GASPE RESOURCES IN MONTREAL

Introduction

   The Gaspe can be a difficult place to get to especially in the winter. Records are kept in Rimouski which is where the regional off ice of the Quebec Archives is kept or in New Carlisle at the court house. There is a Loyalist museum near New Carlisle as well.
    An easier way to research the Gaspe is to use resources that can be found in Montreal.I have listed some of the resources available . These are by no means the only sources of Gaspe information.

QUEBEC NATIONAL ARCHIVES        

1945 Mullins St.
Montreal ,Que
H3K 1N9
TEL: (514)873-3064
FAX: (514)873-2980
Hours: 8:30 - 21:30
Mon.-Fri
 
Contact :  Luc Lepine speaks English and is very helpful.
Most of the staff speak some English
What you will find there
Canadian census                                                                                    for 1825,1831,1861,
1871,1881,1891,&1901
Notarial Records
Martin Sheppard,(1825-1879) a Jerseyman, did most of the
wills, contracts, and power of attourney
documents for for the English  population of
Bonaventure county. He also wrote up the contracts
between Charles Robin & Co. and the workers he brought
over from the Channel Islands.
Notary J.W. Lebel
Some notarial records were wrtten
up by Mr. Lebel.
Church Records
Anglican                         St. Andrews church ,New Carlisle 1811-1884
microfilm #3084
1885-1900
microfilm #3085
Presbyterian
Paspebiac and New Carlisle
microfilm #3094
Roman Catholic
St. Etienne de New Carlisle
microfilm #3076
NOTE: Even if your ancestors were dyed in the wool Protestants
they may have had their children baptised in a Catholic church or
they may have married there and they been re-married in their
own church when the missionary finally showed up several
months or even years later.
Register of Births
I found my great uncle and my grandfather in these records.
They are available on microfilm and go up in to the early part
of this century.
microfilm # unknown
Loyalist Claims
If you know what province of the 13 colonies your
ancestors came from you may find a very interest-
ing document conerning them.Loyalists made claims
for land based on their losses. They often told  the
tribunal where they came from what regiments they
fought in , what property they lost and when they fled
the 13 colonies.
These claims are called the Lower Canada Land Claims
they are a series of microfilms indexed by province.
Land Grants
People in the Gaspe often settled on a piece of land,
improved it and then asked for ownership of the land.
There  is a two volume set that covers all of Quebec's
land grants from the time the English arrived.
I have also found land claims with descriptions of
the land being claimed on microfilm.
Marriage Bonds
A document that states the intention to marry.
These are on microfilm and alpabetically listed.
MONTREAL MUNICIPAL LIBRARY                       
1210 Sherbrooke St. East
Montreal,Que
(Also referred to as the Salle Gagnon)
Travel Books
There are several books written in the last 100 years
about travels in the Gaspe.One of the best books is
a collection of sketches by Thomas Pye, a gifted artist.
This book has been translated into French.
Gaspesie Journal
This is a periodical that the library has collected from the
l960's and 70's. Articles are written in English and  French
about many of the small villages of the Gaspe.
QUEBEC FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY
173 Cartier Ave.
Pointe Claire,Que.
TEL: (514)695-1502
Mailing address
P.O. Box 1026
Pointe Claire,Que.
Canada
This is a considerable sized library dedicated
to the genealogy of English Quebecers
Books
"Loyalists of the  Bay Chaleur"
by A.D. Flowers  (1973)
- a good text with some errors
Ship Building in the Gaspe
by Dr.  McDougall
An in depth study of Gaspe shipbuilders
who came from the Channel Islands
Huguenot Trails
A journal which covers all
of Canada. Dr. Ken Annett
writes a column each month on
Huguenots in Quebec's
history
McAlpines  1870 Directory
A directory of individuals and businesses
in Quebec and across the Maritimes..
Microfilms
The same Anglican and Presbyterian church
records mentioned above at the Quebec Archives
MCGILL UNIVERSITY
McLennan Library
The above mentioned census for
Canada can also be found here.
Books
Ship Builders of the Gaspe
by David Lee
numerous texts on the
Gaspe's geography, political boundaries,etc.
NOTE: When  doing any research in Bonaventure county it is recommended that
you check the church records and census for the  neighbouring
counties of Restigouche and Gloucester in New Brunswick.
Many of my ancestors crossed the Bay Chaleur with great regularity getting
married in one province and then moving to the other. This was no doubt done to
aggrivate future family historians.
SPEC newspaper
The SPEC is a weekly
English language newspaper published in
New Carlisle. You can send queries and subscribe to
the paper from abroad
.
Subscriptions
Sea-Coast Publications Inc.
208 Main St.
New Carlisle,Quc
G0C 1Z0
Tel: (418)752-5070
Fax (418)752-6932
 
 
 
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