No matter the timing and the mode, we see in fact the population of the larger area of Minas (which includes as one of its subset territories that of Piziquid) pick up from the 57, as reported in 1686; to 307, in 1693; 498, in 1701; and 577 in 1707. This growth was, to some extent, at the expense of the population at Port Royal.

I cannot say when the churches of Piziquid were built, though, today, we can point to the original sites: La Sainte-Famille, to the west of the Avon River (Falmouth); and L'Assomption, to the east of the river (Windsor). Assomption probably was probably constructed around 1700, at a time when there would have been a sufficient population to support it. By 1722, we see that Famille was built in order to serve the population on the west side of the Piziquid River (where today there is to be found the English community known as Falmouth).

To summarize, then, all of the church records for the Acadian parishes have disappeared, except for those at Port Royal from 1707 onwards, Grand Pré from 1707, and at Beaubassin from 1712. Stephen White, a professor at the University of Moncton, with a special interest in Acadian genealogy, says that "no registers survive at all for Cobequit, the two churches at Pisiguit, the Rivière-aux-Canards, Chipody, the Pointe-de-Beauséjour, Tinamarre, Chebogue, ... or any of the lesser missions of old Acadia."14

In the Pisiquid area there came into being, in 1722, two parishes; la paroisse de l'Assomption and la paroisse de Sainte-Famille. This came about as a result of an edict from the bishop at Quebec. There had been, prior to this time only the one parish, l'Assomption; but those on the west side of the Avon River (as it is named today) wanted their own church (bridges were unheard of, and the tides were high and the mud deep) disputes broke out amongst the residents, such that the bishop had to step in. Thus, on the Falmouth side (western side) of the river, after 1722, the parish of Sainte-Famille was to be founded; on the other side, l'Assomption continued to exist. There was only the one priest to cover both parishes and he use to say mass on each side of the river on alternative Sundays.

Another useful resource in establishing a list of residents, is, a map, which I have scanned in and placed on my site, and which was originally prepared by the British forces before 1755.16 This map is useful in that it apparently gives a snap shop of the principal residents of the area under review, just before the deportation, c1754; but, no doubt, the family names written down represent the long standing location of these Acadian families who had immigrated, as we have seen, eastward from Port Royal.

Thus, to answer the question, which first prompted me to write this piece, viz., - Who is Buried at La Sainte Famille? - one needs to list those Acadians who lived west of the Piziquid river and who likely died between the years, 1722-1755. With a copy of Bona Arsenault's Histoire et Généalogie des Acadiens one might be able to come up with a list of names. I can start things off by setting forth what I know of the Landrys who were in La pariosse de La Sainte-Famille; and, in turn, speculate which of them might have been buried there, in the church yard of La Sainte-Famille.

On an old British map we are able to see a number of old French Acadian names. There will be found the homesteads of several Landry families, including: Abraham, Pierre, and Pierre Jermain; but these Landry families were, likely, of the La pariosse de l'Assomption, being located, as they were, on the eastern side of the Piziquid River (now known as the Avon River) where the southern branch of the Avon comes into the main river, handy the small modern day village of Windsor Forks.17 On the western side of the main river we see, writ large, "Pierre Landry."18 Now, which Pierre Landry would this be? My research leads me to believe that this could be either [#116] or [#132], whom Arsenault identifies as within La pariosse de La Sainte-Famille.

Now, in the summer of 1996, it was our pleasure, both Margo and I, to go and examine the farm lands of "Pierre Landry." We were in the company of two well informed gentlemen: John Wilson, the President of West Hants Historical Society (Nova Scotia); and, a local historian and published author, John Duncanson (We took pictures.) These French Acadian families hung together in a pack. Under one roof would be found, often, I suppose, more than two generations. In the case of "Pierre Landry," the on the ground evidence would support the theory that there was three or four families living in separate residences. This makes sense, as, in pioneering situations its well to have gangs of men at the ready for work or defense. Here on this site lived Pierre Landry, indeed there were two Pierre Landrys [#116] and [#132], that likely first came to live there, They were first cousins of one another, born and raised at Port Royal. As of 1755, the one would have been 75 years old and the other 65. We don't know when they died, and my experience is that Landrys are long livers (I hope it continues to hold): could it be that one of them, or the other, or both, be buried in the fine red soil of La Sainte-Famille?19

^[1] Port Royal is now called Annapolis Royal, a pretty little town in the Canadian eastern province of Nova Scotia.

^[2] There is a controversy as to the first two René Landrys of Acadia. Were they father and son? Or, were the two Renés related in some other way? Or, were they even related at all?

^[3] However, at this time, 1686, there was but 30 soldiers at Port Royal, and they were quartered on the inhabitants. (Hannay, p. 221.)

^[4] Gaudet, p. 58.

^[5] Calnek, p. 31; Hannay, p. 210; Eaton, p. 25.

^[6] Calnek, op. cit., p. 34.

^[7] Minas, I suggest, covers a large territory occupied by the French lying to the southwest of an usual body of water known as the Minas Basin: includes lands on the shores which stretch from Pereaux River, south, through the Canard and Habitant Rivers. Then, turning, running east; first, Grand Pré then, 20 miles along, to Piziquid. Grand Pré was the first of these Minas villages (maybe better described as farm clusters); it was settled in 1680. The originals founders might be referred to "The Two Pierres": Pierre Theriault and Pierre Melanson. These original families proceeded "independently of each other ..." [p. 24 of Thwaites' book, France in America, 7th vol. of 27, (Harper Brs., 1905); see also Savary's Supplement, History of the County of Annapolis, p. 14; see also Eaton's History, op. cit., p. 26. I should note, parenthetically, that Theriault's wife was Celine Landry.] Soon the inner southern banks of the Minas Basin, up its creeks, away from easy access by English vessels, were to be found the families headed by Jean Theriault, Martin Aucoin, Philippe Pinet, and Francois Lapierre (these last two having come directly from France). (See Eaton, p. 27.)

^[8] See the work done by Calnek, Eaton, Hannay, Webster, Patterson. In Webster's work on Villebon, at page 203 and on, we see this careful historian report that, in addition, there were 19 people at Le Heve and Mirliguaiche (Lunenburg), 15 at Cape Sable, 16 at Pentagoet (Castine, Maine) and surrounding area, 6 at Miramichi (New Brunswick), 6 at Nepisiguit (Bathhurst), 26 at Isle Percée and 15-20 at Chedabucto (Guysborough, Nova Scotia). On the St. John were to be found the three Damour brothers, M. Martignon (his wife wife Jeanne LaTour (age 60) and their daughter, Marianne, aged 24. (Parkman, Count Frontenac and New France under Louis XIV, FN at p. 355; Hannay, p. 222; Webster's work on Villebon, pp. 203-4.

^[9] Beaubassin: On October, 24th, 1676 Frontenac granted Michael Le Neuf sieur de La Valliére de Beaubassin (1640-1705, the elder) a large piece of land at the Isthmus of Chignecto which was to become known as the Beaubassin seigneury. (See Savary's Supplement, History of the County of Annapolis, p. 14; and see also "The Acadian Seigneury of St.-Mathieu at Cobequid"; by Joan Bourque Campbell, NSHR#9:2(1989).

^[10] Cobequid (Truro): This community was founded in 1689 by Matthieu Martin (b.1636). Martin was the first French Acadian child to be born in Acadia; he died, unmarried, about 1724 as the seigneur of Cobequid. (FCAGR, p. 71; and see Savary's Supplement, History of the County of Annapolis, p. 14; Arsenault, p. 674; NSHS#23, p. 50.)

^[11] It was on this important occasion, the visit of Intendant Meules and Bishop St. Vallier, 1685-6, that a census is conducted. (See Acadian population levels.) The year before, it should be noted, there had been a cruise carried out by the French naval officer, Captain Bergier. Bergier sailed the waters of Acadia in his two ships, the St. Louis and the Marianne, enforcing the rights of French fishermen as against the New England fishermen. Bergier undoubtedly filed a report with his expense list; this report probably recommended a greater involvement of the church and civil authorities who were located at the principle center of New France, Quebec.

^[12] Though, likely, in this period of time, it was difficult to find a willing New England captain to unnecessarily to hang around in Acadian waters: there were French war ships about. In the summer of 1684, as we have seen the French navy (Captain Bergier in his two ships) was cruising the waters of Acadia enforcing the rights of French fishermen. These two French naval ships set out from France on May 11, 1684, and by October they were back at France having successfully impressed on a number of New England fishing captains that they were not wanted in Acadian waters. (Dawson, "Voyage from LaHave: A Journal of Summer, 1684"; by Joan Dawson; NSHR, 4:1(1984).)

^[13] The church of St. Joseph, according to Arthur Eaton in his History of the County of Kings (p. 36), stood at Chipman's Corner, almost on the site of the old Congregationalist-Presbyterian meeting house which was built in 1767 and taken down in 1874; near each church was a burying ground. In writing of the New England Planters, who were to settle in 1760 on lands which the Acadians had occupied but five years earlier, Eaton writes: of "lands set off for public use besides the church and the school lands, and Parades, were, of course, burial grounds. For burial places, Cornwallis at least, the planters seem as much as possible to have chosen French cemeteries. The first burial place at Town Plot, where the Starrs and a few other families buried, and the Congregationalist-Presbyterian churchyard at Chipman's Corner, were both originally French churchyards." (Ibid., p. 82.)

^[14] Stephen White, "Acadian Family Names" (Moncton: Acadian Odyssey, 1992); see also Duncanson's work, Falmouth, Ch. II, p. 5.

^[15] I have seen the cemetery located at La pariosse de La Sainte-Famille: Saw it in the summer of 1996: Somebody was busy digging it up while in the process of building a house. I took pictures, Pictures of Piziquid.

^[16] A reasonably good copy is tipped in NSHS, #23 (1936) at p. 78; see also, Duncanson's, op. cit., Falmouth, plate 2, Ch I.

^[17] What is not shown on the map are the homesteads on the banks of the St. Croix, the Jean Landry [#112] line. This line of Landrys saw the writing on the wall and left their lands in 1751 to immigrate to the French territory of Ile Royale (Cape Breton). Your editor/compiler traces his decent through this line, as is the case for most all Landrys who hail from Cape Breton.

^[18] The only other names I see written on the Falmouth side of the map is "Foret" and "Rivet." Who ever is running down the information on these families can come to their own conclusion as which of their ancestors are buried at Sainte-Famille. They might send me the information; again, Arsenault will be of considerable help. Just e-mail me.

^[19] I think we might safely speculate that there is a Pierre Landry buried there; and, likely, their wives and certain of their children and grandchildren. Incidently, the listed sons of these "Two Pierres" are: Pierre [#1161] (b.1704), Francoise [#1162] (b.1711), Augustin [#1321] (b.1719), Firmman [#1322] (b.1725), Basile [#1323] (b.1727), and Joseph [#1324] (b.1730): the ages, respectively, as of 1755, if they were then living: 51, 44, 36, 30, 28, and 25: most of these men, the children of the "Two Pierre Cousins," I suppose, would have been part of the Piziquid deportation which was carried out under Captain Alexander Murray.