Taking Up the Canada's 150th Genealogy Challenge

Yesterday was Canada Day, and a very special Canada Day at that – the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the creation of the Dominion of Canada from the former British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada (comprising Quebec and Ontario). Patricia Greber of the My Genealogy Life blog celebrated with a Canada's 150th Genealogy Challenge, asking bloggers to "List all your ancestors that were living in Canada in 1867, the dates they arrived (can be approximate) and where they first settled."

So, albeit a day late, I'm going to answer this challenge for the three-quarters of my maternal lines that are Canadian. (My paternal lines are solidly English, Scots, and German.) My maternal grandmother's father descended from French-Canadian stock who first arrived in Quebec in the late 17th century, while my maternal grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Prince Edward Island; his PEI forbears came from Scotland (Outer Hebrides) and Ireland.¹

All except my 3x great-grandfather Michael Murphy were born in Quebec or Prince Edward Island, so for them there are no "arrival dates" or locations "where first settled". Instead I have listed their probable locations in 1867. (Michael Murphy arrived from Ireland ca 1820 and first settled in Georgetown, PEI.)

Ancestor	Relationship	Probable residence in 1867
*Louis Rabideau (1850-aft 1913)	2x great-grandfather	Saint-Paul-de-Chester, PQ
*Celina Cloutier (ca 1850-1881)	2x great-grandmother	unknown
Louis Robidas (1832-1921)	3x great-grandfather	Saint-Paul-de-Chester, PQ
Marie Deshaies-St. Cyr (1829-1895)	3x great-grandmother	Saint-Paul-de-Chester, PQ
Divine Louise Girardeau( 1790-1875)	4x great-grandmother	prob Stoke or St. Camille, PQ
**Jean-Baptiste Deshaies-St. Cyr (1806-unk)	4x great-grandfather	possibly Nicolet, PQ
**Victoire Lemire (1811-unk)	4x great-grandmother	possibly Nicolet, PQ
Dominic Murphy (1854-1914)	great-grandfather	Georgetown, PEI
Rose Ann McIntyre (1862-1937)	great-grandmother	Lot 19, PEI
William Murphy (1830-1909)	2x great-grandfather	Georgetown, PEI
Flora Ann McDonald (1832-1911)	2x great-grandmother	Georgetown, PEI
Neil McIntyre (1814-aft 1881)	2x great-grandfather	Lot 19, PEI
Mary Ann McLellan (1817-1896)	2x great-grandmother	Lot 19, PEI
**Michael Murphy (ca 1800-aft 1861)	3x great-grandfather	Lot 41, PEI
**Magdelen Morison (ca 1800-aft 1861)	3x great-grandmother	Lot 41, PEI

* Louis and Celina married in 1869, probably in New Hampshire, but I believe they were still in Quebec in 1867.
** These ancestors may well have been alive in 1867, but so far I haven't located any death records for them.

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SOURCES

1. PEI didn't actually join the Dominion until 1873, but since it is informally known as the "Cradle of Confederation" for hosting the 1864 Charlottetown Conference where the initial steps toward Confederation were taken, I'm going to stretch the bounds of the challenge a bit to include my PEI lines.

52 Ancestors: #49, The Elusive Louis Robidas

Writing my most recent 52 Ancestors post, on Marie Pauline (St. Cyr) Robidas, reminded me once again that I still have not found a baptismal record for her husband Louis. In fact, I don't have a whole lot of information about my 3x great-grandfather, but what I do have conflicts wildly regarding his date of birth. Here's what I do know:

Marriage of Louis Robidas and Marie St. Cir [sic], 1849

Louis Robidas was born to Jean-Baptiste Robidas and Divine Girardeau, apparently in October sometime between 1827 and 1833, probably in either Trois-Rivieres or Pointe-du-Lac, St. Maurice, Quebec.¹ He married Marie St. Cyr on 4 June 1849, at Saint-Norbert-d'Arthabaska, and was described as a "fils majeur" (at least 21, hence born no later than 1827).² They had 11 children between 1850 and 1872, in Saint-Norbert, Wotton, Saint-Paul-de-Chester, and Sherbrooke. They appeared with three children in the 1861 Canada census in Chester West, Arthabaska County; Louis's age at his next birthday was given as 28 (hence born 1833).³

1861 Canada East census, Chester West, Arthabaska, Louis "Rabida" household

After that, aside from the children's baptismal records, there is nothing certain until 1921. Louis, widowed, age 91 (implying an 1829 birth), appeared in the 1921 census (in June) as a "logeur" in the Hospice du Sacré Couer in Sherbrooke.⁴

1921 Canada census, Sherbrooke, Hospice du Sacré Couer, Louis Robida

Not quite six months later, Saint-Michel-de-Sherbrooke buried one Louis Robidas, a resident of Hospice du Sacré Couer, and husband of the deceased Marie St. Cyr. He died on 28 November 1921 at the age of 91 (implying an 1830 birth).⁵

Burial of Louis Robidas, Saint-Michel-de-Sherbrooke, 1921

As you can see, there's little consensus on when Louis was born.

My starting point for Louis's birth was an entry in Claude Jutras's website, stating that Louis was baptized 26 October 1832 at "Trois-Rivieres ou Pointe-du-Lac."⁶ The date is very specific, but the ambiguous place means it couldn't be based on an actual baptismal record. Nevertheless, in analyzing other records, I worked on the assumption that the "26 October" part of the date probably has some validity.

I combed through the FamilySearch "Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979" collection, browsing the register indexes (where they exist) or the registers themselves for the full potential time period in, first, the two parishes where I knew his parents had lived: La Visitation-de-la-Pointe-du-Lac in Pointe-du-Lac, and Immaculée-Conception in Trois-Rivieres; and then, in any other parish that existed at the time in the surrounding counties where they might conceivably have had a child baptized.

I could find no baptismal record for Louis in any of those places.

In addition to the handful of records which I'm certain belong to "my" Louis, I have located four census records in the intervening years that might belong to him, if you look at them with an open mind and a healthy skepticism about the accuracy of census records in general.

1871: No trace of Louis Robida. There is, however, a William Rabidoux household in Magog, Stanstead County, with a wife Marie, and children of similar names, in the right order, though somewhat younger than expected. Maybe a neighbor answered the enumerator's questions? William Rabidoux was said to be 38 (at last birthday), meaning born in 1832.⁷

1881: Louis and his family seem to have vanished utterly. His three younger sons would all marry in Lewiston, Maine, in the 1880s, but I haven't found any of them in the 1880 US census. It's possible that the whole family moved to Maine just after the 1880 US census and before the 1881 Canada census, with Louis and Marie returning to Quebec later.

1891: I found a Louis and Marie Rabideaux, aged 63 and 66 (hence born ca 1828 and 1825), in Eaton (about 15 miles east of Sherbrooke). The household includes three children surnamed Cloutier, identified as two nieces and a nephew. Conceivably, these might be the children of an unidentified brother of Celina Cloutier, first wife of Louis and Marie's oldest son Louis. If so, they would be the younger Louis's nieces and nephew by marriage, and thus loosely identified as so related to the elder Louis. But this is admittedly a pretty tenuous hypothesis.⁸

1901: Marie died in 1895, and I found a widowed Louis Robidas, age 69, with a date of birth given as 28 Oct 1832. Interestingly, this is almost the same as the 26 Oct 1832 baptismal date found on the Jutras website, and it's quite possible the date came from this census; the image is extremely fuzzy and low-contrast, and the 28 could easily be read as 26. Add in the fact that he's in the household of a Thomas Robidas, who happens to be Louis's youngest brother, and it would seem that this must be "my" Louis Robidas. There's just one little problem: his relationship to the head of household is given as "beau frère," or brother-in-law. So I'm still not sure I have the right Louis, but on the other hand I'm not aware of any Louis Robidas who would be Thomas's brother-in-law. Possibly, the census enumerator recorded the relationship incorrectly. I give this one a fair amount of credence.⁹

1911: Another "possible" find, a widowed Louis Robida with date of birth and age given as Oct 1824 (or possibly 1828; again, very fuzzy image), age 76. Of course, if the year is 1824, the age should be 86; if 1828, it should be 82. But the month of October is at least consistent! His relationship to the head of household, Napoleon Durand, is given as uncle; if this is "my" Louis, he's actually Napoleon's great-uncle. I'm actually reasonably certain of this one, but the age and date ambiguity leave it open to some question.¹⁰

In summary, I have the following possible dates of birth, of varying degrees of plausibility (note that certainty as to whether the record is "my" Louis does not necessarily correlate with plausibility of the birth year):

Which still leaves me without an actual birth/baptismal record. So when – and where – was Louis Robidas born? Well, I have a theory.

When I wrote my post #36, on Jean-Baptiste Robidas (Louis's father), I listed what I knew, or thought I knew, about Jean-Baptiste's twelve children. I've made a couple of discoveries since then, and it turns out there were only eleven.¹¹ And now, I'm beginning to suspect there may actually be only ten.

According to my current information, the last five children in the family were:

• Jean-Richard, b. 24 Apr 1827, Trois-Rivieres
• Marie-Marguerite, b. 11 May 1828, Trois-Rivieres
• Joseph, b. 27 Oct 1830, Trois Rivieres¹²
• Louis, no baptismal record, apparently b. in October between 1827-1833
• Thomas Damase, b. 29 Mar 1833, Pointe-du-Lac

It's important to note that I have located the baptismal records for all but Louis, so he has to fit in among these fixed dates. Where is there room for him?

• It's clear that he cannot have been born in 1827 or 1828, despite his marriage record's claim that he had reached the age of majority. Jean-Richard and Marie-Marguerite don't leave any room for Louis.
• Astute readers may note that I previously had Thomas listed as being born in 1834. That, like Louis's supposed birth in 1832, I had obtained from the Jutras website. It provided plausible two-year intervals between Joseph, Louis, and Thomas, so I didn't question it until I tracked down Thomas's baptism.¹³ As you can see, his actual birth in March 1833 makes it impossible for Louis to have been born in October 1832 (unless Thomas was quite premature).
• Assuming he really was born in October, that leaves 1829 or 1831. Unless...

Unless Louis was actually baptized Joseph.

Baptism of Joseph Robidat [sic], 1830

Several points bolster this hypothesis:

• Joseph was born on 27 October. Is it a coincidence that this is almost identical to the 28 October date from the 1901 census record that is quite possibly "my" Louis Robida?
• Every one of the children is accounted for (now that I have the Maries and Marguerites straightened out), either by a burial record for an infant death, or by a marriage record, mostly followed by children, census, and eventual burial records. Every one, that is, except Joseph. There is not a trace of Joseph after that baptism.
• When Joseph was baptized in 1830, the family already had a Joseph, born in 1815, and still living (he lived to the age of 82, in fact). While it wouldn't be unusual for a family to give two sons the same first (baptismal) forename, they would normally be distinguished by giving at least one of them a second forename... say, "Joseph-Louis."
• The baptismal record is a bit garbled: the parents are given as "Baptiste Robidat" and "Divine Galerneautx" – still recognizable as Jean-Baptiste Robidas and Divine Girardeau, but perhaps an indication of a careless recorder, or one who was unfamiliar with the Robidas family. It's not hard to believe that he might have inadvertently omitted a crucial forename, recording Joseph-Louis as just Joseph. (His parents were illiterate, so they wouldn't have known.) Also worth noting is that the next baptism, on the same day, is also for a Joseph; perhaps the name was mistakenly recorded for both children.

So as of now, my working hypothesis is that "Louis Robidas" was born 27 October 1830, in Trois-Rivieres, and baptized Joseph-Louis Robidas at Immaculée Conception Church in that city. He probably never used the baptismal "Joseph", with an elder brother with that name in the household.

This would explain why I can't find Louis's baptism; why there's no sign of Joseph after his baptism; and why the family would name a second child Joseph when the first was still living.

True, that still makes him under 19 at his marriage to Marie St. Cyr – hardly a "fils majeur" – but then, his bride was not quite 20, and she was supposedly a "fille majeure." Both fathers were present at the marriage, so presumably they approved.


(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

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SOURCES

1. His siblings born 1815-1823 were born in Pointe-du-Lac; from 1825-1830 were born in Trois-Rivieres; and the last child in the family was born in Pointe-du-Lac.
2. Saint-Norbert-d'Arthabaska Parish (Arthabaska, Quebec), parish registers, archive copy, 1849, folio 16r/v, M.8, marriage of Louis Robidas and Marie St. Cir [sic], 4 Jun 1849; digital images, “Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1900,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 18 May 2012); citing “Quebec Catholic parish registers. Quebec County Catholic Parishes, Canada”. Although dated 4 Jun and numbered M.8, in the archive copy this marriage act is found in the middle of July between B.72 and M.9, with another, different M.8 recorded in June. In the 1845-1850 church copy of the register, it is found in the correct order in June.
3. 1861 Census of Canada East [Quebec], Arthabaska County, ED 2, Township of Chester West, p. 4 (penned), p. 160 (stamped), lines 24-28, Louis Rabida household; index and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 4 May 2012).
4. 1921 Census of Canada, Quebec, district 205, sub-district 12, Sherbrooke, p. 53, Hospice du Sacré Couer, line 4, Louis Robida; index and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 1 Nov 2013).
5. Saint-Michel-de-Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke, Quebec), parish register, archive copy, 1921, folio 66v, S.64, burial of Louis Robida, 29 Nov 1921; database and digital images, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967,” Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search : accessed 18 May 2012), citing Gabriel Drouin, comp., Drouin Collection, Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin.
6. Claude Jutras (claude@cjutras.org), Site de données généalogiques (http://www.cjutras.org/CJ_ROBIDAS-J.html#I022151 : accessed 8 May 2012), listing for Louis Robidas, child of Jean-Baptiste Robidas and Ludivine Girardeau, in "Index général des mariages".
7. 1871 Census of Canada, Quebec, district 141, Stanstead, schedule 1, sub-district C, Magog, p. 16, dwelling 51, family 64, William Rabidoux household; index and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 15 Dec 2014).
8. 1891 Census of Canada, Quebec, district 149, Eaton, schedule 1, sub-district g2, pp. 18-19, dwelling 51, family 75, Louis Rabideaux household; index and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 22 May 2012).
9. 1901 Census of Canada, Quebec, district 187, Richmond and Wolfe, schedule 1, sub-district h, Stoke, p. 6, dwelling 55, family 55, Louis Robidas in Thomas Robidas household; index and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 22 May 2012).
10. 1911 Census of Canada, Quebec, district 192, Richmond and Wolfe, schedule 1, sub-district 37, St. Camille, p. 1, dwelling 4, family 4, Louis Robida in Napoleon Durand household; index and digital images, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com : accessed 22 May 2012).
11. It seems that the alleged Marie (born 1829) who married George Paquin was really Marie-Marguerite (born 1828), and the Marie-Marguerite who married Louis Mosly-Reid was really Marguerite (born 1820).
12. Immaculée-Conception Parish (Trois-Rivieres, Quebec), parish register, 1830-1836, folio 13v, baptism of Joseph Robidat, 1 Nov 1830; digital images, “Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1900,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 20 May 2012).
13. It's recorded under "Damas Robidas," so it wasn't immediately apparent that this was Thomas.

52 Ancestors: #48, Marie Pauline (St. Cyr) Robidas

My 3x great-grandmother, Marie Pauline St. Cyr, was born 24 October 1829 in Nicolet, Quebec, Canada, and baptized the following day at Saint-Jean-Baptiste Catholic Church in Nicolet. She was the oldest of five children of Jean-Baptiste Deshaies dit St. Cyr and Victoire Lemire. Although she shared her first name with her two sisters (Marie Henriette and Marie Philomene – Marie was a very common first name for French-Canadian Roman Catholic girls), as an adult she was called simply Marie. (I haven't yet tracked down her sisters to see what names they used.)

On 4 June 1849, Marie married Louis Robidas at Saint-Norbert d'Arthabaska, Quebec. The marriage was witnessed by her father and by his, Jean-Baptiste Robidas.

Over the next 23 years, Marie and Louis had at least 11 children (a suspiciously large time gap between Jean and Georges suggests there may be at least a couple of missing offspring there):

1. Louis Robidas (AKA Louis Rabideau) (1850-1921), married 1) Marie Celina Cloutier, 2) Marie-Beatrice Croteau
2. Joseph Robidas, b. 1852
3. Jean-Baptiste Robidas, b. 1853
4. Marie-Marguerite Robidas, b. 1855
5. Alfred Robidas (1856-1920), married Olive Breton
6. Louise Robidas, b. 1858
7. Marcelin Sinaie Robidas (AKA Samuel Rabideau) (1861-1904), married Alvina Doyon dit Moreau
8. Jean Robidas (AKA James Rabideau) (1863-1939), married Vitaline Mary Lemay
9. Georges Robidas (AKA George Rabideau) (ca 1870-1901), married Domithilde Samson
10. Anastasie Robidas, b. 1870
11. Alred-Dominique Robidas (1872-1873)

Marie and Louis appeared in the 1861 census in Chester West, Quebec, but so far have eluded discovery in the 1871, 1881, or 1891 censuses. Judging from the locations of their children's baptisms, they moved from Arthabaska to Wotton in Wolfe County about 1851; to Saint-Paul-de-Chester in Arthabaska County around 1860; and to Sherbrooke sometime between 1863 and 1870.

A number of their children emigrated to Maine and New Hampshire, altering their surname to Rabideau. On 11 July 1870, Marie and Louis Robidas stood as baptismal sponsors for their oldest son's first child, Peter Louis Rabideau, born three months earlier in Milan, New Hampshire, and brought by his parents to Sherbrooke to be baptized at Saint-Michel-de-Sherbrooke.

Marie died 10 May 1895 in Bromptonville, Quebec, and was buried the next day at Sainte-Praxède-de-Brompton-Falls Roman Catholic Church in Bromptonville. Louis outlived her by 26 years, dying in 1921 in Sherbrooke.

My descent from Marie St. Cyr:

• Marie Pauline St. Cyr + Louis Robidas
• Louis Rabideau + Marie Célina Cloutier
• Peter Louis Rabideau + Eva May Woodward
• Glenna Marie Rabideau + William George Murphy (my maternal grandparents)

(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

52 Ancestors: #36, Jean-Baptiste Robidas (1787-1854)

My immigrant 8th great-grandfather, Jacques Robidas-Manseau, named his fifth son Jean-Baptiste – the first in a string of four successive "Jean-Baptiste Robidas" in my ancestry. The great-grandson and namesake of that first Jean-Baptiste was my fourth great-grandfather.

My 4x great-grandpa was born and baptized on 16 December 1787 in Baie-du-Febvre, Quebec, the third child of Jean-Baptiste Robidas and Marie Jeanne Lupien. (He was actually the second child of the family to bear the name; their first child, born in 1784 and named after his father, had lived only six months.) His baptismal sponsors were his aunt (his father's sister) and her husband, Monique Robida and Louis Beaulac.¹

Baptism of Jean-Baptiste Robida, 16 Dec 1787

Jean-Baptiste married Divine Louise ("Ludivine") Girardeau on 21 November 1814, at La Visitation-du-Pointe-du-Lac parish in Pointe-du-Lac, Quebec,² which was Divine's birthplace.

Marriage of Jean-Baptiste Robidas and Divine "Girardot", 21 Nov 1814

 They had at least twelve children:

1. Joseph (1815-1888), married Dorothee Boudreau
2. Jean-Baptiste (1818-1877), married Rose-de-Lima Gauthier
3. Margueritte (1820-????)
4. Theodule (Jan 1822-Sep 1822)
5. Julie-Emilie (1823-bef 1893), married Ignace-dit-Augustin Gauthier
6. Theodule (Mar 1825-Dec 1826)
7. Jean-Richard (Apr 1827-Jun 1827)
8. Marie Marguerite (1828-1901), married Louis Mosly-Reid
9. Marie (1829-1893), married Georges Paquin
10. Joseph (1830-????)
11. Louis (1832-1921), married Marie Deshaies-St. Cyr
12. Thomas Damase (1834-aft 1911), married 1) Louise Brown-dit-Luke, 2) Caroline Mariage

Jean-Baptiste died on 14 June 1854 at Stanfold (Princeville), Arthabaska, Quebec. He was buried on 17 June in the Saint-Eusèbe-de-Stanfold parish cemetery.³

Burial of Jean-Baptiste Robida, 17 Jun 1854

My descent from Jean-Baptiste Robidas:

• Jean-Baptiste Robidas + Divine Louise "Ludivine" Girardeau
• Louis Robidas + Marie Deshaies-Saint Cyr
• Louis Rabideau + Marie Célina Cloutier
• Peter Louis Rabideau + Eva May Woodward
• Glenna Marie Rabideau + William George Murphy (my maternal grandparents)

(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

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SOURCES

1. Saint-Antoine-de-la-Baie-du-Febvre Parish (La-Baie-du-Febvre, Quebec), parish registers, vol. 2, 1773-1784 and 1795, folio 17v, baptism of Jean-Baptiste Robida, 16 Dec 1787; digital images, "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 16 Sep 2014), path: Saint-Antoine-de-la-Baie-du-Febvre > Saint-Antoine-de-la-Baie-du-Febvre > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1773-1812 > image 206 of 903. This is the church (Presbytere) copy.
2. La Visitation-de-la-Pointe-du-Lac Parish (Pointe-du-Lac, Quebec), "Registre de la Paroisse de la Visitation de la Pointe du Lac 1814," folio 5r/5v, marriage of Jean-Baptiste Robidas and Divine "Girardot", 21 Nov 1814; digital images, "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 16 Sep 2014), path: Pointe-du-Lac > La Visitation-de-la-Pointe-du-Lac > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1749-1759, 1786-1829 > image 685 of 917. This is the courthouse (Greffe) copy.
3. Saint-Eusèbe-de-Stanfold Parish (Stanfold or Princeville, Quebec), parish registers, 1849-1856, folio 113r, burial of Jean-Baptiste Robida, 17 Jun 1854; digital images, "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 16 Sep 2014), path: Princeville > Saint-Eusèbe-de-Stanfold > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1849-1876 > image 182 of 702.

Ahnentafel of Glenna M. (Rabideau) Murphy

Finishing up with my grandparents' Ahnentafels and pedigree charts, this week I have my maternal grandmother, Glenna Marie (Rabideau) Murphy.

Pedigree of Glenna Marie (Rabideau) Murphy (click image for a larger view)

1 Glenna Marie RABIDEAU. She was born in Milan, Coos, NH, on 22 May 1899. Died on 27 Apr 1968 in Dorchester, MA; she was 68. She was buried in Pine Hill Cemetery, Tewksbury, MA, on 21 Jun 1969. Cause of death: Heart attack.

She married William George MURPHY on 21 Oct 1922 in Littleton, NH.

2 Peter Louis RABIDEAU. He was born in Milan, Coos, NH, on 15 Apr 1870. Died on 15 Dec 1946 in Norway, ME; he was 76. He was buried in Milan, Coos, NH.

He married Eva May WOODWARD on 3 Nov 1894 in Berlin, Coos, NH.

3 Eva “Evie” May WOODWARD. She was born in Holland, VT, on 27 Jan 1871. Died on 24 Aug 1953 in Cumberland Center, ME; she was 82. She was buried in Milan, Coos, NH.

4 Louis RABIDEAU. He was born in Arthabaska, QC, on 23 Apr 1850. Died aft 1913; he was 62.

He married Marie Célina CLOUTIER aft 25 Sep 1869.

5 Marie Célina CLOUTIER. She was born in poss St. Christophe, QC, ca 1849-52. Died on 24 Jan 1881 in Berlin, Coos, NH; she was 32.

6 Uriah Sawyer WOODWARD. He was born in Danville, VT, on 10 Mar 1847. Died on 7 Mar 1881 in Holland, VT; he was 33. He was buried in Dummer, Coos, NH, in Mar 1881. He was buried in Milan, Coos, NH, in 1908.

He married Mary A. WASHBURN on 12 Apr 1867 in Morgan, VT.

7 Mary A. WASHBURN. She was born in Milton, Shefford, QC, on 27 Feb 1831. Died on 19 May 1917 in Dummer, Coos, NH; she was 86.

8 Louis ROBIDAS. He was born in Trois-Rivieres or Pointe-du-Lac, QC, ca Oct 1832. Died on 27 Nov 1921 in Sherbrooke, QC; he was 89. He was buried in St-Michel, Sherbrooke, QC, on 29 Nov 1921. Occupation: cultivateur.

He married Marie Pauline DESHAIES-ST CYR on 4 Jun 1849 in St. Norbert d’Arthabaska, QC.

9 Marie Pauline DESHAIES-ST CYR. She was born in Nicolet, Nicolet, QC, on 24 Oct 1829. Died on 10 May 1895 in Bromptonville, QC; she was 65. She was buried in Sainte-Praxède-de-Brompton-Falls, Bromptonville, QC, on 11 May 1895.

12 Royal WOODWARD. He was born in VT ca 1802-1808. Died in Oct 1879 in Phillipsburg, KS. Cause of death: Renal dropsy.

He married Mary Hawley SAWYER on 28 Sep 1831 in Danville, VT.

13 Mary Hawley SAWYER. She was born in Danville, VT, on 30 May 1815. Died aft 1870 in poss VT or KS; she was 54.

14 Samuel Orcutt WASHBURN. He was born in Sutton, VT, on 5 May 1798. Died 22 Jan 1855 in Holland, VT; he was 56.

He married Mary PALMATEER ca 1830 in poss NY or Canada.

15 Mary PALMATEER. She was born in Salisbury, VT, on 19 Jan 1812. Died on 3 Apr 1879 in Holland, VT or Dummer, NH; she was 67.

16 Jean-Baptiste ROBIDAS. He was born in Baie-du-Febvre, Yamaska, QC, on 16 Dec 1787. Died 14 Jun 1854 in Stanfold (Princeville), Arthabaska, QC; he was 66. He was buried in Saint-Eusèbe-de-Stanfold, Arthabaska, QC, on 17 Jun 1854.

He married Divine Louise “Ludivine” GIRARDEAU on 21 Nov 1814 in Pointe-du-Lac, Mauricie, QC.

17 Divine Louise “Ludivine” GIRARDEAU. She was born in Pointe-du-Lac, Mauricie, QC, on 13 Oct 1790. Died ca May 1875 in QC; she was 84. She was buried on 9 May 1875.

18 Jean-Baptiste DESHAIES-ST CYR.

He married Victoire LEMIRE on 5 Feb 1828 in St-Jean-Baptiste, Nicolet, Nicolet, QC.

19 Victoire LEMIRE.

26 Benjamin SAWYER. He was born ca 1780.

He married Elizabeth “Betsy” TAYLOR.

27 Elizabeth “Betsy” TAYLOR.

28 Jeremiah WASHBURN. He was born ca 1770.

He married Hannah ORCUTT in 1794 in Billymead (later Sutton), VT.

29 Hannah ORCUTT. She was born in Billymead (later Sutton), VT, in 1775.

30 John PALMATEER.

He married Mary CONNOR.

31 Mary CONNOR.

Index

CLOUTIER
    Marie Célina (ca1849 - 1881)    5
CONNOR
    Mary    31
DESHAIES-ST CYR
    Jean-Baptiste    18
    Marie Pauline (1829 - 1895)    9
GIRARDEAU
    Divine Louise “Ludivine” (1790 - ca1875)    17
LEMIRE
    Victoire    19
MURPHY
    William George (1886 - 1946)    spouse of 1
ORCUTT
    Hannah (1775 - )    29
PALMATEER
    John    30
    Mary (1812 - 1879)    15
RABIDEAU
    Glenna Marie (1899 - 1968)    1
    Louis (1850 - >1913)    4
    Peter Louis (1870 - 1946)    2
ROBIDAS
    Jean-Baptiste (1787 - ?1854)    16
    Louis (ca1832 - 1921)    8
SAWYER
    Benjamin (ca1780 - )    26
    Mary Hawley (1815 - >1870)    13
TAYLOR
    Elizabeth “Betsy”    27
WASHBURN
    Jeremiah (ca1770 - )    28
    Mary A. (1831 - 1917)    7
    Samuel Orcutt (1798 - ?1855)    14
WOODWARD
    Eva “Evie” May (1871 - 1953)    3
    Royal (ca1802 - 1879)    12
    Uriah Sawyer (1847 - 1881)    6

52 Ancestors: #10, Jacques Robidas-Manseau, Sergent de compagnie de Crisafy

One advantage to a Roman Catholic French-Canadian lineage is the wealth of records kept by the Church of baptisms, marriages, and burials. Marriage records generally include the names of the parents of the bride and groom, and married women are almost invariably referred to by their maiden names. What more could a genealogist want? The only downside is that those "baptêmes, mariages, et sepultures" are recorded in French. Still, with the aid of Google Translate, it's fairly easy to decipher the "boilerplate" language of the records, and I've been able to trace my maternal grandmother's Rabideau line back to my immigrant 8th great-grandfather Robidas.

Jacques Robidas dit Manseau¹ was born in 1665² in Saint-Nicolas, diocese of Le Mans, Province of Maine, France.³ His parents were Gabriel Robida, a "maître-cordonnier" (master shoemaker), and Anne Crespin.⁴

Baptism of Jacques Robida, 1665

Jacques learned his father's trade, but came to Quebec some time before 1692 in the military, achieving the rank of sergeant in the "compagnie de Crisafy" and taking part in the war against the Iroquois.⁵ On 14 Jan 1692, Jacques married Louise de Guitre in Basilique Notre-Dame in Montréal.⁶

Marriage of Jacques Robidas dit le Manseau and Louise de Guitre, 1692

When the French finally made peace with the Indians, he left the military and became a colonist, settling, around 1699, at la Baie-Saint-Antoine (called la Baie-du-Febvre after the first seigneur, Jacques le Febvre) on the south shore of Lac Saint-Pierre.^{7, 8}

Carte cadastrake (cadastral map) of Baie-du-Febvre, 1708–1712

Jacques and Louise had ten children, six of who lived to adulthood. After Louise's death in 1732, he married again, on 7 Jan 1734 at the age of about 68, to Marie Madeleine Minville,⁹ and fathered another son before dying on 10 Aug 1741.¹⁰

Marriage of Jacques Robida and Marie Madeleine Minville, 1734

Burial of Jacques Robida dit Le Manseau, 1741

Children of Jacques Robidas and Louise de Guitre:

1. Gabriel, b. 1692
2. Francoise, b. 18 Dec 1694 (d. as infant)
3. Marie, b. 18 Dec 1694 (d. as infant)
4. Isabelle, b. 15 Apr 1696
5. Michel, b. 15 Apr 1696 (d. as infant)
6. Marie-Charlotte, b. 25 Mar 1698 (d. as infant)
7. Francoise, b. 2 Sep 1699
8. Jean-Baptiste, b. 1702
9. Madeleine, b. 1704
10. Louis, b. 21 Feb 1705

Child of Jacques Robidas and Marie Madeleine Minville:

11. Joseph, b. 16 Mar 1735

My descent from Jacques Robidas dit Manseau:

• Jacques Robidas-Manseau + Louise de Guitre
• Jean-Baptiste Robidas-Manseau + Josephte Pepin
• Jean-Baptiste Robidas + Therese Lefebvre-Senneville
• Jean-Baptiste Robidas + Marie Jeanne Lupien
• Jean-Baptiste Robidas + Divine Louise "Ludivine" Girardeau
• Louis Robidas + Marie Deshaies-Saint Cyr
• Louis Rabideau + Marie Célina Cloutier
• Peter Louis Rabideau + Eva May Woodward
• Glenna Marie Rabideau + William George Murphy (my maternal grandparents)

(Note: This post is in response to Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge at No Story Too Small.)

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SOURCES

1.  The "dit" name Manseau signified that the family was "of Mans." Occasionally it was expanded to "dit le Manseau" ("of Le Mans"). Often the "dit" was omitted and the surname hyphenated as Robidas-Manseau. Some descendants used the surname Robidas alone, while others used Manseau alone. Robidas seems to appear interchangeably with Robida. In later years some of the family spelled the name Rabida or Rabidas and eventually it evolved to Rabideau.
2. I don't have the faintest idea where I got that baptismal record. It does give the year as 1665, but I can't decipher the month and date.
3. Joseph-Elzéar Bellemare, Histoire de la Baie-Saint-Antoine, dit Baie-du-Febvre, 1683-1911 (Montréal: Imprimerie "La Patrie", 1911), p. 457; digital images, Our Roots/Nos Racines (http://www.ourroots.ca/toc.aspx?id=3984 : accessed 11 Dec 2013). The "compagnie de Crisafy" probably refers to either Antoine, Marquis de Crisafy, or his brother Thomas. Both brothers captained companies that were sent to New France in 1684 by Louis XIV.
4. Basilique Notre-Dame (Montreal, Quebec), Registre de Baptêmes, Mariages, Sépultures, 1681-1694, unpaginated (image 152), Jacques Robidas dit le Manseau and Louise de Guitre marriage (14 Jan 1692); database and digital images, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967,” Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search : accessed 1 Jul 2012); citing Gabriel Drouin, comp., Drouin Collection (Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin). 
5. Bellemare, p. 457.
6. Basilique Notre-Dame (Montreal, Quebec), Registre de Baptêmes, Mariages, Sépultures, 1681-1694, unpaginated (image 152), Robidas-de Guitre marriage (14 Jan 1692).
7. Bellemare, p. 457.
8. Bellemare, unpaginated map, "Carte Cadastrale de M. de Catalogne 1708-1712". The map appears to be a folded sheet inserted before the title page. A cadastral map or "cadastre" is a map or survey showing land ownership, boundaries, property lines, etc.
9. St-François-du-Lac (Yamaska County, Quebec), Registre de Baptêmes, Mariages, Sépultures, Vol. 3, 1733-1748, unpaginated (image 10), Jacques Robidas and Marie Madeleine Minville marriage (7 Jan 1734); database and digital images, “Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967,” Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search : accessed 1 Jul 2012); citing Gabriel Drouin, comp., Drouin Collection (Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin).
10. Paroisse de St. Antoine de la Baie du Febvre (Baieville, Quebec), Registre Vol. 1 1686-1773, unpaginated (image 150), Jacques Robida dit Le Manseau burial (10 Aug 1741); digital images, "Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1900," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.com : accessed 13 Jul 2012).