Bertrand/Kelly Family - Bertrand

It was rumoured that there was Indian (Indigenous) blood coursing through our veins from my father’s side of the family.  He definitely had a darker skin tone and somewhat high cheek bones, lending credence to the story.  None of the family tree research supported the rumour going back to when the first Bertrand arrived from La Rochelle, France.  This summer I had a DNA test performed by Ancestry.com and found that the ethnicity composition of my ancestry was as follows:

Irish – 81%

Europe West – 17%

Great Britain – 2%

Now, we know we inherit some portion of each parent’s DNA.  We never know what amount we actually get from each contributor so, if there was indigenous DNA available, we know with certainty that I didn’t get any of it.  With the combination of no DNA evidence and no documentation I am inclined to believe the rumour was definitely false.

The oldest direct ancestor I could find a link to was Markwart Merklin, (18^th great grandfather) born in Heilbronn, Germany around 1325.  His line leads to the first person of fame (in my tree) by the name of Abraham Martin (1589-1664).  Abraham had been the owner of the “Plains of Abraham” upon which the decisive battle between the French and British forces was fought and won by General James Wolfe over the Marquis de Montcalm.  Abraham Martin is also famous for being the father of the first European descent child born (1621) in what would become Canada and maybe even in all of North America.  It should be mentioned that Abraham was something of a scoundrel in that he was incarcerated for “improper conduct” with regard to a young girl in 1649.

The next ancestor of note was Jacques Archambault (1604-1688).  It is said that only one person of that name ever emigrated from France so if that is true, we (Bertrands) are related to anyone with the name Archambault.  Jacques and family arrived in New France at Québec around 1645.  In February of 1654, Jacques committed himself to live at Ville Marie (Montréal) and by the winter of 1655 contracted for health insurance with surgeon Étienne Bouchard. This is considered to be the first ever health insurance plan in North America.  In 1658, Jacques dug the first well on the island of Montréal. In 1653, the year before Jacques arrived, the population of Ville Marie was barely 50 people and by 1685 it had grown to 600 colonists.  One last item here – Marie (1644-1685), the youngest daughter of Jacques was married to Gilles Lauzon (1630-1687) when she was only 12! They had 13 children together.

Jean-Baptiste Paul Bertrand (1687 – 1752) was the first of my direct paternal line to emigrate from France.  He arrived in Québec in 1716 and moved on to Montréal shortly after.  He and his wife Marie-Anne Aumier had 11 children.  One of them, Antoine, emigrated to the Louisiana territory and is believed to be the father of all Bertrands living in Louisiana and East Texas.

Edouard Thomas Bertrand (1838-1880) married Mary Ann Brown (1846 - ?).  Edouard was a butcher by trade and he and Mary together had 7 children.  Edouard died in 1880 at the early age of 42 and a mystery began. Mary Ann and her children were listed in the 1881 census but by 1890, Mary Ann was nowhere to be found and the children were shown to be with Mary Margaret Murphy.  Mary Margaret was noted as “mother” on the surviving Bertrand children’s marriage certificates and was a god mother to one of my grandfather’s children.  She shows up in the 1891 census as a widow and mother of the surviving Bertrand children.

Mary Ann Brown’s father, Patrick married a woman by the name of Henrietta Mountain in 1860 after his first wife Bridget O’Malley died. By 1890 Patrick, Henrietta and their children show up in the USA census and were located in Philadelphia, PA.  Is it possible that Mary Ann joined her dad after Edouard died?  Cousin, Maureen Bertrand has vague memories of her dad talking about Maggie Murphy with his sister.

My grandfather Wilbrod (aka Wilbert) Bertrand (1875-1949) married Julia McCarthy. Julia had contracted skin cancer and I don’t know if that is what eventually killed her but I remember my dad saying that he was in Halifax harbor on a Canadian Navy vessel getting ready to ship out when he was excused to return to Montréal to spend time with his dying mother.  As it happened, the ship he was supposed to be on was sunk on the way to Europe and his replacement died as a result.

  

I take pride in the knowledge that there are at least 4 plaques commemorating our ancestors in the Province of Québec as follows:

Jacques Archambault – (1604-1688)

Pointe-a-Callier Museum – 350 Place Royale, Montréal, QC  

Commemorating his digging of the first well (1658) on the Island of Montreal. 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Puits_Montreal.jpg

Urbain Tessier - (1625-1689)              

105 St Jacques St / Place D’Armes, Montréal, QC

Noting that the building is located on part of the land granted to Mr. Tessier.  His was only the 8^th land grant at the time.

https://www.google.com/search?q=urbain+tessier&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS600US600&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi63c-Dsu_PAhXGFT4KHRHsDcIQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=Yu7o6s7n9xKy8M%3A

Gilles Lauzon - (1630-1687)

Montréal, QC

http://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/rpcq/detail.do?methode=consulter&id=120403&type=bien#.WAuiR-ArLIU

Jean Grou - (1644-1691)

Parc Coulee Grou, Montréal, QC

Noting his capture and execution (following torture) by the Iroquois.

https://www.google.com/search?q=urbain+tessier&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS600US600&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi63c-Dsu_PAhXGFT4KHRHsDcIQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=Yu7o6s7n9xKy8M%3A

Filles a Marier and Filles du Roi:

In the 1600’s there was a constant shortage of women to marry the eligible men and create the next generations of population in New France.  To satisfy the need, two programs were initiated to help solve the problem.  The first was “Filles a Marier”, approximately 260 young women who arrived in New France between 1634 and 1663.  The second was “Filles du Roi”, almost 800 single young women who arrived from 1663 to 1673.  Bertrand descendants have a number of connections to these adventurous ladies who were definitely not the rumoured common whores removed from the streets of Paris.

Filles a Marier:

Ozanne Achon (1633-1707) - Arrived 1657

Jeanne Godard (1638-1686) – Arrived 1658

Suzanne Jaroussel (1641-1694) – Arrived 1653

Jacquette Tourault (1612-1670) – Arrived 1653

Filles du Roi:

Marguerite Ardion (1643-1678) – Arrived 1663

Francoise Desportes (1641-1736) – Arrived 1669

Marguerite Evin (Hevain) (1651-1718) – Arrived 1670

Perrine Coirier (1634-1714) – Arrived 1665  -- Disputed that she indeed was a Fille du Roi since she was married in France and came to New France with her husband

Madeleine Guerin (1646-1740) – Arrived 1665

Louise Hubinet (1650-1702) – Arrived 1671

Marguerite Jourdain (1648-1720) – Arrived 1667

Marie Monminy (Mont Mezny) (1645-1702) – Arrived 1666

Marie Morin (1646 - 1729) – Arrived 1665

Ursule Turbar (Turbal) (1647-1739) – Arrived 1667

Other famous connections:

1     My 7^th great grandparents, Pierre Pigeon and Jeanne Godard had, as a witness to their marriage, Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve.  He was the governor of New France.

2     My 9^th great grandparents, Abraham Martin and Marguerite Langlois had a child Hélène, born in 1627.  Her godfather at the Christening was the discoverer, Samuel de Champlain.