On 01 Jul 1792, Marie Pélagie Gamache was born to parents Aubin Gamache and Marie Thérí¨se Sylvestre. On 02 Jul 1792, she was baptized in the Parish of Cap St. Ignace, Montmagny County, Lower Canada.
The Birth and Baptismal Record of Marie Pélagie Gamache – 1792
SOURCE: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montréal, Québec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. Parish of Cap St. Ignace, Montmagny County, Lower Canada, 1792. Birth and Baptismal Record of Marie Pélagie Gamache, Back of Folio 126, B.
Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Marie Pélagie Gamache – 1792. Translated from the French the record reads:
B[aptism] of Marie Pélagie Gamache
In the year one thousand seven hundred ninety three, on the second of July, by us, the undersigned pastor of L’Islet in the absence of the reverend L’Aquel, pastor of the parish of Cap St. Ignace, was baptized Marie Pélagie, born yesterday of Aubin Gamache and Marie Thérese Sylvestre, the Godfather was the [noble?] Joseph Fournier, Captain of the Parish Militia of Cap St. Ignace, and the Godmother was Marie Anna Oiullet who, as well as the father of the infant present, have declared that they do not know how to sign as required according to law.
This record can be found as image 655/948 in the Québec Vital Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 on Ancestry.com in the records for Cap St. Ignace 1679-1808. The record appears on the back of folio 126 .
This record shows that the pastor of Cap St. Ignace was absent when the infant was baptized, so the pastor of a neighboring parish, L’Islet, performed the baptism in his place. Although the pastor of L’Islet stated that he signed the record, his signature does not appear here . Perhaps the record seen here is part of the civil copy, made by the pastor of Cap St. Ignace at the end of the year.
This suggestion is supported by the fact that this record appears to be in the same handwriting as all the other records for the year. The pastor of L’Islet does not seem to have written this entry himself.
The Godfather is Joseph Fournier, Captain of the Parish Militia of Cap St. Ignace. I can’t translate the abbreviation in front of his name, but my best guess is that the abbreviation may stand for seigneur – a word I have translated as noble.
The capitaine de milice, or captain of the parish militia, was appointed by the governor and was entrusted to represent the governor and intendant to the people . Part of his duties was to post decrees.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
