PRE-NOTE: This post is a new book, presented with permission of the author.  More below.  There are four preceding posts you might wish to view as well: The Solar Eclipse (April 9); Propaganda (April 11); Senate District Convention (April 12); and Covid-19 first year (April 6).   The Covid post includes several recent comments.

*

The subject of todays post is a new and fascinating book,  the Roy-Collette Family History, here, by cousin, Dr. Remi Roy of Montreal.  The book  is accessible in its entirety at the link, with permission of the author.  I encourage reading and sharing this.  Anyone with, or who knows anyone with, any French-Canadian ancestry will find this book a useful template when considering how to reconstruct their own family history, most especially with French-Canadian background.

Take some time to browse the books contents pages.  You’ll not know what’s inside till you look.

My Dad was 100% French-Canadian.  We never lived in a French-Canadian enclave, so it wasn’t until half a lifetime ago, 1980, that I even began what became a deep dive into this rich heritage.  About 15 years ago, Remi and I first met – through the internet – and in the last few years he continued and completed his exploration of his families of origin (His great-grandfather and mine were brothers, Octave and Philippe Collette.  His maternal line were Germans from Russia; mine was German-American).  So both of us are 50% French-Canadian.  (My 23&Me Ancestry declares I’m 100% French and German, northwest Europe. I don’t know Remi’s.)

Remi’s Quebec ancestors routes to their future home are in the two maps below (pp 65 and 82 in the book).  There were tens of thousands of French-Canadian immigrants to the United States, primarily mid-1800s.  Their ancestors came to what is now Quebec in the 1600s and 1700s.

Back in 1980 the U.S. Census included a question about the ancestry of those counted.  Fourteen million (of then-226.5 million population in the U.S.) indicated some French ancestry, from France or Canada, including 8% of Minnesotans.  Most of these, I think I can confidently say, were of  French-Canadian descent.

Here in both pdf (French in U.S. 1980001 ) and jpeg is the page from the calendar produced annually for 18 years by Dr. Virgil Benoit and Reine-Marie Mikesell.  Note especially West Coast data.  I think I could state without too much risk, that most of the west coast French had their antecedents in French-Canada; indeed the Midwest.  This certainly was true in my family, going way back.  “Go west, young man….”

 

 

Have at it!

*

My own Bernard-Collette History is here.  Remi and my Collette great-grandparents were brothers, Octave and Philippe, who came west with their entire family in the 1860s, and were in what is now the Twin Cities area from about 1850s-78; thence to the Dakota Territory area that became Oakwood-Grafton-Walsh County, North Dakota.

Special thanks to French-American Heritage Foundation which added this writing to their Library section.

Take your time.  Enjoy.  If you wish to make contact with Remi, email dickDOTbernarddt1878ATicloudDOTcom and I’ll pass along.

POSTNOTE:  Here’s the European linguistic map I refer to in response to Mary Ellen Weller’s comment (below).  The Map is from Rand McNally Goodes World Atlas 1996.  European Languges

COMMENTS (more below):

from Richard: As for me I have perused the book of your recommendation two times. Since my area of study is generally West Central Minnesota before 1862, the second perusal was date specific.  It is an excellent piece of work, if not a labor of love. I plan to revisit it at a later date for a more detailed read.

from Kathy: I am just now opening the French Canadian history piece that you sent.  This is coming at a good time for me because I’m assessing ways of approaching my diverse family history…..past to present? present to past? or a little of both?… making an attempt to make family history understandable to my own family! Thank you for directing my attention to this labor of love!

from Brad: These histories are always great reading – especially the mysterious, unknown, and sometimes family secrets.  The hard work and journeys too of our ancestors.  Jeff and I are traveling to France and Spain next week for a month.  We will be in Paris, and SW France (Bordeaux, Bergerac, Biarritz).  Bilbao Spain (Guggenheim musée) afterwards.  We’ve been to Normandy before but never Brittany.  Some day we’ll visit Finistère and I’ll be on the lookout for “Colet!”

from Brian: Thanks for sharing!   We have a cabin in way upstate NY near the Quebec border and my Peace Corps hostess mother lives just north of Montreal so we find ourselves going up to French-Canada often.  Fun place!

from Carole: Thank you.  I have a Canadian daughter-in-law, a cottage in Nova Scotia, elementary schooling at the College Des Ursulines in Quebec, and two son’s educated in Canada (University of Kings College and Acadia). And, have read much history.   Always interested.