The family name Chaignon was found in Dauphine, where the family goes back to the time during the era of Humbert II in 1349. The region of Dauphine was one of the States of France. Nestled between in the Rhone Valley and the picturesque Alps. It is from this area that the surname Chaignon is believed to have originated.
The family was well established in the region of the Rhone and several members of the family had distinguished themselves through their contributions toward the community in which they lived and were rewarded with lands, titles and letters of patent confirming their nobility. They branched into Lyon, Paris, and Langeudoc, the Touraine region, in and near the Loire Valley.
Throughout the course of history most surnames have undergone changes for many reasons. For example, a son may not have chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many are simple spelling changes by a person who gave their version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Many names held prefixes or suffixes, which became optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence.
Most surnames appear to have had some sort of original meaning, usually descriptive, rather than being simply a pleasing collection of sounds. These descriptive names developed both from nouns and adjectives. Examples of name descended from nouns are like the Irish Gaelic names Conan “hound, wolf” and Aed “fire. Irish Gaelic names derived from adjectives also, such names as Fial “modest, honorable generous” and Finn “fair, bright, white.” A more elaborate descriptive naming practice is exemplified in the Bible, when Rachel names her last son Benoni or “son of my sorrow” and his father Jacob renames him Benjamin “son of the right hand”. (Gen.35:18).
As time went on the language changed and in many cases the words that formed the original name passed out of use, leaving the fossilized form in the name. This is why we do not recognize the meanings of many names today, because their origins are in ancient languages. The translation of the name Chagnon means strength of the Oak Tree.
With the rise of Christianity, certain trends in naming practices manifested. Christians were encouraged to name their children after saints and martyrs of the church. The oldest of these names were Jewish and Greco Roman names. The names of the apostles and other prominent early Christians mentioned in the New Testament were often Jewish, such as Mary, Martha, Matthew, James, Joseph and John. The early Christians, lived in the Roman empire, and it is among the other people of the empire that they first began to convert non-Jews. In the early centuries, many Greco Roman names entered the Christian name pool in commemoration of the martyrs and saints, such as Anthony, Catherine, Margaret, Mark, Martin, Nicholas and Paul. Several of these early Christian names can be found in many cultures today in various forms.
Surnames developed from by-names, which are additional identifiers used to distinguish two people with the same given name. These by-names tend to fall into particular patterns. These started out as specific to a person and then became inherited from father to son between the twelfth and sixteenth century. Some of the specific types are: the patronymic (referring to the father or mother), a locative or toponymical (indicating where a person is from), an epithet (which describes a person in some way) or a name derived from occupation, office or status. Out of these types occupational names are often the most obvious in a origin. Baker, Brewer, Weaver, Taylor and Smith are fairly obvious in meaning. Some of these occupational by-names also have feminine versions, which became hereditary surnames. For example, the feminine of Baker is Baxter, the feminine of Brewer is Brewster and the feminine of Weaver is Webster. There are two main reasons why there are so many variant spellings of some names.
First: most of the citizens of the 1600 – 1800’s were illiterate. Only a precious few could sign their names and very few were educated beyond what we, today, would consider a basic elementary education. Consequently, many of the clerics & notaries, who under the French system of administration were charged with recording “vital statistics” wrote the names as they knew them to be in France. Hence, we have many variations of the name, Chagnon, some of which are spelt Chaignon, Chaigneau, Chagnard, Chaillon, Chaillons, Chaillont, Chagongne, Chagnont, Chagnons, Chagnart, and Shonyo, but all are included in the basic origin of the surname. The second reason for variant spellings is: as the colonists migrated within New France and eventually beyond the areas of French speaking Canada (ex to current day USA, the Caribbean, the West Indies etc) recorders of “vital statistics” who were not French speakers, usually spelled names phonetically, or changed them because they didn’t have a clue how to write them.
The “dit” names have an interesting origin. The English translation of “dit” is “said”. The Colonists of New France added “dit” names as distinguishers. A settler might have wanted to differentiate their family from their siblings by taking a “dit” name that described the location to which they had relocated to (ex: since the Colonists followed the customs of the French feudal system, land was divided amongst the first born. A few of the dit names that were used for the Chagnon family was Chagnon dit Larose, Chagnon dit Challion and Chagnon dit Lajeunesse.
The preponderance of the names Joseph & Marie, or combinations with such, in the records. (ex. Joseph Charles, Joseph Francois, Marie Jeanne, Marie Margarite, etc.). It was and still is the practice amongst the Catholics of the French & Hispanic cultures (note the number of Jose & Maria amid the Spanish-speakers) to honor Joseph, or Mary, by giving the baptized child the honorary name in addition to the given (first) name.
The French Canadians have slowly & slightly changed the practice by using the honorary names as middle names. All the Franco Canadian & Franco American men who entered the military service, with the name of Joseph preceding their “first name”. The Government reasoned that since it was the first name listed on their baptismal certificate, it was therefore their “legal” first name.
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How To Clean and Care For Gravestones
Being able to recognize any damage to a gravestone before cleaning it can help prevent more damage from happening and knowing what cleaning methods and materials to use will help in preserving the gravestone.
What are Gravestones made from?
Gravestones are made from some of the finest natural materials on earth. Many of these natural materials are created into beautiful pieces of art by skilled craftsmen.Over the centuries a variety of materials have been used for creating gravestones. The type of material used depended on the era, and what materials were available in the area. Some of the materials used were: marble, granite, sandstone, limestone, bronze and wood.
Different types of gravestones will require different cleaning methods. Marble and Limestone need to be treated more gently than granite. Where granite can be cleaned every 2-3 years, marble, sandstone, or slate stones should be cleaned no more than 8-10 years.
Wooden headstones should only be cleaned by an expert. Even if the marker looks stable, you can’t tell if it is weather damaged on the inside or at its base in the ground.
Cast iron headstones should be cleaned in the same manner as granite gravestones. Do not try to remove rust or flaking metal as it could harm the inscriptions, symbols and icons on the gravestone.
White Bronze (zinc) gravestones were meant to “weather” so the ionization of the metal should continue to build in the welds and make for a sturdier hold on all joints.
How to Check for Damage and Cleaning Needs:
Because gravestones are exposed to airborne pollution, such as acid rain, chemical residues from fertilizers, severe weather conditions and mineral deposits from water some maintenance is usually needed.
Gravestones that are in direct contact with the earth are constantly drawing water from the ground and then evaporating it along its surface. This water may have dissolved salts, minerals such as iron and copper and other pollutants.
You should first determine whether or not the stone actually needs cleaning. Many people think that signs of aging are dirt or grime. Marble and other materials do naturally fade over time.
Examine the gravestone for any flaking, scaling, cracks, or eroding granular surface. If you see these signs of damage, you may want to consult with a professional before cleaning. Use extreme caution if you decide to proceed. Cracks are an obvious sign of damage. Any damage can be an indication that the stone is weakened. Avoid putting pressure on the weakened areas. It is better to leave some dirt than to put additional stress on the stone. If there is soiling present, determine the type. Types of soiling could be carbonaceous or sooty soiling, urban grime, dirt, organic-algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, stains-metallic, oils. or efflorescence–salts.
Again, if there is any damage or weakened areas on the stone you may still want to consult with a professional.
Lichens and Fungi:
Lichens is the most common to see on a gravestone. Lichens are living organisms that are similar to a fungus. They come in many different colors, such as grey, green and yellow. Lichens can harm gravestones by trapping dirt, organic debris and moisture on the surface of the gravestone. Because gravestones are somewhat porous, the lichens also can trap these contaminants under the surface of the stone. Moss and other molds can also be present, which are usually caused from weather conditions.
What Tools Are Needed?
Here is a list of suggested tools that are best to use when cleaning gravestones. When using a scraping device it is important that it is softer than the stone. Hard objects damage the outer layers of the gravestone, making it more susceptible to the elements.
Sprayer bottle – Use for wetting down the stone or spot cleaning
Clippers – Use to clean away any grass or weeds.
Bucket With Lid – To store your supplies and used as a seat.
Rubber Gloves – Protect your hands cleaning products.
Nylon Brushes – Use only soft natural or white bristled.
Plastic Scraper –Only use plastic or wood.
Q-tips – Used to get into small cracks.
Sponges – Soft sponges.
Tooth Brushes –To get in small spaces.
Water – Wetting, cleaning with and rinsing
Whisk Broom – To sweep off the stone before cleaning.
Paint Brushes – soft for cleaning engraving, etc
Towels or old T-shirts
Protective Eye ware – Especially if using cleaners or scraping debris
Cleaning Solutions – What Not to Use or Do:
There are many detergents, cleaners that should not be used to clean gravestones, along with tools that can cause damage.
Chlorine bleach should never be used for cleaning gravestones or monuments. Household bleaches often contain sulfates that may cause exfoliation of the surface of the gravestone and as these salts dry out and re-crystallize in the pores on the surface. Bleaches can also produce light brown staining after a period of time.
Hydrochloric acid can cause rust staining and the deposition of soluble salts.
Sodium Hydroxide mixed with water forms a caustic soda and can cause the formation and deposition of soluble salts and rust staining.
Fantastic contains 2-butoxyethanol (butyl cello solve), alkaline builders, water, fragrance, and dye. It is not recommended for cleaning any porous or polished surfaces.
Formula 409 contains ethylene glycol, even though a non-ionic detergent, alkaline builders, water fragrance and dye and is not recommended for masonry or polished surfaces.
Spic-n-Span is an abrasive cleaner containing sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and ammonium carbonate. It will form and deposit soluble salts.
Marble and limestone, for example, are easily dissolved by acidic cleaners, even in diluted forms. Chemicals can react with components in mortar, stone, metals, wood or brick. They can create soluble salts, which can cause a buildup of these salts beneath the surface of the stone eventually causing spalling.
Do not assume that the label of contents is a complete list of all the chemicals contained in a household detergent product.
Tools To Never Use:
Never use metal brushes, metal scrapers, metallic scrubbers or abrasive pads of any type, including, “Brillo” and “Scotchbrite.” Never use a sandblaster or pressure-washer on any gravestone or monument. Never use pressurized water to clean a gravestone or monument. This includes water coming directly from a hose that is under pressure.
What Cleaners Should You Use Use?
Time and weather can cause a gravestone to look less than pristine. Once you have accessed that your gravestone is dirty and in need of cleaning you will may need to choose a cleaning product. The following is a list of several acceptable cleaners. You may find that water and some gentle scrubbing is all you need and not have use a cleaner at all.
Detergents Non-ionic (e.g., Photo Flo – a Kodak Product, or Trion-X 100) are recommended for cleaning gravestones. They are electrically neutral cleaning agents that do not contain or contribute to the formation of soluble salts. Non-ionic detergents are available from conservation, janitorial, and photographic suppliers. A suggested cleaning solution is one-ounce of non-ionic detergent to 5 gallons of water. Always read the label carefully to ensure that it says “non-ionic”.
Acetic acid (e.g. vinegar) is less aggressive than other acids, solutions have been recommended for the removal of general soiling from limestone. Oxalic acid is not recommended for general cleaning, but is recommended for rust staining removal on light-colored granites, one pound to one gallon of water.
Calcium Hypochlorite (e.g. Chlorine) is effective for the removal of biological growth; mix one ounce to one gallon warm water. Available from swimming pool suppliers. Requires a lot of thorough rinsing with water and Hydrion Paper test strips for pH testing.
Ammonium Hydroxide (e.g. household ammonia) diluted 1:4. is recommended for cleaning light colored stones and is particularly effective for the removal of biological growth. Requires a lot of thorough rinsing with water and Hydrion Paper test strips for pH testing.
Quaternary Ammoniums (e.g. algaecides) are especially effective for the removal of stubborn black algae and biological growth. Also available from swimming pool suppliers.
Weather Conditions:
Before you start, be aware if there is a frost or freeze warning. It will take a period of days, perhaps weeks, for the water to evaporate from the pores of the stone, and surrounding area. Also if it is a hot sunny day, be sure that you constantly keep rinsing the stone so that the cleaner you are using doesn’t not dry on the stone.
How Do You Clean?
You should use some personal protective equipment such as aprons, rubber gloves, shoes; and goggles or face shields, especially if you are using cleaners.
Once you have checked the stone over closely and determined that it is not damaged, and safe to proceed then you are ready to begin the cleaning process. If you are using a cleaner, follow the directions on the label and be sure that it is well mixed with the proper ratio of water.
Start by pre-wetting the stone with water. Pre-wetting prevents excessive penetration of cleaning solutions into the stone and facilitates softening of soiling such as lichens or moss. Wet your sponges in your bucket of water and gently begin wiping down the surface of the stone.
Remove any growth and build up lichens or moss by using plastic scrapers that are soft and flexible and can get the job done without damaging the gravestone.
After you have removed the first layer of dirt or grime, you can use your brushes. Wet the brushes, then use them by gently scrubbing in a circular motion over each part of the stone. It is best to start at the bottom of the stone and work your way up. This will help you to avoid leaving streaks. Keep the brush wet by dipping it into a bucket of clean water or running water from the hose over the bristles. When cleaning carvings and lettering, use a soft bristled toothbrush.
If you feel that water alone is not accomplishing the results you would like, move on to whatever cleaning product you have decide to use. Again remember to clean from bottom to top of stone to avoid streak staining the stone and frequently rinse off the stone with water. (You may want to test your selected cleaner before a general application. Test in a small inconspicuous area and evaluate the results when dry.)
If lichens or moss is a problem, after scrapping you can use an ammonia mixture. Combine one-part ammonia with four parts water. Using a clean sponge, gently scrub the affected area with the ammonia mixture. After you are done, rinse with plain water.
For a more natural method, people have used snails to clean their stones. Snails consume many of the materials that grow on gravestones, such as lichens, mold, and fungus.
After cleaning and rinsing the entire gravestone, wipe it with paper towels or soft cloths to prevent the stone from streaking as it dries. Residues from cleaning solutions can create a blotchy appearance, provide a medium for bacterial action, and cause staining. Do not allow cleaning solutions to dry on a gravestone.
Keep a Record:
Gravestones do not require regular cleaning. Although it might seem natural to want to frequently clean them. You should clean the stone approximately 2-3 years unless it is marble, sandstone or limestone, which should only be cleaned every 8-10 years. Write down the date each time you clean the stone. This will help prevent you from over cleaning.
If the whole process sounds too difficult for you to do, you can talk to the cemetery caretakers and see if they provide any service maintenance plans or if they know of someone that provides professional cleaning service.
When Should You Consult an Expert?
If you have any concerns about the condition of the gravestone, it is a good idea to talk to an expert. For example, an expert will be able to tell you the approximate age of your stone. They will also be able to identify the material of the stone, and be able to inspect it for damage. Contact the cemetery to ask if they can recommend someone you can consult with.
I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Tips for Interviewing a Relative- Method of Genealogy Research
One of the methods used in doing genealogy research is through interviewing a relative. When sitting down with someone and listening to their story through questions that you are asking can be very interesting. There is a lot of information that you can learn from interviewing older members in your family. Your parents, grandparents or even aunts and uncles can be a wealth of knowledge. They may have had the opportunity to meet or even got to know ancestors that you didn’t. So through their oral recount, you can collect some very good facts.
Story telling has been a tradition in many families and these stories can be filled with a lot of information that you might not be able to find elsewhere. They add real emotion and feelings to your family history.
One of the difficult parts of oral genealogy research is that it can’t always be verified. The person you are interviewing may or may not be able to give you dates, names and locations.
As we all know sometimes storytelling can become embellished to make it more exciting or important. That is true with most storytelling.
If you have someone you would like to interview, here are few tips on interviewing that may help.
- Contact the person you would like to interview and set up a time to meet with them. Depending on if you have to travel a great distance, you may want to be sure to set plenty of time with them, so that you don’t have to go back to finish your interview. If you live close by, then you might be able to set up a series of meetings.
- A day or two before the interview, contact the person to be sure that your meeting is still set. With older people, they sometimes have good and bad days and may not feel up to meeting you at the last minute, so you may need to reschedule.
- Depending on the person you are interviewing, it may be helpful for them to have a copy of the questions you are going to ask them in advance. This gives them time to think about things. You may also want to ask if they have any photos or memorabilia that they would be willing to show you in relation to the questions you will be asking.
- You may want to think of something to give them as a token of thanks for letting you interview them. It can be something as simple as a box of chocolates or a gift card to a local store or restaurant. This will let them know how much you appreciate them and their time.
- You will need to decide how you will record the information during the interview. Do you plan to videotape it, audio record it or simple take notes? If you plan to video or audio record you will want to check with the person ahead of time to see if they are OK with this method. Some people are very intimidated about having themselves videotaped or audio recorded. Audio recording can be somewhat less intimidating. Either of these two forms of media make a great addition to your family history. The advantage of video or audio is that you capture the image of the person, their voice, along with every word, which saves you from worrying about missing information as the person is talking and you are taking notes.
- Putting together a list of questions to ask helps keep the conversation more in line with the information that you are interested in. Put down as many questions are you can think of. You may not be able to get all of them answered, but having too many questions is better than if you run out and get home to realize that there was other information you should have asked. The list of questions is also helpful when the interviewee begins to stray off the subject. If that happens you can politely bring them back on course with asking the same or another related question.
- Make sure that the equipment you are using is in good working order. Make a list of what you need to bring, such as power cords, batteries, etc.
- If you are videotaping it will be important to set up your camera on a tripod. You will need to make sure that you are close enough to the interviewee to get clear audio and have good lighting.
- It is best if there are as few distractions as possible, such as the TV or a radio playing. Set the camera off to your side slightly so you can control it easily. The person you are interviewing does not have to stare straight at the camera.
- To start an interview, make sure that the interviewee is comfortable and relaxed. Start with some light conversation and thanking them for taking the time to meet with you. Keep in mind that older people can tire easily, so you may need to take short breaks. See to it that they have something to drink, especially if they have been talking for some time.
- Depending on the time that you have set for your interview and the length of the answers given, will of course determine how many of your questions you will get answered. Put your most important questions at the start. If the conversation leads to you thinking of questions that you don’t have on your list, you may want to quickly write them down, so that you don’t forget to ask them.
- You may want to ask if they have any photos or documentation, etc that they can share with you. Don’t ask to borrow them, but instead ask if you can take a photograph with your camera or phone. Older people can be very attached to these types of things and don’t want them out of their possession. Things like war metals, letters, certificates, documents, photos, etc., can help verify the oral information that they are sharing.
- As you come to the end of your interview time, you will want to double check your list of questions. You can also ask your interviewee if there is anything that they would like to add to your family history.
- Thank them and present them with the token gift you have for them.
- Be sure that they have your contact information. They think of something else and can contact you.
Everyone is different and every interview is unique. Collecting family history through oral interviewing can be very interesting and very rewarding. Learning about someone’s life on a personal level is an honor.
Some of the things mentioned here are pretty obvious, but you would be surprise how things can get over looked. I hope these tips are helpful to you in your genealogy research. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Wishing you all the besting in your seeking.
A Review on 3 of the Top Genealogy Software Programs.
There are so many choices these days when it comes to creating and organizing your genealogy information. There are websites that offer an online genealogy services for storing your family tree, for usually a fee. There are a several free open source software programs out there like Gramps, ScionPC and MyHeritage Family Tree builder, if you don’t need a lot of features and or are on a tight budget. Then there is genealogy software that you purchase and install on your computer. These come in either a download format or a cd version that is shipped to you. Of course there still is the old fashion way, which was used before the time of the home computer or laptop, pen and paper.
Well in this article we are going to compare some of the features of 3 of the top genealogy software programs for 2017 that you can purchase and install on your computer. These can be downloaded or shipped.
Legacy Family Tree 9 – $34.95-$99.95
Legacy Family Tree is a powerful genealogy program that creates over 25 charts and 20 reports to help you visualize your family line and share your research with others. It has many tools researching, charting and organizing your family tree. It has an in-app browser that allows you to research your family online directly from the software, and when you find new information, the program can import it directly to your family tree. Legacy can export and import GEDCOM files offline quickly, which is useful when you work other genealogists. The program also connects to the web via popular sites like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.com, My Heritage.com and Findagrave.com.
In addition to the classic paper charts, Legacy lets you create a full webpage to display your family history. This is a good feature if you are considering starting a genealogy blog or want to share your work with your family. The index and research tabs come in handy when your family tree starts to get large. The index allows you to access individuals and their information. It also has an enhance multimedia feature. Errors are flagged with red warning symbols so that you can clearly spot any mistakes that may have been entered. There is web hints feature in this latest version.
This software is available on CD or as a download. There are also several bundle options. And if you already have an older version you can upgrade for less. This is compatible with Windows
Legacy is easy to use and they have FAQs section to help answer any of your questions.
Pros: Easy to use, has over 25 charts and 20 reports, has a useful web hints feature to help guide your research. and can create research forms.
Cons: This program doesn’t give the options to display same sex marriages. However, a planned to rectify this.
Family Tree Maker Deluxe 2014– $69.95
Family Tree Maker is a very popular and well known software program. has a clean and easy to use interface with enough features to help you find and store thousands of family members in one place. The program guides you through importing and exporting GEDCOM files and creating charts of your family history.
Family Tree Maker connects to Ancestry.com’s extensive database and community and to MyHeritage.com. One of its optional star features. Tree Sync, synchronizes the trees you create in the software with your Ancestry.com account. When you make changes in the software, the changes carry over to your online profile. This is especially useful if you’re a member of the Ancestry.com’s active community. Family Tree Maker is not compatible with FamilySearch, so you can’t search that site directly from within the software.
You can import GEDCOM files into the program. This is the most common file format that software and online family tree databases use for sharing information between program..
Family Tree Maker give you access to a physical map of your ancestors migrations and origins. You can view your map in 2D 3D, aerial or road view.
This program alerts you if you enter any information that may be wrong. For example, we if a child’s birthdate is very close to its mother’s or if the mother age is under 13 years old at the time.
You can add same sex marriages in the program. It is tricky though to connect same sex couples, since the program adds a spouse of the opposite sex by default. You have to add individuals separately and then connect them as spouses.
Family Tree Maker has 10 types of printable charts and 27 reports. You can these publications to create full books about your ancestry. Family Tree Maker has an extensive sourcing, reporting and research features accessible through clearly marked tabs. This software comes in both Mac and PC operating systems.
Pros: The multiple web – enabled features keep you connect to popular genealogy search sites like Ancestry and My Heritage. Does have the ability to enter same sex marriages.
Cons: It does not support in- program searches of FamilySearch.com. Only has 10 charts. The developer Ancestry has discontinue further updates for this program as of end of 2016.
Family Tree Heritage Platinum 9 – $38.99 – 39.99
Family Tree connects to the top genealogy sites such as FamilySearch, Ancestry and Rootweb. And you can easily add any genealogy site to this program.
Family Tree has a web hints feature. Adjusting errors in your tree in bulk is one the advantages of this package. Another benefit of this program is the merging of two trees. This is easily done with Family Tree Heritage 9.
A ditto tool is provided that will enable you to attach numerous people to the same source. So this can save you a lot of time when you are citing your records.
It has a user friendly interface. New features color coding to id generations. Offers other more than 20 charts and 15 reports.
There is also no in-app browser, so a separate window is needed when search online. This can lead to confusion when you switch between the two programs.Though it has direct access to FamilySearch.org. The are sold on Amazon.com.
Pros: Great for printing out records, can add any genealogy websites to this program. Offers a free trial so you can test it out before buying.
Cons: no in app browser. Same sex marriages is not supported. You are not able to sync your tree to the web in order to enter any found information. Comes in Windows or Mac platforms.
There are several other genealogy software programs available. Out of the three that I reviewed, both Legacy Family Tree and Family Tree Maker have lots of the same great features. I feel for the money though, Legacy Family Tree 9 gives the biggest bang for the buck at $39.95. The disadvantage for Family Tree Maker 2014 is it is no longer being updated as of the end 2016 and it is priced at $69.99. Legacy Family Tree has pretty close to the same features as Family Tree Maker, with the exception of not being able to enter same sex marriages, but they are working on rectifying this with an update soon. It connects to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and MyHeritage.com easily, prints books and wall charts. The Family Tree Heritage 9 doesn’t seem to have an many features though they claim to have more features than any other genealogy program.
Depending on what is important for you to have in your genealogy software for features, I would suggest that you go directly to each of their websites and any other software programs that you may be interested in and check out their full list of features that they offer and then decide.
Hope this info was helpful. Happy Seeking!
History of Names
The History of Names is so ancient that no one knows the beginning of the story. Since written history began, and as far back as oral history reaches, people have had names. It is therefore impossible to do more than guess at how the earliest given names were chosen. Most names appear to have had some sort of original meaning, usually descriptive, rather than being simply a pleasing collection of sounds. These descriptive names developed both from nouns and adjectives. Examples of name descended from nouns are like the Irish Gaelic names Conan “hound, wolf” and Aed “fire. Irish Gaelic names derived from adjectives also, such names as Fial “modest, honorable generous” and Finn “fair, bright, white.” A more elaborate descriptive naming practice is exemplified in the Bible, when Rachel names her last son Benoni or “son of my sorrow” and his father Jacob renames him Benjamin “son of the right hand”. (Gen.35:18).
Early in prehistory some descriptive names began to be used again and again until they formed a name pool for that particular culture. Parents would choose names from the pool of existing names rather than invent new ones for their children. As time went on the language changed and in many cases the words that formed the original name and its origins passed out of use, leaving the fossilized form in the name. This is why we do not recognize the meanings of many names today.
With the rise of Christianity, certain trends in naming practices manifested. Christians were encouraged to name their children after saints and martyrs of the church. The oldest of these names were Jewish and Greco Roman names. The names of the apostles and other prominent early Christians mentioned in the New Testament were often Jewish, such as Mary, Martha, Matthew, James, Joseph and John. The early Christians, lived in the Roman empire, and it is among the other people of the empire that they first began to convert non-Jews. As a result of the persecution of the early centuries, many Greco Roman names entered the Christian name pool in commemoration of the martyrs and saints, such as Anthony, Catherine, Margaret, Mark, Martin, Nicholas and Paul. Several of these early Christian names can be found in many cultures today in various forms.
Surnames developed from bynames, which are additional identifiers used to distinguish two people with the same given name. These bynames tend to fall into particular patterns. These usually started out as specific to a person and became inherited from father to son between the twelfth and sixteenth century. Some of the specific types are: the patronymic (referring to the father or mother), a locative or toponymic (indicating where a person is from), an epithet (which describes a person in some way) or a name derived from occupation, office or status. Out of these types occupational names are often the most obvious in origin. Baker, Brewer, Weaver, Taylor and Smith are fairly obvious in meaning. Some of these occupational bynames also have feminine versions, which became hereditary surnames. For example, the feminine of Baker is Baxter, the feminine of Brewer is Brewster and the feminine of Weaver is Webster. There are two main reasons why there are so many variant spellings of some name.
Until the last hundred years or so when the spelling of a surname became standardized, the same person’s surname could be spelled differently from record to record. Before the 19th century, when many people were illiterate. Only an elite few were educated beyond what we, today, would consider a basic elementary education. Consequently, many of the clerics & notaries, who under the French system of administration were charged with recording “vital statistics” wrote the names as they know them to be in France, as a precious few of the immigrants/colonists signed them, or as they heard them (phonetically). Hence, we have many variations of our name, Chagnon some of which are Chagnon, Chaigneau, Chagnard, Chaillon, Chaillons, Chaillont, Chagongne, Chagnont, Chagnons, Chagnart, and Shonyo, but all are included in the basic origin of the surname. This lead to different spellings for same names. Spelling continued to change and evolve until the beginning of the 20th century when it became fixed, in large part due to the standardization required by Social Security Administration in the United States. So as you are looking for your surname history, you may consider researching possible spelling variations. Don’t assume your surname was always spelled the way it is today.
In Europe, the first surnames were first used about eight hundred years ago. People developed individual surnames which, over time, became names that were passed down from generation to generation. Some surnames origins are uniquely created. Scandinavian countries, at first, used non-inheritable patronymic names. Each succeeding generation would have a different last name based on his or her father’s first name. Because of this tradition, Scandinavian countries became standardized surnames much later than other European names. It was only about 100 years ago that people in Scandinavia began to inherit their father’s last surname. Spanish countries traditionally use two surnames. Generally, the first surname is from the father and the second is from the mother. Polish countries have gender specific surname endings. If a wife takes a husband’s surname which ends in –ski, her new surname will end in –ska.
“Dit” Names
The “dit” names have an interesting origin. The English translation of “dit” is “said”. The Colonists of New France added “dit” names as distinguishers. A settler might have wanted to differentiate their family from their siblings by taking a “dit” name that described the locale to which they had relocated to (ex: since the Colonists followed the customs of the French feudal system, land was divided among the first born. A few of the dit names that were used for the Chagnon family was Chagnon dit Larose, Chagnon dit Challion and Chagnon dit Lajeunesse.
Preponderance of Names
The preponderance of the names Joseph & Marie, or combinations with such, in the records. (ex. Joseph Charles, Joseph Francois, Marie Jeanne, Marie Margarite, etc.). It was/is the practice among the Catholics of the French & Hispanic cultures (note the number of Jose & Maria amid the Spanish-speakers) to honor Joseph, or Mary, by giving the baptized child the honorary name in addition to the given (first) name.
The French Canadians have slowly & slightly changed the practice by using the honorary names as middle names. All the Franco Canadian & Franco American men who entered the military service, with the name of Joseph preceding their “first name”, were registered as “Joseph”. The Government reasoned that since it was the first name listed on their baptismal certificate, it was therefore their “legal” first name.
There are a number of websites that can tell you the meaning of your surname, such as www.surnames.behindthename.com or Meaning of Names – Browse through over 40,000 names, name meanings, and origins.
Les Filles du roi
Prior to 1663, the majority of women who arrived in Canada were married to one of the settlers or were single women who came looking for a husband. These single women were few in number and often paid there own passage to Canada by a contract of indenture. In 1663, when King Louis XIV became concerned with populating the colony, he directed recruitment of women to be sent to Canada.
Once chosen, the girl was given passage, in addition to clothing and personal necessities. She was also given a dowry of 59 Livres if she married a soldier or habitant or 100 livres if she married an officer.
Of the nearly 1,000 women who undertook the journey, about 800 made it to Canada. These women arrived between 1663 and 1673. There distinction of being the King’s Daughters is noted by the marriage contract, which showed the dowry from the King.
Known as the King’s Daughters (French: filles du roi; filles du roy) is a term used to refer to the approximately 800 young French women who immigrated to New France. as part of a program sponsored by Louis XIV. While women and girls certainly immigrated to New France both before and after this time period, they were not considered to be filles du roi. They were also occasionally known as the King’s Wards, where “wards” meant those under the guardianship of another.
At its start, New France was a man’s world: the province of soldiers, fur trappers, and priests, it had little to offer women. In time, the colony became more agricultural, which allowed for more women, but not until the mid-17th century, when there was a severe imbalance between single men and women in New France.
To increase population and the number of families, the Intendant of New France, Jean Talon, proposed that the king sponsor passage of at least 500 women. The king agreed, and eventually nearly twice the number were recruited. They were predominately between the ages of 12 and 25, and many had to supply a letter of reference from their parish priest before they would be chosen for emigration to New France.
Marguerite Bourgeoys was the first person to use the expression “filles du roi” in her writings. A distinction was made between King’s Daughters, who were transported to New France at the king’s expense and were given a dowry by the king, and women who emigrated voluntarily and using their own money.
The title “King’s Daughters” was meant to imply state patronage, not royal or noble parentage. Most of these women were commoners of humble birth. As a fille du roi, a woman received the King’s support in several ways. The King paid one hundred livres to the French East India Company for the woman’s crossing, as well as furnishing a trousseau. The Crown paid a dowry for each woman; this was originally supposed to be four hundred livres, but as the Treasury could not spare such an expense, many were paid in kind. As was the case for most emigrants who went from France to New France, 80% of the filles du roi were from the Paris, Normandy and Western regions. The Hôpital-Général de Paris and the St-Sulpice parish were big contributors of women for the new colony. Most of the filles du roi were from urban areas. A few women came from other European countries, including Germany, England, and Portugal. Those who were chosen to be among the filles du roi and allowed to emigrate to New France were held to scrupulous standards, which were based on their “moral calibre” and whether they were physically fit enough to survive the hard work demanded by life as a colonist. The colonial officials sent several of the filles du roi back to France because they were judged below the standards set out by the King and the Intendant of New France.
Almost half of the filles du roi were from the Paris area, 16% from Normandy and 13% from western France. Many were orphans with very meager personal possessions, and their level of literacy was relatively low. Socially, the young women came from different social backgrounds, but were all very poor. They might have been from an elite family that had lost its fortune, or from a large family with children to “spare.” Officials usually matched women of higher birth with officers or gentlemen living in the colony, sometimes in the hopes that the nobles would marry the young women and be encouraged to stay in Canada rather than return to France.
The women disembarked in Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, and Montreal. After their arrival, their time to find husbands varied greatly. For some, it was as short as a few months, while others took two or three years before finding an appropriate husband. For the process of choosing a husband, most would officially get engaged in church, by their priest and witnesses present Some went in front of the notary, to sign a marriage contract. Marriages were celebrated by the priest, usually in the woman’s parish of residence. It is known that out of the 800, 737 of these filles du roi were married in New France.
The marriage contracts represented a protection for the women, both in terms of financial security if anything were to happen to them or their husband, and in terms of having the liberty to annul the promise of marriage if the man they had chosen proved incompatible. A substantial number of the filles du roi who arrived in New France between 1669 and 1671 cancelled marriage contracts; perhaps the dowry they had received made them disinclined to stick with a fiancé they were not happy with.
An early problem in recruitment was the women’s adjustment to the new agricultural life. As Saint Marie de L’Incarnation wrote, the filles du roi were mostly town girls, and only a few knew how to do manual farm work. This problem remained, but in later years, more rural girls were recruited
There were approximately 300 recruits who did not marry in New France. Some had changes of heart before embarking from the ports of Normandy and never left, some died during the journey, some returned to France to marry, and a few never did marry.
Prior to the King’s Daughters, the women who immigrated to Ville-Marie, otherwise known as Montreal, had been recruited by the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal founded in 1641 in Paris. Amongst these women were Jeanne Mance and Marguerite Bourgeoys. When the first filles du roi arrived in Montreal, they were taken in by Bourgeoys. Initially, there were no comfortable lodgings to receive them, but in 1668 Bourgeoys procured a large farmhouse in which to house them: the Maison Saint-Gabriel. The migration briefly resumed in 1673, when the king sent 60 more girls at the request of Buade de Frontenac, the new governor, but that was the last of the Crown’s sponsorship. Of the approximately 835 marriages of immigrants in the colony during this period, 774 included a fille du roi. By 1672, the population of New France had risen to 6,700, from 3,200 in 1663. We honor all these 17th century men and women who paved the way for growth and prosperity of New France.
In the late 17th and 18th centuries, 15,000 explorers left Montreal leaving French names scattered across the continent. The search for North west passage continued. Migration from France to New France (Quebec as it was now more popularly called), continued until 1759. By 1675, there were 7,000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reach 500.
In the treaty of Utecht, the Acadians were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, forming the Lower part of Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada.
Carignan-Salieres Regiment
The Carignan-Salières Regiment was a Piedmont French military unit formed by the combination of two other regiments in 1659. They were led by Governor, Daniel de Rémy de Courcelles, and Lieutenant General Alexandre de Prouville, Sieur de Tracy. Approximately 1,200 men (Piedmont, Savoyard and Ligurian) arrived in New France in the middle of 1665.
Seven ships were used to transport the regiment to New France. The Le Vieux Siméon, departed La Rochelle 19 April 1665, arriving at Quebec 1 July 1665. On board were the companies of La Fouille, Froment, Chambly and Rougment. The Le Vieux Siméon was a Dutch ship chartered by a La Rochelle merchant, Pierre Gaigneur.
La Paix and L’Aigle d’Or ships carried the companies of La Colonelle, celles de Contrecoeur, Maximy, and Sorel, and de Salières, La Fredière, Grandfontaine and La Motte. These both were royal ships of the king’s navy that departed from La Rochelle 13 May 1665, arriving at Quebec 18 August 1665.
Le Saint Sébastian and Le Justice. Aboard Le Saint Sébastian, were amongst the next seven companies being transported to New France. Newly appointed Intendant of New France, Jean Talon, and the Governor Daniel de Rémy de Courcelles. Aboard the final two ships were the companies of Du Prat, Naurois, Laubia, Saint-Ours, Petit, La Varenne, Vernon. These last two ships to depart from France left La Rochelle 24 May 1665, arriving at Quebec 12 September 1665.
Four companies arrived with Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy on the Brézé from the Antilles, arriving in New France 30 June 1665. The captains of these companies were La Durantaye (Chambellé), Berthier (L’Allier), La Brisardière (Orléans), Monteil (Poitou). Tracy had been in the West Indies as part of his royal commission to officially establish Louis XIV’s rule of the French colonies, following the King’s takeover of the French territories after the bankruptcy of the Company of 100 Associates.
The last ship to sail from France associated with the regiment was the Jardin de Hollande which carried the provisions and equipment for the troops.*(Depending on sources, there are some contradictions as to when ships arrived in New France and what companies were on board said ships.)
The regiment’s service in New France began when a third of them were ordered to build new forts along the Richelieu River, the principal route of the Iroquois marauders. Fort Chambly formerly known as Fort St. Louis at Chambly, Fort Sainte Thérèse, and Fort Saint-Jean at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, were along the Richelieu River and were constructed as ways to limit Iroquois nation attacks on citizens of New France. Fort Sainte Anne in Lake Champlain was near the river’s source. All of the forts were used as supply stations for the troops as they were deployed on their two campaigns into Iroquois nation land in 1666. Fort Chambly as constructed in 1665 was the first wooden fort constructed in New France and had a rudimentary wood wall system with a building in the center of the fort. Inside, and near the center building, were small buildings for the troops.
The first of the regiment’s campaign took place in the winter of 1666. The expedition was initiated by the governor, Daniel de Rémy de Courcelles. General Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy agreed to the campaign after the Mohawks refused to attend a delegation of the Iroquois nations and French leaders in Montreal in November of 1665. At this delegation the French entered into agreements with the Oneida and Onondaga nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, who were there to represent themselves as well as the Cayugas and the Senecas.
The campaign was made up of about five hundred men of regimental soldiers, a number of Indians, and an estimated 200 volunteer habitants. The column ended up getting lost, wandering in the wilderness for three weeks before ending up on the outskirts of the Anglo-Dutch settlement of Schenectady. The soldiers came across a village that they assumed was Mohawk and launched a brutal attack, ravaging the village and killing two and severely wounding another two. The sounds of the battle were overheard by a passing Mohawk party of composed of approximately sixty warriors. The French and Mohawks engaged in a small skirmish which resulted in a small number of casualties on both sides. The French troops were at a tactical disadvantage as they were used to the pitched battles regulated by rigid drills commonly used in Continental Europe. Despite the experience of the soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment, their tactics were useless against the hit-and-run tactics used by the Mohawks. The fighting ended when the burgomaster of Schenectady informed Courcelles that he was in the territory of the Duke of York. The burgomaster implied that if the French chose to stay in the settlement they would be vulnerable to attacks by both Indians and the English units stationed at Schenectady and Albany (less than 25 kilometres away). The French stopped the attack and the burgomaster agreed to provide the men with some provisions for their return journey.
The campaign was ultimately a failure. Nothing was accomplished and the regiment sustained great losses; 400 out of 500 died. Due to the hastiness with which the campaign had been launched and the harshness of the weather, most of the deaths occurred while travelling from and to Fort St. Louis. When Courcelles commanded that the troops were to meet at Fort St. Louis at the end of January, he said that they should be prepared with three weeks worth of provisions. In total, the expedition took a little over five weeks to complete. What is more, the men were ill-equipped—many left the fort without snowshoes—which contributed significantly to the campaign’s death toll.
The regiment’s second and final campaign was led by Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy. The plan was to enter into Mohawk territory, located northwest of Schenectady along what is now the Mohawk River. The necessity of the campaign was created by the declaration of the Second Anglo-Dutch War in the summer of 1666. King Louis XIV wanted de Tracy to lead the men into the same area where they were the last year near Albany and Schenectady. However, it was first necessary for the French to subdue the Mohawks to protect themselves from facing multiple fronts against both the English and Mohawks. In addition, they wanted to ensure that their two opponents would not ally themselves against the French.
The plan was for the regiment to regroup at Fort Sainte Anne on the day before and then push into Mohawk territory on 29 September 1666. The Late arriving of several parties meant the regiment left in three separate columns over a period of three days. The number of men available in the campaign was approximately 120 regimental soldiers, habitants and Native warriors. Because de Tracy sought to use the element of surprise and swiftly move into enemy territory, he ordered his soldiers to travel light. Thus, from the beginning of the campaign, the Regiment’s situation was precarious as the soldiers brought insufficient provisions and did not carry the necessary equipment for a lengthy assault. Inclement weather added to the danger of the mission and further threatened the campaign’s success.
As it moved inland, the regiment encountered four Mohawk villages all of which had been abandoned. The fact that the Mohawks abandoned their villages was fortuitous for the regiment since it was not operating at full strength and the soldiers were stretched over a large area. At this point in the campaign, the regiment probably would not have been able to withstand a large-scale attack. What is more, the villages were hastily abandoned thus providing the French troops with a supply of food, tools, weapons, and other provisions. After regrouping at the last of the four villages, Tracy ordered the soldiers to turn around and burn each one as they went, carrying all the loot they could back to Quebec. The Mohawks, though skilled in guerilla fighting, were caught by surprise by the speed of the French attack and were unable to engage the French. On 17 October 1666, the lands and fields surrounding the Mohawk villages were all claimed as French territory and crosses were erected to symbolize that claim. However, the French never returned to the area to enforce this territorial claim.
Despite the fact that the French troops had not directly engaged the Mohawks or the English, the campaign was considered a great success; the French finally assumed a position of tactical superiority over the Mohawk and Iroquois Confederacy which in turn gave the French a diplomatic advantage in the following peace talks. In July 1667, peace was signed with the Iroquois following a five-day summit. The main objective of the French during the negotiations was to consolidate their control of the fur trade at the expense of the Anglo-Dutch interests in Albany. They sought to do so by placing themselves in a position that allowed them to oversee the traffic of the fur trade in the region. As a result, the French were able to place French-speaking traders as well as Jesuits in a number of Iroquois village. To ensure the success of this agreement as well as the security of the traders and missionaries, a system of hostages was implemented. Each Iroquois village was required to send two members of a leading family to live among in the St. Lawrence Valley. Following the ratification of the treaties of 1667, the peace was kept in the region for twenty years. The peace treaties of 1667 also signaled the end of the regiment’s operations in New France. Nonetheless, the troops of the Carignan-Salières Regiment were held in duty until another means of protecting New France could be devised.
The first regulars of the Carignan-Salières were dressed for “efficiency rather than looks”, but they were still rather poorly equipped during their first year. During the first year, the king sent only 200 flintlocks and 100 pistols for over 1,200 men. Below are descriptions of some of the equipment used:
Powder horn: used to store gunpowder for firing their weapons. Black powder: used to arm and fire the newly issued muskets of the regiment. Sword: used commonly for hand-to-hand fighting and every soldier had one.
Flintlock musket: became the main weapon of long range fighting for the Carignan-Salières. It replaced the matchlock musket that was common in early years due to its increased reliability and ability to be fired without the use of an external flame. Additionally, it was capable of a much higher rate of fire than the earlier matchlock.
Bayonet: the Carignan-Salières were one of the first regiments to transition to the bayonet, which was introduced in 1647. Pistol: a standard issue weapon but was not in high-supplies in New France. Slouch hat: was worn in place of later tricorn hats. It was better at repelling rain and wind from the faces of soldiers. Uniform: The Carignan-Salières wore brown coats with contrasting colour sleeves. The Carignan-Salières were one of the first French forces to wear uniforms.
With the end to the Iroquois threat, King Louis XIV decided to offer the men of the regiment an opportunity to stay in New France to help increase the population. As incentive, regular officers were offered 100 livres or 50 livres and a year worth of rations. Lieutenants, alternatively, were offered 150 livres or 100 livres and a year worth of rations. Officers were also offered the incentive of large land grants in the forms of seigneuries. This offer was particularly beneficial to such men as Pierre de Saurel, Alexandre Berthier,Antoine Pécaudy de Contrecœur, and François Jarret de Verchères, who were granted large seigneuries in New France.
Although the majority of the regiment returned to France in 1668, about 450 remained behind to settle in Canada. These men were highly encouraged to marry, being offered land as incentive. As a result, most of them did marry newly arriving women to the colony known as Filles du Roi. The largest import of women to New France occurred during the 1660s and early 1670s, largely in response to the need to provide wives for the regiment.
Besides just rewarding Carignan-Salières officers by granting them seigneurial tenures, the tenure properties served an ulterior purpose. The properties granted to Contrecœurand Saurel were placed in strategic areas that could be used as a buffer between invaders both foreign (the British) as well as domestic (the Iroquois). It was believed that the men of the Carignan-Salières would be the colonists best suited to defend the territories of New France, therefore many of them were given properties on the Richelieu river and other areas prone to attack. These Seigneurs would sub grant land to the men of their companies in order to create an even more thoroughly reinforced zone. Saurel’s land would later be known as Sorel-Tracy in Quebec, while Contrecœur’s property would later become a region named after himself.
The French had a practice of allotting noms de guerre – nicknames – to their soldiers (this is still continued, but for different reasons, in the Foreign Legion). Many of these nicknames remain today as they gradually became the official surnames of the many soldiers who elected to remain in Canada when their service expired as well as the names of cities and towns throughout New France.
An Overview of the History of New France (Quebec)
This is a overview of the history of New France, which is called Quebec today. Many people can show a direct link in their genealogy to many of the first inhabitants of Canada.
The first inhabitants of Canada were native Indians, primarily the Inuit (Eskimo). The Norse explorer Leif Erikson probably reached the shores of Canada (Labrador or Nova Scotia) in A.D.1000, but the history of the white man in the country actually began in 1497, when John Cabot, an Italian in the service of Henry VII of England, reached Newfoundland or Nova Scotia. He was the first explorer to leave written traces of his journey in North America. No proof of the exact place where he berthed was ever found, but some say he would have stopped somewhere between Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.
In the early 16th, century France became the model for all Europe. In an expanding awareness of leadership, the New World exploration became a challenge. Along the eastern seaboard of this New America there was New France, New England, New Holland, and New Spain.
In 1534 and 1535, Jacques Cartier made the first voyage to New France. He took possession of the territory in the name of the King of France. He then put up a cross in Gaspe’ , which you can still see today. He is the first known explorer to have travelled along the St. Lawrence River and to have encountered natives. During his second Journey in 1535, Jacques Cartier went to Stadacona (Quebec City), Hochelaga (Montreal), and he stopped in Trois-Rivers. This trip was of a great benefit to the King of France, since Cartier discovered numerous rivers he thought were leading to Asia, which encouraged the king to invest more money into his exploration travels.
Samuel de Champlain was the next explorer to come to Quebec in 1603 to explore the territory, and he returned in 1608 to officially establish a colony in Quebec City. That year, 28 people settled for winter, but only 8 people survived. Champlain also explore the St. Lawrence River all the way to Ottawa, as well as the great lakes Huron and Ontario and the north-east coast of the United States. In 1609 , at the border of Quebec and the United States, he discovered a lake to which he gave his name, Lake Champlain. In 1612, he gave Ile Sainte-Helene the name of his wife.
The actual settlement of New France, as it was then called, began in 1604 at Port Royal in what is now Nova Scotia.
Plans for developing New France (Quebec) fell far short of the objectives of the Company of New France, which would become the Habitants’ Company. Samuel D. Champlain made over twenty voyages to France in order to encourage immigration to the New France. Fearful of the depopulating of France, the King was reluctant to encourage his subjects to migrate.
In 1617, Champlain brought the first true migrant, Louis Hebert and his family to New France.
In 1634, Laviolette founded Trois-Riveres, thinking that the site would be suitable fur trading. He was right since the St Maurice River, located in the north-south axis, would facilitated the trappers’ job, who needed to go up north for hunting. They could then easily take the furs back to Trois Riveres by the same route. Once the fur trade was developed, it attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. A few years later, the first female religious community settled in Quebec in 1639. The Ursulines founded schools for young girls, to whom they taught for several years.
Paul Comeney, Sieur de Maisonneuve founded Montreal in 1642, with the help of Jeanne Mance, who helped with the colony’s survival. The religious communities played an important role in the establishment of different colonies on the territory. They helped educate new comers and inhabitants, as well as natives. Some communities founded hospitals to cure the sick.
In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec and 500 in 1663. France finally gave land incentives for 2,000 migrants over the next decade. Early marriages were encouraged in New France, and youths of 18 took 14 year old girls for their wives. (See the Les Filles’ du roi below)
The pleas of the colonists of New France for assistance in their struggle with the Iroquois Indians were answered in 1665 with the arrival of the first French Regular troops in Canada, known as the Carignan-Salieres Regiment. Between June and September 1665, some 1200 soldiers and their officers arrived in Quebec, under the leadership of Lt. General Alexander de Prouville, Sieur de Tracy.
Francois Chagnon was the first known Chagnon to settle in New France (Quebec). He came as a Carignan-Saliere Soldier to help defend the new colonists from the Iroquois Indians and then permanently settled there.
Most persons of French Canadian descent can claim one or more of these brave soldiers as ancestors. In addition to the list of soldiers and officers on the official “roll” of the Regiment, there were many others who participated in the successful campaign against the Iroquois, including many militiamen who resided in the colony
A series of forts established by the Regiment along the Richelieu River, along with the success of its second campaign into the land of the Mohawk Indians, led to a long period of peace for the colony, which permitted it to prosper. King Louis XIV’s plan for a permanent settlement of many of the soldiers and officers in Canada and over 450 of these troops remained in the colony, many of whom married the newly arrived filles du roi.
In 1759, a major battle took place on the field that is known today as the Plains of Abraham. The English were well organized and defeated the French, who were less in number and less organized. The French then had to live under the rules of the English, and most of all use their language that many of New France inhabitants did not understand. In 1774, luckily, the Quebec Act was signed. This law gave Quebec its current territory and, among other things, restored the French civil law in the province.
Throughout the years, the inhabitants lived under the seigniorial regime, and large estates were built. Religion took more and more power in the province, but in the 1960s, the revolution tranquille (quiet revolution) changed a great many things. Several social, political and economical changes happened in Quebec, which gave birth to today’s culture in Quebec.
Today, Quebec is a united province, but its inhabitants also have a distinctive culture that is different from the rest of Canada because of their French origins as well as the French language.
