Quebec Parish Records for US Irish Families
Canadian Missionaries Baptized Catholics in NY and VT
May 25, 2009
These records are in the Parish Registers of St-Jean-Chrysostome Church in Chateauguay Co., Quebec. The Irish Catholic entries, as abstracted by Virginia Easley DeMarce prior to 1989, cover acts performed in the United States for Irish Catholics, starting in 1838. Genealogists tracing the ancestry of U. S. based Irish Catholics can thank DeMarce for making their family research easier.
Canadian Missionaries Performed Sacraments for Families Both Sides of Border
According to Ms. DeMarce, although the parish registers open in 1838, the first entries are actually missionary records kept for the entire Canadian-American border in that region of Quebec.
From 1838 through 1840, missionaries John Moore, John Falvey and Joseph Dallaire covered the entire territory from Ormston, Quebec, south to Malone, NY, east to Derby in Orleans Co., VT, north to the St-Armand area of Quebec, and back to Ormstown. Some records were signed by Father Etienne Blythe of Ste-Martine. Missionaries walked dozens of miles to baptize a child in the family home.
The records probably arrived at St-Jean-Chrysostome when Father Dallaire took the curacy there.
French Canadian Families in Same Parish Registers
Those records not abstracted cover events in the lives of French Canadian families for at least two dozen Canadian locations where these same missionaries were ministering to their families. These Canadian locations were in both the “Eastern Townships” and the “Western Townships”, large regions of Quebec located south of Montreal. The same missionaries also served French Canadians living south of the border.
Missionary Territory Split about 1841
By 1841, the missionary circuit had been split. Father Dallaire, then stationed at St-Jean-Chrysostome, was traveling in Canada only to those mission stations west of the Richelieu River, the boundary between the eastern and western townships. He no longer visited in Vermont, but still continued to visit in Franklin Co., NY, and western Clinton Co., NY. There are also a few baptism records pertaining to people in St. Lawrence Co., NY.
During this second period, most baptismal records only give the location as “in the United States,” but associated marriage records for these trips make reference to Malone, Chateauguay and Ellenburg. (There is a Chateauguay on both sides of the border.)
Some Records are in French and Others in English
Some of the original records are in French, but others are in English. The baptism records give the names of Godparents, called “sponsors” in some entries. They often list the father’s occupation.
These baptisms remain a genealogy treasure trove for some Americans tracing their Irish Catholic ancestry. The problem is that most descendants will never find these records because, quite simply, they wouldn't know where to look.
These baptisms are listed in a two-part series. Researchers may wish to begin with the first part.
Source:
Lost in Canada? (Vol. 14, No. 3, August, 1988)
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