I have searched my roots back through to the first Landrys that arrived in Acadia back around 1640. Using my family name, Landry, as a marker, I was able to trace my roots back to Rene Landry (b.1618) and his wife, Perrine (b. 1626; nee Bourg) - who arrived at Port Royal, around 1640 - I might, as I have come to understand, equally as well be able to trace back my roots back to a number of the other original Acadians.

Jean Baptiste Landry (b.c.1690) fled the British and more particularly Le Loutre and his Indians in 1751. Jean Baptiste, by then 61 years of age, deserted his lands at St. Croix (near present day Windsor) and came to Rivière dux Habitants, Cape Breton. He had with him his 59 year old wife, Marie. Also, there arrived at Rivière dux Habitants three of his adult sons (five were born to him) and their families: Jean Baptiste (b.1713), Joseph (b.1716) and Alexis (b.1724). Now, I have yet to have been able to link up from which of these three Landrys I have descended; but, I am reasonably sure, from one of them - for, as is disclosed by La Roque's census of 1752,1 there were no other Landrys in Cape Breton prior to the arrival of Jean Baptiste and his three sons. What became of these Landrys which immigrated to present day Richmond County in 1751, it is difficult to say; as farmers, they had a difficult time of it and some probably left Cape Breton; however, today, Landry is a relatively common name in Richmond County and its a pretty reasonable assumption that they can all relate to a common ancestor, Jean Baptiste Landry (b.c.1690).

Coming back from Jean Baptiste Landry (b.c.1690): we see that his father was Jean Landry (b.1666) of Assomption (St. Croix, near Piziquid; see map); and, in turn, his father was Rene Landry (c.1640-c.1692) of Port Royal. Beginning with the original Rene, their respective wives were: Perrine Bourg (the sister of the original Bourg), Marie Bernard, Cecile Melanson and Marguerite Gautreau. So, tackling my roots through the maternal side, in a successive fashion, I can directly go back through the Acadian branch families of Bourg, Bernard, Melanson and Gautreau.

Of more recent times, in Cape Breton, I was able to discover other Acadian names through which I might trace my linage. My father's mother, one of my grandmothers, Celina Rose Landry (1858-1956), was a Boucher. My great-grand-father on my father's side [another Polycarp Landry (b.c.1799)] married Domitile Forrest. Now, my grandmother, Celina Rose, as I have already noted was a Boucher; her parents being Abraham (b.c.1811) and Ellen, who had been a Bourque. Thus, my roots can be followed down through to the Boucher, Forrest and Bourque lines. It is at this point that one might conclude, as I did, that I, like most everyone of Acadian descent, have the blood of all those Frenchmen located around Port Royal in 1671; which, these days, is known as Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

Just before I get started, I should say, that the analysis of Acadian connections would have been a job much too great for me without the multi-volumed work of Bona Arsenault. And, now, its time to take a look at some of these old Acadians to whom so many Acadians are related.

Benoist (L'Assomption, Pisiguit; Cobequid):

Jean Bourg (b.1716) and his wife, Francoise (nee Benoist, b.1721), came to the area we now know as Richmond County, around 1749-1751.2
Arsenault lists a Jean Benoist (b.1681), who is the son of the first Benoist, Martin Benoist (b.1643). Martin Benoist (b.1643) arrived at Acadia in 1671; and, in 1672, married one the "Chaussegros girls," Marie. The Chaussegros girls arrived in the spring of 1671, together with 500 colonists (Martin Benoist was likely one) who had sailed over from LaRochelle on the L'Oranger.3 In 1708, Marie and Martin Benoist removed themselves from Port Royal and took up residence at "la paroisse de L'Assomption, de Pisiguit." Their son, Jean Benoist (b.1681), however, eventually found his way further along the line and took up residence at Cobequid.4

Bernard:

We see from the records that Marie Bernard married my direct ancestor, Rene Landry (c.1640-c.1692) in 1662 at Port Royal; Marie died in 1719 and was buried at Port Royal.
According to Arsenault, Marie's father was Andre Bernard (b.c.1620), "a macon" originally from "Beau-sur-Mer, en Vendee," who arrived in Acadia in 1641. Andre Bernard had been recruited to serve Charles LaTour, an extraordinary historical character of early Acadia. LaTour had a fort at Jemseg a place on the St. John River located in territory now known as New Brunswick; Andre Bernard went to Jemseg. According to James Hannay La Tour originally had his fort at the mouth of the St. John River, but it was abandoned in favour of a new fort at Jemseg fifty miles, or so up the St. John River, a better place at which to trade with the Indians; but, according to my notes this was not done until after Acadia was restored to La Tour in 1651, not 1641. Arsenault writes: "Apris la prise du fort de Jemseg par D'Aulnay, en 1645, il [Andre Bernard] serait retourne en France, pour revenir en Acadie apris la rehabilitation de Charles de Latour, par la cour de France."5

Blanchard (Cobequid):

Pierre Bourg (b.1681), a direct ancestor of mine, married, around 1706, Marguerite Blanchard (b.1689). Marguerite was born to Martin Blanchard (b.1647). Martin's father was Jean Blanchard (b.1611) whose father, in turn was Guillaume Blanchard (b.1590).
Guillaume Blanchard, as it seems were most all of the original Acadians, was born at Martaize in the region of Loudun, France. He arrived in Acadia with his wife, Huguette Poirier, his son Jean (b.1611) and a couple of other family members. They came out as a result of the colonization efforts of Charles de Menou d'Aulnay. D'Aulnay, first came to Acadia with his uncle Claude de Razilly in 1632. Acadia was at that time a wild and populated but by a few hundred Indians and a few French traders who lived among them. De Razilly's set his colony (consisting of some farmers and fishermen) down on the shores at La Have (see map). He had with him as two of his chief lieutenants, d'Aulnay and Charles La Tour. In 1635, Governor De Razilly died, leaving d'Aulnay and La Tour to fight it out among themselves: Acadia broke into two distinct camps with battle fields in between (see "The Battling Barons of Acadia"). By 1645, we can see that D'Aulnay had won out, and, by that date, D'Aulnay absolutely ruled all of Acadia except for a narrow strip on the Gulf of St. Lawrence which was under the control of Nicholas Denys. In 1650, D'Aulnay drown in a boating accident in the river of Port Royal; this led to an overturn and La Tour soon came back into power. My point is, that during a fifteen year period, between 1635 and 1650, due to the colonization efforts of d'Aulnay, the nucleus of the Acadian population was brought over from France; and, I might add, was not much added to after this period, up until 1671; Guillaume Blanchard was part of this nucleus.
Coming down through to Guillaume's son, Jean Blanchard (b.1611), we see that he was married, around 1642, to Radegonde Lambert; this marriage likely took place in France6; I am unable to see that there were any Lamberts among the original Acadians. Their son, Martin Blanchard (b.1647) established himself at Cobequid.

Boucher:

Now, as pointed out earlier on, my grandmother, Celina Rose Landry (1858-1956), was a Boucher.
There was a Boucher, known as Andre Simon dit Boucher (b.1665), who came to "Acadie" around 1686. His descendants are listed by Arsenault (p. 800). And most, it would seem lived at Port Royal and likely were at that place, when, in 1755, the British carried out their deportation plan. An exception is Andre's oldest son, Pierre (b.1689), who, by 1718, was to be located at Petit-Degras (Petit-Degras is not far from where my grandmother was born in 1858). By 1730, according to Arsenault, Pierre Simon dit Boucher was at Louisbourg, a place where his wife was buried in 1733.
Another Boucher, Honore Boucher (b.1716), is listed by Arsenault (p. 2004). It would appear he came to the colony in 1722, Honore eventually took up residence at Port Toulouse (St. Peter's); he married at Port Toulouse. Three children were born: Benony (b.1744), Marie-Josephe (b.1748) and Jean (b.1750). In the LaRocque census of 1752 one will find, at Port Toulouse, the Honore Boucher family listed: the particulars set forth above are confirmed (not surprising, as it is likely Arsenault picked up his information from this source, anyway). The question is how long Honore Boucher had been at Port Toulouse? LaRocque writes that Honore Boucher is "a native of La Cadie." It seems plain that Honore did not come in with the 1749-51 immigration: further, we see, the contemporary observer, LaRocque, writes in 1752 that their "house is on their mother's homestead."7

Boudreau:

Marguerite Gautreau married my direct ancestor, Jean Baptiste Landry (c.1690-1752+) in 1711 at Grand-Pre; now, Marguerite's mother was Marie Terriot (b. 1665), the daughter of Bonaventure and Jeanne (nee Boudreau). Jeanne was the daughter of Michel Broudrot (b.1601). Broudrot came to Acadia around 1642, and had been married, in 1640, to Michelle Aucoin. Their daughter, their second child, Jeanne, was born in 1645. Michel Broudrot, in 1686, was to assume an important position in the colony, "etatit lieutenant-general a Port Royal et juge du lieu."8

Bourg (Bourque) (Cobequid):

I should first say, that there is a very old connection between the Bourc and Landry families; these families traveled together when the first Acadian settlers came from Loudun, France, in 1636. Antoine Bourc (b.1609) was married to Antoniette Landry who was the sister of Rene Landry (b.1618), another direct ancestor.
Jumping up to the year of 1752, we see listed in LaRocque's census: "Jean Bourg, ploughman, native of la cadie, aged 36 years. Married to Francoise Benoist, aged 31 years, native of Port Royal. They have six children, three sons and three daughters."9 The Jean Bourg family was to be found at Pointe La Jeunesse, seven leagues from Isle de la Sainte famille, situated "on the narrows of the great lake of Bras d'Or." There is some indication that the Bourgs had been in the colony for just eight months (LaRocque was at Pointe La Jeunesse at the end of March, 1752.) Jean Bourg is dealt with by Arsenault10 as being a resident of Pisiguit.
Working back from Jean Bourg (b.1716) we see that his father was Pierre (b.1681) and; in turn, Pierre's father was Martin Bourg11 (b.1650); who, in turn, had a father, Antoine Bourc (b.1609), to whom we have earlier referred as the first Bourg to came to Acadia in 1636.

d'Entremont:

The daughter of Pierre Melanson (b.1632) and Marguerite Mius d'Entremont (b.1649), Cecile Melanson (1668-1752+) married one of my direct ancestors, Jean Landry (b.1666). Marguerite was the daughter of Philippe Mius d'Entremont (b.1601). Philippe came directly from La Rochelle in 1651 to be a major-general in the forces commanded by Charles LaTour.
D'Entremont was to receive from his commander, LaTour, in 1654, one of the few signeuries ever given out in old Acadia, signeurie of Popomcoup (Pubnico), at Cape Sable at the southern end of peninsular Nova Scotia, near present day Yarmouth. Philippe brought his wife, Madeleine, and his young daughter, Marguerite over from France, likely, when he first came out 1651. Philippe and Madeleine were to have three more children, sons: Jacques, Abraham and Philippe. Jacques and Abraham married LaTour girls and Philippe, a "Micmaque" by the name of Marie.

Gaudet:

Daniel LeBlanc, one of the many Acadians from whom I am descended, within five years of his arrival at Acadia, married, around 1650, Franccoise Gaudet (b.1623) whose father was Jean Gaudet (b.1575). The original Gaudet arrived from France (Martaize, Loudun) around 1636.

Gautreau (Gaspareaux River):

We see from the records that a Marguerite Gautreau, "native of Pepeguit" married my direct ancestor, Jean Baptiste Landry (b.c.1690) in 1711 at Grand-Pre. Marguerite's father was Claude Gautreau (1659-1733); Claude's father was Francois Gauterot (b.1613). Francois Gauterot (b.1613) came originally from Martaize in the region of Loudun, department of Vienne, and arrived at Acadia around 1636. Francois, as a 23 year old, likely took his young wife, Edmee Lejeune (b.1624), along with him from France; their first born came along in 1636.12 Francois Gauterot family was to establish themselves at Port Royal.
Claude Gautreau (1659-1733) was the son of Francois. It was Claude who married, around 1684, a Terriot, Marie. Both Claude Gautreau and his brother Charles (b.1661) established themselves somewhere along the banks of the Gaspareaux River. Claude was buried on March 25th, 1733 at Saint-Charles-des-Mines, Grand-Pre.

Guilbault:

Martin Blanchard (b.1647), a direct ancestor of mine, married, Marguerite Guilbault (b.1669), the daughter of Pierre Guilbault (b.1669). Pierre Guilbault (b.1639) arrived in Acadia around 1668, and, in the same year he arrived, married Catherine Terriot (b.1650) the daughter of Jean Terriau (b. 1601), the first Terriau in Acadia.

Forrest:

Now, as pointed out in my introduction, my great-grand-father, on my father's side, Polycarp Landry (b.c.1799), married Domitile Forrest. Though I have yet to make the connection, it is likely that Domitile was a descendent of Jean-Bapiste Forest (b.1722), who, according to Arsenault13 arrived at Ile Madame in the year, 1750. (However, I should say, I am unable to spot any person by the name of Forrest in the LaRocque census of 1752?)
Let me come down from the original Forrest, Michel Forest: Michel Forest (b.1638) was likely a French Huguenot; he came to Acadia in 1659, during a time when Acadia was in the hands of the British (1654-67). As Arsenault points out, Forest was one of a certain number of arrivals (as were Granger and the Melansons) who came to Port Royal and who were "English"; but, soon, under the charming influences of the French Acadian girls, were to be absorbed into the existing French population and culture. Michel Forest first married, in 1666, Marie Hebert (b.1651) and from this union came Michael (b.1667). I should say, before moving on to Michael, jr., Michael, Sr. was to obtain a substantial grant to lands located on the Annapolis River about a mile above the fort. (Il avait obtenu une concession considerable s'etendant sur un mille de profondeur, a l'est du fort de Port Royal.)
Michael Forest (b.1667) married, around 1689, at Port Royal, Marie Petitpas (he married a second time at Grand Pre in 1709). From the first marriage came Jean-Baptiste Forest (b.1697). Michael Forest (b.1667) at some point made his way to Pisiguit, Sainte-Famille (Falmouth), where he died in 1730.
Jean-Baptiste Forest (b.1697) married at Grand Pre on the 24th of October, 1718, to Madeleine Celestin. Their son, Jean-Baptiste, was born in 1722.
Jean-Baptiste Forest (b.1722), to whom we first referred, married around 1745 to Marie Madeleine LeBlanc and up to the time (up to 1750) he fled to Cape Breton, he lived, like his father and his grand-father, before him, at Pisiguit, Sainte-Famille, (Falmouth). Arsenault14 writes that Jean-Baptiste and Marie Madeleine were to have two sons, I think, Oliver (b.1746) and Etienne (b.1750).

Hebert:

It is likely that one of my direct ancestors was Michel Forest (b.1638); he married, around 1666, Marie Hebert (b.1651). Marie's father was etienne Herbert (b.1625), who, in 1640, apparently, followed his older brother, Antoine, out to Acadia from La-Haye-Descartes, paroisse de Balesne, en Touraine. etienne married Marie Godet, the daughter of Jean Godet at Port Royal in 1650. etienne died in 1670.

LeBlanc:

A direct ancestor of mine, Jean-Baptiste Forest (b.1722), who first lived at Pisiguit (Falmouth), and who was the first Forest to come to Cape Breton, in 1750, married, around 1745, Marie Madeleine LeBlanc. Thus, we find a LeBlanc in my ancestry, which should not be surprising as LeBlanc is the most common surname to be found among Acadian descendants (the result of having a lot of male children in the first and second generations). The difficulty is -- just who is Marie Madeleine LeBlanc? Arsenault usually sets forth the parentage of the wife, but in the entry for Jean-Baptiste Forest, he does not.15 We are left to cast about in a sea of LeBlancs; and no "Marie Madeleine LeBlanc" is spotted in the numerous entries set forth by Arsenault which fits. What we know is that the Forest family, beginning with Jean-Baptiste's grandfather, Michael Forest (b.1667), had been well established in the Pisiguit area [Sainte-Famille, (Falmouth)]. We know too, that Michael's grandson, Jean-Baptiste, married, around 1745, Marie Madeleine LeBlanc; it is likely that Marie Madeleine came from the neighborhood.
Four sons of the original LeBlanc, Daniel LeBlanc (b.1626), established themselves in the Minas area, a wagon ride away from Pisiguit. Daniel LeBlanc arrived at Acadia from France (Martaize, Loudun) around 1645 and married, around 1650, Franccoise Gaudet. Now the four LeBlanc boys to whom I have referred, were: Jacques (b.1651), Rene (b.1657), Andre (b.1659), and Antoine (b.1662): all four brothers became leading members of the parish of Saint-Charles-des-Mines. Now, as it turns out, certain of the sons of these four brothers relocated to Pisiguit including Jacques' (b.1651) son, Jacques (b.1708), who established himself at Sainte-Famille, (Falmouth) the very place were the Forest family had situated themselves. If I were to guess, I would say that the missing "Marie Madeleine LeBlanc" was from this family.

Melanson:

We see from the records that Cecile Melanson (1668-1752+) married my direct ancestor, Jean Landry (b.1666) around the year, 1687.
Cecile's father was one of the two original Melansons, brothers, Pierre. Arsenault says Cecile was the "fille de Pierre [b.1632] et de Marguerite Mius d'Entremont, de Port Royal.16
It is interesting to note that the Melanson brothers may not have been French; they may have been of Scottish descent! While little is known about this part of our history, in March of 1628, a Scottish knight, Sir William, "having been knighted and made Knight Admiral, started with a fleet of four vessels containing seventy men and two women" reached Port Royal. During the first winter, so ill prepared they were, thirty of the seventy died of "scurvy and other diseases. The remainder of them, unprotected by the presence of Latour and receiving no aid from home, were attacked by the Indians and fell victim to the scalping knife and the ravages of want and sickness, with the exception of one family, two members of which were living in 1635, having become Roman Catholics and married French wives."17
Pierre Melanson, sieur de La Verdure, was born in 1632. Arsenault says he came up to Port Royal from Boston (sans doute) around 1657 with the forces of Major Sedgwick, or possibly with Sir Thomas Temple in 1657. (While it may be that the brothers came up from Boston, historical sources indicate that certain of the Scottish survivors, who had come to Port Royal with Sir William in 1628, sought refuge at Boston.) At any rate the Melanson brothers stayed on at Port Royal and both married Acadian girls. Pierre, as I have already noted, around 1664, married Marguerite Mius d'Entremont. Pierre Melanson, together with Pierre Theriault, were the first of the settlers to come up from Port Royal to establish homesteads in the Grand Pre area (Canning?).

Petitpas:

Michael Forest (b.1667) from whom I directly descent first married, around 1689, Marie Petitpas (b.1669). Marie was the daughter of the first Petitpas in Acadia, Claude Petitpas Sieur de LaFleur. Claude, born in 1624, arrived, in 1645, to take up what would appear an important position in the colony, "greffier du tribunal a Port-Royal."

Terriot (Theriaults):

Marguerite Gautreau married my direct ancestor, Jean Baptiste Landry (c.1690-1752+) in 1711 at Grand-Pre. Now, Marguerite's mother was Marie Terriot, the daughter of Bonaventure and Jeanne (nee Boudreau). Bonaventure was the son of the first Terriau in Acadia, Jean Terriau (b. 1601) I have a double connection back to the original Terriots as another direct ancestor of mine, Pierre Guilbault (b.1639) married, in 1668, Catherine Terriot (b. 1650) who was the daughter of Jean Terriau (b. 1601) and the brother to Bonaventure Terriau (b.1641).
Indeed, as I have come to determine, I have a triple connection to the original Terriots of Old Acadia: my direct ancestor, Jean Baptiste Landry (c.1690-1752+) married Marguerite Gautreau, in 1711, at Grand-Pre; now, Marguerite's mother was Marie Terriot (b. 1665), another daughter of Bonaventure Terriau (b.1641).
Jean Terriau (b. 1601) and like other ancestors of mine (e.g., Francois Gauterot) came originally from Martaize in the region of Loudun. According to Arsenault Jean Terriau arrived at Acadia in 1637. The 1671 census shows that Jean had married Perrine Rau. The couple had seven children, the third being named Bonaventure.
Bonaventure Terriau was born in 1641. Marie was born in 1667. It is interesting to note that it was Bonaventure's younger brother, Pierre (b.1655) together with Pierre Melanson (another of my direct ancestors) "proceeding independently of each other who first settled in the Grand Pre region.18 Pierre Terriau's homestead was on the banks of the Cannard River; his brother Bonaventure lived, I suspect, not too far off. Bonaventure was buried at Grand Pre on the 4th of May 1731.
The Theriaults generated into quite a numerous crowd: the most productive branch being that of Pierre in the Grand Pre region, in addition, prior to the dispersal of 1755, a number were also to be located at Beaubassin and Cobequid. After the grand dispersal many were to be found at Belle-Isle-en-Mer, France (likely those from Grand Pre) and up along the northeastern coast of present day New Brunswick (likely those from Beaubassin and Cobequid.)

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^[2] In the LaRocque census, 1752, in addition to Jean Bourg, we see a Jean Benoist (1683), native of Port Royal, aged 69 years, with his 67 year old wife, Marie Meran: could this be the mother and father of Francoise? At any rate I am unable to fit this Jean Benoist into those as listed by Arsenault; likely this Jean was a son of Martin Benoist.

^[3] "In 1671 thirty garcons and thirty filles were sent by the king to Acadia ..." they arrived "de Rochefort a Port Royal, en 1671." (Parkman, Count Frontenac and New France under Louis XIV, FN at p. 353.)

^[4] It is interesting to note that Jean Benoist (b.1681) and his two sons fled, in 1752, presumably from Cobequid, to Cape Breton (Pointe La Jeunesse and la Baie Mordienne).

^[5] The History of Acadia, p. 202.

^[6] One of my correspondents advises that there are many who think that "Radegonde was born to Jehan Lambert and a Micmac Indian woman in Acadia." That may well be, I do not know. Another in 2006 wrote: "I came across your web page and saw where you speculated that the marriage of Jean and Radagonde took place in France. Jean's wife and Giulliame's daughter-in-law, Radagonde Lambert, was the daughter of a Mic Mac Indian woman (no name, just Mic Mac Indian woman) and her father's name was Jean Lambert. Jean and Radagonde were married in Port Royal, Acadia in approximately 1642."

^[7] There was a Simon-Jerome Boucher (1688-1753) who came from France as one of two resident assistant-engineers involved in the building of Fortress Louisbourg. Simon-Jerome Boucher married Madeleine Des Groutins in 1730; the couple had two boys: Pierre (b.1743) and Charles Joseph (b. 1745). Overall Boucher spent some 32 years at Louisbourg and died there in 1753. What happened to the sons, Pierre and Charles; well, I can only guess they were transported back to France after the British were successful in taking Louisbourg in 1758. It is enticing, to think, that the Bouchers found at Ile Madame are descendants of this French military; and, maybe so; but, la Roque, who surely would have know the difference noted that Honore Boucher was "a native of La Cadie."

^[8] Arsenault, p. 441.

^[9] That Jean Bourg was of Port Royal is not consistent with that found in Arsenault.

^[10] Ob. cit., p.1477.

^[11] Arsenault writes (pp. 449, 1474) that Martin established himself at Cobequid.

^[12] From what I can determine from Arsenault there were, in 1636, no Lejeunes in Acadia; two brothers by the name of Lejeune did show up in Acadia, but that was well after 1636.

^[13] Ob. cit., p. 1384.

^[14] Ibid.

^[15] Ibid..

^[16] Ibid., p. 1401; and, see fn at pp. 9-10, Savary's Supplement, History of the County of Annapolis.

^[17] Savary, ob. cit., pp. 6-7.

^[18] See p. 24 of Thwaites' book, France in America, 7th vol. of 27, (Harper Brs., 1905).