Friday, September 05, 2014

Acadians Exiled to Philadelphia in 1755




A rarity in exile, the Acadians exiled to Pennsylvania were allowed to practice their religion.  William Penn founded Pennsylvania with a land grant that was owed his deceased father. His goal was to create a colony that allowed for freedom of religion due to his desire to protect himself and fellow Quakers from persecution.

In other colonies the word went out that priests were forbidden to go near the Acadians - if they did, they would be imprisoned or put to death.  The same fate awaited the Acadians.  To assure there would be no priests available, the priest in Acadia when the deportation began were all deported to France.

In Philadelphia the Acadians worshiped at St. Joseph's Church where Father Farmer was pastor.  I visited the church several times when doing research in Philadelphia.  Today it is known as Old St. Joseph National Shrine - The oldest Catholic Church in Philadelphia founded in 1733 by the Jesuits.

Father Farmer's marriage registers have been transcribed and I received permission to post to my web site. There are Acadian marriages in these registers.  The registers are now located in the archdiocesan archives and elsewhere.

The transcribed registers can be found on the Acadian & French-Canadian Ancestral Home web site.

© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
Web site & Blog 2005 - Present


4 comments:

NC-CHAP said...

I wonder if the Ives LeBlanc who in 1797 painted the waterfront of New Castle Delaware (20 miles from Philadelphia) is of Acadian origin?

His painting is featured on my web site about New Castle (http://nc-chap.org/chap/leblanc.php)
NC-CHAP
but I know nothing about where he was from or about his other works.
I have no evidence he lived in New Castle, a town variously ruled by the Dutch, Swedes, Dutch, English courts, then Quakers, always with remarkable ethinc (though not racial) diversity, religious freedom and lack of blodshed on takeovers.

Does anyone know of an Ives Le Blanc (or LeBlanc) a painter c1800?

Jim Meek (james.l.meek[atsymbol] verizon.net)

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

Hi Jim..I've no idea. Many people went to Philadelphia from France and that may well have been the case with Ives Leblanc.

Thank you for your post. Something to look into along the way.

Lucie

A rootdigger said...

I have discovered through dna and other channels that i have canadian french and a few on the east coast. I think acadia. And penn. as well as la.Of course french ancestors. I find this page interesting. I am going to devour your blog.
jo meyer arootdigger

A rootdigger said...

Allard and Berthiaume.Royer are some surnames But i have more from Lorraine ancestry.Also central France. I learned they went to Canada and some down to massch. and then others to St Claire, Ill. Your blog is wonderful. I shall check my dna shared trees for your names. Dings daughter also went from Grandemang ancestry. Agathe Royer.
I do know Levesque is a surname i have seen. Ill be checking back
jo