| Pumyea / Venedam Family Tree |
| 250 Acadian Deportation *Anniversary |
Brian Doucette For the 250th anniversary of the Deportaion of the Acadians from Ile St. Jean, the Acadian Museum at Miscouche P.E.I. has mounted an exhibit. Georges Arsenault sent me the text of a brochure he wrote for the exhibit. I am very proud that in my tree I have many of the names of these pioneers. I have Georges' permission and the head of the museum's also to share this text with you. Brian Doucette SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 An Uprooted and Exiled Community The year 2008 marks the 250th anniversary of the Deportation of the Acadians from Île Saint-Jean by the British in 1758. This Deportation is the largest documented tragedy in the history of Prince Edward Island. It uprooted and exiled a community made up of five parishes. Over 1,700 Acadians died during this tragic event, mainly at sea, either from drowning or sickness. The colony of Île Saint-Jean was founded in 1720. The first settlers were recruited in France and Acadie (Nova Scotia). Prior to the arrival of the settlers, the Mi'kmaq were the only inhabitants on the island. The French authorities wanted Île Saint-Jean to become a prosperous agricultural colony that could serve as the breadbasket for the important fortress town of Louisbourg on Île Royale (Cape Breton Island). During the first 28 years, Île Saint-Jean attracted very few settlers. The total population in 1748 was only 735. However, between 1749 and 1758, a significant number of Acadians from Acadie (Nova Scotia) came to the island to avoid deportation. It is estimated that the island population of French origin was 4,700 in 1758. Nearly half of these people were under the age of 16. The French Regime ended on Île Saint-Jean during the Seven Years' War, when Louisbourg was captured by the British on July 26, 1758. According to the terms of surrender, the population of Louisbourg and of Île Saint-Jean was to be "repatriated" to France. In mid-August, Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Rollo and his troops arrived at Port-la-Joye, the administrative headquarters of Île Saint-Jean. They immediately began to gather together all the inhabitants. During the next few months, approximately 3,000 Acadians were deported to France. Approximately 100 soldiers and members of the civilian personnel, along with their families, were transported to England where they were imprisoned. During the crossing, there were three shipwrecks that resulted in the death of nearly 1,000 deportees. Hundreds of others died from illnesses and malnutrition during the crossing or after their arrival in France. The survivors disembarked in French seaports, mainly in Saint-Malo. Many of these expatriated Acadians stayed in France, others came back and settled along the Gulf of St. Lawrence (only two families, the Doirons and the Longuépées, came back to settle on Île Saint-Jean). Some of the deportees went to the West Indies, but the vast majority emigrated to Louisiana in 1785. Approximately 1,600 Islanders managed to escape deportation. A few families hid in the woods, but most of them took refuge on the mainland, where a number were arrested and imprisoned by the British. Some of these Acadian refugees eventually came back to settle on the Island. The rest settled elsewhere in the Maritimes, in the Gaspé Peninsula, on the Magdalen Islands, and on the Islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. A few even set sail for Louisiana after the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Most of the Acadians living on Prince Edward Island today are descendants of these Islanders who escaped the Deportation of 1758. With considerable courage and determination, they returned to the Island and founded several little "Acadies" in a territory that was under British rule. Today, according to the census, a quarter of the Island population has "French" roots. Georges Arsenault __._,_.___ |
http://www.gencircles.com/users/momelefant/4/data/55597