A to Z Challenge: Quebec

Hello and Welcome to Q Day!

Well, while I’ve been able to fill in most of the alphabet for this challenge with the first names of direct lineage kin, Q was not in the cards. So, instead, today I’m going to talk a little about five of my eight paternal 2x great grandparents, the last generation born in Quebec who later immigrated to the US. I’ll also talk a bit about the generations before them who immigrated to Quebec from France.

Truth be told, as all of these ancestors are on my paternal side, I only learned about my French Canadian connection in 2019 when my DNA results came in.

I’d been told by my mom as a child that I was English, Irish, and Dutch (in that order). Turns out I am Scottish, French, English, Irish and currently Germanic (in that order now, but the bottom four fluctuate based on updated datasets).

I’d guess that if she’d thrown in French I may have asked too many questions. It also turns out that many, many of my ancestors carried strong Scottish genetic roots and those have settled in me. I’ve happily accepted every gene.

But I digress.

Timeline:

Looking at the French colonization of Canada was new for me and, as stated above, something I’d never considered before DNA testing. Obviously, in the US, we learn all about the English colonization of the land we now inhabit. Additionally, as a New Mexican, I know all about the Spanish and English colonization of the US Southwest.

And, yes, as someone who still witnesses the active generational trauma of colonization within my community, I have opinions about it all.

I also understand that while my ancestors caused harm, whether by intention or not, they were also searching for a better life, away from their own homelands, and this is where they, and I, wound up.

So, how long ago did the ancestors of those first five US immigrants land and live in Quebec?

Seven generations.

The eighth generation back leads to Zacharie Cloutier and Xainte Dupont, who left France to help build the foundations of what would become Quebec.

You will read more about Zacharie and Xainte in a few short days.

It seems that my Canada to US immigrant ancestors were part of a 900,000 person wave that made their way from Quebec to the New England states between 1840 and 1930. This article explains the migration quite clearly and thoroughly: French Canadian Emigration to the United States 1840-1930.

Vital Information:

So, who were those five immigrants?

• Severin Arthur Cloutier – Born 15 June 1840, Died 5 March 1919 in New Hampshire
• Celina Moreau – Born 25 December 1839, Died 1924 in New Hampshire
• Alfred Duval – Born 14 April 1844, Died 4 June 1918 in New Hampshire
• Mary Bousquet Bush – Born July 1847, Died 1 March 1932 in New Hampshire
• Mary Jane Barton – Born 1857, Died February 1931 in Canada. Mary’s parents immigrated from Scotland to Canada where she was born. She married Robert Thompson whose parents immigrated from Ireland to England where he was born in 1860. At some point before 1885, Robert immigrated to Canada, where he married Mary Jane. The two then immigrated to New Hampshire, USA sometime before 1895 when their daughter Gertrude was born. It is unclear to me why Mary Jane died back in Canada so I hope to uncover more in time.

Relation to Me:

Paternal 2x great grandparents

Tidbits/Characteristics/Commonalities:

A couple of years ago, inspired by J Paul Hawthorne, I created this nifty chart tracking where past generations have been born. You can see how steadfast my paternal side was, keeping largely to the same area for generations, whereas my maternal side have come together from more diverse areas.

I find it interesting to see it mapped out like this and intend to, someday, go further back in my lineage in a similar format.

In Your Research…

Can you trace where your ancestors arrived from to the country you live in today? Do you live in the same or a similar area to them, or have you seen recent migrations to new places within the last generation or two?

Housekeeping

My theme for the 2025 A to Z Challenge is Kin! The first names of direct lineage kin, to be more specific.

I’m spending the majority of the month focusing on the first names of many of my direct lineage kin. I’ll include their full names, any vital information I’ve found in my research, their relation to me, any fun tidbits/characteristics/experiences, and any commonalities I may have gleaned between myself and them.

In a couple of cases, where I have not identified an ancestor whose first name starts with a particular letter, I will choose a unique middle name, a direct line surname, and/or ancestral lands/places of significance.

Pop over here to read my full theme reveal: A to Z 2025 Challenge Theme Reveal: Kin

Pop over here to visit our host and see what they’re up to throughout this year’s challenge: A to Z Challenge

If you’re visiting from the A to Z Challenge please leave a comment so I can visit you, too! If your comment bio doesn’t link back to your site, please feel free to add the link to your most recent post to the comment field so I can be sure to find you.

Thanks for being here! See you again soon!

Onward,

Melissa