- Summary of family history and research notes
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- THREE ETIENNE'S - A MIRACLE OF SURVIVAL
- Index of Surnames
- Index of Persons
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Our Rivette's start in Acadia with Etienne Rivet (1652--1707) and Marie Anne Comeau (1664--168?). They had three children: Rene, b. 1678; Marie, born 1680; and Etienne (2nd), born 1683. Etienne Rivette (2nd) married Anne LePrince in 1708 in Pisiquid. Among their children was a son Michel Rivette, born 1711; and a son Etienne Rivette (3rd), born 1717. Our two Rivet / Rivette lines descend from the families of these two brothers, migrating through Maryland (among other places) to south Louisiana in the mid-1700's during "Le Grande Derangement", where most of their descendants live today.
We have gleaned information from library books about our Acadian ancestors and their descendants, as well as info from some of our distant (and not-so-distant) cousins. Of special interest is any information regarding still-living cousins descended from Alexandre Rivette (1856--190?) and Marie Louisa LaGrange (1860--190?), as well as cousins descended from Joseph Numa Rivette (1848--1892) and Marie Francoise Lanclos (1854--1886?). Our information has been growing rapidly on this Acadian branch (or Forest) of our family, and we are always ready to swap information with our Cajun / Acadian / French Canadian cousins!
We are also interested in collecting biographical information and interesting stories on any of our ancestors or their descendants, especially when it gives us a glance back through time to see how they lived their lives. We'd like to hear any anecdotes, memories of visits to grandma's farm, anything at all! Just take a few minutes to think on those memories that made an impression, or stories from other family members that you particularly remember, and send me a quick e-mail. Everyone benefits from sharing their family history and legends!
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WIFE #2: Margaret Emma RICHARD - Married 9 Nov 1886, Arnaudville, St. Landry Ph., LA
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Etienne Rivet was born in France in 1652, and was the progenitor of the Acadian Rivet line. The actual record of his passage to Acadia has not been found, but he appears to have arrived after the first census in 1671. The ship "L'Oranger" and others arrived with more immigrants, one of them including a Rivet. Etienne married Marie Anne Comeau in 1677. She was born in Acadia in 1662. They settled in Piziquid, Holy Family Parish. Their first child Rene was born in 1678, followed by Marie in 1680. That year Port Royal was re-captured by the British temporarily, but the British could not hold it and it reverted back to France. Etienne's third child, Etienne(II), was born in 1683, the year after Louisiana was discovered by the French.
By 1686, the Rivet family was living at La Baye des Mines. They owned 3 cattle and 1 hog. The following year, Etienne's wife Marie died, and he soon re-married in 1688 to Catherine LaBarre. A son Antoine was born to this marriage in 1689.
In 1690, Port Royal was re-captured by the British, who left the people alone. However, pirates arrived and burned several homes, a church, and killed some people. By 1693 the Rivet family, at Mines, is described as owners of 9 cattle, 9 sheep, 10 hogs, 8 arpents of land, and owning 1 gun. His daughter Marie is not listed, presumed dead. Soon after the census of 1693, Catherine LaBarre died, and Etienne married Cecile Joseph (may be Cecile Terriot). In 1694 Etienne's fifth child was born, also named Marie.
France and England continued to war on each other. The War of the Spanish Succession went on from 1700 to 1713. The Acadian census of 1701 found Etienne, his wife, one boy and one girl at Mines, Riviere de L'acenssion, owners of 6 arpents of land and 1 gun.
In 1703 at Les Mines Etienne is found with his wife, six boys, two girls, with three arms-bearers in the household. We do not know who the additional children were. In 1704 Etienne's 6th child Jean Baptiste was born, and in 1706 his 7th and last child Cecile was born. By the census of 1707, Etienne is dead and his widow is listed with her family, including 3 boys under age 14, one girl 12 or older, 2 arpents of land, 2 cattle, and 1 sheep. Possibly Etienne died during one of the attacks on the French from New Englanders, but we do not know.
By 1707, Etienne's son Etienne(II) has his own land of 1-1/2 arpents, and two cattle. In 1708 Etienne(II) married Anne LePrince, followed a year later by the birth of their first child Marie Rose. Michel was born in 1711.
In 1713, the war between France and England was ended with the Treaty of Utrecht, which gave Acadia to England. It permitted French Acadians to remain as long as they swore allegiance to the British Crown. Some land on Cape Breton Island was made available by the French for those who wanted to leave. Most remained in Acadia. This treaty did not ensure good treatment by the British, however. Etienne(I)'s son Jean Baptiste made a mid-night escape from the British occupation at age 9, making his way to Quebec, where he was given shelter. (He married 19 years later in Quebec to Marie Paulin, then died after one year at a hospital there, childless.)
By the time of the 1714 census, there is no longer any record of Etienne's widow. The Rivet's were no longer present at Mines. The household of Etienne(II) was found at La De Riviere, Pisiguit, with his wife, 2 males, 1 female.
In 1717, Etienne(II) and Anne had their third child Etienne(III). Over the next few years they had children Anne, Claire, and Jean. The children lived and grew despite the hardships imposed by the British. Sometime after 1727 (date is unknown) Etienne(II) died.
In 1732 Etienne(III)'s brother Michel married Anne Landry at Pisiquid. (There are discrepancies in the records on who the mother of his children were. Some records indicate Anne Landry, others indicate Catherine Benoist.) Michel had four children Anne (1742), Michel (1744), Cirille (1745) and Blaise (1747).
In 1737, Acadia had over 1400 inhabitants.
In 1743 Etienne(III) married Claire Forest. They had their first child Etienne(IV) in 1745. That year, Etienne(III)'s sister Claire married Bonaventure Forest. Also that year, the fortress at Louisbourg, Cape Breton (Isle Royale), was attacked by the British and surrendered. Isle St. Jean also fell.
In the years following, Etienne(III) had four more children, Francois (1747), Jean (1750), Pierre (1752), and Theodore (1754).
By 1755, the population of Acadia was about 15,000 by some estimates. On Sept 5th, men and boys aged 10 yrs or older of Grand Pre, Minas, River Canard, and surrounding areas were rounded up at a church under false pretenses. About half the inhabitants of Port Royal ran away. On Sept 10th or thereabouts, Beaubassin residents were rounded up. Sept 15th the British went after Cobequid, but those residents had already fled for Prince Edward Island (Isle St. Jean).
Over the next 3 months they were deported to various colonies and to France; husbands, wives and children were placed on separate ships; many ships and lives were lost along the way. In September Etienne(III) was deported to Maryland with his children. His wife Claire Forest was never seen again. His brother Michel and family were also deported to Maryland, where Michel and his wife died, leaving their four children orphaned. The children were taken in by Etienne(III). Etienne(III)'s brother-in-law Bonaventure Forest was deported with his family to Maryland. (Not clear whether Claire Rivet was with them at that time or not, but no further mention was made of her.)
In 1756, the British began scalping Micmac indians for $150/scalp. Many Acadian scalps were taken as well. There wasn't much attention paid to whose scalp it might be. A small group of Acadians from Georgia via South Carolina made their way to Ile St. Jean. Others made it to New Brunswick. In 1758 a large number of women whose husbands had been deported made their way to Isle St. Jean. That year Etienne(III)'s brother Jean married Rosalie Bonnier at Havre St-Pierre, Ile St-Jean. Then Louisbourg fell again, taking Isle St. Jean with it, and the Acadians that had escaped to there were once again deported to the colonies.
In 1760 Etienne(III)'s brother Jean died ... he was drowned when the British sank the ship on which he was sailing off St. Malo, France. His wife had his first and only child Rose Pelagie Julienne Rivet that year.
In 1763 Etienne(III) was found at Upper Marlborough, Maryland, with his five children Etienne(IV), Francois, Jean, Pierre and Theodore; also with brother Michel's children Michel, Anne, Cyrille, and Blaise (listed as orphans); and with brother Jean's child Pelagie (also listed as orphaned). Also found there was Bonaventure Forest with four children, and an orphan Joseph Boudrot. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris that year, most of the Acadians were rounded up in Maryland and moved to England (7 yrs), then France; the majority made their way to Louisiana in 1785.
In 1767 Bonaventure Forest and children arrived in Louisiana, along with Joseph Prince (b. 1755).
On 5 Jan 1769 Etienne(III) and family boarded the schooner "Britannia" (or the "Britain") and embarked on what was to be a disastrous voyage of nearly a year. Strong winds and fog steered the vessel off course to the Espiritu Santo Bay area of Texas. The ship was abandoned, leaving the passengers and crew shipless.
On 20 Nov 1769, in a letter to Louisiana's new governor, the schooner's commander and his crew claimed that the captain and the pilot had been placed in stocks for 24 days. Finally, the crew and passengers, 1/3 of whom were Acadian - were allowed to begin a month-and-one-half 420-mile trek by land to Natchitoches, the historic outpost in the northwest of the present state of Louisiana. Among the leaders of the trek were Etienne Rivet.
In 1770 at Natchitoches, settlement was permitted for the 30 Acadians who survived the trip, including Etienne Rivet's family. After an emotional dispute, they eventually made their way to the Iberville area, and later Opelousas. By 1774 Etienne(III) had moved from Natchitoches, and married Elisabeth Landry at St. Gabriel (Manchac), Louisiana.
There is no further record of Etienne after this marriage record, but we like to think that he and his family were finally able to find peace among the cypress swamps. By 1790 there were about 4000 Acadian refugees in south Louisiana. Although Etienne(III) was probably dead by then, the family was well established and growing in south Louisiana.
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I'm just starting this list up, but it will grow as additional sites are brought to my attention. Please let me know if you find other sites with Rivette family information!
