The wealthy, however, lived very well. There was a social hierarchy, with the governor and the officers of the garrison at the top, followed by traders, navigators and craftsmen, then tavern keepers and shopkeepers. There were also musicians, dance instructors, seamstresses, laundresses and people who kept gaming establishments. Gaming was a pastime for all levels of society there.
If you ignored the dark clouds of impending war, Louisbourg was a busy, bustling community and an exciting place to live. These were the two realities: the busy, happy outer life and an inner life of worry and apprehension as to what the future would bring.
Chapter 5
If a bit more reserved and disciplined, life at the house on rue de l’Étang was even busier than it had been on rue Royalle. Monsieur de la Tour was absent for brief periods of time, but he had a full crew on his schooner and it often sailed without him.
Jeanne’s brother Joseph was a frequent visitor to the de la Tour home when he was not at sea. Since taking command of his own ship at the age of fifteen he had been a supplier of firewood to the garrison at Louisbourg, and this business brought him a large income. In 1737, in partnership with two other men, he obtained a three-year charter to provide the garrison and civilians with fresh beef. There was some controversy over his having a monopoly for this service and the fact that the live cattle he delivered sometimes came from Nova Scotia, despite the policy that beef should not come from British colonies. Joseph was a very good trader, however, and somehow managed to overcome that obstacle.
Jeanne’s brother Charles was established at Grand-Pré, on property he had inherited from his father. Perhaps not as aggressive a businessman as his brother, Charles was a farmer, a well-known shipbuilder and ran a smaller caboteur trade. When he visited Île Royale several times a year, he stayed with Joseph in the house on rue Royalle, and the two brothers would visit with the de la Tour family. Monsieur de la Tour treated his two older stepsons as equals and they often discussed business and politics together.
Charles often tried to convince Joseph to settle with him in Grand-Pré, saying that the Acadians were once again prospering under English rule. But, like his father had been in 1714, Joseph was wary of the situation.
—
In the fall of 1739, Joseph’s family and the de la Tours sailed to Grand-Pré, staying through the winter and spring of 1740, sharing Charles and Uncle Abraham’s farmsteads.
Maman made sure that everyone was outfitted with Acadian dress for the trip. Angélique objected, but Monsieur de la Tour agreed with Maman on this matter, and insisted that Angélique was not to put on “airs.”
Now almost sixteen years old, Angélique had finished her two years of schooling at the convent. She was beginning to find some success as a proper young lady in the Louisbourg’s social life, although she was never likely to reach the upper circle that included the governor’s mansion. Unless, of course, she married very well.
Angélique had a delicate prettiness, with a fair skin, blue-grey eyes, and light brown hair. She and her brothers Charles and Abraham favoured their mother, while Jeanne and Joseph favoured their father, with dark eyes and hair and a sturdier build.
Monsieur de la Tour also adopted Acadian dress for their voyage. Jeanne, after studying him quietly from a distance, decided that he looked less strict and distant in his Acadian clothes, and she told him that she liked him better that way.
He laughed and said, “Well, ma petite Jeanne, you would have liked my great-grandfather Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour.
“Tell me about him,” she said.
“He sailed to Acadia with his father Claude on the ship Grâce de Dieu in 1610. They were coming here to go into the fur trade. My great-grandfather, who was only fourteen, and another boy his own age, Charles Biencourt, grew up among the Mi’kmaq. They spoke their language and learned to live in the native manner. They knew how to use birch bark canoes and snowshoes, to snare moose and spear salmon, and to dress in moccasins, with leggings of moose or seal skin, and topped with a cape of fur or a blanket.
“My great-grandfather married a Mi’kmaw princess and they had five children. And during all this time he took part in the fur trade and the politics it involved. But later on he realized that it would be better for him to have a wife with the right connections in France. He went to France and found one – her name was Françoise Jacquelin, and she became totally committed to him and his enterprise in Acadia.”
Jeanne stared at him wide-eyed.
“Do you want to hear more?” he smiled.
“Yes. Oh yes.”
Monsieur de la Tour went on to explain that his great-grandfather became involved in a struggle for power in Acadia with a man named Charles de Menou d’Aulnay. But when his wife Françoise died, and then d’Aulnay also died in a boating accident, his great-grandfather proposed to d’Aulnay’s widow, Jeanne Morin de Reux. That put an end to the struggle between the two men.
“And most people agree, at least those on his side, that my great-grandfather was the first governor of Acadia.”
“Ah, mon Dieu,” Jeanne said.
“So you see, Jeanne, when I dress like this I think of my great-grandfather and I feel close to him. It’s Acadian dress, not Mi’kmaw, but it feels closer to the land.
“And there’s something else you should know. When the ship Saint-Jehan arrived here in 1636, bringing settlers to work the land, your own ancestor Abraham Dugas was among them. And he too became an important person in this new land.”
“Thank you, Monsieur de la Tour. I must go and tell Joseph.” And Jeanne ran off.
—
Living in Grand-Pré was an exciting time for the younger children, who had never been to Acadia nor lived on a farm. Abraham was thirteen, almost a man; Jeanne was nine; the de la Tour girls, Marie and Louise, were eleven and ten; the twins, Charlotte and Anne, were only two.
Even the weather was different in Acadia. Winters in Louisbourg were bone-chillingly grey, foggy and wet – spring and fall were much the same, some said. Although most of the streets were cobbled, in bad weather they collected debris and became slippery. Snow quickly became slush. In Grand-Pré, winter seemed to be different. The snow stayed clean and white on the farms and even though it was cold the sun shone and the fields sparkled. Acadian houses were snug and warm and well supplied with hearty food. The Dugas and de la Tour children got to know the farm animals and both children and adults enjoyed sleigh rides and walks in the snow. The new year was celebrated at Charles’s home, with his new wife, Anne Leblanc.
Charles and Anne had married in January of 1739. Charles was over twenty-five and had not needed his mother’s permission to marry. In his own quiet and independent manner, Charles had simply informed his mother and siblings of his marriage on his first trip to Île Royale that spring. He had not brought his bride with him to meet the family but he insisted that both he and Anne wanted them to visit Grand-Pré.
When she first met them Anne had mentioned that she had been a bit shy at the idea of meeting Monsieur de la Tour. Taking this all in, Jeanne exclaimed, “But he’s only an Acadian like us!” Everyone laughed, including Monsieur de la Tour who had come into the room unnoticed.
—
Despite the general merriment and good cheer that the families enjoyed in Grand-Pré, the problems of Louisbourg were not left behind. Jeanne had heard the men talk about this around the supper table at rue de l’Étang. But she was surprised to hear the heated political discussion at Charles and Uncle Abraham’s homes in Grand-Pré. She got in the habit of sitting quietly in the same room and listening when the men lingered around the supper table in the evening.
After a particularly loud and heated argument one evening, her brother Joseph noticed Jeanne listening to them. He walked over and knelt beside her chair.
“Jeanne, ma petite, wipe that frown off your face. There is nothing for you to worry about.”
“But Joseph, you say that we might have to leave Louisbourg. And maybe even leave Grand-Pré. Where would we go? Would we all go together? To the same place? I am afraid.”
Joseph put his arms around her. “No, Jeanne. No. Whatever happens we will all stay together. I promise. And nothing has happened yet. Probably nothing will. Now, don’t worry. Go and play with the other children. You are too serious.” He smiled at her. “Go on now.”
She left the room, but could not make herself stop worrying. The next day, she put on her sternest face and asked Joseph to explain the situation to her. “Please just tell me,” she said, stamping her foot. “Otherwise, I am going to worry. I may be only ten years old, or almost, but I am not stupid!”
“No, my little Jeanne, you are very smart. Get your warm clothes on and come to the barn with me. We can talk while I clean the stalls.”
—
She sat on a bale of hay, her breath visible in the cold air of the barn, while Joseph worked and talked.
“Jeanne, do you learn any history at the convent?”
“Not very much. I don’t think that interests the sisters. I know that France and Britain are enemies. And the sisters seem to think that le bon Dieu is on the side of the French. But I find that hard to understand. The sisters don’t seem to care much what happens to the Acadians or the Mi’kmaq,” she sighed.
“But I do like to go to school. I like the reading, writing and arithmetic, but the young ladies’ arts don’t seem very important to me. I can sew, but I have real trouble with the embroidery. Mère Saint-Joseph said she would help me next year. I have to embroider a ‘beautiful shawl,’” she said, rolling her eyes.
Joseph laughed. “Jeanne, you are very lucky to be going to school. It’s not everyone who can go. And even the young ladies’ arts will be helpful to you in the future.”
Jeanne just shrugged. “I don’t just worry about us, Joseph. I worry about all the Acadians. We are real Acadians, aren’t we?”
“Yes, Jeanne, we are real Acadians. And proud of it. As Monsieur de la Tour told you, our ancestor Abraham Dugas sailed to the new world a hundred years ago.”
“Another Abraham,” said Jeanne.
“Yes,” Joseph said with a laugh. “That’s why we have so many Abrahams in our family. They were all named after him. This first Abraham was born in France, where he had the title of Armourer of the King, a gunsmith. Here in Acadia, he had the title of Lieutenant General. He was one of the three most important men in the new colony. He had a large farm, but he was also an armourer, a justice of the peace and chief of police. He married a woman named Marguerite Doucet and they had eight children. Our father was his grandson. So you are his great-granddaughter.”
Jeanne was captivated with the story and sat quietly, trying to commit it to memory.
“Our forefathers worked hard,” Joseph said, “but they made an honest living. They owned land, something that was impossible for ordinary people in France. They had full bellies and a roof over their heads. Some of them became wealthy.”
“But, Joseph, this took a long time, didn’t it?”
“More than a hundred years. And during this time the new colony changed hands many times between France and Britain. For a long time the Acadians were able to continue to live on their prosperous farms even under British rule. But when Acadia fell again to the British in 1710, many Acadians believed that this was the end. Many were afraid for their survival.”
“Now Acadia is called Nova Scotia,” Jeanne said. “But we still think of it as Acadia, don’t we?”
“Yes, Jeanne, we do.”
Joseph paced back and forth as he cleaned the stalls, stopping now and then to speak directly to Jeanne when he wanted to make sure she was following his story.
“Our father, Joseph, was one of the young men who worried about the political situation. He left Grand-Pré to go to Île Royale and he settled in Port Toulouse. Charles and I were just babies, so I don’t remember much about our first years there. But I know that Maman was very glad to leave that place to go to live at Louisbourg about ten years later.
“Jeanne, you know that we had three little sisters who were born in Port Toulouse? And that they died in Louisbourg during the smallpox epidemic, when you were just a baby?”
Jeanne nodded. “I know. Marie Madeleine, Marguerite and Anne. Maman always says their names in her prayers. And there was Étienne who was born and died in Louisbourg.”
“Yes.” He paused.
“So now there is again the possibility of war between France and Britain. That’s what all the talk is about. I think it’s good that you know and understand this, Jeanne, but I don’t want you to worry. We will be safe. Monsieur de la Tour has good contacts at the garrison and he will know if our situation becomes dangerous. We will get away in time.”
“Thank you for telling me, Joseph.” Then with a serious and piercing look, Jeanne asked if he was named Joseph because he was the one most like their father.
“I’m not sure,” Joseph smiled. “Maybe. They say I look like him.”
“I like Monsieur de la Tour,” Jeanne said, “but I don’t think of him as my father.”
“That’s all right, Jeanne. I know he likes you.”
“No, I think he likes Angélique better, because she is very pretty.”
“Oh, Jeanne. You are pretty too. Angélique is pretty, but she’s not smart like you.” He paused. “If there are difficult times ahead, you’ll be fine. Angélique – well, I don’t know. If she saw an enemy army advancing, she’d probably try to flirt with the officers. But then, maybe this would be smart. I’m not being serious, Jeanne, I didn’t mean that.”
He smiled. “Come on, you’d best be getting back to the house. I don’t want to have to explain to Maman why I let you freeze on a haystack.”
Jeanne jumped up and went to him for a hug. “Will you let me know what is happening, Joseph?”
“Yes, I promise. Run along now.”
—
Early in the new year, Joseph surprised everyone with the news that he had asked Anne’s cousin, Marguerite Leblanc, to marry him. They had decided they should marry in Grand-Pré while the whole family was there.
“We are grateful to have all of you here for a visit,” smiled Marguerite, blushing. “Otherwise he might never have had the nerve to ask!”
Marguerite was the daughter of Joseph Leblanc dit Le Maigre (the skinny one), so-called because he was very fat. Like Joseph Dugas, he was a caboteur, and a very successful one. It was said that at one time he was the wealthiest man in Acadia.
The wedding was celebrated just before Lent. There was much merrymaking and music to accompany the happy event, and the de la Tour family met more members of the Dugas extended family and other Acadians from the surrounding farms. Jeanne saw only happy faces when she looked around at her family and relatives gathered together. Grand-Pré was obviously a wonderful place. She wondered why everyone was so worried about the fate of the people who were living here.
When they returned to Louisbourg in the spring, Joseph brought his bride home to set up housekeeping with him on rue Royalle. The following year, their first child, Marguerite Dugas, was born.
Chapter 6
Louisbourg was bustling with activity when the de la Tour family and Joseph and Marguerite returned, although fewer ships than usual had arrived. An eagerly awaited commodity carried by the first ships of the season was always the news, especially political news, but in the spring of 1740 there was nothing decisive to report. France and Britain had avoided going to war with each other in 1739, but what did the future hold?
—
Although the uncertain fate of Louisbourg cast a shadow, life in the de la Tour home continued at a busy pace. The family had enjoyed their stay in Grand-Pré, but they all slipped back happily into their life in the big town – especially Maman an
d Angélique. Jeanne, now more aware of the situation thanks to her brother Joseph, continued to watch those around her for signs and omens.
Almost immediately, Joseph sailed away on one of his schooners, and the family helped Marguerite to settle into the house on rue Royalle. After having watched her carefully for some time, Jeanne decided she approved of Joseph’s wife, a kind, gentle woman, and she began to spend time with her at the house on rue Royalle.
Marie, Louise and Jeanne returned to their lessons at the convent (Angélique was now too old) and Jeanne continued to work on her embroidered shawl. She tackled it with the same grim determination she applied to all unpleasant tasks. Mère Saint-Joseph, suppressing a smile, told her that her work was much improved and gave her one of the coveted ginger biscuits that were kept in a big tin box at the convent.
In 1742 and 1743, Marie and Louise, one after the other, finished their schooling at the convent and joined Angélique among the ranks of proper young ladies in Louisbourg’s social scene. Of course this created a flurry of excited preparations, with new gowns, parties, agonizing over invitations, and participation as young adults in the yearly celebrations held for the Feast of Sainte-Anne in July and the Feast of Saint-Louis in August.
The family members looked very handsome in their fine French clothes when they walked into the Chapelle Saint-Louis at the garrison on special occasions. But Jeanne insisted on wearing her Acadian dress even though she did at times feel rather silly doing so. She told herself that she did this to show sympathy for the poorly dressed ordinary people, many of them Acadians, standing at the back of the Chapelle. But what difference did her gesture make? Being Acadian did not necessarily mean being poor; the Dugas and the de la Tour families were proof of that. Angélique, who was furious with Jeanne for doing this, accused her of being stubborn and contrary, which only made Jeanne dig her heels in more. It also made her a bit sad because it distanced her from her sister and step-sisters. Maman understood, but said that Jeanne was only making life difficult for herself.
Jeanne Dugas of Acadia Page 3
