In HIS BOOK ENTITLED "the pioneer history OF st. george's diocese" THE rev, Michael brosnan OFFERS A VERY INTERESTING AND INTRIGUING ACCOUNT AS FOLLOWS:
'ABOUT THE FIRST PART OF MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY (I.E. 18TH CENTURY) ONE Henri L'OFFICIAL, A frenchman, ARRIVED IN quebec. after A SHORT SOJOURN IN THAT PROVINCE, HE BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH A YOUNG french canadian, WHOSE CHRISTIAN NAME WAS nannette, THIS YOUNG LADY HE SUBSEQUENTLY MARRIED AND SHORTLY AFTER, FOR SOME REASON WHICH I CANNOT UNDERSTAND, SAILED DOWN THE St. Lawrence IN A SMALL CRAFT OF HIS OWN, TAKING WITH HIM HIS WIFE. making FOR THE straits OF belle isle HE MET WITH ADVERSE WEATHER AND WAS WRECKED AND DRIVEN ASHORE SOME MILES NORTH OF bay st. george. at THIS POINT HE MANAGED TO SPEND THE WINTER SOME HOW AND THE SUMMER FOLLOWING MADE HIS WAY TO Sandy Point, THE CHIEF SETTLEMENT OF THE SAME bay. He SETTLED HERE AMONG THE FEW jersey FAMILIES THAT WERE ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE PLACE. Af HIS UNION WITH Nannette THERE WAS TWO DAUGHTERS AND ONE SON. the CAREER IN CAPE breton, THE OTHER FORMED AN ALLIANCE WITH A frenchman BORN ON THE 'PASSAGE FROM france, THIS MAN'S NAME WAS benoit. from THIS UNION SPRANG A LONG LINEAGE. the NAME benoit IS COMMON IN ALL PARTS OF bay st. george: IN MOST CASES IN THE ORIGINAL french SPELLING AND IN MANY INSTANCES IN THE english TRANSLATION OR ADAPTATION bennett. by INTER-MARRIAGE WITH THEIR english NEIGHBOURS OR WITH COMPATRIOTS FROM france OR canada THEIR NUMBERS RAPIDLY INCREASED.
Speculation WILL FOREVER SURROUND THE APPEARANCE OF THIS FAMILY BUT IN FACT THEY WERE DWELLING AT SANDY point PRIOR TO 1790. Henry L'OFFICIAL'S FAMILY CONSISTED OF HIS WIFE. Isabelle Cheyo (Elizabeth Shegone) ALONG WITH CHILDREN, Georges, anne AND Marie. Marie L'OFFICIAL MARRIED JEAN-KENE Camus AT bay st. George: , Newfoundland ON THE 25RD september 1792. (1) Anne, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF Henri, WOULD MARRY francois benoit ALSO AT sandy point ON july 20, 1790 IN THE PRESENCE OF FOUR WITNESSES, NAMELY joseph (payson?), John Denis, Louis Monroe, AND John Ford. (2) this MARRIAGE WAS REVALIDATED AT St-Pierre AND MlQUELON ON THE 4TH OF august 1791. Anne Francoise THEIR DAUGHTER WAS ALSO CHRISTENED.
The SON OF Augustin Benoit AND Francoise Terriot, Francois Benoit WAS BORN ABOUT 1764 AT Iles Malouines (NOW THE Falkland Islands OF THE COAST OF argentina) (5) other MEMBERS OF THIS MUCH TRAVELLED AND UNFORTUNATE FAMILY WERE: NICHOLAS-JEAN-SEBASTIEN NEE 1760; ADELAIDE NEE 1764; anne NEE 1767, Louis-Marie NEE 1769; AND Anne Marie NEE 1773. in 1758 Augustin, AT AGE 18. WAS DEPORTED FROM Ile Royal, Acadia (Cape Breton Island) BY THE english TO St-Servan, france. the FOLLOWING EXCERPT FROM the acadian exiles IN St-Malo . 1758-1785 BY Albert J. Robichaux Jr OF LOUISIANNA SERVES TO ILLUSTRATE THIS GROUP'S NOMADIC LIFE STYLE:
"Augustin Benoist DISEMBARKED AT St-Malo WITH HIS AUNT, Marie Giroire, WIDOW OF Charles Benoist, Nov. 1, 1758, FROM THE SHIP LE duc Guillaume. He ESTABLISHED HIS FAMILY IN THE FOLLOWING PARISHES: St-Suliac 1759 AND St-Servan 1763. in 1763, THE ENTIRE FAMILY EMBARKED ON THE L'AIGLE FOR THE Falkland Islands. They RETURNED TO St-Malo on April 23, 1768. between 1768-1772 they resided IN THE PARISH OF St-Servan."This NEXT PIECE, AN INTERPRETATION FROM LES acadiens A MlQUELON BY father Patrice Gallant FURTHER REINFORCES THE ABOVE PASSAGE:
"Augustin BENOIST UPON CAPTURE OF THE SHIP due DE Choiseul WAG TAKEN PRISONER AND THROWN INTO JAIL IN England. released FROM prison AND SENT TO France. in 1763 HE LEFT St-Malo, France FOR THE Falkland Islands WITH HIS WIFE, Francoise Terriot, HIS SON AND HIS SISTER-IN-LAW. the COLONY AT THE Falkland Islands FAILED AND IT WAS ABANDONED 1ST april 1767. the french COLONISTS, AMONG WHICH WERE COMPATRIOTS OF Benoist, WERE TRANSPORTED TO Montevedio WHERE THEY EMBARKED FIVE MONTHS LATER FOR Cadix, IN THE COMPANY WITH 250 Jesuits, REMNANTS OF A spanish COLONY. in 1775, Augustin BENOIST, UPON HIS REQUEST, SAILED FOR ST-PlERRE AND MlQUELON WITH HIS FAMILY WHICH BY THIS TIME NUMBERED TEN PEOPLE. three YEARS LATER, IN 1778, HE WAS SENT BACK TO france BY THE English, ALONG WITH ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE COLONY."And, OF COURSE, Francois Benoit AND HIS SISTERS, Adelaide AND Anne, WERE ALL BORN AT THE falkland islands DURING THEIR SHORT STAY THERE.
It IS NOT PRECISELY CLEAR TO ME WHETHER Augustin Benoit OR Benoist EVER RETURNED Tu North america AFTER 1778. WHEN his daughter, Adelaide, WAS MARRIED AT ST-PlERRE IN 1787, THE CHURCH REGISTER INDICATED THAT Augustin MAY HAVE BEEN ALIVE AS A WIDOWER. It IS TRUE, HOWEVER, THAT HE WAS DEAD BY july 20, 1790, THE DATE ON WHICH HIS SON, Francois Benoit, MARRIED Anne L'OFFICIAL AT Sandy Point, Bay St. George, Newfoundland. the CHURCH RECORDS REVEAL Francois HAD BEEN IN Newfoundland SEVEN MONTHS AT THE TIME OF HIS MARRIAGE.
Our NEXT MEETING WITH Francois Benoit IS September 16, 1799. while STILL A NATIVE DE LA Baie St-George, Isle DE Terre Neuve HE HAD JOURNEYED TO Quebec City FOR THE BAPTIZING OF HIS CHILDREN, MARIE-Madeleine NEE 3 June, 1795 AND George NEE 7 August 1798. this SAME VOYAGE ALSO SAW HIM PRESENT, APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER ON september 24, 1799, AT THE MARRIAGE REVALIDATION OF HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW, Jean-Rene camus, TO marie L'OFFICIAL. also PRESENT AT THE WEDDING RENEWAL WERE: George AND Anne L'OFFICIAL, BROTHER AND SISTER, AND Elizabeth shegone, MOTHER.(1)
When commander Thomas White ON BOARD THE HM sloop avenger FILED HIS CENSUS REPORT, DATED 28 june 1808, FOR western newfoundland, Francois Benoit IS LISTED AS mr. benwagh IN ONE INSTANCE AND AS Frs BENNETT ON ANOTHER SECTION OF THE SAME REPORT. Jean-Rene camus IS LISTED AS mr. Cammey AND AS John Cummey (5). each MAN'S RESPECTIVE FAMILY MEMBERS TOTALLED 8 AND 9, EACH OWNED A BOAT, AND EACH TRADED WITH halifax, Nova Scotia (5). interestingly, IN 1820, JEAN Camus, SON OF Jean-Rene AND Marie L'OFFICIAL, MARRIED Marie Deveau at cheticamp, Cape Breton. this YOUNGER Jean Camus IS THE ANCESTOR OF THE Camus FAMILY OF Cheticamp, SOME OF WHOSE DESCENDANTS ARE NOW CALLED campbell. (6)
A french naval REPORT FOR 1821 STATES: "UN DE NOS ANCIEN MATELOTS, NOMME benoit A EPOUSE, IL Y A TRENTE ANS, UNE SAUVAGE DE LAQUELLE IN A riEUF ENFANTS... IL HABITE LE HAVRE DE saint-george's DU COTE OPPOSE AUS anglais." SO WE SEE THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS BEEN HERE FOR THIRTY YEARS WHICH COINCIDES CLOSELY WITH THE ARRIVAL OF francois benoit IN 1790. additionally, THIS MAN HAS NINE CHILDREN FROM HIS UNION WITH AN INDIAN WOMAN AND LIVES WITHIN st-georges HARBOUR OPPOSITE THE english (sandy point). this mr. benoit, THEN, MIGHT WELL BE THE ONE AND SAME INDIVIDUAL WHO ARRIVED IN 1790, WHOSE WIFE HAD DIED, AND WHO NOW HAD MARRIED A SECOND TIME. A POPULAR PRESUMPTION WOULD HAVE HIM THE FOREFATHER OF ALL THE micmac PEOPLE BEARING THE benoit NAME IN newfoundland. .
In 1838 CENSUS OF bay st. george BY captian polkinghorne OF THE VESSEL HMS crocodile INDICATES THAT Francois Bennett IS NOW EIGHTY YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN RESIDENT HERE FOR SOME FIFTY YEARS. it ALSO STATES THAT HIS NATIVE PLACE WAS canada. this PARTICULAR REPORT HAS MINOR DISCREPANCIES SO THIS IS PROBABLY, ONCE AGAIN, A PROFILE OF THE ORIGINAL Franois Benoit. notwithstanding HIS ADVANCED AGE, HE CONTINUES OPERATIONS IN THE SALMON AND HERRING FISHERY, he SUSTAINED A LONG FRUITFUL LIFE AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE FOLLOWING WERE EIGHT CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN: constant, edward, frances, george, helen, john, jules, Louis, oliver sr . AND susan benoit.
Between THE PERIOD 1847-50 A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF benoits BURST UPON THE SCENE IN bay st. george. in 1948, mr. thomas white (leblanc) OF st. george's, newfoundland PROVIDED INFORMATION FOR A SERIES OF TEN ARTICLES WHICH APPEARED IN THE french NEWSPAPER L'EVANGELINE OF moncton, NEW brunswick. entitled les acadiens DE terre-neuve IT MAKES REFERENCE TO FOUR BROTHERS, luc, george, paul AND ISAAC benoit WHO ARRIVED FROM arichat, cape breton. mr. white FURTHER STATES THAT isaac SETTLED IN THE codroy valley, paul's DESCENDANTS WENT TO THE bay D'ESPOIR area, WHILE luc AND george REMAINED IN THE VICINITY OF bay st. george WHERE THE FOUR HAD FIST SETTLED IN 1850.
In REALITY. isaac DIED IN 1832 AND HIS WIDOW, felicite longuepee, NOW WITH FOUR ENFANTS, MARRIED germain leblanc (7). this COMBINATION FAMILY OF benoIT-lEBLANC WENT TO bay st. george WHERE THEY SETTLED IN THE AREA OF flat bay. in KEEPING WITH mr. white's THEME, IT MAY BE THAT ONE OR MORE OF isaac's SONS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED TO THE codroy valley, IN PARTICULAR thomas WHO WAS BORN IN 1826. george's DESCENDANTS IN LIEU OF paul's SEEMS A MORE LIKELY CHOICE AS THE GROUP WHO MOVED TO THE bay D'ESPOIT AREA. in 1864 THERE IS A RESIDENT COUPLE NAMED george AND paul benwa, ON newfoundland's SOUTH COAST AT white bear bay (8) AND IN 1871 THIS PAIR IS NOT RECORDED BY lovell BUT RATHER THERE IS NOW A paul AND A laurence benoit AT bay D'ESPOIT. paul, ONE OF, THE ORIGINAL BROTHERS, HAD A SON NAMED paul NE 1847 BUT THIS YOUNGER paul WAS MARRIED AT sandy point WHERE EVIDENCE TENDS TO INDICATIVE REMAINED IN THE AREA. besides THE POSSIBILITY SEEMS REMOTE THAT^PAUL AT AGE 16 OR 17 IN 1864 WOULD BE LISTED AS A PRINCIPAL RESIDENT AT white bear bay. however, george, ANOTHER OF THE ORIGINAL BROTHERS, LIKEWISE HAD A SON NAMED paul (BORN IN 1837). might THE LATTER TWO BE A FATHER AND SON COMBINATION AT white bear bay IN 1864?
paul AND HIS FAMILY, WHICH BY 1847, CONSISTED OF FIVE SONS ANDJHREE DAUGHTERS ALL SETTLED IN THE flat bay VICINITY. one OF HIS^SONS, PlERRE OR peter, MARRIED marie-anne longuepee, NIECE OF felicite longuepee ALLUDED TO PREVIOUSLY, AND THE CONSUMATED A LARGE FAMILY, NO LESS OF WHICH WAS SIX OR SEVEN SONS. many YEARS LATER BETWEEN 1898-1904 FOUR OF peter's SONS WOULD JOIN ONE OF THEIR UNCLES AT st. georges.
luc benoit AS SEVERAL COURCES WILL ATTEST EVENTUALLY SETTLED AT pointe-a-luc ON THE port-a-port peninsula WHERE HE , ALONG WITH HIS SONS luke AND michel, WERE AMONG SOME OF THE fIRST PIONEERS OF THAT AREA. indications ARE MOST OF HIS DESCENDANTS SETTLED IN THE VILLAGES OF red brook AND march's point WITH THE EXCEPTION OFSON magloire WHO LIVED AT barachois brook PRIOR TO 1900.
an 1870 DIRECTORY LISTS benjamin, george, AND paul benoit AT codry. the LATTER PAIR REMAIN MYSTERIES FOR THE TIME BEING BUT THE IDENTITY OF BENJAMIN IS ESTABLISHED IN A pamily tree OF A CERTAIN macisaac FAMILY OF THE codroy valley. A MALE MEMBER OF THIS FAMILY MARRIED A benoit WHOSE SISTER, NOWSTILL ALIVE AND APPROACHING THE CENTURY MARK IN AGE, CLEARLY DEFINES benjamin benoit AS THE FIRST COUSINX1F pe+er bennett OF flat bay. that PARTICULAR family tree ALSO GIVES AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF ONE paul longuepee WHO SET OUT FR.OM THE magdalen islands IN A DORY. he NAVIGATED (ROWED) HIS SMALL CRAFT ACROSS THIS WIDE EXPANSE OF WATER AND EVENTUALLY LANDED AT bay st. george WHERE HIS SISTER, THE WIFE OF germain leblanc, WAS ALREADY DOMICILED. paul longuepee IS LISTED AT flat bay IN lovell's 1871 directory AS paul LONGEPE AND THE peter bennett ENUMERATED AT THE SAME TIME IS HIS SON-IN-LAW.
the french FISHERY WOULD SEEM TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF YET ANOTHER benoit CLAN TO THE bay st. george SHORES. this WOULD POSSIBLY BE IN THE PERSON OF francois benoit WHO MARRIED marie duffney OR duffnais AND FATHERED A FAMILY OF AT LEAST TWELVE CHILDREN. he HAD SEVEN SONS BUT ONE MAY HAVE DIED IN INFANCY WHILE ANOTHER DROWNED NEAR fox island IN april OF 1872 AT AGE 16. married BETWEEN 1845-49, HE LIKELY ARRIVED FROM france JUST PRIOR TO THIS TIME FRAME AND HAVING TAKEN UP RESIDENCE AT black duck brook, HE PROBABLY LIVED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FOLLOWING PERSONS OF THE port-a-port peninsula: augustus rowe (reault)j henry young (LEJEUNE); julys AND louis benoit; AND john duffnais. john duffnais OR duffy WHO ARRIVED FROM THE bay OF chaleur AND MARRIED IN 1860. many OF THE ABOVE PEOPLE ARE INTERRELATED THROUGH MARRIAGE. as WAS OFTEN TIMES THE CASE WITH YOUNG MEN FROM france WHO MADE THIS REGION THEIR TERMINUS IN THOSE EARLY DAYS, CIRCUMSTANCES ANNOUNCING francois benoit's ARRIVAL REMAIN A MATTER OF PURE CONJECTURE. some WERE DESERTERS; OTHERS, GRAVIERS OR CARETAKERS FOR french INTERESTS ON THE french shore WHILE FISHING OPERATIONS WERE SUSPENDED FOR THE SEASON.
another THREE EARLY RESIDENTS ON THE port-a-port peninsula WERE A PAIR CALLED louis benoit AND A jules benoit. while THE FIRST TWO WERE UNQUESTIONABLY RESIDENTS BY 1856 AND 1858, IT WOULD SEEM PLAUSABLE THAT ALL THREE WERE FIRMED FIXED ON THE peninsula BEFORE 1850. the OLDER louis, MARRIED TO ursula marche, ALREADY HAD A FAMILY OF EIGHT BY 1858 AND HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SON OR MORE LIKELY A GRANDSON OF francois benoit, OUR 1790 ARRIVEE. the OTHER louis WAS POSSIBLY A SON OF isaac benoit AND felicite longupee OF cape breton. LOUIS' WIFE, domitille goter (gaudet), WAS BORN IN 1831 AND THIS COINCIDES VERY CLOSELY WITH THE BIRTH DATE OF isaac's SON louis Toussaint. jules, WHO WAS MARRIED TO marie jesseau, WAS PROBABLY A GRANDSON OF francois, AGAIN THE 1790 CHARACTER. we SHOULD REMEMBER HERE THAT THE jesso's FIRST SETTLED IN THE AREA OF sandy point, AS DID THE ORIGINAL benoits. many OF THE EARLY french SETTLERS ABANDONNED THE INNER bay st. george AREA CHIEFLY FOR TWO REASONS: THE FIRST BEING, THE FREEDOM TO FISH UNRESTRICTED (sandy point HAD A LARGE FISHING POPULATION BY THIS TIME), SECONDLY, THERE WOULD BE LANGUAGE FREEDOM. although THERE WAS A LARGE RESIDENT french POPULATION IN THE REGION, COMMERCE, SHCOOLS. FTC. WERE ALL CONDUCTED IN english.
geologist, william C. wonders, IN HIS settlement IN western newfoundland ENLIGHTENS US WITH "... IN 1844 THE FIRST acadian french ARRIVED WITH THEIR FAMILIES IN FISHING BOATS FROM margaree, cape breton island AND LOCATED AT WHAT IS NOW stephenvjlle ON THE northern shore OF ST. george's bay..." (9) to FURTHER SUBSTANTIATE THIS SENTIMENT THERE ARE OTHER SOURCES REFLECTING THE PRESENCE OF acadians AT stephenville AS EARLY AS 1840. one OF THERE FIRST acadian SETTLERS WAS celestin leblanc WHOSE DAUGHTER, theodora BORN IN 1824, MARRIED constant (constance) benoit. given theodora's BIRTH DATE AND THE PROBABILITY OF A CHILD BORN IN 1846-45. as THIS GROUP, WHICH AT THIS TIME OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER INCLUDED THE aucoin, gallant, GAUDET, doucet, gaudin, chiasson AND bourgeois FAMILIES, ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES A RAPID MERGING WITH THE OLDER RESIDENT FAMILIES OF st. george's HARBOUR BECOMES EVIDENT. lovell's directory MAKES LIGHT OF THIS FACT WITH THE TABULATION OF THE benoit (constant, frank, george, AND john) jusseau (jesso), luckoo (lucas), MARCH(MARCHE), young (LEJEUNE), AND ALEXANDER (?) FAMILIES AT indian HEAD(STEPHENVILLE) IN 1871. the frank benoit REGISTERED BY lovell REMAINS UNACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PRESENT BUT john. WHO WAS BORN 1846 AND MARRIED /\GNES young IN 1872, WAS LIKELY A SON OF constant benoit AND theodora LEBLANC. george, ESPOUSED TO caroline young BEFORE 1859, WAS POSSIBLEY A BROTHER OR COUSIN OF constant. these WERE ALMOST CERTAINLY THE FIRST OF THE benoits AT stephenville.
various REPORTS HAVE SIGNALLED THE EXISTANCE OF INHABITANTS AT THE main gut OR stephenville crossing AREA OF bay st. george SINCE EARLY IN THE 19TH CENTURY. for EXAMPLE, WHILE THE HMS rosamond WAS MOORED OFF sandy point IN THE SUMMER OF 1813, it. chappell AND SHIP'S PURSER ACCOMPANIED A LOCAL TO THE main gut WHERE THEY PURCHASED A COW TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR PROVISIONS; AND 1821 french naval REPORT INDICATED THERE WERE FIVE FAMILIES AT 'LE GRAND barachois'; IN 1835 THE reverand WlX MADE MENTION OF FIVE FAMILIES AT THE main gut, THE 1838 CENSUS SHOWS THREE FAMILIES, NAMELY THOSE OF jean lucas AND jean filler, BOTH OF WHOM ARRIVED IN 1823 FROM france VIA st. PlERRE, AND jim YOUNG (jacques lejeune) WHO ARRIVED IN 1830. based ON PRESENT DATA ALL INDICATIONS POINT TO oliver benoit sr. AS THE FIRST OF THAT NAMESAKE IN THE main gut. oliver MARRIED (heriette-rose?) lucas WHO WE CAN SAFELY ASSUME WAS A DAUGHTER OF jean lucas. since SHE WAS BORN SOMETIME LATER THAN 1823 AND HER UNION WITH oliver benoit PRODUCED THREE CHILDREN BY 1858, IT CAN BE FURTHER ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE UNITED IN WEDLOCK WITHIN A FEW YEARS OF 1850. the 1838 CENSUS DOES NOT NOTE A SINGLE benoit FAMILY AT THE main gut SO WE MAY CONCLUDE oliver MADE HIS PRESENCE KNOWN HERE WITHIN THE 1840-50 TIME SPAN; HE WAS STILL A NATIVE OF THIS LOCATION AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. abraham AND john benoit WERE ALSO EARLY RESIDENTS OF THE LOCALE, BOTH HAVING COME PRIOR TO 1873.
while IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH FAMILY PATTERNS WITH RESPECT TO W bendtt FAMILY OR FAMILIES WHO EMBARKED UPON bay st. qeorge VIA THE french FISHERY, THE OTHER FAMILIES CAN BE BETTER IDENTIFIED. although POUR benoit FAMILIES DESCENDED UPON WESTERN newfoundland FROM margaree OR AREA APPROXIMATELY SIXTY YEARS AFTER francois BENOIT'S INTRODUCTION TO THE AREA, ALL THESE FAMILIES ARE, NEVERTHELESS, RELATED. they ARE ALL DESCENDANTS OF martin benoit WHO ARRIVED AT acadia FROM france IN 1671.
By Allan T. Stride (#339)
251 - 3510 southgate road,
Ottawa,Ont.K1V 8X4
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Copyright © 2002 Jasen Benwah
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