The Robichauds in Acadia

The Robichauds in Acadia and The Historical Account of the Family Business U.J. Robichaud & Son, Ltd.

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CHAPTER 1
Louis Robichaud
The First Generation

First, it is important to place the Robichaud family in a historical context following their arrival in Acadia in the 1600s. Second, I will describe the activities surrounding the small industrial empire founded by the Robichauds in Clare. This included business transactions, forestry, a mill operation, store management and administration, the purchase and sale of real estate, merchandise exhibitions, restaurant and hotel direction, as well as negotiation with different levels of government. Nevertheless, I can’t begin this work without underlining the fact that Louis Robichaud is considered to be the forefather of the Robichaud family, despite the fact that many historians disagree on the details regarding his birth, his family, his marriage, and his arrival in Acadia.

In 1632, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye gave Nova Scotia to France. The new Governor of Acadia, Isaac de Razilly, resolved, along with his associates Charles d’Aulnay and Nicolas Denys, to bring colonists to populate this new land. From 1632, de Razilly brought many immigrants to New France and, according to Bona Arsenault, these groups were comprised only of men.

Charles d’Aulnay, a colonist from Poitou, France, succeeded de Razilly as Governor. Most of the families coming to the new colony arrived later, in the company of d’Aulnay. Charles de Menou d’Aulnay was governor from 1636 to 1650.

Before arriving in Acadia, the Robichauds were sharecroppers at the Chateau Bonnetière in Loudun. It was here, at Notre-Dame Church of La Chaussée, that Charles d’Aulnay recruited those who would cross the Atlantic to New France. Besides the Robichauds, these included the Belliveaus, the Bourgs, the Braults, and the Landrys.