17. ↑ Baptism record for Rose Julie Comeau, dated 30 Sept 1779, in the parish register, Saint-Martin Parish, Chantenay, France; Archives départementales de Loire-Atlantique, France Commune: Chantenay; paroisse: Saint-Martin; Année 1779, image 58 of 73.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Hebert, Tim. Passenger List for L'Amitie, Acadian-Cajun Genealog & History, accessed 25 Jun 2018.
19. ↑ Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records 1770-1803 Volume 2. Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge:Baton Rouge, 2009, p.197. Text:

    COMEAUX ...Clara Adeleida (Bernard & Ana Blanchard) bt. 1 Apr. 1786, bn. 15 Sept. 1785, spo. Nicolas Verret & Ana Como (ASC-5,5)

20. ↑ January 1, 1788: General Census of the Inhabitants Established in Lafourche; Papeles Procedentes de Cuba, Archivo General De Indias, Seville, Spain; Legajo 201. Research copy provided by thecajuns.com, p.14. Summary:

    Benoit COMO-50; Anne BLANCHARD, wife-48; daughters: Marie-18, Anne-16, Anastasie-14, Rose-8, Claire-2. 6 arpents land on the right bank. 40 qts of corn, 5 horned cattle, and 8 swine.

21. ↑ Census of Lafourche, January 1, 1789. Robichaux, Albert J. Jr., Louisiana Census and Militia Lists Volume I: 1770-1789, Polyanthos: New Orleans, 1977, p.129. Summary:

    Benoit COMO-51; wife Anne BLANCHARD-49; Daughters: Marie-19, Anne-17, Anastasie-15, Rose-9, Claire-3. 6 arpents of land on right bank, 40 quarts of corn, 8 sows.

22. ↑ Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records 1770-1803 Volume 2. Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge:Baton Rouge, 2009, p.199. Text:

    COMEAUX..Margarita Anastasia (Benito & Ana Blanchrd of Cherbourg Trinity Parish in France) m. 9 June 1794, Glodio Maria LE BLANC (Carlos & Ana Landry of Morlais in Britany) wit. Joseph LeBlanc & Pedro Landry (ASM-2,8)

23. ↑ Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records 1770-1803 Volume 2. Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge:Baton Rouge, 2009, p.201. Text:

    COMEAUX..Rosa of Nantes, France (Benito & Ana Blanchard) m. 1 Apr. 1799, Simon GUILLOT of St. Malo & widower of Anastasia Celeste Maria Dugat (parents not given) wit. Juan Guillot & Paul Dominique Boudraux (ASM-2,40)

• Ancestry Family Trees (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry.com, Ancestry Family Tree.
• Ancestry.com, U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010), Ancestry.com, Place: New Orleans, Louisiana; Year: 1785; Page Number: 56.

DNA

• Maternal relationship is confirmed through Mitochondrial DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. Donna Friebel Storz, FTDNA kit # B5389, and her maternal line cousin UNK (a direct matrilineal descendant of Euphemie Degeyter), FTDNA kit #790364, have an exact HVR1 and HVR2 match, thereby confirming their direct maternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is Barbe Bajolet, the 8x great grandmother of Donna Friebel Storz and 10th great grandmother of UNK. See this diagram from the Mothers of Acadia DNA Project for more information.