Person:Pierre Melanson (6)

!BIRTH-PARENTS-CENSUS-OCCUPATION-MARRIAGE-CHILDREN-DEATH: Stephen A. White, DICTIONNAIRE GENEALOGIQUE DES FAMILLES ACADIENNES; 1636-1714; Moncton, New Brunswick, Centre d'Etudes Acadiennes, 1999, 2 vols.; pp. 1145 & 1148; own copy. #3: Pierre MELANSON dit LAVERDURE, born around 1632, son of Pierre & Priscilla ----. He was a tailor and captain of the militia of Mines. He married around 1665 to Marguerite MIUS d'ENTREMONT, daughter of Philippe & Madeleine HE'LIE; eleven children. He died (Belle-Ile-en-Mer Declaration) at St-Charles-des-Mines after the census of 1714.

!BIRTH-IMMIGRATION-RESIDENCES: Arsenault, H&G, p. 686 (Port Royal). Born in 1632, of Scotch origin [see later notes], he arrived in Acadia around 1657, settled at Grand Pré, of which he was the co-founder, with Pierre TERRIOT [THERIOT]. Footnote says his brother was Charles, who arrived with him in the expedition of Major Sedgwick of 1654, probably on the vessel of Sir Thomas Temple, around 1657. They abjured Protestantism after their marriage at Port Royal. A memory of Lamothe-Cadillac, dated 1692, mentions two Scots living in Acadia, "dont la mere vivait a Boston." He signed his name "P. MELLANSON." Entry in Arsenault, H&G, p. 1262 (Grand Pré). "Sieur de LA VERDURE ... "tailleur de pierre," come from Scotland to Acadia by Boston, doubtless around 1657. He lived at Saint-Charles-des-Mines [Grand Pré], of which he was one of the principle founders.

!RESIDENCES: Bona Arsenault, HISTORY OF THE ACADIANS; 1600-1800; Ottawa, Lemeac, 1978; p. 53; own copy. Around 1670, Pierre MELANSON, a Scot [sic], sold his property in Port-Royal and moved with his family to "la Grande Prairie" (Grand-Pré) to begin a colony. By the 1686 census he had 31 head of cattle, 12 guns. He was named major-in-charge of the militia a few years later.

!FAMILY-MARRIAGE-CHILDREN: Clarence-Joseph d'Entremont, HISTOIRE DU CAP-SABLE DE L'AN MIL AU TRAITE' DE PARIS; 1000-1763; 5 vols., Eunice, LA, Hebert Publications, 1981; vol. 3, p. 947-948; Salt Lake LDS Family History Library, US/CAN 971.6 H2e. Continuously paged. Cites documents to support theories on the origin of this family. Some are quoted.

!NAME-IMMIGRATION-MARRIAGE-CHILDREN: "Progenitors--Those Most Misunderstood," ACADIAN GENEALOGY EXCHANGE; ; vol. XXIII, no. 4 (Oct 1994); P. 118; own copy; these facts have been verified by the Centre d'Etudes acadiennes as accurate. "Pierre MELANSON, a French Protestant who emigrated from France to England. He met and married Priscilla ------. They emigrated to Boston. Two of their three sons, Pierre and Charles, moved to Acadia. Priscilla later married a sea captain."

!NAME: "Pierre MELANSON, Sieur de la Verdure" on daughter Magdaleine's baptismal record at Riviere des Mines on 25 Jun 1684.

!NAME: "the Acadian surnames Melancon ... survive from Scottish-French intermarriages during [Sir William] Alexander's brief possession of the colony." He was a Scotsman. (Rushton, The Cajuns, p. 308.)

!FAMILY: May not be of Scottish descent, according to French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Vol. II, No. 4 (Winter 1969). Evidence is given to support that he was "An English gentleman who came with Sir Thomas Temple" to Acadia.

!MARRIAGE: D'Entremont "New Findings", FCAGR (Winter 1969), p. 240. He was from Grand Pré, according to Arsenault, H&G, p. 1594 (Cape de Sable, wife's entry).

!CENSUS: 1678, Clarence J. d'Entremont, "Recensement de Port-Royal," in MEMOIRES DE LA SOCIETE GENEALOGIQUE CANADIENNE-FRANCAISE; vol. 22, no. 4; pp. 226-237; sent by PERSI in Jun 1999. [Where was family? There is an Anne Marguerite with the family of Philippe MYUS [sic], and one girl age one year. Could this be his wife and daughter?]

!CENSUS: 1686, Baye des Mines [Grand Pré], Acadia, age 54 years, "dit la Verdure." Living with wife and 9 children, one a day old. They have 12 guns, 50 arpens worked land, 31 cattle, 8 sheep and 27 pigs. He is wealthy, by local standards.

!CENSUS: 1693, age 60 years.

!RESIDENCES: Pierre led a settling party in 1682 to the Minas Basin, site of the village-to-be of Grand Pré? Accompanying his were Pierre THERIOT, a LE BLANC and a LANDRY. By 1701 this area has 487 residents, surpassing Fort Royal colony with 456 (a total of 1450 in colony). (See Rushton, The Cajuns.)

!RESIDENCES-OCCUPATION: John K. Harrell, "Pierre Melancon: The Elusive Acadian," in NEW ORLEANS GENESIS; vol. XXXV, no. 138 (Apr 1996); p. 117; Santa Cruz Genealogical Society Library. Certification by [Acadian Governor Jacques-Francois] DeBROUILLAN dated at Port Royal, Acadia on 1 Mar 1704, attests to the loyalty and service to France and Catholicism of "Sieur MELANCON, chief of the nation of Indians of all Acadia, as well as of French of that county." As a reward for services he has title of Colonel General of the Militia.

1. ↑ Stephen A. White. Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Acadiennes. (2 vols., Moncton, New Brunswick: Centre d'Études Acadiennes, 1999)
   p. 1145.

   Pierre (dit LAVERDURE), born around 1632 [no place listed).

2. ↑ Stephen A. White. Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Acadiennes. (2 vols., Moncton, New Brunswick: Centre d'Études Acadiennes, 1999)
   p. 1145.

   Pierre died (Belle-Ile-en-Mer Declaration) at St. Charles-des-Mines after the 1714 census.

3. ↑ Margaret C. Melanson. Melanson Story, The: Acadian Family, Acadian Times. (Toronto: Author, 2003)
   p. 140.

   Pierre MELLANSON (La Verdure) died between 11 Mar 1721 & mid-Apr 1723.

4. ↑ D.O.B.: "Acadian Genealogy Exchange", Vol. XX, No. 3, p. 89 (ref.:.
5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 Nova Scotia, Canada. Recensements d'Acadie (1671 - 1752)
   pg. 9.

   Recensement 1671, Port Royal, Acadie
   "Tailleur - PIERRE MELANSON a refuse de donner son aage et Le nombre de ses bestiaux et terres et sa femme ma respondu si jestois si fous de courir Les rues pour des choses de mesme."

   CENSUS: 1671, Port Royal, Acadia, name spelled MELANSON, occupation listed as "Tailleur." But he refused to give the census-taker his age or the number of his animals or size of land. [What was the objection?] His wife also refused, saying "Si jettois si fous de courir Les ques pour des choses de ---." (Was I so foolish as to roam the streets for such things?) They should have had 3 young children by now. Karen Theriot Reader

6. ↑ D./P.O.Imm.: 13 Jun 1993 CompuServe message from Dan Boudreaux, (ref.: "French.