Pierre Mellanson dit Laverdure

• General Notes
  • Pierre led a settling party in 1682 to the Minas Basin, site of the village-to-be of Grand Pre'. Accompanying him were Pierre THERIOT, a LE BLANC and a LANDRY. By 1701 this area has 487 residents, surpassing Fort Royal colony with 456 (a total of 1450 in colony).
    * Rushton, William Faulkner. The Cajuns from Acadia to Louisiana (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux), 1979.
    
    Port Royal, Acadia, occupation listed as "Tailleur." But he refused to give the census-taker his age or the number of his animals or size of land. [What was the objection?] His wife also refused, saying "Si jettois si fous de courir Les ques pour des choses de ---." (Was I so foolish as to roam the streets for such things?)
    *CENSUS Port Royal, L’Acadie: 1671
    
    Baye des Mines [Grand Pre'], Acadia, age 54 years, "dit la Verdure." Living with wife and
    9 children, one a day old. They have 12 guns, 50 arpens worked land, 31 cattle, 8 sheep and
    27 pigs. He is wealthy, by local standards.
    *CENSUS Baye des Mines [Grand Pre] L’Acadie: 1686
    
    Letter from Governor Jacques Francois de Brouillan; March 1, 1704
    Pierre was the pioneer settler in 1680 of Grand Pre area of Bassin des Mines, north of Port Royal.
    He was named Major-in-Charge of the Militia Post.
    
    From the Canadian Archives, MG 18, H20:
    
    "I certify that Sieur Melancon, chief of the nation of Indians of all Acadia, as well as of French of that county, has rendered to me all sorts of services for the establishment of this colony, and that this establishment would not have been made without his help, and that I have retained for him, as his reward for his services which he rendered to my master, the King, the title of Colonel General of the Militia and Chief of the Indian nation. By misfortune, M. de Carillon, commanding the King's vessel, La Francoise, was taken by the English in the port of Le Have (sic), that Sieur de Melancon defrayed the expenses of all the crew and kept them at his house for six weeks without ever wishing any compensation more than to be useful to His Majesty. I certify further that after having made his abjuration and embraced the Catholic religion, he, by his example and exhortation, charged the inhabitants and Indians to be loyal to the King, to live and die in the faith of the Roman Religion.
    
    *Done at Port Royal in Acadia, the first of March, 1704 and signed by: DeBrouillan
    [Acadian Governor Jacques Francois de Brouillan.]
    
    Letter from Governor Daniel Auger, Sieur de Subercase; August 3, 1727:
    
    “I certify that Mademoiselle Melancon, wife of Sieur le Poupet de la Boularderie, is the daughter of Sieur Melancon, chief of the inhabitants of Acadia, and that during the space of five years that I governed in that country, I always used him to command the Militia as he had done in the time of governors who were my predecessors, that he has served with all zeal possible. I certify further that after having made his abjuration and embraced the Catholic religion, he charged the inhabitants to be loyal to the King, to live and die in the Roman Catholic and Apostolic Religion.”
    
    *Done at Paris, the third of August, 1727 and signed by: De Subercase, former governor of
    Acadia [ Daniel Auger, Sieur de Subercase.]