..........David

The David lineage is certainly one of the most intriguing of our family.  In my research I came across several other family trees that contained many of the same individuals that I was confirming in our tree.  As I continued to develop this “parallel” path, I was able to contact the author of one of the largest David family trees I found, whose research had included many members of our own David family in Canada.  Clark Callear had been researching this information for many years.  While I have been content in my research to stop in the 1500s and 1600s, Clark’s research went considerably beyond that, and surfaced  several very interesting points about the David family.  Clark has detailed much of this information in a document entitled; Our Hebrew & Huguenot Heritage. 

 

I have included this document as an attachment (Exhibit 013) for your review.  For the purposes of our “Lorion Family Tree,” I will take the David lineage to the same time period in France as the other three legs of our family. 

Huguenot Massacre

There may be, I believe, sufficient evidence that much of what Clark and other genealogists have uncovered about the Hebrew and Huguenot heritage of the David family may be true. Huguenots were being persecuted by French Catholics around the late -1500s and 1600s.  Some were given permission to leave for Canada in exchange for converting to the Catholic faith, and Guillaume David was confirmed in Québec on 10 Aug 1659 at the age of 23, raising the possibility that he was one of those “converts”. 

 

As for the Hebrew heritage documented by Clark, I will leave that assessment up to the individual reader. 

Bracquemont, Normandie, France

Our journey will begin with Blaise-Didier David, born around 1595 in Notre Dame, Bracquemont, Dieppe, Normandie, France.  In 1620 he married Flavie Morel in De Notre Dame Bracquemont Diocese de Rouen Normandie.  Bracquemont is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France, a farming village situated in the Pays de Caux east of the neighboring town of Dieppe.  Huge cliffs overlooking the English Channel form the commune’s northern border.  Blaise and Flavie had about eight children before Flavie passed away in 1632.  Sometime after Flavie’s death it appears that Blaise-Didier moved across the country to southern France to Pézenas, Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France. Pézenas is a commune in the Hérault département in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.  It borders Spain on one side and the Mediterranean to the south.  Blaise died in June 1662 in this area of southern France.  Many of his children would eventually emigrate to Canada. 

Guillaume (William) David (1631-1711), born in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Bracquemont at Rouen in Normandy, came to New France around 1656.  He married Marie Armand, also originating from Rouen.  According to the Drouin genealogical records there is no evidence that they were married in Canada so it is likely that they married in France before traveling to Canada.  Marie Armand’s name is shown on a list of women called Filles a Marrier (see Exhibit 002) who traveled from France to Canada between the late 1630s and 1650, implying that she was already in Canada when Guillaume arrived, or that she had returned to France after a short stay in Canada.  According to the immigration records Guillaume is listed on the manifest as having arrived in New France in 1657 with his wife Marie Armand.  Those same records also show that they were accompanied by Guillaume’s two brothers Claude and Jacques as well as Marie’s brother Laurent Armand.     

 Our first real evidence of Guillaume David living in New France is the baptism of his and Marie’s son Jacques in Trois-Rivières on October 23, 1657.  From 1659 to 1666 they lived in Québec City and there are records of baptisms of several of his children in the registers of the lower town.  On 10 August 1659 Guillaume David and Marie Armand received their confirmation in Québec City.  Guillaume and Marie had at least six children: Jacques, Anne, Marguerite, Marie Anne, Madeleine, and Marie Angelique.  In 1674 Guillaume was living in Sorel, Québec, where he was given a land grant by the Sieur de Saurel. Guillaume frequently traveled to New England, where he was involved in the lucrative fur trade with the English and the Dutch. His son Jacques and his son-in-law Pierre Montarras accompanied him during many of these trips.  Pierre would eventually emigrated to the British colonies with his wife Marguerite. Their descendants are still located in the New England area under the name of Montrose.

 

Tarrytown, New York c.1828

Guillaume and Marie moved to New York around 1678 with several of their children, some of whom went on to establish themselves as founding members of the communities in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, New York.  They would eventually change their name to Davids, possibly due to the Dutch influence in the region at the time.  This is the first known instance of any of our ancestors living in the country that would eventually become the United States of America.  At this, a full 100 years before the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence.

Our other ancestors - beginning with Jacques David - remained in Canada until immigrating to Massachusetts in 1882.  Guillaume and Marie apparently returned to La Rochelle, France later in life as they were listed on the census there in 1711.
Jacques David (1657-1708) was born 23 October 1657 in Trois Rivieres, QC, although he also resided in Varennes and Boucherville.  Jacques became a master toolmaker and blacksmith.  He was also a fur trader, trading with the region in New York where his parents, Guillaume David and Marie Armand, and several of his siblings had settled after leaving Québec, and where the family name was modified to Davids.  Around 1681 Jacques was arrested with his partner René Faure in Montréal by the order of the County of Frontenac for fur trade with the Dutch.  He underwent a lengthy trial and was imprisoned in Québec. Finally amnestied by King Louis XIV, he settled at Boucherville in the seigneury of Pierre Boucher, a friend of his father.

Sainte Famille

In 1690, Jacques was at the head of a forge of Coppersmiths and was married to, Catherine Lussier, a daughter of one of the first families of Boucherville.  Jacques’ occupation was listed as a maitre-taillandier, taillandier being a traditional craft of manufacturing sharp tools such as scissors, shears, and axes for artisans, farmers, and hunters.  Catherine was born on 20 January 1677 in Boucherville. She was the daughter of Jacques Lussier and Catherine Clerice (a Fille du Roi).   Jacques David and Catherine Lussier had 11 children together, all of whom were baptized in Boucherville. At least three of Jacques and Catherine’s children died in infancy, including son Jean, who died at age 1 month in 1703, and twins Pierre and Charlotte, who died at age 2 weeks in 1707. Daughter Marie Therese died in 1698 at around age 9, and another daughter, Marie Ursule, died in 1715 at age 7.  Jacques David died in Boucherville on 29 October 1708 at the age of 51 and was buried the next day.  The Boucherville parish register shows that at his burial, one of the witnesses was Pierre Boucher, Seigneur de Boucherville, as well as two other Seigneurs.  This would indicate that he was held in very high regard within his community.

Jacques David (1693-1727) was born to Jacques and Catherine on 28 October 1693.  He was baptized the next day at the church of Sainte Famille in Boucherville.  On 22 Jun 1716 Jacques married Marie Madeleine Dagenais in Basilique Notre-Dame in Montreal QC.  Marie was the daughter of Pierre Dagenais and Marie Drouet.  Jacques was 22 years old at the time and Marie 18.  Jacques and Marie Madelaine settled in Boucherville where they raised their children.  Marie Madelaine gave birth to ten children, but only three of them would survive to become adults.  Jacques passed away at the young age of 33 in Montreal on 13 Oct 1727.  After his death, Marie Madelaine married Pierre Martineau on 11 May 1733 in St Laurent.  Marie Madelaine passed away on 1 May 1776.



Jacques David (1718-1793), Jacques and Marie Madelaine’s second-born, was born 18 Feb 1718 in Boucherville, QC, where he spent his early years.  On 17 Jan 1746 Jacques married Marie Charlotte Pigeon in Sault au

Recollet, QC.  Marie was the daughter of Louis Pigeon and Marie Agnes Coron.  The young couple settled in the town of Sault au Recollet, where they raised their family.  Marie gave birth to eleven children, but only six of them would reach adulthood.  Jacques  passed away at the age of 75 on 11 Mar 1793.  His funeral was held at La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie in Sault-au-Récollet, the oldest church on the island of Montreal Canada.  Marie lived another ten years and passed away on 30 Apr 1803 at the age of 80.  The Church of La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie is a church in the neighborhood of Recollet Falls in Montreal. The oldest church on the island of Montreal, it was built between 1749 and 1752.

Jacques Amable David (1755-1834) was born to Jacques and Marie on 22 May 1755 in Sault au Recollet, Montreal Canada.  He was baptized the same day at La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie.  At age 23, Jacques Amable married Marie Angelique Corbeil Tranchemontagne.  Marie was 17 years old at the time.  She was the daughter of Paul Corbeil Tranchemontagne and Marie Angelique Bleau.  Jacques Amable and Marie had seven children before Marie passed away at the age of 26 on 10 Mar 1787.  Two of their children died as infants. Jacques Amable remarried on 19 May 1788 in Sault au Recollet to Marie Marguerite Lorrain, the daughter of Francois Lorrain and Marie Francois Degenais.  Marie Marguerite gave birth to an additional seven children for Jacques Amable, two of whom appear to have died as infants.  Jacques Amable died on 3 Sep 1834 at the age of 79.  His funeral would follow in two days at La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie in Sault-au-Récollet, Montreal Canada.

Louis Noel David (1782-1837) was born to Jacques Amable and Marie on Christmas Day, 25 December 1782 in Riviere des Prairies, QC.  The borough, located at the eastern tip of the Island of Montreal, is composed of the districts of Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles.  At the age of 27 Louis Noel married Marie Archange Colleret on 15 Oct 1810 in Montreal at La Visitation de la Bienheureuse Vierge Marie church.  Marie was 20 years old at the time and was the daughter of Francois Colleret and Josephte Racine.  .  Louis and Marie had eight children: Josephte, Joseph, Theotiste, Luc, Pierre, Jean Baptiste, Theophile, and Angele.  All eight would go on to marry.  Louis, whose  occupation was listed as a farmer, died at the age of 54 on 21 Aug 1837.  .  Louis Noel’s funeral was in Montreal at La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie (Sault-au-Récollet).  Some nine years later on 20 Oct 1846, Marie married Joseph Meunier, himself a widower.  At the age of 75, Marie passed away in Montreal.  Her funeral was held at Basilique Notre-Dame.

Joseph David (1815-1902) was born to Louis Noel and Marie in Laval, Québec on 26 Oct 1815 and baptized the next day at St-Vincent-de-Paul-de-l`Ile-Jésus.  Laval is located in southwestern Québec, north of Montreal, and  is Montreal’s largest suburb and the third largest municipality in the province of Québec.  At the age of 26, Joseph married Christine Guilbault in Sault-au-Récollet, Montreal, QC.  The marriage on 7 Feb 1842 was performed at La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie.  Christine was the daughter of Pierre Guilbault and Francoise Brault-Pomminville.  The 1851 and 1861 census from Montreal lists Joseph, Christine, and their children living in Sault aux Recollet.  Joseph’s occupation in the census is listed as a mason.  Joseph and Christine would have seven children.  With the advent of a more formal census begun in 1851 we have another method of following our family members through their lives.  Although the earlier census reports were rather sparse they became more detailed as the years went by.  In the case of Joseph and Christine we were able to follow them through the census years pretty much from 1851 through 1901. Christine died at the age of 66, but Joseph lived a long life, passing away at the age of 86 on 30 Jun 1902 in Montreal, Sault au Recollet.  His funeral was held at the longstanding family church of La Visitation de la Bienheureuse Vierge Marie.   

Emory David (1852-1937) was born to Joseph and Christine in Montreal Canada on 26 Jul 1852 and baptized the next day at La Visitation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie (Sault-au-Récollet).  Emory married Marie DeMontmorency on 21 April 1873 in Montreal, when both were about 20 years old. Marie was the daughter of Henri Montmorency and Marie Duperault.  Emory’s occupation was listed in the 1871 Canadian census as a mason.  By the next Canadian census, in 1881, he, Marie, and their son Joseph (4 months) were living in Montreal, in the area known as St Mary’s Ward.  Emory’s occupation continues to be listed as a mason.  In 1882 the family emigrated to the U.S., settling in Worcester Massachusetts.  Emory continued as a mason in his new country.

Emory and Marie gave birth to 17 children, according to the 1910 census.  That census included a question about how many children were born to this mother and how many are currently living.  Marie answered that she had given birth to 17 children and that 8 had survived.  Their second child, Amelia, was born 25 March 1883 in Worcester, becoming the first member of the David family born in the Worcester area. Another one of those children was my beloved grandmother Alberta “Bertha” David, born in Worcester on 1 Sep 1888.  The U.S. Census documentation will allow us to track Emory and his family over the next four decades.  It is primarily through the census documents that we know that Emory, Marie and Joseph (their first born) emigrated to the US in 1882.  The first census that the family would be present for is the 1890 census but as we described earlier, that census was nearly totally destroyed by a fire in Washington, DC.  Unfortunately, that leaves us with a nearly twenty year gap in the David’s history. 

By the 1900 census Emory and Marie were 47 years old and had eight children living with them on Norfolk Street in Worcester: Ernest (19), Amelia (17), Arthur (15), Eva (13), Alberta (Mémère) age 11, the twins Leo and Lea (3), and Eugena (1).  Marie gave birth to one more child in 1901 – Jennie.  By the 1910 census the family had moved to Bloomingdale Road.  On 7 Oct 1911, Marie DeMontmorency passed away from acute endocarditis (heart attack).  By the 1920 Census, Emory’s wife was no longer alive and he had only three children living with him.  Emory was 67 years old by that time, and had been a naturalized citizen since 1889.  The family was now living on Ingleside Avenue in the Grafton Hill neighborhood of Worcester.  By the 1930 Census, Emory was living with his daughter and son-in-law, Howard Stanton, on Dartmouth Street.  Emory passed away on 5 Feb 1937.