...from the Great-Branch of
'Joseph & Théogenie
Thérriault' [MRIN 13]
[VERSION FRANÇAISE]
Lineage
1.
Jehan
2.
Claude
3.
Germain
4.
Claude
5.
Joseph I
6.
Charles
7.
Charles
8.
Dolphis
9.
Joseph II |
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Migration:
Acadia... St Lawrence... Madawaska...
With
the exception of Jehan who was born in France, the first four
generations in this branch were born, raised and buried in
Acadia.
Journey of the Fifth Generation.
Joseph I, of the 5th generation, was born around 1719
in Rivière aux Canards, Acadia where he was raised. He later moved to the
more prosperous settlement of Beaubassin where he married Agnès Cormier in 1745.
With the burning of Beaubassin in 1750 and the worsening conflicts with the
English, he decided to leave his homeland and migrate with his wife and his six children to the
Montmagny area on the Saint Lawrence River in 1759. After their daughter Catherine was
born in January, they departed on their trek westward to the St-John River then
continuing north to Québec. They arrived in the Montmagny area around November of
1759 where they baptized infant Catherine
at the parish of Saint François de Sales de la Rivière du Sud in Montmagny. After
several years, Joseph and Agnès eventually received a grant of land where he settled
on the Côtes des Chênes in St-Jean-Port-Joli. Today,
a monument is
erected in their honor
by the Association des familles Thériault d'Amérique.

Théogenie Ouellet and Joseph
II Thériault in their wedding day pose |
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The next three generations, generations 5 (Joseph) through 7
(Charles II) stayed in the St-Lawrence area until Charles
II of the 7th generation decided to migrate to the St-John River
Valley to settle in present-day St-Jacques, New Brunswick.
Around
1821-1822, Joseph's grandson Charles II married Marie Léocade
Gauvin in Sainte-Anne de la Pocatière and together, they
migrated south to the Upper Saint-John Valley in the
Saint-Basile parish area (present-day area of Saint-Jacques on
the Madawaska River). Charles was the first francophone to
settle on the Madawaska River in the Madawaska territory. Their
children included:
Dolphis (1823-1887),
and Prudent (1825- ).
His son, Dolphis, later was one of
the founders of the new village of Saint-Jacques who helped
build the first Catholic Church in that town in 1873. Prior to
the church being built, Dolphis and his wife, Christine Sophie
Soucy opened their home for Sunday Holy Mass. Dolphis died in
1887 and was buried in the Saint-Jacques Cemetery. Their
children included: Vital (1856-1907), Michel (1857-1919), Joseph
II (1858-1915), Pélagie (1860-1931), Claudia (1861), and Adolphe
(1862-aft 1928).

The family of Joseph II Thériault in front of their
home in Saint-Jacques in 1905. Joachim, the second oldest son who was 19
at the time of this photo is not shown in this photo, as well as Almida
who would not be born for another three years. The young children
standing in front are, left to right: Antoine (5 years), Christine (3
years), Delia (2 years) and Flavie (7 years) standing at the far right.
The adults standing behind are, left to right: Regis (20 years), Edith
(17 years), Joseph (47 years), Delphine (15 years) and Théogénie (41
years). Although the family oral history tells us that the elder lady sitting in the center is
Caroline Plourde Rousseau, wife of David Rousseau, we know that Caroline
died in 1898. We believe that the elder woman is Élodie Plourde,
youngest spinster sister of Caroline.
Joseph and Théogenie had 13 children.
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Dolphis' son, Joseph
II learned the technology of building and operating mills
whether for lumber, flour (grist) mill or wool while growing up
in Moulin Morneault. He became one of a very few mill builders
and operators who helped develop the lumber industry of the area
by working with the Philias and Charles Morneault families to
develop and expand the mills first built by Pierre Plourde in
Moulin Mourneault of Saint Jacques.
In
1882, Joseph II married Théogenie Ouellet, daughter of Ben
and Elisabeth Thériault of Rivière du Loup. Four years earlier,
Elisabeth had remarried to Pierre Plourde following the death of
her first husband, Ben. After the wedding, Elisabeth and her
adult children still living with her, moved in with Pierre, in
St-Joseph. Elisabeth was also a member of the Theriault family,
a great-grand-daughter of Joseph I which made her and her new
husband third cousins.
Pierre Plourde and Jean Saint-Onge, both brothers-in-law of
Charles II Thériault, joined Charles on the Madawaska River 3-4
years after Charles first settled in 1821-1822. Pierre was the
first to build a mill in the area around 1845. His mill on the
Iroquois River in present-day Moulin Morneault, was the mill
that the Morneault brothers and Joseph II Thérriault later
expanded and operated until the 1950's. Pierre Plourde's mills
were important to everyone in the region but especially to the
families of Pascal Morneault and Dolphis Thériault whose lives
became an integral part of those mills. At some point, some of
the family members lost their lives working at the mills. In
1907, Vital, elder son of Dolphis and brother of Joseph II was
crushed while installing a millstone at the Charles Morneault
grist mill. Charles Morneault was married to Dolphis' elder
daughter, Pélagie.

Joachim Thériault,
son of Joseph II in 1905. Joachim married Annie Madore from the parish
of Sainte-Luce (present-day Upper Frenchville) across the Saint-John River,
from his home in Saint-Hilaire. They had 13 living children. He died
in 1947. |
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It was around that time in 1907, that Joseph and Théogenie moved
to Baker Brook about a mile east of the village center where
Nathan Baker built the first mill in the Madawaska territory in
1817. There, Joseph built a new water-driven saw and flour mill.
The last of Joseph and Théogenie's twelve children were born in
their home in Baker Brook. His children included (by order of
birth): Régis (1885-1959), Joachim (1886-1947), Édithe
(1888-1962), Delphine (1890-1971), Dénis (1891-1901), Charles
III (1894-bef 1901), Lévite (18951897), Flavie (1898-1952),
Antoine (1900-1974), Christine (1902-1982), Delia (1903-1991),
Almida (1908-1955).
Joseph's health started to deteriorate around 1912-1913 when he
was around 54 years old. Joseph decided to turn his mill over to
his son, Joachim. Joseph's elder son, Régis was not interested
in the milling trade and had decided to join his uncle, Adolphe
Thériault in Nashua, NH. Joachim had just married in 1909 and
was working for the Frazer Mill in Baker-Brook. Joseph died soon
after on 19 July, 1915 as the sounds of World War I were heard
in Europe.
Théogenie continued to live in their home in Baker Brook
for seven years when she and her remaining adult children moved
in with one of their daughters, Flavie, who had recently married
and was also living in Baker Brook. Theogenie lived on until
1952.

The family of Joachim Thériault
in 1950. Joachim had died three years before in 1947. Back row: Thaddée,
Adrien, Thérese, Théodule, Jeanine, George, Félix;
Front row: Rita, Annette, Denis, Soeur Thériault (Marie-Ange) R.H.S.J.,
Annie (mother), Léanne, and Georgette. |
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Joachim continued to expand and operate the Theriault
mill through the '20's and '40's. Soon after accepting the mill
from his father, Joachim converted it to steam to increase the
capacity and power of the mill. Unlike the water-driven mill
which could not operate in the winter, the steam-driven mill
could operate year-round.
In 1925 when the mission parish of Saint Coeur de Marie decided
to build a church, it was Joachim and his transportable milling
equipment that produced the foundation beams. The finish lumber
for the church was also milled by Joachim at his mill. Around
1937, Joachim's elder sons, first Thaddée, then Dénis operated
the mill for about five years. In 1943, Joachim sold the mill to
the Couturier family who operated and further developed the mill
for several decades after. Although much larger than in
Joachim's day, the mill continues in operation today.
Joachim died
in 1947 at the age of
61 after a lifetime
of service to
the people of Saint
Jacques and
Baker Brook.
In his
last years,
Joachim and his wife
worked at
the Poor Houses of
St. Hilaire
and later,
of Baker Brook.
Joseph Ralph Theriault is a 12th generation great-grandson of Jehan
Terriault and our Delegate for the Joseph & Théogenie
Theriault Great-Branch. |
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