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THE GOD THAT I CALL FATHER

The Story of My Acadian French Ancestors:

THE REFORMATION:

Centuries ago, as the Spirit of the Lord brooded over the peoples, kindreds, tongues and nations; to bring forth a new nation under one God, a marvellous reformation work began in Europe, that did not leave the leaders of these nations out.

France had been a Roman Catholic nation for centuries till in the middle 1500's, Protestantism spread throughout France and the Huguenots beliefs in God became prominent. The name Huguenot was applied to the Protestant believers in France during the 16th and 17th centuries. It's of uncertain derivation.

The Parliament of France outlined punishments for the Huguenots in 1560, such as the confiscation of property, imprisonment, and death, and over 1000 Huguenots were executed that same year. In the 10 years, the French government took up arms against the Protestants at least eight different times, and thousands of them were put to death.

Catherine de Medici, the queen mother, seeing that the persecution of the Huguenots had only served to unite the Protestants; devised diabolical plan, to massacre of all the Protestant believers in the Kingdom. She set aside August 24 and 25, 1572 which was to be celebrated as St Bartholomews birthday, and gave orders for the bell to be rung in the tower of the palace at midnight, as a signal for the beginning of a grand and joyful celebration. At this time, 70,000 Protestant men, women, and children were martyred for their faith. Catherine de Medici found the growing Huguenot influence over her son Charles, the French king, frightening; and accordingly, she instigated the plot to assassinate the Protestant leader Coligny that led to his death and the deaths of an estimated 50,000 other Huguenots in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572). She ordered Huguenot leaders (who were in Paris for a wedding) killed.

When the Catholic authorities learned of the tremendous success of the St. Bartholomew Massacre, the queen received congratulations and Pope Gregory XIII commanded that bonfires to be lit, and a procession to the church of St Louis be held, and he proclaimed a year of jubilee. Cannons roared—bells chimed, and a commemorative medal was coined. Italian artist Vasari was commissioned to paint a mural of the Massacre, and it hangs today in the Rome's Vatican!"

The Cardinal of Lorraine presented the messenger who brought the news to Rome with a thousand pieces of gold and exclaimed that the King's heart had been filled with a sudden inspiration from God when he ordered the massacre (Smedley, History of the Reformed Religion in France, 1834, II, p. 36).

"The pope and his Cardinals proceeded at once to the High Altar, after the dispatches from Paris had been read in Conclave, to offer thanks for 'the great blessing which Heaven vouchsafed to the Roman See and to all Christendom. Salvoes of artillery thundered at nightfall from the ramparts of St. Angelo; the streets were illuminated; and no victory ever achieved by the arms of the Pontificate elicited more tokens of festivity. The pope also, as if resolved that an indestructible evidence of the perversion of moral feeling which Fanaticism necessarily generates should be transmitted to posterity, gave orders for the execution of a commemorative Medal' (Smedley, II, p. 35). "This medal, an original of which can be seen in the British Museum.

Within one week, almost 100,100 Protestants perished. The rivers of France were so filled with corpses that the people stopped eating fish. In the Loire Valley, wolves left the hills and wandered into villages to feed on the decaying corpses. The massacres continued from that point on. It was during this time period, in 1575; that Jean Gaudet was born in Martaize, France.

By 1662 the number of Protestants in France had grown to over one million; in 1685 Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes and made Protestantism illegal, with the result that more than 400,000 fled, and sought refuge in neighboring countries, where there was greater religious toleration.

The following year after Jean Baptiste dit LeBreton Prejean was born, (1561) civil war broke out in over these religious differences between the Catholic church and the Huguenots. Etienne Hebert was approximately 30 years old, and living in La Haye, Descarte, Balesne, France. Some twenty percent or 1/5th of France were Protestants out of a general population of 16 million people. As persecutions continued unabated, "French citizens were imprisoned—and some were sent to work as galley slaves, to row the King's ships. Others were able to flee into —and some were able to neighboring countries. The persecutions continued for centuries, with religious fugitives fleeing into Germany, Switzerland, England, Ireland and eventually America. Wars, pestilence and wars ultimate ruin and poverty led to the French Revolution, with Reign of Terror, guillotine, and the fall of the Roman Catholic Monarchy with it's elitism. Rome had used fear to rule the world, denouncing and anathematizing whole nations that they could not bend to their will. Now true Christian faith had arisen in the hearts of the people of France!

THE REVOCATION OF THE EDICT OF NANTES:

"The Huguenots won a short period of relief from persecution with the ascension of Henry IV to the throne. The Edict of Nantes gave full freedom to his Protestants subjects. The signing of this Edict inaugurated an era of peace and great prosperity for France. However, for granting his subjects liberty of conscience, the king was stabbed to death by a Jesuit named Ravaillac. When the Edict of Toleration was revoked in 1685, Matthieu Duon had been married for 35 years, when the renewed storm of persecution that ensued, must have been of concern to he and his family, living in St. Nizier. Soon an exodus began again with over a million Huguenots fleeing France to avoid certain torture and death."

The Edict of Nantes (1598) said that Catholicism was the official religion of France, but Huguenots were allowed to worship in their own castles and a few other places. Things were fairly peaceful for the next twenty years. The royal houses of Europe were visited by God, in an incredible spiritual awakening. Some, like King Herod, in the bible story of the birth of Jesus; feared and fought this revival. But no one needed God so much as these royal houses, as the destiny of nations hung in the balance. Others gave their lives for it, and their blood sinking into the ground cries still like the blood of Abel.

As the scriptures state: "The people that sat in darkness saw a great light." So glorious and brilliant was this light and this reformation work. So severe was the persecution against it, that hundreds of men, women and children, families imperiled by the years of inquisition; set sail for new lands. They immigrated to every continent. These families included various members of the royal families of Spain, Italy, France and Portugal who exchanged their royal status, to journey as strangers to a strange land, and to choose to live as peasants filled with the knowledge of God. In our family, there are some 25 dukes, duchesses, princes, princesses, kings, queens and other royal ancestors, through the linege of Francois Savoie and Catherine LeJeune.

The scriptures tell us: "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great riches and hatred therewith." (Proverbs)

One of these spiritual refuges was a land called Acadia, or L'Acadie in French. Here is the story of what happened. In the geneology pages here, you can read of the royal courts of several nations who put their families aboard ships, to send them to the spiritual haven in the land of Acadia. A place where they could know and worship God.

All came to Acadia for a new life, with a renewed opportunity, a hope, faith a dream and a vision to know the salvation of the Almighty God that brought them safely to these coasts of Acadia. Those who chose to be were a "gospel seed" in this new land.

Among their names, you will discover that many of those that lived in France prior to their immigration, had ancestral lineges going back also to Spain, Portugal, and Italy. In this new land, was the freedom to know the great God and Saviour who says within the scriptures that "Where ever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst."

Cathedrals of Europe were emptied, or severely depleted; as families came to the Atlantic maritime coasts of Canada and eastern Maine; to meet and worship the God of their fathers in homes where there was religious freedom. Which fathers? The apostles of the Lamb, and others who believed in the holy and prophetic scriptures and by commandment given them on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38, Repented, were baptized every one in the name of Jesus Christ; and who received the gift of the Holy Spirit."

There was a river of life among these Europeans who modeled themselves after the apostolic believers of the early New Testament church, obeying the apostles doctrines from their heart. (Acts 8:16, Acts 10:46-48, Acts 19:5) This was the choice vine God planted in Europe to bring forth the new wine of His revival Spirit, and to preach the salvation which comes by the blood of the cross of Christ, freely bringing salvation, healing and deliverance to all men, who will recieve God's gracious gift.

THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS:

Various groups helped to make up these colonies. There were Catholics. Some were French Huguenots, and Quakers. Many of these were Catholics and others who had come into reformation doctrine, while still in Europe.

Among these God raised up apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to disciple the people to the precious truthes of God's word. The priests remember, were not the only educated people of the day. Many of these people came from the wealthy families in Europe, and could read the bibles being printed, study and write literature themselves to propagate their faith. Some were Jewish families that had survived the expulsions under the Inquisition. Others were French Camisards, many of these, black. The French leader of the Camisards, Jean Cavalier; fought for the Duke of Savoy. By the grace of God, some returned to Europe, others were deported to Louisiana and Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the American colonies, to finish the work God had begun.

Where Do Acadians Come From?

Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer, claimed the land of maritime provinces in Canada, including Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, (Ile St. Jean) New Brunswick, Quebec, and including eastern Maine. Named Acadie by Jean Verrazano, for it's groves of trees, it was also called L'Acadie by the French, who longed to colonize it with settlements filled with their own people.

The first European colony, which was named Port Royale; came into being in 1604. There were three major Indian tribes in the area when the French arrived, 4,000 Micmacs, mostly in Nova Scotia, 5,000 Maliseet in New Brunswick, and 10,000 Abenakis in Maine. In 1621, James the First of England gave a grant to Sir William Alexander of the territory of Acadia. In 1630, the Sieur de Razilly received a commission to found a settlement in the area now known as Nova Scotia. Eager colonists from various places in France joined him in this endeavor, numbering approximately 300 men and 12-15 women. Germain Doucet, who had been born in Brie; was a captain at arms in 1640.

The poem written and published in 1847, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow entitled "Evangeline," which features a young Acadian couple named Gabriel and Evangeline; portrays the immigration, colonization, and eventual tragic expulsion and deportation from the country of the people of L'Acadie.

The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 gave the land to the British, and as they took possession, 10,000 Acadians were rounded up, their lands confiscated, homes and barns burned, by the British. When the Acadians refused to affirm their allegiance to the British Crown, authorities shipped them off to British colonies. Enroute to these settlement, conditions for these Acadian deportees were wretched. Food rations rotted, some starved to death, and there was a smallpox outbreak aboard. Some of these sailing vessels unseaworthy as they were, sank sending 650 men women and children to a watery grave. Others of the L'Acadie diaspora, landed on distant shores, only to discover upon arrival that new sufferings awaited them. Some were taken and placed in dank, dark prisons cells in various ports of entry, such as was the fate of Pierre Doucet and his family, who were eventually released and made their way to St. Malmo, France. In fact in the 1760's, 576 Acadians arrived ay Cherbourg, LaRochelle, Rochefort and St. Malmo. The settlement at Poitou was flourishing, but news of the Acadian villages in Louisiana reached their ears, and 8 families left St. Malmo for Jersey Island. Other families went to Rouen, Caen, La Rochelle, Nantes and Bordeau. The Doucet family origins as we know them; were in Brie, so perhaps they returned there. Ship lists record that in the American British colonies, they were sent to New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana, and are now commonly referred to as "Cajun," a corruption of the word Acadian.

Their deportation continued unabated for 8 years. Many of the exiles who survived, following the expulsion, married, had children and with their faith in God's faithfulness renewed, expanded their horizons, colonizing new terroritories for the glory of God. There were some from nearly every settlement in the whole Atlantic region, who escaped the deportatiiion process, either by hiding themselves and family members, or fleeing into other areas of Canada. As our ancestral line through Jean Charles Corporon indicates, the Savoies, who although they lived in regions such as Burgandy, France; (1291) and Vincennes (1402) Martaize, (1621) and Switzerland, (1040) had forebears born in Spain, Portugal and Italy, for hundreds of years. This includes Spanish royalty such as Philip I of Spain born 22 June 1478 in Bruges, Spanish Flanders in the 15th century; and Tomasco Francesco, Prince of Savoy Carignan Torino, Italy born 21 Dec 1596; back to Constantinople, Turkey.

Acadia, Jean Prejean dit LeBreton was the first to come to Acadia. He married Andree Marguerite Savoie, and settled not far from Port Royale on the west bank of the Annapolis River, near the present day town of paradise. At the time of the expulsion in 1755, there were many Savoies households which descended from Francois Savoie, who was born in Poitou, France in 1621, and Catherine Lejeune.

Further back in the Savoie family tree is a brave woman named "Anne Marie Louise d'Orleans,(1627-1693) who was the daughter duc Gaston d'Orleans and his first wife Marie de Bourbon. She is known in history as Mademoiselle de Montpensier or Great Mademoiselle.See: de Bourbon/Clermont at the top of the page.

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