|
Guillaume Trahan, son of Nicolas Trahan and Renée Desloges, was born at Bourgueil towards 1606.
The 17th of July 1624, in the Saint-Étienne Church in Chinon, he married Françoise Corbineau.
Chinon is situated 15 kilometers to the south-east of Bourgueil and 50 kilometers to the south-west
of Tours. In 1636, he emigrated to Acadia. On the passenger list for the ship Saint-Jean, among
the " countrymen from Anjou " who are going to " work at New France ", we read this note: Guillaume,
"mareschal de tranchant", with his wife two children, and man-servant, also from Bourgeuil."
A "maréchal de tranchant" is someone who makes all sorts of cuttin tools, ie axes, knifes,
scissors, etc. and even table accessories like forks and spoons. In the area around Chinon,
rests the Château de Razilly. Two members of this family were actively engaged in the colonization
of Acadia: The Commander Isaac de Razilly, Knight of the Religious Order Malte and Leuitenant-General
of the King in Acadia, and his brother Claude de Razilly-Launay, silent-partner and business
manager of Isaac. The 14th of January 1634, the Company of New France had given a fief to to
Claude, the Sieugneries of La Héve and Port-Royal. Claude de Razilly recruited colonists for
Acadia. He chose people mainly from Anjou and Touraine which were close to his family's castle.
At Chinon, he recruited craftsman, at Bourgeuil he enlisted six complete families, consisting
of 23 people, among whom was Guilaume Trahan, and five other agriculturists who came without
their families. For the month of February 1636, the recruits from Chinon and Bourgeuil went to Tours, where they met up with another group recruited in Champagne by Nicoalas Le Creux, Sieur of Breuil, Commander of the Fort Canseau, on the far eastern side of Acadia. The 1st of April 1636, the Saint-Jean found the Cape of America. At the end of May, the ship dropped anchor in front of the Fort Sainte-Marie-de-GrÂces at La Héve. We learn of the death of Isaac de Razilly during the course of the next winter. Charles de Menou d'Aulnay succeded him as head of Acadia. Finding the site at La Héve being poorly chosen, he decided to take advantage of the arrival of the Saint-Jean to transport the colony to Port Royal but not on the old site towards the north of the Lake of Port-Royal, but a dozen kilometers more to the east, on the southern river coming from the lake, at the mouth of the Dauphin River (Annapolis River). At Port-Royal, Governor d'Aulnay created a lot of work: erection of dams, building of forts and homes and mills, construction of ships and row-boats, etc. In the center of all of these activities was Guillaume Trahan, maker of cutting tools, who must have been very busy making and reparing the tools needed for all of this construction. He is certainly one of Governor d'Aulnays trusted men, since on the 21 September 1639, his ten year old daughter Jeanne, is the God-mother of Marie, the oldest girl of the Governor: " Extract of the baptism 21 September 1639 Port Royal,... confirms that Marie daughter of Sieur Charles de Menou, esquire, Lieutenant General for the King on the Island of Acadia, Country of New France was baptized a four o'clock in the afternoon on said day and that she was born by him at one o'clock on Wednesday 21 September and that she was dedicated to the Virgin Mary by Claude Petipas and Monsieur Boudrot, first officials of Port Royal, her god-father being Pierre, son of Pierre Cachet, and her god-mother being Jeanne Traihan, daughter of Guillaume Traihan, toolmaker, and Françoise Corbineau." The 14th of July 1640, after a large dispute between Charles de Menou d'Aulnay and Charles de Saint-Etienne de la Tour, Governor of a part of Acadie, Guilaume Trahan, Germain Doucet and Isaac Pesseley " representatives of the inhabitants at Pentagouët, La Héve and Port-Royal, are put in charge of an inquest on the doings of La Tour. The report from the enquest is sent to Paris the 29 January 1641. In 1643, Jeanne Trahan, the eldest girl of Guillaum at age 14, married Jacob Bourgeois, surgeon of Port Royal who arrived in the colony the preceding year. In 1645, the quarrel between d'Aulnay and La Tour turned into an open war, the Governor of Port-Royal having ordered all of his men to pick-up their guns and go to the streets leading to the Fort Saint-Jean, head-office of the Government of his rival La Tour. Guillaume Trahan who is of age is forced to take part in the expedition primarily for his skills with cutting tools, which would be needed. The 10 May 1650, Governor d'Aulnay is killed in a boating accident when his canoe capsized while going down the Moulin River. In 1654, Guillaume Trahan is a representative of the people at Port-Royal, Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour is still Governor of all of Acadia and was married to Jeanne de Mottin, widow of the former Governer d'Aulnay. Unfortunately, though it being a time of peace, " without any orders from his superios, Major Robert Sedgewick appeared at the base of Port-Royal, at the head of an army of 500 men, carried on three warships. He arrived at Fort Saint-Jean and took possession of it after three days, and took Charles Saint-Etienne as prisoner. Germain Doucet had nothing but 120 men to fight against the 500 men from Sedgewick. He sent 15 men under the orders of the Sergeant of the Garrison to lie in wait for an ambush against the English. The Sergeant was killed and the others took refuge in the Fort. On the 16th of August 1654, after sixteen days of resistance, Germain Doucet had to surrender to an enemy who was larger in number and in armament. These were the terms of the surrender: " Between Mr. La Verdure, commander of Port-Royal and surrogate guardian of the young children of the late Mr. D'Aulnay, and Mr. Robert Sedgewick, English Commander, Esquire. The Sieur came out of the Fort with his garrison with their weapons and beating drums, flag deployed, "balle en bouche", musket or gun on shoulders, wick burning on both ends, and their baggage. They will be granted safe passage to France with their provisions for two months. As for the children (of D'Aulnay) we will take possession of all the furniture, property, merchandise and animals that belong to them. The inhabitants will have their freedom of conscience, and can live in their own homes and property with all the furniture that belongs to them. Their staying by means of recognition of their Seigneurial duty for which they are obliged to pay by their grants; with the freedom to sell said furniture and property as seemeth good to English persons or the French who are staying in the Country.. and to ensure the the above articles are followed, The Sieur La Verdure has left as hostage Mr. Jacques Bourgeois, his brother-in-law and Lieutenant of the area, and the Sieur Emmanuel Le Borgne, son, until the terms of the treaty have been fulfilled. We have signed, Robert Bourgeois, Robert Sedgewick, Robert Salem, Marke Harrison, Robert Martin, Richard Morse, plus the Reverend Father Léonard de Chartres and Mr. Guillaume Trouen (Trahan), representative of the people and the Sieur Borgne (father)." After the departure of of the French Garrison, the English ship left Port-Royal and brought with it Governor La Tour as prisoner. Sedgewick left no english army at Port-Royal. Some Bostonien merchants set-up shop there and had trading posts, all under surveillance to instruct the English Governor, who had residence at Pentagouët. The Acadians governed themselves, with a council precided over by the agent, Guillaume Trahan. Françoise Courbineau died towards 1660. It would appear she had no other children than those who were brought with her from France in 1636. In 1665, Guillaume Trahan, around age 57, married a young lady, Magdeleine Brun, who was only 20 years old. She was the daughter of Vincent Brun and Vincente Breau, and was born at Port-Royal the 25th of January 1645. In 1670, the Knight Grandfontaine took possesion of Acadia, which had been returned to France under the Treaty of Breda. His first item of business was to take a Census of the people of Acadia, which would be headed by Father Laurent Moulins. " Tool Maker - Guillaume Trahan aged 60 years, his wife Magdeleine Brun aged 25. Their children 3. Guillaume 4, Jean-Charles 3, AlexAndre 1. Their horned animals 8 and ten sheep. Their workable land five acres." For this census Guillaume had 3 Grand-sons, 7 grand-daughters, and one great-granddaughter amd one great-grandson. Guillaume Trahan died around 1680. In 1686 Magdeleine Brun was recorded two times. The first time she was married to Pierre Joan dit La Riviere and she had with her from her first marriage three boys and three girls. The second time she was a widow from La Riviere and had a daughter form her second marriage. |