This St. John’s Evening Telegram article is about Stephen Gallant and his wife Elizabeth Gaudet of Stephenville, Bay St. George. From 1942, calculating from the month and day shown. That year also fits with the information in the article.
Stephenville’s Grand Old Man is Ninety-Five
Settlement is named after him
By S. E. N. Cox
Stephenville, April 30 – One of the grand old men of Newfoundland is Mr. Stephen Gallant, 95 years of age, who was the first one to be born in Stephenville, which is named for him. Mrs. Stephen Gallant, his second wife, is 85 years old.
He made a sea trip early in life, for he was taken to Cape Breton when he was only two months old, to be baptized.
Mr. Gallant has three sons and three daughters – the oldest son is 67 years of age. He has no idea of the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren he has.
He was married the first time when he was 22. His present wife does not speak English, only Cape Breton French. His father died at 68 years of age and his mother at 90.
After a lifetime spent as a farmer and a fisherman, Mr. Gallant does not wear glasses and still seems to be in good health. He lives in a well-kept house, which is clean and comfortable and where hospitality is warmly extended.
Mr. Gallant thinks airplanes are wonderful things, but has no desire to fly in one of them. He does not resent the intrusion of Americans or the American base.
Stephen Gallant Family Tree
Like Mr. Gallant, I don’t know for sure how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren he had. A lot! Here is his family tree, from his children up through his parental lines, as best as I can make it. They go from Newfoundland back to what was Acadia, particularly Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island.
His first wife was Flora Delaney. After she died, he married Elizabeth Gaudet. I found ancestry trees naming a seventh child from his second marriage. However, this article only mentions six children. I have included all seven – four daughters and three sons – but I don’t know if that’s accurate.
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In her Back of the Pond, Mercedes Benoit-Penney tells the Acadian and Mi’kmaq history of Stephenville before the American base. Like Stephen Gallant, she is descended from Etienne Leblanc and Anne Marie Cormier.
She also discusses the genetic condition known as Allerdice Syndrome found among their descendants. Tap image for Amazon.ca link.
Dianna Knowles
19 Sep 2020My great grandparents were Mary Gallant and Octave Gaudet from Stephenville. My grandmother Margie was born in 1910 one of many children. I would like to know more about my heritage which I believe includes Mi’kmaq
Dorothy
20 Sep 2020Hi Dianna, I have Octave (or Octavius) Gaudet as born 1868 in Stephenville, son of Jean Ignatius Gaudet and Helene Marche. They were married in 1852 in Immaculate Conception in Sandy Point. Ignatius was son of Jean Gaudet (born abt 1794 died 1854 in Sandy Point) and Pelagie Cormier. Helene was daughter of Vincent Francois Marche and Sophie Adelaide Jesseau, both born in St Pierre. For more on the Marche and Jesseau families, a membership in the Bay St George Genealogy Society will let you see their Marche and Jesso information. Also see Jasen Benwah’s genealogies (links are on my Nfld Mi’kmaq Genealogy page).
Mary Susan Gallant (born 1874 Stephenville and died 1936) was daughter of James Stephen Gallant and Euphronsine Flora Delaney. Stephen (1847-1944 Stephenville) was son of Felix Gallant (b 1821 Margaree Cape Breton) and Marie Theotiste Leblanc (b 1831 maybe Margaree). Felix was son of Jacques Gallant (1786 Cheticamp NS) and Henriette Cormier. Marie Theotiste was daughter of Etienne Leblanc and Anne Marie Margaret Cormier (abt 1800 Margaree NS-1877 Stephenville). Flora Delaney (1849-abt 1877) was daughter of Joseph Delaney and Susanne Aucoin (b Margaree, d/o Raphael Aucoin and Euphonsine Hache Gallant).
Hope this isn’t too confusing – lots of names, I know! The genealogy page I mention above has links to online trees for pretty much all these families. Good luck!
Audrey Grenier-Williams
11 Jan 2020Can someone on here tell me if my 2nd great grandmother Johanna Young b.1847 who married Henry Benoit of Little Bras D’or Cape Breton (she would be the d/o James Young and Ann Long) are from Stephensville or if she or her immediate family was related to this particular Gallant? And while I’m at it if someone could help me with another Gallant family quarry, I am trying to trace my moms mothers family linage (hence my previous question) My grandma Ida’s mother was Agnes Jane Bennett *Benoit* ( ^^Johanna Young^^ was her mother) she was b. in Little Bras D’or raised in Reserve. I’ve managed to trace the LeJeune akaYoung ancestral roots as best I could back to Pierre Larach / Michel Hache Dit Gallant as well as for the Benoît *Benoist linkage to the Hache dit Gallants however I am struggling to make the Hache Dit Gallant connection for my Grandmas namesake ;her father Simon Gallant from Reserve Cape Breton. I started out years ago on the thinking that I was only going to have to trace one out of the four Grandparents on my Grandmothers side back to Michel Hache Dit Gallant which I naively assumed would be my grandmothers father Simon Gallant but turns out I was so very wrong lol because I had an easier time making that specific connection from the side I hadn’t even realized were descendants of the Michel Gallant Line then my actual Gallant forebear. Anyway, if anyone can shed some light on any of the people,names, places I have listed here or has anything at all to suggest to help me along the way I’d be forever grateful. If not oh well Sorry for wasting your time 🙂
Lesley Taylor
1 Jan 2020Stephenville is named after Stephen leblanc, not stephen gallant. Stephen leblanc was one of the first settlers to the area.
Dorothy
1 Jan 2020Hi Lesley, yes, this seems to be a matter of controversy in Stephenville’s history. I’ve read good arguments for both men, so thanks for pointing it out.
Martin Urbenz
8 Nov 2019I contacted Dorothy and had a confirmed reply of family history Dec.14 2013 .
It would help if the reply could be found and added here.
Adding to the Gallant-Hache family tree.
I have found more information i would like to share.
Please email me direct any questions since i would like to continue our family search origins. From P.E.I throughout to St. John’s NL.
mrtnurbnz@yahoo.com
Dorothy
8 Nov 2019Hi Martin, I found your comment and my response on my Nfld Mi’kmaq Family History page. Here are both:
“Martin Urbenz, December 14, 2013
Thank you for information on your site. I will dig in.
I am looking for any info on my Mi’k Mac ancestors.
Maybe even burial sites to pay respects.
Great Great Grandparents Eugene Gallant, and Ursela Japeau
Birthplace Margaree Nova Scotia.
Great Grandparents Marie Gallant Christopher. Birthplace Bay St. George Sandy Point NL.
We are of Mi’k Mak descent. Acadian ancestors.
Grandparent Fred Leo Christopher birthplace Summerside.
My Mother Mary Ramona Christopher from Corner Brook NL.
Dorothy, December 14, 2013
Hi Martin, yes, your ancestors link into many families of Acadia. Way too much info for me to put here in comments. If you haven’t already, look at the 2 Acadian sites on this page, two Bras d’Or sites, Jasen Benwah’s, Lark Szick’s LeJeune page, Jerry Gerrior’s, and one I’m going to add now on the Gallant family.
Eugene Gallant’s parents were Simon Hache dit Gallant, b 1792 Margaree d 1828, and Isabelle Gaudet, b 1798 d 16 Feb 1843. Simon’s parents were Charles Hache dit Gallant, b Jul 1749 PEI d 7 Jun 1842 Margaree, and Felicite Gautrot, b abt 1756 d 9 Dec 1851.
I have two possible sets of parents for Eugene’s wife Ursula Japeau and I’m not sure which is correct. Her first name is also found as Ursuline and surname as Jesseau or Jesso. Thanks for writing, your information has helped me sort out mine and add to it.”