René Landry (abt. 1618 - bef. 1686)

Born about 1618 in France

Husband of Perrine Bourg — married about 1645 in Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 1686 before about age 68 in Port-Royal, Acadie, Nouvelle-France

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René Landry is an Acadian. Join: Acadians Project Discuss: ACADIA

Biography

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René Landry migrated from France to Acadia.

René Landry was born about 1618^[1] in France, possibly in Martaizé ^[2] or La Chaussée, Loudun region.^[3] His parents are not known. (See discussion section.) By the time he was 14, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ceded Acadia to France and settlement attempts were started once more by Razilly and D’Aulnay. René, his sisters Antoinette and Perrine, were among those who made their way to Acadia.^[1] René is also referred to as René l'Aîné (the elder) to distinguish him from another unrelated^[4] Acadian Landry family headed by René le Jeune (the younger).

René married Perrine Bourg, widow of Simon Pelletret in about 1645.^[1] The location of their marriage is uncertain but it may have been Port Royal. (See discussion section below). Between 1646 and 1663, the couple had five children: Marie (b.c1646), Marie (b.c1650), Madeleine, Pierre, and Claude.^[1]

While René and Perrine were raising their family, in 1654 Port-Royal was captured by Robert Sedgwick, who led 300 British soldiers and volunteers.^[5]:

"The [French] soldiers at Port-Royal, who numbered about 130 … put up a brief defence against Sedgwick. Setting up an ambush between the landing site of the English troops and the fort, the Frenchmen fired on the attackers but proved no match for the experienced Roundheads. The French soon "took their heels to ye Fort." On August 16 the fort surrendered... Sedgwick granted honourable terms, allowing the defenders to march out of the fort with flags flying, drums beating, and muskets at the ready. The soldiers and employees working at the fort were offered transportation back to France and given enough pelts to cover their wages."^[6]

Although the commander of Port Royal left for France, most Acadians, including the Landry family, remained in Acadia. They were permitted to retain their land and belongings and were guaranteed religious freedom.^[6] Dunn describes life in Acadia during the 16 years of nominal British rule:

"During the years of British rule, most of the Port-Royal population moved upriver away from the town. Using the agricultural practices initiated under D'Aulnay, the Acadians dyked and cultivated extensive salt marshes along the river and raised livestock. Through necessity, residents had reached an accommodation with New England traders who had become their sole source for the goods that they could not produce themselves... New England traders exchanged their goods for Acadian produce and furs... There were seventy to eighty families in the Port Royal area in 1665."

By 1671 the British had ceded Acadia to France and French settlement resumed.^[7] Around 1671^[8], the family homestead had 12 arpents^[9] under cultivation and they had 10 cattle and 6 sheep. It is not clear where the farm was located. There were 7 children in the household. The eldest girls Henriette and Jeanne were from Perrine's previous marriage with Simon.^[10]

Most of the children were gone from the family home by 1678, only the three youngest were still there.^[11]

René died in Port Royal between 1678 and 1686.^[1]

Timeline

c1618 birth, in France

1632 Treaty Saint-Germain-en-Laye cedes Acadia to France; Razilly brings ~300 elite men^[12]

1636 Arrival of the first French families to settle permanently^[2]

c1645 marriage to widow Perrine Bourg

c1646 birth, daughter Marie

c1650 birth, daughter Marie

1654 British capture Port-Royal; French settlement ceases^[5]

c1655 birth, daughter Madeleine

c1658 birth, son Pierre

c1663 birth, son Claude

1667-70 Treaty of Breda cedes Acadia to the French; settlement resumes^[7]

1671 residence, in Port-Royal

1678 residence, in Port-Royal

b1686 death

Research Notes

Origins. René's sister was Antoinette Landry who also married a Bourg (Antoine Bourg).^[1] Massignon^[2] states that it is likely that the existing double bond between Landry and Bourg families reflects a common origin in France. The Bourg surname is found among the censitaires of the mother of Sieur Charles d'Aulnay, located in present day Martaizé in the province of Poitou (now Vienne), France.(p38) However, Massignon's research failed to find any relevant baptismal records to confirm that the Acadian Landry was from there. However, another sister of René was Perrine, who married Jacques Joffriau. In a baptismal record of La Chaussé France in 1646, Massignon (p37) found a Jacques Joffriau who was the godfather of Charles Robichaux, son of Jean Robichaux and Marie Landry. See Stephen White DGFA p 873. ^[4][13]

Parentage. His parents are a much-disputed issue, and no parentage has been proven. One theory is Étienne Landry and Catherine Goulet.

A common myth is that Jean Claude Landry (whose name was actually just Jean Claude) and Marie Salle were René's parents. There is an explanation of this myth here.

Note: Please do not add parents for René Landry. It is unknown who his parents were, so unless some new records come to light, we should refrain from guessing. Pere (Unnamed Father) Landry should be kept as his father to link him to his siblings.

Arrival in Acadia. Does anyone have records indicating his date of his arrival in Acadia? His sister Antoinette, who was close in age, married her husband Antoine Bourg around 1642 in Acadia.^[1] Antoine Bourg had arrived in Acadia by 1640^[14] If one assumes that René and Antoinette arrived in Acadia around the same time, the historical timeline is likely relevant to René as it is to Antoinette. Another piece of evidence supporting René's arrival in the 1640s is his marriage to the widow of Simon Pelletret around 1645. A Simon Pelletret received one of the first grants at Port-Royal close to the fort, which Stephen White assumes is the same Simon Pelletret who married Perrine Bourg.^[1] If this assumption is correct, Perrine Bourg and her 2 daughters by Simon were living there at the time of Perrine's second marriage to René Landry.

Biographie

"Les Landry en Acadie remontent à deux souches. Ironiquement, ces deux ancêtres ne semblent pas avoir été parents même s'ils portaient le même prénom, René."^[4]

René dit l'aîné est né vers 1618 en France.^[1]

Il épousa Perrine Bourg, veuve de Simon Pelletret, vers 1645.^[1] Entre 1646 et 1663 environ, le couple a eu cinq enfants: Marie (b.c1646), Marie (b.c1650), Madeleine, Pierre, and Claude.^[1]

René est mort entre les recensements de 1678 et 1686.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11} Stephen A. White, Patrice Gallant, and Hector-J Hébert, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles acadiennes (Moncton, N.-B.: Centre d'études acadiennes, Université de Moncton, 1999) p. 221 (Bourg); 915-916 (Landry); 1283-1284 (Pelletret)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Geneviève Massignon, Les parlers français d'Acadie, enquête linguistique (Paris: Librairie Klincksieck, 1962) , 2 tomes. p. 32 (first French families in Acadia) p. 45 (Double bond between Landry and Bourg family suggesting common origin in France); p. 37-38 (d'Aulnay Seigneurie in France where Bourg surname is found; also mentioned p. 49; p. 37 Rene's brother in law Jacques Joffriau godfather to child of Jean Robichaux and Marie Landry.
3. ↑ Karen Theriot Reader René l'aîné Landry citing Bona Arsenault, Histoire et généalogie des Acadiens .(Montreal, Canada: Lemeac, 1978) 6 vols.

   p. 612 (Port Royal). He arrived in Acadia about 1640, probably from Chausse, Loudun region, Dept. of Vienne, France, and there around 1645, married Perrine Bourg, widow of PELLETRET, sister of Antoine BOURG.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Stephen A. White, "La généalogie des trente-sept familles hôtesses des Retrouvailles 94," online articles, Les Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne, vol. 25, nos 2 et 3 (1994), LANDRY, page 1
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} William I. Roberts, 3rd, “SEDGWICK, ROBERT,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed February 25, 2020, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/sedgwick_robert_1E.html. accessed November 20, 2013]
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Dunn, Brenda. A History of Port Royal / Annapolis Royal 1605-1800. Nimbus Publishing, p 23-24(1654 Capture of Port-Royal); p25-27;29 (the English period 1654-1670).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} In collaboration, “MORILLON DU BOURG,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed February 25, 2020, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/morillon_du_bourg_1E.html., accessed November 20, 2013
8. ↑ Charles Trahan's translations adding land holdings to 1671 Census
9. ↑ Statistics Canada 1 arpent= 0.845 acres
10. ↑ 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.

    Rene LANDRY, 52, wife Perrine BOURC 45; Children (4 married): Henriette PELLETROT 30, Jeanne 28, Marie 25, Marie 23; (not married): Magdeleine 15, Pierre 13, Claude 8; cattle 10, sheep 6.

11. ↑ Tim Hebert; 1678 Port Royal Acadian Census noting that the correlations for this census were done by Rev. Clarence J. d'Entremont, Fairhaven, Massachusetts.1678 Census

    at Port Royal: Rene Landry & Perrine Bourg; 4 acres; 10 cattle; 2 boys: 20 1658; 15 1663; 1 girl: 23 1655.

12. ↑ George MacBeath, “RAZILLY (Rasilly), ISAAC DE,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed February 25, 2020, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/razilly_isaac_de_1E.html.
13. ↑ Karen Theriot Reader René l'aîné Landry
    
    • citing "Progenitors--Those Most Misunderstood," ACADIAN GENEALOGY EXCHANGE; ; vol. XXIII, no. 4 (Oct 1994); P. 118 ; own copy;

      these facts have been verified by the Centre d' Etudes acadiennes as accurate. "LANDRY--The two Rene's are not related. Antoinette LANDRY, wife of Antoine BOURG, was the sister of Rene' the Elder, married to Perrine BOURG."

      
      
    • citing Stephen White in Acadian Genealogy Exchange, vol . 23, no. 3 (July 1994)

      disputes that wife Perrine BOURG was sister of Antoine BOURG, using a study of the descendants ' marriage dispensations. However, he also argues "the conclusion that we can accept as being sufficient proof that Antoinette LANDRY was the sister of René the elder."

14. ↑ Stephen A. White, "La généalogie des trente-sept familles hôtesses des Retrouvailles 94," online articles, Les Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne, vol. 25, nos 2 et 3 (1994), BOURQUE, page 1

See also:

• Landry Genealogy (This is a compiled genealogy, so primary sources should be checked, but it does seem to be well-sourced.)
• "Ron McDuff's LANDRY line," in THE ACADIAN STAR; vol. 1, issue 1 (Oct 1995), p. 3. #11 generation has René LANDRY & Perrine BOURG, married 1644 at Port Royal, Acadia. From: La Ventrouze-Mortagne-en-Perche, France.