6. The Doucet Family
Doucet Family
Built by an Acadian family returning to PEI after the Grand Dérangement, or expulsion of the Acadians from the British ruled Maritime colonies, this house has been restored and made a part of the Farmers' Bank of Rustico Museum. Originally built by Jean Doucet at Grand-Père Point (Cymbria) a few miles away, the building was moved to its present site near the former bank and St. Augustine Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic church on PEI, in December of 1999.
Dendrochronology performed on the logs of the house indicates it was very likely built between 1768 and 1772. It is certainly the oldest structure in the Rustico area. Rustico itself is the oldest Acadian settlement on the Island, having been resettled by returning Acadians shortly after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
Completing the site are several contemporary items constructed to resemble their eighteenth century counterparts. These include a kitchen garden, a small apple orchard, a small log barn, a covered clay outdoor baking oven and a pole fence surrounding the site.
Historical Significance
The Doucet House originally sat on Grand Père Point (also known as Cymbria) in Rustico, Prince Edward Island. It may be one of the oldest houses on PEI, having been built in 1772. In 1758 most Acadian families on Prince Edward Island were deported out of Acadia by the British, but many managed to hide in the woods or in safe regions, waiting for a time when they could return to their homes.
The Doucet House was built during the time period that many Acadian families were returning to PEI after the expulsion, to rebuild and reclaim their territory. Because of this, the house provides an important record of the daily lives and hardships the Acadians may have experienced while forging a new beginning for themselves and their families. It is also a fantastic example of Acadian construction techniques, demonstrating the ingenious ways in which these people adapted to life in this time and climate.
Original Inhabitants
The original owner and builder of the Doucet House was Jean Doucet, a 5th generation Doucet, directly descended from the first Doucet to arrive in Acadia (Germain Doucet).His father, Francois, came to PEI in 1741 and settled in the Malpeque area. Jean was born a few years later, in 1744.
Francois, Jean, and the rest of their family left Prince Edward Island during the explusion, and it is thought that they hid somewhere in northern New Brunswick, and later the island of Miquelon. They were definitely on Miquelon during the later years of their expulsion, as church records show that Jean Doucet married Marguerite Gaudet there in 1767.
From the Virtual Museum of Canada
As one of the most historic buildings on P.E.I., the Doucet House is certainly the oldest house in the Rustico area and quite possibly in the whole province.
The house was originally situated on Grand-Père Point (Cymbria) and was continually inhabited by descendants of Doucet families until 1982 when it was acquired by John Langdale who used it as a summer residence. When the latter decided to build a new home on the site, he stated his intention to either demolish it or give it to a person or party who would move it to another site. The Friends of the Farmers' Bank accepted the offer and the house was moved to a site adjacent to the Bank in December 1999. The house had originally been used on occasion as a place of worship at a time when there was no church or other suitable building available in the early days of the colony. The house has been fully restored and contains many items of period antique furnishings.
The re-enactment of the arrival of Jean Doucet and his wife Marguerite Gaudet to Rustico by "shallop" took place on June 26, 2004 and the official opening ceremonies of the Doucet House were held on June 29, 2004.
From the Farmers' Bank Museum
Doucet House
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The restored Doucet House is located in the picturesque setting of Rustico, PEI. The building has a view of surrounding fields and open water. It has a yard surrounded by a rough log fence. It was moved to this location next to the Farmer's Bank of Rustico National Historic Site in December 1999.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Doucet House is rare example of Acadian vernacular construction in PEI. A dendrochronological study has dated the surviving original wood frame of the building to 1768, making it possibly the oldest dwelling in PEI. The Doucet House is significant to the history of the Acadian population of the province. It was built by local Acadians after the 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended hostility between Britain and France following the Seven Year's War. It originally also served as a focal point for the religious life of the Rustico Acadians. Mass was held in the house by travelling missionary, Father James MacDonald. Its first occupant, Jean Doucet, had even been appointed by the Bishop of Quebec to perform various religious ceremonies due to the shortage of priests in the late 18th Century.
The restoration of the Doucet House has been documented and can be seen on the website of the Virtual Museum of Canada. [NB - the link at the Historic Places Canada website no longer works].
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- the one-and-one half storey height
- the gabled roof of wooden shakes
- the central brick chimney
- the dovetailed pine log construction (typical of vernacular Acadian builders in the Maritime region of Canada)
- the sandstone foundation
From Historic Places Canada
Savoie Family
François Savoie, a farmer perhaps from Martaizé, near Loudun, south of the Loire valley in France, born in c1621, came to Acadia probably in the 1640s. In c1651, he married Catherine, sister of Edmée Lejeune, wife of early Acadian settler François Gautrot. François and Catherine had nine children, only two of them sons: Germain, born at Port-Royal in c1654, and François, fils, in c1663. François and Catherine's six daughters married into the Corporon, Triel dit Laperrière, Pellerin, Levron dit Nantois, Préjean dit Le Breton, and Chiasson families.
Germain was the only one of François's sons to create a family of his own. In c1678, he married Marie, daughter of Vincent Breau dit Vincelotte and Marie Bourg, at Port-Royal. Germain and Marie remained at Port-Royal and had a dozen children, including five sons, all born at Port-Royal, who created families of their own. Three of their daughters married into the Blanchard, Babineau dit Deslauriers, and Poirier families.
Oldest son Germain, fils, born in c1682, married Geneviève, daughter of Nicolas Babineau and Marie-Marguerite Granger, at Port-Royal in January 1709. They had 10 children, including fives sons who married into the Landry, Blanchard, Martin, and Bourg families. Three of their daughters married into the Dupuis, Pellerin, and Lanoue families. Like his father, Germain, fils also remained in the Port-Royal area.
François le jeune, born in c1684, married Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Alexandre Richard and Isabelle Petitpas, at Port-Royal in November 1707. They had 13 children, including seven sons who married into the Thibodeau, Haché, Comeau, Arcand, Richard, Arseneau, Préjean, Lord, and Melanson families. Five of their daughters married into the Arseneau, Comeau, Hébert dit Manuel, and Thibodeau families.
Jean, born in c1692, married first to Marie, daughter of Jean Dupuis and Anne Richard, at Annapolis Royal, formerly Port-Royal, in November 1718, and then to Ursule, daughter of Pierre Thibodeau le jeune and Anne-Marie Aucoin, probably at Annapolis Royal in c1745.
Paul, born in c1696, married Judith, daughter of Jacques Michel and Catherine Comeau, at Port-Royal in November 1722. Unlike his father and his brothers, who remained at Port-Royal, Paul and his family moved to Chepoudy probably in the 1720s.
Youngest son Charles, born in May 1703, married Françoise, daughter of Étienne Martin and Marie-Jeanne Comeau, at Annapolis Royal in January 1730.
[For more of this family in pre- and post-disperal Acadia and Canada, see Book Three]
In 1755, descendants of François Savoie could be found at Annapolis Royal and Chepoudy in the trois-rivières area west of Chignecto, and at Malpèque on Île St.-Jean.
LE GRAND DÉRANGEMENT
Le Grand Dérangement of the 1750s scattered this large family to the winds. ...
LOUISIANA: WESTERN SETTLEMENTS
Savoies were among the earliest Acadians to seek refuge in Louisiana. Most, if not all, of them who came to Louisiana reached the colony from Halifax via Cap-Français, St.-Domingue, in 1765. The first to arrive--three wives and a bachelor--settled on the western prairies:
A Savoie wife came to New Orleans in February 1765 with the Broussard dit Beausoleil party. After a brief respite in New Orleans, she and her husband followed his Broussard kin to the Attakapas District, where they helped created La Nouvelle-Acadie on the banks of Bayou Teche:
Marguerite Savoie, age 29, came with husband Joseph dit Petit Jo Broussard dit Beausoleil of Petitcoudiac, age 38, and a 12-year-old son. Marguerite was pregnant when she reached New Orleans; a daughter was born at Attakapas in April, perhaps the first Acadian child born west of the Atchafalaya Basin. Marguerite died a widow at a son-in-law's home at Côte Gelée in October 1816; the priest who recorded her burial said that she died "suddenly at age about 77 years," but she was closer to 80. Her succession record was filed at the St. Martinville courthouse, St. Martin Parish, the following February.
http://www.savoie.fafa-acadie.org/HistoireE.htm
Marie Savoie married Rene Blanchard
Built by an Acadian family returning to PEI after the Grand Dérangement, or expulsion of the Acadians from the British ruled Maritime colonies, this house has been restored and made a part of the Farmers' Bank of Rustico Museum. Originally built by Jean Doucet at Grand-Père Point (Cymbria) a few miles away, the building was moved to its present site near the former bank and St. Augustine Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic church on PEI, in December of 1999.
Dendrochronology performed on the logs of the house indicates it was very likely built between 1768 and 1772. It is certainly the oldest structure in the Rustico area. Rustico itself is the oldest Acadian settlement on the Island, having been resettled by returning Acadians shortly after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
Completing the site are several contemporary items constructed to resemble their eighteenth century counterparts. These include a kitchen garden, a small apple orchard, a small log barn, a covered clay outdoor baking oven and a pole fence surrounding the site.
Historical Significance
The Doucet House originally sat on Grand Père Point (also known as Cymbria) in Rustico, Prince Edward Island. It may be one of the oldest houses on PEI, having been built in 1772. In 1758 most Acadian families on Prince Edward Island were deported out of Acadia by the British, but many managed to hide in the woods or in safe regions, waiting for a time when they could return to their homes.
The Doucet House was built during the time period that many Acadian families were returning to PEI after the expulsion, to rebuild and reclaim their territory. Because of this, the house provides an important record of the daily lives and hardships the Acadians may have experienced while forging a new beginning for themselves and their families. It is also a fantastic example of Acadian construction techniques, demonstrating the ingenious ways in which these people adapted to life in this time and climate.
Original Inhabitants
The original owner and builder of the Doucet House was Jean Doucet, a 5th generation Doucet, directly descended from the first Doucet to arrive in Acadia (Germain Doucet).His father, Francois, came to PEI in 1741 and settled in the Malpeque area. Jean was born a few years later, in 1744.
Francois, Jean, and the rest of their family left Prince Edward Island during the explusion, and it is thought that they hid somewhere in northern New Brunswick, and later the island of Miquelon. They were definitely on Miquelon during the later years of their expulsion, as church records show that Jean Doucet married Marguerite Gaudet there in 1767.
From the Virtual Museum of Canada
As one of the most historic buildings on P.E.I., the Doucet House is certainly the oldest house in the Rustico area and quite possibly in the whole province.
The house was originally situated on Grand-Père Point (Cymbria) and was continually inhabited by descendants of Doucet families until 1982 when it was acquired by John Langdale who used it as a summer residence. When the latter decided to build a new home on the site, he stated his intention to either demolish it or give it to a person or party who would move it to another site. The Friends of the Farmers' Bank accepted the offer and the house was moved to a site adjacent to the Bank in December 1999. The house had originally been used on occasion as a place of worship at a time when there was no church or other suitable building available in the early days of the colony. The house has been fully restored and contains many items of period antique furnishings.
The re-enactment of the arrival of Jean Doucet and his wife Marguerite Gaudet to Rustico by "shallop" took place on June 26, 2004 and the official opening ceremonies of the Doucet House were held on June 29, 2004.
From the Farmers' Bank Museum
Doucet House
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The restored Doucet House is located in the picturesque setting of Rustico, PEI. The building has a view of surrounding fields and open water. It has a yard surrounded by a rough log fence. It was moved to this location next to the Farmer's Bank of Rustico National Historic Site in December 1999.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Doucet House is rare example of Acadian vernacular construction in PEI. A dendrochronological study has dated the surviving original wood frame of the building to 1768, making it possibly the oldest dwelling in PEI. The Doucet House is significant to the history of the Acadian population of the province. It was built by local Acadians after the 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended hostility between Britain and France following the Seven Year's War. It originally also served as a focal point for the religious life of the Rustico Acadians. Mass was held in the house by travelling missionary, Father James MacDonald. Its first occupant, Jean Doucet, had even been appointed by the Bishop of Quebec to perform various religious ceremonies due to the shortage of priests in the late 18th Century.
The restoration of the Doucet House has been documented and can be seen on the website of the Virtual Museum of Canada. [NB - the link at the Historic Places Canada website no longer works].
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- the one-and-one half storey height
- the gabled roof of wooden shakes
- the central brick chimney
- the dovetailed pine log construction (typical of vernacular Acadian builders in the Maritime region of Canada)
- the sandstone foundation
From Historic Places Canada
Savoie Family
François Savoie, a farmer perhaps from Martaizé, near Loudun, south of the Loire valley in France, born in c1621, came to Acadia probably in the 1640s. In c1651, he married Catherine, sister of Edmée Lejeune, wife of early Acadian settler François Gautrot. François and Catherine had nine children, only two of them sons: Germain, born at Port-Royal in c1654, and François, fils, in c1663. François and Catherine's six daughters married into the Corporon, Triel dit Laperrière, Pellerin, Levron dit Nantois, Préjean dit Le Breton, and Chiasson families.
Germain was the only one of François's sons to create a family of his own. In c1678, he married Marie, daughter of Vincent Breau dit Vincelotte and Marie Bourg, at Port-Royal. Germain and Marie remained at Port-Royal and had a dozen children, including five sons, all born at Port-Royal, who created families of their own. Three of their daughters married into the Blanchard, Babineau dit Deslauriers, and Poirier families.
Oldest son Germain, fils, born in c1682, married Geneviève, daughter of Nicolas Babineau and Marie-Marguerite Granger, at Port-Royal in January 1709. They had 10 children, including fives sons who married into the Landry, Blanchard, Martin, and Bourg families. Three of their daughters married into the Dupuis, Pellerin, and Lanoue families. Like his father, Germain, fils also remained in the Port-Royal area.
François le jeune, born in c1684, married Marie-Josèphe, daughter of Alexandre Richard and Isabelle Petitpas, at Port-Royal in November 1707. They had 13 children, including seven sons who married into the Thibodeau, Haché, Comeau, Arcand, Richard, Arseneau, Préjean, Lord, and Melanson families. Five of their daughters married into the Arseneau, Comeau, Hébert dit Manuel, and Thibodeau families.
Jean, born in c1692, married first to Marie, daughter of Jean Dupuis and Anne Richard, at Annapolis Royal, formerly Port-Royal, in November 1718, and then to Ursule, daughter of Pierre Thibodeau le jeune and Anne-Marie Aucoin, probably at Annapolis Royal in c1745.
Paul, born in c1696, married Judith, daughter of Jacques Michel and Catherine Comeau, at Port-Royal in November 1722. Unlike his father and his brothers, who remained at Port-Royal, Paul and his family moved to Chepoudy probably in the 1720s.
Youngest son Charles, born in May 1703, married Françoise, daughter of Étienne Martin and Marie-Jeanne Comeau, at Annapolis Royal in January 1730.
[For more of this family in pre- and post-disperal Acadia and Canada, see Book Three]
In 1755, descendants of François Savoie could be found at Annapolis Royal and Chepoudy in the trois-rivières area west of Chignecto, and at Malpèque on Île St.-Jean.
LE GRAND DÉRANGEMENT
Le Grand Dérangement of the 1750s scattered this large family to the winds. ...
LOUISIANA: WESTERN SETTLEMENTS
Savoies were among the earliest Acadians to seek refuge in Louisiana. Most, if not all, of them who came to Louisiana reached the colony from Halifax via Cap-Français, St.-Domingue, in 1765. The first to arrive--three wives and a bachelor--settled on the western prairies:
A Savoie wife came to New Orleans in February 1765 with the Broussard dit Beausoleil party. After a brief respite in New Orleans, she and her husband followed his Broussard kin to the Attakapas District, where they helped created La Nouvelle-Acadie on the banks of Bayou Teche:
Marguerite Savoie, age 29, came with husband Joseph dit Petit Jo Broussard dit Beausoleil of Petitcoudiac, age 38, and a 12-year-old son. Marguerite was pregnant when she reached New Orleans; a daughter was born at Attakapas in April, perhaps the first Acadian child born west of the Atchafalaya Basin. Marguerite died a widow at a son-in-law's home at Côte Gelée in October 1816; the priest who recorded her burial said that she died "suddenly at age about 77 years," but she was closer to 80. Her succession record was filed at the St. Martinville courthouse, St. Martin Parish, the following February.
http://www.savoie.fafa-acadie.org/HistoireE.htm
Marie Savoie married Rene Blanchard
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