Chéticamp, Nova Scotia

Date: 1782 [unknown]
Location: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Contents 1 History 2 Early Families 3 Census of 1809 3.1 Village of Grand-Étang 3.2 Le Platin 3.3 Village of Petit-Étang 3.4 Chéticamp Island 3.5 Resources 4 Sources

History

Chéticamp was a fishing station used during the summer months by Charles Robin, a merchant from the island of Jersey, and is considered one of the Acadian capitals of the world. In the years following the Great Expulsion, many Acadians came to this area.

Before and during French rule, Chéticamp did not exist. Some area places like La Petite Rivière, Le Platin and La Frênière were often visited by Mi'kmq Indians who would stay awhile when hunting. In spite of this, there is nothing to offer as proof that any community existed here prior to the Deportation of the Acadians in 1755 that lasted through 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. A couple of French families later settled there for a short time but did not remain permanently.

In the 17th century, Nicolas Denys while touring Acadia, did visit Chéticamp. In his book Chéticamp, Anselme Chiasson states it is porbably that the Bretons and the Basques built temporary cabins at La Pointe where they came to dry their cod during the fishing season - according to the elderly folk at Chéticamp.

After the Deportation, it seems that Chéticamp was still uninhabited for quite some time. It was not until 1785 that some settlers arrived in Chéticamp, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, and Margaree. Apparently, these Acadians arrived in Chéticamp after having traveled from place to place for quite some time. Many of them, such as Joseph Boudrot, descended from Acadians of Grand-Preé but most of them had been deported from Ile St-Jean (Prince Edward Island) or Ile Royale (Cape Breton) in 1758. They were then sent to England and finally returned to Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and then went on to various places such as Arichat, Nova Scotia, Bay des Chaleurs and finally back to Prince Edward Island where some remained making this their home.

Early Families

The first permanent settlers following that era were the families of Pierre Bois and Joseph Richard, who arrived in 1782, although both brothers John and Paul Chiasson along with many other French settlers like the AuCoin family were believed to have predated Bois, Richard and Robin by over 100 years.^[1]

Chiasson is looked at today as the oldest family name on record in the town. Many of the original family names still reside in and around the small town. They, like all the original founding family names of Cheticamp, can be found chiseled in stone in the town still to this day. Settlement was formally established in 1785 by a grant of land to the 14 original settlers. Today Chéticamp, which is at the entrance of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, is a popular tourist spot.

Census of 1809

The census of Chèticamp was conducted by by Father Lejamtel.^[2]

Village of Grand-Étang

• François Cormier and Anne Hachet, his wife; Cyprien, Barbe, François.
• Joseph Cormier and Susanne Leblanc, his wife.
• Simon Doucet and Scholastique Cormier, his wife; Simon, Henriette, Marie, François, Marguerite, Barbe, Félicité, Céleste, Sophie, Scolastique. Étienne Raimbeau and Louise Cormier, his wife; François.
• David Chiasson and Celeste Cormier, his wife; Matilde, Charles, Celeste.

Le Platin

• Louis Doucet and Magdeleine Aucoin, his wife; Joseph, Magdeleine, Marie Judith, Dominique.
• Jean Bourgeois and Angélique Poirier, his wife; Laurent, Jean Charlotte, Marie, Raimond, Thomas, Genevieve, Eustache, Charles, Sophie, Gervaise, Anne, Céleste.
• Maximin Godet and Genevieve Bois, his wife; Angélique, Jean, Marie, Elisabeth, Ursule, Marguerite
• Anne Richard, widow of Joseph Godet
• François Marie Lefort and Anne Godet, his wife; Joseph
• Louis Bruyard, widower of Marie Magdeleine Deveaux, Charles, Marie, Marguerite, Rosalie
• Joseph Boudrot and Anne Chiasson, his wife; Charles, Luce Aucoin (domestic)
• Anselme Aucoin and Rose Chiasson, his wife; Marie, Hubert, Raphael, Pierre, Magdeleine, Agnes, Joseph, Thomas, Susanne
• Simon Aucoin and Élisabeth Poirier, his wife.
• Joseph Aucoin and Marie Hébert, his wife.
• Cyriac Roche and Rosalie Harnois, his wife; Modeste, Josep;h, Hubert, Marie
• Genevieve Godet
• Pierre Aucoin, widower of Félicité Leblanc
• Joseph Aucoin and Ysabelle Leblanc, his wife; Joseph Charles, Pierre, Luce
• Augustin Devaux and Marie Poirier, his wife; Joseph, Frédéric, widower of Théotiste Leblanc, Jean Baptiste
• Joseph Godet and Ysabelle Aucoin, his wife; Osithe, Ysabelle, Marguerite, Henriette, Victoire, Françoise, Joseph
• Jeanne Dugas, widow of Pierre Bois
• Régis Bois and Apolline Arsenaux, his wife; Marie-Magdeleine, Genevieve, Hélène
• Joseph Devaux, widower of Angélique Hébert
• Bruno Poirier and Marie Devaux, his wife, Renauld, Moyses, Félix, Meloine
• Pierre Devaux and Marie Aucoin, his wife; Marie, Luce
• Jean Devaux and Eulalie Poirier, his wife; Susanne
• Raimond Poirier and Marie Bois, his wife; Raimond, Henriette
• Jean Lelièvre and Marie Angélique Devaux, his wife; Marie, Susanne, Jean, Ester, Elisabeth
• Ysaac Leblanc and Genevieve Aucoin, his wife; Alexis, Julienne, Simon, Henriette, Catherine, Félicité, Genevieve
• Anastasie Girouard, widow of Jean Romard; Magdeleine Olive, Jean François, Marguerite Rose, Anne Marie, Anastasie Angélique, Sophie, Julie Rosalie, Julien Alexandre.

Village of Petit-Étang

• Elisabeth Boudrot, widow of Jean Chiasson
• Lazare Leblanc and Modeste Chiasson, his wife; Cyprien, Jean, Simon, Lazare, Euphrosine, Marie
• Étienne Chiasson and Monique Godet, his wife; Urbain, Charles, Anastasie, Michel, Joseph, Prosper
• Joseph Leblanc and Marie Chiasson, his wife; Jean, Joseph, Lazare, Placide, Marie Grégoire, Sophie
• Jean Baptiste Maillet and Françoise Chiasson, his wife; Marie, Michel
• Anne Leblanc, widow of Grégoire Maillet
• Joseph Chiasson and Marie Maillet, his wife; Joseph, Charles, Magdeleine
• Rosalie Maillet, widow of Simon Cormier; Simon
• Pierre Aucoin and Luce Babin, his wife; Magdeleine, Barbe, Pierre, Marguerite, Simon, Charles, Félicité, Marie, Joseph
• Joseph Devaux and Euphrosine Godet, his wife; Magdeleine, Anastasie, Ysidore, Ester, Marie, Ysabelle, Angélique, Joseph, Françoise, Susanne
• Joseph Chiasson and Dorothé Poirier, his wife; Hubert, Ursule, Céleste

Chéticamp Island

• Basile Chiasson and Anne Arsenaux, his wife; Thomas, Jean, Marguerite, Basile
• Firmin Chiasson and Hélène Poirier, his wife; Susanne, Jean, Hélène
• Marie Pitre, widow of Germain Chiasson; Maturin, Charlemagne, Laurent, Polycarpe, Marie Barbe, Charlotte, Germain
• Pierre Devaux and Marguerite Godet, his wife; Agnès, Pierre, Rosalie, Charles, Marie, Joseph, Marguerite
• André Poirier and Marie Blandine Benoit; André, Marie, Casimir, Benjamin, Henriette
• Joseph Poirier and Euphrosine Devaux, his wife
• Thomas Doody and Marie Power, his wife; Thomas, Brijitte
• Joseph Mathe and Marie Zace, his wife; Marie, Emilie
• Alexandre Mcdonald and ... his wife; his children.

Resources

• Parish Records - St. Joseph's Church - Chéticamp, Nova Scotia
• What links to this page.

Sources

1. ↑ Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home, acadianhome.org: history of Cheticamp Lucie LeBlanc Consentino, 1998, citing "Chéticamp" by Father Anselme Chiasson - ISBN 1-895415-29-2.
2. ↑ Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home, acadianhome.org: [http://acadian-home.org/cheticamp-census.html Census of Chéticamp by Father Lejamtel, Missionary Dated August 1809] Lucie LeBlanc Consentino, 1998, Accessed 2024.