I have 32 Casimir's with French last names in my database and doing a quick search of the Best Bill postings that I haven't deleted in my database yet I find another 18. So it wasn't only a Polish name. BONNETs became LAROCHE. Genevieve is probably Ste-Genevieve I have a few... Ste-Genevieve-de-Pierrefond, Ile-de-Montreal, Quebec Ste-Genevieve Parish, Berthierville, Quebec Ste-Genevieve, Batiscan, Champlain Co., Quebec BANCHA was probably corrupted from BACHAND I have seen the name FANIOU / FANYOU but it was associated with the name FANEUF or PHANEUF (both same name just different spelling) BTW.. I know some will argue this but it is a misconception... There's no such a thing as a Huguenot name because all people in France with that family name did not become Protestants... Only a few. Hope this helps a bit... ----- Original Message ----- From: <hagerdonngenealogy@earthlink.net> > My situation is that my French Grt-grt-grandfather's name was Casimir > Rochelle or La Rochelle. I've learned that in all probability his actual > last name or surname wasn't Rochelle, but rather a family name such as > Gautron and Gautron is the most prevalent family name associated with > Rochelle. It's been implied that as example his name may have been > Casimir Gautron La Rochelle. If that scenario is correct, then it is > figured that when he or his father entered America from Canada or > France, the border or immigration clerk figured La Rochelle to be the > surname and Gautron as a middle name or family name. I also noticed on a > couple of Gautron Family trees, that by the 1800s most families went by > LaRochelle. > > All I know about Casimir is that he was born around 1820 and he died in > 1863 in Bridgeport, CT, USA he was a saddle maker. According to the 1860 > census all his children were born in Connecticut, the first in 1848, but > thus far a cousin and I have had a difficult time finding where the > older children were born. He and his wife are listed as coming from > France, but in later censuses his children list that their father is > from Canada. > > As Casimir is the name of a Polish King and Saint, there can't be too > many French-Canadians born around 1820 with the name. So maybe my > question should be is there any families with family names such as > Gautron or Bouton or Bonnet that also go by the name LaRochelle with a > son named Casimir born around 1820? > > Casimir's wife is listed as either an Anna or Lena Fanyou. It appears > she at least was born in Canada. Her father's name was Joseph Fanyou > born about 1808 as was his wife Catherine St. Martin. Catherine's father > is listed as Joseph and her mother is Maria Archange Bancha and > Catherine is listed as having been born in Genevieve Canada, I know > there is a Lake Genevieve somewhere in Quebec near where the first fur > trading settlement was established. Fanyou has been also listed as > Fanyon and even as a French Huguenot name Faneuil. The Fanyous it > appears may have been Protestants to begin with or switched at some > point to being Protestants once in America. My Great-grandmother Almira > LaRochelle Donnelly was either Presbyterian, Baptist or Episcopalian, > while her children and husband were Roman Catholic. > > Any help is greatly appreciated. > > Ed Hagerty > Monroe, CT USA > ------- Snipped to save our database --------