Histoires de Robichaud
Avant et après Frédéric Robichaud - Fort Kent, Maine
(CETTE PAGE SERA BIENTÔT TRADUITE)
Generation 1 - Étienne + Françoise Boudrot (Port-Royal)
Generation 2 - François dit Niganne + Madeleine Thériault (Port-Royal)
Generation 3 – François + Marie LeBorgne de Belleisle (Nid d’Aigle, Saint John River)
Generation 4 - Michel + Marguerite Pinet - Rivière-des-Caps / Rivière-Ouelle
Generation 5 - Joseph + Marie-Louise Dubé - Rivière-des-Caps
Generation 6 - Frédéric + Basilice Nadeau - Sainte-Luce / Fort Kent
Generation 7 - Magloire (Mack) + Henriette Bouchard - Fort Kent
Generation 8 - Liguori + Élise Michaud - Fort Kent
Generation 9 - Patrick + Berthe Michaud - Fort Kent / Wallagrass
Generation 10 - Peter, John, Paul, Bob, … - Fort Kent / Fredericton
Generation 11 - Jake and Jessica, … - Fort Kent
Frédéric, date of birth unknown circa 1832, was the only son of the family of four of Joseph Robichaud and Marie-Louise Dubé of Rivière-des-Caps, Québec. Joseph’s father, Michel, was an indian trader, son of François Robichaud, also indian trader, from the Saint John River, in Acadie. Their Robichaud ancestors were also traders in Port-Royal, capital of old Acadie under the English regime (1710-1755). Frédéric married in Frenchville, Maine, on September 20, 1852 Basilisse Nadeau (Gabriel and Angèle Nadeau). Five generations of his descendants will settle in various communities around Fort Kent, in Aroostook County, in northern Maine.
BEFORE
1 - The first Robichaud recorded in Acadie was Étienne Robichaud. Étienne is believed to be born in France circa 1638. In the 1671 census, Étienne instructs his wife, Françoise Boudrot, to tell the census taker that he doesn’t want to give the count of his animals and lands. Étienne and Françoise have six children.
2 - The youngest of the Étienne family is François dit Niganne (nickname). Niganne works with his brother Prudent in trade and in supplying the fort. François said Niganne marries in 1702 Marie-Madeleine Therriot, they will have nine children.
3 - Two of Niganne’s sons, Pierre and François (le jeune), will marry Françoise and Marie, two daughters of former governor of Acadie, Alexandre Leborgne de Belleisle. Circa 1736, the Belleisle/Robichaud clan will establish an outpost at Nid d’Aigle (Eagles Nest) on the Saint John River, where they will stay for approximately 20 years.
In November 1758, during the Acadian Deportation, colonel Monckton burns the houses formerly occupied by the Robichaud’s at Nid d’Aigle. In the 1762 census, we find the family of Pierre Robichaud and the widow and family of François Robichaud in Cap-Saint-Ignace, Québec. Most descendants of these two brothers will settle in the Côte-du-Sud region of Québec.
4 - Michel and Anselme, sons of François (le jeune), residents of Rivière-des-Caps in the Saint-André de Kamouraska parish, will go down in history as indian traders on the Saint John River, causing diplomatic imbroglios between the province of Lower Canada (Québec) and the newly formed province of New Brunswick. Michel, born in 1758, will marry on January 26, 1784 Marguerite Pinette (Pierre and Marguerite Michaud). They will have ten children.
5 - Joseph, the third child of Michel, born June 24, 1788, will marry at Saint-André de Kamouraska, Marie-Louise Dubé on October 25, 1813. Joseph and Marie-Louise Dubé will have four children, their only son being our Frédéric. On August 28, 1840, Joseph being 42 years old, marries a second time to Basilice Carrier, widow of Dominique Cayouette.
AFTER
The Frenchville area was first settled by Acadians, starting in 1785, and by Canadians, starting in the 1820’s. In different eras, the area has several names for communities that initially could span both sides of the Saint John River: Chateaugay, Chatauqua, Madawaska Plantation, Dionne Plantation, Sainte-Émélie (first chapel built in 1826), Sainte-Luce (first church built in 1843), Township 18 - 5th Range, Dickeyville, Frenchville, Upper Frenchville, … The town of St. Agatha (Sainte-Agathe) was formed in 1899 from the southeastern part of Frenchville. Fort Kent was formerly Township 18, Range 6 (east) and Range 7 (west). The present border between New Brunswick and Maine was established in 1842, by the Webster Ashburton Treaty, that ended the bloodless Aroostook War.
6 - The Sainte-Luce church records indicate that Frédéric Robichaud marries on September 20, 1852 Basilisse Nadeau. In the 1860 census, Frédéric is listed under the name of Joseph, 28 years old, married to Bazilais (Basilisse) Robichaud, 26 years old, daughter of Gabriel and Angéle Nadeau. They live in Township 18, range 7 (western part of Fort Kent). Both Joseph Frédéric and his wife were born in Canada. They have four children born in Maine: one girl Elcie 6 years old, three boys, Joseph 4 years old, Solomon 2 years old, and Anselme 12 months old. Another Joseph Robichaud, a 25 years old laborer, married to 23 years old Matilda, lives nearby.
Other Robichaud’s are living in Frenchville area at this time. The 1860 census shows as a resident of Township no 17, Range 7, living with the Alexandre Madore family, Frédéric’s stepmother, Bazilais (Basilisse) Robichaud, 60 years old, née Carrier, widow of Dominique Cayouette and widow of Joseph Robichaud, married on August 28, 1840 in Rivière-du-Loup, Québec. Also living at the Madore farm is 15 years old Elizabeth Robichaud. 12 years old Flave Robichaud lives with the family of James Clark.
Fort Kent is located where the Fish River joins the St. John. The town was named for a fort or blockhouse that the United States erected at the time of the so-called Aroostook war, in 1841, and was named after the then-governor of Maine, Edward Kent. Fort Kent’s economy depends on forestry, agriculture and textiles.
7 - Magloire (Mack) Robichaud, born June 4, 1862, is the fifth child of Frédéric Robichaud and Basilisse Nadeau. On May 30, 1885, Magloire marries Henriette Bouchard (Damase and Virginie Dupéré). Mack and Henriette will have at least five boys: Maxime, Lévite, Thomas, Liguori and Alphonse.
In the 1930 census, Alphonse, eight child of Mack Robichaud, resides in New York City and is listed under the name of Peter Robinson. It is reported that Alphonse used Peter as his first name and that his brother had used the surname Robinson when working in NYC since Robichaud was hard for people to pronounce, so Alphonse also used this surname.
8 - Liguori (Ligouri, Legorie) Robichaud was born on June 12, 1896. On July 5, 1921 Liguori marries Élise Michaud (Docité and Edith Martin), born January 25, 1894 in Baker Brook, New Brunswick. They will have eight children: Patrick, Rita, Dora, Philip, Sr Juanita, Louise, Venette, and Leo. Liguori died on August 39 1981. Henriette died on October 21, 1997 in a Saint-Basile NB nursing home.
9 - Patrick, eldest son of Liguori Robichaud and Elise Michaud was born circa 1922 ?? married to ?? on July 7 1945. They have several children with descendants in the Fort Kent area.
10 - Paul, Peter, and John Robichaud reside in Fort-Kent. Another brother Bob lives in Fredericton, NB.
As is their character, Robichauds are involved, in politics, community affairs and business.
Since 1980, John and his wife Norma Babin are owners of John’s Shurefine Food, located on Main St in Fort Kent. John and Norma are recipients of the Fort Kent Chamber of Commerce 2006 Business Persons of the year award. They have two daughters.
Peter and his wife Ann are owners of Pelletier Florist and Greenhouse. In 1990, their business received from the Fort Kent Chamber of Commerce the Oustanding Betterment award.
Paul and Gloria Robichaud live in Fort Kent. In the 1990’s, Paul Robichaud was a member of the Council of the Town of Fort Kent.
Bob Robichaud is an Environment Canada meteorologist working out of Fredericton, NB.
11 - Jessica Robichaud-Audibert, John’s and Norma’s daughter, works in her parent’s store. She is treasurer of the 2014 Robichaud Family Gathering Organizing Committee. Jessica is married to Thomas Audibert.
Jake (Jacob) Robichaud, Peter and Ann’s son, is owner of Jake’s Cleaning Service. Jake is a member of Council for the Town of Fort Kent. He is president of the 2014 Robichaud Family Gathering Organizing Committee. Jake and his wife Marsha have three children, two boys and one girl.
References:
1. ROBICHAUD, Donat, Les Robichaud d’Amérique, Shippagan, 1999, 936 pages.
2. ROBICHAUD, Armand, Des histoires de Robichaud, du Poitou à la mer Rouge, Éditions de la Francophonie, Moncton, NB, 2002, 346 pages.
3. ROBICHAUD, Armand, Maisons ancestrales des Robichaud, Éditions de la Francophonie, Lévis, Qc, 2009, 416 pages.
4. CRAIG, Béatrice, Backwoods Consumers and Homespun Capitalists: The Rise of a Market Culture in Eastern Canada, University of Toronto Press, 2009, 349 p.
http://archive.org/stream/histoiredumadawa00albe/histoiredumadawa00albe_djvu.txt
http://www.joanshome.com/genealogy1/getperson.php?personid=I1199&tree=genealogy1
http://archive.bangordailynews.com/2006/02/07/fort-kent-couple-win-business-honor/