March 1996 —Volume 2, Issue 3
Startling news! We received from our French-Canadian researcher, and after some revision we reprint for you, what is called a straight line (father-to-father) back twelve generations to our immigrant ancestor. He was Louis Dubord, who was born around 1600 in Périgueux, France, not so far from Clermont-Ferrand.
Excellent, except for the mystery as to why he was named Dubord, rather than Clermont. Rejecting various dark possibilities, I now think that this is an example of so-called dit names. I think that Charles Clermont was so called to distinguish him from his father Charles Dubord, probably choosing Clermont as a place of origin: hence “Charles Dubord dit Clermont.” This implies that we are not related to the various illustrious Clermonts of France.
This is all a preliminary conclusion, however. Research goes on. First, perhaps our researcher made a mistake. His results, however, fit together and make some sense. Second, perhaps Dubord was the dit name. But there were no Clermont names to be found before 1700. Third, perhaps some altogether different explanation exists for the Dubord name.
On the bright side, our family was among the early settlers in Quebec. Contrary to family legend, we did not immigrate during the French Revolution but much earlier during the colony’s infancy. And the colony and the Church kept amazingly detailed records on these original settlers. So, I have started tracking down some details.
and then there was
Albert Clermont
William Clermont
Kevin Clermont
Adrienne Clermont(9th great-grandchild of Louis Dubord)
Startling news! We received from our French-Canadian researcher, and after some revision we reprint for you, what is called a straight line (father-to-father) back twelve generations to our immigrant ancestor. He was Louis Dubord, who was born around 1600 in Périgueux, France, not so far from Clermont-Ferrand.
Excellent, except for the mystery as to why he was named Dubord, rather than Clermont. Rejecting various dark possibilities, I now think that this is an example of so-called dit names. I think that Charles Clermont was so called to distinguish him from his father Charles Dubord, probably choosing Clermont as a place of origin: hence “Charles Dubord dit Clermont.” This implies that we are not related to the various illustrious Clermonts of France.
This is all a preliminary conclusion, however. Research goes on. First, perhaps our researcher made a mistake. His results, however, fit together and make some sense. Second, perhaps Dubord was the dit name. But there were no Clermont names to be found before 1700. Third, perhaps some altogether different explanation exists for the Dubord name.
On the bright side, our family was among the early settlers in Quebec. Contrary to family legend, we did not immigrate during the French Revolution but much earlier during the colony’s infancy. And the colony and the Church kept amazingly detailed records on these original settlers. So, I have started tracking down some details.
We already know that the family was centered just northeast of Trois Rivières, on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River. We include a map of the region, which shows where most of the family’s marriages took place. (To create a scale, note that Trois Rivières is 24 miles from La Pérade.) According to Leonard Humphreys, the family farm was in Batiscan, and there they grew or raised almost all they needed, buying only sugar and coffee. Beyond that, we know little about them so far: whether habitants or seigneurs, what all the other compound names in our tree mean, what the other lines of the family entail. We’re at work on all that, and would love to hear from you with what you all know. So far, our research has mainly met deafening silence. Surely, some of you have information on your ancestors!
Published a random number of times per year in Ithaca, NY
Editor/Ideas/Writer…………..Adrienne Clermont
Proofreader………………………Kevin Clermont
© & ® 1996 by Adrienne Clermont
kmc12@cornell.edu