Up For A Challenge?

[R. Joshua Myers]

I never got these results before with any other name. I type in "Antoine Desmarias" in any kind of a search, and if I get anything, I get one match. Should be easy, right? Antoine was born in 1835 in Canada, France(?) Google that location! Antoine died November 18, 1900, and was buried in St.-Jean-Baptiste, Quebec. Antoine had two daughters: Elizabeth and Roseanna born in Gilbertville (Canada? US? It didn't say!) I got all this off of FamilySearch. Do you see the problem? The only thing holding these isolated facts together is Antoine's unusual name. Roseanna tends to get two hits. I can't tell whether it's one Roseanna I'm looking at or two. How can I be sure there's only one Antoine? Antoine, by the way, is my great-great grandfather, and Roseanna, my great grandmother, because she had a child, Roseanna Myers, born Aug. 1897 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts with my great grandfather, Joseph Myers, an Englishman born May 10, 1868 or 9 in Millom, Cumberland, UK, who came to the U.S. around 1885. Can you help me put the Canadian/New England story together? Once Joseph and Roseanna reach Philadelphia, PA, they leave a large, rather obvious footprint, but what happened beforehand up north is a bit vague. Thanks,  Josh

[Lynne EnZed]

Hi Josh

The name seems to be more commonly spelled DESMARAIS - A-I not I-A.

Hope it helps.

Kind regards and God bless you,
Lynne

[Lisaw]

Hi Joshua,

I'm getting several hits for Antoine Demarais in Quebec in the Drouin collection, different ones I'm pretty sure. There is one of interest to you as he is born 1835-1837.
This image won't size up for me & I can't read it. Would someone else be so kind as to read what it says.
I'll see what else I can find.

Went & looked again & it looks like his parents could be Antoine & Charlotte....its hard to read.

Cordially,
Lisa

[gracie23]

There are several "Antoine Desmarais" born around that time in the Drouin collection in Canada.
I can tell you that the death info you have listed here may be incorrect. That record in 1900 St. Jean Baptiste shows that death is for a six month old young girl Antoinette, daughter of Antoine Desmarais and looks like Melanie Ann Bitiste.

I'll try and find some birth records for you for Elizabeth and Rosanna, but Lisa is correct, some of them are very hard to read.

Would you happen to know the name of Antoine's wife?

Deb

[Lisaw]

Did Antoine have any more children or just the 2 girls?

Do you have an approximate birth date for either one of them?

Thanks,
Lisa

[Lisaw]

Karen:

did you find the birth record I was talking about & can you read it? My monitor shorted out on me & I'm using a 14" monitor now....reading anything that isn't very clear is a challenge!

Lisa

[Lynne EnZed]

Hi again

There is a *Rosene* DESMARAIS on the 1880 Census on familysearch in Hardwick, Worcester, Massachusetts (Gilbertville is also in Worcester County) aged 6 so born about 1874, which fits with *Rosane* MYER's records on later census records in Philadelphia, PA that said she was born about 1874/75 in Massachusetts.

*Rosene* is the daughter of *Anthony* and Lucy DESMARAIS.

Anthony was born in Canada about 1838 and Lucy about 1836, also in Canada.

They had 6 children, all born in Massachusetts (no Elizabeth) - Lucy 17, Ulali (girl) 15, Anthony 14, Deline 9, Rosene 6, and Joseph 4. Anthony and the three older children worked in a woollen mill.

I do not have a subscription to the census records but if someone else can look please in the later records there might be further information that could help, like when *Anthony* and Lucy immigrated to the US. Thanks.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards and God bless you,
Lynne

[Lisaw]

Is that your public tree on a major genealogy site? If not, there is one & it contains alot of info.

Lisa

[R. Joshua Myers]

Deb, The death I gave you is probably incorrect. It sounds like I found a copy error. All I know from oral family history is Aintoine's and Rosanna's names. The rest came out of search engines, and didn't add up. I am positive only about the birth of Roseanna Myers to Joseph Myers and Roseanna Desmarais, because it fits the oral history and everything I got off the search engine concerning their residence in Philadelphia, PA. Lisa, Elizabeth and all my birthdates came from the search engine. Oh, Lisa, I can't read a handwritten document with 400% zoom and a hand-held magnifying glass. It all looks as bad as if I wrote it! Lynne, I think you have the family in that 1880 Census. We can trust the Philadelphia records, and Anthony is how an American would write Antoine, or the name Antoine would take if he americanized his name to fit in. It also puts the family in the vicinity of Roseanna Myers' birth. I'm satisfied that that's them. You know how you get that feeling where it adds up or it doesn't add up? Well, it wasn't adding up for me, and now it does. Thank you so much for the help.  Josh