For anyone interested, here is the linage for Gertrude Olive MICHEL. First Generation 1 Gertrude Olive MICHEL. Born 1765. Baptism 17 Feb 1766 in St-Suliac (Ille-Et-Vilaine) Brittany, Fr. Died in Louisiana. Notes: Gertrude accompanied her father Pierre and two sisters (Anne-Marguerite & Marie -Louise)to Louisisana aboard the le Remi on the 27th of June. Another sister, Marie-Madeleine MICHEL married 19 Oct 1784 in Nantes to Pierre-Gregorie GAUTROT were also aboard the le Remi. Source: G.M. BRAUD, Les Acadiens en France, Nantes et Paimbeouf, 1775/1785, p. 203, Family # 333. Second Generation 2 Pierre MICHEL. Born 1739 in Port LaJorie, Isle-St-Jean, Acadia. Died 20 Mar 1784 in Nantes, France. Farmer prior to expulsion, then day laborer In France. Source: Alfred Robichaud, Jr. Acadians in Chatellerault, p. 78: "Pierre Michel, Marguerite Pitre, his wife and family of 9 persons were in the fourth convoy leaving Chatellerault for Nantes from March 6 to March 13, 1776; G.M. Braud, Les Acadiens en France, p. 203, Family # 333. Pierre, a widower left Nantes with three children on le-St-Remi (#8 on passanger list) 27 June 1785. He had been living in Brittany (St-Suliac) from 1759 to 1773, then was in Chatellerault (Vienne); Phoebe Chauvin Morrison, Generations Past & Present I, Revised, p. 294; Albert Robichaux, Acadian Exiles in Nantes. Response received from Stephen A. White, June 14, 2002 to query: Regarding Pierre Michel and Marguerite Pitre, it is relatively easy to identify them both. In her case, the clue does come through her brother Charles, as you suggest. While the 1762 rôle merely states that Charles was her brother, the 1759 listing of these people upon their arrival in France tells us not only that Charles was Marguerite's brother, but also that he was the son of Germain Pitre. So this puts the two of them in the family of Germain Pitre and Marie-Josèphe Girouard. Your correspondent is quite right that Germain Pitre and Marie-Josèphe Girouard were deported to Connecticut, but the great mystery of their family is to explain how most of their children did not accompany their parents but escaped the deportation of 1755, only to be sent to France in the expulsion of 1758. It could be that for some reason their mother was unable to look after them properly, resulting in their being sent to live with other relatives. Besides Marguerite and Charles, Pierre-Olivier, Anne, Marie-Blanche, and Osite were all embarked on ships from Île St-Jean in 1758, for the passage to France. Osite died during the crossing, but all five others survived. And it appears that they did not all go together, but arrived in the company of various relatives, including their father's brother Charles Pitre and their mother's sister Marie Girouard. Meanwhile, their parents had been sent to Connecticut with only one (or possibly two) of their other children, although several more were born to them while they were in exile. From Connecticut Germain and Marie-Josèphe went to Santo Domingo in 1764, where they both died shortly after arrival, along with two of their young children. Of this group only their daughter Clothilde-Christine survived. She eventually married, and some years ago one of her descendants, a Madame Suzanne Canu, came to see me here in Moncton. Pierre Michel was a son of François Michel and Marie-Anne Léger. The connection is made obvious by a number of pieces of circumstantial evidence. For one thing, Pierre was fourteen at the time of La Roque's census in 1752. As you mention, ten years later he was twenty-five and living at St-Suliac, and in 1785 he was forty-six. So these ages match sufficiently well. Additionally, Marie Michel, François and Marie-Anne's daughter who married Joseph Robichaud, was the godmother of Pierre's daughter Marie-Madeleine in 1764. And the two children you mention from the 1762 listing were evidently named after Pierre's parents: Joseph-FRANÇOIS and ANNE-Marguerite. 3 Marguerite PITRE. Born 1739 in Acadia, Ca,. Died Before 20 Mar 1784 in Nantes, St-Nicolas Parish, Loire-Atl. France. Buried 20 Mar 1784 in Nantes, St-Nicolas Parish, Loire-Atl. France. Third Generation 4 Francois MICHEL. Born About 1690 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. Died Before 12 Jul 1759 in L'Anse A Pinet, Ile St. Jean (Prince Edward Isle). More about Francois Michel: PANS: Marriage: St-Jean the Baptiste, Port Royal, Acadia 1702 - 1755, RG 1, Vol. 26, p. 312. Priest: Charles deBreslay; Bona Arsenault, op.cit., pp 696-699: " Francois and his wife resided at Port Royal. He fled in 1750 with his family because of the British encroachment in Nova Scotia to l'Anse a Pinet on the Ils St. Jean, Acadia, Canada"; Bona Arseneault : The Repetoire of Baptisms Marriages and Burials for Bonaventure County Quebec; Sr. Joseph de La Roque, Census Isle-St.Jean, Acadia, 1752. "François Michel, senior, native of Acadia, aged 63 years, has been in the country 14 months. Married to Elisabeth Le Jeuge, native of Acadia, aged 65 years. They have two sons and five daughters: Joseph Michel, aged 17 years; Pierre, aged 14 years; Margueritte, aged 19 years; Catherine, aged 6 years; Félicité, aged 11 years; Françoise Perpétue, aged 9 years; and Anne Benoiste, daughter of said Elizabeth Le Jeuge, aged 22 years. Their livestock consisted of two oxen, one heifer, one sow, two pigs, and one hen. The land upon which they are settled is situated as in the preceding cases. It was given to them verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure. On it they have made a clearing for the sowing of four bushels of grain in the coming spring;" S. A. White, Vol. 2, p. 1183; S. A. White: Thirty Seven Families; Les Cahiers, Vol 25, nos 2 & 3, April-September 1994; S.A. White, English Supplement; S.A. White, in response to query: "Regarding Claude-Joseph Gros's wife, Marguerite Michel, I have no helpful information. I tried to check on the data that your correspondent says she found in Glenn Conrad's book about St. Charles Parish. Perhaps she consulted a different edition of this work than the one we have here, but in the one we have there is no reference to Marguerite Michel at all. Between his books on St. Charles and St. Jean Baptiste parishes, it appears that while Mr. Conrad does identify a fair number of Claude-Joseph Gros's children, he never says who the mother of those children was. I went on to check the entries in the record of the archdiocese of New Orleans. It was there that I found that Claude-Joseph's wife was indeed Marguerite Michel. The first child I could find listed for them was born in 1773, so the year 1772 that has been indicated for Claude-Joseph and Marguerite's marriage seems plausible. Looking at the names of the godparents of her children, however, I saw nothing that suggested to me that this Marguerite Michel was Acadian. Michel, like many other family names that derive from given names, is very common. It may have many separate and distinct roots. One should not presume that anyone named Michel was of Acadian descent without some specific evidence to that effect. Regarding the Jean Michaud who was in New York, I unfortunately cannot say who he was. I do not believe that he was a Michel. Michaud and Michel are not interchangeable as family names, even though Michaud is really no more than a diminutive of the given name Michel. Notwithstanding that, Michaud exists as an independent family name. As you know, it is a relatively common family name in eastern Québec. This Jean Michaud might have been one of those Michauds. All we know is that he was the head of a household in 1763 that included three chidren. Even if all of these children were his, there is no reason to presume that he married before around 1757, so one possibility is that Michaud is this man's real family name, and that he came into contact with the Acadians sometime after the deportation and at some time between 1755 and 1763 married an Acadian woman. I can tell you that we have no record of any household in Acadia prior to 1755 that was headed by a Jean Michaud. On the other hand, another possibility is that this man's name was really not Michaud at all. It could be that this was in fact "Jean à Michaud," that is, a man named Jean whose father was named Michel and nicknamed Michaud. I have been unable to find any father and son combination who would fit this description, however. Regarding Jean Michel and his wife Martine Bourg, I can see no reason to believe that they left Île St-Jean between 1752, when they appear in La Roque's census, and 1758. If that was indeed the case, then they must have embarked on one of the ships that was to carry the inhabitants to France. As neither Jean nor Martine nor any of their children shows up in any of the records concerning the exiles in France, I have concluded that this family may be presumed to have been aboard one of the vessels that sank during the crossing, most likely the Duke William. I do not think there is any likelihood at all that Jean and Martine's daughter Marguerite was the same Marguerite Michel who married Claude-Joseph Gros;" Notes: Bona: Arsenault: Francois is the son of Jacques Michel m. Catherine Comeau [SAW, p. 1183]. Francois was m. to Marie-Anne Leger [2/5/1715] and to Elisabeth LeJuge [11/25/1751]. SAW has additional info on Francois that hasn't been published. Francois and Elisabeth both died in 1759 either crossing to France or shortly after arriving. 5 Marie Anne LEGER. Born About 1697 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Died Before 25 Nov 1751. More about Marie Anne Leger: S.A. White, Vol. 2, p. 1043. 6 Germain PITRE. Born About 1714. Source: S.A. White, Vol. 2, p. 1322; Official Documents Cited by White: Rg Les Marebalais, Santa Domingue, Haiti, record of death; Rc Connecticut 1763; Received from Stephen White, June 2002 in response to query about daughter Maguerite. Germain Pitre and Marie-Josèphe Girouard were deported to Connecticut, but the great mystery of their family is to explain how most of their children did not accompany their parents but escaped the deportation of 1755, only to be sent to France in the expulsion of 1758. It could be that for some reason their mother was unable to look after them properly, resulting in their being sent to live with other relatives. Besides Marguerite and Charles, Pierre-Olivier, Anne, Marie-Blanche, and Osite were all embarked on ships from Île St-Jean in 1758, for the passage to France. Osite died during the crossing, but all five others survived. And it appears that they did not all go together, but arrived in the company of various relatives, including their father's brother Charles Pitre and their mother's sister Marie Girouard. Meanwhile, their parents had been sent to Connecticut with only one (or possibly two) of their other children, although several more were born to them while they were in exile. From Connecticut Germain and Marie-Josèphe went to Santo Domingo in 1764, where they both died shortly after arrival, along with two of their young children. Of this group only their daughter Clothilde-Christine survived. 7 Marie-Josephe GIROUARD. Fourth Generation 8 Jacques (dit St.Michel) MICHEL. Born About 1658 in France. Died 19 Feb 1748 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. Buried 19 Feb 1748 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. More about Jacques (St. Michel) Michel: S. A. White, Vol. 2, p. 1183; S. A. White: Baie des Chaleurs, N.B. 1988, p. 695; Walter Burgess Smith II, C.G. "The Acadian Michel (Mitchel) Family of Haiti, Louisiana, Quebec, Massachusetts and Connecticut"; Jacques Michel (1658 - 1748) of Port Royal and His Descendants Through the 4th Generation; Bona Arsenault," Histore et Genealogie des Acadiens;" Léopold Lanctôt, o.m.i., Familles Acadiennes, Vol. 2, p. 179. Notes: White: Until 1714, there were in Acadie only two families Michel, those of François and Jacques. At the time of the census of this year Jacques Michel had six sons of which we know all the first names (Francois, Jean, Charles, Joseph, Jacques and Pierre). 1687 is considered a plausible year of arrival of Jacques into North America. The Acadian census of 1693 and 1700 would put Jacques' birth about 1658 rather that 1667, which date is supported only by the census of 1701, or about 1665, as is suggested by the census of 1698 and his burial record. The earliest birth year seems the most reliable as it is derived from the earliest of these records. If we accept it, we may infer at least hypothetically that Jacques probably served as a soldier and that Saint-Michel was his "nom de guerre (War Name)." Many of the colonists who were new to Acadia at the time of his settling there have been identified as soldiers whose years of service were sufficient to permit their retirement and marriage to local girls. Léopold Lanctôt o.m.i.:" Jacques Michel is not mentioned, for this census (1686) overlooked the soldiers of the garrison and others who were not living with their families at the time." The census of 1693 of Port-Royal Jacques was 35 years of age, Catherine was 21 years of age and the couple had Francois, age 3 and Jean, age 1. He also pocessed 6 cows with horns, 8 sheep, 6 pigs and had 6 arpents (acres) under plow and 1 rifle." PANS: Registers of St-Jean the Baptiste, Port Royal, Acadia (Annapolis-Royal, NS) Can. RG 1, Vol. 26a, p. 355. Burial of Jacques Michel 17 Feb 1748 at age 83. Present were Charles Michel, son; Jacques Michel, son; Rene Martin, son-in-law; Pierre Michel, son. 9 Catherine COMEAU. Born About 1672 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. Died After 1719 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. More about Catherine Comeau: Register of St Jean Baptiste du Port Royal:Baptisms, marriages and burial sites. 10 Jacques (Dit La Rosette) LEGER. Born 1663 in France. Died 27 Mar 1751 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Buried 28 Mar 1751 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Sources: S.A. White, Vol. 2, p. 1043; Secondary Sources: S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 221, Leger Book, p. 61 11 Madeleine TRAHAN. Born 1677 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. Died 8 Dec 1742 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. Buried 9 Dec 1742 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. Sources: P.C. Morrison, Generations Past & Present I, p. 268; Leger Book, pp. 59-60; St. Jean the Baptist Cemetery, Port Royal, Nova Scotia, Can 12 Jean PITRE. Born 1680 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Sources: S.A. White, Vol. 2, p. 1321; S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 281 13 Francoise BABIN. Born 1681 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Sources: Census Port Royal 1686, 5a; Census Cap-Sable, 1708, 25a 14 Pierre GIROUARD. Born About 1673 in Port-Royal, Acadia, Can. Sources: S.A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 1, P. 720 & 724; S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 150. 15 Marie COMEAU. Fifth Generation 18 Etienne COMEAU. Born 1650 in Acadia, Canada. Died 21 Jan 1723 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. Buried 22 Jan 1723 in Port Royal, Acadia, Canada. 19 Marie-Anne LEFEBVRE. Born 10 Oct 1649 in St.Jean, LaRochelle, Fa. Died Before 1694 in Acadia, Canada. 22 Guillaume TRAHAN. Born 1601 in France. Died 1684 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Sources: Stephen A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 2, p. 1536; S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 323. S.A. Note: Was the "syndic" of the inhabitants of Port Royal in 1654. Guillaume was previously married to Francoise Corbineau 13 Jul 1627 St-Étienne de Chinon, Fra. Witnesses were Nicolas Trahan, father, Pierre Ligier, Pierre Baudry, Diane Anne Ligier spouse of M. Gilloire; P.C. Morrison, Generations I, p. 384 23 Marie-Madeleine BRUN. Born 25 Jan 1645 in LaGrande, Chaussee, France. Madeleine married Pierre Bezier (dit Joan)(dit Lariviere) in 1684. He died about 1700 in Port Royal. 24 Jean PITRE. Born 1636 in France. Died 1689 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Sources: S.A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 2, p. 1318; S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 280 25 Marie (Pessely) PESSELET. Born 1644 in Acadia, Canada. Died 26 Dec 1707 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. 26 Antoine BABIN. Born About 1631 in France. Died in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Source: S. A. White, Dictionnaire, vol. 1: p. 57-58 27 Marie MERCIER. Born About 1645. Died in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Notes: Marie's mother is listed as Francoise Gaudet. Her father is not indicated by S. White. Her death in Port Royal was recorded in Declaration at Belle Isle-en-Mer, Fr.) 28 Jacques (Dit JACOB) GIROUARD. Born About 1648 in Port-Royal, Acadia, Can. Died 27 Oct 1703 in Port-Royal, Acadia, Can. Source: S. A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 1, p. 719. 29 Marguerite GAUTROT. 30 Jean (L'aine) COMEAU. Born About 1656. Died 14 Nov 1720 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Souce: S.A. White,Dictionnaire, Vol. 1, p. 372. 31 Francoise HEBERT. Born About 1661 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Died 17 Feb 1713 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Sixth Generation 36 Pierre COMEAU. Born 1598. Died in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Source: S.A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 1, p. 369; S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 83 37 Rose (Bayol) BAYON. Born 1631 in France. Died 1678 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. 38 Martin LEFEBVRE. 39 Barthe BAJOLET. Born in France. Baptism 22 May 1628 in France. 44 Nicolas TRAHAN. Source: Stephen A. White, Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles Acadiennes, Vol. 2, p. 1535; J.M. Gerne, Le Messanger de L'Atlantique, "Marriage of Guillaume Trahan and Francoise Corbineau," Jan. 1991, p. 27; G. Massigon, "Les Trahan d'Acadie," 5th Ed. 1964, pp.10-23; C.W. Trahan, A Trahan History and Genealogy, 3rd Ed. 1988, pp. 18-19; Notes: Was a resident of St-Pierre de Montreuil-Bellay, Anjou, Fr. 45 Renee (Desloges) DESLEGES. 46 Vincent BRUN. Born About 1611 in Loudunais, Piotou Provence, France. Source: S.A. White, Vol. 1, p. 289; S.A.White, English Supplement, p. 64' G. Massingnon, "Les Parlers francais d'Acadie, Vol. I, p. 36-37, Vol. II, p. 958-959. 47 Renee (Breau) BREAUX. Born About 1616. Died After 1645 in LaGrande, Chaussee, France. Buried in LaGrande, Chaussee, France. 50 Issac PESSELEY. Born 1618 in France. Died 17 Apr 1645 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Source: S. A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 2, p. 1288; Phoebe C. Morrison, Generations, Vol. I, P. 325; A. Godbout: Notes: Was a merchant in Piney, Troyes, three miles out of Champagne; and a Major in theRoyal Services of the King; d. prob 16 April 1645, killed during an attack of a strong Fort Saint-Jean. 51 Barbe BAJOLET. Born 1608 in France. Source:Phoebe C. Morrison; Generations, Vol. I, Pps 267 & 325 56 Francois (LaVaranne) GIROUARD. Born About 1621. Died Before 1693 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Source: S.A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 1, p. 776; S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 159 57 Jeanne AUCOIN. Born About 1631. Died 18 Apr 1718 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Notes: About 90 Years Of Age At The Time Of Death. 58 Francois GAUTROT. Born About 1613. Source: S.A. White,DGFA, Vol. 1, p. 691; S.A. White, English Supplement, p. 145. 59 Edmee (Aimee) LEJEUNE. Born About 1624. 60 same as ahnentafel number 36 61 same as ahnentafel number 37 62 Etienne HEBERT. Born in Martaize, France. Died in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Source: S.A. White, Dictionnaire, Vol. 2, p. 800 63 Marie-Ann GAUDET. Born About 1633 in Martaize, France. Died 30 Jul 1710 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Note: Widow of Etienne Hebert when married to Jerome Darois. Seventh Generation 126 Jean GAUDET. Born in Martaize, France. Died in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. Sources: S.A. White, Dictionaire, Vol. 1, p. 666; White, English Supplement, p. 139; Phoebe C. Morrison, Generations, Vol. I, p. 183. Note: Known as "the oldest inhabitant of Port-Royal, the venerable doyen of the colony, then aged 96." Jean is reported to have had one other child with his second wife, Nicole. Jean, Jr. born in 1653 in Port Royal, Acadia, Can. He is shown to have married (1) Francoise Comeau (Pierre & Rose Bayon) in 1672 in Pisiquid, Acadia, (2) Jeanne Henry in 1680 and (3) Jeanne Lejeune (dit Briard) who was the widow of Francois Joseph in 1694. 127 Bol GAUDET.