Joseph Goguen (1741 - 1825)

Born 2 May 1741 in Morlaix, Bretagne, France

Ancestors

Husband of Anne Arseneau — married about 1760 in Baie des Ouines (Baie-Ste-Anne), Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia

Husband of Marie Caissie — married about 1770 in Cocagne, [uncertain]

Husband of Anne Surette — married 19 Feb 1808 in Cocagne, Colony of New Brunswick

Descendants

Died 28 Feb 1825 at age 83 in Cocagne, Colony of New Brunswick

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Biography

Joseph Goguen migrated from France to Acadia.

Joseph Goguen lived
in Canada, Nouvelle-France.

Joseph Goguen is Notable.

Joseph Goguen was an Acadian servant, secretary, interpreter, translator, merchant and justice of the peace.

Joseph was born in Morlaix , Brittany (now in the department of Finistère), France on May 2, 1741 and baptized the next day.^[1] His parents were Jacques Goguen and Anne Hamonez. On his mother's side he was a relative of Abbé Jean-Louis LeLoutre.^[2] Stephen White describes him as a "remarkable man of his time because of his intelligence and training."^[2] Régis Brun describes his numerous roles as a servant, secretary, interpreter, translator, and merchant.^[3]

"Late in April 1753 Joseph Gueguen sailed for Acadia with Abbé Jean-Louis Le Loutre. He became servant and secretary to his own maternal half-brother Jean Manach, a missionary priest who also came from Morlaix. Accompanying Manach on his pastoral visits, Gueguen learned the Micmac language. He also had the opportunity to meet many Indian chiefs, colonial administrators, merchants, fur traders, and Acadian farmers. At the time of the deportation in 1755 [see Charles Lawrence], Gueguen went to Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island) to escape the British. After a brief stay he boarded a schooner for Quebec. He reportedly entered the Petit Séminaire and studied there until 1758. In the summer of that year he returned to Acadia, joining Manach, the family of François Arsenault (his future father-in-law), and other Acadian friends at Baie des Ouines (Bay du Vin, N.B.). In July, after the fall of Louisbourg, Île Royale (Cape Breton Island), and Île Saint-Jean, the manhunt in Acadia began again with renewed vigor. Gueguen was among the 3,500 Acadian refugees who gathered in the Miramichi region and who endured famine and harsh living conditions."^[3]

In the summer of 1760, Joseph married at the Bay of Ouines (Baie -Ste-Anne ) Anne Arseneau, daughter of François Arsenault and Anne Bourgeois. Subsequently, they were imprisoned at Fort Beauséjour. ^[4] In 1765, they settled in Miquelon,^[5] but after the Acadians were expelled by the French government two years later, they returned to Cocagne. Between 1761 and 1767, they had five children.^[2]

1. Joseph Goguen
2. Jean-Baptiste Goguen
3. Marie Goguen
4. Anne-Marie Goguen
5. Marguerite Goguen

Adopted son: # Mathurin Williams

"Gueguen then opened a fur-trading establishment, and until the end of the 1770s he was the only Acadian to carry on this activity on such a large scale. He owned a store, warehouse, barn, and several other buildings, as well as a schooner with which he carried on trade and fished for cod. He also had a small wharf and 472 acres granted him in 1772. In the period from 1770 to 1790 Gueguen was, it seems, the most prosperous trader in Acadia. In 1818 he stated that the Micmacs still owed him £5,709 for goods he had supplied in the period before 1800."^[3]

After the death of Anne Arsenault in 1770, Joseph had a quite unhappy marriage with Marie Caissie, daughter of Joseph Caissie and Marie -Josephe Lapierre, and widow of Pierre Lambourt. Between 1773 and 1777 they had three girls.^[2]

1. Anne Goguen
2. Madeleine Goguen
3. Marie-Henriette Goguen

After the death of Marie in November 1807, Joseph had his third wedding in Cocagne , February 19, 1808 , with Anne Surette, daughter of Joseph Surette and Isabelle Babineau, and widow of Casimir Melanson.^[6] Between 1808 and 1817 they had four children.^[2]

1. Rosalie Goguen
2. Damien Goguen
3. Maximilien Goguen
4. Domithilde Goguen

Joseph Gueguen died in Cocagne on Feb. 28, 1825 and was interred the following month on 13 March in Grande-Digue.^[7][2]

Letters (translated)

At Cocagne, the 16th August, 1787.

Sir, As an old acquaintance it would be at all times a great satisfaction to me to hear from you, but it is but seldom that I have that pleasure. I am told that you are a representative for this Country, therefore I don't doubt but it lays in your power to help me concerning myself & my children's Settlement in this place, if you will take so much trouble. I wish to know by what time you will go to River St, John. I understand that the government want the Indians to be instructed; there is but few in the province that can undertake it. I shall be greatly obliged to you if you please to let me know what you know about it, & what reward is offered to any body that will undertake it, for I think, without flattery, that there is none in the province that have gone on so far in their Language me self, as I may shew by the books that I have wrote. I did lend one of them for two years to Mr. Bourg in order to help him in the Indian Language. Please to give my Compliments to Mrs. Davidson. I am with regard

Your most humble & obedient servant,

Joseph Gueguen

At COCAGNE, August 25, 1788

Monseigneur,-It is with all the respect due to your Excellency that your very humble servant takes the liberty to make known to you the loss that I have endured, having been robbed of everything in this last war by the Americans. The Indians on this frontier during this last war entered into correspondence with the Americans, and had made a treaty of alliance by which they bound themselves to send six hundred good men, capable of bearing arms to act in conjunction with the Americans under the command of General Washington.

I know, Monseigneur, that they could do little harm to the forces of his Majesty, but they could easily have destroyed those subjects settled on the frontiers of these Provinces. This is why I thought that it would be in the interest of the Province that the savages should not take up arms in favor of the Americans. As I understand their language, I represented to them in the best way I could that it would be to their interest to remain quiet; that this war would not turn out to their advantage; that I did not believe them to be men capable of facing openly the troops of his Majesty, or to withstand the fire of regular soldiers; that it would be very uncertain what the result of the war would be, and what might they not expect to happen if his Majesty should retain this Province as he did; with several other reasons that I brought forth. I succeeded i opening their eyes, and after examination they decided to send back the treaty of alliance to the Americans and to retract what they have promised. On this occasion I received a letter from the Americans, by which they warned me that they were well informed of my work, and that I would suffer for it; truly I was not long in experiencing the effects of their threats. Eleven men came to Cocagne, took a vessel that was near my house, with all that I possessed in the house. I was formerly employed at Westmorland by government in the capacity of interpreter to the French and Indians. I am a man crippled (estropie) in one hand, with a large family to support; settled at Cocagne twenty years by agreement with Government. As I believe without vanity, I can say I understand the Indian language, as I have clearly manifested in producing my work on this language, I would be infinitely indebted to your Excellency, if in your kindness your Excellency would be pleased to bestow upon me some appointment in the capacity of interpreter.

I am very sincerely, with all possible respect, Monseigneur,

Your Excellency's very humble and obedient servant,

Joseph Gueguen^[8]

Biographie

Joseph Goguen était un domestique, secrétaire, interprète, traducteur, marchand et juge de paix acadien.

Stephen White raconte l'histoire de Joseph Gueguen:^[2]

"Homme assez remarquable de son époque à cause de son intelligence et de sa formation, Joseph Guéguen est né à Morlaix, en Bretagne (aujourd'hui dans le département de Finistère), le 2 mai 1741, fils de Jacques Guéguen et d'Anne Hamonez.^[1]

Du côté de sa mère, il était parent de l'abbé Jean-Louis LeLoutre, avec qui il est venu en Acadie à la fin d'avril 1753. Destiné d'abord à la prêtrise, Joseph dut abandonner sa vocation religieuse à cause d'une blessure.

Il se maria, à la baie des Ouines (Baie-Ste-Anne), durant l'été de 1760, à Anne Arsenault, fille de François Arsenault et d'Anne Bourgeois. Par la suite, ils ont été emprisonnés au fort Beauséjour. En 1765, ils passèrent à Miquelon,^[5] pour revenir en 1767 s'établir à Cocagne.

Après la mort d'Anne Arsenault, survenue vers 1770, Joseph contracta un mariage assez malheureux avec Marie Caissie, fille de Joseph Caissie et de Marie-Josèphe Lapierre, et veuve de Pierre Lambourt. Après le décès de Marie en novembre 1807, Joseph convola en troisièmes noces, à Cocagne, le 19 février 1808, avec Anne Surette, fille de Joseph Surette et d'Isabelle Babineau, et veuve de Casimir Melanson.^[6] Joseph Guéguen est décédé à Cocagne le 28 février 1825 et a été inhumé à Grande-Digue le 13 mars 1825."^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Archives départementales du Finistère. Collection communale. Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures. Morlaix (Saint-Mélaine). Etat civil numérisé (1 MI EC 184/11 - 1741-1746), p. 21/274 Joseph Gueguen Baptême 3 Mai 1741
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Stephen A. White, "La généalogie des trente-sept familles hôtesses des 'Retrouvailles ‘94'" in Les Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne, vol. 25, nos 2 et 3 (1994) GOGUEN, p. 1, 37 Families
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Régis Brun, “GUEGUEN, JOSEPH,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 6 (University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–) accessed June 2, 2014, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/gueguen_joseph_6E.html.
4. ↑ Lucie LeBlanc Consentino. List of Acadian Prisoners at Fort Cumberland as of August 24, 1763, Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home, original record, digital images, Héritage, Genealogy collection, Library and Archives Canada. / France. Fonds des Archives nationales: Série C12. Correspondance générale; Saint-Pierre et Miquelon : C-9146, vol. 1, f. 22-26. Image 46, accessed Jan 2022

   Joseph Guéguen

   Anne Guéguen

   Joseph Guéguen

   Jean Guéguen

   Marie Guéguen

5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Archives Nationales colonies S.O.M. G 1 458 f° 27 à 39 "Familles Acadiennes qui sont maintenant aux îles St-Pierre et Miquelon suivant le recensement d'icelles, fait le 15 mai 1767".] accessed at https://www.arche-musee-et-archives.net/fr/54-recensements.html#c1/5 on 10 Nov 2019

   • Jacques Guéguin (venu d'Halifax) 27 ans
   • Anne Arsenau sa femme 25
   • Joseph, leur fils 7
   • Jean, leur fils 5
   • Marie leur fille 3

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Cocagne, Nouveau-Brunswick, Régistre de la paroisse St-Pierre, catholique, Mariages, 1800-1870, ( F.M. 9, A 11, volume 5), p.239, Image 1126 entry for Joseph Gueguen & Anne Surette 19 February 1808, digital images, Héritage, Genealogy collection, Library and Archives Canada, reel C-3016, Parish Registers: New Brunswick : C-3016, accessed 8 November 2019.

   Mariage: Le 19 février 1808 à Cocagne

   • Joseph Gueguen, écuyer juge de paix de Cocagne et veuf de Marie Caissy
   • Anne Surette, veuve de Casimir Melanson du village de la Boujangane
   • présence de Michel Babineau et de Joseph Lirette

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Grande-Digue, Nouveau-Brunswick, Régistre de la paroisse Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation, catholique, Sépultures, 1800-1870, p. 256, Image 120 entry for Joseph Gueguen 13 March 1825, digital images, Héritage, Genealogy collection, Library and Archives Canada, reel C-3017, Parish Registers: New Brunswick : C-3017, accessed 10 Nov 2019.
8. ↑ Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society No. 4, Saint John, N.B. (THE SUN PRINTING COMPANY, LIMITED, 1899)

See also:

• The Genealogy of the Thirty-seven Host Families of Homecoming 94
• Paul Delaney, "Les ancêtres de Joseph Guéguen de Cocagne", Société historique acadienne (Cahiers), vol 31, no 1, (mars 2000) : pp. 5-18 https://societehistoriqueacadienne.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/3101_total.pdf
• Contributeurs de Wikipédia, "Joseph Gueguen," Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre, https://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Gueguen&oldid=160577369 (Page consultée le juillet 1, 2019).
• Genealogie des Familles Acadiennes de L'Ile du Prince Edouard circa 1764-1900 Volume 1 Arsenault pages 434-435 by Mr. Jean Bernard PEI Acadian genealogist

Acknowledgements

• Gerard Goguen
• Roland Arsenault