French Canadians Living in Ferrisburgh, VT in 1850: #18 Antoine Stone

vermont 2016

Antoine is listed in the 1850 US Census for Ferrisburgh. He is referred to as Antoine Stone on Page 304 (stamped-right page), Line 31, Household 162, with the following persons listed, respectively, on lines 32, 33, and 34:

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My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: Z for Zezare

Let’s end this challenge with one of the funniest surname variations I have ever found in the Ferrisburgh Town Vital Records. I was in Salt Lake City, leaning over the microfilm reader, when I noticed a family name ending in “ville”. Who is this? Isn’t it Sophie Tourville’s marriage I am trying to establish for years? Yes, it is! The bride is indeed Sophie Tourville—or Sophia Curville as per the record—and the groom is Joseph Giguère—spelled Joseph Zezare! Isn’t this the proof that sometimes indexes are not that useful and that you need to go through everything?


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My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: Y for Yattaw

I am so grateful to the parish priest of Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu! In 1799, had he not rehabilitated the marriage of Joseph Guertin [Yattaw in Vermont] and Marie-Françoise Chartier—married in Vergennes on December 26, 1798—I would have never known that his parents were Pierre Guertin and Marie-Angélique Allaire. Marie-Françoise was Peter and Polly Chartier‘s daughter. Their first three children were baptized in Quebec. Starting 1806, the subsequent children were born in Vermont. The Yattaws are among the oldest French Canadian families living in Vergennes. Joseph’s name appears on the Vergennes Voters List in 1815.


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My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: X for Maiden Name

I am thinking here of all the French Canadian women who lived in Vergennes and were only identified by their husband’s name. Being from Quebec, I now realize how lucky we are to have access to informative Catholic Church records. Searches I conducted in the United States proved to be frustrating when I was faced with the first name of Mary for any clue. Some French Canadians were married in Protestant Churches in Vermont—unfortunately, records have not survived. Looking for their maiden name can be annoying, indeed, but it can be so rewarding when you finally hit the jackpot!


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My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: W for Water Street

I have always been a devoted fan of old maps. Especially those on which the land owners’ names are mentioned. I am indeed looking at a very informative 1871 map of Vergennes: there, on South Water Street, just east of Otter Creek, I read familiar names from my research such as Amblo (Imbleau), Douglass (Daudelin), Danyo (Daignault), Domino (St-Sauveur dit Dominé), Balduke (Bolduc), Garno (Galarneau), and so many. Mr. C. Sheller—Mitchell Rock and Elizabeth Cutler’s son-in-law—also resides on this street. That’s probably where the Rocks were living since Elizabeth died in that house in 1872.


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My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: V for Vergennes

Last summer, while I was in Vergennes, I asked someone to tell me how to pronounce the city’s name. And surprisingly, she said that I got it right—it’s a French name! It was indeed named after Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes (1719-1787), a Frenchman who played a role in supporting the rebels during the American Revolutionary War.

You might actually assume that my favourite place in town is the county clerk’s office where you may find vital records, land records, naturalization index, voters list index, tax records, and burial records. Well, let’s not forget the Black Sheep Bistro!


To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.


My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: U for Underground Railroad

Some places are still mine to discover in Ferrisburgh. Among them, the Rokeby Museum, home to the Underground Railroad in Vermont—actually the Robinson family’s estate back then (they were Quakers). The site now features the story of two fugitives from slavery, Simon and Jesse, who found shelter there in 1830s. The name Robinson will sound familiar to genealogists, since one of them was a town clerk. Visiting the house is also an opportunity to get a sense of the spaces—packed with family belongings—used by four generations and spread over 200 years. A must for me in 2019!


To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.


My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: T for Tatro

The case of a farmer who lived in Ferrisburgh, Ambrose Tatro (1833-1905), speaks for itself when it comes to putting forward on how newspapers can help you know more about your ancestors. Owing to his peculiar behaviour, Ambrose is all over the place in the Vergennes newspapers. He once posted a notice advising that his wife has left him with the children without just cause. Afterwards, the poor Mrs. Ambrose Tatro was the victim of an unsuccessful attempt to burn the house where she lived. Guess who was arrested—but acquitted—for arson? Later on, Ambrose’s farm was burned after a quarrel with his wife. This time, he was charged with cruelty against animals as two of his horses were burned alive. Well, indeed, I should give credit where credit is due : Ambrose’s achievements deserved much more than the expected 100 words!


To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.


My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: S for Snay

John Snay is my newest mystery man. He was on Vergennes Voters List for 1815. He might be Jean-Baptiste Seney who married Barbe Frenière dit Desrochers in 1802 in Saint-Luc, Quebec. Barbe is Gabriel and Jean-Baptiste’s sister— probably Gabriel and John Rock of Vergennes. I also found a John H. Snay on a military list who enlisted in Dayton, Ohio. He was born in Vergennes, Vermont around 1820. And what about Peter Snay living in Clinton County, NY in 1850? He was born in Vermont and his father was John Snay born in “France”. Food for thoughts.


To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.


My 2018 French ChallengeAZ in 100 Words: R for Rock

The Rock family, or Frenière dit Desrochers, is my new pet project. The prime suspects—siblings Gabriel, Mitchell, John, and Elizabeth—are featured in censuses, voters lists, and vital records for the city of Vergennes.

Gabriel married Appoline Blain in 1802 in Saint-Luc Parish in Lower Canada—their daughter was baptized there in 1803. In October 1805, the family lives in Vergennes where Gabriel bought a piece of land. If we have a marriage proof for Elizabeth—she married Joseph Labonté in Vergennes in 1810—, such is not the case for Mitchell and John, who were married between 1805-1815.


To Learn More About my Vermont Project, click here.