...from the Great-Branch of 'Joseph & Théogenie Thérriault' [MRIN 13] [VERSION FRANÇAISE] Lineage 1. Jehan 2. Claude 3. Germain 4. Claude 5. Joseph I 6. Charles 7. Charles 8. Dolphis 9. Joseph II Migration:  Acadia... St Lawrence... Madawaska... With the exception of Jehan who was born in France, the first four generations in this branch were born, raised and buried in Acadia. Journey of the Fifth Generation. Joseph I, of the 5th generation, was born around 1719 in Rivière aux Canards, Acadia where he was raised. He later moved to the more prosperous settlement of Beaubassin where he married Agnès Cormier in 1745. With the burning of Beaubassin in 1750 and the worsening conflicts with the English, he decided to leave his homeland and migrate with his wife and his six children to the Montmagny area on the Saint Lawrence River in 1759. After their daughter Catherine was born in January, they departed on their trek westward to the St-John River then continuing north to Québec. They arrived in the Montmagny area around November of 1759 where they baptized infant Catherine at the parish of Saint François de Sales de la Rivière du Sud in Montmagny. After several years, Joseph and Agnès eventually received a grant of land where he settled on the Côtes des Chênes in St-Jean-Port-Joli. Today, a monument is erected in their honor by the Association des familles Thériault d'Amérique. Théogenie Ouellet and Joseph II Thériault in their wedding day pose The next three generations, generations 5 (Joseph) through 7 (Charles II) stayed in the St-Lawrence area until Charles II of the 7th generation decided to migrate to the St-John River Valley to settle in present-day St-Jacques, New Brunswick. Around 1821-1822, Joseph's grandson Charles  II married Marie Léocade Gauvin in Sainte-Anne de la Pocatière and together, they  migrated south to the Upper Saint-John Valley in the Saint-Basile parish area (present-day area of Saint-Jacques on the Madawaska River). Charles was the first francophone to settle on the Madawaska River in the Madawaska territory. Their children included:  Dolphis (1823-1887), and Prudent (1825- ). His son, Dolphis, later was one of the founders of the new village of Saint-Jacques who helped build the first Catholic Church in that town in 1873. Prior to the church being built, Dolphis and his wife, Christine Sophie Soucy opened their home for Sunday Holy Mass. Dolphis died in 1887 and was buried in the Saint-Jacques Cemetery. Their children included: Vital (1856-1907), Michel (1857-1919), Joseph II (1858-1915), Pélagie (1860-1931), Claudia (1861), and Adolphe (1862-aft 1928).   The family of Joseph II Thériault in front of their home in Saint-Jacques in 1905. Joachim, the second oldest son who was 19 at the time of this photo is not shown in this photo, as well as  Almida who would not be born for another three years. The young children standing in front are, left to right: Antoine (5 years), Christine (3 years), Delia (2 years) and Flavie (7 years) standing at the far right. The adults standing behind are, left to right: Regis (20 years), Edith (17 years), Joseph (47 years), Delphine (15 years) and Théogénie (41 years). Although the family oral history tells us that the elder lady sitting in the center is Caroline Plourde Rousseau, wife of David Rousseau, we know that Caroline died in 1898. We believe that the elder woman is Élodie Plourde, youngest spinster sister of Caroline. Joseph and Théogenie had 13 children. Dolphis' son, Joseph II learned the technology of building and operating mills whether for lumber, flour (grist) mill or wool while growing up in Moulin Morneault. He became one of a very few mill builders and operators who helped develop the lumber industry of the area by working with the Philias and Charles Morneault families to develop and expand the mills first built by Pierre Plourde in Moulin Mourneault of Saint Jacques. In 1882, Joseph II married Théogenie Ouellet, daughter of Ben and Elisabeth Thériault of Rivière du Loup. Four years earlier, Elisabeth had remarried to Pierre Plourde following the death of her first husband, Ben. After the wedding, Elisabeth and her adult children still living with her, moved in with Pierre, in St-Joseph. Elisabeth was also a member of the Theriault family, a great-grand-daughter of Joseph I which made her and her new husband third cousins. Pierre Plourde and Jean Saint-Onge, both brothers-in-law of Charles  II Thériault, joined Charles on the Madawaska River 3-4 years after Charles first settled in 1821-1822. Pierre was the first to build a mill in the area around 1845. His mill on the Iroquois River in present-day Moulin Morneault, was the mill that the Morneault brothers and Joseph  II Thérriault later expanded and operated until the 1950's. Pierre Plourde's mills were important to everyone in the region but especially to the families of Pascal Morneault and Dolphis Thériault whose lives became an integral part of those mills. At some point, some of the family members lost their lives working at the mills. In 1907, Vital, elder son of Dolphis and brother of Joseph II was crushed while installing a millstone at the Charles Morneault grist mill. Charles Morneault was married to Dolphis' elder daughter, Pélagie. Joachim Thériault, son of Joseph II in 1905. Joachim married Annie Madore from the parish of Sainte-Luce (present-day Upper Frenchville) across the Saint-John River, from his home in Saint-Hilaire. They had  13 living children. He died in 1947. It was around that time in 1907, that Joseph and Théogenie moved to Baker Brook about a mile east of the village center where Nathan Baker built the first mill in the Madawaska territory in 1817. There, Joseph built a new water-driven saw and flour mill. The last of Joseph and Théogenie's twelve children were born in their home in Baker Brook. His children included (by order of birth): Régis (1885-1959), Joachim (1886-1947), Édithe (1888-1962), Delphine (1890-1971), Dénis (1891-1901), Charles III (1894-bef 1901), Lévite (18951897), Flavie (1898-1952), Antoine (1900-1974), Christine (1902-1982), Delia (1903-1991), Almida (1908-1955). Joseph's health started to deteriorate around 1912-1913 when he was around 54 years old. Joseph decided to turn his mill over to his son, Joachim. Joseph's elder son, Régis was not interested in the milling trade and had decided to join his uncle, Adolphe Thériault in Nashua, NH. Joachim had just married in 1909 and was working for the Frazer Mill in Baker-Brook. Joseph died soon after on 19 July, 1915 as the sounds of World War I were heard in Europe. Théogenie continued to live in their home in Baker Brook for seven years when she and her remaining adult children moved in with one of their daughters, Flavie, who had recently married and was also living in Baker Brook. Theogenie lived on until 1952. The family of Joachim Thériault in 1950. Joachim had died three years before in 1947. Back row: Thaddée, Adrien, Thérese, Théodule, Jeanine, George, Félix; Front row: Rita, Annette, Denis, Soeur Thériault (Marie-Ange) R.H.S.J., Annie (mother), Léanne, and Georgette. Joachim continued to expand and operate the Theriault mill through the '20's and '40's. Soon after accepting the mill from his father, Joachim converted it to steam to increase the capacity and power of the mill. Unlike the water-driven mill which could not operate in the winter, the steam-driven mill could operate year-round. In 1925 when the mission parish of Saint Coeur de Marie decided to build a church, it was Joachim and his transportable milling equipment that produced the foundation beams. The finish lumber for the church was also milled by Joachim at his mill. Around 1937, Joachim's elder sons, first Thaddée, then Dénis operated the mill for about five years. In 1943, Joachim sold the mill to the Couturier family who operated and further developed the mill for several decades after. Although much larger than in Joachim's day, the mill continues in operation today. Joachim died in 1947 at the age of 61 after a lifetime of service to the people of Saint Jacques and Baker Brook. In his last years, Joachim and his wife worked at the Poor Houses of St. Hilaire and later, of Baker Brook. Joseph Ralph Theriault is a 12th generation great-grandson of Jehan Terriault and our Delegate for the Joseph & Théogenie Theriault Great-Branch.