I found the following article interesting and thought this might be of interest to BLANCHARD researchers. BLANCHARD Huguenot was first settler at Greenbush, near Brockville, Ontario, Canada. (From an article by Harry PAINTING in the Brockville Recorder and Times). The lure of a fresh spring in the Canadian wilderness led to the founding of the community of Greenbush in the county of Leeds 188 years ago. In 1790 an 18-year old immigrant whose family could be traced back to 16th century France, trekked overland with his bride from their home in Andover, Mass. After a hazardous journey they reached the future sight of Greenbush. He was Jean (John) Saigon BLANCHARD. His wife was Abigail WHITE, born at Wickford, Rhode Island in 1767. They reached Leeds County by way of Hartford, Conn., New York and Oswegatchie (Ogdensburg). According to Mrs. Gertrude Kelly BLANCHARD they were laboriously ferried to what is now Maitland. Then they trudged along a military road to the future site of Brockville. At Maitland, young BLANCHARD was told by surveyors of a beauty spot by a spring in the forest, and was given a rough map of an area northwest of Brockville. The young couple journeyed by covered wagon along forest trails and at last found their spring at the rear of lot 27 in the eight concession of Elizabethtown. They later told relatives that it took many days to clear a passage to the spring. They encountered many friendly Indians, and they were friends indeed, for there was no other white man far or near. With them in the covered wagon was their new-born babe, Amos, who died later in the house they erected. Among their possessions were a musket, and an old colony chest filled with fancy work and their wedding gifts. John also carried the family Bible as well as his fathers military sword, tools for carpentry, an axe, an adze and fishing equipment. Before winter, John BLANCHARD had built his home and a stable ready for his oxen. Says Gertrude BLANCHARD: they were 100% self supporting but subsisted the first year on wild pigeon, wild game and fish. The BLANCHARDs of Greenbush trace their line back to Pierre Jean BLANCHARD, born in France in 1555, a Huguenot who settled in England in 1610. BLANCHARD, fleeing persecution in Normandy, brought his family across the English Channel in his own ship. He had four sons, Thomas, Joseph, Peter and Jean. In England they still faced harassment from religious authorities, and in 1630 the family was given the choice of joining the English church or facing execution. Peter and John joined the church; Thomas and Joseph fled to America, settling near Boston. From Thomas, the line of descent was through Samuel BLANCHARD, Thomas BLANCHARD I and II, Aaron BLANCHARD and John Saigon BLANCHARD, the 18-year-old who founded Greenbush in 1790. After John Saigon BLANCHARD, who died at 74 in 1856, came John, born in Greenbush in 1815, died 1903. John Calvin BLANCHARD was born May 8, 1852 and died Jan. 11, 1931. Arthur, born May 5, 1889 died Jan 11, 1947. Arthur married Keith PETERSON, born April 28, 1890 died July 6, 1964. They were the parents of Charlie BLANCHARD, born Aug. 21, 1918. He married Gertrude KELLY in 1941, and they have one daughter Marjorie Isabel, now Mrs. Kenneth WALLACE of Renfrew. The spacious BLANCHARD home, filled with antiques, its walls lined with pictures of ancestors, was built in 1832 and remains substantially the same as when the pioneer BLANCHARDs put it up. The homestead was placed on the Century Farm list in 1869, having been continuously operated by the family for over a century. I got this from Blanchard references from PERSI - part 4 Hope it helps someone. Marha BLANCHARD