The story below is a blend of my own and that of one written and shared by Charles A Samson, a resident of Los Angeles, California, and Mary (Sampson) LeBlanc of Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose "SAMSON" roots are found buried deeply in Île Madame, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

The year was 1665, and having decided to make their mark in life, the two brothers Gabriel⁴ and Jacques⁴ Samson, left France for the New World. Gabriel⁴ and Jacques⁴ were born in St. Gatien-des-Bois, Normandy, France, in 1643 and 1647, respectively, and it is documented that they resided at Lauzon, Quebec. Gabriel'⁴s fourth son, who was also named Gabriel⁵, for reasons now lost to time, grew to manhood and settled in Port Royal, Annapolis, Nova Scotia and is the progenitor of our Acadian family. On 07 Apr. 1704, Gabriel⁵ married Jeanne MARTIN, of Port Royal. Jeanne born about 1676 at Port Royal was the daughter of Barnabe and Jeanne [Pelletret] Martin. Not too long after their marriage, in a 1704 raid on Acadia, by New Englanders, both Gabriel⁵ Samson and his wife Jeanne were captured and taken as hostages to Boston, Massachusetts.

Wars between England and France, and raids by New Englanders, and waring French nobility, made life at Port Royal hazardous, to say the least. Finally, in 1710, Port Royal was captured by the British. Never again would France gain control of mainland Nova Scotia. In fact, the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 ceded the bulk of Acadia to the British.

Around the years 1720/1721, Gabriel⁵ and his family were once again on the move. This time, the move was to Port Toulouse, known today as St. Peters, on Île Royale. This move is believed to have been made in order to escape swearing the oath of allegiance to the British Crown. The oath of allegiance was being demanded by the then Governor, Colonel Richard Philipps, of Nova Scotia. You see, the Island of Cape Breton was, at that time, still under French rule. At Port Toulouse, Gabriel⁵ earned his living by the building and navigating of coastal vessels, called "Coasters", around the Port Toulouse area. Gabriel⁵ and Jeanne had, in total, eleven children, prior to Jeanne's death in 1728.

• Madeleine⁶ born 09 Jan 1705
• Michel⁶ born 12 Jul 1706
• Jeanne⁶ born 01 July 1708
• Louise⁶ born 01 July 1708
• Mathieu⁶ born 14 Aug 1709
• Twin girls born and died 1711/1
• Marie-Madeleine⁶ born 17 Jun 1713
• Marguerite⁶-Louise born 10 July 1715
• Charles⁶ born 01 Oct 1717
• Jeanne⁶ born 22 Oct 1719

I have hi-lighted Mathieu⁶ because he is the progenitor of our L'Ardoise "SAMSON" line, and the first Samson recorded as having taken up land at L'Ardoise. This information can be found among records at the Nicolas Denys' museum, in St. Peters. The following was taken from a history of the area written by Fr. Lesions, a Roman Catholic Missionary. He was a priest of that era, the year being 1747.

"The good times at Port Toulouse were not destined to last."

In the year of 1745, the Samson families, which were headed by our Gabriel⁵, and his sons Michel⁶, Mathieu⁶ and Charles⁶. They, along with numerous other French Acadian families, had been forced to flee Port Toulouse. Earlier, in March of 1744, war had been declared between France and Great Britain. In December of that same year, the troops at Louisbourg had mutinied.

In 1745, an invasion force, of troops made up of New Englanders, and British Regulars, ransacked and burned Port Toulouse, while on its way to Fortress Louisbourg. The civilian population of Port Toulouse, to avoid death and/or deportation, were forced to seek the safety of the dense woodlands of Cape Breton. The first siege of Fortress Louisbourg was begun. As we now know, Fortress Louisbourg was captured by the New Englanders, who then deported the majority of the French colonists they had captured. The New Englanders occupied Fortress Louisbourg for the next four years.

In 1748, the war of the Austrian Succession ended with the signing of the "Treaty of  Aix-La-Chapelle". At this time Île Royale was returned to France. In 1749, Fortress Louisbourg was occupied by the French, and those Acadians in hiding returned to their lands. Michel⁶, Mathieu⁶ and Charles⁶ Samson, and their families, were among this group. For the most part, all was calm for the next six years, with the families of Port Toulouse, as they engaged in the fishing industry. Fate, though, was not kind to our Acadian cousins. In 1755, they were forced once more by war, the 7 year Indian-American War, to take to the woods of Cape Breton, and hiding.

In 1755, fearing our Acadian cousins would take the side of France, the British decided to deport all Acadians from main land Nova Scotia. The French residents of Île Royale feared for their lives, especially after the fall of Louisbourg, in 1758. Their fear was not unfounded, for a second deportation did take place in the Fall of 1758. Our French Acadian Samson family was not spared during these tragic events, for those captured were deported to France, in the Fall of 1758, some aboard the infamous ship, "La Reine d'Espagne".

THE EXPULSION OF THE FRENCH AT LOUISBOURG AND OUR ACADIAN COUSINS AFTER THE FALL OF LOUISBOURG, IN 1758, AND ITS EFFECT ON OUR SAMSON FAMILY LINE.

• Jean Samson was born about 1756 and died during the crossing to France in 1758

• Michel Samson was born about 1758 and died during the crossing to France in 1758.

• Jean-Amand Samson and Marie-Josephe Bricette, his wife, disembarked at St. Malo on November 17, 1758 from the “La Reine d’Espagne”.

Notes are taken from “The Acadian Exiles in Saint-Malo” by Albert Robichaux Jean-Amand Samson is 24 years old and living on Rue des Bouchers. He is a navigator, tall and strong. He is at the hospital between November 18, and December 4, 1759. He is at the hospital on January 30, 1759 ,and died March 31, 1759.

Notes on Jean-Amand Samson are taken from “The Acadians in France, Vol. III, Arachives of the Port of Saint Servan”, Metaire, LA, by Milton P. Rieder, Jr. and Norma Gaudet Rieder, 1973.

FABIEN SAMSON
Fabien Samson, a son of Michel, was born about 1741 in St. Peter’s and disembarked at St. Malo on November 17, 1758 from the ship “La Reine d’Espagne”. He resided in the parish of St. Malo from 1758 to 1760. In 1760, Fabien Samson embarked on the ship, Le Hardy, and was taken prisoner by the English on June 18, 1760. No additional information is available after this date regarding the fate of Fabien.Notes on Fabian are taken from “The Acadian Exiles in Saint-Malo” by Albert Robichaux. Fabien Samson is a farmhand, 18 years of age and living on Rue des Bouchers, St. Malo. He is a navigator, tall and strong. He is at the hospital from November 18, 1758 until December 4, 1759. He returned to the hospital on February 13, 1759. He was a navigator on the “Muny”. He embarked on the “Muny” on July 18, 1759 and returned from sea on January 1, 1760. He reembarked on the corsair (Privateer) “Hardy” on March 19, 1760.Notes on Fabien Samson from “The Acadians in France, Vol. III, Arachives of the Port of Servan”, Metaire, LA, 1973 by Milton P. Rieder Jr. and Norma Gaudet Rieder. 

GRANDCHILDREN OF MICHEL SAMSON AND JEANNE TESTARD
Two of Michel and Jeanne’s grandchildren Madeleine (Martel) and Louis (Martel) died coming back from France on April 22, 1764. These are the children of Jeanette Samson, who was born in St. Peter’s about 1737 and who married Joseph Martel, born about 1735, s/o Jean-Baptiste Martel and Marie-Josephe Poujet. Note the parents of Madeleine and Louis did not die going to France in 1758 or coming home from France in April 1764. They either survived the sinking of a ship called “LeNeptune” or were aboard another ship on the return voyage. They settled on Isle Madame and had more children there.Notes on Jeanette Samson and Joseph Martel and their children are from “Charles Samson”Note: the fact that the children died coming back from France is from Jeanne Belford and records on St. Pierre & Miquelon.

CHARLES SAMSON
Michel’s brother, Charles Samson, was born on October 1, 1717 at Port Royal and died in 1758. He married about 1752 at St. Peter’s to Marie Prejean (Samson) (1736-1758) d/o Nicholas Prejean and Marguerite Broussard, his first wife. Charles, his wife and two children were deported to France in 1758 aboard the ship “La Reine d’Espagne”. The two children of Charles and Marie are, four-year-old, Pierre Samson, who was born in 1754 and one year old, Marguerite Samson, who was born in 1757. During the crossing to France, Charles Samson died, along with his son Pierre Samson and daughter Marguerite Samson. Marie Prejean (Samson), his widow, disembarked at St. Malo on November 17, 1758 from the ship, “La Reine d’Espagne”, and resided with her father Nicolas Prejean, until she died on March 12, 1759 at the hospital at the age of 21 years in St. Malo France.Notes on Charles Samson and his family are from “The Acadian Exiles in Saint-Malo” by Albert Robichaux 

JEANNE (SAMSON) PINET
Jeanne (Samson) Pinet, sister of Michel, was born on October 22, 1719 in Port Royal and died in 1758 during cross to France. She was married to Charles Pinet, about 1750. They had three children: Jean Pinet who was born about 1751 and died February 17, 1763, Jeannette Pinet who died at sea during the crossing to France in 1758, and Marie Pinet who also died at sea during the crossing to France, in 1758. Charles Pinet was born about 1725 and died during the crossing to France, in 1758.
Jean Pinet s/o Charles Pinet and Jeanne Samson disembarked as an orphan at St. Malo on November 17, 1758 from “La Reine d’Espagne”. He resided with Mademoiselle Delien on the Rue St. Sauveur after disembarking. He resided in the following parishes: St. Malo, 1758 to 1760 and St. Servan 1760 to 1763. He died February 17, 1763. Notes on Jeanne (Samson) Pinet and her family are taken from “The Acadian Exiles in Saint-Malo” by Albert Robichaux Jean Pinet: 10 years, son of Charles Pinet was at the hospital from April 26, 1762 until May 10, 1762 and from September 5, 1762 until September 9, 1762.

Notes on Jean Pinet are taken from “The Acadians in France, 1762-1776" by Milton P. Rieder, Jr. and Norma Gaudet Rieder, 1967.Michel Senior and the rest of the Samson family spent the years from November 1758 to April 1764 in France. After the Treaty of Paris on February 10, 1763, all Acadians were allowed to return to North America. Michel and the members of his family crossed the ocean once again. They all boarded the ship, “LeNeptune”, and while it was making its way back to North America, in the spring of 1764, it sank off the coast of Newfoundland and almost every member of the family drowned in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. The family was buried at St. Pierre & Miquelon on April 22, 1764.

Among the casualties were: Michel himself (1706-1764), his wife, Anne “Jeanne” Testard dit Paris (1713-1764), Michel’s daughter, Judith, born in St. Peters in 1744; his daughter Marie Josephe, born in St. Peter’s in 1749 and, finally, Michel’s son, Louis, born in St. Peter’s in 1753. Fabien, shows up a few years later, as one of those who perished during the sinking of the ship “Le Neptune”. He was buried on the Isle of St. Pierre on April 22, 1764. Also the two grandchildren Madeleine Martel and Louis Martel died coming back from France on April 22, 1764.