Note
This thread could go on forever you know…
I have been addicted to genealogy since July 2007, but I have been able to control that addiction since.
I have been writing less on Our Ancestors II which is the sequel to Our Ancestors.
This is post 86, 87 if you are counting this post which was about Pierre Blais…
Intermission – Pierre Blais – from Our French Canadian Ancestors book
The original Our Ancestors had more than 1300 posts.
This being said, last week I got a comment on the French version of Our Ancestors which is called Nos ancêtres.
Dear Sir –
As you might, say the apple does not fall far from the tree. While I fought for years to « avoid » the genealogy sharing my father was trying so hard to download on us…the G-bug has finally hit and *hit hard*. I found your site and am fascinated.My French ancestors landed and moved through Montreal, Quebec and then settled in Ontario, Windsor Canada (Reaume, Durocher, Chauvin, Craig etc).
Here is my question to you: I am loading all my family information on Family Search. I find it incredible that there are all these photos of the individuals whom you research.
Would I have permission to add photos from your site to the individuals I find on FS? The family lines all match and I think it incredible that some descendant from this area of Canada may one day « pop in digitally » and find a photo of their beloved ancestor. I of course will add your website as the « Source » and give all credit to you.
I appreciate your thoughts as I can see the amount of effort (and genuine love) you place on sharing your knowledge through stories and photos. « If we do not preserve their heritage what will our children thank us for?? »
Kind regards,
Marie Claire
I started thinking about what I have been doing for 16 years…
Trying to find Peter Blair’s long lost ancestors lead me searching on Ancestry, Family Search and BMS 2000 which is a database with more than 16 million entries. Each time you search that database it costs you 10 cents. But that’s beside the point.
From their website…
Groupe BMS2000 is a cooperative project for establishing a common database with the BMS records — births, marriages and deaths (burials or sepultures) — of 24 genealogical societies of Quebec province. 16,6 millions BMS records have been collected.
On Family Search you have free access to census records like this one.
It likes having a time machine visiting dead people who were living in Chesterfield, Essex County, New York in 1850.
That page is quite interesting because we have two Blane (sic) families. Who are they? Are they relatives? Are they instead Blairs or Blais?
The first “Blane” family was what I had thought two weeks ago were Diane Blair’s ancestors:
Peter Blair 27
Louisa Blair 28 aka Marie-Louise Edwidge Renaud dit Deslauriers
Marcellaine 9 (Marcelline)
Peter 7
Louis 5
Sarah 3
Aurilia 1
They were not because Diane wrote me last week…
Been busy, huh? There were two Pierre Blais in northern NY, This is the other family, not mine. My Pierre was born in 1832 d. 1925. I think somehow they are related (cousins perhaps). Both Pierres married a Legault dit Deslauriers. I know, very confusing! This is my line from the 1850 NY Census:
Pierre ae. 43, Mary ae. 41, Mary ae. 20, Peter ae. 18, john ae. 17, Margaret, ae. 15, Julia ae. 10, Aurelius ae. 8, Edgar ae. 5, Sophie ae. 2
Now should I pursue trying to document Diane’s family?
1850 Chesterfield, Essex, New York
I have tried very hard.
This thread could go on forever and ever you know…
Footnote
Searching for Diane’s ancestors has led me to Saint-Cyprien which is a Catholic parish in Napierville. I have been able to find Pierre Blais and Edwidge Renaud dit Deslauriers’s ancestors as well as their children, and even the descendants of their children using BMS 2000 database.
Marcelline Netta Blair 1841-1888
Peter Blais 1843-
Lewis Blais 1844-1928
Aurelia Blair 1845-1923
Sarah Jane Blais 1848-1930
Philomene Blais 1851-1872
Israel Blair 1853-1933
Amelie-Milly-Melia Blais-Blair
1855-1923
Charles D Blair 1855-1933
William J. Blair 1860-1940
Marie Hedwidge 1862 – 1864
Napoleon Blair 1865 – 1912
As you can see it was well worth the time and money I spent.
This being said, it’s time to let go with this tread having found nothing on Diane’s ancestors Pierre Blais and Edwidge Legault dit Deslauriers.
Searching for someone’s ancestors can be frustrating, but you need to learn when to stop writing about it.
Frustrating indeed…
However I won’t let Diane down and I will continue to help her find her missing ancestors.
Our Ancestors II 