THE FAMILY:
André Gagnon married Rosalie Gagné the 21st of January, 1856, at St-Jean d'Iberville.  André was the son of Ambroise Gagnon and Archange Beaudoin.  Rosalie was the daughter of François Gagné and Charlotte Many.  At the time of their wedding, Andrè was 27 years old, and Rosalie was 20 years old.  Andrè arrived in St-Malo in 1864 with his wife and his parents.  They took the train from St-Jean up to Cookshire, then they continued on foot to East-Clifton and finally St-Malo.  This family counts numerous descendants in L'Estrie.

THE PARISH:
Saint-Malo is a charming town at the top of a hill in the middle of green fields.  This parish, in the canton of Auckland, is situated to the southeast of Sherbrooke, a few kilometers from the border of New Hampshire.  Since the people of Auckland had their beginning around 1851, the canonical erection of Saint-Malo only took place in 1863.

We see now which information the census records can furnish us about the family of André and Rosalie.  In the records of 1871, we find them on Row 6 / Lot 4 of the Canton of Auckland.  André is at that time 42 years old and is a farmer.  Rosalie is 35 years old.  The family already has 8 children: André (15), François (13), Théophile (11), Joseph (7), Edmond (6), Mélanie (5), Dina (2), and Wilfrid (10 months).  Ambroise Gagnon is 84 years old and his wife, Archange, 70 years old, lived at their son's home.

They are owners of 200 arpents of land, (arpents = a measure of land area) of which 50 have been developed and 20 are pasture land.  They have a house and a barn to shelter the animals.  Their equipment is limited to a cart and a plow.

The family harvests especially barley (120 minots in 1870), (a "minot" is a division of land), buckwheat (100 minots) and potatoes (200 minots).  It is interesting to note that for at least one generation, the cultivation of wheat had practically disappeared and, given the rarity of flour, the consumption of potatoes became more important than that of bread.  The family owned a few animals of which were a horse, four BETES A CORNES ("horned beasts": rams??), three sheep, and three pigs.  Furthermore, three milk cows furnished milk and butter (100 livres). (Livres = a weight measure).

One notices that the agricultural production of the family of André strives for the greatest self-sufficiency.  We try to follow the activities of the family according to the seasons.

During the winter of 1870, André worked on the wooded lands with the aid of his sons.  They cleared more than 4000 cubic feet of thorn brush, sawing about 15 blocks of wood and cut more than 25 cords of wood for heating purposes.  During this time, his wife Rosalie, abandoning her daily chores, produced a great quantity of fabric (33 shanks / batches) from sheep's wool. This fabric will be turned into winter clothing.

Spring has now arrived.  The first activity of André consists of cutting into the maple trees.  The maple sugar often represents the only sugar available.  In 1870, André produced more than 150 livres.  Then, before the heat arrived, it was time to shear the sheep.  Thus, they harvest 22 livres of wool, which will serve Rosalie in the creation of fabric essential to the family.

Summer is the period of a large amount of hard work where everyone is actively employed.  The milking of the cows, plowing, harrowing, and planting.  On 20 arpents one harvests the hay necessary to winter the animals (about 8 tons).  Then barley and buckwheat are ready for harvest.  They complete with 3 minots which will serve to make moulee. (Grain for the mill: fodder or meal?).

Autumn has now arrived with its days which are much shorter, announcing the great cold which will be coming.  They can count on a great harvest of potatoes.  Before the holidays, they will butcher animals; two pigs will furnish meat: ham, sausage, black pudding, and even the fat is used for cooking and for making soap.

What became of André and Rosalie during the years following?  In 1881, there were 9 children, of which 7 were boys, living in the house.  As was the custom, the eldest worked with the parents.  Only the four youngest ones went to school.  Furthermore, André kept his parents at home: Ambroise (94 years old) and Archange (80 years old).

Ten years later, André abandoned agriculture and turned over the land to his son Edmond, at whose home he lived with his wife.  Now he is 62 years old and Rosalie is 55.  The two know how to read and write as do all of their children and many of their neighbors, which shows the great progress that education had achieved in the parish.  Rosalie is noted as being deaf and mute.