this is still being updated
SUMMARY
of our Direct Richard Lineage
Michel Richard dit Sansoucy
Sansoucy: is a
regimantal nickname wich confirms in some degree his occupation as a soldier.
He married Madeleine Blanchard abt. 1656
He also married Jeanne Babin but my lineage is from Madeleine Blanchard.
Michel was born in La Saintonge, France abt. 1630 and died Port Royal, Acadia between 1686 & 1689.
Michel is the originating ancestor of the Acadian Richard surname.
Michel RICHARD, 41, wife Madeleine BLANCHARD 28; Children Rene 14, Pierre
10, Martin 6, Alexandre 3, Catherine 8, Anne and Magdeleine 5 weeks;
cattle 15, sheep 14.
The original census can be found on microfilm C-2572 of the
National Archives of Canada.
Martin Richard the son of Michel Richard dit Sancoucy
Was born in Port Royal, Acadia, 1665
He married Marguerite Bourg, probably in Port Royal
He died before February 06, 1748 probably in Beaubassin, Acadia
He is mentioned in the 1671 Port Royal Census (listed above) at age 6.
1698 Beaubassin Census he is listed at age 33.
Because he is listed in this census this states he moved from Port Royal to Beaubassin.
He is also listed in the Beaubassin Census of 1700, 1701, 1703, 1707.
Alexander Richard, son of Martin and grandson of Michel Richard dit Sansoucy.
Was born about 1695 in Beaubassin, Acadia.
He married Marie-Madeleine Thibodeau about 1724 in Beaubassin, Acadia
He moved his family from Beaubassin to Ile St. Jean (today know as Prince Edward Island).
According to the 1752 Census of Ile St. Jean, as stated below, he lived in the country for 11 years. Subtracting 11 yrs from 1752 is 1741.
This means he moved to Ile of St. Jean in 1741.
According to
the book [D.C. Harvey, The French Regime in
Prince Edward Island, p. 99-107] it states,
“French immigration had stopped in the mid 1730s. Evidentially,
the Acadians also brought livestock with them. Buildings were built in
1735 for the surgeon, chaplain, and powder vault. In 1741, 5 Acadian
families immigrated to the island and settled at Malpeque. In 1743,
8 Acadian families (50-60 people) settled at Malpeque, instead of at Three
Rivers where they would have had to pay rent to the seigneur. 1744 was the
3rd prosperous year in a row. More Acadians were coming over ... younger
Acadians who had scouted the area first.”
Alexandre
Richard, ploughman, native of l'Acadie, aged 57 years, he has been in the
country 11 years. Married to Magdelaine Thibaudeau, native of l'Acadie, aged 47
years.
They
have three sons and three daughters:-
Jean
Richard, aged 15 years.
Joseph, aged 11 years.
Victor, aged 5 years.
Anne, aged 17 years.
Catherine, aged 13 years.
Jeanne Rosallye, aged 9 years.
In
live stock they have four oxen, two cows, one heifer, six ewes, four pigs,
seventeed geese, twenty hens.
They
hold their land under verbal permission from Messieurs Duchambon and Dubuisson.
On it they have a clearing where they have sown ten bushels and a half of wheat,
and three bushels of peas, and have fallow land for the sowing of twenty
bushels.
1758
Alexander's family had
escaped the deportation of Acadians from Ile of St. Jean.
“Of those who escaped the
deportation, some left from the north shore and headed for Quebec on
French schooners. Others fled to Miramichi, but they had no food. A Sept.
24, 1758 report from Murray to Wolfe stated that those at Miramichi were
starving and preparing to go to Canada. Some found their way to St. Pierre
and Miquelon; a 1767 census there shows 81 from Ile St. Jean. The
parish of Malpeque and some around the Northeast River had escaped deportation.
They soon become good at hiding in the woods. “
1759
When ships were sent to
Isle St. Jean in spring 1759 to pick up the remaining inhabitants, the person in
charge (Capt. Johnson) said they had all gone off to Canada.
1764-65
A report by Gov. Wilmot
(June 2, 1764) estimates 300 Acadians on the island ... who declared “recently
in a most solemn manner” that they would recognize no king except the King of
France. In 1765, Capt. Holland stated in a letter to the Earl of
Hillsborough that "there are about thirty Acadian families on the island,
who are regarded as prisoners, and kept on the same footing as those at Halifax.
They are extremely poor, and maintain themselves by their industry in gardening,
fishing, fowling, etc. The few remaining houses in the different parts of the
island are very bad, and the quantity of cattle is but very
inconsiderable." [Duncan Campbell, History
of PEI]
Capt. Morris estimated 207 Acadians there in 1767. [Harvey, p.
199-200] Their descendants form a large part of the current Acadian
population on the island today.
Paul Richard son of Alexander
Was born 1725, probably in Beaubassin, Acadia
Married Marie-Renée Boudrot 1746 in Tracadie, P.E.I.
I don’t have any more info on him.
Don’t know if he moved to Canada to escape the deportation hid in the woods of Malpeq, or most likely moved to Chaleur Bay. I would have to believe the later.
Charles Richard son of Paul
Was born in P.E.I. between 1813 and 1819
He married Marie Porier probably in P.E.I.
His brother Joseph married Marie’s sister Marie-Rosalie Porier
His brother Joseph is the Joseph Richard listed as one of the eight Acadian families that settled in at Tignish, P.E.I. after the deportation. See book Genealogies of the 8 Acadian families of Tignish.
Charles and Marie arrived at Mont Carmel in 1813. Stated as coming from Malpeq.
Five of Charles and Marie’s children are among the founding families of the parishioners that started the Notre Dame Mont Carmel church. See book Historical Guidebook of the Evangline Region by George Arsenault.
There is no documentation of Charles and Marie’s birth or marriage records. Probably due to his family hiding out from the British Deportation.
Both Charles and Marie died and are buried at the cemetery Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, P.E.I.
Joseph Richard son of Charles
Was born 1799 in Mont Carmel, P.E.I. and died October 06, 1857, in P.E.I. probably buried at Mont Carmel but have not found grave site or death cert. He could be buried in Summerside.
He married Marguerite Aucoin/Wedge February 12, 1881 in Mont Carmel, P.E.I.
She was born in P.E.I. Her death is also not recorded and possibly buried in Summerside.
Her father Jean Aucoin did not escape the deportation. He was a young boy when he and his parents were deported to a colony in Pennsylvania in 1755 from Grand-Pré, Acadia.
Jean was a young man when he came to Ile of St. Jean and married Rosealie Bernard in Malpeq around 1780. Eleven of twelve of Jean & Rosealie’s children settled in Mont Carmel.
The 1891 Census of Summerside, P.E.I. on Pacifique Richard states Marguerite Wedge living with her son Pacifique. She is listed at age 80.
Joseph, Marie and their children are listed in the Mont Carmel Parish book.
Pacifique Richard son of Joseph
Was born 1830 in Mont Carmel, P.E.I.
He married Marie Blanch Arsenault 1857 at Egmont Bay, P.E.I.
I have a copy of their birth and marriage index from the Acadian Museum in Miscouche, P.E.I. along with some of their children.
He probably died and buried in Summerside, P.E.I. I cannot find any death documentation on him. This is most likely due to the type of tomb stone used in his time period. The stones were a soft sand stone and a combination of weather and time deteriated the markings and stones. Another reason is that the family could not afford to purchase a stone. A lot of the cemetery records are recorded by people gathering data from the tomb stones.
I do have a couple of census on him in Summerside, P.E.I.
1881 and 1891 census. He is not listed on the 1901 census of Summerside.
I believe he died between 1891 and 1901.
Interesting fact on one of the census, it states the family as Roman Catholic but member of the Church of Scotland wich is an Evangelistic Church.
His wife Marie Blanch moved to Lawrence, Massachussettes. She resided with her daughter Margaret Taylor of Sylvester, Street. Margaret was married to John Taylor.
Margaret is buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in North Andover, MA.
Marie Blanch died 1923 in Lawrence, MA and is buried at Sacred Hearth Cemetery in Andover, MA. I did find a Obituary on her at the Lawrence Public Library in the Lawrence Eagle Tribune micro film.
There is a family plot with several P.E.I. Acadian Richard family members buried there.
Marie Blanch Richard wife of Pacifique
Jean John Richard son of
Pacifique and Marie Blanch
John Henry Richard son of Jean John
Louis Richard son of Jean John
Alice Deleau wife of Louis
Joserphine daughter of Jean John
Peter Richard son of Jean John
Ernest Richard son of Jean John
Joseph Wallace Richard son of John Henry
Pacifique and Marie Blanch had six sons and two daughters. All of their children eventually moved to New England between 1889 and 1930 with the exception of Joseph.
Their children names are Peter, Joseph, Jean-John, William, Clovis, Elisse, Margaret, Mary-Jane also know as Maggy.
Josheph Richard son of Pacifique
I cannot find any info on him.
Peter Richard moved to Chelsea, MA between 1890 - 1900
Jean J. Richard moved to Lawrence, MA about 1906
William Richard moved to Medford, MA 1899 and is buried there at Calvary Cemetery, Married Margaret Mooney, they had no children.
Clovis Richard moved to Rumford Falls, ME
Elissee Richard moved to Conneticut, he is a twin to Clovis.
Margaret Richard moved to Lawrence, MA about 1910
Maggy Richard married Andrew Peters probably in Canada. According to her mothers obituary she is residing in Rogerville, Canada. The obit of her brother Jean John, she is residing in Summerville, MA. I have no other info on her.
1881 Census:
Pacifique Richard (aged
52), Roman Catholic, farmer and stone mason, from Lot 25.
Mary (46)
Joseph (23)
Elie (19)
Clevy (19)
Peter (17)
John (14)
William (9)
Mary Jane (6)
Maggy Ann (4)
Margaret Richard (75, from
P.E.I.)
5. 1891 Census:
Pacific Richard (61),
stone mason, from Summerside
Mary (54)
Mary (16)
Maggie (14)
Margaret F. Wedge (94) (my
note: Wedge is english for Aucoin)
Jean John Richard son of Pacifique
Maried to Marie Rose Allian in Summerside, P.E.I.
John Henry Richard son of Jean John