This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: mvan26 Surnames: Cyr, Cyr-Miquelon, Miquelon Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.rockland/1362.1371.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Thanks for the information. You and I share a number of ancestors in common as Vincent Cyr and Angelique Vigneault as descendants of Michel Sire (the old spelling of Cyr) and Madeline Bourgeois are in my direct line back to Pierre Sirre (born 1644 in Touraine en Loire, France). Pierre was a gunsmith and according to the death record (in French) he "died prematurely" (prematurement) a likely fate for a gunsmith. You are right about the ancestry split. Our great grandfathers were first cousins. I had some great help from the Cyr descendents living in Canada. This is a summary of the information they provided: The Cyr family suffered the Great Expulsion of 12,000 Acadians from Nova Scotia starting August 10, 1755 ending in 1758. Some of the Cyr family travelled to Quebec, some into Maine, some to Louisiana (via England) and my branch went to the island of Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland about 150 miles north east of Nova Scotia and on to Quebec later. We travelled to Nova Scotia and there is still deep negative sentiment against the British for their actions in the mid 1700s. Then and now the Isle of Miquelon is owned by France. It was a custom of some of the French speaking people to hyphenate their given name with the location in which they lived so my family's ancestors became Cyr-Miquelon although some members used Cyr, some Miquelon and some Cyr-Miquelon. My own grandfather changed his name to Vandyke in 1899, at the request of his strong-willed wife-to-be, and his last name is recorded in the NH court records as Miclon. (Why did my grandmother choose "Vandyke"? We will never know.) My father told me that his father, Donald Joseph Miquelon, was brought south from Quebec as a small baby and his birth registered in Haverstraw NY so he would be a US citizen. I know that my grandfather voted in US elections yet I can't find a naturalization record so I assume my father's story is correct. Over 90% of the information my father provided over his lifetime as it relates to family history has proven true so it is very likely. When I inquired in 2001 the village of Haverstraw required an in-person visit to obtain a birth certificate. I am going to try once again with a letter and see if I can finally settle this particular mystery. I like the story about Petit Miquelon. Information like that is what adds fabric and texture to family history so it isn't just dates and names. Here is an alternate history from one of the Canadian Cyr family: Miquelon is actually one large island, made up of two land masses held together by sand bars. The southern most "island" was always known as "Petite" Miquelon (it is now known as Langlade). The nickname then would definitely come from the Island on which the Cyrs and other Acadians settled, before removing to Nicolet County and environs. I have a record of the Cyr family with all of the children from 1644 through the split of our two families that I am willing to share. I violated the rules of family tree authors and collected all ancestors rather than just my direct line since it adds depth and allows me to connect to others, like yourself, who are doing research. Mike Van Dyke 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.