Joseph Daigle (abt. 1800 - 1870)

Birth:
Joseph was born around 1800 in what is today St. David, Maine and in what was then simply the Madawaska Settlement. His parents were Joseph Marie Daigle and Theotiste Cyr. His date of birth is approximate. There are essentially no church records in the St. John Valley from 1800 to 1804. The first document that mention Joseph's age is the Deane & Kavanagh Report from 1831. In that report, Joseph has been living on his farm since 1819. He is reported to be about 30 years old. As the generation before him did, he settled on this new land along with close family relatives: his brother Sylvain and his cousin Hilarion. (See image.)

Marriage:
Joseph married Susanne Martin in St-Basile in 1829.

Mariage - St-Basile, Madawaska, Nouveau-Brunswick - transcrit par Robert G. Daigle
Mariage de Joseph Daigle et de Suzanne Martin — Le dix de Fevrier mil huit cent vingt neuf après la publication trois bans de mariage faite aux prônes de nos messes paroissiales entre Joseph Daigle fils majeur de Joseph Daigle et de Théotiste Cyr ses père et mère de cette paroisse d’une part et Suzanne Martin fille mineure de Joseph Martin et de Genevieve Gagné ses père et mère aussi de cette paroisse d’autre part […] en présence et du consentement de Joseph Daigle père de l’époux, de Sylvin Daigle son frère, de Joseph Martin père de l’épouse et de Simon Hébert son ami qui tous ainsi que les époux ont déclaré ne savoir signer. — H. Sirois ptre curé

1850 Census:
In 1850, Joseph and his family were living in "Hancock Plantation" on a farm with real estate valued at $1600.

1860 US Census
In the 1860 US Census, Joseph is named "Francis". This is one of the rare cases where he is called anything other than Joseph. In over twenty birth, marriage and burial records for his children, he is referred to as Joseph. For this census, the family is living on the same farm but now in Township 17 Range 10. The real estate is valued at $1500 and the personal estate at $1000.

Death and burial:
Joseph Daigle died in St-Hilaire, NB. His tombstone may be found in the cemetery there. The tombstone reports that he died in St. Hilaire on Dec 27, 1870. As of yet, researchers have not been able to find the burial record for Joseph in the local parish registers.

His farm:
Joseph Daigle gave his farm to his son François-Xavier who in turn gave it to his son Ludger. Ludger's youngest son Zénon purchased the farm from his father in 1952 and grew potatoes for thirty-five years. The majority of the farm now belongs to Zenon's oldest son's Lucien and Ronald.

Sources

• 1831 Deane and Kavanagh Report on the Inhabitants of the Madawaska Settlements, July-August 1831, South Bank of the St. John River - http://upperstjohn.com/aroostook/deane-kavsouth.htm.
• 1829 mariage/marriage - Ancestry.com. Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1670-1946: S > St-Basile > 1792-1837 > image 359 of 647.
  Voir aussi / See also Ancestry Record 1110 #905513 ($).
• 1850 United States Federal Census of Hancock Plantation, Maine - Ancestry.com
  Voir aussi / See also Ancestry Record 8054 #9252558 ($).
• 1860 United States Federal Census of Township 17, Range 10, Maine - Ancestry.com.
  Voir aussi / See also Ancestry Record 7667 #44764456 ($).
• Find a Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183577316