Michael Deveau

Michael Deveau

Pierre DeVaux (b.1798) was the son of Joseph (Sr.) DeVaux who was b. 1749 at Tintamarre (now Upper Sackville, NB). He was born of Joseph's second wife, deduced (by genealogist Stephen White) to have been the daughter of Alexandre LeBlanc of Isle Madame. Pierre, at his second marriage, gave his mother's name as simply "A. DeVaux"...likely not her birth surname. Joseph (Sr.) DeVaux's parents were Charles (baptized Charlemagne, 20 JUL 1719 at Beaubassin) DeVaux and Marie Gaudet. Charles's parents were Pierre DeVaux, b. ca 1694 at Beaubassin and Marie Cassie, b. ca 1697 at Beaubassin; they were married 26 FEB 1715 at Beaubassin. Pierre's parents were Michel DeVaux and Marie-Magdeleine Martin who were married in 1693 at Beaubssin, no record of the marriage, other sources confirm this however. Michel was born in France ca 1663, his parents unknown. Marie-Magdeleine was born 29 JUN 1666 in Sillery, Quebec and was the widow of Guyon Chiasson. Michel was the progenitor of the family, and likely arrived in Acadia around 1691, very likely a discharged soldier. In some records he is identified a "Michel DeVaux dit Dauphin�" the dit name suggesting he came from the old French province of Dauphin� (southeastern France) since soldiers were required to carry the name of the province from which they came. This information conveyed to John Scott, by the researcher, Col. John B. Devoe, Stratham, New Hampshire on 9 JAN 2003.

Captain Simon Deveau 
Simon, b. ca. 1838, likely at Grande Anse, Township of Port Hawksbury. His d.o.b. is based
on the 1838 census, the ages of his siblings in the 1871 census, the availability of church
registers at River Bourgeois and various events in his life, all of which which belie the
inscription on his grave marker in the "new" cemetery at St. Joseph Church, which declares
him to have been born in 1831, thus older than Peter. Peter's ownership of a schooner with his
father, his date of marriage and ownership of land, his age in more than one census report (vs.
Simon's) all suggest a later date. Simon d. 2 MA y 1926, the last survivor of the family of
Old Pierre by his first marriage. Who could challenge his declaration of age late in life? He
was probably nearer 88 years than 95. His age given in the 1871 census ( 31) suggests he was
born in 1840, but that is in conflict with the recorded births of siblings at River Bourgeois
1839-45, thus the year 1838 is more likely. Simon m. 2 NOV 1860 Margaret Walsh, dau. of
John and Charlotte Kidd at little Bras d'Or. He is first listed as a mariner in 1866 when he
became part owner (21 shares) of the Schooner Eusebia along with his older brother Charles
and Andrew Dugaut. Andrew was the master of the 53' two-masted vessel, but Simon is listed
as the builder. He is first listed as a Master Mariner in 1886. He was owner or part owner of
the following schooners (year: built or purchased): Ocean Belle, 1872; Willina D. 1886; Sea
Foam, 1891 (built in 1888 by Angus MacNeil); First Trial, 1891; and the Mary D., 1893.
Simon's home along the little Passage at Bras d'Or was built some time after his brother
Peter's home to the south and was considerably larger. located on a point of land originally
owned by his father-in-Iaw and now called "Devoe Point" it still stands, but not in its original
configuration. land records show that Simon acquired, bought, sold, and held mortgages on a
considerable number of properties in the area and some of the land became his as a result of
the owner's failure to pay back a loan. Such "transfers" of property was common: money was
loaned and a deed prepared; if the debt was not paid by the stated date the land became the
property of the lender. Simon's brother Peter gained 100 acres of land at St. Peter's, C.B. in
the 1890s from a loan made to a Kavanaugh in that area (ironically, Peter's grandfather Joseph
had sold out his Crown lease on Isle Madame to the same family in 1822). Simon lived 22
more years than did Peter, probably owned more land and was more active in local affairs as
he grew older. The "Simon Family Bible" is inaccurate with respect to the birth dates of nine
of the children. The list below is based on church registers, while the bible's "record" was
filled in many years after the fact. Deaths are probably more accurately listed.
Children of Simon and Margaret Walsh:

A Emilie jane (Emma), b. 2 OCT 1861, m. 18 FEB 1879 Thomas Cesseaux son of Edward and Eliza Young at Bras d'Or. 

Children: Eliza Leva, b. 13 APR 1880; james, b. 8 DEC
1883; Simon Edward, b. 5 jAN 1886; William Vincent, b. 15 SEP 1887; Loretta, b. 11
AUC 1892; Emma May, b. 18 MAY 1894; Louis, b. 26 jUN 1896. A Thomas, Margaret,
Libby, and Rita are also mentioned as children of Emma.

B John Peter, b. 28 SEP 1863, n.m., d. 13 APR 1890.

C Eusebia ( Libby) , b. 29 MA Y 1866, m. ca. 1887 William Almon of George's River .

Children: Mary Loretta, b. 7 FEB 1889; William Strickland, b. 10 JUN 1893; Madelene, b.
14 FEB 1897; Gladys, b. 8 MAY 1899 (m. Angus MacNeil 22 OCT 1918). Libby d. 1901
and Gladys was raised by her paternal grandparents. William was a R.R. worker and grocer.

D Joseph C., b. 4 JUN 1868, m. JAN 1893 Catherine Burke. 
 Children: William Joseph, b,
26 DEC 1893; Michael Ambrose, b. 11 SEP 1895; Bernetta, b. 19 JUL 1899 and a Lillian.

E Charlotte Josephine, b. 28 AUC 1870, m. ca. 1908 Peter Rasmussen.
Children: William Wallace and (twin) Charles Percy, b. 17 FEB 1909; Alexander Barou, b. 3 APR 1911 and
possibly three or four others.

F Laura Frances, b. 20 JUL 1872, m. ca. 1894 Daniel McCrath. 
Children: Mary Theresa,
b. 10 NOV 1895; Robert Emmet, b. 5 MAR 1897; Albert, b. 5 NOV 1899; Irene, b. 14
NOV 1901; Charlotte, b. 20 AUC 1904; Mary Ida, b. 24 OCr 1905; Annie Viola, b. 1
MAY 1910; Simon Percy, b. 25 SEP 1913; Joseph Cordon, b. 15 AUC 1915. Laura d. 2
FEB 1917.

G William James (twin), b. 19 JUN 1874, n.m., drowned, Bras d'Or Lakes, 28 JUN 1887 Body recovered 8 JUL, bur. 9 JUL.

H Charles Orensa ( twin) , b. 19 JUN 1874, m. ca. 1907 Margaret. Livingston, dau. of John and Elizabeth Hayes. He was known as "Charles L." in later records. Child: Genevieve, b. 1
FEB 1915, m. 30 JUN 1931 George Francis Walker, son of Neil and Victoria Turbide.
Issue: 21 children. Margaret d. 1931, Charles d. SEP 1935, George F. d. 24 JUL 1964.
Maud, b. 24 ocr 1876, m. 1) William A. Burke and (2) Michael McPhee.
 n
J Simon Vincent (Vincent), b. 22 AUC 1878, m. (1) Louise Moore in Boston MA, (2) a
Kitty, ( 3) Loretta Camon and (4) Mary Bell MacLean, latter two in North Sydney. He was a
leather tanner in Boston and lived there for nearly thirty years. n.i. ,

Children: Harold, b. 13 APR 1905; William j., b. 1907; Ivan, b. 1909; Simon leo, b. 15
NOV 1910; Francis Roy, b. 6 OCT 1913; Andrew james, b. 12 NOV 1915; Henry David,
b. 18 SEP 1918; Clarence, b. 1919; Tremaine, b. 1921; Mary Lo, b. 1924; Virginia, b.
1928.

l Willena, b. 9 OCT 1882, m. (1) ca. 1901 Wilfred Theriault and (2) ca. 1918 Homer
Arsenault.
 Children (of Wilfred): Philip, b. 18 jUl 1902; Ida Margaret, b. 4 jAN 1904;
Wiliam james, b. 9 AUG 1905; Gladys*, b. 1906-7?; Simon*, b. 29 FEB 1908; Wilfred,
b. 2 MAY 1909; Wilbert, b. 16 NOV 1910, d.y.; Mary Alma, b. 19 MAR 1912; Simon, b.
29 FEB 1913; Richard, b. MAR 1914; Gordon john, b. 12 APR 1916; Wilfred was killed in
the mines. Willena d. 13 APR 1959. *not found in church registers by jBD.

M Elizabeth, b. 19 OCT 1885, n.m., d. 20 JUN 1903, g.s. reads "Mary Elizabeth"
N Ida, b. 20 MAR 1888 (bap. "Elizabeth Jane" 7 APR) m. 24 AUG 1905 Benjamin Gracie
(b. 1 JAN 1877) son of Hubert and Adele Samson of L'Ardoise, at Bras d'Or. 
Children:
Mary; Ida, b. 17 NOV 1907; Herbert, b. 22 MAY 1909; Gladys Rachel, b. 5 JUL 1910;
Vincent, b. 6 JUL 1911; Mary Hazel, b. 13 FEB 1913; Elizabeth, b. 21 sEP 1914;
Charles Benjamin, b. 25 JAN 1916; Benjamin Theodore, b. 28 MA Y 1917. Also seven other
children, dates of birth not found or provided: Adele; Charlotte; Helen; William; stanislaus;
Harold and James. Ida, b. 1907, m. Joseph McKinnon, a great-grandson of Captain Peter .
Joseph, raised by his grandmother Marianne Devoe, became a successful International Truck
dealer in MA, served as a Major, Transportation Corps, U.S. Army in WWII. (Joseph d.
1985, Ida d. 1998). Ida, dau. of Simon, d. 26 AUG 1958.

o Mary E., b. 9 NOV 1890, m. ( 1) ca. 1909 James Marsh and ( 2) James Walsh. 
Children
(of Marsh): Simon Joseph, b. 3 JUN 1910; Margaret Eliza, b. 7 OCT 1915; Leo, b. ca.
1919. Mary d. 4 AUC 1927. Simon may well have had additional grandchildren; limited responses, queries.

This information conveyed to John Scott, by the researcher, Col. John B.
Devoe, Stratham, New Hampshire on 9 JAN 2003.

	

 
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