This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: OHaraHaworth68 Surnames: ARBOUR DORVAL MONTMORENCY LAVAL deLAVAL DESMARAIS Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.arbour/342/mb.ashx Message Board Post: 07 June 1839 - Born in Joliette City, Quebec, Francois-Xavier ARBOUR was the 9th of 20 children of Jean-Baptiste ARBOUR and Emelie DORVAL, our premier couple. Francois-Xavier ARBOUR I is the first in a line of several Francois-Xaviers within the ARBOUR family. In the early years in Quebec, when France was encouraging colonization and the expansion of Catholicism, the Church sent a well-respected vicar apostolic. In 1659, the Jesuit-trained Bishop Francois-Xavier deLAVAL-MONTMORENCY arrived to take command of the missions and to found parishes. This is possibly whom our Jean-Baptiste and Emelie ARBOUR were honoring when they named their 5th son. However, they also may have been simply naming him after his godfather, as was very common at the time. This Francois-Xavier was simply known as "Xavier." Xavier married 18-year old Natalie DESMARAIS in Joliette City on 10 February 1862. At the time of the wedding, Xavier was reportedly from St-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec, a small village n! orth of Joliette City. However, at least initially, the young couple seems to have set up home within Joliette City, where their first child was born. They did remain in Joliette County after this, but it is unknown exactly where, perhaps near the parish of St-Jean-de-Matha or near the parish of St-Alphonse-de-Rodriguez. Xavier and Natalie eventually had a large family of 13 children, although 3 of them are believed to have died in childhood. Soon, Xavier and Natalie decided to uproot their family and move to Simcoe County, Ontario, for work in the lumber industry. They arrived in Ontario possibly around summer 1868, judging by the locations of their children's births. Little Natalie was born in February 1868 in Joliette County. The next child to be born was Francois-Xavier in April 1869 in Belle Ewart, Ontario, which is located in Simcoe County. Xavier's family probably arrived with his younger brother Basile, possibly just a few months after his sister Zoe and her family.! Younger brother Magloire and older brother Louis most likely did not arrive until about 1883 to 1884. Xavier and Natalie were recorded in the 1871 Census with their 5 oldest children, living in Innisfil Township in Simcoe County, on the western shore of Lake Simcoe. They seem to have settled in the town of Belle Ewart, as 4 of their children were born there. In 1871, Xavier was also recorded in the Dominion Directory, as a laborer living in Belle Ewart. The family appears to have stayed in this community through about July 1874 before moving again. After this 6- or 7-year stint at the Sage and McGraw Mill, Xavier found his work disappearing along with the larger trees in the forests. In 1875, the Midland Railway - so called because of its Midland terminus - was completed to Waubaushene. The family knew of the Georgian Bay Lumber Company in northern Simcoe County, centered in the community of Waubaushene. Xavier and Natalie decided to move once again to seek their fortunes elsewhere. By April 1881, the family was living just outside Waubaushen! e in Tay Township, on the south end of the Georgian Bay. In 1887 and in 1890, Xavier was known to be a tenant farmer on Concession 11, Lot 10, in Waubaushene. In 1887, records confirm that Xavier was indeed one of the 200 employees of the Georgian Bay Lumber Company, which shipped 27 million board feet of lumber by rail and 23 million board feet by water that year. In 1894, Xavier finally became a landowner when he purchased a farm in Waubaushene on Concession 10, Lot 9. By 1901, the family owned 80 acres of Concession 9, Lot 10. On that property they had 2 houses with 6 rooms each, plus 2 barns. By the age of 62, Xavier appears to have departed the lumber business to devote his efforts to farming. After her children left home, Natalie appears to have begun her own career. For many years, she was known as "Mrs. Arbour the Milliner." Natalie was a fine, attractive woman with a great deal of talent. She made splendid hats in her shop in the front part of their home, which sat! next to the Waubaushene Hotel. The large front window displayed her w ares. Xavier and Natalie were obviously close to his brothers and their families, as evidenced by all the baptisms at which they became godparents. In his later years, Xavier also wrote a small poem to his beloved niece Annie Belle ARBOUR, who was brother Basile's youngest child. "La rose est la plus belle des fleur, Et toi tu est Roi de mon coeur, Tu est la seul, dans ce monde, Que puisse faire mon bonheur, From a friend, Xavier ARBOUR." Dated Waubaushene 9 May 1897, the writing roughly translates to: "The rose is the most beautiful of flowers, And you are the King of my heart, You are the only one in this world, Who can greatly make me happy." Natalie was 79-years old when she passed away in Victoria Harbour on 13 June 1922. In his last years, Xavier lived in Victoria Harbour -- probably with daughter Delia's family -- and still walked daily to meet the mail train. He was 89-years old when he passed away in Victoria Harbour on 27 April 1929. Both Xavier and Natalie were la! id to rest in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Victoria Harbour. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.