Chronicles

Godin Family

                    The Godin Family originated from the parish of Saint Vorle de Chatillonne-sur-Seines, France, where on May 17/1630, was born, one Pierre Godin. He was a carpenter like his father, took part in "la grande recrue" , by Maisonneuve in 1653, to end up coming to Villemarie (Montreal). Montreal is where he married, the following year, Jeanne Rousseliere, native of the city of Xaintes en Saintonge, France. They lived about 20 years in Montreal.

            In 1675, he built the little chapel of Lachine and the following year, sold his property to Mathurin Thibodeau, to come and build a mill on the new "seigneurie" of the Sieur de La Valliere in Beaubassin, in Acadie. He then went to settle in Port Royal where he died. His widow, re married Pierre Martin, widow who's first wife was an Indian. Pierre Martin was a "courreur de bois" who traded with the Malecites Indians of the Saint John river.

            That is probably where Pierre Godin's son, Gabriel, learnt to speak such good indian. Gabriel followed in his step father's footsteps and came to settle in Pointe Ste Anne (Fredericton, NB) around 1690. He is recognized as the founder of that village, which later became the capital of New Brunswick.

            Pierre took on the name of his native city, Chatillon, and his son Gabriel, Bellefontaine. Except for two of his sons, which kept the name Bellefontaine, the other 8 sons each took on the names, Bellefontaine, Beausejour, Boisjoli, Bellefeuille, Preville, Lincour and Valcour.

            According to genealogist Adrien Bergeron, the father of the Godins of Caraquet, would be Jean Rene Godin dit Valcourt, which after the village of Pointe Sainte Anne was burnt down, imigrated to Cacouna, P.Q. It would be in that locality that he married Angelique Bergeron around 1762. His son Antoine dit Ambroise, married at L'Isle Verte ten years later, Angelique's sister, Madeleine Bergeron.

            In 1779, Jean Baptiste sold his property in Cacouna, to go settle with his family at Riviere Saint Jean, on the ancestral property, with his brother Antoine. But the tranquility period was short. The arrival in large numbers of the Loyalists in 1783, caused many problems for the Acadians established on the Saint John River. They had not yet obtained the official titles for their property, the newly arrived Loyalists caused them many problems.

            Finally, after many petitions, the Governor Carleton, gave them the title for their lands. From one year to the other, they passed from a majority to a minority in an Anglo-Protestant environnement. It was specially the last reason which led them to choose to exile once again. They left and went to join the Acadians (Theriault and Pinet) along the northern New Brunswick rivers.

            Jean Baptiste Godin and his brother Antoine, went to establish themselves in Caraquet, NB, around 1786, west of the "Grande Grant" now the village of Bertrand. They found in this last village the so sought after tranquility, and it ended finally the search for a country. They are the ancestors of the Godins' of Maisonnette, Petit Rocher, Pokemouche, Lameque, Tracadie Neguac, and Jacquet River.

Godin descendants from Lorne

Pierre Godin dit Chatillion married Jeanne Roussilière and we know of at least the following children: born in Montréal: Laurent (1655), Marie (1657), Catherine (1659), Gabriel (1661), Madeleine (1664), Marie Madeleine (1665), Pierre (1667), Jean (1669) and Anne (1672).

Gabriel married at Québec in 1690, Andrée Angelique Joannes, and came to settle at Ste Anne (Frédéricton), they had the following childrent: Madeleine (1690), Louis (1691), Joseph (1695), Jacques Philippe (ca 1697), Pierre (ca 1704), Charles (ca 1708), Jean René (born Fredericton), Jean (1712), Bonaventure (ca 1715) and Marie Yves (ca 1718).

Jean René Godin who married Francoise Bergeron first and secondly Francoise Dugas they had the following children: Michel (ca 1739), Antoine dit Ambroise, Jean Cathalogne, Jean Baptiste dit l'huitre (ca 1719). Here we find a few small problems, some researchers tell us that Jean Baptiste was probably not the son of Jean Rene, others swear he was.. Bona Arsenault tells us he was probably the son of Charles and not Jean Baptiste. In doing rearch when we find no birth certificates to prove a child's parents, sometimes all we have left are the documents we find. Reading everything that was written about this family there is no solid proof of him being the son of Jean Baptiste but everything points to it.

Jean Baptiste Godin dit l'huitre, married in 1762 Angelique Bergeron and they had the following children: Marie (ca 1780), Marie Rosalie (1764), Marie Joseph (ca 1768), Francois , Alexandre, Marie Louise, Jean Baptiste, Marie Anne and Michel.

Francois Godin married Anastasie Daigle in 1784 and we know of these children of theirs: Francois Remi (1784), Jean Baptiste (1787), Marguerite (1789), Sidefroy (1794), Francois Marin (1798), Paul, Jean Chrysostome (1800) and Marie (1807).

Francois Remi Godin, in 1807 married Theotiste Lejeune at Bathurst and they had the following children: Damase (1815), Marie Anne (1824), Luce (1809), Margaret (1813), Anne, Elie and Luc.

Damase Godin married Sarah Boudreau, he use to build chimneys in Lorne. They had the following children: Marie, Rose, Caroline (ca 1842), Philemon (ca 1834), Francis (1861), Margaret (ca 1836), Louise (ca 1839), Tharsille (1851), Aime/Emile (1853), Pierre (1855), Joseph (1857), (the father of my maternal grandmother: Edith Godin), Madeleine (1859), Francis and John. This John married Elizabeth Lapointe in Belledune, had two children there then moved the United States and changed his name to John B. Goodman.

A few family facts

            According to Placide Gaudet, the Governor of Acadie, Villebon, in 1691 gave Gabriel Godin, for being his interpreter, a piece of land on the Saint John river in the region of Nashwack or around today's Fredericton. Gabriel then took the title Sieur de Bellefontaine and his sons took on the names of Godin, Beausejour, Bellefontaine, Bellefeuille, and Boisjoli.

            In 1749, Governor Galissonniere of Québec writes : "There are 20 families at Ste Anne and these people are so neglected that they have become savages." The same year Boishebert organized a militia on the Saint John River formed of Acadians and Joseph Bellefontaine and his brother Michel are their leaders.

            April 2, 1759, a letter come from Fort Frederick of Saint John that says in part: "The fifth of March, Lieutenant Hazen of the Rangers came in from a scout of fifteen days, with a party of sixteen Rangers, up the river St John's he brought in with him six French scalps and six prisoners."

            Those scaps were those of Nastasie(Anastasie) daughter of Joseph Bellefontaine and wife of Eustache Pare, three of their children and the wife of Michel Bellefontaine son of Joseph Senior. Joseph Bellefontaine Jr. was made prisonner. Follwoing this incident, it is said that Joseph Sr., went to France where he asked for a pension and here is the letter of demand he wrote: "The Sieur Joseph Bellefontaine (or Beausejour) of the river St. John by order of M. de la Galissoniere April 10th 1729 and always exercised his function during the war until he was captured by the enemy. He possessed several leagues of land in that quarter and while he lived there experienced the grief of beholding one of his daughters and three of his children massacred before his eyes by the English, who wished by this piece of cruelty to induce him to take their part in order to escape similar treatment. He only escaped such a fate by his flight into the woods, carrying along with him two other children of the same daughter"

            Fidèle Thériault tels us; "According to genealogist Adrien Bergeron, the father of the Godins of Caraquet would be Jean-René Godin dit Valcourt, who, after the Village of Pointe Ste Anne was burnt down, immigrated with his family to Cacouna, P.Q. In 1779, Jean-Baptiste sold his property in Cacouna to go join his brother Antoine, on the land of his ancestors at Sain John River. "

            Jean-Baptiste Godin and his brother Antoine came to settle at Caraquet around 1786, Ouest of the "Grande Grant", now the village of Bertrand. They found in that village, the peace they had tried to find for so long. They are the ancestors of the Godins of Maisonnette, Petit Rocher, Pokemouche, Lameque, Tracadie, Neguac and Jacquet River area.

La grosse majorité des Godins du Restigouche se sont logés dans la région de Lorne, Nash Creek et Jacquet River, malgré que quelques familles sont venus dans la région d'Atholville et Campbellton.

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