MATERNAL GENEALOGY - CATHERINE BAILLON

Catherine Baillon is my 9th G Grandmother.

She was the 6th G Grandmother to my G Grandfather, André Breau (born November 30, 1882 in Tracadie, New Brunswick), thereby merging the French Canadian (New France intially, later Québec) line into the French Acadian line, for it is the Breau line (maternal Grandmother) that goes all the way back to Vincent Brault (born about 1631 in France) and Marie Bourg (born about 1645), progenitors of the lineage.

There is a web site dedicated to Catherine Baillon and the Royal Connection Research Association. John P. DuLong is responsible for posting the information at this site.

Many people of French-Canadian ancestry can claim descent from Catherine Baillon. She was the daughter of Alphonse de Baillon, écuyer, and Louise de Marle. She was born around 1645, probably near Montfort-l'Amaury, Île-de-France, outside of Paris. Her parents were members of the minor French nobility. She came to New France around 1669 as a fille du roi (daughter of the King), meaning an immigrant bride royal officials would send over to the colony to marry a settler. She married Jacques Miville dit Deschênes on 12 November 1669 at Québec City. Together they had six children. Catherine died on 27 January 1688 at Rivière-Ouelle.

After many years of difficult research, and the expense of thousands of dollars, the Association has been brought to closure with the publication of their findings in an article and in a book. The Association has been able to trace Catherine Baillon's ancestry back, generation-by-generation, with accurate documentation and citations, to Charlemagne, the emperor of the western Holy Roman Empire, through the Le Bouteillier-Gavre gateway, and Theodoros II Dukas Lascaris, the emperor of the eastern Byzantine Empire, though the Chabot-Lascaris de Vintimlle gateway.

Although they still maintain contact with one another, and keep abreast of our various research projects, the Association is no longer officially in operation. This web site will continue to be maintained to act as a clearinghouse for information about Catherine Baillon and further research done to trace her ancestry.

The article summarizing the Le Bouteillier-Gavre gateway back to Charlemagne and rejecting the previously held Bournel de Thiembronne gateway was published in 1997.

The full citation is:

Jetté, René, John P. DuLong, Roland-Yves Gagné, and Gail F. Moreau. "De Catherine Baillon à Charlemagne." Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française 48:3 (Autumn 1997):190-216.

This article was translated into English and published as:

René Jetté, John P. DuLong, Roland-Yves Gagné, and Gail F. Moreau. "From Catherine Baillon to Charlemagne." American-Canadian Genealogist 25:4 (Fall 1999): 170-200.

The price of the book, Table d'ascendance de Catherine Baillon (12 générations) is $32.00 CDN or $32.00 US. Americans have to add $7.00 US for shipping. Canadians must add $7.00 CDN for shipping plus 7 percent for the GST tax. You can visit the SGCF website or write them at:

Société généalogique canadienne-française
3440, rue Davidson
Montréal, Québec H1W 2Z5
CANADA

To answer the inevitable question, the book is, of course, in French. However, there is an introductory chapter in English explaining the layout of the book and this should help you navigate the material. There are over 200 pages, hundreds of notes, several detailed proofs, illustrations, and three maps, and three appendixes. You will find enough information about your ancestors to keep you busy for days reading and analyzing the data. This book is the result of over ten years of work on the part of five genealogists.

Ascending Lineage from Catherine Baillon to Charlemagne can be viewed by clicking on highlighted link.

Ascending Lineage from Catherine Baillon to Theodorus II Dukas Lascaris can be viewed by clicking on highlighted link.

ANCESTRAL ROOTS

I am proud to be able to say that I am able to trace my roots back to the original Acadian settlers of early Acadie. All individuals of Acadian and Cajun descent will find themselves able to retrace their roots back to this same earliest group of hardy men and women who were willing to brave a new world for themselves and their families.

I, myself, am a direct descendant of Germain Doucet, also known as Sieur de LaVerdure. As a current and upstanding member of Les Doucet du Monde, it is my hope that we will grow in phenomenal numbers as we rediscover long-lost cousins.

Old genealogists never die; they just haunt cemeteries and lose their census. Guess this about sums up my current hobby.

As a Special Education teacher I know how important documentation is. Combine this with my insatiable passion for history and you end up with an obsessive amateur genealogist.

My husband has coined a name for me that fits exceedingly well; namely, Web Ghoul.

I more than live up to the title!