Marie Madeleine Girouard (abt. 1654 - aft. 1714)

Born about 1654 in Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France [uncertain]

Ancestors

Daughter of François Girouard and Jeanne Aucoin

Wife of Thomas Cormier — married about 1668 in Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France [uncertain]

Descendants

Died after 1714 after about age 60 in Beaubassin, Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia [uncertain]

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Marie Madeleine Girouard is an Acadian. Join: Acadians Project Discuss: ACADIA

Biography

NOTICE: this profile is protected by the Acadian Project because she is an historically important person as ancestral matriarch of numerous Acadian families. Please contact the Acadian Project before making any substantive changes. Thanks for helping make WikiTree the best site for accurate information

The ancestral matriarch of one of the largest Acadian families is Marie-Madeleine Girouard.^[1]. Marie-Madeleine was born around 1654 to parents François Girouard and Jeanne Aucoin^[2] likely in Acadia.^[3]

Around 1668, Marie-Madeleine married Thomas Cormier, a carpenter and son of Robert Cormier and Marie Péraud.^[2] In 1671 she and Thomas were living in Port-Royal.^[4]

In the 1670's, the available farmland at Port-Royal was diminishing and some Acadians established new villages such as at Beaubassin (Amherst, Nova Scotia).^[5] Thomas and Marie-Madeleine were among the first settlers of Beaubassin. Around 1679 Thomas claimed the large marsh area in the second loop of the River of the Planks (Rivière des Planches), building a home on the southern flank, which was exposed to the north wind. Within the year, the family abandoned this site and started a new settlement on the reverse and southern side of the Ouescoque heights (Amherst Point, NS)^[6]

In 1686, at Chiqnitou dit Beaubassin, Magdelaine GIROUARD, aged 37, was living with her husband, Thomas CORMIER, aged 55, and their 9 (sic) children: Magdeleine (sic), aged 18, Francois, aged 16, Marie (sic), aged 12, Alexis, aged 14, Germain, aged 10, Pierre, aged 8, Angelique (sic), aged 4, 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".^[7]

By 1686^[2], Marie-Madeleine had given birth to 10 children: Marie-Madeleine, François, Anne, Alexis, Germain, Pierre, Claire, twins Marie and Agnès, and Jeanne.^[7] Their daughter Anne had married Michel Hache dit Gallant (an agent of the Sieur) and started her own family. The census indicated that Thomas and Madeleine had 40 arpents of cultivated land (about 34 acres), 30 cattle, 10 sheep, and 15 hogs. The family was among the most prosperous settlers. ^[8]

Marie-Madeleine was widowed before 1693.^[9][10] She did not remarry, and raised her children on her own while managing a large farm. Two of her sons and a number of the younger children assisted.^{[11] [12][13]}

In 1714, she was living with her daughter Anne and son-in-law Michel Hache called Gallant. ^[14].

Her date of death is not known.

Marie-Madeleine left a profound legacy.^[1] Her 17 married grandsons and their offspring would generate one of the largest Acadian families. Her 6 daughters and 25 grandaughters married into other large Acadian families including the LeBlanc, Arsenau, Haché-Gallant, Boudrot, Richard, Doucet, Landry, Poirier, Comeau, Chiasson, Theriot, Bourg, Cyr, Hébert, Thibodeau, Bourgeois, Dupuis, and Babin.

Timeline

c1654 birth, in Acadia

1654 British capture Port-Royal; French settlement ceases^[15]

c1668 marriage to Thomas Cormier

1667-70 Treaty of Breda cedes Acadia to the French; settlement resumes.^[16] Available farmland decreases; some leave Port-Royal to establish new villages such as Beaubassin (1671) ^[5]

1670 birth, daughter Marie-Madeleine

1671 residence, in Port-Royal

c1672 birth, son François

c1674 birth, daughter Anne

c1676 birth, son Alexis

1676-78 Michel Leneuf des Vallières is awarded a large (1000 square miles) seigneury at Beaubassin. “The grant specified that he leave undisturbed any settlers there, together with their lands they used or had planned to use for themselves”. La Vallière builds his homestead on an island (Tonge’s Isand)^[17][18]

1679 residence, in Beaubassin

c1680 birth, son Germain

1682 birth, son Pierre, in Beaubassin

1684 birth, daughter Claire, in Beaubassin

1686 birth, twin daughter Marie, in Beaubassin

1686 birth, twin daughter Agnès, in Beaubassin

c1688 birth, daughter Jeanne

b1693 widowed

1714 residence, in Beaubassin

a1714 death

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Massignon, Geneviève. "Les parlers français d'Acadie, enquête linguistique", Librairie Klincksieck, Paris, 1962, 2 tomes, p43(Cormier);p42-58(other large families).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} 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, 400,401, 718-719.
3. ↑ There is no birth record. Her father François arrived in Acadia for his marriage to Madeleine's mother. See father's timeline.
4. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1671 Acadian Census, at Port-Royal, Acadie. 1671 Census Transcribed. The original census can be found at Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752” Images 3-14.

   at Port Royal: Thomas CORMIER, carpenter, 35, wife Madeline GIROUARD 17; Child: 1 daughter 2; cattle 7, sheep 7.

5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Les familles pionnières Pioneer Families, in 1755 l'Histoire et les Histoires, University of Moncton
6. ↑ Surette, Paul. Atlas of the Acadian Settlement of the Beaubassin 1660 to 1755. Tintamarre and Le Lac. Tantramar Heritage Trust. 2005, p5-6 (claiming the marsh at Ouescoque); p9(dispute with the Poiriers); p44,45(location of Ouescoque Amherst point).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} 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.

8. ↑ Cormier, Stephen. Acadians in Grey, Cormier Appendix.
9. ↑ In the 1693 census, his wife is a widow.
10. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1693 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1693 Census Transcribed. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 62-108

    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.

11. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1698 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie1698 Census Transcribed. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 110-150

    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.

12. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1700 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1700 Census Transcribed. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 151-173.

    at Beaubassin: Madelaine GIROUARD, widow of François CORMIER, 47; Germain 20; Piere 18; Claire 16; Marie and Agnes (twins) 12; Jeanne 12; 17 cattle, 12 sheep, 4 hogs, 24 arpents.

13. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1703 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1703 Census Transcription. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the Library and Archives Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 212-220.

    Beaubassin: Widow CORMIER, 2 girls.

14. ↑ Tim Hebert; Transcription of the 1714 Acadian Census at Port-Royal, Acadie 1714 Census Transcription. The original census can be found at Acadian Census microfilm C-2572 of the National Archives of Canada “Acadie Recensements 1671 – 1752”, Images 239-261.

    at Beaubassin: Michel HACHE and Anne CORMIER his spouse; the widow Cormier; Children: Joseph, Marie, Jean-Baptiste, Charles, Pierre, Anne, Marguerite, Francois, Magdelaine, Jacques.

15. ↑ William I. Roberts, 3rd, “SEDGWICK, ROBERT,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed November 20, 2013
16. ↑ In collaboration, “MORILLON DU BOURG,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed November 20, 2013
17. ↑ J.-Roger Comeau, “LENEUF DE LA VALLIÈRE DE BEAUBASSIN, MICHEL (d. 1705),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 2, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed January 15, 2021, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/leneuf_de_la_valliere_de_beaubassin_michel_1705_2E.html.
18. ↑ Clark, Andrew Hill, Acadia; the geography of early nova Scotia to 1760. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1968. p141 (Bourgeois founder); p141-142 (seigneury of Beaubassin).

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.