Biography of JOSEPH OZANIE NADEAU(Extracted and translated from:“Nos ancêtres” – 18, by Ann BlakeneyThe Nadeau, Nadaud family name originates from the name Nadal or Natal,whose roots relate to the latin word “natalis”, which alludes to thenativity, Christmas (Noël).This family name from France counts at least 5 different holders with noknown family links. Antoine Nadeau, son of Pierre and of Marie Pacot fromthe diocese of Angoulême, married at Terrebonne on February 3rd 1766 toMarguerite Ritier (Riquet), daughter of Jean-Baptiste and of Marie-AnneLéveillé. Antoine was preceeded in New France by Joseph Nadeau, ditBelhair, ship captain, originally from Saint-Paul in Guyenne. He marriedFélicité Desbiens, daughter of Etienne and of M.-Dorothée Tremblay, atÎle-aux-Coudres on November 1st, 1749.At Saint-Michel d’Yamaska, on April 3rd 1742, Olivier-François Nadeau, sonof François and of Marie Duquet of Saint-André de Sablonceaux in Saintonge,married Marguerite Forcier. A half century earlier, on October 30th 1696,at Saint-Jean on the île d’Orleans, Jean-Baptiste Nadeau, being in themiller trade, originating from LeGué-deVelluire, in Poitou, marriedMarie-Anne Dumont, daughter of Julien. To complete this “bouquet”, we addthe fact that the descendants of Nicolas Nardereau and of Marie-Anne Delpéapparently adopted the family name Nadeau.But reference is to the first Nadeau, that is Joseph-Ozanie, for whom alarge number of Nadeau(s) claim to be their common ancestor.GenouillacJoseph-Ozanie Nadeau, son of Macia and of Jeanne Despins or Despiers, wasborn around 1637 in the locality of Genouillac, in Angoumois. Today, it isreferred to as the commune of Genouillac, east of the river Vienne, countyof Saint-Claud, in the area of Confolens, in Charente.Genouillac, situated near the commune of Mazières, remains a portion of acountry lost in the lands and having no history. It is there thatJoseph-Ozanie grew up. He was not an educated person because he could notsign (write). As it existes today, Genouillac was in the arch-diocese ofthe beautiful Angoulême.EstablishmentJoseph-Ozanie Nadeau had the nickname Lavigne. All the soldiers were givena nickname. Was Ozanie in the military? Possibly, but it is impossible tosubstantiate. Many pioneers, such as Bonhomme, Dionne, Gravel and Simardhad a mocking/facetious name: Beaupré, Sansoucy, Brindelière and Lombrette.This proves that no one in New- France could avoid having a nickname.If Joseph-Ozanie came in New-France as a hired hand of 36 months, he musthave arrived in Québec in the summer of 1660 and worked in the employ of apioneer in the Côte de Beaupré, possibly at Sainte-Anne du Petit-Cap. Hereare the reasons why. On April 11, 1662, we find him on the list of theconfirmed (confirmands) of Chateau-Richer. He is listed next to SylvainVeau, domestic of Jean Gagnon since 1660. Therefore, the ancestor Nadeaucertainly lived there in 1661. On October 14, 1662, he is present at thesame location as god-father to the son of Jean Boutin, dit Larose and ofSuzanne Rocheteau, pioneers, living probably in the territory of Sainte-Annedu Petit-Cap. I (the author) am tempted to conclude that Joseph-Ozanieeither worked for Jean Barrette or for someone living in close proximity.Finally, the immigrant decided to firmly settle his tent forever on the soilof America. On February 3, 1663, he received from Charles Lauzon, 3 acresof frontal land located in the diocese of the parish of Sainte-Famille inthe rear fief Charny-Lirec, île d’Orléans until his death. This farm islocated on the numbers 224 to 226 of the existing survey lots, that is onthe north side, west of the Saint-Famille church.The dice were thrown. The ancestor Nadeau lived at l’île d’Orléans untilhis death. He started by making a clearing in the forest. He built hiscabin and prepared a nest to accommodate his future family.Home/FamilyOn Friday November 6, 1665, Joseph-Ozanie Nadeau, dit Lavigne, was in Québecin the house of the notary Duquet. Many notable witnesses had been summonedfor this occasion. In civil law, a marriage contract was always deemed ofhigh importance. Even the most notable individuals never hesitated to makethemselves available to help the common folk. Here are the names of theinvited guests: Alexandre de Prouville, marquis de Tracy,commander-in-chief of the troops; Daniel Rémy, lord of Courcelle, governor;Jean Talon, administrator of New-France; Marie-Barbe Boulogne, widow ofLouis d’Ailleboust, protector of the King’s Daughters (filles du roi);Jacques Leprou, upholsterer. Also present were: Boismorice, Nicolas Durand,angoumois, E. Banchaud and Louis Levasseur, residents from Château-Richer.In summary, all of the top upper-crust of the Québec region were inattendance.Who then, was the future bride of Joseph-Ozanie? A fille du roi, born atSaint-Eustache in Paris, Marguerite Abraham, about 20 years of age, daughterof Guillaume Abraham and of Denise Fleury. She brought possessionsestimated at 100 pounds “tournois”. The notary forgot to mention the King’sgift of 50 pounds. The couple wished to have a joint possession of allassets. Ozanie endowed his loved one with the sum of 200 pounds. The dayof the blessing was not recorded in the registries. We (the author) canassume that the wedding was conducted by Abbott Thomas Morel, probably inthe parish of Sainte-Famille. The family name Abraham suggests thatMarguerite was of Jewish origin.The Abraham Nadeau couple are listed in the 1666 census in theSainte-Famille parish at île d’Orléans. The following year, the censustakers list some interesting precise details: “Ozanie Joseph Nado, 30 yearsold, Marguerite Abraham, his wife, 23 years old; one child, Marie, 4 months;7 acres of valuable land”. No mention is made of the livestock. Theneighbours listed are the Breton Jean Moreau, dit LaGrange, and the poitevinPhilippe Paquet, still a bachelor.A few active yearsThe life of the pioneer Nadeau shines by its simplicity and its briefness.On July 22, 1671, he visits the notary Gilles Rageot to authenticate adonation made to the poor at the Hôtel-Dieu in Québec, represented byJacques de Latouche. This notarized transaction is akin to (resembles) apuzzle. If I (the author) understand this correctly, the ancestor gives 2bushels of wheat; but the 15 others appear to derive from two residents fromla Côte de Beaupré. They had been sentenced to make this donation w\as aresult of a judgment pronounced by a landlord judge in the previous year.At the end of the summer of 1675, Nadeau decided to rid himself of his landsituated on the north side of the island. On Friday October 28th, heappeared before the notary Pierre Duquet of Québec, together with thepurchaser, Antoine Dionne. The Nadeau property included 15 or 16 acres ofcultivated land, a shed, all of which were located between the neighboursJean Martineau and Philippe Paquet.. The text does not mention, perhaps byneglect, the existence of a house and a barn. Dionne promises to pay thesum of 800 pounds in one or two disbursements, with one to the Toussaint andthe other to the Saint-Joseph. While waiting to “unsheath” his poorpockets, the purchaser is to pay the annual interest in accordance with theKing’s rates. Did Ozanie sell at a good price; will he be well paid?Why sell? It’s because Monsignor de Laval, one June 2nd, 1667, had offeredto the ancestor the possibility of establishing himself preferably on thesouth side of the island, in the territory of the Saint-Laurent. Ozanie hadstarted to farm this property of 4 acres of frontage, whose ownership willnot be known to us until April 5th `1678. However, on July 23rd 1671, thesurveyor Jean Guyon had determined the boundaries. The Nadeau(s) relocatedto Saint-Laurent with their family, their animals and their furniture,towards 1675, perhaps even earlier than this date.Abraham-Nadeau GenerationWe have seen five flowers bloom in the Abraham-Nadeau garde: Marie, Jean,Adrien, Denis and Catherine. Marie Aubert, the wife of Jean Prémont andgod-mother, bequeathed her first name on May 1st, 1667 to the eldest of theNadeau family. Alas! Marie Nadeau, who could have been Aurore, faded inthe first rays of the sun without having/leaving any vestiges (trace). Thiswas also the fate of the godson of Adrien Blanquet and Elisabeth Meunier.Adrien Nadeau only lived the same life span as do the roses; the span of onemorning. Baptized on March 3, 1672, he was buried the following day atSainte-Famille.On April 22, 1669, the bachelor Jean Deperdeau, accompanied by Marie Mesuré,carried to the baptismal font of the Saint-Famille church, the first infantmale Nadeau, Jean. The eldest of the boys grew up normally amongst his own.Around 1689, in Beaumont, he married Anne Lacasse, daughter of Antoine andof Françoise Pilois; this couple gave to their counter 13 subjects. Jeanwas buried in Beaumont on March 1st, 1735 at 66 years of age.The second surviving son, Denis, was given his first name by Denis Derome,his god-father, on June 18, 1673. Denis was the only one in the family tobe baptized at Québec. I (the author) am still looking for a reason forthis. He also sought a sister’s love from the Lacasse family. At Beaumont,on November 9, 1695, he took Charlotte as a companion for life. Together,they brought to the world 13 children, 3 of whom died at birth. AfterCharlotte’s death, Denis remarried on May 25, 1724 to Elisabeth Roy, fromthe family lf Louis and of Marie Ledran. This second union procreated 9Roy-Nadeau subjects. Denis was thus responsible for 22 children. Denis wasnamed a militia lieutenant of the seigneurie of Saint-Claude. In 1729 heclaimed to be illiterate. However, in 1744, he wrote a highly dignifiedletter to his daughter Marie-Madeleine who wished to marry Pierre-FrançoisRigaud, gentleman usher in the Superior Council. It is in a cemetery ofSaint-Michel where Denis was interred on March 4th, 1759, shortly before thedownfall of Québec and the French regime.The only Nadeau daughter who survived and left a descendant was namedCatherine, god-daughter of Catherine Boisandré on June 14, 1676. At 18years old, on April 29, 1694, she gave her heart to Louis Roy, son ofNicolas Leroy and of Jeanne Lelière. When she descended in the blessedearth of Sainte-Pierre on île d’Orléans on JULY 22, 1746, Catherine leftbehind her a dozen children. She had lived on the Nadeau paternal land atSaint-Laurent. Such is the account of the Abraham-Nadeau generation. Itsquality carried it/won over the numbers; but the third generationcarried/won it in numbers and in quality with its 47 representatives.InventoryAt Saint-Paul de l’île, on Wednesday February 10, 1677, Joseph Ozanie Nadeauslipped away from the world of the living without revealing how or why.“The twelfth day of February, one thousand six hundred andseventy-seven, was inhumed in the cemetery of the parish ofSaint-Paul in the island of Saint-Laurent, Joseph OzanieNadeau,dead on the tenth day of the same month.Charles A. Martin, priest.”It is pointed out that this parish was initially dedicated to Saint-Paul butchanged its patronage (name) to that of Saint-Laurent in 1698, at therequest of Lord François Berthelot. Its registries were opened on July 23,1679. Hence, there was a cemetery in existence prior to this date. It isat Saint-Famille, however, that the declaration of Joseph Ozanie’s death wasrecorded.“The year six thousand and seventy-eight, the fifth day ofApril, at therequest of Marguerite ABRAHAM, widow of the deceased OzanieJoseph NAEAU d. LAVIGNE, resident living in the county ofST. LAURENT.”a complete inventory was made of all the furnishings, animals, dishware,deniers (coins), expenses, papers and titles left after the death of theancestor and found in his house. The assesors chosen: Michel Enaud, ditBotté and Antoine Marcereau, residents in the said area, promising underoath to accurately estimate, in deniers (money), the objects that they willbe shown.The broiler, the iron pot, the 3 old copper boilers, the strainer, thewarming pan, the old small saucepan, the lamp, the 6 earthenware vessels,the rifle, the chest with a few shirts, property of the widow and children,3 hoes, 2 iron wedges, 1 ax, 1 tiller, 1 small saw, all of which isestimated at 47 pounds. Nothing compared to an estate of the castles of theLoire.Even if the family does not eat with silver spoons, they do still possess,however, some items to feed themselves: 50 bags of wheat, 6 of green peas, 6of white beans, 1 half-barrel of lard.In one corner of the barn, a rooster is encouraging 6 chickens to lay niceeggs. Two piglets, 2 beef, 3 cows, 1 bull, all await impatiently for thearrival of spring. There was no mention if there was a cat from Spain, or afaithful dog walking between the barn, the shed and the house. Thesedomestic animals were never entitled to be listed in the list of livestock.The Nadeau property, including its 14 acres of cultivated land and its talltrees, was evaluated at the sum of 900 pounds.But why this inventory? Certainly, to protect the rights of the minorchildren. And then, again…?Second MarriageAfter Oziane’s departure, Marguerite Abraham and her children remainedpractically penniless. They had to survive. With the heart and luck bothhelping, a solution appeared when the eyes of the good Guillaume Chartiercruised the family and the widow Nadeau. The inventory of the deceased’sassets had not yet been done.On January 26, 1678, at the widow’s residence, the notary Pierre Duquet hadcome by snowshoes to register the terms of a marriage contract.The Breton Guillaume Chartier, in New-France since 1674, son of Olivier andof Marie Cornet, approximately 29 years old, originally from Sainte-Marie dela Haie-Fouassière, county of Vertou, sub-division of Nantes in Bretagne,pledges to marry Marguerite Abraham. He offers a dower of initially 300pounds, to be followed with an additional 200 pounds; he promises to raisethe 3 Nadeau children as if they were his own. The suitor deposits 500 newpounds in the community savings, but that would remain in his possession inthe event of the death of his intended. He signs with flair, like aneducated and delicate man. The Nadeau(s) had met their messiah.At the church of Sainte-Famille de l’île d’Orléans, on Monday 31st January ,the priest Lamé blessed this union in the presence of the followingwitnesses: Noël Forestier, Michel Enaud, Jean Jouanne, Isaac Pasquier, ditLavallée.The new couple settled on the Nadeau farm. The census takers of 1681confirmed this fact. Chartier then declared owning only 1 beef and 4 acresof cultured land.The inventory of the Nadeau assets has appeared to have been completed on aface-saving basis. Guillaume resorted to the Sovereign Council to verify,according to him, this incomplete inventory. The Council ordered, onFebruary 28, 1689, the re-taking of the evaluation. The assessors of 1678,headed by Marguerite Abraham, declared on the following June 27th theinventory to be truthfully consistent. This marriage was without posterity.The children shared the ancestral land, after an inventory of the assetsdrawn up on June 18, 1694. The elder Abraham was still living at the timeof her son Denis’ marriage at Beaumont on November 9th, 1695. Then, historyheld her breath. No life! Nothing left!Guillaume Chartier spent 4 days at the Hôtel-Dieu in Québec at the beginningof December, 1695. We have learned by means of a notarized declarationsigned by Louis Chambalon on April 2nd, 1696, that Chartier was living withthe Jesuits in Québec. He had loaned money to François Sauvin, dit Larose.Lastly, on April 4th, 1697, Guillaume committed himself to the Compagnie deJésus.This concludes the uncomplicated (simple) and touching story of the firstAbraham-Nadeau-Chartier generation.EpilogueThe ramifications of the Nadeau family did not only spread in Québec, butalso into the United States.On May 29, 1760, James Murray was in a towering blue rage. A grossdisobedience to his authority earned an exemplary punishment. What happenedwas a miller from Bellechasse, Joseph Nadeau, provided flour to the Frenchsoldiers. The guilty one deserved to be hung. In order to give a lastingexample, sufficient to make the rebels think twice, he ordered that Nadeaube hung to the yardarm of his mill, which was done without delay. The bodyof the unfortunate miller swung to and fro at the will of the wind, in frontof the terrified citizens of Saint-Michel.It is reported that the governor, Guy Carleton, once informed of thisatrocity committed by his predecessor, decided to repair this dishonourableact. He took care of the education of the son, Charles Nadeau, who is onethe list of the boarders at the Québec Seminary on October 30, 1768. Heapparently said: “It is a general who had made me lose my father; it is ageneral who will provide me with another”.BibliographyGreffe Becquet, 3 February 1663 (minute absente).Greffe Chambalon, 2 August 1696.Greffe Duquet, 6 November 1665; 17 February 1675 (agreement betweenGuillaume Chartier and Olivier Guillemot); 18 October 1675.Greffe Grenaple, 28 January 1678; 5 April 1678; 4 April 1697.Greffe Jacob, 18 June 1694.Greffe Rageot, 22 July 1671.Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des Noms de famille et Prénomsde France (1951), p.446.Drouin, Gabriel, Dictionnaire des Canadiens Français (1965), vol2,pp.987-989.Lafontaine, André, Les Baillages de Beaupré et de l’île d’Orléans (1987),pp. 494-495; Recensements annotés de la Nouvelle-France 1666 et 1667(1985), pp. 37, 213..Nadeau, Doria, ancien cure de Robertsonville, notes personnelles, 14 pages.Nadeau, Yvonne, Les Nadeau à l’île d’Orléans 1665-1681 (1984, 2e edition),179 pages.Roy, Léon, Les Terres de l’île d’Orléans 1659-1725 (edition revue etcorrigée parRaymond Gariépy, 1978), pp. 149-151, 319-320; Les Premiers Colons de laRiveSud du Saint-Laurent de Berthier à Saint-icolas 1636-1738 (1984, pp.353-355, 423.Trudel, Marcel, Catalogue des immigrants 1632-1662 (1983), p. 463; LeTerrier duSaint-Laurent en 1663 (1973), p. 68Bulletin de Recherches Historiques, vil 66, pp. 13-24.Jugements et Délibérations du Conseil Souverain de la Nouvelle-France(1987), vol3,pp. 299-300, 338.Nos Racines ou l’Histoire Vivante des Québecois, vol. 3, p.525; vol. 12,fascicule 140.Rapport de l’Achiviste de la Province de Québec, vol. 30-31, pp.321, 334.Saint-Laurent en l’Isle 1679-1979 (1979), pp. 11, 60.