Hogue Ancestry – France to Canada

The ancestors of the Hogue family also have many untold stories. They start with Jean Hogue who was born about 1625 in the city of Amiens in Picardie, France. He married Marie-Nicole Dubus in 1646 and they had a son named Pierre in 1648. Pierre’s parents never left France. 

Pierre Hogue was an early settler to Canada which was then known as New France. In 1672, he sailed to the new country and arrived in Montreal, Quebec. After only a short time, he married an Indian Princess named Catherine Nachita on November 22, 1672. They had two children. Then the Princess became ill and died in the winter of 1676 at the tender age of 20 years old. At that time, Pierre was 28 years old. He remained a widower for 10 months.

Pierre married Jeanne Theodore on November 10, 1676. She was only 13 years old. Their marriage lasted 49 years. Pierre and Jeanne had many children, including a son named Francois Hogue, who was born on December 23, 1687 in Rivière-des-Prairies, Quebec and died on January 18, 1760 at the age of 72 in Laval, Quebec. From then on, the succession of males in the Hogue family tree all lived long lives, from 75 to 90 years of age.

Francois began a long line of Hogues in Canada: Joseph Amable, Jean-Baptiste, Benjamin Joachim, Joachim and Palmyre. Palmyre married Antoinette Daoust on June 14, 1898 in St-Timothee de Beauharnois, Quebec when he was 22 and she was 20. Their marriage lasted 68 years. They had 17 children, including Marie Marguerite Angeline Hogue who was the 12^th child, born on May 12, 1912. 

The photo shows my mother Angeline Hogue when she married my father Emile Roy on August18, 1937 at Jogues, Ontario. They were married for 55 years. Emile died in 1992. Angeline died a few years later in 1996. During that time, they had three boys and five girls, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren who can now trace their Hogue roots back to France more than 400 years ago.

Roy Ancestry – France to Canada

France Flag

The first generation of the Roy ancestry begins with my father, Ernest Emile Roy. In this case, however, much is known about the family lineage because extensive church records were maintained over the centuries. To date, the family roots have been traced back more than 700 years to France. There, our ancestors were part of the French Nobility. For example, Seigneur (Lord) Gauthier de St Florent LeRoy (1285-1365) lived with his wife Lady Marguerite de France LeRoy (1285 to 1319) in Florent, Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France. 

Clearly, the ancestors of the Roy family have many stories to tell. For now, let’s start with Louis LeRoy who was born in 1610 at Dieppe, Normandy, France. He married Anne Lemaitre on April 27, 1638 at Saint-Remi de Dieppe, France. Louis was 28 years old and Anne was aged 20. They had three children during their marriage. Louis died on Christmas Day, December 25, 1661, at Chalons, Saone-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France at the age of 51. He never came to Canada. 

Nicolas LeRoy, son of Louis and Anne, was baptized at Saint-Remi de Dieppe on May 25, 1639. He married Jeanne Lelievre on November 26, 1658, while still very young. Nicolas was an early settler to Canada which was then known as New France. In May 1662, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the sailing ship The Garden of Holland. There were five of them in all: Nicolas, his wife Jeanne, his mother, Anne Lemaitre, and their sons Louis and Nicolas (Junior). Nicolas and Jeanne had eight more children born in New France to go with the two boys born in France. Together they struggled to carve out a homestead in the wilderness. By 1667, Nicolas owned four animals and seven acres of workable land. 

Nicolas (Junior) married Marie-Madeleine Leblond on November 18, 1686 at Sainte-Famille, Ile d'Orleans in Quebec. They had ten children, five boys and five girls. With the birth of their son Etienne (Stephen), the family name LeRoy was shortened to Roy, at the turn of the 18^th century. Etienne Roy began a long line of Roys in Canada: Pierre, Francois, Ferreol, Isidore, Gaudias, Alcide and Emile, my father. Learn more about Nicolas LeRoy and Jeanne Lelievre at Ancestry Quebec online.

Genealogy Research Method and Privacy

There is no shortage of books or Internet sites that can help us with our genealogy research. In fact, the amount of information that is available, particularly on the Internet, can be overwhelming at times. It is important to remember, however, that vital records (births, marriages and deaths) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research.

To be successful, a long-term genealogy research initiative should begin with currently-available information about living relatives. With that data in hand, the research must include:

• Access to relevant genealogy information about our ancestors, such as Library and Archives Canada Censuses, Vital Statistics (for example, Ontario and Nova Scotia) and online databases (like ancestry.ca). 

• A methodical approach to organizing and displaying the information gathered, such as the genealogy software program Heredis. 

• Internet technology to share the discoveries on this genealogy research initiative, such as Google Drive, the blog Exploring Our Ancestry: The Roy-Apted Family History and e-mail (contact me at paul.emile.roy@gmail.com).

This initiative will explore the ancestry of four families comprising the first generation: Roy-Hogue, Smith-Mumford, Apted-Duff and McConnell-Latta. To protect their privacy, no information will be disclosed about any living persons.

Genealogy and Family Legacy

Genealogy is the study of our unique family history. It creates a personal record of our ancestors – when they were born, where they lived, who they married, who their children were, what they did for a living, how long they lived, how they died and where we belong in our family tree. 

Genealogy is a curiosity for most people, a hobby for many and an obsession for a few. Some people have specific reasons for exploring their ancestry. Others jump into family history research without giving it much thought. Generally, the most compelling reason for tracing our roots is Family Legacy – a desire to pass on a legacy to future generations. 

Accordingly, the purpose of this blog is to share the Roy-Apted legacy with our children and grandchildren. It will reveal many of the discoveries on this genealogy research initiative so that everyone in our extended family tree can treasure our heritage.