Félicité Cyr

     Félicité Cyr was born circa 1754 at Colony of Nova Scotia, British North America.¹ She was the daughter of Jean-Jacques Cyr and Marie-Josèphe Hébert. Félicitémoved. In order to escape deportation, the family fled to Isle Saint-Jean (present-day Prince Edward Island) between 1755 and 1758.¹ Félicitémoved in 1758. Another deportation took place on Isle Saint-Jean in 1758. The family was put aboard the Duke William and disembarked at Saint-Malo on 1 November 1758.[8] They managed to survive horrific conditions on the ship. Of the 342 passengers listed, 146 died at sea, 29 died at hospital after arrival. Jean, Marie-Josèphe and 6 of their children needed to be hospitalized upon arrival in France. Félicité was one of them.¹

Félicité Cyr married Jean-Baptiste Robichaud, son of Joseph Robichaud and Claire LeBlanc, on 4 February 1773 at Église Saint-Servan, Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, France.^2,3,1,4 Félicité and Jean-Baptistemoved. The Jersey merchants of the firm Robin, Pipon et Cie. were eager to sign on the Acadian families living on the coasts of France in order to obtain a stable work-force for their settlements in Gaspé and on Cape Breton Island, since the young people from Jersey did not seem to want to take up permanent residence there. Early in the spring of 1774 Jean-Baptiste and his brothers went to Jersey, and in April the Acadian contingent left Saint Helier on two ships, the Hope and the bound for Charles Robin’s establishment at Paspébiac in Gaspé, which they reached the following month. Jean-Baptiste and his wife settled at Bonaventure with their eldest child, Jean-Baptiste, who had been born on 16 Nov. 1773 at Saint-Servan. There they lived in straitened circumstances on his ten-acre plot, completely dependent on the company, Charles Robin having encouraged the Acadians to concentrate on fishing rather than farming. Unable to gain secure possession even of this small property, Robichaux contemplated joining the Acadian families south of the Baie des Chaleurs.¹ Félicité and Jean-Baptistemoved in 1790. About 1790 he crossed the bay with his family to settle at Grand Chipagan, taking up residence on Pointe Brûlé to the west of the harbour. He was the first settler from Grand Chipagan to petition the government for title to his land, in 1798. His rights were recognized.¹ Félicité Cyr died circa 1844 at Shippagan, New Brunswick, Canada.¹