COUSINS

In this month's COUSINS:

• What's New 

• This month's Feature:  Marie-Joseph GROINIER (1Robert, 2Jean, 3Marie-Marguerite) and husband Louis DAUVILLE

• Tanguay Says What?

• Just For Fun

• In Search Of ...

• Ramblings From the Editor

• NewsLetter info

(Special Online Feature: To return to the top, click on the decorative bars)

WHAT'S NEW

Plaxo. 

And, yeah, I know, I shoulda oughta wrote a better note to accompany the update request, but I’ve been bouncing between the 1600s, 1800s, and 2003s 

Plaxo’s a pretty cool thing.  Best of all, it’s free--my favorite price. 

What is Plaxo?  Mostly, it’s a secure place online to store your email address book.  As I understand, it doesn’t work for folks with Macs, but most of the folks I sent an update request out to have replied, and I found a bunch of email addresses that aren’t any good any more.  Plaxo took care of it all.  It added 4 buttons to my Outlook Express, 5 if you count the one that appears when someone updates their information. 

But thus far, it’s been the neatest thing since perforated toilet paper.

To see for yourself go to http://www.plaxo.com/

THIS MONTH'S FEATURE:  Marie-Joseph GROINIER (1Robert, 2Jean, 3Marie-Marguerite)and husband Louis DAUVILLE.

Last month, we looked at the children of Marie-Charlotte GROINIER (1Robert, 2Jean, 3Marie-Marguerite) and her husband Charles BONHOMME.  Marie-Charlotte was the eldest child of Marie-Marguerite PEPIN and her third husband Joseph GROINIER. 

This month we look at Marie-Charlotte’s little sister Marie-Joseph GROINIER, her husband Louis DAUVILLE . . . and one of the Tanguay mysteries. 

Marie-Joseph GROINIER (1Robert, 2Jean, 3Marie-Marguerite), baptized 18 Nov 1734, marries a fellow named Louis DAUVILLE on 3 Nov 1761 in Québec. 

Who is Louis?  When was he baptized?  Who are his parents?  Is this a case of a son marrying under the father’s dit name? 

And did Marie-Joseph and Louis have any children? 

Inquiring minds want to know. 

If you can add/subtract/change any of this, send it on via email.

TANGUAY SAYS WHAT . . . ?

Last month I made some guesses about  #18999 Marie-Angélique TESSIER and Cousin Libby supplied us with some additional information (Thank you, Libby).  Says Libby: 

“Well, I believe that the story has a very sad endings.  Marie Angelique Tessier died suddenly on April 30, 1768.  The document at the prdh reads "subitement" (NO. 368886).  According to the PRDH study the annulment occurred on September 3, 1767 so she died 7 months later … and he remarried as you said; "Consequently, Joe M-D is given permission to marry another woman — namely Marie-Joseph GUIBAUT dit Grandbois, on 3 April 1769"— one year after her death.

"The word subitement raises a question...in my mind...from my own personal experience so I researched further.  He did not rush to the arms of another woman (ain't that a comfort?)  On April 24, 1769, Marie Angelique Tessier gave birth to a daughter, the child of Joseph Morand Douville.  The note of the certificate states that the marriage of the parents was declared null and invalid by Monseigneur Perault, Grand Vicar.  The child Ondoyee by the midwife.  The name given to the child was Marie Francoise Douville and she was baptized on April 30, 1768.  (Probably after her mother's funeral.)

"Jean Baptiste, born March 1766, is the only other child of this union that I can find.  I find no marriages before Dec 31, 1799.

"His brother-in-law, Louis Tessier attended his marriage to Marie Guibault Grandbois.

"The first child of this union was born August 1769 and died at age 7 months.

"His daughter, Marie Josephe, by this marriage married his "step-son", Jacques Vallee 

In and email posted off moments later, Libby adds: 

"And I can't even imagine her heart break learning that his guy had abandoned his first family of many children and suddenly when she is 2 months pregnant, he says oh I wanted to come back but since you left me and remarried I won't!

"And what of his family…?  They would have supported her for this time … I think not!

"Wonder what this Morand Douville had.  Land?  Money?  Title?

"Somebody was after something..................

"Church gets a big DUNH for this one.  In today's canon it is the first marriage that is null and void as he had no intention of being married and the second would be rehabilitated.

"Gosh he went all the way back to France and waited 9 years to say something?  What a CAD!

"That's what I THINK!" 

Well, I totally agree with you, Libby, and I would add “four star jerk”, for want of stronger terms.

Just For Fun

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae.  The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.  Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. 

Your mileage may vary…

In Search Of ...

I got an email from a young lady who is a descendant of Pierre Lachance, who says in part:

 “My great-great grandfather was Pierre.  My great-grandfather was Thomas Prosper, grandfather was Edwin Alexander and my father was Harvey Prosper.  I am trying to find the genealogy on Clementine LaChance/LaBonte on down to now.  I would like to know exactly how I'm related to the Nascar drivers brothers', Terry and Bobby LaBonte.  I can't seem to get an answer from any of the LaBonte's I know.  So, if you could please help me, I sure would appreciate it.” 

I’m kinda curious, too.  If any of you can help this young lady out, let me know 

Then there was this fun one: 

“Well, as you guessed, we must be cousins. and probably many times over. My grand mother was Marie Josephine Pepin m. Joseph Alfred Vachon..... Much history there! I believe I have 2 Pepin lines in my genealogy. […] Someone put up this link on the Metis site, and here I am.. My other grandfather was Joseph Albert Tanguay m. Yvonne Dulac/Bonhomme... The reason I am writing initially here is that to "give" you somewhat of an answer of 8... I can't remember where I read the details on this, but I believe it was in connection with Marie Olivier Sylvestre Manitouabeouich.. which used to be spelled Manit8be8ich.. or something like that.. 8 in French is "huit" and supposedly the French had no spelling for "oua" before the "w" came into existence or it might be... I know I am messing this up but in short 8 was used before "oua" or "wa". […] hopefully this helped.” 

Glad to hear from you, Diane.  You, too, Sharon.  Normally I ask about posting things in the newsletter, but I know you both have relatives reading these words.  If you either of you mind, let me know. 

From Lisa Rupert comes this request: 

“I came across July's "In Search Of..." and saw Cliff's letter.  Unfortunately, I can't help him out, but he may be able to help me...   

“Amble (Lamab) Pappin and Susanuah Scott are the parents of my great-grand-mother, Muriel Mary Pappin.  If he has any additional information on them (especially a marriage date or Susanuah's parents names) I would really appreciate it.  Also, could you keep me informed of any information that comes in about Joseph Pepin and Marie Ann Simon?  My email address is jmayer93 at hotmail dot com.”

 RAMBLINGS FROM THE EDITOR

So here I sit.  It’s almost midnight.  It’s been raining steadily since yesterday morning, in great huge drops that hit the pavement and bounce back up almost knee high.  The guy on the news last night stated that in 24 hours we got more rain than usually falls in British Columbia in the entire month of October.  Flood warnings are rampant.  A crane—of the bright orange construction type block long variety—fell off its trailer as it was towed through a left hand turn a coupe blocks from the house here.  The only damage done was to the pavement.  During rush hour there were accidents every other block causing more than a few people to ponder why it’s called “Rush Hour” as the only thing moving was windshield wipers and water.  Mind you, it was a long dry summer here.  We were >this< close to water rationing. 

However, we do NOT need to refill ALL the reservoirs in one day. 

I was on the bus today going out to visit friends and got to chatting with the bus driver; for most of the 45-minute ride, I was The Only Passenger.  It was more fun than watching the news.  Said the bus driver, in the town of White Rock, BC, with the first HEAVY rain of the season, the electricity goes out, which causes the sewage pumps to quit . . . the water in the river rises and ALL the drains in a certain part of White Rock back flush, all the drains, meaning sink, tub AND toilet. 

In the early days of indoor plumbing in Seattle, they discovered a little problem with their new system: when the tide came in, ALL the toilets along the Seattle waterfront back flushed.  It didn’t take too long for the good people of Seattle to find a solution to their deleterious dilemma.  Rather than learning to enjoy fishing for brown trout, they built platforms upon which they placed their commodes.  I learned about this whilst taking the Underground Tour of Old Seattle. 

So, here we are, walking through a part of Seattle that hasn’t seen the light of day since before The Great Fire (I think it’s one of Those Rules that every major city has to have had a Great Fire), and we’re shown a wall that had once been part of someone’s home.  In the wall was a narrow door.  The tour guide smiled, saying something quite like, “Bet you’ve never seen anything like this”, twisted the slightly rusted oval doorknob and pulled the door open to reveal a narrow set of stairs that went up half a story, walls tight on either side, and at the very top . . . a very lonely looking porcelain toilet. 

Gives whole new meaning to “Stairway to Heaven.” 

So, I got to thinking about those stairs.  Mind you, by the time Seattle was putting their flush toilets at the tops of narrow stairways, the ladies weren’t wearing the great wide hoop skirts of the mid-1800s but they were still wearing corsets and lots of petticoats.  Before I started doing historic reenactment, I wouldn’t have given it a thought beyond, “Whadda drag to have to climb those stairs every time—”  But now, with a 1863 appropriate corset (with all 22 stays) in the final stages of completion, and a ball gown designed to go over a wired crinoline (aka hoop skirt) with a nearly six foot wide base next on the sewing board, I’m looking at those stair top commodes in a totally different light. 

It is nigh on impossible to bend over in a corset.  Perhaps if I’d been wearing one since I was 8 years old it might be different, but some of the more experienced ladies in the reenactment group I belong to have strongly recommend putting my shoes on before I lace up the corset or, they caution, I’ll never get them on. 

Why wear a corset at all?  Well, I’ve had that argument with myself for about a year now.  I borrowed a friend’s corset and discovered that despite that fact that I have to breathe differently, my back stopped hurting.  However, the reasons for wearing a corset, at least to the Farewell Ball of the Royal Engineers on 1st November—yes, in just two short weeks—in beautiful Downtown Sapperton (aka a neighbourhood of New Westminster) is that it’s historically correct, and it will make silhouette close to correct.  I have no hips, wide shoulders, and a big old barrel chest, which, while perfect for hauling 90-pound bales over the portage with a tump strap, makes a ball gown look mighty odd.  I will never ever have a 19-inch waist, but if I can cinch down to 34, I’ll be happy. 

‘Sides <she says with a shrug> our main purpose is historical accuracy to the best of our individual capabilities to better facilitate teaching the public about history. 

Which brings to mind Cousin Marcel’s earlier query about “Our colours, tartan …any Idea?” in which he said: 

“My question is about the family crest and colours or should I say our Tartan.  I know for a fact that at one point or another, Our family members in France/Normandy wore Kilts.  I'm bringing the tradition back, but I want to do it with our own plaid (tartan)...  My cycling legs will come in handy.  Would anyone know the colour and pattern or have a picture of it?” 

I did some poking round and got at least one reply that sounded almost like the respondent had been having a cranky day, saying that it was a rumour started by kilt companies to sell more kilts.  But I don’t know . . . 

His cycling legs would look good in a kilt. 

Anyone else find anything?

NEWSLETTER INFORMATION

     If you have family you want to share this with but they don't have a computer, please feel free to print it out and share it with them.  If you have family with a computer and/or Internet access who you think might be interested in the newsletter, drop'em an e-mail and let'em know about it; feel free to pass along my e-mail address.

     Back issues of COUSINS can be found at:
http://www.fortlangley.ca/pepin/cousins.html

     This URL will take you to the COUSINS Front Desk.  Or, you can click on any of the red lions that appear on the Pepin pages and Site Directory.

      For a hard copy of the newsletter, send an email to lisa@fortlangley.ca, and if for any reason you wish to change the way you receive the newsletter -- or if you no longer wish to receive COUSINS -- drop me an e-mail at lisa@fortlangley.ca and tell me.  If you just wanted to chat, drop me an email.

COUSINS
comes out once a month -- more or less

This month's was finished
18 October 2003, 1:30 A.M. PDST