This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: BOURASSA Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/HGB.2ACI/362.2 Message Board Post: i hope you are ready for this... just have been looking up Bourassa in connection with the genealogy of a friend of mine who is a Martineau from Saint Ignace. I have printed about about 25-30 pages now concerning the Bourassa connection because they claim that the ancestor Rene is Chief Topinabee. Now you may embark upon this journey as well. There is much reading to do Many Many Bourassa out there and many links and trees . Here are some places to look. 1)Yahoo Groups: threefiresgenealogy check message 220 this has 15 pages of the bertrand and bourassa lineage. 2)NISHNAWBE-L Archives at Rootsweb.com look for SUBJECT:RE:{NISHNAWBE}Bourassa, Chevalier, Mcgulpin, St. ONge, etc. Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 09:41:34 -0500 Posted by "Betty Kienitz This is the list of the Descendants of Rene-Bourassa-Laronde. the ancestory before rene can be found at genalogy.com Under Surnames Bourassa Family Genealogy http://genforum.genalogy.com/bourassa/messages/370.html there are 13 pages at this post. It goes: Here are the first four generations: 1- Francois bOURASSA b. France, m. in France, Maruerite DUGAS, b. France, d. St Hilaire de Loulay, Lucon, France. Francois died St-Hilaire-de-Loulay, Lucon, France. children: 2. i Francois b. 1659. Second Generation: 2. Francois BOURASSA b. 1659, St Hilaire de Loulay, Lucon, France, m. 4 July 1684, in Contrecoeur, Vercheres, QC, Canada, Marie LeBER, bp. 6 Dec. 1666, Montreal, Hochelaga, QC, Canada, (daugheter of Francois LeBERT and Jeanne TESTARD)d. 1756. Francois died 9 May 1708, Montreal, Hochelaga, QC,Canada, buried: 9 May 1708, Montreal Hochelaga, QC,Canada. Children: i Francois BOURASSA bp. 30 Sep 1685 3. ii Rene. iii Marie Elisabeth BOURASSA b. 1695, bp 25 Feb 1695, m. 21 Jul 1712, in Laprairie, Laprairie, QC, Canada, Jacues PINSONNEAU, (son of Francois PINSONNEAULT and Anne LEBER) Marie Elisabeth died 1766. 4. iv Francois Joachim v. Charles-Joseph BOURASSA bo, 13 June1703 5. vi Antoine. vii Susanne BOURASSA bp. 24 Mar 1707. Third Generation: 3. Rene BOURASSA bp. 21 Dec 1688, Laprairie, Laprairie, QC, Canada, Agnes GAGNE, bp. 17 Dec 1692, Laprairie, Laprairie, QC, Canada, (daugther of Pierre GAGNE and Catharine DAUBIGEON) m. (2) 28 Sep 1721, in Laprairie, Laprairie, QC, Canada, MARIE CATHERINE LERIGER, bp. 25 Nov 1702, Laprairie, Laprairie, QC, Canada, (daughter of Clement LERIGER-LAPLANTE and Marie ROY) rENE DIED 1788. THAT IS THE BEGINNING: there are 13 more pages and many posts concerning this lineage the line i am tracing goes from Rene to REne to Rene Francois BOURASSA married Charlotte-Veronique CHEVALIER in Mackinac 1726. if you will read these postings from bourassa descendents you will see that the beginning is clear but there is some confusion later down the line especially where the indian lineage is traced. Some names are mixed up i believe and i am still trying to sort it out. Now here are some stories: REne who married Veronica is supposed to be Chief Topinabee, the last Potawatomi War chief. There is reference to this in a book called "Potawatomi of the West... Origines of the Citizen Band... by Rev Joe Murphy. O.S.B. You can look at this post and the discussion of chief Topinabee and his son Chief Daniel at the genealogy.com forum http://genforum.genealogy.com/bourassa/messages/160.html The BOURASSA name is entwined with the fur trade and metis genealogies. It seems that migrated from Canada and were found here in St. Ignace, were found in Indiana/Illinois/ohio and in Kansas/oklahoma (this is due to the indian removal) I am sure you will be able to find exactly what part of the tree you come from if you search out these sites and post on them. And a million other questions!!! Good luck and happy adventuring!! There are great names and people associated with this name!! You will find plenty of stories!