Antoine VIAU dit L'ESPÉRANCE

(b. abt. 1772 , Québec Province, Canada d. , )

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Antoine VIAU dit L'ESPÉRANCE was born abt. 1772 in Québec Province, Canada

Antoine VIAU dit L'ESPÉRANCE was the child of Laurent VIAU dit L'ESPÉRANCE and Marguerite BROUILLETTE and the grandchild of: (paternal) Laurent-Louis VIAU dit LESPÉRANCE and Marie-Charlotte DESNOYERS (maternal) Pierre BROUILLET and Marguerite LEFORT

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Antoine married Josephte DEMERS 10 November 1794 in Longueuil, Lower Canada . The couple had (at least) 1 child.
Josephte DEMERS was born abt. 1773 in Québec Province, Canada (Quebec). Josephte died 30 August 1835 in Saint-Césaire, Québec, Canada (St-Cesaire). Josephte was the child of Jean-François DEMERS and Thérèse GIRARD dite SANSCHAGRIN.

Québec Généalogie - Over time, Québec has gone through a series of name changes
From its inception in the early 1600s until 1760, it was called Canada, New France.
1760 to 1763, it was simply Canada
1763 to 1791 - Province of Québec
1791 to 1867 - Lower Canada
1867 to present - Québec, Canada.

Thanks to Micheline Gadbois MacDonald for providing this information.

Québec Généalogie - What is a 'dit/dite' name? When the first settlers came to Québec from France it was a custom to add a 'dit' nickname to the surname. The English translation of 'dit' is 'said'. The Colonists of Nouvelle France added 'dit' names as distinguishers. A settler might have wanted to differentiate their family from their siblings by taking a 'dit' name that described the locale to which they had relocated. The acquiring of a 'dit' name might also be the result of a casual adoption, whereby the person wanted to honor the family who had raised them. Another reason was also to distinguish themselves by taking as a 'dit' name the town or village in France from which they originated. This custom ended around 1900 when people began using only one name, either the 'dit' nickname or their original surname.

Source: American-French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, Rhode Island (www.afgs.org/ditnames/index1.html)

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