Jacques Cartier had called it Bacchus because of the vines resembling those of his country, having found there very beautiful trees and beautiful meadows covering its shores.
Champlain upon going up the River had said of it: " This place is the beginning of a beautiful and good country by the large river ".
The Indians had given it the name of Minigo " The place the river narrows ", but it is finally in honour of the Duke Of Orleans that it was definitively named.
One does not cease speaking about it, of the charm of its landscapes, picturesque villages, the beauty of its old houses, its merry inhabitants, traditions, legends, wizards, and softness of living.
It is there that several generations of our ancestors have constituted a great part of the population for 335 years. Its history forms integral part of our inheritance and our culture draws its roots from there.
It is thus natural for Morency to carry a sentimental interest
for the Island of Orleans, in particular for Sainte-Famille. It
is
there that we find our ancestors.
THE FIRST COLONISTS
The first colonists settled northern side of the Island,
within the proxiomity of Castle-Richer, and Sainte-Famille became
a
parish only ten years later.
They selected the most beautiful parcles of the subdivision of the seigniory of Bowsprit founded under the name of Arrière-fief Charny-Lirec. It became the foundations of the parish of Sainte-Famille, to the east of the church.
Morencys grouped , around the farm of their ancestor. The exploitation of three firms of importance by the Morency descendants in line continued until approximately 30 years ago . The grounds of our ancestor were sold in 1979. The land of Eudore did not change in the Sixties. There remains the firm of Lucien, associated by his son Steeve , which is still in operation.
The Morency farms gave hospitality to a multitude of Morencys which lived in Sainte-Famille and worked at various trades. The houses which they built were generally built on the grounds of the Morency farms, the Royal way. They were indicated communes " emplacitaires ". Some of these houses are still found to be in a rather good state of conservation.
ANCESTRAL GROUNDS
The ground that Guillaume Bauché " says Morency " was conceded on April 2, 1656 represented a strip of land 3 arpents in length, which extended from the edge of the river to the center of the Island. It was the farm #16, batches 46 has 54, and was maintained for 10 years.
In 1663, he had acquired land that was more beautiful, more
cleared, and better located . The ground #20, batches 63, 64 and
half of batch #65, had 4 arpents of width, it was increased later
by the addition of batch #62 and the balance of batch #65 to add
up more than 6 arpents. Only his sons Guillaume II and Joseph
continued the line and were established with each
one taking part of the ground of their father.
Morencys were not inclined to safeguard the beautiful " ancestral house " which was left abandoned so long that it was demolished about 1930 after the current house with attics to the mansion at 4266 Royal Way was built in front of the site of the old house.
This was a time of Morencys working at various trades within Sainte-Famille. Each had each one their small house which bordered the Royal way on the Morency farms, some of these houses are still in place.
OUR PRESENCE, I.O.
The presence of Morencys reached its apogee on the Island of Orleans in the middle of the 19th century whereas the registers of the parish of Sainte-Famille, over the period 1832 to1863, consigned 61 births, 11 marriages and 25 burials only for our Bauché ancestors, Bauché "says Morency " or Morency. The study does not relate to the 340 years, but one can especially have an idea of the growth of the population at the beginning of the colony whereas one recorded in Sainte-Famille 271 births from 1666 to 1679 of which a record year of 32 in 1667. It should be noted that Sainte-Famille was then the only parish of the Island and that the religious services were performed there for all of the many families that settled everywhere on the Island.
The vocations of our ancestors were limited almost exclusively to the work of the ground and the exploitation of artisanal aptitudes in trades such as: Carpenters, cartwrights, tinsmiths, blacksmiths, saddlers, etc. They are of merry nature, obliging and of good virtue but they seldom participating in community parish or municipal activities.
They are recognized as good workers, and for the recreationthey provide. They are fêtards, dancers, singers, and musicians. They also generally have a solid health and a good longevity.
The accelerated exodus of Sainte-Famille slowed down the development of the Morency families unrelentingly. The only remaining family members remaining there are Jude who exploits the food trade, Jean-Claude who is a general contractor and Steeve who farms with his/her Lucien father. There is also his brother Juvénal who has a farm in Saint-Pierre, Île of Orleans.
Research and texts, Marcel Morency. Translation by Richard P. Morency using SYSTRAN Personal Translation software.
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