Joseph Saulnier (1755 - 1820)

Born 30 Apr 1755 in Petitcoudiac, Acadie, Colony of Nova Scotia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Marie Thibodeau — married 10 Jan 1779 in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, New Spain

Descendants

Died 9 Oct 1820 at age 65 in Carencro, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

Joseph Saulnier is on the Wall of Names at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, Louisiana Plaque 5, right side^[1]

His name is indented under his sister's name--Madeleine being the head of household.

MADELEINE SAULNIER

JOSEPH SAULNIER

Joseph Saulnier was born in the first year of the Great Upheaval of the Acadians, on 30 April 1755. He was a son of Etienne Saulnier and Anne Darois. He was baptized 16 November 1755 at Petitcoudiac, Acadia. Pierre Saulnier gave him the name Joseph. His godparents were Joseph Braud and Marie Saulnier.^[2]

His parents were recorded on the 1755 census in Peticoudiac with 5 sons and 2 daughters. ^[3][4] Around 1756 Étienne and his family fled to Camp d'Espérance on the Miramichi, in present-day northeastern New Brunswick, which was established at the end of the summer of 1756 to protect from famine and from the roundups of the British soldiers the approximately 1400 Acadians who were refugees there. ^[5] They suffered greatly because of diseases and lack of food at the camp.

At the end of the Seven Years War, he was a child listed among the Acadian prisoners of war at Halifax, August 12, 1763.^[6] The prisoners in Halifax were released after the treaty of 1763. The British authorities permitted Acadians to remain in the Colony of Nova Scotia as long as they took an oath of allegiance. However the majority of the prisoners rejected their offer and left the colony by their own means by leasing vessels since the British refused to pay their passage to other colonies. Many chose to go to French-controlled colonies like Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and Saint-Domingue (Haiti) but quickly left the dire conditions there and travelled north, most of them settling in Louisiana in the spring of 1765. ^[7]

Joseph was about ten when he immigrated to New Orleans, Louisiana about 1765.^[8]

At age 21, in 1776-1777, he was a member of the Louisiana militia in the Opelousas District Militia.^[8]

He married Marie Thibodeau on January 10, 1779. ^[8][9]

Children:^[8]

1. Marie Sonnier
2. Joseph Sonnier
3. Marie Madeleine Sonnier
4. Pierre Sonnier
5. Jean Sonnier
6. Celeste Sonnier
7. Placide Sonnier
8. Alexandre Sonnier
9. Cyrille Sonnier
10. Marie Phelonise Sonnier
11. Marie Doralise Sonnier
12. Girl Sonnier

Censuses: ^[8]

• 4 April 1766: Census - Opelousas, Louisiana
• 1771: Census - Opelousas, Louisiana
• 4 May 1777: Census - Opelousas, Louisiana
• 8 November 1774: Census - Opelousas, Louisiana
• 26 May 1803: Census - Grande Prairie, Attakapas, Louisiana

He died on October 9, 1820 in Carencro, Louisiana and was buried the next day at Grand Coteau, Louisiana.^[8][10][11]

Research Notes

for extensive biographical details with source citations, please see:

• Joseph Saunier

Colonists of Opelousas:

JOSEF SONIE; MARIA THIBODOT.

Maria Magdalina - baptized July 14, 1782; four months old; Godparents, Fabian Richard and Maria Sonie.

Celeste - baptized October 4, 1788; born January 9,1788; Godparents, Nicolas Tibodo and Celeste Evioner (?).

Alexandro - baptized July 25, 1790; Godparents, Elises Sogne and Celeste Sogne.

Maria- baptized March 19, 1780; Godparents, Silvano Saunier and Anna Doucet.

Josef - baptized August S, 1781; six months old; Godparents, Theodore Thibaudo and Susana Thibaudo.

Arrived LA 1765, age 9; in Opelousas census, 1766, COURTABLEAU's Company militia, called Joseph SAUNIER, with no one else in his household;

In Opelousas census, 1771, age 16, with family of sister Francoise's husband Pierre THIBODEAUX;

In Opelousas census, 1774, with no wife, 0 slaves, 5 cattle, 3 horses & mules, 0 swine;

In Opelousas census, 1777, called Joseph SOGNIER, age 20, bachelor, head of "family" number 94, with 0 slaves, 15 cattle, 5 horses, 0 hogs, 0 sheep;

SONNIER, Joseph (Chenne SONNIER & Anne DESROY - Parishioners of Opelousas) m. 10 Jan. 1779 Marie TIBODO (Olivier & Magdeleine BROUSSARD - Parishioners of this parish of Atakapas) Wits: Silvein SONNIER, Joseph GRANGE, Aman TIBODO. Fr. Ange De REVILLA, Cure of LaFourche. (SM Ch.: Folio B-1).

In Opelousas census, 1785, called Jh SAUNIER, with 6 free individuals, 0 slaves;

In Opelousas census, 1788, Bellevue, called Jh. SAUNIER, with 4 males, 1 woman [wife Marie], 3 girls, 0 slaves, 10 cattle, 30 horses, 12 arpents;

On Opelousas militia list, Jul 1789, fusilier, called Joseph SAUNIER;

SONNIER, Joseph, pere of Karancros d. 10 Oct. 1820 at age 60 (GC Ch.: v.1, p.4)

His estate was probated on 5 January 1816 at St. Martinville; estate no 213. 97. 107 cattle. 10 tame horses. 13 sheep.

SONNIER, Joseph m. Marie THIBODEAUX In Succ. of Marie THIBODEAUX dated 5 Jan. 1816 (SM Ct.Hse.: Succ.#213).

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. 24
2. ↑ Library and Archives Canada, Registres paroissiaux (Acadie)-Canadiana, Heritage, Parish registers: Nova Scotia:C-3021(Image 47): http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c3021/47?r=0&s=6
3. ↑ Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home"; 2005 – Present, hosted by Lucie LeBlanc Consentino;1755 Census image 8

   Estienne Saulnier, his wife, 5 boys, 2 girls

4. ↑ Stephen A. White, Recensements de Beaubassin et des Trois Rivières de Chipoudie, de Memramcook et de Petcoudiac (1686-1755). Les Cahiers de la Société historique acadienne, vol. 50, nos 2-4, juin-décembre 2019, p. 392-393
5. ↑ LeBlanc, R.-G. (2012). Les réfugiés acadiens au camp d’Espérance de la Miramichi en 1756-1761 : un épisode méconnu du Grand Dérangement. Acadiensis, 41(1). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/Acadiensis/article/view/19077/21083. (See appendix at the end) Also English translation by John Estano DeRoche "The Acadian Refugee Camp on the Miramichi, 1756-1761"
6. ↑ Lucie LeBlanc Consentino. List of Acadian Prisoners at Halifax, August 12, 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. Images 33-47, accessed December 2020

   Joseph Sauniae

7. ↑ LeBlanc, Ronnie-Gilles, Les Acadiens à Halifax et dans l’île Georges, 1755–1764. Port Acadie no 22-23 (2012) : p 66-67, 76 of PDF https://doi.org/10.7202/1014976ar
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5} Karen Theriot Reader Page for Joseph Saulnier, citing:
   • Immigration : Descendants of Etienne Sonnier - Sent by Lee Crockett in Apr 2009. - "The Arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana" by Robert Dafford. 37. Joseph Sonnier, 1766, Opelousas. Arrived in Louisiana as a young boy, which is how he is depicted on the mural. He married Marie Thibodeau. Sponsored by the Sonnier Family.
   • Conscription 1776-1777: DAR Partiot Index, Millennium Administration - National Society Daughters of the American Revolution - (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 2003) - Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County - - US 1775-83, REV. War 1B - MILITARY: DAR PATRIOT INDEX. SONNIER, JOSEPH Ancestor #: A107072 Service: LOUISIANA Rank: PATRIOTIC SERVICE Birth: 30 Apr 1755 PETTICODIAC NOVA SCOTIA CANADA Death: 9 Oct 1820 KARENERAS LOUISIANA Service Source: CHURCHILL, SPANISH RECS P 246 Service Description: 1) GALVEZ, OPELOUSAS MILITIA
   • Marriage : Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900: compact disk #101 - Donald J. Hébert - Rayne, LA: Hébert Publications, 2001 -

     
     

   SONNIER, Joseph (Chenne [sic, for Etienne] SONNIER & Anne DESROY - Parishioners of Opelousas) m. 10 Jan. 1779. Marie TIBODO (Olivier & Magdeleine BROUSSARD - Parishioners of this parish of Atakapas) Wits: Silvein SONNIER, Joseph GRANGE, Aman TIBODO. Fr. Ange De REVILLA, Cure of LaFourche. (SM Ch.: Folio B-1).
   THIBODEAUX, Marie (Olivier & Magdaleine BROUSSARD - parishioners of this parish of Atakapas) m. 10 Jan. 1779 Joseph SONNIER (Chenne SONNIER & Anne DESROY - parishioners of Opelousas) Wits: Silvein SONNIER, Joseph GRANGE, Aman TIBODO. Fr. Ange De REVILLA, Cure of LaFourche. (SM Ch.: Folio B-1)
   • Death : Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900: compact disk #101 - Donald J. Hébert - Rayne, LA: Hébert Publications, 2001 - SONNIER, Joseph pere [Sr.] died at Karancros [Carencro] on 9 Oct. 1820 at age 60 years; buried 10 Oct. 1820 in the St. Charles church cemetery. Fr. Hercule BRASSAC (GC Ch.: v.1, p.4, #30)
9. ↑ Rev. Donald J. Hebert, comp., Southwest Louisiana Records, vol. 1, (Eunice, La., 1974) p. 67;

   Abstract of marriage of Joseph Sonnier and Marie Thibaudeaux; it cites the original in St. Martin of Tours Church (St. Martinville, Louisiana); also, Marriage Certificate from St. Martin of Tours Church, St. Martinville, Louisiana, certifying, under date of January 10, 1779, to the marriage of Joseph Sonnier (Sonier), legitimate son of Etienne Sonnier (Sonier) and Anne desBoy, Parishioners of Opelousas to Marie Thibodeaux (Thibaudau), legitimate daughter of Olivier Thibodeaux (Thibaudau) and Magdeline Broussard, Parishioners des Atakapas. Signed by Rev. Fr. Ange deReveilla; witnessed by: Silvain Sonnier (Sonier), Joseph Grangér (Grange) and Aman Thibodeaux (Thibaudau). Volume I B,M,S; Page 67. Rev. Fr. P. Austin Leger, Dec. 29, 2000. [Ed. Note: Surnames are given here with parentheses as found on certificate.]

   Revision submitted by: Ella Sonnier Hebert

   Cited here:Joseph Saulnier

10. ↑ Source: #S1
11. ↑ Karancros" [Carencro{Louisiana]

    Sources:

    Abstract of burial of Joseph Sonnier in Rev. Donald J. Hebert, comp. Southwest Louisiana Records (Eunice, La., 1974). 2:828; it cites the original in St. Charles Borromeo Church (Grand Coteau, Louisiana). v.1, p.4; also Joseph Sonnier burial in Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900, CD-ROM (Rayne, Louisiana: Hébert Publications, 2001); it cites original in "Grand Coteau Ch(urch): v.1,p.4,#30". cited here: Joseph Saulnier

• DoB;