Calling Acadian Researchers - Help with MERCURE Brick Wall

Question

Calling on anyone with expertise in Acadian records for a particularly tricky connection.  One of my children's ancestors (mother's side) is Joseph Mercure who was born in Madawaska and who moved to Baie-Ste-Anne, Northumerberland County.  I'm trying to find a way to prove his parents.  I have listed likely candidates on Joseph's profile.  Those may be red herrings but they seem the two most likely with that surname in Madawaska.

See Research Notes in the profile [[Mercure-180|Joseph Mercure]]

Comments

I added a family tree to his profile with  possible parents

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Thank you.  I did see that on FamilySearch.  I think that is the likely ancestor.  What we're now missing is a source.  I'm not sure if one exists but hoping that there are some record sets I haven't found yet.

Answer 1

The History of Madawaska seems to have the a large collection of history on the Mercure family here  https://numerique-banq-qc-ca.translate.goog/patrimoine/details/52327/2022417?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

He must be one of these, this is the census for New Brunswick for 1881 I think he may be the Joseph with parents Benoit and Phillomina?  https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1881/Pages/results.aspx?k=joseph+AND+cnsSurname%3a%22mercure%22+AND+cnsProvinceCode%3a%22NB%22

Answer 2

Here are some records that support parents of Michel Mercure and Hortense Chiasson:

Baptism: https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/111857:1110 (subscription) or https://www.ancestry.ca/sharing/28078256?h=cae470 (sharing).

After the death of Marie, it looks like he remarried to Bibiane Robichaud in 1917: https://archives.gnb.ca/search/VISSE/141B7.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=9fd026da-ce40-4e21-b176-bde14f2d3b1b

Joseph died in 1944: https://archives.gnb.ca/search/VISSE/141C5.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=41f14bba-0913-43c8-954e-66d13b8ae539

Answer 3

I agree with Matthew's post, that Joseph remarried to Bibianne Robichaud.

Here is another child of Joseph and Marie's you might be missing, Joseph Andrew Mercure born 29 Nov 1912:

https://archives.gnb.ca/Search/VISSE/141A5.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=79185242-efc3-4c1d-bb57-74d303f19c95

Here is Joseph in census records at Library and Archives Canada:

1921: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1921/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=994705

(His surname was transcribed "Martin" but it looks like "Mature"(?) to me. His son Fred's household is listed above him)

1911: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1911/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=1888999

Comments

And I just wanted to point out, that while the 1900 birth record for his son Joseph states that he was born in Madawaska, his marriage to Marie Martin states he was "of the parish of Escuminac Northumberland".

1896 marriage (Ancestry): https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/140541:1110

sharing link: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/28079379?h=6a113c

Birth record for Joseph's daughter Mary Cecilia, born 12 Oct 1909: https://archives.gnb.ca/Search/VISSE/141A5.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=8b26febe-3ada-4358-9b2b-0ea3de47bcd3

Some more census records:

1901: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1901/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=616913

1891 (might be him as a domestic servant? age 15): https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1891/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=387799

The parents, Michel and Hortense, so far are a bit of a mystery. His baptism states his parents were married but I haven't found their marriage record.

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I think you're spot-on, Valerie. See my comments below.

Answer 4

I agree with Lynn.  I posted the 1881 census on his profile.  The next step would be to look at the children's records to see of any of the potential siblings was a godparent to any of his children.  That would tie him to this family and confirm the parents.

Comments

It seems Valerie is right, and that the one record of Joseph (son of Joseph and Marie Martin) that gave his father's birthplace as Madawaska must be an error. Everything else indicates Joseph's birthplace to be the area of Baie Sainte Anne / Escuminac.

The Joseph Mercure of Madawaska of about the same age, son of Benoit and Philomene Cyr moved to the U.S. (it seems the whole family did.) That Joseph got married in Washington state ( https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPMT-B1LB ), died in Wyoming, and is buried in Montana. (FS profile: KGCD-PCD).

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Thanks Matthew. I think the 1921 census is strong evidence for Joseph being the spouse of Bibienne Robichaud and therefore the son of Michel Mercure and Hortense Chiasson: the children listed all match our Joseph's children from the 1911 census and/or their birth records:

• Joseph, age 18 (Joseph b. 3 Aug 1900) [off by 2-3 years]
• John, age 14 (born Sep 1906 in the 1911 census)
• Thomas, age 13 (born Sep 1908 in the 1911 census) 
• Cecelia, age 11  (Mary Cecelia b. 12 Oct 1909)
• Maggie, age 10 (Margaret Agnes b.  12 Jan 1911)
• Andrew, age 8 (Joseph Andrew b. 29 Nov 1912)
• and next door, Fred, age 24, married to Lena with a daughter Eva, age 9 months (Frederick b. 1897, married Lina Martin)

The family also lived in Hardwicke, where Joseph lived with his wife Mary and their children. Joseph has a new spouse in the 1921 census named Barbara(?), aged 48. Joseph's first wife, Mary Martin, died on 11 Sep 1916 in Baie-Ste-Anne: https://archives.gnb.ca/Search/VISSE/141C4.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=287499fa-104e-4c17-a12a-12967fe624dd

Joseph and Bibienne Robichaud were married on 8 Jan 1917, shortly after Mary Martin passed away. I think it makes sense that "Barbara" is the anglicized version of Bibienne in the 1921 census.

Also, the date of death on the 1944 death record is 23 Dec 1875. The actual date of birth from the baptism with these parents was 23 Dec 1874. In the 1911 census, Joseph's date of birth was Dec 1874.