THE ACADIAN BENOIT'S OF RHODE ISLAND

"Debut de la colonie Franco-Arnericaine HEBERT and Jeanne COMEAU, the de Woonsocket, Rhode Island" (french wedding ceremony took place in the and english version) there is a geneal- Church of Grand Pre and the couple ogy of a BENOIT family that descends settled between la Riviere-des-Habitants from one of the smaller families to settle (today Wolfville) and la Riviere-aux- and come out of . Canards (today Canard) where they raised a family of 12 children six boys 1. MARTIN BENOIT-dit- and six girls. Claude is believed to have LaBRIERE left France from the port of died before 1744 fortunately avoiding LaRochelle in the spring of 1671 on the fate reserved for his children the board "L'Oranger" at the age of 28, also majority of whom where deported to on board was MARIE CHAUSSE- Massachusetts. He is believed to be bur- GROS who was 15 at the time and it is ied in the parish cemetery of St Joseph believed that she came from Rochefort de Riviere-aux Canards (now Chip- a city not too far from their port of em- man's Comer). He is the ancestor of all barkation. Martin and Marie are be- the Acadian Benoit's that settled in New lieved to have been mamed either at Bmnswick and . Among the Larochelle just before boarding the ship seven of his children sent to Massachu- or shortly after their arrival in Port Royal setts was his son Joseph. Acadia. The couple along with their family of five girls and five boys spent 3. JOSEPH, the eleventh child their first 30 years in the vicinity of Port of Claude and Jeanne, was born 1732 at Royal inland on the north bank of the Riviere-aux-Canards and on 5 Septem- Riviere des Dauphins (today known as ber 1755 he was taken as a prisoner by the Annapolis river). the English to the church at Grand Pre where Colonel Winslow read the order 2. CLAUDE, the seventh child for deportation, he was 23 at the time and fifth son of Martin and Marie, was and was probably one of the 141 who born in Port Royal in 1686 and spent were forced at bayonet point onto ves- his first 15 years there. In 1702, still sels and deported and in his case it was un-married, he re-located along- with his to Boston, Massachusetts. The trials and parents to Pisiguit on the tribulations of the deported to and live there until 17 11. On 19 Janu- that state have been documented a num- ary of that year, he married JEANNE ber of time so they will not be repeated 27 here. On 18 January 1761, Joseph was ried MARIE-MADELEINE ROY-dit- married in a civil marriage to JEANNE- DESJARDINS the daughter of Jean- ANNE THIBODEAU-dite BLANCHE Baptiste ROY and Josephe PARADIS who was the daughter of Rene THIBO- on 29 June 1787 in Yamachiche and he DEAU and Anne BOUDROT, the wed- died in1818. The couple had a family dig ceremony took place in the pres- of 9 children 2 girls and 7 boys. ence of one LOUIS ROBICHAUD, it is also possible that he had a first wife be- 5. JOSEPH, the second child fore the deportation. In 1763 his request and first son of Firmin and Marie- to be transported to France was denied. Madeleine, was born 31 December ' In 1766 he along with 159 other 1792 at St-Michel-de-Yamaska and on heads of families petitioned the Gover- 28 September 1812 he manied MAR- nor of Massachusetts to be allowed to GUERITE DEMARAIS (not CRYS- emigrate and when it was finally ap- TALIN as shown in Bonier's book) she proved they left on foot and in wagons was the daughter of Christophe DES- (charettes) through the woods most MARAIS and Catherine CARTIER. likely following the Connecticut River Joseph and his wife Marguerite had 13 and made their way north towards Ver- children 9 of which are included in mont where they hired out to work in Bonier's Book, French, pages 1 18- 119 the forests on their way to the joining of and English, pages 147-148 and can be the Connecticut and the White River, followed from there. they eventually made their way to lake Champlain, the Richelieu river finally AUTHOR'S NOTES: The source arriving in Montreal where they were of this Benoit information are from joined by other members of their family "Histoire, Notes et Genealogy sur la who had come from Connecticut. Jo- famille Acadienne Benoit, authored by seph and his wife Jeanne established Louis 0. Benoit of Tracadie-Sheila, themselves in Yamachiche and their civil New Brunswick, and from the personal marriage was validated at Trois Rivieres research done by the author of this ar- on 20 September 1766, the couple had 8 ticle who is also a descendant of Firmin children. Jeanne his wife died in 1803 Benoit and Marie-Madeleine Roy-dit- and he followed her in 1812 and both Desjardins, the book cited can be pur- are buried in the parish of St-Michel de chased from the author for $23.00 (US) Yamaska. His name figures prominently by writing to 3371 rue Helen, Tracadie- even today in the commemorative chapel Sheila, NB. ElX 1A6, or by fax at 1- at Grand Pre National Park. 506-393-1210 or via E-Mail at [email protected]. He is also in- 4. FIRMIN, the second child terested in any up dates from family and first son of Joseph and Jeanne-Anne members that are included in this gene- was born in 1764 in Massachusetts mar- I alogy. In the society of organizations, it is safe to assume that anyone with any knowledge will have to acquire new knowledge every four or five years or become obsolete. - Peter Drucker