Robichaud Stories

JANUARY 1760

L'Islet, Côte-du-Sud, New France

 

New France is being attacked by the British Empire, since the fall. There is famine in the colony, everything is rationed. La Côte-du-Sud, “the granary of the colony”, was burned by troops in the fall. Residents are eating the rest of the livestock. There are few seeds for next harvest.

 

Acadians continue to arrive “in Canada” driven from their Acadie, and join the many others who arrived in recent years. To make matters worse, more than five hundred of them were victims of an epidemic of “smallpox” during the past year.

 

Many decide to take refuge in the countryside where it is easier to survive. These refugees who have just left a misfortune are facing another ... similar in many respects: famine, disease, British rule, nomadic life.

 

Thus two Acadian families arrive in L'Islet, Côte-du-Sud: families of brothers Pierre and François Robichaud, who have “crossed in Canada” from the Eagle's Nest (le Nid D’Aigle), on the St. John River. Two families totalling fourteen children, most have less than ten years. They just buried in December the little Jean-Baptiste, son of Pierre, 3 years old. And now the father of the family François said “the young” died in January. Marie “la Métis”, wife of François, will follow shortly after.

 

The children of the family of François are orphaned in a new country, where living conditions are precarious. In fact, it is a condition of survival. It is easy to imagine that help for these orphans of the François family came from his brother Pierre and his wife Françoise. It is with courage and determination that these orphans and the family of Pierre, using their experience as “indian traders” were able to ensure a future for these refugees to Canada.

 

 

EARLY 1900

St. Aubert, Côte-du-Sud, Quebec

 

Six generations later, with the death of a lineal descendant of François “the young” Robichaud Alfred, son of Samuel, we find a family that is reminiscent of their Acadian ancestor.

 

Alfred Robichaud, son of Samuel, lives at the end of range three in St. Aubert de l'Islet, where Samuel was established, and whose estate was granted to Louis, brother of Alfred. Alfred moves half a mile to the west in the same range, on a lot on given by his father. In 1900, at age 25, Alfred marries Dorilda Chouinard, of the same range.

 

Alfred quickly puts in order the abandoned land and valiantly establishes his family. But then in April 1922 his wife Dorilda dies “too young" at the age of 41 years. She left Alfred with a household of seven boys and five girls, aged ten months to twenty-one years.

 

The eldest daughter, Marie-Ange 18 years old, soon realizes she will become a substitute mother. Joséphat eldest son, 21 years old at the death of his mother, has already taken some responsibilities on his father's property. But Joséphat career was short since he died of appendicitis at age 22, in July 1923.

 

From that moment, Alfred worries about the future of his family as he has a lung disease that continues to worsen. Grandmother Vitaline now living in the village will have a watchful eye on the young family. Alfred will even have a verbal agreement with his cousin Donat, affectionately called “mononcle” by the children, that should he die Donat agrees to take care of the family until Paul and Maurice reach their majority. Two years later, in May 1925, Alfred died also "too young" at 49 years, caused by his long-term lung disease.

 

MAY 1925

Extract of the Family Council in the family home of the late Alfred Robichaud

 

Are present:

Vitaline Gagnon, widow of Samuel, mother of Alfred

Louis Robichaud, brother of Alfred

Donat Robichaud, cousin of Alfred

Marie-Ange Robichaud, eldest daughter and now eldest child of Alfred

Ulric Martel, Saint-Aubert parish priest

 

Marie -Ange: What shall I do? Three years since Mom is gone and that I take care of the gang! Joséphat has left us, Dad is gone! Who will take care of the farm, the animals, the sugar shack?

 

The priest: Yes, these children cannot stay all alone ... in misery ...

 

Vitaline: We will help Marie-Ange. I 'll keep coming regularly!

 

Louis: The children are getting older, they will help; Paul is 17, Maurice will be 15 in a few days.

 

The priest: Yes, but they do not yet have their majority ...

 

Vitaline: Marie Ange, I 'll ask your sister Gabrielle to continue helping for a while.

 

Louis: Me, I cannot help very much. I already have nine children, 2 to 20 years old. I 'll help for sugars and hay; I live close by, at the end of range.

 

Donat: I 'll tell you, I promised Alfred that if he died I would take care of the family until Paul or Maurice are old enough to take the land. Well, I want to keep my word. My lot is close by, I'll come often.

 

Marie -Ange: It’s true, that we would be better living together.

 

The priest: I could place a few. I have connections with orphanages and religious communities.

 

Donat: I do not want them to be placed, they should stay here together ...

 

Marie-Ange: It is true, it would be better to stay together ...

 

The priest: If you think you can deal with it, good... but know that any time I could relieve you a bit by placing a few.

 

Vitaline: Thank you father, but I think for now, the parents would be happy to see their children stay here together amongst the sugar maples. 

 

 

THE YEARS PASSED ...

 

Marie-Ange ... her smile revealed ... was less spontaneous and natural than her brothers and sisters. She was the only one who seemed affected, her psychological health was frail throughout her life. Her brothers and sisters were the children she never had. She stayed at home most of her youth, before continuing her life as an old maid. She lived for others without ever thinking about herself.

 

And all these children were called " orphans " in the parish. Well, later they all tell that they had a happy childhood.

 

Gabrielle ... 17 years at the death of her mother. She began studying to become a teacher but had to terminate this project to assist her sister Marie-Ange in the education of her younger brothers and sisters. Then she became a maid before using her talents as an educator with her own children.

 

Juliette ... she remembered all her life the death of her mother exposed in the family home. At 16, she wanted to be a nun, but her sister Marie-Ange thought her too young ... maybe she was too useful at home. But her vocation was waiting ... she took his vows in 1937, as beautiful as a “holy virgin”. A great faith kept her cheerful and with her wide smile, all knew she was happy ...

 

Irene ... the baby of the family. She knew neither her father nor her mother. But later, she admitted “having had a happy childhood” thanks to all those who surrounded her, and she said she was “proud of her roots”.

 

And ... there was Leon, Wilfrid, Adrien and even Paul and Claire, who responded to the call of the colonization of Abitibi in 1930’s, in the mid of the “economic crisis”. The “woodsman” in their genetic no doubt served them well, as well their experience as independent youths. Paul and Claire came back, preferring to settle in their homeland.

 

And ... Philippe, a jovial, dynamic and brilliant person. Founder of the Credit Union in Sainte- Louise, the neighboring parish. Butter maker by trade, he ended his career as an administrator too quickly, dying of a heart attack at age 54.

 

And ... there was Maurice. The one that inherited the family land, this paternal property that Marie-Ange had managed. Vitaline would have preferred that he become a priest by sending him study with the Redemptorists Fathers ... By returning to the land of sugar maples, his studies led him to become involved in the development of the community while raising his family.

 

AND NOW, THEY ARE ONLY MEMORIES ...

 

For a long time ... probably all their lives, my uncles and aunts were shamefully silent regarding their family orphanage. But these uncles and aunts have clearly remained affectionately close. It has never been necessary for them to talk about their story, as if they had a pact of deep silence. What was known did not need to be said.

 

Thus, Juliette, as a religious person, learned very young that true silence, was first the silence in the depths of oneself. While Marie-Ange probably lived a silence of despair, she abandonned her expectations of starting her own family.

 

At the time, there were no psychologists to help such a family, but we guess that these children that chose to stay together made the right decision. Together, these children could speak or not speak of their experiences. A grandmother, an uncle and an older sister, helped them regain confidence in themselves and in life. They were prepared to become adults to take control of their future.

 

These orphan children certainly had episodes of sadness. But they were reassured by the grandmother, this uncle and older sister, who told them that there would always be someone to take care of them and to love them.

 

Of course, their childhood was cut short. They were very young to face too heavy responsibilities. They certainly felt different. But they all remained “sons” and “daughters” of Alfred and Dorilda, not “orphans” of Alfred and Dorilda. They knew how to make it on their own ... hidden in the sugar maples ...