I have decided to add a page on little tidbits I come across , I do hope you will come in once in a while to read them.Thank you to Richard Masterton for the photo of the old Washer.

Did you know that in 1983 Archiologists discovered an old acadian farm in Bellisle,Annapolis Nova Scotia? Among some of the items they found was part of a musical instrument called "Guimbardes".

Now Guimbardes is a french word for Jew's Harp, I did not know this so I looked it up.It is a small instrument held against the teeth or upper lip and plucked with the fingers.I remember my mother telling me that my father played the Jew's Harp when he was young.So I looked for a midi or wav and found one, that is what you are listening to. A Guimbardes (Jew's Harp) that once was played by our acadian ancestors.

Did you know that it takes one gallon of milk to make one half pint of true Buttermilk?

Long ago our acadian ancestors wasted as little as they could, so after they churned their butter, they used the left over liquid mixed with airborne bacteria to make Buttermilk. The liquid would thicken and bring on a tasty tangy sour taste. They would use the Buttermilk as a beverage, and also use it for cooking ,such as Buttermilk Pancakes, or Biscuits.I remember when I worked in a nursing home, I used to take the drinks to the patients, and there was this paticular man I could hear all the way down the hall yelling "Aline bring me my Buttermilk".

Did you know that our ancestors had get togethers or parties>

They used to get together to help one another, if the dykes needed fixing they would all join in to fix the problems since all their lands were connected to the marshlands. Then when one of the families needed a new barn, they would all gather and help build it, the women would make the meals. Could the meal have been Fricot? Hmm I wonder.My Mother who is 88 years of age with an excellent memory, once told me that she remembers when she was little and everyone would gather at one house to help out, then they would take out the fiddles and accordions and have a great old time.She said the dance back then was usually a square dance.

Did you know what a "Capine" was?

A Capine was a Bonnet made of Cotton with a flap that folded back. When it was real sunny the acadians would pull down the flap to protect their eyes from the rays of the bright sun.

Did you know about the Marshland Hay?

While the Acadian men were working on the Aboiteau or Dykes the women would be out there working as well. They would help by cutting the Marshland Hay.Perhaps they would pile the hay on a "Chafaud A Foin" which was a rack made of wood installed on the marshlands on which hay would be piled until it could be stored in a barn in early winter. The Acadians used hay mixed with a clay on their walls, and hay for their house roof,to feed their cattle, and mattresses for their beds. My mother told me that my grandfather made them mattresses out of straw and spruce boughs and she said that they were very comfortable to sleep on.

Did you know that the Acadians were devout Catholics?

They used to say beads (rosary) every evening, sometimes they would gather at a paticular home and pray together. I read an article among my research about such an event happening at my great,great,grandparent's home in Saint Paul. They were very devoted to their religion. I also came across the definition of Grand Communion Solennelle, I was curious to read about it because I did my Communion Solenelle in my eighth school year. It is defined as "a collective Communion for adolescents" Now I understand what the ceremony was all about.

Did you know what a Maconne was?

A Maconne possibly pronounced ma sonne, was a big fireplace made of stone and motar found in many acadian homes. I remember going to the Village Acadien in Caraquet and seeing an old fireplace outdoors that they used to make their bread. I bet that while they were cooking their breads the aroma would have been so nice to smell. I love the smell of home baked bread, but of course I love the taste especially with butter and molasses to top it off.

Did you know that most Acadians were farmers?

They did not have grocery stores near them back then so they had to provide for their families on their own.So they planted gardens surrounded by a fence and near their houses. They would grow,peas, corn,buckwheat,oats,barley,wheat,potatoes and more. They had to preserve all these foods, they would have a root cellar to store their vegetables. But they also salted their stringbeans, salted their fish and meats. I tried salting beans once, I dont think I was as smart as our ancestors, I did not add enough coarse salt.

Did you know that it takes 21 pounds of fresh wholesome milk (cow milk) to make one pound of butter?

My mother told me that my grandmother would make her butter, she had a churn and used to churn the milk until the butter would form at the top. Then she would pour the butter into square boxes that had a slide on cover. The boxes were the size of one pound of butter.Then she would turn the box upside down and drop the pound of butter on cloth or wax paper and wrap each pound of butter .The she would store her butter in the cool cellar. Usually she would get my mother or my uncle to go to the cellar and put the butter away or get some. My mother said they used to have a hole in the floor with a latch to go to the cellar. My grandfather had made a ladder for them to go down on.

Did you know that many Acadians had nicknames?

Yes many of them had nicknames, such as Gros Joe, Petit Joe,Joe Major,but the ones that I remember are titi (teetee) titite,pitou,pooch,coccut,pingette,pitone,and my uncle was called Catoo, my mother was called Choll, and don't ask me why. grin.Then there was Fred a Joe, Marie a Jim,Blanchette,Mashqui and others.

Did you know that the Acadians used to go hunting?

They hunted for Deer, Moose, Bear,Rabbits,Porcupines,Groundhog, Partridges,Ducks, Squirrels,Beavers. I was told that Fried Squirrels tastes a lot like chicken. The Beaver's Paddle Tail was cooked, Porcupine meat had to be cooked in the oven and had to drip in a pan because it was so fat.And it tasted like pork. Rabbit was cooked in a stew many times with Partridges added to the stew. I tried Rabbit and Partridge Stew, it was pretty good. The Acadians also made Rabbit Pies (pate au lapins).This was done with grated potatoes like a rapee and baked in the oven. Many acadians still make them today.I have tasted moose fried in oil and seasoned with lots of onion powder, mmmmm very very tasty. That was long ago when one of our friends would have a moose license and get a moose. My mother used to go hunt partridges with her brother when she was around 12 years of age, and she would shoot them with her muzzle gun. Picture a little tiny girl with a muzzle gun shooting partridges. That was my Mom.

Did you know how the Acadians did their laundry?

Well first of all they would take their clothes to a nearby stream and pound their dirty clothes on rocks and wash away the dirt in the stream, did they use sand as soap? Or did they make their own out of Lye (Lye Soap). In 1797 a great invention was born, the scrub board, this was great for them, they would scrub the clothes on the board instead of hitting them on rocks.Then in 1874 a William Blackstone invented a machine that would wash the clothes. It was a wooden tub in which there was a flat piece of wood containing 6 small wooden pegs. The inside of the tub looked something like a milking stool. It moved back and forth by means of a handle and gears. A wringer invented in 1861 was later added to the machine (wringer washer). In the early 1900s the wooden tubs were replaced with metal tubs. I remember wringer washers, as i am sure many of you do too. I had one , I had this big round metal tub to rinse my clothes after they were washed and put through the wringer to remove most of the water. Boy the modern washers sure are appreciated don't you agree?

Did you know how the Acadians got their drinking water?

Well I imagine at first they got their water from the streams and water springs. But what did they do when they were far from their water source? Probably they hauled their water by horse and wagon, but then later deciding maybe to dig a well. I don't know at what time the wells were first dug, but there are rumors that there was a well on the property of Daniel Leblanc. The wells were all dug by hand , there were no modern tools , nothing but a pick and a shovel. It must have been very hard to dig one. The first layers would probably have been soft earth but as they dug deeper and hit stones,or shale, then I imagine it got harder to dig. They had to dig deep enough to hit a water vein. And while they dug they had to get rid of the dirt so they probably filled the buckets and had someone at the top of the well pulling up the buckets and dumping them.When they hit the water vein then the well would fill with water, and they would bring up the water with a bucket held up by ropes. Now digging a well could be dangerous if the well was not dug the right way. I remember my late husband telling me that when his father dug his well, there were three men helping and one side of the well caved in, sending three men to the hospital, they were lucky, they suffered a few broken bones and bruises. later on Pump Handles were introduced to the wells, I remember walking to the neighbors pumphouse to get pails of water for my mother.

Did you know we had notable Acadians?

For instance we had Louis J Robichaud politician born in Saint Antoine New Brunswick,Pascal Poirier first Acadian appointed to the Senate,Rev.Marcel Francois Richard known as Father of Modern Acadie born in Saint Louis Kent County,Joseph Mathurin Bourg first priest born in Acadie, he was born in Riviere des Canards near Grand Pre in 1744,Yvon Durelle was an acadian fisherman turned boxer,born in Baie Sainte Anne, Joseph Octave Arsenault was first Acadian premier of any province he was born on Prince Edward Island, Anne Murray singer was Springhill Nova Scotia had acadian roots,Valentin Landry founder of the french newspaper l'Evangeline was born in Pokemouche,Jean Beliveau famous hockey player for Montreal Canadians had acadian roots,Antonine Maillet author was born in Bouctouche,Hermenigide Chiasson acadian poet was from St.Simon N.B.,Shirley Myers Nashville singer is from Moncton.These are but a few of Acadians who left or are leaving their mark in the world.

Did you know that in 1914 Moncton New Brunswick was said to be the cheapest Heat and Power on Atlantic Seaboard?

Well I read in a pamphlet that my mother gave me the following article. The Moncton Natural Gas has double the heating value of th best Pittsburg USA product; and the sulphurous gases of other Canadian districts stand as four to one in comparison. The Moncton gas wells are the greatest in Canada. The gas is the purest in the world; has the highest calorific value of any known gas; and is here in unlimited quantities at an enormous pressure. If Pittsburg Natural Gas produces power at a consumption of only 8 1/2 cubic feet per horse power hour,Moncton gas will give equal power results at less than 1/2 that consumption of gas.Now Humphreys Unshrinkable Underwear Ltd in Moncton sent this letter to The Secretary Board of Trade in Moncton the following: Dear Sir; Replying to your enquiry relative to the cost of Gas in our Underwear Factory. We are developing our motive power with a Twin Cylinder Gas Engine and use a Return Tubular Boiler for heating and other steam purposes. Under the present conditions, our combined power and steam is costing us for gas in the vicinity of $11.00 per H.P. J.L MacDonald Manager. Title of this little book is City of Opportunity ,Moncton New Brunswick Canada.1914

Did you know that Rameau de Saint Pere was a said to be a mentor to the Acadians?

As I was doing my genealogy research, many times I came across articles about him. His name was Francois Edme Rameau de Saint Pere, he was from Paris and he had written a book in the french language on the history of the Acadians. Now the reason I am telling you this is because my great great grandfather Joseph Bergeron had written to Rameau de Saint Pere in 1875 seeking help in getting a fortune in France in the name of the Bergeron. Can you imagine the feeling reading something that was written by your great great grandfather in 1875? Well I was so happy to have had the chance to do so.OH and my great great grandfather never received any great wealth.

Did you know how dangerous it was to some Acadian Fishermen?

The fishermen of today do not know the hardships our acadian fishermen went through.
In Saint Louis de Kent for instance,they had to cross over to a sandbar (Dune)and the Channel was very treacherous, they had no buoys to tell them which direction to follow. They had no gasoline motors on their boats, and when there were strong winds the boats would hardly move. Because of that,the fishermen would camp on the Dune during the fishing season.
When the gasoline motors arrived,it sure made it easier for the fishermen,they could cross the channel, much easier .
In 1910, Sathurin Gallant installed the first gasoline motor on a fishing boat in Saint Louis, three years later Marcel Poirier and Auguste Thebeau did the same. (histoire de Saint Louis).

Did you know that Moncton New Brunswick had other names?

It was once called La Chapelle ,before there was a chapel built there around 1755.Years later when a construction crew was digging up the ground to make a foundation for the Parkhouse Hotel on Main Street, the workers uncovered 16 coffins.And in another location they found what they believed to be ruins of the chapel.
Then Moncton was also known as Le Coude (The Bend) and Terre Rouge.Terre Rouge may be because of the muddy Petitcodiac River.

Did you know what our acadian ancestors used as knitting needles?

Well I read that they used branches from trees, or bushes. My Mom told me they would strip all the leaves from them and choose the ones with no knots holes on them.And I also read that our acadian ancestors would order metal needles from France to make their lace. They also used the branches of the trees to tie their long hair up in a bun .Isn't it amazing how our ancestors learned to survive by learning how to make things from nature?

Did you know how our ancestors made Candles?

Well neither did I, but I just read that they used to melt beeswax ,beeswax was taken from the beehives (I would not of been good at doing that since I am allergic to bee stings).They would melt the beeswax, and then pour it into molds, they would then add a string or rope in the middle of the mold to make the whick and let it harden. When the beeswax had hardened they would put the mold in hot water to remove the candle from it. In the evenings they probably would light the whick and they would have some light, since they had no electricity back then. It sure must have been dark at night time huh?

Did you hear what happened in Digby Nova Scotia in 1894? Found the following at PANB

Date : April 13, 1894
County : Saint John
Place : Saint John
Newspaper : The Daily Sun
Digby, N.S., April 12 - News reached here this eve. of a terrible boating catastrophe which occurred at Cape Cove this county Sunday last. Edward BOUDREAU, Justine COMEAU, Frank BOUDREAU, Joseph DEVAU and Jos. BOUDREAU, all of Salmon River, left home in a sail boat called the "Dot" early in the afternoon, intending to run to Church Point, some 20 miles distant. On reaching Meteghan they found the wind rising rapidly and decided to tack and run for home, as it was impossible to make Church Point against a heavy wind and sea. After many narrow escapes from swamping, they managed to reach Cape Cove and ran the "Dot" aground, when one of their number went ashore in a passing boat and borrowed a dory to land the others in. After he returned to the "Dot", however, they again set sail. This was about 5 o'clock in the eve. Those watching them supposed that it was the intention of the Dot's crew to work in under short sail, but they soon saw the boat had got beyond their control and was running into St. Mary's Bay. A heavy fog settled down and the "Dot" was lost to view. The unfortunate young men were without food, water or compass and must have perished during the late gale. Searching parties have been out in boats and along the shore, but thus far no bodies have been washed ashore nor has anything from "Dot" been found. SUN April 14 - All hopes of the crew Dot, five in number, were abandoned today when the gale again commenced to rage.

Did you know that in July of 1840 there were triplets born to Mr and Mrs Raphael Babin from Ardoise River in Kent County NB?

They had one son and two daughters. That must have been a very important event back then

Did you know that many Acadians escaped the Expulsion in 1755 by staying in the Moncton area,where at least three years?

They participated in guerilla warfare against the English garrison of Fort Cumberland (used to be Fort Beausejour but was captured by the english).

Did you know that the first National Acadian Convention was held in Memramcook New Brunswick?

It was held in 1881 with over 5000 people from all regions of the Maritimes attending, and it was decided that August 15th would be thereafter Assumption Day. The National Holiday of the Acadians and Notre Dame de L'Assomption would be their patron saint.

Did you know why the election of 1785 in Westmorland County New Brunswick were invalid?

It was because the Acadians had voted, a right that was not theirs as Catholics during that period

Did you know that Grand Digue and Barachois were established around 1786-1787?

They were established by the Acadians who were ousted by an Englishman from Shediac Cape where they had lived for twenty years.

Did you know that the Prince Edward Island Ferry did not always cross at Cape Turmentine?

The Ferry left from Pointe Du Chene in Shediac during the 19th Century and during the first part of the 20th Century before the construction of of port installations in Cape-Tourmentine.

Did you know that Cocagne Village is the oldest village in South Eastern New Brunswick?

This was because the first settlers arrived around 1767 from the Islands of St.Pierre and Miquelon

Did you know what the Acadians in Shediac Cape and Shediac River built?

They built stores and warehouses to provision the French Troops stationed in the region.

Did you know where the Acadians hid during their trek home between 1756-1760>

They hid in Cocagne, Bouctouche and Richiboucto.(some of these tidbits were taken from a newspaper quiz in 1993).

Did you know that in 1755 before the Expulsion of the Acadians that

In Grand Pre Nova Scotia there were 334 heads of families and in total they had 1269 beef or cattle, 1557 cows, 2181 young calves,plus 5007 horned cattle, 8090 sheep,4197 pigs,and 493 horses.Not mentioning all the arpents of farms, meadows,apple and pear orchards.(source Une Historique de la famille Boudreau 1639-1994).So as you can see our Acadian Ancestors were doing quite well back in and before 1755.

Did you know who the first Acadian elected to the legislative assembly was?
Amand Landry was the first Acadian to be elected in the year 1846,this was sixty years after New Brunswick was created

Did you know where the first National Acadian Convention was held?

The first National Acadian Convention was held in Memramcook in 1881 with over 5000 people from all regions of the Maritimes attending and it was decided that August 15th would thereafter be Assumption Day,the national holiday of the Acadians and Notre Dame de L'Assomption would be their patron Saint.

Did you know about the election in 1785?
The election in Westmorland County New Brunswick in 1785 was invalid because Acadians had voted, a right that was not their's as Catholics during that period.

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