COUSINS

In this month's COUSINS:

• What's New 

• This month's Feature:  The children of Marie-Joseph GROINIER (1Robert, 2Jean, 3Marie-Marguerite) husband Louis-Charles JÉRÉMIE dit DAUVILLE

• Just For Fun

• MailBag

• Ramblings From the Editor

• NewsLetter info

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

WHAT'S NEW

This month we welcome some new cousins to the newsletter: Tony Pepin, Camille Turcotte, and Ralph and Mary Emerson.  If for any reason, any of you folks no longer wish to receive the newsletter, just drop me an email at lisa@fortlangley.ca and let me know.  I should have answered you sooner, however I was not completely in the 21^st century.  I have been involved in historic reenactment –living history– for a couple years now, and last Saturday (1 November) we put on a 19^th century, mid-Victorian Ball, with the corsets and big skirts, and veddy veddy British manners.  I was a member of the Ball Committee, the Promotions Chair.  If any of your are curious, there are some pictures in already from this Ball, which can be found at http://royalengineers.ca/grandball.html; I am in the picture labeled “Srjt. Lindsey & Mrs. Arthur Bushby” (clue: I’m the one in the teal gown and dark curls.)

The Farewell Ball of the Royal Engineers was a resounding success . . . I’m told.  See, there’s this stubborn streak that runs in the family and I have inherited more than my fair share of it.  Thus on the day of the Ball, because I was so wrapped up in final preparations, I somehow forgot to eat or drink anything all day, and everything, from about 3pm on, is all a multicoloured whirl.  I know my brother Don and wife Janis came up from Seattle.  I recall helping both Don and Janis with their hair.  I remember, at the Ball, certain individuals as they presented their tickets at the door.  Dancing a waltz or two.   My friend Laurie bundling me out to a friend’s car to take me home before I fell over (No, Don, you do not need to stand me on my head in the toilet and flush until I come to my senses; I promise to never go all day without food or water again).  But, more on this later.

Laurie’s really good people.  It is her home I’m staying at and she’s been doing her family genealogy for about 40 years.  In early October of this year, as she was tracing the Celtic knot she calls a family tree, one of the strands led her straight to Pepin the Short . . . which makes her family.

Now, for honour’s sake, I must offer a warning because I know some of my cousins read this while drinking hot coffee:  Put the coffee cup down.  Thank you.

  Maintenant, dans l'intéret de l'honneur, je dois offrir un avertissement parce que je connais certains de mes cousins lis ceci tout en buvant du café chaud:  Veuillez placer immédiatement la tasse de café sur la table.  Merci.

As Pepins, you should know about Pepin the Short –he’s Charlemagne’s father– and to be given the nickname “The Short” in those days meant that he was really really short.  Laurie has a theory on that…

  Laurie descends from Pepin the Short’s son Carloman, a brother of Charlemagne.  The problem is that she is not exactly sure which brother, by which mother (Pepin the Short was married at least three times), because, well, Charlemagne had THREE brothers named Carloman: Charlie’s older brother Carloman, Charlie’s younger half-brother Carloman, and Charlie’s baby half-brother Carloman.  I don’t know if you remember that really silly sitcom from a while back, where you had these three brothers, one of whom would introduce his brothers as, “This is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl” to peals of canned laughter, but the writers of that show could have been writing about Pepin the Short’s boys.

It gets better.

All three Carlomans were alive at the same time, so it wasn’t like they did in Olde Québec and recycled names when the baby died.  The eldest Carloman was the Mayor of the Palace, happily married, with many kids.  When he died, his younger brother Carloman –who had been the 1^st lieutenant of the Palace guard– became Mayor of the Palace.  Now, this younger Carloman was already widowed, with a bunch of kids from his 1^st marriage.  He married dead brother Carloman’s wife, who had a herd of kids from her 1st marriage, and together, younger Carloman and elder Carloman’s widow then had a bunch of kid of their own; can you say Aunty Mom and Uncle Dad?

After younger Carloman finished his tour of duty as Palace Mayor, the guy that took over for him was . . . that’s right, you guessed right, Carloman.  We do not know who exactly his father was; the candidates are: Pepin the Short, Carloman, Carloman, or Carloman.  All three Carlomans had sons they named Carloman, and with the age difference between the older Carloman and the younger Carloman, Carloman could also have been a son of the elder Carloman.

We do not know if Pepin the Short had a brother named Carloman, though his father’s name was . . .

… wait for it …

Carloman.

Laurie’s theory is that:

1. Pepin the Short started his adult life as a tall man, which is where his boy Charlemagne got the height.

2. Sometime in the future, a time machine is successfully invented and descendants of the assorted Carlomans go back in time to pound the snot out of Pepin the Short for not giving his assorted sons Carloman middle names and encouraging them to use them.  This resulted in a short man with poor memory retention who kept naming his sons Carloman because it had such a nice ring to it.

THIS MONTH'S FEATURE:  The children ofMarie-Joseph GROINIER (1Robert, 2Jean, 3Marie-Marguerite)and husband Louis-Charles JÉRÉMIE dit DAUVILLE

Last month, we looked at Marie-Joseph GROINIER (1Robert, 2Jean, 3Marie-Marguerite) and her husband mystery husband Louis DAUVILLE.

Thanks to cousin Libby, not only can we now look at their children, but we also know who Louis DAUVILLE is.

Who is Louis? 

He is Louis-Charles JÉRÉMIE dit Dauville, baptized 20 June 1717, son of Joseph JÉRÉMIE dit DAUVILLE and Marie-Anne ROUSSEAU.

Marie-Joseph, also known as (aka) Marie-Geneviève GROINIER was Louis-Charles’ second wife.

His first wife was Louise-Elisabeth GAUTIER dit Larouche, baptized 8 Jan 1721.  They married 8 Sept 1755 in Québec, and she was buried 31 Oct 1759.  They had two children:

Louis JÉRÉMIE, baptized 3 june 1758; buried 9 oct 1758

Anonyme, baptized AND buried 20 oct 1759

Then on 3 nov 1861 in Québec, Louis Charles and Marie-Joseph married.  They had 4 children.

Louis JÉRÉMIE, baptized 20 dec 1762

Marie-Joseph JÉRÉMIE, baptized 15 may 1764; married Jérémie MAGHER 6 july 1790

Louise JÉRÉMIE, 1774; married Georges WEBSTER 2 oct 1792; buried 2 dec 1797

Marguerite, married Joseph PROU 7 jan 1794

Libby says:

Marie-Joseph GROINIER, her husband Louis DAUVILLE . . .

Interesting that you bring back "Groiner."  It is one of those descendant from MetivierGroinier dit Grenier and by 1750 descendants largely uses Grenier and then Metivier.  I find the date of marriage to be November 3, 1761 and that Josephe was recorded as a Grenier, the groom as Louis Jeremie dit Douville.  He had previously been married to Marie-Louise Gauthier dit Larouche and his parents are recorded in this document as Joseph Jeremie dit Douville and Marie-Anne Rousseau.  Both parents of the groom are deceased and the mother of the bride, Marguerite Pepin, as well.

Present and witness are Joseph Grenier (Groinier), Joseph Jeremie Douville brother of the groom, Jean Letourneau (step or in-law brother of the groom) Augustin Raby, and Denis Larche (brother of the bride), Francois Parent (brother of the bride) Louis Parent brother of the bride.  J.F. Recher Pretre, Cure.  M. Briand, Vicar General of the Diocese of Quebec accorded a dispensation of 2 banns.

I find that Didace Jeremie Dauville married Marie Grenier.  Didace is Louis' brother and Marie is Josephe's sister.  The date is July 15, 1765.

Louis Jeremie dit Douville died January 15, 1794, at the age of 78 years and was buried in the Cemetery of Picotes, Quebec, the next day (#381947), leaving his wife Josephe in this world.

I see 5 marriages of children here but only one baptism and 2 deaths of children.  So, this means I will have to try the combinations of their dit names to find the babies.

It would seem that the evidence will be a mixing of Groiner, Grenier, Metivier, Douville and Jeremie.

Interesting family.  From the evidence, we learn that Louise Gauthier died at Quebec on October 30, 1759 and was the wife of Louis Douville, Navigator.

Most of the children of Louis and Marie Josephe are recorded under the name Douville and Grenier with some references to Jeremie, Geremie and Grinier.

Louis  Dec 20, 1762 btz same day at St. Nicolas, # 207327

Marie-Josephe  May 15, 1764, btz same day, Quebec, # 248924

Marie-Louise  July 11, 1765, btz 12th, Quebec 249313, died at 2 years October 15, 1767, buried 16th, Quebec # 361769

Jean Baptiste  Sept. 2.1766, btz same day, Quebec # 617467

Augustin  May 9, 1768, btz same day, Quebec # 618058, died april 20, 1769 buried 21st, Quebec

Andre  July 22 1769, btz 23rd, Quebec, # 618411, died at 12 days, August 2, buried 3rd, at Quebec # 484335

Marguerite  Nov. 3, 1772 btz same day, Quebec 619314

Louise (2) June 3, 1774, btz same day, Quebec # 621965

Joseph  august 23, 1777, btz same day, Quebec # 622868, died at 3 weeks, Sept. 14, 1777 buried 15th, Quebec # 485829

Marriages.

I found 3 daughters married:

Marguerite married Joseph Proulx, son of Joseph and Marie Bernier, January 7, 1794 at Quebec (# 342905)

Marie-Louise (2) married George Webster of Bamfen, Scotland, son of George and Genevieve Taylon, October 2, 1792 (#342833)

Marie Josephe married Jeremie Magher of Spring House, Eveche Vatherfard....(Waterford????), son of Corneille and Madeleine Ryand, Quebec, July 6, 1790 (#342721)

I did not find marriages for the apparent surviving sons Jean Baptiste and Louis so sniffed around a little more.

Louis Douville died at the age of 25 years at L'Ange Gardien on October 19, 1789. He was buried the same day.  # 390028  This is so sad.  The note in french says:  "En la maison de Joseph Matthieu depuis environ un mois, s'y est detruit en se coupant la gorge d'un coup de rasoir mais d'apres les plus tristes informations il a ete prouve que dans les portes d'en bas et a Quebec il a donne des preuves evidented de folie et d'alienation d'esprit ainsi que chez le dit Matthieu...."

In English:  In the house of Joseph Matthieu for approximately one month, had been distraught there and cut his throat with one blow of the razor and according to the saddest of infomations he was at the bottom of the door at Quebec and gives evidence of madness and alienation of spirit.........

In short Suicide as a result of deep depression evidenced by his note.  So, for the period a man of letter and intelligence.  Such a loss.

No details are given about the death of Baptiste Douville who died at the age of 22 at Beloiel on May 14.  (#388848)

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

Just For Fun

For my father, Jack “Peppy” Peppan (1928-1997), who not only would have appreciated this, but probably would have handled da grate big fella the very same way.

Coffee Shop

One day Boudreaux, him, he was sittin in his coffee shop, drinkin a pop, wen dis grate big fella come in and knocks him off da stool.

The big fella say, "Dat was a karate chop frum Korea."

Boudreaux, him, he don't say nuttin, he jus get back on his stool an take anudder drink frum his pop.

WHAM !, da big fella knock Boudreaux down agin an say, "Dat was a judo chop frum Japan."

Boudreaux still don't say nuttin, he jus get up an walk out of dat coffee shop.

Bout a hour later, Boudreaux come back in an witout sayin nuttin, he walk up to dat big fella an WHACK ! he knock dat big fella off his stool an knock him out cold.

Den Boudreaux tell da manager, "Mais, wen he wake tell him dat was a crowbar from da Home Depot !"

Mail Bag

I’m going to start with the newest and work my way back.

From Tony Pepin, sent 5 Nov 2003:

I just put this up on Geneaology.com, so I thought that I would send it to you as well.

The following was gathered by my aunt Mildred Pepin Hanson and given to me by one of my older brothers.  I do not know the source material that she worked from, but knowing her, I am sure that it was triple checked.  (I am not sure who got her material after she died.)

Joseph Pepin was born May 5, 1834 and died January 17, 1896.  He married Matilda Morrisette (who was born February 6, 1838 and died September 18, 1914) on August 6, 1854.

They had 16 children:
Matilda Gertrude Pepin May 7, 1855
Victorine Pepin January 1, 1857
Mary Pepin September 12, 1858
Adessa Phillomine Pepin March 26, 1860
Angelica Azilde Pepin January 15, 1862
Joseph Dusire Pepin September 10, 1863
Anthony Baptist Pepin May 17, 1866
Louis Pepin October 2, 1867
Peter Oliver Pepin September 15, 1870
Amelia Eleanor Pepin March 5, 1872
Victor Pepin December 24, 1873
Eugene Abraham Pepin June 14, 1876
Julian Theodore Pepin April 2, 1878
Augustus Jerome Pepin June 5, 1880
Ferman (Fermin or Fermen) Soloman Pepin May 6, 1882

(I actually met Ferman.  I am named for both him and his brother Anthony Baptist.  He left me his watch when he died.  He died of a heart attack.  His second wife found him slumped over the bath tub.)

I descend from Eugene Abraham Pepin who was born June 14, 1876 and died of pneumonia on June 25, 1924.  He married Louisa Maggie Hansen (who was born February 23, 1885 and died September 25, 1969) on July 4, 1900.

They had 8 children:
Earl Eugene Pepin April 2, 1901
Julia Pepin Antiel July 9, 1902
Herman Pepin October 29, 1903
Elsie Pepin Townsend December 5, 1906
Mildred Pepin Hanson October 16, 1909
Evelyn Pepin Chambers April 21, 1911
Howard Abraham Pepin April 14, 1922
Jean Pepin Thore Welch June 18, 1924

They have all passed on.

As an interesting aside, of the three boys, my father, Howard, was the only one to have male offspring.  So my brothers and I are the Pepin branch from Eugene Abraham Pepin

From Camille Turcotte, sent 2 Nov 2003

I am researching my Pepin ancestry.

I noticed that you had a Clermont Pepin as a noted pianist and composer whose music was played by the Montreal Symphony.  He was my mother's cousin.

My g-uncle Gedeon Pepin (uncle to Clermont Pepin) who moved from St. Martin Quebec to the Yukon in late 1800s composed a large number of songs, including the music to the song Klondike Kate (Robert Service wrote the words).

Gedeon then moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he was a church organist until his death in early 50s.

Thank you
Camille Turcotte

And this delightful email <she says, nudging cousin Marcel> from Tony Pepin (yup, same guy as above), sent 29 October 2003:

My youngest son and I are involved in a BSA Venture Crew (Crew 1320) that has an emphasis on Celtic Heritage.  One of the "big things" for the crew is which tartan is appropriate for each crewmember.

So, we have done a fair amount of research, well as best we can with just the Internet, on which tartan would be appropriate for us.

We have come up with two.

The first is rather obvious:  We can wear the district of Brittany tartan, since Robert Pepin was born in Normandie.

The second is, in some respects, more fun.  We can run the family through John Maclure.  Maclure is part of clan Macleod of Harris.  So those of us who descend from Antoine>Louis-Etienne>Louis>Jean>Robert can wear Macleod of Harris tartan.

I noticed something interesting the other day:  The affinity of names that appear in the family.

I am Anthony and my wife is Marie.  How many versions of Anthony and Marie do you find in your Mammoth Database?  Quite a few I would bet.  And my oldest son's name is Robert.

I hope this helps Marcel.

Anthony>Howard>Eugene>Joseph>Antoine Francois>Antoine>Louis-Etienne>Louis>Jean>Robert Pepin--
:-)
Tony

From Ralph Emerson, sent 27 Oct 2003

We were referred to you by Rosemary Jameson.

My wife's great grand mother was Clementine LaChance / LaBonte.

Your help and assistance would be appreciated,

Thank you.

Ralph & Mary Emerson

And this one came via Cousin Glo from the Quebec-Research list.  If you can help this person, please send your reply to me and I shall forward it along.  I shall check my HBC records, but because the surname Amiot does appear in the Monster Database, I post it here, just in case one of you might be a relative

To: QUEBEC-RESEARCH-L@rootsweb.com
Subject: [Q-R] L'Amiot
 
I am searching for the parents of Colbert/Albert L'amiot.  His parents were supposedly from Vincelotte Quebec where they were the original grantees of the fief in 1672.  He worked with the Northwest fur co. and also the Hudson Bay Co.  He was also at Fort Williams.  Colbert traveled aboard the ship ”Recovery" with Admiral Bayfield.  I believe he was born in Quebec around 1793 if the death record is correct.  He married Julie/Jesse Solomon at Penetang Ont.  He died May 8,1857 at Penetang at the age of 64.  I have searched for several years for this record.  I would appreciate it if someone might look in the Vincelotte records for his parents.

From Cousin Kevin, 21 Oct 2003:

RE: July’s IN SEARCH OF. . . Lisa Rupert’s request about Amble (Lamab) Pappin and Susanauh Scott, and Joseph Pepin and Marie Ann Simon.

I am not sure if these are the same:

1-Joseph Pepin-34151
  sp: Anne {?}-34152
   +-2. Amable Pepin-31577
     sp: Suzanne Scott-31578 (m.02 Oct 1882 - {church ?}, Mattawa, {Co. ?}, Ontario, Canada) dtr of  Thomas and Marie Jane {nee?} Scott

My data came from the Louiselle Index, so this is all I have.

You may want to ask those that send you request for look up provide more details like dates and places, even approximant is better then none at all.

Kevin Peppin

(Kevin has a good point, Cousins.  Even if one hasn’t a clue on when one’s ancestors were born, baptized, married, died, and/or buried, if one can add their own birth year to a search it helps.  The folks reading this newsletter range in age from being born in the 80s back to perhaps as far as the 1930s.  Lisa, born in 1958, has great great grandparents back futher than those belonging to Jane Doe, born in 1988.  No, not all of us are blessed with dates and places, but offer as much info as is possible – “and be open to alternate spellings,” says the Voice of Experience.)

From Elise Dallemagne, sent 21 Oct 2003, regarding her upcoming book (an historical fiction about a real woman, Marie Grandin, who came to New France as a Fille du Roi aka Daughter of the King, to be a bride in the New World; I am certain more than just Elise is descended from Marie)

Publisher is being slow with book this time.  Hopefully, it should be ready within a month.  I'll let you know.

Elise

(For more info on Elise’s books, please see her website at: www.dallemagne-cookson.com/

From Cousin Libby, sent with a note that reads, “Here is something you may want to translate/read and enjoy”

      Enfin, de la bière

      Dès les premières années de la colonie, des habitants fabriquent leur propre bière. En 1647, les pères jésuites construisent une brasserie pour répondre aux besoins de la communauté. Trois-Rivières et Montréal les imitent bientôt. Mais aux dires de Talon, la consommation de l'eau-de-vie et du vin est trop élevée. Les importations d'alcool représentaient alors une somme de cent mille livres.

      Talon décide donc, en 1668, de construire une brasserie pouvant répondre aux besoins de la population. Le lundi 5 mars de la même année, le Conseil souverain émet une ordonnance restreignant la soncommation d'alcool et de vin, mais favorisant la fabrication de la bière.

      «Sur ce qui a été remontré, y lit-on, que la trop grande quantité de vins et d'eaux-de-vie qui sont annuellement apportés de France et qui se consomment dans ce pays est un moyen qui nourrit la débauche de plusieurs de ses habitants, qui les divertit du travail et ruine leur santé par des fréquentes ivrogneries», il est à souhaiter d'établir une brasserie. Nouvel intérêt pour les habitants invités à vendre leur surplus de grains et, avec l'argent de la vente, à se procurer d'autres biens.

      Pour faciliter l'établissement d'une brasserie, le Conseil souverain établit le monopole de la fabrication de la bière, mais maintient pour les individus la permission de continuer le brassage artisanal «pour son usage particulier et de ses domestiques seulement». De plus, défense est faite «à tous marchands forains d'apporter de France ou d'ailleurs en ce pays des vins et eaux-de-vie au-delà de ce qui leur sera permis à peine de confiscation et de l'amende».

      L'importation totale, une fois les brasseries en opération, ne devra pas dépasser 800 barriques de vin et 400 d'eau-de-vie. Le Conseil fixe aussi le prix de vente de la bière qui est «une boisson nourrissante et saine» : vingt livres, pour une barrique de bière en gros «le fût non compris»; au détail, le pot se détaillera six sols.

      La production annuelle de la brasserie de Talon se chiffre à 4,000 barriques, la moitié pour la conssommation des habitants du pays, le reste sera exporté aux Antilles.

      Source : Nos Racines p. 199

(I did, and did.  The translation will appear next month.)

And finally, just as I was getting ready to send this, a friend sent along the following:

      Original Message
I thought that some of you might be interested in knowing that there is now free access to HeritageQuest Online and ProQuest Historical New York Times at http://riversideregionallibrary.org/.  One can access indexes and scans of most U. S. Census material through the site HeritageQuest Online at least through Dec. 15, 2003.  Click on the link to the HerritageQuest Online web site, enter "welcome" as the password, click on the Heritage Quest Online link and start searching either Census or Books (it is slow to come up).  The census link advertises a complete set of US Federal census records from 1790 until 1930.  The Search Books advertises that you can find information on people and places described in over 25,000 local and family histories.

This free trial offer ends December 15th.

(The link to this limited time offer will be deactivated on the 15th of December.)

 RAMBLINGS FROM THE EDITOR

There’s a lot to be said about regular meals.  And sleeping on a regular basis.

When I was still bullet proof –read: the summer I was 20 years old– I didn’t give a thought to working a full 8 hour day, then partying in the grand style of the late 1970s, going to bed for a couple hour’s snooze, and then putting in an 8 hour work day.  That very same year I discovered I could do this for 5 months in a row before my body said, “Enough!”  I did much the same thing from early 1981 through 1986, except I was working 12-hour days instead of 8-hour days.

So, when it got down to the last few days before the 19th century dress Ball I was helping to put together, and wasn’t eating or sleeping much, I figured I’d be okay.  In those beer-soaked, cotton-mouthed days of long ago, I lived on beer and assorted varieties of junk food and functioned quite capably, thank you, so, since I wasn’t drinking anything harder than tap water, I didn’t think lack of sleep would be a problem.

HAH!

I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but I’m no longer bulletproof. 

Mind you, we –being four of us– had been putting the Farewell Ball of the Royal Engineers together for just a couple months shy of a year.  The one thing we waited anxiously for was confirmation of the Hall.  The person who was supposed to call never did, even though we got several months of, “Oh you mean she hasn’t called you yet?  Let me give her a call” until a month before the Ball.  Frustrated, we set about searching the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) for a reasonably priced place where we could put approximately 55 guests, a seven course buffet table, and a 30 piece orchestra, that wasn’t too far off the beaten track.  We needed a confirmed place so we could send a press release kinda thing to the local TV stations, print dance cards, and stuff like that there.

Three weeks before the Ball, we’re still no closer to a confirmed venue.  Fingernails were chewed down to the second knuckles.  Potential Ball attendees were pressing for the location.  Ticket sales have slowed to less than a slug’s saunter.

Two weeks before the Ball, we found a place: An Anglican church built by the historic Royal Engineers in 1865.  St Mary the Virgin was absolutely delighted with the idea and made us an offer too handsome to pass on.  Their hall was a bit small but the ambiance was SO right AND they let the caterer, who was taking her recipes from a cookbook published in 1860-something, do her prep work in the hall’s kitchen.

I sent out a short memo to folks who had already purchased tickets, advising them of the Ball’s location, then I finalized the dance cards, designed a menu for the buffet, and found/printed out the words to Auld Lang Syne (found 5 different versions in my search).  Then I went in search of the perfect paper, small pencils, and ribbon for the dance cards.

Now— in and around all of this planning, there were some mighty hairy personal crises that made planning a Gala Event kinda tough for my fellow Ball Committee members (I would ask that you send up a special prayer for Mrs. Funk, the mother of one of the Ball Chairs, who was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer earlier this year; she’s responding well to a second round of chemo, but more prayers won’t hurt).  I gamely picked up the slack and continued to march.

So, there I was: the night before the Ball.  With a new ink cartridge in my printer, I placed a stack of laser-jet approved, antique parchment bond in the hopper and pushed PRINT.  Then I cleaned house like mad woman so that our two house guests, members of one of the bands playing at the Ball, would have a pleasant place to sleep.  Later that evening, I went down to help decorate the Hall, leaving the printer to complete the first run of 40 dance cards (I had set it to let the ink dry between pages), figuring I could print the rest the next day.

When I got home about midnight, I discovered that a fresh colour ink cartridge for Lexmark Z42 was only good for 40 dance cards; I could not afford another cartridge.

The day of the Ball started at 8 am with a quick can of Slim Fast and a frantic run to a local print shop.  Print shop #1 wanted 99 cents a copy and I had to use their paper, unless I wanted them printed in black & white, then they would have cost 59 cents a copy.  I said, “No thank you.”  Print shop #2 –Staples-- wanted 79 cents a copy, and of course I could use my own paper . . . and did I want to use a paper cutter.  Two hours later, home again, to first fold each dance card, then cut ribbon, tie a pencil on one end, thread the other into a bodkin (a big needle with a BIG eye) and then sew the ribbon into the fold of the dance card . . . 110 times.  It was about dance card number 65 that my brother Don and sis-in-law Janis arrived.  Things were kinda fuzzy. 

At just past 6 –the Ball started at 7– dressed to the Nines in our 19th century finery, we headed out the door, duck taped a 12 foot pole (it was needed at the Hall for canvas curtains) on the roof of Don’s car, and we were off.  At the Hall, I found several guests waiting, and dumped the dance cards out of the canvas bag I had put them in, only to find that in the 15-minute drive there, the pencils and ribbons had joined in a jolly tangle that would have made any weaverbird green-eyed with jealousy.

I danced the Grand March (the first dance) with our Entertainments Chair, Mr. Pemberton.  Laurie gave up several dances untangling the dance card ribbons.  With each dance, things became just a bit more surreal, until I hit a point where I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t breath properly.  Someone suggested I loosen my corset; and Laurie took me to a place where I could do just that.  But I was too far-gone.  A friend offered Laurie and I a ride home.  While I collected my stuff, Laurie gave our houseguests detail instructions on how to find the house.  I was told that when I got in the door, I pealed my way to my bedroom and was snoring within seconds of hitting the bed.

Since, I’ve seen email comments like:

“This past Saturday, The Mrs. and I attended a 1863 era Royal Engineers Ball in New Westminster, B.C.  This was a class event!  It was held in a building that was next to a 1865 Church (Angelic). The people hosting it were reenactors of the Royal Engineers of Canada (B.C.).  They had three bands...one was orchestral, one Contra, and one bagpipe.  They would take turns on stage and they divided the dances into 4 sets.  All played period music.  The food was cooked on the site and was served in 7 courses from houre dervs (sp?) to poultry, to fish, to red meat.  All dishes were period, too.  It was well attended by Canadians and U.S.er's alike (we're all Americans) and even 3 cornfeds showed (I referred to them as local militia) TIC.  Everyone dressed elegantly (no junk clothes at this one) and acted very properly period.  The Ball lasted past midnight and was the most, best one I had ever been to.”

(The foods served were:

7:00pm to 8:00pm

Savories: Sardines with a tomato caper relish; Devilled Eggs: Devilled Ham; Smoked Salmon Cake with Avocado Butter; Pickled Eggs;Onions Cucumbers; Chopped Herring; Anchovy Relish Rounds.  

Sweets: Punch bowl; Cheese log, Cheddar and Brie; Crisp Crackers & Caraway Biscuits.

8:30pm

Savories: Baked Bean Dish; Potted Herring/Salmon; Bacon Apple Fritters.  

Sweets: Twelfth Night Cake; Iced Grapes; Stilton Log & Blue Cheese; Dill & Celery Biscuit

9:00pm

Savories: Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing and cranberry relish; Vegetarian Stuffed pumpkin with a chickpea & spinach stuffing.  

Sweets: Currant Buns; Assorted Flavoured Butters; Wheat Germ Biscuits; Pumpkin scones

9:30pm

Savories: Sardine Cassolettes; Stuffed Squid; Flying Fish Roe Caviar; Smoked Cod and Corn Casserole

10:00 pm

Savories: Plaice (Whitefish) Browned butter shallots, and caper sauce; Poached Salmon; Ratatouille with Savoury Dumplings

10:45pm

Savories: Salted Port with Sauerkraut; Chicken Liver Pasties; Stargazey Pie (Pilchard Pie)

11:15pm

Sweets: Ginger Schnapps; Spotted Dog; Maderia Cake

11:30pm to 11:45pm

Sweets: Wafer Cakes; Lemon Biscuits; Peppermint Creams; Meringues)

And

“Hear him, hear him!  Let me add my heartiest congratulations to the Committee.  When I entered the hall, I was overwhelmed at the attention to detail in the decor.  The flags, the bunting, the candelabra, the buffet, the programme - all seemed to me to have sprung full-blown from the very pages of the journals of Charlie Wilson or Sam Anderson.  It was an admirable blend of gaiety and authenticity.  Well done, indeed!”

”My only suggestion is that if, or when, we essay this again we start earlier to allow more time to mingle, and to enjoy properly the buffet.  To gaze into the baleful eyes of the pilchard pie alone was worth the price of admission.  I found there was scarcely time to scorf down my share of spotted dog before it was again time to trip (or, in my case, to stomp upon) the light fantastic.”

Click on pic to see larger image

”Thank you, thank you to Mrs. Moody, Mrs. Bushby, Mr. Pemberton, Mrs. Douglas, Captain Luard - not having taken a hand in the preparations, I feel sure I am unaware of other significant contributors, whom I leave it to others more 'in the know' to name.  But well done, all.  Three cheers!”

So, I’m pretty sure our guest enjoyed themselves.  We are tentatively planning another Ball for the weekend before Valentine’s Day 2005.

“WHAT?!?!” you ask yourself.  “Didn’t she learn with this first one?”  I did indeed learn; eat and drink water the day of the Ball or fall on my face half way through the night.

That, and, well, there’s this stubborn streak that runs in the family and I have inherited more than my fair share of it.

NEWSLETTER INFORMATION

     If you are reading this online because you no longer receive it via email, and you would like to receive via email again, drop me an email.

     If you are reading this online because you asked to receive via email and it hasn’t happened yet, drop me an email.

     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
8 November 2003, 3:48 P.M. PDST